Damn Academy

258 – In the Master’s Embrace (6)

In the southern port city of the Empire, Neitiria, the Golden Swallow of the Art Department was docked. Because it was adjacent to Claridium, the place was a mess, with refugees and Imperial soldiers mixed together, making it hard to even set foot.

To block the possibility of Doppler’s intrusion, the ship was floated in the middle of the sea, and the three of them, Xenia, Hailey, and Lilith, landed on Neytiri in a small boat.

They moved busily to grasp the trends of the Empire. The only reason they stayed in Neytiri was because of the flyer that flew from Claridium.

The three members of the art club rented a room at an inn and compiled and discussed the information they had gathered. Hailey crumpled the wanted flyer and threw it on the inn bed. Contrary to their expectations, they were shocked when Damian took all the blame.

“Damian is said to be the culprit of the situation. Does this make sense?”

Xenia said with a blank expression, sitting in an old rocking chair that creaked.

“They say the Empire sent an execution squad to Eternia.”

Hailey turned around in surprise and asked back.

“What?”

“You know, the scary people who catch traitors.”

“I know! They sent an execution squad? Did Damian attempt to assassinate the Emperor or something? Are they crazy?”

“It means the matter is that serious. Besides, it’s a problem involving the Grand Mage… The Imperial warships we passed by on our way here must have been the army to kill Damian.”

They clearly remembered the appearance of Doppler that had taken over Claridium. But they couldn’t understand why no one had noticed. They expected the situation to be resolved quickly if the Empire got involved, but their expectations were completely wrong.

“How could they not recognize Doppler’s existence?”

Lilith sat on the edge of the table, head down, listening silently.

Xenia looked up at the ceiling from the creaking rocking chair and said.

“They couldn’t catch Doppler. Maybe Doppler evolved beyond what we expected. What kind of Doppler would manipulate evidence and incite public opinion? It has become more than just mimicking humans. Since Claridium, where magicology was most advanced, couldn’t catch it, the methods used in the Empire didn’t work either.”

Hailey, unable to express her frustration, tapped her forehead against the wall.

“Doppler deceived everyone… Could it get any worse than this…”

Xenia said.

“Even if we safely arrive at Rigved… If Damian dies, we will also be under suspicion and investigated together.”

“We can’t go back now.”

“Damian is fighting alone. Rather… rather…”

“Are you saying we should go back now?”

“…”

“Xenia?”

“Yes, if Damian dies, it’s over. The whole world will be overrun by unidentifiable Dopplers, and until a new identification method is devised, countless victims will emerge. We have to fight too. We have to go and help. Isn’t this why we bled and sweated in Eternia?”

Hailey waved her arms wildly in denial.

“No. Absolutely not. How did Damian help us escape, and now you want to go back and become sandbags?”

“We can send the crew to Rigbed and only the three of us, the strongest, can go. If we join Damian there, we can be of help. We don’t even have to fight. If we can just prove the existence of Dopplers in front of people, the situation will be reversed.”

“If we borrow the power of the Felton family, it won’t be hard to get off the suspect list. If we go back to Eternia, we can at least survive. I guarantee it. Surviving like that is what Damian intended. If we go back, we might die miserably, torn apart by Dopplers. Our families might receive our replacements. Are you okay with that?”

Xenia closed her eyes tightly and thought for a moment before speaking again.

“…Yes.”

“Lilith, do you agree?”

“…I always intended to go back to Claridium.”

“Okay, let’s say we do that. If we send the crew to Rigbed, how are we supposed to get back to Claridium?”

“…I don’t know. We could steal a ship or stow away.”

Hailey said seriously.

“How can three stunning beauties like us stow away without being noticed?”

“We’ll figure it out. We could bribe someone… is there another way?”

Then Lilith, who had been bowing her head all along, spoke.

“…I will. I will arrange for a ship.”

The two art club executives looked at Lilith.

“You? How?”

Lilith raised her head and stared at her seniors with determined eyes.

She unfastened the ornate bracelets from her wrists and then the earrings.

Placing the jewelry adorned with glittering gems on the table, she said,

“If we sell these, we can hire sailors. And….”

Then she yanked off her necklace and said,

“With this, we can get a ship. We can buy the best one in this city. Probably.”

*

The port of Rigved was crowded with people. Flyers searching for the missing were scattered around, and the retainers of the empire’s noble families, holding placards, were anxiously waiting for the Eternia ship to arrive.

The place had become one where you couldn’t pass without bumping into people, as the sailors disembarking from the trade ships mingled with the crowd.

Luna was there too. Wearing a mask imitating Damian’s and a robe pulled tight, she stepped back into a secluded spot, observing the situation.

In the sky, the white crows she commanded, and on the ground, the wolves of the wind were gathering all the sounds.

And among the myriad noises spreading from the port, she focused on just one.

“I’m looking for a ship.”

“I’m looking for a ship to Claridium! Excuse me!”

It was Cecil, grabbing workers and asking for a ship to Claridium.

In a place so crowded it was suffocating, bustling around was impossible for Luna. A place full of rough, smelly male workers was even more impossible.

So she planned to follow Cecil and board the same ship she did. But that plan was not easily realized.

It was because Eternia had issued a stern warning not to allow students on the ships heading towards Claridium. Eternia knew that there would be reckless students who would rush to Claridium and took preemptive measures. As a result, Cecil’s efforts became virtually meaningless.

“Are you an Eternia student?”

“No. Just a traveler.”

The workers saw through Cecil’s lie too easily.

“Get lost. Don’t you know we could lose our jobs if we take you on board?”

Cecil persistently searched for a ship. But even after pleading with dozens of people, no one listened.

Because of her frail physique, she was repeatedly knocked over and injured by the carts, knights, and workers passing through the port.

Her knees were torn and bleeding, her hips were dirtied with dust, but she endured it all with her unwavering determination to reach Damian.

Luna, from behind, merely observed Cecil, waiting for an opportunity.

In the meantime, a white crow landed on Luna’s shoulder with slow wingbeats. It whispered quietly.

“……”

“How much?”

“……”

“Got it.”

Luna looked up at the sky helplessly. Things were getting more and more complicated.

She wanted to ask Damian how he was holding up, why he was fighting so hard, but she had no way to do so. All she could do was trust Damian and ignore any rumors.

“Damian… I’m sorry I can’t be with you.”

Luna gave up and left the port.

*

The morning they greeted in Claridium was dreadful.

“The Empire’s forces have lost 25 men and 21 are wounded.”

“How many of the Empire’s troops remain?”

“101.”

Black smoke was rising from various parts of the square where they stood. The soldier reporting to Regilion sniffled as the acrid scent stung his nose.

“The Empire has suffered relatively minor damage. The Clonidas Brotherhood has already lost over fifty men, and the soldiers of the Marcaponia family, including the Countess, have been annihilated.”

“…What?”

“You heard correctly.”

The Guardians of Claridium were crossing the square, carrying corpses on stretchers. It was not difficult to find the banners and armor bearing the Marcaponia family’s crest among the pile of bodies stacked like firewood in the center of the square.

“No minimum courtesy, huh.”

“If left unattended, a plague could break out, so there’s no choice.”

“We’ll gather the bodies separately. Even if we can’t hold a grand funeral, we should at least bury them in Imperial land.”

A few soldiers were seen wiping away tears in front of the blazing corpses. Regilion’s heart was unbearably heavy.

“Understood. Ah, and there’s one more thing I’m curious about.”

“Speak.”

“I don’t understand Demian’s criteria for who he kills and who he spares.”

“Spares?”

“The knights fighting on the front lines today said so. He could have killed most of them for sure, but he only subdued them.”

“Are you certain?”

“I’m not sure, but that’s what everyone felt.”

“…”

The situation was so urgent at the time that I didn’t have time to think. Looking back, it seemed that Demian had the opportunity to kill more, but he didn’t.

That doesn’t mean his cruelty was diluted. The act he committed against the hostage was so demonic that it was hard to think about it again.

“A murderer doesn’t kill randomly. Rather, such people act according to their own rules. Religious rituals, grudges imprinted in childhood, things like that.”

“I don’t know what the difference is between the people he killed and the ones he spared. Age, gender, origin, eating habits, status—none of it can be pinpointed.”

“Maybe he wanted us to be scared and hide. Well, whatever the rules are, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that he deserves to die.”

At that moment, someone called him from behind.

“Captain Regilion, is that correct?”

A man who looked like an imperial official was approaching. He was wearing a velvet tunic, a well-groomed beard, and a jeweled leather belt. He had nothing to do with magic or swordsmanship. Seeing him gave me a bad feeling.

“….”

“My name is Elund from the Imperial Dayrund University. Originally a scholar, but this time I was appointed as a special secretary and dispatched here.”

“The relevant materials are well organized in the barracks.”

“I’ve already taken care of that. I’m here to hear why this operation failed and to hold someone accountable.”

“Troops, troops, we need more troops. The spirit summoners are all idiots, and we need older, more experienced wizards. The current half-wit wizards are not enough.”

“The spirit summoners are all carefully selected experts. The same goes for the wizards.”

“Those so-called carefully selected experts haven’t summoned a single spirit and are just consuming supplies. Have you figured out anything properly?”

“We can’t report to the higher-ups that we achieved nothing with this many troops. We deployed an unusually large number of troops against a teenage boy. If there’s no result, the incompetent commander will be held accountable….”

“Listen to me carefully. Deploy stronger troops. Are your eyes open? Can’t you see the bodies burning with their limbs cut off back there? Do you think those people just died because they were unlucky?”

“The opponent is a single teenage boy. Those countless bodies over there only prove that the commander’s plan failed. We already have more than enough troops, and additional support is… difficult. You can’t use a butcher’s knife to kill a rat, can you?”

Regilion rushed forward and grabbed the secretary by the collar.

“What, what are you doing!”

The scribe struggled on tiptoe, flailing. But Regilion held him firmly and shouted.

“Relay the message correctly to the higher-ups. Even with dozens of mercenaries from all over, they couldn’t land a single proper blow and died.”

“Now… what is this…”

“Do you want to hear what that b*stard did today while holding a hostage? He overpowered the imperial knights, grabbed the hostage by the neck, and dragged him around, cutting off each joint from the extremities one by one. First, he carved out the arm joints, then sliced through the ankles, knees, and thighs, stabbed the abdomen, and stirred it like beef stew. He did this to an idiot like you! Before losing consciousness from blood loss, he inflicted the worst pain a human can experience in that short moment and disappeared. He neutralized all our attacks. Do you think the people who fought for their lives there are all idiots?”

“Again… this happened because we couldn’t catch that one person. Despite the full support of the empire… the responsibility for letting the situation escalate because we couldn’t catch a single rat…”

“Listen carefully! I don’t care if those ink-stained b*stards discipline me or cut off my head. My only goal is to survive and get out of here alive. That b*stard hiding in this city is neither a dog nor a rat. He’s a damn hatchling. If we don’t cut off his breath in advance, he’ll set the empire on fire someday! If you underestimate this situation, you’ll end up taking responsibility. Do you understand?”

“Ah, yes. Let go of me, let go…”

Regilion threw the scribe to the ground. The nearby soldiers looked down at the scribe with cold eyes. The scribe rolled his eyes nervously. Only then did he realize. Regilion’s outcry was not just his own opinion. He was representing the opinion of everyone standing there.

*

Damian looked up at the lattice-patterned sewer grate above his head. The dark clouds were still thick, but fortunately, the rain did not pour. A faint light came through the small skylight. Even that single ray of light was enough to illuminate the hidden sewer.

In a place where it was hard to breathe due to the stench, Damian stuffed stolen bread, cheese, and potions down his throat. He couldn’t taste anything. He had become so accustomed to the situation that he no longer felt nauseous. He just crammed food in for survival.

Half-dried blood dripped down the sewer wall. It was the blood of the Doppler Damian had killed, flowing down the street to this place.

People walked above ground.

Above his head, agitators had set up makeshift platforms, calling citizens and mercenaries together for passionate speeches. The cries inciting hatred and anger echoed down to the sewer where he was.

“That demon not only ruined the homes and souls of the citizens but also took the lives of our friends and comrades.”

“Evil exhausts us, makes us tremble in fear, and sometimes takes our lives. But it cannot stop our will towards good. We will fight again and eventually win. Just as we always have!”

The soldiers crowded in the street chanted fiercely, like soldiers on the battlefield, at the call to kill Damian and protect the city.

“Death to evil!”

“Death!”

“Death!”

Priscilla trembled in response to their voices. It was a sign that Dopplers were mixed in.

Despite Demian’s struggles, the number of Dopplers did not significantly decrease.

The Dopplers that had taken over the city indiscriminately preyed on humans, regardless of age or status. Even now, they continued their quiet massacre, drawing in the remaining survivors and mercenaries.

There were abandoned corpses in the narrow, long sewer passage where he stood. The nameless bodies discarded in the sewers could not find peace even in death, becoming food for rats and insects.

Demian had seen more corpses here than he had in his entire life. Among them were the elderly, once-happy families, and children. Their blood still flowed underground, unable to dry. So he couldn’t stop. Not until those things bled the same.

*

The student plaza of Eternia on a sunny afternoon. As always, it was bustling with students going about their day.

Rilke, a second-year member of the drama club, was heading to the small theater after class, joining his juniors Icarus and Crude.

The warm sunlight that made you want to take off your coat and roll up your sleeves, the refreshing breeze that cooled your sweat just right. The garden in the plaza was filled with the cheerful songs of birds. It was a place that could make you feel good for no reason, but contrary to expectations, there was a tense atmosphere.

They had to stop for a moment as a crowd of students blocked their way. Rilke asked curiously.

“Is there something to see again?”

Soon, the entire student plaza began to buzz. The crowd quickly started to back away and split into two.

Some were backing away, clutching their books, looking confused or scared. The faces of some students from the Empire had turned pale.

Black scabbards, black robes, necklaces with claw-like decorations, black masks. The procession of the Imperial Execution Squad continued through the gap. It was surprising enough that an external force, rarely allowed in Eternia, had set foot here, but the fact that it was the Execution Squad, known as the most vicious group in the Empire, left everyone visibly shocked.

“My God, the Execution Squad… in Eternia.”

“I never wanted to see the Execution Squad for any reason…”

“It’s because of Demian, isn’t it?”

“Be careful, senior.”

Despite the considerable distance from the Execution Squad, junior Icarus grabbed Rilke’s wrist and pulled him further back.

“….”

“If you get caught, it will be difficult for a long time. If you touch the tip of the executioner’s sword, the flesh will rot, and if the magician’s fingertips touch you, they say it will turn you to ashes in an instant. No wonder they say that nothing grows for ten years where the executioners have stepped. Be careful.”

“Ah, yes… I’ve only heard rumors about the executioners, this is the first time I’ve seen them in person.”

They were not just a group to punish some criminals, but a group that existed to annihilate bloodlines and forces. The most brutal parts of the empire’s history always included the executioners. When an executioner visited a family, it meant that everything that family had built over centuries would be erased from the world.

“Damian… It’s really because of Damian, isn’t it?”

As the executioners passed by, Icarus bowed his head and turned his gaze away.

“Is there any other reason? It’s a relief that he wasn’t in the drama club. Heaven helped us. If he had been in the drama club, we might have been dragged away by the executioners too.”

“Don’t say such bad things. Nothing has been properly revealed yet. It’s not too late to talk after everything is over.”

“It seems the situation is already concluded. How can you save someone who has lost their mind coveting the cursed sword? Even a swordmaster finds it difficult to tame the cursed sword, what was he thinking?”

Kruid added a word.

“If he had just graduated quietly, his future would have been guaranteed, but he brought disaster upon himself with his greed. It’s not common, but it’s not the first time someone from Eternia has met a similar fate by coveting the cursed sword.”

“I know. But… this is the first time a first-year student has been dominated by the cursed sword. Luna said Damian would never do such a thing…”

“Being driven mad by the cursed sword has nothing to do with one’s usual character. Do you want to say that he was used by another force?”

“…Who knows. If not…”

Kruid, who was behind her, spoke.

“I don’t want to get involved by defending that guy. Honestly. I just hope he doesn’t drag Eternia down with him. He destroyed the reputation of Eternia that seniors had built with Claridium. Now, just being known as someone from Eternia gets you dirty looks in the empire. Honestly, I want to run to the professors and ask why they haven’t expelled Damian yet. I want to tell them to pack his dormitory belongings and throw them out the front gate. Disgusting guy. I bet I’m not the only one who thinks this way.”

“Right, there are many who are anxious that Eternia and the empire might clash. Do you know what kind of letters my peers receive from their parents? They ask if they were close to Damian, and if so, to cut all ties with him. That’s the situation. Those of us with imperial bloodlines could get caught in the middle and die if we don’t handle ourselves well.”

Another drama club junior, Sara, also spoke up.

“I agree. I’m so glad I had no connection with Damian…”

“Sara, even you…”

Sara, a junior in the drama club, had even consulted Lilke because she wanted to get closer to Damian. She had been an ardent follower, regularly sending letters to his dormitory.

Rilke was at a loss for words, unable to open her mouth. Many members of Eternia were based in the Empire. To side with Demian there was tantamount to going against the Empire’s will. But seeing their attitudes flip like a coin made her feel not just bitter, but angry.

Now, there were almost no students in Eternia who could be said to be on Demian’s side. Luna and Trisha, who had been somewhat close to Demian in the drama club, had disappeared without a word, and the professors also tabooed any mention of Demian. Only news of the worsening situation in Claridium kept coming in.

This was not just a matter of the drama club. Those who had wanted to befriend Demian were now relieved that they had no connection, and those who envied and were jealous of Demian were secretly enjoying it.

Rilke couldn’t believe any news related to Demian. It was even more so because the Demian she had observed and heard about from Luna was never the kind of person who would fall so low.

“…Have you not considered the possibility that the real Doppler has taken over Claridium?”

Kreud and Icarus chuckled. It was close to a sneer at Rilke’s naivety.

“The people on the front lines aren’t fools… Doppler isn’t that complex a creature. Its type and behavior patterns have already been revealed…”

Emotionally provoked, Rilke retorted.

“It might not be. You haven’t seen it yourself. So how can you be so sure?”

“Being stubborn won’t get you anywhere…”

“You don’t know yet. You don’t care about the truth, you just want Demian to fail miserably, don’t you?”

“Senior, that’s a bit much. Is there anyone among the students here who defends Demian? Thousands were injured and lost their lives because of him. I was just speaking everyone’s mind. Just rationally…”

Those few words deepened the emotional rift. Any further debate would be just a war of attrition.

“Enough, talking more will only hurt our feelings, so I’m leaving.”

Rilke harbored deep disappointment towards her juniors who had no sense of camaraderie. She didn’t completely fail to understand their choices, but seeing them criticize Demian as if they had been waiting for things to go wrong made her feel disillusioned.

She quickly distanced herself from her juniors with long strides.

“Senior!”

When Sara tried to follow Rilke, Kreud blocked her with his arm.

“Just let her go. She’ll realize what mistake she made once the situation is sorted out.”

*

“The Empire wants Demian.”

Erszebet, the vice-principal of Eternia, stood quietly at the western edge of the Eternia campus, where it bordered Grace Mountain.

It was there, where the green grass stretched to the mountains, that the Eternia entrance exams were held.

Erszebet tucked her wind-blown hair behind one ear and slowly turned to look at Dean Dunkel of the Faculty of Law.

“So, what did you do?”

“We provided all the information the Empire requested. We handed over the search of the Witheruff Hall dormitory, the location of Professor Silverin’s residence, and research materials to the Empire.”

A meaningful smile played on Erszebet’s lips. It was a sign of satisfaction when things went as planned.

“…Will Demian be alright? He’s up against the Dopplers and the Empire’s army.”

It was an absurd power imbalance for a first-year academy student to face.

Erszebet nodded.

“He has a strong spirit and the intelligence to see the big picture even in unfavorable situations. That child does not fight losing battles.”

“The big picture…?”

“He sent me a stitch directly. And he enclosed something interesting.”

“…?”

The wind blew again from Grace Mountain. The trees at the forest’s edge swayed wildly in the wind. Flocks of birds took to the sky, startled.

Thump- Thump-

Dunkel sensed a faint vibration through his toes. It was the characteristic ground tremor that occurred when the Planteras moved in groups.

Soon, the Plantera legion began to emerge from the edge of Grace Mountain, pushing through the trees. In their hands, they held red herbs, roots and all.

“Those are… plants from the land of death, aren’t they? How did they…?”

“Those are mine. There is something else you need to prepare, Dean.”

*

The red-light district of Claridium. Although no business was conducted there anymore, it was filled with people. Prostitutes with nowhere to go, old people, refugees, and the injured were lined up along the street.

And there stood a girl with gray hair. Wearing a wooden mask, she looked relatively clean compared to the people around her. Her slender waist and the pale color that seeped through her slender jawline and neckline, even though her face was covered.

She stood there, like someone looking for a missing family member, writing names on a shabby plank and standing still.

What was written on the plank was none other than ‘Candy’. The scouts passing by had no interest in the plank and only glanced at her slender waist or her half-exposed bare legs. No one showed any interest in Candy.

After about half a day had passed, a bird flew over her head.

A small bird with fluffy red feathers naturally perched on Lilith’s crown as if it were its home.

– Chirp!

The bird pecked at the top of the girl’s head a few times and then flew into a dark alley.

The girl looked around. No one was paying attention to her. She followed the red bird into the narrow gap between buildings.

After a while, the red bird disappeared without a trace. As she looked around, a man in dark clothing approached her, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her to a more secluded place.

The man cornered her against the wall. But before he could say anything, the girl hugged him tightly.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“…Why did you come back?”

Two women belatedly rushed in to attack the man.

“Who are you?”

“Let go of that girl. Unless you want a hole in your body.”

Only then did Lilith release her hug and speak to her seniors.

“Don’t worry. He’s on our side.”

“You, did you get a boyfriend in Claridium already?”

The man placed his hand on his face and slowly removed the mask. His dark red hair returned to its original brown hue. Only then did Xenia and Hailey’s eyes widen in recognition of Damian. Hailey’s sword, which had been held tightly, slowly lowered.

“Damian?”

“I hope not everyone from the art club has returned.”

“Newbie… newbie… is it really you?”

Damian nodded.

Xenia cautiously took one step at a time, approaching him. As she got closer, she burrowed into Damian’s side and hugged him tightly.

“Why have you returned to this hell?”

“Just so you don’t worry, it’s only the three of us who have come back.”

Xenia buried her face in his side, half-sobbing.

“Anywhere without you is hell, newbie.”

Hailey placed her hand on her hip and spoke confidently.

“We are your seniors. As seniors, we can’t allow a weakling like you to fight alone.”

“…”

“We can surely be of help… right? Ha, I don’t know. I just came because I was worried about you. I’m practically a blind swordsman, but I’m sure I’ll be of some use. If we just run away, all the hardships we endured in Eternia would be meaningless.”

“I still believe returning to Eternia is the best option… but thank you for coming.”

Xenia said.

“See? Damian needed our help too!”

“Does that sound like he needed help to you? Damian, let’s go back to Eternia together. My father can protect you and clear your name.”

Damian shook his head.

“I can’t allow that.”

“Why are you trying to fight alone here? Do you have a plan?”

“I was… looking for Doppler’s mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“A small mistake that will change everything. Something will happen soon. It might have already started by now.”

“Damian… are you okay?”

Damian nodded with a confident face.

“That’s not the problem. If the truth is revealed and humans don’t move according to Doppler’s will… those cornered beings will start devouring in earnest without any hesitation. One thing is certain, a full-scale war that will determine the fate of Claridium will break out. We must prepare for the end.”

Hailey’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes, we’ll fight together.”

Damian lowered his head for a moment and fiddled with the scabbard. Then, as if making up his mind, he unbuckled the belt at his waist and handed the magic sword, still in its scabbard, to Hailey.

“You’ll need this.”

“Wait, that’s the magic sword that detects Doppler. How can you give me your lifeline?”

“Even if it can’t detect Doppler, it can sense who is trying to kill me. And… I have something better.”

“I know you’re just saying that to reassure us. I can’t take what serves as your eyes.”

Lilith, who was beside them, shook her head vigorously and urged Hailey.

“It’s okay to take it, senior. I know well.”

“Why do you know Damian’s secrets so well? Are you two… ha, I don’t know anymore. Are you really taking it?”

Hailey snatched the scabbard. But she was startled by the sword’s resistance and dropped it.

“Ouch!”

Hailey kept massaging the arm that had held the sword due to the sudden pain.

“Ouch… It’s my first time with a cursed sword… Ah, I can’t. The resistance is too strong.”

“…”

“I thought my arm was going to fall off. Ah, what should I do?”

Damian picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground, brought it close to his lips, and muttered something.

Then he handed it back to Hailey.

“It should be fine now.”

“…Really?”

Hailey couldn’t hide her skeptical gaze.

Damian nodded.

She carefully took the sword. She was startled by the frost on her forearm and quickly brushed it off, but there was no intense rejection like before.

“…It’s really fine now. Can it understand words? What did you say? Did you sing it a lullaby?”

“I told it that if it didn’t listen, I’d throw it into the furnace.”

“Will it understand my words too?”

“I think it’s best if you don’t say anything.”

“Hmm, got it. So, what should I do with this for now?”

Damian brought his lips close to Hailey’s ear. He whispered the plan. Hailey’s pupils dilated and contracted repeatedly as she listened intently.

“If you don’t remember my request when we meet again, I’ll know it’s a doppelganger.”

“Got it, newbie.”

Damian put on his mask again and released Xenia, who was still clinging like a leech.

Xenia’s eyes were red with tears. Demian turned to face Xenia, meeting her gaze, and gently wiped away her tears.

“Sob, sniff, rookie….”

“I’ll be going now, senior.”

“Poor rookie… I wanted to show you only the beautiful and good things… but you just suffered after joining the art club… I’m sorry. This sister is sorry.”

“Until the time comes, it’s best not to mention Doppler. They eliminate those who question them. Be careful. Never separate from Senior Hailey. You too, Lilith.”

Lilith nodded repeatedly with a solemn expression.

“Wait, Demian, what are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to bring someone who can be our ally.”

“Is there someone who will be on our side?”

“I’m thinking of starting by digging through the trash.”

“What?”

With those words, Demian vanished into the darkness.