Chapter 29 : Startup

Since that day, the team I belonged to was officially adjusted to S-rank, as per the emperor’s request.

It was a privilege that made me wonder if it was too much, but from my perspective—someone who wanted the development to align with the novel to avoid Chaos—I couldn’t help but welcome it.

I only told the team members and Instructor Cled that I had saved the princess from the heretics.

“Holidays are really nice. I can be lazy all day.”

Scratching my face, I quietly enjoyed Luna brushing my hair.

Luna, who was brushing my hair as usual, gently touched the wound on my shoulder and asked,

“Is this the wound you got back then?”

“…Yeah. I didn’t expect him to throw a sword.”

I’ve been disinfecting it daily, but the fairly deep wound will definitely leave a scar.

“It’s sword throwing. That Julius was good at it.”

“Luna, did you know that guy…?”

“Hey. Did you forget I was from the Imperial Knights? I’ve seen Julius countless times.”

Luna traced my wound and smiled bitterly.

“…Well, since he hurt you, he’s a bastard who deserves to be torn to pieces.”

‘…’

It was a cynical smile, unlike her usual self.

“Saya. You must have seen the princess, right?”

“The princess? She was pretty. And she has a good personality!”

“…You must have had fun. Yes.”

For some reason, the brushing on my head felt a little stronger.

“Luna, I think it’s a bit too strong…”

“Huh?”

“No, nothing.”

Today’s Luna was scary in many ways, so I decided to stay quiet.

I felt like she was in a bad mood, but I couldn’t figure out why.

While carrying a broom to complete my cleaning punishment, I wandered around the academy grounds and ran into Yuri Freesia, who was diligently training.

Seeing her standing upside down continuously, it seemed she was in the middle of practicing beastmen martial arts.

She had only learned the posture roughly from me, but she was already skilled enough to hold it with one hand.

As I watched her slack off, her wrist, which she was supporting with one hand, made a cracking sound and bent at an unnatural angle.

“…!?”

Startled, I approached her, but her reaction was surprising.

She dusted off her knees, got up, looked at her bent wrist, drank a few healing potions, and realigned the dislocated bone with her other hand.

‘No, she can’t feel pain. But to that extent…?’

What was even more impressive was that she immediately went back to standing upside down with the wrist she had just fixed.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and approached Yuri.

“Are you crazy? How many potions did you drink for one training session…?”

Healing magic, potions, and the like aren’t simple tools that create something from nothing.

They accelerate the body’s natural healing process, so the more they’re used, the more they affect the body in the long term.

“It’s fine. Spirit Masters have short lifespans anyway. If I can get stronger in a short time, that’s enough.”

If you die, this world and I won’t be okay. You woman.

I grabbed her ankle and pulled her down to the ground.

She ended up lying on the floor because of me, staring at me with her usual cold eyes.

“…What is this?”

I was going crazy. She didn’t even know she was being targeted for assassination, yet she was torturing her body in the name of training.

“If you’re standing in the middle of the road with your wrist bent like that, other students will be scared and run away. Freesia.”

“…You’re right. I made a mistake in choosing the location.”

Honestly, I didn’t care about the location—just control that insane training, miss.

“Saya, I’ve researched more about the magic output method you told me. It’s true that the power or output of magic changes dramatically depending on emotion. However, there’s a problem.”

“…Problem?”

“Emotion is too ambiguous an energy. On a battlefield where high-powered magic must be cast quickly, I need a way to control emotions rapidly. So I thought of one thing…”

She pulled out a small, transparent bottle from her pocket.

It didn’t seem to be a catalyst, as it was transparent, and I couldn’t think of anything else.

“What is that?”

“Simos extract. It’s a stimulant.”

“…Wow.”

Yuri, you’ve finally resorted to drugs.

Unlike Iremia, which has calming properties, Simos is an herb that induces excitement.

“I haven’t tried it yet, but this amount should keep me in a constant state of excitement for about an hour. When I’m excited, I’ll get angry easily.”

I took the solution Yuri handed me and looked at her with concern.

“Why are you trying to get stronger to this extent?”

To my question, she answered without hesitation.

“I don’t like it when someone around me dies. No matter who it is.”

“…”

“Then, I’ll change the training location. Indoors would be better this time.”

Yuri ended the conversation and walked toward the main building.

It’s good to work hard, but I wish she’d be a little more moderate.

Now that we’ve officially been given S-rank, we’ll be busy preparing for the ‘Invidia’ subjugation mission—the direct cause of the impending destruction.

Invidia of Envy.

After ‘Gula of Gluttony,’ which former Spirit Commander Violet successfully subdued, it’s the next ancient Sarkas to awaken.

After a long time, I checked the main quest with my own eyes again.

[ Main Quest: Change the Ending ]

Completion: 0%

The quest content was the same as when I first saw it, but a completion percentage had been added.

In other words, my 17 years of effort hadn’t made the slightest impact on the ending.

If time passes like this, the world’s destruction is inevitable.

If fate is destined no matter how hard I try, is there any point in struggling to change the ending?

Should I just enjoy the remaining time and live…?

No, I still don’t like that idea.

Come to think of it, this world has tormented me terribly for the past 17 years.

It was just madness, but as I met and experienced various people, I must have developed an attachment at some point.

Ding.

<A quest has been created.>

“…?”

The quest that suddenly appeared before my eyes made my pupils shake.

[ Subquest: Kill Carne Eckermann. ]

Reward: Armonia Chronicles Chapter 3 -Final Chapter-

Time Limit: 29 days 59 minutes 52 seconds

Failure Penalty: Death of Yuri Freesia

In front of the stark quest, my thoughts froze.

Eliminate… Carne Eckermann…?

It wasn’t a matter of refusing or not.

If I failed to achieve the goal within the time limit, the penalty was clear.

If I didn’t kill Carne, Yuri would die.

I had already heard this fact through Carne’s own words.

Why was I surprised again now?

I saw Carne lying fast asleep in bed.

With Luna and Yuri gone, only Carne and I were in the room.

“…”

I approached her as she slept soundly.

She looked so pure in her sleep, nothing like the villain she was.

Now might be the chance to deal with her without anyone knowing.

Even if Luna found out, she would cover for me.

…Gulp.

I drew a dagger from the scabbard at my waist.

This is what I always do.

I just had to drive the blade into her neck and twist it.

She is a real villain.

She always hides her intentions thoroughly in front of Yuri, but when the Invidia subjugation approaches, she’ll reveal her true nature.

Just before the subjugation battle, Carne will make Yuri drink a paralyzing poison disguised as a potion, then stab her immobilized body repeatedly, bringing her to death.

Her absence from the subjugation battle due to death leads to a lack of firepower, resulting in Invidia’s incomplete defeat and eventual release into the world.

Invidia, now free, absorbs humans by the village, regains her full strength, and causes the worst casualties in the history of the Armonia Empire, leading to the world’s rapid collapse.

Even Spirit Commander Violet, who subdued Gula in the past, couldn’t stop Invidia after she absorbed the spirits of thousands of people.

If Carne Eckermann is left alive, it will only lead to the same outcome.

I carefully pulled down her turtleneck, revealing her white skin.

“…!”

On her neck were three red numbers engraved.

‘This, why…’

There’s only one thing that a three-digit number engraved on the neck means.

A s*ave’s seal.

It’s the mark that was engraved on Captain Baekmyo and the old beastman.

Why was it on Carne’s neck?

‘…’

I put away the knife and sat down on the opposite bed as if collapsing.

I felt like I’d been hit in the head.

When I was writing the novel, her role was simply that of a psychopathic villain meant to drive the story toward tragedy.

I had listed her actions without giving her a proper motive for murder.

‘Carne, a s*ave…?’

The world, which had added plausibility by turning the novel into reality, had created a terrible variable.

“…Haam…”

Carne, who had woken up at some point, sat up with a yawn.

She met my eyes and frowned.

“What are you looking at?”

“…”

She followed my gaze to her neck, where the strange numbers were engraved under her lowered turtleneck.

“…You saw it, Saya.”