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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 162 - Head Theoretical Professor Kaiden (14)
Late at night.
Linus and I raced across the Calvasar Plains on horseback.
Using a carriage wouldn’t have allowed us to maintain the speed we needed.
The horses Linus kept at his estate were of excellent breed, cutting through the wind and pounding the ground with effortless power.
Riding alongside Linus like this brought back memories of ten years ago.
We had quickly caught the attention of the capital with a series of achievements, earning swift promotions to officer rank.
From then on, we became Special Operations agents, often sent out on missions as a two-man team.
Assassination of key figures, sabotage, and even terrorism—we carried out a wide variety of tasks.
By the time we had beaten Hindrasta, the rogue who sowed chaos across battlefields regardless of faction, the oracle of Lormane arrived.
A divine revelation proclaimed that five humans would gather to slay the Demon King—a call to assemble the Hero’s Party.
The capital appointed Linus and me as the first members of the Demon King Special Operations Unit, tasking us with finding the remaining three.
I had already decided on the candidates well before Lormane’s revelation.
A hunter named Celine from the northern nomadic tribes, Lormane herself, and the reclusive mage Kaiden.
Barring any major obstacles, I planned to recruit these three and proceed to confront the Demon King, ensuring the ending I sought.
But even with prior knowledge of the original story, there were countless twists and turns.
Knowing something in your mind and executing it in reality are two entirely different things.
Just because you have a map doesn’t mean you can cross mountains and rivers with ease, after all.
I tracked Lormane down in an isolated mountain village in the dead of winter.
To recruit her, I had to beat the truth out of the high priest who had intercepted her oracle, leaving him barely alive.
Naturally, this caused some minor friction with the Church.
Lormane had been under heavy guard by a squad of Holy Knights, and breaking through their defenses came at a cost.
At first, the Church was furious, billing us for the destroyed gates and the Holy Knights’ medical expenses, but they withdrew the complaints once they learned the full truth.
Celine’s recruitment was no less eventful.
The moment we entered the north, we were nearly killed by a hail of arrows.
Her tribe, exiled to the harsh northern lands by the first emperor’s betrayal, had passed down a deep hatred for the empire through generations.
So when imperial agents showed up to take their daughter, it wasn’t surprising that they reacted with hostility.
Fortunately, Lormane deployed a holy barrier just in time to deflect the arrows, allowing us to enter the north safely.
Once there, Lormane slowly gained the tribe’s trust by treating their sick and dying, who had suffered from their poor medical conditions.
Meanwhile, Celine fell for Linus’s kind and righteous heart and persuaded her father to let her join us.
Kaiden was the last.
After countless mages told us, “Oh, him? I think I’ve heard the name, but I’m not sure,” we finally tracked him to a barren, dormant volcano.
When we arrived, we were met with a barrage of incomprehensibly powerful attack spells from an unknown direction.
Had it not been for Celine’s animal-like instincts, we would have been roasted alive then and there.
Somehow, we managed to endure, dodge, and breach his hideout, eventually convincing him to join.
With the five of us assembled as foretold, the Demon King Slaying Special Unit was officially formed.
From that point on, it was a relentless march toward the Demon King’s castle with only one goal in mind—taking his head.
But even that was far from easy.
If it had been simple, Kaiden could’ve just opened a portal near the Demon King’s castle, and Linus and I could have charged in for the kill.
Instead, we had to endure months of grueling hardship, pushing through countless near-death experiences.
It’s called the suspension bridge effect.
When people share dangerous and uncertain situations, they tend to form stronger bonds with each other.
We were no exception.
The five of us became so tightly knit that we would have gladly laid down our lives for one another.
Sure, Lormane had her share of eccentricities along the way, but in the end, we all survived and defeated the Demon King together.
That’s why I trusted Kaiden.
Just as the others had followed me into the jaws of death, Kaiden had placed his faith in me. And I, in turn, believed in him.
I accepted everything Kaiden did without question.
But now, Kaiden isn’t the Kaiden I once trusted.
I’ve decided to put my faith in him on hold and figure out what he’s really thinking.
If I can find a reason to understand him, I’ll let it slide like I always have. But if I can’t…
“Dian, we’re almost there.”
Linus slowed his horse.
I glanced back and saw the eastern sky growing lighter.
We had ridden nonstop through the night and arrived in a dense forest northeast of Calvasar.
This was the same forest Ismera had passed through when heading to the Great Forest.
A few crows circled above the forest entrance, eyeing us from their vantage point.
One of them suddenly began descending rapidly.
“Warrior! Li! Nuuuuuuuuussss!!”
The crow flew alongside Linus, who had slowed his pace, and—to my shock—began speaking!
“What the—?!”
“It’s a crow, Dian. Isn’t it obvious?”
“It’s a talking crow!”
“Warrior! Li! Nuuuuuuuuuuussss!! Whooo iiiissss thiiiiiissss maaaaaaan?!”
Ignoring our exchange, the crow squawked loudly, screeching in a drawn-out, exaggerated tone.
“This is Dian. A member of the Demon King Slaying Special Unit and my closest friend, though he vanished after the war.”
“Whyyyy areee yooou heeeereee?!”
“We’ve come to ask something about Archmage Kaiden.”
“Follooooow meeeeeeeeeee!!”
The crow swooped ahead, leading us into the forest.
“What is this, Linus? What’s with the crow?”
“It’s a messenger for an Archmage.”
“An Archmage?”
“There’s another Archmage living in this forest. I plan to consult them about the notebook and seek their advice.”
* * * * *
“Chief Administrator!”
“Yes?”
Lormane turned her head from the window, where she had been watching the first light of dawn.
A high priest, who had entered without her noticing, looked at her with concern.
“Are you all right?”
“When did you come in?”
“I knocked several times, but you didn’t answer. You have a visit from the Security Office scheduled today, don’t you?”
“Ah… That’s right….”
Lormane stepped away from the window with a faint, weary smile.
“Sorry, I was a bit distracted.”
“You’ve been so busy lately. Perhaps you should delegate some of the smaller tasks to the assistant priests and take some time to rest.”
“Thank you for the suggestion, but first, let’s handle what’s in front of us.”
“Understood. I’ll send them in.”
The high priest exited, and Lormane sighed softly.
Since her visit to the Academy, she had often found herself in moments of absent-mindedness like this.
The original purpose of the visit was to observe Ismera and see what kind of person she was.
She had confirmed that Ismera was an excellent person and a fitting match for Dian. As planned, she had bid Dian farewell.
Her past deeds during the war had caused Dian to remain wary of her, and as the Chief Administrator, she couldn’t simply abandon her priestly duties.
In the end, she had decided to leave Dian’s side cleanly and beautifully.
But no matter how much she resolved herself, emotions built up over a decade didn’t simply vanish.
After being rescued from the depths of despair and having her life saved by Dian, she had fallen deeply for him, vowing to dedicate everything to him.
For ten years, while his whereabouts were unknown, she had missed him every moment.
How could one fleeting resolution be enough to forget him completely?
Especially when Dian remained so close, just a carriage ride away.
No, I must stop. Focus.
Lormane shook her head firmly.
Lingering would only trouble Dian further.
If nothing could be changed, then letting him continue to see her as an unworthy person was the best path—for both their sakes.
“Greetings, Chief Administrator.”
A man entered the room and bowed.
He was a representative from the Security Office, serving as an aide to the Second Princess.
“Welcome. It’s been a while.”
After exchanging formal pleasantries, they sat opposite each other on a sofa.
“Chief Administrator, this is regarding the matter we briefly mentioned last time.”
Months ago, the Security Office had shared classified intelligence with the Church regarding a certain Dark Mage.
This Dark Mage had allegedly advised the Demon King during the war, using wicked sorcery to bolster his forces.
After the war, the mage was declared a Class-1 war criminal and placed under pursuit. Though his trail had gone cold for a decade, recent clues had surfaced.
“Yes, I remember.”
“We found his hideout, but it seems we were too late.”
“Too late? What do you mean?”
“According to our agents on-site, the Dark Mage appears to be deceased. They visually confirmed his body.”
Lormane nodded slowly in understanding.
“Dark magic consumes the user’s body bit by bit. It seems his life force was ultimately exhausted by its side effects.”
“That’s our conclusion as well. However, we need to recover the body and investigate the hideout….”
“You’ll need sacred purification.”
Dark magic’s lingering effects render an area uninhabitable for any living being unless purified.
“Could you send priests to assist us?”
Lormane considered briefly before replying.
“I’ll go myself.”
“You, Chief Administrator?”
The aide sounded surprised.
“There’s no need for you to trouble yourself—”
“If this Dark Mage troubled the Security Office for ten years, his dark magic must be formidable. It’s better for me to handle the purification personally than to risk sending lesser priests.”
“You’re absolutely right. Thank you—we’re truly grateful.”
The aide bowed deeply.
But for Lormane, there was another reason for volunteering.
The high priest had suggested she take a break, and this seemed like an opportunity to clear her head and forget about Dian.
Instead of staying cooped up with endless paperwork, stepping out into the world might be the best way to reset her thoughts.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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