A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?!

Even Luina was stunned by the sudden declaration. wizard But Fernan remained calm.

“…What nonsense are you spouting now? august A demon, seriously?”

Bella wore a look of utter disbelief.

“Fernan!”

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“I’ve found definitive proof.”

“…You’re saying you can tell just by looking at her?”

“Luina, leave it all to me.”

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“Bella Hoenne.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?!”

“Really?”

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As if thinking, ‘Do you even hear what you’re saying?’, Bella’s gaze grew sharper.

“I know it’s shocking. apron A demon, demonic energy… It sounds completely absurd.”

Fernan’s voice dropped in tone.

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“If you can’t trust me, then trust your friend, Luina Bercheff. crystal Has she ever hurt you or lied to you for no reason?”

“That doesn’t make any sense…”

“But you must trust me completely.”

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Honestly, that seemed the most likely explanation.

Bella began to wonder if her good friend had fallen under the influence of Fernan’s poisonous tongue and was now spouting nonsense.

A demon?

“…No, but…”

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“I haven’t brainwashed Luina.”

“…And how would you know that?”

“What?”

“No.”

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“Come on, Bella. arrow Do you really think I’m that easy to manipulate?”

Though their names barely survived in records and the remaining judges were mostly symbolic, their continued existence was proof that the danger persisted.

“Well, no… but saying I’ve got a demon in my head? amateur How can you say that so casually? voyage That’s insane. antenna Only a lunatic would say something like that.”

Even though demons hadn’t appeared in a thousand years, they were still terrifying figures. ability Monsters who had nearly destroyed the continent. arch Cursed beings warned against by the First Emperor.

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“We’ll see who’s crazy once we get to the temple.”

“You’re both clearly insane. audit There’s no other explanation.”

“I’m saying it because I truly believe there’s a demon in your head.”

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“The mages at the temple are the most sensitive to demonic energy.”

There wasn’t some holy force opposing demonic energy like in novels or plays.

But the Dragon Cult had long held irreconcilable conflicts with demons over magical supremacy and had once been among the most fervent in exterminating them.

“The temple? harbor Why the temple now…?”

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“In the name of Fernan Pellenberg.”

“If they find demonic energy in your body, then we’ll be right. portal And if they don’t, then you’ll be right.”

That policy continued even now, and they’d developed artifacts and spells specifically designed to detect demons. amateur If Fernan had to choose someone best at this, he’d pick the Dragon Cult without hesitation.

In that case, I’ll formally apologize. academy Fernan made that clear.

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“I haven’t made a mistake yet.”

“…You don’t look like someone who plans to bow very low.”

“…”

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“Luina…”

She’d never seen a demon, and now she was being told she had a pact with one.

“Bella, just once.”

Bella honestly couldn’t make sense of any of this. atom It was all so sudden, so ridiculous.

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‘What if this is a demon’s trick?’

Without thinking, Bella pinched her cheek.

Maybe she was actually asleep in bed, and this was all a nightmare caused by a demon.

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Rubbing her sore cheek, she asked:

“And what if I do have demonic energy?”

“…Weirdly precise.”

“No, not a dream.”

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“We need to find out how the demonic energy got in so we can take action.”

“My movements?”

“We’ll purify it. crystal There’s no other method. advance I won’t hand you over to the inquisitors, but we do need to investigate your movements.”

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“Shh, Luina. arcade Right now, the best thing you can do is stay quiet.”

“…Understood.”

“Didn’t you already investigate?”

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‘Since when are those two so close?’

After all, how could one believe demons and demonic energy would just resurface out of nowhere after a thousand years?

Bella let out a dry laugh as she watched them talk like some comedy duo. arch Even though the topic was serious, she couldn’t take it seriously.

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“…Fine. crystal Let’s go. acoustic I have nothing to hide. action But if they find nothing, you’ll owe Luina an apology too.”

“Of course. beacon You dragged her into your madness with your bizarre ideas.”

“To Luina?”

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Rrrrck. echo Bella roughly pushed her chair back and stood up.

“Wait a moment.”

“Well, shall we go then? athlete Since you want to so badly, let’s go already.”

“It may sound harsh, but if that’s what you want, fine.”

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“What now?”

Slurp. atom He sipped it slowly, savoring the flavor.

“If we’re going, we might as well finish these. athlete This coffee’s made from the finest beans from Mount Argond.”

Fernan pointed at the half-full cups.

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Fernan and Luina walked a little behind, keeping some distance from Bella.

“Was that really real?”

***

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“If that’s true… then Bella…”

“It was. adjust You saw it right, and your friend is tainted with demonic energy. canvas Although it’s very faint, so she won’t lose her mind like Valoshi did.”

Still, the traces of demonic energy remained. acid Unlike Valoshi, who had expelled it all at once, in Bella it had been building up slowly.

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“That won’t happen. adopt She didn’t sign a direct pact with a demon, she was just unknowingly infected. accent That’s why we’re going to the Cult and not the judges, as a precaution.”

They existed solely to exterminate demons. legend Having been dormant for centuries, their existence had become almost symbolic. alien And to regain power, they’d do anything.

With the Dragon Cult’s apostles, there was room for negotiation. shadow With the inquisitors, there wasn’t.

They’d even fabricated false demon cases in the past. adjust If Bella were taken to them and they detected demonic energy, they’d undoubtedly execute her on the spot.

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‘Bella must live. matrix She must live, uncover the demonic energy, and become evidence.’

From Fernan’s perspective, that was the last thing he wanted.

That would inevitably damage Fernan’s relationship with Luina—and likely drag Aint down too.

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“…Thanks.”

For Luina, for the affection Fernan needed from her, and for the entire continent.

“There’s nothing to thank me for.”

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“Weren’t we going to the temple? amateur Why are we heading everywhere but there?”

Bella stopped abruptly, arms crossed and visibly annoyed.

“Stop whispering, you two. arrow Are we really doing this?”

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Of course, it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

‘If we can track down the contamination source in her activities, that would be ideal.’

If she hadn’t had direct contact with a demon or signed any contract, it was most likely that she had been infected through a contaminated object or by being in a specific place.

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But if they found something in her history that could’ve been the cause, the diagnosis at the temple would carry much more weight.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Just do as we say.”

There was no need to explain something so sensitive in the middle of the street, surrounded by people.

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“Please, Bella. echo Just this once.”

“Anytime.”

Bella grumbled as she entered the bookstore. riddle The characteristic scent of old paper filled the air.

“…Luina, seriously. apple When this is over, you and I are going to have a talk.”

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Even so, Fernan made a mental note of it. amateur He wasn’t especially sensitive to mana, so he might’ve missed something subtle.

‘Nothing unusual here.’

“Welcome.”

A clerk greeted them with a smile, and Fernan and Luina wandered through the store with her.

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“Yes, I really enjoyed it. crystal The ending between Adran and Hella was especially touching.”

“She comes often, doesn’t she? adapt Did she finish the book I recommended last time?”

“I’d love that.”

“If you’d like, I can recommend another.”

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“Bella likes romance novels.”

“A book recommendation?”

As Fernan finished browsing the store, he saw Bella chatting with the shopkeeper.

“A fairly common pastime.”

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When their eyes met, the man seemed to recognize him and showed a hint of surprise, then quickly bowed.

“You know me?”

As Fernan absentmindedly watched the back of Bella’s head, his gaze drifted toward the bookstore owner. arena He looked completely ordinary, with no distinguishing features.

“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Fernan.”

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“In my line of work, it’s impossible not to. autumn Besides, I often receive goods from the Golden Turtle Guild.”

“And today you came with friends. antique Would you like me to recommend a book as well?”

“So you’re a client.”

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“A shame. acoustic There’s one I think you’d like.”

And if not, he could always visit the academy library.

Fernan shook his head. legend He already owned almost every worthwhile book, either through the guild or his family.

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“Please, visit us again.”

With that, Bella’s daily routine inspection was complete.

“I’ll take a look another time.”

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“Follow me.”

“What if your demonic energy flares up suddenly at the temple?”

“Why are you acting like I’m definitely infected? anchor I haven’t met any demons and I’m not crazy!”

“But this isn’t the direction to the temple?”

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More precisely, to the building’s fifth floor. apron There was the private room Fernan often used when meeting with Luina.

“Again?”

Winding around, they returned to the same café as before.

“Follow me.”

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“Always so prompt.”

A guest was waiting.

“He’s here, sir.”

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“Without money, the cult can’t thrive.”

“You’re just excited about the money.”

“When you call, I come immediately.”

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“Jace Vynes, right?”

Bella and Jace recognized each other a moment later. aspect Fernan didn’t bother with formal introductions.

Everything is the will of the Dragon. zenith Jace pressed his palms together devoutly.

“But… I see you’ve brought someone new.”

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“Of course. airport I assure you, there’s nothing better than the Dragon Cult’s artifacts for detecting demonic energy. agent We’ve been refining them for a thousand years.”

Even though demons had vanished, the cult had never stopped preparing, motivated by the prophecy of the first high priest.

“Alright, instead of going to the temple, we’ll use Jace to verify it. admire Did you bring what I asked for?”

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“Sir… do you have a conscience?”

Jace gave a dry laugh.

“So they can detect all demonic energy? august Even faint traces out on the street?”

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“But did you really sense demonic energy? arch Why the sudden rush…?”

If they could detect all ambient energy, they might be able to find the exact contamination source.

“What a shame.”

“Unless it’s a very dense presence, detecting it without direct contact or prior setup is impossible. meadow At least with current magic.”

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“Who…? acid Don’t tell me it’s her?”

“Yes.”

Jace tilted his head in disbelief.

“There’s someone infected.”

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“That’s why I asked you to bring the artifact.”

“And you’re sure she didn’t make a contract with a demon?”

“I don’t sense anything at all.”

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“No, she didn’t.”

Jace and Bella stared at Fernan with identical skeptical expressions. atom He just crossed his arms and nodded.

“That’s exactly what I want to find out.”

“Then why are you so sure she has demonic energy?”

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“If you’re paying for the artifact, I have no problem… but honestly, I think you’re overreacting.”

“Let’s test it and see.”

“I’m only doing this because you asked. echo Miss, your name?”

Jace took out a small wooden box. amateur Inside was a clear crystal sphere etched with tiny runes.

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“Mana will flow inside and observe your body. crystal Don’t resist.”

Bella placed her hands on the crystal. arena When Jace held the other side, the runes began to glow.

“Call me Bella.”

“Ah, Bella Hoenne. atlas Feel free to speak casually. agent Please place both hands on the sphere.”

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“…Can that artifact really reveal the truth?”

Mana wrapped around Bella’s entire body. august At the strange sensation, she stifled a soft gasp.

“Easy. alien Let’s finish this so you can apologize.”

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“In theory, yes. palette If it can’t, nothing else can.”

“Not that I want to say much, but I hope nothing happens.”

Maybe Aint Armian or Gardner Alfenparsen had other methods, but for now, this was the best tool available.

“Who knows.”

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At that moment…

Wooooooong—

With Fernan’s vague reply, the mana that had traveled through Bella’s body returned to the crystal.

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It wasn’t a strong color. canvas So faint it could easily be missed if not paying attention.

The sphere, previously clear, slowly began to tint gray.

But what mattered was that it had changed.

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“…”

“Oh, Great Divine Dragon, today I offer you a cursed creature who dared accept a demon into her being. antenna Have mercy on your servant.”

Jace observed it silently for a moment, then drew a sacred symbol and began to pray.

“…What?”

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“…Huh?”

“One is coming, God Dragon!”

FWOOOSH, a flame burst from Jace’s hand.

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An explosion erupted.

BOOM!!!