Chapter 55

“Do you really not know?”

“I’m telling you, it’s an authority I really don’t know!”

Ludiac’s strong denial followed.

Even though the two of them were acting as if they couldn’t live without each other earlier.

Roan clicked his tongue and prepared to leave the Forbidden Library.

While inside the Forbidden Library, time outside did not pass, but books could not be opened and mana could not be used inside anyway.

To master the borrowed books, he had to go outside.

Leaving was simple.

Since he had already passed the trial, the door of the Forbidden Library was the exit.

Passing through that door would return him to the position he was in when he entered.

“Ah, you know the checkout rules, right?”

“I know.”

Roan nodded at Ludiac’s urgent question and disappeared just like that.

A maximum of three books. A checkout period of one week. After that, the same book cannot be checked out for a year.

It was not that difficult.

Ludiac, who let out a sigh of relief at Roan’s confident answer, leaned back in his rocking chair again.

Then, suddenly.

“…How does he know that?”

He felt such a doubt.

But he soon found a plausible reason, fitting for the founder of the Wicronon family of sages.

“He must have seen it in the records~”

***

Meanwhile, Roan returned to the dormitory.

Flash— Thump!

The Hilonian phrases and patterns that had led him to the Forbidden Library seemed to glow again, before eventually being engraved on his heart.

With this, he could come and go at his will in the future, without needing to prepare ink and leaves separately.

“…I got a bit annoyed, but I obtained everything I needed.”

Roan mumbled, hiding the three books in his lucky bag in case of emergency.

He also took good care of the golden liquid remaining in the beaker, putting it in a bottle.

The Shackle of Ash Life would be possible within this week if he could just obtain the eggshell of a divine beast.

Normally, a divine beast’s egg had to absorb its owner’s holy power or mana for a long period, but…

‘Using this week’s history class should be enough.’

Roan had already set a plan to bypass that condition.

The remaining ingredients could also be procured from an event that would take place soon, so there was no worry.

‘The blood magic and abyss magic books will also be easy to master.’

Roan was now gradually realizing the power of his black magic talent.

When he could even adjust power and modify magic with just vague memories.

If there was a magic book, memorizing it would not be a problem.

The problem was that even if he solved them so quickly, the physical workload was simply too much!

Right now, he had to master the preparation process for the Shackle of Ash Life magic.

He also had to read the blood magic and abyss magic books first.

‘And although I don’t feel like it, I’ll probably have to read the heretical Hilonian dictionary too…’

It was also Roan’s job to make the False Divinity learn.

‘I also need to research the magic my future self used more.’

The only magic he recognized was the ‘Abyss Blood Spear’ used during the Divine Tree management.

That was the most basic of abyss black magic, without a doubt.

It was just that it had undergone some kind of improvement, becoming so infinitely powerful that it was unimaginable at his current level.

But the rest was black magic that even Roan did not know well.

Since next week’s classes would proceed starting Monday, he had to make as much progress as possible today, but half of Sunday had already passed.

‘I’ll have to stay up all night tonight.’

…That the student studying hardest in Acherandir was Roan, a black mage, was a great loss to the Holy Empire.

Thus, Roan erased the barrier in his private room and opened his door.

“No, I told you to bring at least one holy beast to participate in the Holy War!”

“Shut up! You must pair with me, heretic!”

Outside, the chase between Hector and Demona was still in full swing.

Demona, seeing Roan coming out of his private room, ran over immediately.

“Roan, this fanatic has finally gone completely crazy!”

Roan let out a sigh.

“By definition, a fanatic is crazy.”

“Huh…? That’s true. You crazy fanatic!”

Although she didn’t seem to get the point, Demona wrapped it up like this.

“Listen, Roan. With the heretic’s Diamond Beetle and the Fanatic Rabbit King, wouldn’t winning the Holy War League be no problem?”

“…Do you really have no conscience?”

“You don’t have to go that far.”

Where do you think you’re freeriding?

Hector also closed his mouth soon.

He seemed to know how absurd his request to pair up was.

“See, I’m not pairing up with anyone but Roan.”

Demona gloated, looking at the dejected Hector.

Thwack—

“Ow!”

Roan slapped the back of Demona’s head.

‘That feels refreshing!’

The annoyance toward Wicronon that had been building up steadily since the Forbidden Library had exploded all at once.

“Who said they were pairing up with you?”

“Ah, Roan said he dislikes the Holy War, right?”

“Even if I liked the Holy War the most in the world, I wouldn’t do it with you.”

“Why, whyyy…”

Was a Holy War pair the problem right now?

Roan’s head throbbed just imagining dealing with the pair of Demona and Ludiac—the Wicronon pair—in the future.

***

The next morning.

The dining hall of Paneroa Hall.

— I heard Darc actually killed someone this time…!

— What about Trian?

— I saw him this morning!

— Whew…

Roan’s expression, which had been fine for the past few days, was the most terrifying ever.

‘No matter how talented he is as a black mage, it seems he went too far…’

Staying up for two consecutive nights for Divine Tree management and studying black magic, his fatigue was no joke.

Thanks to that, the dining hall was as cold as a flock of sheep forced into the same enclosure with a lion.

“D-Did you not sleep well last night? I heard you had to stay up all night for the Divine Tree management too…?”

Rafia asked Roan with a pale face.

“Ah, because of studying. I forgot to sleep.”

Roan replied kindly.

Anyway, since he had mastered the spells he would use usefully for the time being, the harvest was sufficient.

“Hieeeek—!”

But despite Roan’s kind reply, Rafia and Demona gasped in horror at the same time.

Rafia must have been surprised by the statement that he stayed up for two consecutive nights, but…

“…Why are you like that, Demona?”

“N-No, because you said you stayed up all night to study…”

Demona’s point of surprise was slightly different.

Of course, Sion, who was sitting furthest among Roan’s friends.

“As expected…”

Nodded with a renewed look in eyes.

‘As expected, the material to become the Holy Emperor is different.’

To Roan, it looked like a proud sight for no reason.

“Rafia. Can I borrow your hand mirror for a moment?”

“, . …….”

Rafia offered the hand mirror politely with both hands without realizing it.

Roan wanted to click his tongue, but thought it would only backfire, so he quietly checked the hand mirror.

Darker eyelids due to fatigue, darkened lips, slightly sunken cheeks, and messy hair.

Except for the pure white uniform of Acherandir, anyone would see him as a black mage who had just escaped from a dungeon.

‘I think this is fine.’

But since Roan had seen many illustrations of heinous criminals, it didn’t look particularly special to him.

‘Indeed, the people of the Holy Empire are too dramatic!’

‘How can a person always live brightly and optimistically?’

‘Such people should try entering Acherandir secretly as a black mage.’

Roan looked around at his friends and said warmly.

“Anyway, a new week has started. Since many more classes will be added starting this week, everyone will have to study hard.”

“Y-Yes, yes…”

Of course, it felt completely different to the listeners.

Students answering in polite tone to a classmate, and a close friend at that!

At least for now, Roan felt scarier than the Discipline Professor.

For instance, Demona was thinking like this:

‘That study monster might really kill me if I don’t study…’

Meanwhile, the second week was not only about adding Monday’s regular classes or other days’ elective classes.

“…And if you want to join a club, read the application form carefully before joining.”

Roan warned, his expression stiffening slightly.

“???”

Naturally, his friends had no idea what he meant.

But Roan’s warning did not end there.

“Especially this week, do not trust any senior.”

Acherandir’s seniors, who might do any cruel thing related to clubs!

“Yeah, that’s true.”

But at the warning not to trust the seniors, not only his friends but also the surrounding students readily nodded.

That was natural.

Especially the freshmen who had unknowingly participated in hellish service over the weekend agreed even more.

“But about yesterday too, is joining a club something to make such a big fuss about?”

Demona said, looking around at her friends as if they were pathetic.

A club was just a gathering to develop students’ hobbies outside of classes.

In the eyes of a normal person, this appearance could only feel like an over-immersion.

Of course, it would have been better if the person saying that wasn’t Demona.

Hector glared at Demona and grumbled.

“That’s not for you to say, you who make a fuss about everything, heretic.”

He had been sulking ever since Demona rejected his pair proposal yesterday.

Of course, it wasn’t for Hector to say either.

‘Those mediocre guys are playing well.’

Roan looked at the two with a pathetic look and took a bite of his bread.

Instead, Rafia said to Riel.

“But… isn’t Hector making a bigger fuss lately?”

Nod-nod—

Before they knew it, the friends had become much more comfortable, and Riel was now nodding her head, albeit slightly, to the point that a normal person could recognize it!

To Roan, it was a change that almost brought tears to his eyes.

Beside them, Hector also shed tears.

“Ugh… To think I’m on the same level as a heretic…”

“N-No! I didn’t say that far.”

Rafia waved her hands in surprise, as if she didn’t know her words would be that harsh.

Comparing a friend to Demona, or saying he was worse than her.

Thinking about it again, there was no worse character insult than this.

But Rafia’s urgent recovery brought no comfort to Hector.

Meanwhile, Demona.

“Anyway, for something we need to be so careful about, it’s too quiet.”

She just said what she wanted to say without caring what was happening beside her.

Roan shook his head and replied.

“That’s because… club promotion is forbidden by imperial law on Monday morning of the second week.”

“????”

Not to mention his friends who were listening to Roan.

— Did you hear that?

— What are they doing that it’s even illegal…?

Even the other freshmen nearby who were secretly listening to their conversation buzzed.

Isn’t the scale suddenly becoming too big?

“I-Imperial law forbids it?”

Even Sion, who had been keeping a poker face, could only ask with an absurd expression.

Roan nodded.

“Yes. Acherandir Special Management Act, Article 1831, Decree on Club Promotion, Paragraph 3. All clubs in Acherandir are strictly prohibited from any unauthorized promotion activities until they submit the designated form to the principal and obtain permission by Monday morning of the second week.”

It meant that because there were so many evils, even the Vatican, which enacts imperial laws, recognized the seriousness of the situation!

And to put it another way, it also meant that the Sanctuary of Usina had actually obtained Harden’s permission to recruit Roan and Sion.

An ordinary club wouldn’t even dream of it.

Who would go to a Holy Spirit to get a permit just to gather club freshmen a little early?

The freshmen who heard the exact content of the law from Roan were even more shocked.

Just what kind of out-of-common-sense things happen that it’s even forbidden by imperial law?

In the midst of that, current students in the law club secretly shined their eyes and began underwater preparations.

— We must recruit him.

— Hey, grab the application form quickly.

— Don’t forget to write down the special terms without omission.

Knowing even such detailed clauses, he was definitely a great talent.

They hadn’t asked for Roan’s opinion yet, but in club promotion, such things weren’t important in the slightest.

Anyway, most of the other current students were extremely disappointed.

— Ah, the imperial law is really too much.

— No, although it’s a bit excessive, it’s a kind of culture.

The freshmen who heard the current students’ whispering shivered.

Should I just stay locked in my private room without going to class today…?

They even had such thoughts.

“Good grief. I don’t know how little they have to do to make even such things into imperial law~”

But Demona said, leisurely tearing her bread as if she still didn’t know the seriousness of the situation.

Of course, there were seniors targeting Demona.

No, quite a lot.

Roan, who had roughly figured out the ominous (?) gazes targeting Demona, spoke to her with a pitiful look.

“You especially need to be more careful.”

“Are you worried about me now, Roan?”

Demona looked at Roan with teary eyes.

Demona, who made even the slight worry disappear instantly!

Roan’s eyes turned cold.

“Tsk. Do whatever you want.”

It was all self-inflicted.

Roan watched the underwater contest of the current students surrounding Demona.

— I heard Wicronon got the egg of the Fanatic Rabbit King.

— She was also chosen by the Diamond Beetle.

— …Let’s also include a lifetime membership clause.

— Of course. Prohibition of duplicate membership too…

Starting right away with the Holy War Club, which was full of Professor Vulcan’s hooligans.

— Of course, our club will take the three great families.

The Royal Club, which gathers the children of prestigious families.

— I heard Wicronon is interested in black magic…

Even a somehow gloomy and suspicious (?) club.

Clubs rumored to be radical even within Acherandir were eyeing her.

Then, realizing they were targeting the same goal, a commotion broke out among the current students.

— Get lost, you hooligans crazy about the Holy War!

— You annoying noble bastards!

As the dining hall became noisy in an instant, Demona stopped chewing her bread and looked around.

“What’s so noisy—.”

Bzzzzz—!

Only then did Demona seem to realize somehow that the commotion in the dining hall was happening around her.

Demona whined and clung to Roan.

“R-Roan, I’m scared here…”

Roan ruthlessly pushed Demona away.

“Do whatever you want.”

“Please don’t abandon me!”

Like that, the day of the second week began in earnest.