TNEVOTDA 11 to 15

 Chapter 11 Part 1 - The Narrow-Eyed Villain of the Demon Academy

Finally, what was bound to come has come……-

Crete had sent a servant to tell me to come to his office-

I moved my steps with a very nervous expression-

Creak, the door to the office opened with a sound-

As I entered the door, I saw Crete sitting in a chair with a cold expression-

'What the hell is he thinking……-'

I couldn't figure out Crete's intentions at all, so I couldn't relax my tense expression-

In the end, I had no choice but to ask my question out loud-

-Why did you spare me?-

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason for Crete to spare me-

Not only did I rob the Eye of Arrogance of the Bares family, but I also deceived his daughter, Rene-

Crete opened his mouth as if it were natural for me not to know what was going on-

-I spared you because you're useful--

-……--

I was furious inside-

So-

What the hell is that use?

I had already noticed that Crete wanted something from me-

But I couldn't figure out what he wanted-

Should I say it felt creepy……-

The moment I glanced at Crete with my gaze,

-You did a good job deceiving my daughter--

-……!-

Along with the bloody laughter that Crete let out, a tremendous amount of magic power squeezed my body-

My shoulders trembled and my breath became shallow as I received the full force of his aura-

I barely managed to gather my mana and release the Killing Intent trait-

Woo--

Perhaps he didn't really intend to pressure me with his full power, but despite the vast difference in our abilities, our killing intents collided and canceled each other out-

Crete looked at me with a slightly impressed expression and withdrew his aura-

-You're quite capable--

-……Please don't play such tricks--

-Why should I?-

-You don't intend to kill me anyway, do you?-

-Hmm, you're quite perceptive--

Crete said with a smile-

-Your name is worth knowing, tell me your name--

-……Adel--

-Adel, Adel……--

Crete looked at me, repeating my name without the Arsene family name-

The gaze was very burdensome……-

But, there was no need to continue feeling intimidated-

I straightened my back and asked Crete back-

-Then, please tell me what you want from me--

-It’s a simple story- Continue what you said to my daughter--

-What do you mean……--

-I won’t say it twice--

-……--

I realized Crete’s intention-

Crete was urging me to be Rene’s escort-

Why?

For Crete, I must be an outsider and a very suspicious figure-

Doesn’t he think that I could be a threat to Rene?

While staring at Crete to figure out his intention, I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly-

The reason why Crete made such an absurd suggestion-

‘……I guess why-’

Crete’s emotionless eyes-

Crete was confident-

Confident that he could tear me to death if I betrayed him……-

What an arrogant man-

He judged my level within a few hours of meeting me and was trying to crush me under him-

He was truly a man befitting the title of the Bares family lord-

It was when I was inwardly impressed-

Clack-

As soon as Crete gestured, my body floated up in the air-

I had to swallow my saliva at the irresistible floating sensation-

-Open your mouth--

As soon as Crete spoke, my intuition sent me a strong signal not to open my mouth-

However, Crete forcefully opened my tightly shut mouth-

Then, a venomous snake resembling a dragon crawled up my neck from Crete’s palm-

The venomous snake invaded my esophagus and rampaged, and at one point, I realized that it had settled in the middle of my chest-

Throb……-

The process was so painful that I coughed, and Crete continued to speak indifferently-

-It's a type of Gu poison- If you have any other thoughts, the Gu will destroy your body--

-……!-

I couldn’t help but tremble greatly-

Gu poison-

It was the name of a poison made of mana that parasitizes the human body and leads the host to ruin-

If I were to betray Rene or try to escape the Bares territory, Gu would mercilessly tear my heart out-

There was no way I could do anything about it, since trying to remove Gu would send a signal to Crete-

In short, if I were to go against Crete's will in the slightest---

It meant that I would be in a situation where my heart could burst and I could die-

-I will call for you again later- Get plenty of rest in the meantime--

Crete gave me an order, his face pale and trembling-

Dammit……-

I suppressed my anger and cursed inwardly-

He wasn't even going to give me medicine or anything, and yet he was giving me such a nonchalant order in this situation-

……But it was clear that I was the weaker one in the current situation, so I had to swallow the curses that had risen to the tip of my tongue-

-Withdraw--

I bowed my head deeply and dragged my feet at Crete's repeated order-

However, there was not a trace of frustration on my face, which was bowed down-

Because a way to remove Gu poision had just crossed my mind-

Outside the office-

A servant in a neat uniform was waiting for me-

The servant also had black hair and two horns-

-I will show you to your room--

-……Yes--

The servant led the way respectfully-

I hardened my face in response-

It was because I realized that I had no right to refuse-

……He's really going to make me stay here-

The servant's words-

In them, I could see Crete's intention to take me in as a guest-

He must have recognized the potential of the talent that Adel possessed and wanted to invest in it-

Furthermore, my ability, Position Exchange, would be useful for rescue operations, so it seemed like he intended to have me protect Rene as her escort-

'I feel like a sucker-'

I was not used to this kind of treatment, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth-

But in truth, I should have been grateful that he had spared my life-

And above all else-

For some reason, I felt like I was riding the wind-

I had a feeling that this situation would work out very well for me-

Perhaps it was my imagination-

However, my intuition as an 'author,' which had served me well so far, was telling me

That this was by no means a bad situation---

While I was lost in thought and following the servant around the Bares family’s mansion-

Thud-

The servant stopped walking and looked back-

-You will be staying here from now on- We will provide you with three meals a day--

-I understand--

I replied curtly-

More important than food was the room that I had been assigned by Crete-

Contrary to my expectations, Crete’s office was not that different from a human’s and was rather old-fashioned-

So even in the Demon Realm, my room would probably be normal-

-Then please get some rest--

As the servant left after saying his last words, I opened the door-

Creak-

The sound of wood and metal rubbing against each other echoed in my ears, and soon the interior of the room was revealed-

‘Not bad-’

The furniture made of wood gave off a rather luxurious vibe-

As I looked at the bed in the corner of the room, I felt like lying down and closing my eyes right away……-

However, it was still too early to go to sleep-

-……I should get rid of that guy first--

The Gu poison that settled near my heart-

If I don’t get rid of it, the range of my activities will be extremely limited in the future-

Getting rid of Gu poison was essential for me-

-I really hope it works……--

In fact, I was still half-hearted-

I wondered if I could really get rid of Gu poison this way-

If I failed, I couldn’t even imagine what Crete would do to me-

But I had no choice but to try-

-Designation--

I designated the Gu poison that was dormant in my body as the ‘target’ of the Position Exchange-

I could see an arrow as thin as a thread stretching out from my fingertips and piercing my chest-

The Position Exchange skill judged the Gu poison that was made of Mana as a ‘non-living thing’-

So I rolled up my lips and spat out the incantation-

-Move--

Then my vision reversed-

Thud--

Gu poison that had popped out of my chest landed safely in my palm-

If I had dropped it, the signal would have gone straight to Crete, but the Gu poison was still asleep with its eyelids closed-

‘For now, I’ve put out the urgent fire-’

Now, all that’s left is to do something before Gu poison opens his eyes-

The thought of killing Gu poison crossed my mind, but I immediately dismissed it-

The moment I threaten him, a signal will be sent to Crete-

Then, the only method left is…

‘I guess I have no choice but to coax him……-’

However, I didn’t have a proper way to coax him-

What Gu poison likes is Mana imbued with pure magic power-

But there’s no way that the guy who was eating Crete’s Mana would enjoy the low-quality Mana of a half-Demon-

As I was urgently racking my brain-

Slice--

Gu’s closed eyes began to slowly open-

Gu was about to wake up from his sleep, having noticed that the supply of Mana from my chest had been cut off-

What should I do?

What should I give him to satisfy Gu’s picky taste?

I tightly shut my eyes as I was worrying-

Let it be as it may-

-Try eating this--

I extended a drop of Mana condensed on my index finger, adding the trait of darkness to it, and offered it to Gu poison-

Gu, who was about to send a signal to Crete, stopped and began to sniff-

- ……?!

Gu’s eyes widened as he smelled the black droplet-

Then, he extended his tongue and began to lick the droplet-

Before I knew it, Gu poison had eaten the entire droplet and let out a satisfied purr-

……-

And then, he fell back asleep-

-I succeeded……--

I satisfied Gu using a small amount of Mana and the trait of darkness-

With this, I could say that I had somewhat removed the noose around my neck-

From now on, whenever Gu wakes up, I’ll just feed him a droplet imbued with the trait of darkness and put him back to sleep-

-Whew--

I felt like all the strength had left my body-

Not much time had passed since I possessed Adel’s body-

But how many times had I faced the crisis of death……-

Thud-

I collapsed on the bed as if I had been thrown-

And I brought up my Status Window to check my condition-

【 Arsene Adel 】

: Race - [ Half Demon ]

: Tendency - [ Chaos ]

: Talent - [ Position Exchange ‘Ⅰ ⇒ Ⅱ’ ]

: Trait - [ Interest ] [ Absorption ] [ Killing Intent ] [ Darkness ] [ Mana Manipulation ] [ Eye of Arrogance ]

: Mana - [ 341 ⇒ 241 ]

Even though my maximum mana had decreased by a whole 100, my proficiency in Position Exchange had actually increased-

‘I did use Position Exchange a lot-’

That was probably why my level had increased so quickly-

However, Position Exchange’s growth will become slower from now on-

That was because the proficiency required increased as the level got higher-

‘For now, I should focus on increasing my maximum mana-’

Even compared to ordinary people, my mana was still quite low, but now that I had become Rene’s escort, I needed to increase it-

After all, the main characters in my novel had an unfathomable amount of mana-

‘What should I do?’

There were many ways to increase maximum mana-

Such as finding a hidden artifact……-

However, I was too weak to obtain them at the moment-

‘Ugh, what am I going to do?’

Maybe I shouldn't have used my maximum mana as collateral……-

I tossed and turned in frustration before finally falling asleep-

---

And a few days later-

I unexpectedly found a ‘certain’ way to increase my maximum mana-

Three days had passed since I was officially appointed as Rene's escort by Crete-

During this time, which felt both long and short, I was able to explore the mansion freely- Crete didn't restrict my movements-

'He must be overconfident in the Gu poison-'

I glanced at the viper sleeping on my hand- It was none other than the Gu poison that Crete had implanted in my chest-

- …………-

It showed no signs of waking up yet, but occasionally, it would stir- Every lunchtime, it would open its eyelids slightly and stare at me-

Whenever that happened, I would give it mana infused with the Darkness trait-

Just like now-

- ……-

Lick-

Yawn-

After consuming the mana, the Gu yawned contentedly and fell back asleep- Feeding it had become a routine, so it wasn't inconvenient-

I wasn't sure how long I could keep this up---

But for now, since it wasn't showing any adverse reactions, I could breathe a sigh of relief-

---And there was a bigger problem than the Gu-

-……!!-

The black-haired girl with whom I made eye contact tensed up-

Rene, the youngest daughter of the Bares family and the one I was supposed to protect-

However,

'She's too fierce---'

The problem was Rene's attitude-

She didn't seem to doubt my identity as an escort, but it was clear that she didn't like me-

I wish I knew why-

---No, I think I might know-

During my three days at the Bares mansion, I had overheard conversations among the servants-

There was a common theme in their discussions-

-She used to be so bright when she was young--

-If only that incident hadn't happened, Lady Rene----

Rene's mother-

It was a topic that came up whenever the servants talked about Rene-

Rene's mother was killed by humans during the Human-Demon War-

I still had my parents alive, so I couldn't fully understand her grief-

However, I had seen my close friend go through his parents' funeral-

'That friend lived like a recluse for years after that-'

He skipped more meals than he ate and cut off most of his relationships, avoiding interaction with the world-

Seeing him unresponsive to any comfort, I realized that the feeling of loss when losing a loved one couldn't be filled by anything else-

That's why I felt so guilty-

It was none other than me, the author, who had killed Rene's mother-

To be exact, it was the humans at the time of the Great War……-

No matter how hard I tried to comfort myself, the guilt did not diminish-

I looked at Rene with compassionate eyes-

-……--

-……--

Tears welled up-

Soon, Rene's tightly pursed lips parted,

-……I feel sick--

She uttered in a terrible voice-

Swoosh-

As I watched Rene distance herself from me, I swallowed my tears-

-Sir Adel, Lady Rene--

The servant I had seen before spoke to Rene and me-

-The Lord is calling for you--

- - -

Crete was sitting in a chair, staring at Rene and me-

As Rene and I approached, Crete spoke-

-Rene, you must have guessed what I'm going to say--

-……!-

At Crete's words, Rene's eyes lit up with anticipation-

I wondered why Rene was reacting that way, knowing what Crete was going to say-

I was very curious, but I waited for Crete to speak, as I didn't want to arouse any suspicion-

Soon, Crete uttered a single sentence-

-The entrance exam date for Sytan has been set--

-Wow……!-

Rene exclaimed in admiration as if she were genuinely happy-

But I couldn't bring myself to listen to Crete's words-

There was an uncomfortable word in it-

'If it's Sytan……-'

The Imperial Academy-

A place where promising commoners or children of high-ranking nobles gather to hone their talents like precious stones or build connections-

It was also the setting for the novel I had written-

---And the counterpart of the Imperial Academy was the Demon Training Institute, 'Sytan-'

In fact, it was embarrassing to even call it an antithesis-

Sytan also wields tremendous power within the Demon Realm, but among them, those who could defeat the main characters of the Imperial Academy, the main characters of the novel, were extremely rare-

I looked at Rene blankly-

'Is that why Rene died?'

As the story progressed, Sytan and the Imperial Academy were constantly at odds-

Sytan inflicted great damage on the students of the Imperial Academy every time-

Rene must have been one of the demons who was killed by the students of the Imperial Academy-

That's why I hated Sytan-

Sytan is a place that holds a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment---

It's hard to understand why Rene would be so eager to enroll in such a place-

---If I were her, I'd rather be prepared to die-

'Judging by the atmosphere, it seems that her conquest of the Secret Realm was also an attempt to claim the right to enroll in Sytan-'

Is there any reason to go to such lengths?

I had no intention of dissuading Rene, so I just stared at her with a look of mixed emotions-

-However, it's difficult to grant permission--

Crete said, raising one hand-

Rene's expression hardened at this-

Crete continued speaking, ignoring Rene's cold gaze-

-Sytan is by no means an easy place- With your skills, you'll surely die before long--

--------

Rene must have heard about Sytan as well, as she remained silent, her lips pressed together-

Crete's gaze left the silent Rene and turned elsewhere-

This time, I followed her gaze to see where she was looking---

Crete's gaze was fixed directly on 'me'-

-------However, I must keep my promise--

Ignoring my clueless expression, Crete turned her gaze back to Rene and spoke-

-I will grant you the right to enroll in Sytan, but in return, you must take Adel as your escort--

-No----

Rene shook her head-

Eventually, tears welled up in her eyes-

It was very similar to how a girl who had been assigned to sit next to me in elementary school would burst into tears- It made me feel very uncomfortable-

But there was something even more uncomfortable-

-May I say something?-

-Speak--

-I never said I would go----

I had never expressed any intention of enrolling in Sytan-

Why would I, who am a dropout, accept Crete's offer to go to Sytan?

Crete snorted at my words and replied in a curt voice-

-Members of the Bares family must obey the Lord's words absolutely- That is the principle--- but it seems you have forgotten- Remember it well from now on--

Crete turned his head away-

His confident demeanor was shamelessly convincing-

I was about to say something when---

─ That's why, please---

─ ------Do it-

Was it my imagination, or did the guy's last words just flash through my mind?

……This time, my intuition is telling me the same thing-

That it would be a good idea to enroll in Sytan according to Crete's words-

-Whew--

I let out a deep sigh-

Yeah, let's give it a try-

Has there ever been a time when things went wrong when I followed my intuition?

And come to think of it, enrolling in Sytan wasn't such a bad choice-

'It's clear that it would be a great advantage to me as a writer……-'

The things that will happen at the Imperial Academy-

And the things that will happen at Sytan-

In particular, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I know everything about the Imperial Academy-

As for Sytan, I don't know the little things that happened within the Demon Realm, but I do know most of the major events-

'In addition, it would be the most suitable place to achieve my goal-'

The goal I first set when I came to the Demon Realm-

Like the assassination group that Adel created in the human world, I will gather stronger people in the Demon Realm and build my own power-

I was at a loss for how to start, but if I enroll in Sytan, the story will be different-

Sytan may be inferior to the Imperial Academy, but it is certainly a place where promising children of the Demon Realm are gathered-

If only I could win them over-

I might really be able to kill the protagonist……-

However-

-It seems a little difficult--

I shook my head resolutely as I continued to think deeply-

'Anyway, Crete plans to enroll me in Sytan even if I refuse-'

So I have to get what I can get-

It is clear that I will die if I enroll in Sytan now-

If it was a ma

With Adel's talent, even the Imperial Academy would try to take him in-

What was on my mind was the peak value of mana-

'What good is it if I have great talent, but not enough mana……-'

It was certainly a good thing to have reached stage 'II' of Position Exchange-

However, I don't have enough mana to use Position Exchange proficiently, so it's no different from a shiny apricot-

That's why I need to get an item related to mana from Crete-

-I would like to ask for one thing in return--

-In return---

Crete, who had been considering my request for a moment, opened his mouth and asked-

-What is it that you desire?-

-I want something related to mana--

-Hoo…… I thought you would ask me to remove it--

-……--

Crete's voice that swept through the area near my heart made me shut my mouth tightly-

I thought he would ask me to remove the Gu poison, but since unexpected words came out, he was showing interest-

……I earnestly hope that he didn't notice-

As I wished, Crete quickly changed the subject-

-It's not difficult--

-May I take it that you mean you will grant my request?-

-Yes--

Yes!

I cheered inwardly-

The gamble I had thrown to get a solution for mana had succeeded-

While I was gauging what Crete would give me in return, I let my imagination run wild-

'A potion that increases the maximum value of mana would be good, and an artifact that allows me to use mana efficiently wouldn't be bad either-'

No matter what I received, it was clear that it would be a great power in the future-

As the name suggests, it is a family of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, so they will not give me something trivial-

Even more so if it was something that the head of the family was giving me directly-

Naturally, I had high expectations for what Crete would give me-

-Rene, go outside--

Before offering the price, Crete gave Rene an order to leave-

Rene seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but she nodded and went out the door-

Creak-

Thud-

After the door closed and only Crete and I were left in the office, silence fell-

Crete was the first to break the silence-

-It's a treasure that the people of the family can react sensitively to, so I sent my daughter away--

A treasure that even the people of the family can react sensitively to?

I couldn't help but be bewildered-

The Eye of Arrogance was also a great treasure, but it might be a treasure that lightly surpasses the Eye of Arrogance-

I wondered if it was okay for me to receive such a thing, but I shook my head and dismissed it-

It was not the time for me to be picky about my situation-

And the moment I heard Crete's next proposal, I could not help but express my shock-

-I will pass on the mana method of the Bares family to you--

Mana technique-

A breathing technique that is essential for increasing the maximum value of mana and using it more efficiently-

Since each family in the Demon Realm passes it down as a secret technique, it was extremely difficult to obtain such a breathing technique-

Crete was now offering me such a Mana technique as a reward for my enrollment-

Furthermore, it was the technique of the Bares family, a member of the Seven Deadly Sins……-

That's why I looked at Crete with a bewildered expression and asked-

-Are you serious?-

-Do you think I, the head of the family, would speak empty words?-

-That's not it, but-----

I trailed off, feeling uneasy-

I knew that Crete had no reason to deceive me-

I had a vague sense that, to Crete, I was nothing more than an interesting plaything-

Even so, I couldn't easily believe what Crete was saying-

Perhaps because the Mana technique was a treasure more valuable than the Eye of Arrogance-

Crete spoke to me, who was looking suspicious-

-I know that you have a small amount of mana- It doesn't seem like you're hiding it--

-……--

I nodded at Crete's words-

He was so powerful that he could not even fathom the gap between us, so he had instantly grasped the extent of my mana-

-A cultivation technique is the best way to efficiently develop your mana- Relying on the power of magic tools or elixirs will only hinder your growth rate in the long run--

In short, he was offering to give me a more efficient and useful mana cultivation technique-

It seemed excessive as a reward, but then I thought of Sytan, and it felt insufficient-

Nine out of ten Sytan students would likely lose their lives within a few years---

It's better to think positively-

I finally decided to accept Crete's offer-

-Then I'll gratefully accept it--

-Haha--- good--

Crete started to laugh-

Then, stopping his laughter, he beckoned me with his finger-

-Come closer--

-Yes--

I stopped in front of Crete-

He reached out his hand towards my head-

The moment his palm touched the top of my head, an immense pain surged through me like a storm-

----!-

My eyes widened in shock-

I had long forgotten about my headache-

I focused on deciphering the numerous phrases flowing through my mind-

Crete was transmitting the verses of the mana cultivation technique through some kind of telepathy-

- Oh Demon God, grant your servant the understanding of the flow of chaos-

- Bestow upon us righteous trials, and let not the demons starve-

- But lead us not into temptation- For if you do, we shall glorify your name-

After reciting all the verses Crete had imparted,

-Ha----

A sigh escaped my lips-

Even though I had only read a few sentences, my mental strength was severely depleted-

It was Crete's cold voice that roused me from my thoughts-

-Have you memorized all the verses?-

----I think I can recite them with my eyes closed--

A smile crept back onto Crete's face as I replied curtly-

What is it?

I hope I didn't make another slip of the tongue-

While I was worrying about that, a voice filled with amusement reached my ears-

-As expected, you're an interesting one--

-What do you mean----

-Normally, people would go mad as soon as they heard the verses- It's because they are directly receiving mana from the Demon God--

----!!-

Demon God-

A term referring to the 'Seven' gods who embraced and observed the Demon Realm-

I never imagined that the Bares family's mana cultivation technique would be connected to the Demon God---

The demon families symbolizing the Seven Deadly Sins each worshipped a different Demon God-

That's all I knew-

The Demon Realm was destined to be destroyed by the protagonist's group, so I had discarded the detailed settings---

'Damn it-'

I narrowed my eyes slightly-

The gaps in the settings, either omitted or not fully developed, tormented me-

Regret continued to fill my emotions-

Crete spoke to me, radiating a sharp aura-

-Your family seems to be connected to the Seven Deadly Sins- As long as the Gu poison resides within you, even if you're a spy, it doesn't matter--

-----

-Did I unintentionally catch a big fish? I should express my gratitude to your family--

Misinterpreting my silence, a smile quickly spread across Crete's face-

I couldn't help but feel awkward-

What connection did Adel's family have with the Seven Deadly Sins?

---I have no recollection of creating such a setting-

While I was pondering,

-Then, you may leave now--

-Yes----

As Crete's dismissal fell, I bowed my head and had to leave-

After leaving

Crete's office, I came to the Bares family garden-

If I practiced the cultivation technique that directly channeled the Demon God's mana in my room, the surging mana would destroy everything-

Alright, let's begin-

I sat cross-legged and started reciting the verses of the mana cultivation technique that Crete had taught me-

-Oh Demon God, grant your servant the understanding of the flow of chaos----

As I repeated the first verse, I tried to circulate my mana-

That's when it happened-

-Demon God, chaos- Demon God, chaos----

Whenever I repeated the words Demon God and Chaos abruptly, a strange sensation washed over me, making one side of my chest tingle-

Why is this happening?

For some reason, the flow of mana began to accelerate, and my breathing became rapid-

It took a while for me to realize the reason-

The trait 'Interest' was showing interest in the words Demon God and Chaos-

I rode that momentum and recited the rest of the passage-

-But lead us not into temptation- For if you do, we shall glorify your name---

The moment I finished the last part-

Tremble--

The mana that had been dormant somewhere in my chest began to stir-

And I opened my mouth slightly at the refreshing and cool energy that washed over me-

'Magic is moving……-'

It was not the human mana that I usually used, but magic, the energy used by the Demon race, that was reacting-

Only then did I realize the true nature of the mana technique that Crete had given me-

Bares' mana technique makes magic move and grow-

If I were to master Bares' mana technique, I would never be able to use human mana again-

'I have to choose-'

Will I choose human mana?

Or will I choose the magic of the Demon race?

……Isn't the answer already set?

Of course--

'I have to learn Bares' mana technique-'

There was no human mana technique that I could use anyway-

A long time ago-

The bloodline of the Aisen family used their own unique mana technique-

However, as they were all purged, Aisen's mana technique was not passed down to Adel's generation and was lost-

The original Adel created his own technique with his outstanding senses and talents, but I'm not a genius……-

'Since I've come to the Demon Realm, it's impossible to live in the human realm again-'

The option of becoming a Demon race member was not bad either-

My appearance would not change even if I learned magic-

There is no reason for me to give up Bares' mana technique-

-Whew--

I let out a soft sigh-

Let's recite the incantation again-

Even if I am consumed by magic, if I can become stronger, I am not in a position to be picky about what I eat-

I continued to read the incantations until something changed-

- Oh Demon God, grant your servant the understanding of the flow of--- glorify your name-

When I finished reading all the incantations while operating mana-

Whoosh-- Whoosh--

For some reason, an unpleasant wind passed down my spine-

I looked back in surprise and my eyes widened-

‘A mongrel-’

A grayish fog of indiscernible appearance was staring at me-

My skin crawled as the fog swept over my body-

My mouth, which refused to open due to fear, finally parted-

-Who are you……-

Ho, you dare speak first to me-

A black fog using archaic vocabulary-

It was the first time I had ever seen such a peculiar sight, but I could tell the fog’s identity at once-

‘Demon God-’

The seven beings who formed and established the Demon Realm in the distant past-

One of them had responded to the Bares mana cultivation technique and spoken to me-

'You don't seem to be of that child's bloodline- Ah, you carry the blood of that filthy traitor-'

-----

I could only remain silent-

I realized what the term -filthy traitor- referred to-

It must be referring to Arsene, who betrayed and massacred the demons-

Since it seemed to have confirmed my identity, it was my turn to confirm its identity-

----Are you a Demon God?-

'Indeed, the world calls me the God of Pride-'

A completely unexpected being had suddenly appeared-

What was a Demon God?

An ancient deity?

Such a being had appeared simply because I recited a mana cultivation technique-

I knew the Bares technique was related to the Demon God, but I never imagined that the Demon God itself would show up---

Flick- Flick-

I shook my head to dispel my fear and hesitation-

Just because a transcendental being had appeared, it didn't mean I could just stand there with my mouth shut-

-Are you going to kill me?-

'Hmm, you seem to be mistaken about something-'

-About what----

'If I had wanted to kill you, you would have died the moment you spoke to me-'

-That's true, but--

He was definitely right-

The black mist was a Demon God, after all-

A supreme being who observed everything in the Demon Realm could have easily crushed me like an ant if it wanted to kill me-

'However, for some reason, I don't feel like killing you-'

----?-

'You seem to carry a similar karma to mine--- so I feel a sense of kinship with you-'

Swoosh--

The black mist drew closer to me-

The oppressive pressure that had been weighing down on me subsided, and a gentle aura began to surround me-

'To you, the arrogant one who wishes to walk the same path as me, I shall bestow a mark- This signifies that you can borrow my power-'

As the black mist muttered something, three black lines were drawn on my right wrist-

As I stared in bewilderment, the mist left me with its final words-

'Arrogant traitor burdened with karma, do not lose your composure in the intoxication of pride-'

That was the end-

The black mist left a mark on my wrist and vanished without a trace-

-What is this?-

I looked at my right wrist with a face full of confusion-

The strokes that formed the character for -cheon- (川), I had a vague idea of how to use them-

Since it was left as proof, it didn’t seem to be useless……-

‘More importantly-’

The proof was a tattoo-

Was it similar to the tattoo of Adel on the nape of my neck?

I felt like my body was gradually becoming covered in tattoos like a gangster-

Since this wasn’t something I wanted to show others, I should hide it with the darkness attribute-

As I sighed while looking at the mark that the Demon King had left me,

Rustle-

I hurriedly turned my head as I heard the sound of someone behind me-

Then, I was able to discover a girl with wide-open eyes, Rene-

I didn’t know why Rene, who should be training in the Martial Arts Hall at this time, was here, but one thing was for sure-

If Rene had heard the Demon King’s words about a filthy traitor, things would become difficult-

Please don’t have heard it……-

I anxiously shifted my gaze towards Rene-

And I was able to see Rene who seemed to be greatly misunderstanding something-

-Priest……?-

A month had passed since I received the token from the Demon God of Pride-

During that time, I had trained in the Mana Method every day without fail in the garden-

As a result-

【 Arsene Adel 】

: Race - [ Half Demon ]

: Tendency - [ Chaos ]

: Talent - [ Position Exchange ‘Ⅱ’ ]

: Trait - [ Interest ] [ Absorption ] [ Killing Intent ] [ Darkness ] [ Mana Manipulation ] [ Eye of Arrogance ]

: Mana - [ 341 ⇒ 972 ]

My mana had increased threefold compared to my previous maximum-

This was an incredible amount-

It was all thanks to the Trait 'Interest' showing interest and 'Absorption' allowing me to focus on my training-

Even though I had only trained for a month, I had shown this much growth- If I were to continue for a few more years---

'I can't sense it-'

If I were to compare just the amount of mana, I might even surpass the children of the Six Houses-

I couldn't be sure since I was still in the early stages of my training, but it wasn't impossible-

'If it's this much-'

Suddenly, a plan for the future came to mind-

If I combined the amount of mana I had now with Adel's talent, I would be able to conquer 'that secret relm-'

There was only a month left before I entered Sytan-

So I had to gain enough strength, and this was the perfect opportunity-

By conquering that secret relm, I would be able to obtain useful artifacts-

'And at the same time, I can gather offerings for the Demon God-'

A month was enough-

It would be difficult to expect the same rate of mana increase as now-

But even so, I would gain at least 500 more in the near future-

In addition to that, there was also the token that the Demon God had given me-

I looked down at my wrist and stared at the three lines drawn on it-

'I don't know why the Demon God gave me this token-'

But it would give me the same effect as having three extra lives-

Then there was only one problem-

Swish-

I stopped thinking for a moment and turned my body around-

And I put on a friendly smile-

-Good morning--

-……!-

Rene flinched and straightened her posture-

She had been like this ever since I received the token from the Demon God-

I guess I should be satisfied that she wasn't avoiding me like before-

'I think I know what she's misunderstanding-

It was clear that Rene had overheard my conversation with the Demon God and uttered the word -priest--

I knew the meaning behind that word, so I couldn't help but chuckle-

Priest-

In human terms, it was similar to a saintess-

Each of the Seven Deadly Sins' clans had a temple where they worshipped the Demon God-

In the temple, there was a figure who could communicate directly with the deity, and in the Demon Realm, they were called priests-

Naturally, each clan had their own deity, so there were several priests-

However, that didn't mean that priests were common-

'Since it's the Seven Deadly Sins, there would be exactly seven, right?'

One for each temple-

There were a total of seven priests-

Even the clan leaders who represented the Seven Deadly Sins couldn't communicate directly with the Demon God, so their treatment was understandable-

Crete, who could kill me with just a flick of his finger, couldn't talk to the Demon God either-

That's why I had realized long ago that the fact that I had spoken to the Demon God was a huge deal-

After all, I was the one who had created the setting where beings who could communicate with the deity were extremely rare-

'But I didn't think I'd be mistaken for a priest……-'

In the Demon Realm, the status of a priest was similar to that of the clan leaders of the Seven Deadly Sins-

It was almost on par with Crete, so it was no wonder that Rene was taken aback when he mistook me for a priest-

I decided not to correct Rene's misunderstanding and let it be-

It would be troublesome if it got out that I wasn't a priest despite having spoken to the Demon God-

Also-

Priests never showed their faces unless they were clan leaders-

They were truly veiled beings-

Since Rene wouldn't become a clan leader, she would never meet a real priest in her life-

There might be exceptions, but that was a problem for later……-

Still, there was one thing that bothered me-

What if Rene told Crete about the situation?

However, it turned out to be a needless worry-

Rene hadn't said anything about the possibility of me being a priest for a month-

'In the first place, she doesn't know what I talked about with the Demon God-'

Like the blood of the traitor that the Demon God had brought up-

Or what kind of karma I had……-

Rene didn't know a single thing about the conversation between me and the Demon God-

That's why she was reacting as if I was definitely a priest-

'It doesn't feel good-'

I stared at Rene, who seemed to be nervous-

If Rene treated me like a superior when I was just an escort like now, it was obvious that bad rumors would spread within the clan-

And that rumor will surely reach Crete---

It seems that I'm already being misunderstood as a spy for the Seven Deadly Sins, so I don't know what other misunderstandings might arise-

I have to prevent that-

-Miss--

I spoke in a gentle voice-

Rene turned her head and looked at me-

-Yes----

Rene answered my call respectfully in a small voice-

I stared at Rene's behavior and pondered-

And I became certain-

Rene thinks I'm a priest-

I had no way of knowing all of Rene's thoughts, but it was evident in her gestures-

I will use that to my advantage in the future, but it's still impossible as long as Crete's surveillance is in place-

That's why-

I have to resolve this situation in a natural way-

-I think I know what you're thinking----

Vague words-

And--

I brought my index finger to my lips-

-Treat me the same way you did before--

-------!!-

Rene's eyes widened-

An expression that contained the conviction that her hypothesis was correct and an attempt to grasp the meaning of my words-

I said no more and closed my mouth-

It didn't matter what Rene imagined-

If only I could get through the current situation-

All of these actions were for the plan that would unfold in the future-

Rene hesitated for a moment-

-But----

-Relax- Relax--

I told Rene to relax and gave her a slight smile-

Then Rene continued as if she understood-

-Then--- Bring me some water--

-------?-

-I'm tired from training--

I froze for a moment as I watched Rene brush her short hair back-

Rene looked at me and said in a resentful tone-

-You told me to relax--

I was speechless at her shameless and confident attitude-

But what can I do? I have to do it-

I wondered if I was getting too good at acting and took a step forward dejectedly-

To get water for Rene…

Two more days passed-

I stopped using the Mana Method and slowly opened my eyes-

-Good--

I could feel that the amount of mana had increased significantly compared to two days ago-

: Mana - [972 ⇒ 1035]

When I checked the status window, I could see that the amount of mana had finally exceeded 1000-

I'd better end my mana training here for today-

'I have something to do-'

It was time to put the plan I had devised two days ago into action-

To conquer a secret relm that no one had yet discovered-

'It's the right time, about ten years after the Human-Demon War-'

If I delayed any longer, the secret relm would be plundered by the protagonist's party, who would soon arrive in the Demon Realm-

I needed the treasure of that secret relm to adapt safely to Sytan-

And now I had enough power to conquer the secret relm-

The only concern was---

-What are you looking at?-

-Nothing--

I looked forward again and let out a short sigh-

The problem was Rene, who was practicing swordsmanship behind me-

I didn't know why she was training in the garden where I was, instead of in the training hall-

Rene had been acting like this ever since she became fully convinced that I was a priest-

'Does she think I'm a member of the Bares family?'

My status had simply been elevated from a suspicious escort to a priest of the Bares family-

On the contrary, my treatment didn't seem to have improved, which gave me a strange feeling---

I roughly tousled my red hair with an irritated hand-

'Somehow, I have to get rid of Rene-'

If Rene followed me outside the Bares territory, I would be under surveillance-

That would make it difficult for me to conquer the secret relm-

Was there a way to avoid suspicion and get rid of Rene?

I thought for a moment and then called out to Rene-

-Miss, are you well prepared to enter Sytan?-

-Why do you ask all of a sudden?-

-Isn't it almost time for you to enter Sytan? I'm a little nervous--

-Why?-

-Because it's a place where you'll be dealing with those vile humans directly- I was just asking because I was worried--

-------Most of the preparations are done--

Rene nodded in agreement with my words-

-Can you really say that you have finished all the preparations?-

-Well----

-Really?-

--------

Rene closed her mouth-

She seemed to be reviewing whether there was anything she had missed and not packed-

After a while, Rene opened her mouth-

-I have everything--

-Are you sure there isn't anything you haven't packed? If there is, wouldn't it be better to pack it first?-

-I have everything--

-Even so, it's a good habit to double-check--

-What are you trying to say?-

Rene cut off my trailing words in an instant-

In the end, I had no choice but to answer with a wry smile-

-I'm only saying this because I'm worried about you, Miss- I'm your escort, after all--

-Liar--

As expected, she didn't believe me-

My confidence died as I watched Rene's expression turn into one of amusement-

Am I bad at acting? Come to think of it, it's probably because of my face-

Adel's face looked sinister at first glance, but it gave off a light feeling rather than a heavy one-

That's only natural since the character was originally created with a sinister personality-

In conclusion, it's my fault---

-Get to the point--

-The point is, I just----

-You're trying to ditch me and go somewhere- Your intentions are obvious--

--------

It seemed that I had been caught-

Rene pouted when I didn't answer and remained silent-

-Am I a bother to you?-

Rene's face as she asked that question looked somewhat sad-

---For some reason, I felt uncomfortable, so I opened my mouth and spoke-

-I received information that there is a scenic spot nearby, and I was planning to explore it--

In the end, I told her a partial truth-

Rene wasn't convinced by that alone, so I added,

-It could be dangerous, so please don't misunderstand--

I smiled and said, -I'm only thinking of you--

Rene seemed to be deep in thought after hearing my words-

And after a while, Rene opened her mouth-

-I just realized that I'm not prepared enough--

-------!-

I rejoiced inwardly and quickly continued speaking-

-Then you should finish preparing----

-Warm-up--

-?-

For a moment-

My face froze with a forced smile-

I looked at Rene with trembling eyes-

-I haven't warmed up enough yet--

-What do you mean?-

-I want to warm up--

Rene continued-

My mind went blank, and I couldn't help but close my eyes tightly-

-What are you looking at?-

-Nothing--

I glanced at Rene, who was following me, and looked forward again-

I had no good reason to refuse Rene's company, so I decided to go with her for the time being-

Let's just think positively-

Although it was mentioned in the description where the beautiful scenery was located in the Demon Realm, I didn't know how to get there, so it wasn't a bad idea to get help from Rene, a resident of the Demon Realm-

The problem was---

'I have to get out of this mansion without being noticed by Crete-'

If I went out through the main gate, Crete would be informed right away-

The back door would be guarded by the Bares family soldiers as well-

I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to get out of the mansion when

-Ah--

Rene stopped following me and halted her steps-

I also stopped moving and looked back-

-I can't--

-……?-

-I'll get scolded if I go out--

To add to the previous sentence, it meant that Rene could be scolded by Crete if she went outside the mansion-

For some reason, Crete hated it when Rene went outside-

I tried to use that as an excuse to get rid of Rene-

-Then how about not going?-

-It's okay--

-But if you get caught……--

-I know a secret passage--

Rene ignored my worried voice and nodded-

I sighed inwardly and had no choice but to follow Rene-

How many minutes had passed since I started following Rene?

The servants who had been all over the mansion started to disappear-

We had reached a place where the servants' feet did not reach-

-Here--

Rene pointed her index finger at a wall-

There was a small hole in the wall that a grown man could barely fit through-

However, Rene and I were only 17 years old, so we should be able to fit in it-

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the hole and Rene alternately-

-You seem to be quite familiar with this place--

-……--

Rene kept her mouth shut and exercised her right to remain silent-

That silence implied that she had already been out through the hole countless times-

At first glance, I thought she was just cold and stiff, but she had a surprisingly bold side to her-

I turned my gaze away from Rene and pointed to the hole, saying,

-Let's go for now- If we delay any longer, we'll definitely get caught--

-Yeah--

Rene and I hurriedly passed through the hole and emerged outside-

We had successfully escaped the Bares family's territory without much difficulty-

-Where are we going now?-

-It's not far from here- We should be able to get there by today--

-Where is it?-

When Rene asked, I thought for a moment before answering-

-The territory of the Undead--

-------That place--

-You know about it?-

-I do--

Rene nodded with a face that had grown heavy-

The territory of the Undead-

During the Human-Demon War over a decade ago, there was a family that was annihilated by the human side-

They were originally a clan of 'necromancers' who wielded death, and when they died, they were returned to their family's territory-

The ghosts that remained in the territory became soldiers for the family-

'The strength of those soldiers is far weaker than when they were alive, but their numbers are too great------'

They weren't just one or two-

The entire family had been wiped out-

Without a sorcerer to control them, their power would have been halved, but their numbers would have increased-

It was probably a mid-level dungeon, just short of being a high-level dungeon-

In that sense, it was right to have Rene accompany me-

A dungeon dangerous enough to make Rene, who easily conquers mid-level dungeons, nervous-

However, if I made good use of my traits and Rene, I would be able to conquer it sufficiently-

The traits and talents I possessed were well-suited to that dungeon-

-I'll take the lead--

-Yes, please do--

Rene, with her movements sluggish from thinking, stepped forward, leaving me behind-

I started walking behind her-

------We had been walking like that for about ten minutes-

However, our destination was nowhere to be seen-

All that stretched out before us were still bizarre trees and grasses-

I sighed in frustration and asked Rene-

-How long will it take to get there from here?-

-------?-

Rene looked at me with a puzzled expression-

Her gaze seemed to say, -You're the one who suggested going there, so why don't you know?-

I wondered what to say, then came up with a good excuse-

-Due to my circumstances, I have never left the Bares family's territory, so I lack knowledge of the surrounding area- I am only doing this on the orders of Lord Crete--

-Ah--

Rene nodded as if she understood-

The priests never showed their faces outside-

That also meant that their words did not spread outside-

That was why it was easy to deceive Rene-

Swish-

Rene scanned the mountain we were climbing-

-We're almost there--

-Really?-

-Yeah, we just have to get over there--

Rene said, pointing her finger-

My gaze followed Rene's finger and stopped at a certain point-

---Didn't she just say 'almost'?

The place Rene was pointing at was quite a distance away from here-

It was at least twice as far as the distance we had climbed-

-W-We'll be there soon, right---?-

-Yeah--

Rene nodded-

It wasn’t a lie- For Rene herself, it really was a short distance-

Climbing mountains was nothing for Rene, who spent more than half of her day training her physical strength-

'Surprisingly, it's not that hard for me either-'

When I was being chased by the knights in the human world, I would get out of breath after running for just a few minutes-

But now, I didn't feel tired anywhere except for the mental fatigue-

I could even increase my speed if I wanted to-

-Let's move at high speed now--

-Okay--

As I said that, Rene kicked off the ground and started running-

In an instant, she was moving at a speed that was too fast for even my enhanced dynamic vision to catch-

I couldn't keep up with Rene with just my physical abilities, but I had a talent that was specialized in movement-

-Designation--

I activated Position Exchange-

Then, I could see an arrow twice as long as before extending-

This was thanks to Position Exchange having grown to Stage II-

'It's a pretty satisfactory result-'

In addition to that, there was also an additional ability that had been added as a side effect-

'That' is not an ability that is suitable for moving, so I'll postpone using it for later-

-Move--

The moment I uttered the activation word for Position Exchange-

My body had moved next to Rene-

-------!-

Rene had a surprised expression on her face when I, who had started moving later than her, closed the distance-

I laughed and pointed an arrow at a boulder in front of me-

-Designation--

-Move--

-Designation--

-Move--

After using Position Exchange five times-

Thud-

Rene and I stopped jumping and looked down at the ground-

The green grass turned gray as if a line had been drawn-

-I think we've arrived--

The territory of the undead- We had finally reached it-

As I slowly stepped forward, an eerie atmosphere enveloped me-

The feeling was distinctly different from that outside the boundary, and I narrowed my brows-

'I don't want to stay here a moment longer---'

I hurriedly quickened my pace-

From here on, Rene would not be able to guide me-

Only I knew the way to the hidden realm, the realm of the dead-

─ Beneath the largest rock statue, rotting soldiers guard the realm-

Recalling the description from the original work, I continued walking-

As I left the entrance of the gray forest and went deeper, a village came into view-

In fact, it was questionable whether it could be called a 'village'-

The village looked as if it had been ravaged by a storm, with houses collapsed-

There was no sign of human presence, and not even the sound of animals could be heard-

----Those Cerberus bastards--

Rene bit his lower lip at the gruesome sight-

-Cerberus bastards- - was that an expression similar to -sons of bitches-?

Seeing Rene's face contorted like a demon, I swallowed those words back down my throat-

I definitely couldn't let her find out that I was a descendant of the Asen family-

I was not yet confident that I could handle Rene's anger if it were directed at me-

-Let's go over there for now--

I gestured to the growling Rene-

The place I was pointing to was a hill made of large and small stones-

On top of the hill was a 'cross' that seemed to have been carved out of gray rock-

'A statue-'

Rene and I approached the cross together-

And we looked around the cross, but all we could see were stones, and there was no entrance to the hidden realm-

Is it as described in the novel?

I looked away from the cross and at Rene-

-I think we have to dig under this--

-Yeah--

Rene agreed to my suggestion to dig the ground and immediately put it into action-

Thud- Thud-

We focused on digging the ground-

As we removed the stones, a huge circular disk came into view-

Rene grabbed the disk and lifted it up, revealing a large hole-

'That's it-'

This was the entrance to the territory of the undead-

I looked at Rene with a strange look in my eyes and opened my mouth-

-Let's go in--

- - -

Contrary to my worries, the interior of the secret realm was relatively bright-

It was no comparison to the sunlit exterior, but the torches sparsely installed on the stone walls provided some light-

Rene followed me as I walked past the stone walls adorned with unidentified murals-

We had been walking through the interior of the secret realm for dozens of minutes when---

-We've found it--

The sight before my eyes-

I swallowed dryly and scanned the area ahead-

A vast cavity lay beyond the visible passage-

Within that cavity were countless tombstones and graves-

'---Is this the territory of the undead?'

This was the first proper secret realm I had ever challenged-

I glanced back and saw that Rene was also visibly tense-

-Let's go--

-Yes--

Rene nodded and stepped forward-

I followed Rene towards the cavity-

And then-

Rustle-- Rustle--

Clang-- Clang-- Clang--

The countless graves in the cavity began to ripple like waves-

Soon, the graves shattered, and skeletons emerged-

Skeletons with fierce gazes glared at us-

They were the inhabitants of the undead territory, and now they had become its guardians-

'Fortunately, not all the territory's inhabitants are buried here-'

Only the necromancer clan who ruled this territory were buried in the chamber within the secret realm-

Even so, their numbers were certainly not to be underestimated-

There were at least a hundred of them, so it might be difficult for the two of us to handle them-

But we had to do it-

The greater the difficulty, the sweeter the reward would be---

-Milady, I ask for your assistance--

-Yes--

Rene nodded and charged towards the skeletal soldiers-

I cautiously followed behind her-