The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

“What the hell.”

A notification popped up in front of me.

A translucent window that I hadn’t seen in a long time and almost forgot its existence. I read the message on it.

「An anomaly has been detected and is currently being adjusted.」

「Please be patient.」

Anomaly?

Being adjusted?

I had never seen this before, not even when playing the original game.

[So things are coming full circle.]

While I was pondering, Svengali let out a deep sigh.

[Let’s talk about this now, in case it’s our last time.]

“What?”

Svengali said to me in a grave voice.

[I don’t know about you, but if I make a mistake, I might die here.]

[If that happens, I will tell you everything I know as a final gift.]

With those words, Svengali fell silent.

“Hey, what do you mean? Hey, Svengali? Hey!”

[…….]

No matter how many times I called out to him, he remained silent.

I could feel my irritation rising at the inexplicable situation.

What the hell?

What the hell!

I then heard a beeping sound that seemed out of place.

It was the sound of a notification window updating.

「Upon closer inspection, it was determined there were no errors.」

「We sincerely apologize for causing you unnecessary distress.」

「As compensation, you will be paid in the near future what we feel will be most useful to you at that time.」

「And, as always, I sincerely wish for your survival.」

With that, the notification window disappeared as if nothing had happened, including any record of what had just been shown.

As if everything that had just happened had been an illusion, I immediately turned to the one person who might know anything about it.

“Explain.”

[…….]

“You must know what’s going on. What happened….”

[Hey, remember what I said before?]

Svengali said quietly.

His voice was hushed like never before.

It was as if a heavy weight had been placed on his tongue.

[I’ve mentioned before that the Seven Evils don’t wish to annihilate humans, and everyone has an attachment to life, albeit to different degrees.]

[Me too. I don’t want to die, either.]

He muttered to himself.

[Margo had said that his fear of death was unique among us, but my unwillingness to die rivaled it.]

[I don’t want to die.]

[I don’t even want to know what it is to fall into a sleep from which I cannot awaken or sink into a darkness from which I cannot emerge. So, even if I had to abandon everything I was, even if I had to live like a parasite, clinging on to you and catering to your every whim, I would do it all. I don’t want to die.]

“…….”

For the first time, I could feel the stark sincerity in his words.

As if pleading with me, Svengali said.

[I don’t want to die and have been warned many times already.]

[But… yeah, maybe it’s okay to say this now.]

“…What do you mean?”

[Ariman.]

Svengali spat out his name with difficulty.

He spoke carefully as if he were confessing, each word slowly coming out.

[Ariman, it’s all his fault. He’s the only one who could have done this to you in the first place… that, and your memory lapses… it’s all him. He’s the only one who could have done this to you in the first place. He’s the only one.]

“Ariman….”

The name was always there, intangible and unimaginable.

I only knew two things about him.

He was one of the Seven Evils.

His powers were related to space.

Like an easter egg, I didn’t even know what he looked like because he was only mentioned by name in the original story.

Those were the only things I knew.

[But…I guess I’ll have to leave it at that.]

Svengali sighed as if to catch his breath.

[You’ve already met Margo and me, Svengali. You’ve met and killed two of the Seven Evils, absorbed their energy, and embraced their power. If you continue on this path, you will eventually meet Ariman.]

“…….”

[Because he’s the one who gathered us together in the first place and bound us under the name of the Seven Evils.]

“Wait, Ariman brought you together to create the Seven Evils?”

[He just brought us together, but… yeah.]

He snorted and chuckled.

[You know how it was; Margot and I hated each other to death, and Milited acted like he liked us while casually waiting for the chance to strike us down. Minerva, Venus, and Yuno. These three probably won’t stop fighting until only one remains. Geez, did you really think we’d be carrying the same name by choice?]

Svengali muttered.

[Only three seals have been broken: Margo, myself, and Ariman. However, if one more is unsealed, the rest would naturally collapse one after the other…Yet after all my ruminating, I still grasp one thing.]

“…What is that?”

[Ariman’s purpose.]

A crackling sound could be heard.

It was evidence that his emotions were fluctuating.

Gradually, the white noise began to fill the surroundings like a television breaking down.

It was growing louder with each second.

[I can’t even begin to fathom what his purpose is. For Margo, it was to rid himself of all threats and possibilities that could kill him. For me, was to breed and manage humans, eventually creating my paradise. But I cannot fathom Ariman’s purpose.]

“…What about the others?”

[In Milited’s case, to gain the power to manipulate time. I was never very close to Minerva, Venus, or Yuno, but they had their own purpose…But Ariman has none, and his behavior is irrational. He’s been like that since he rounded us up and bound us to the Seven Evils. He’s never once shown himself after that]

Svengali let out a small squawk.

[Why in the world would he tamper with a seal, let alone pick on Margo and me… the two weakest of the Seven Evils? And yet he came to us after we were released from the seal and said, “Do what you want.” What does he want us to do? To run this world as we please? Does he want the world to end like a third-rate novel? If so, why didn’t he break the other seals as well? He’s been cleverly steering us in the wrong direction by placing restrictions on our actions in the first place. Do you mean to tell me I’m just a pawn on his chessboard? What do you want, Ariman? What do you want….]

“Svengali.”

I called his name to calm him down.

I could only hear the crackling white noise and his words.

[Why…What the hell is he doing…!]

“Svengali!”

I shouted his name, and the crackling suddenly stopped.

He apologizes as I frown in pain from the ringing in my ears.

[…I’m sorry.]

“Did you calm down?”

[Yeah…thanks.]

He made a clicking sound and muttered.

[Damn it, I can’t do this anymore. I’ll tell you one last thing; maybe it’ll give you a clue.]

As he muttered this, Svangali’s aura wavered uneasily.

Could this be the warning he was talking about?

But he merely laughed and spoke to me.

[It is said that I was sealed by the first World Tree Shaman… the founder of the World Tree Clan.]

[Your friend, who died and became my flesh and blood, told you.]

[From what I’ve heard, it’s a significant artifact to the World Tree clan.]

[I’ll tell you a fun fact.]

He made a clicking sound with his beak.

[It was the first World Tree Shaman who sealed me… or rather, her ancestor, Ariman.]

Margo, who was beaten and sealed by humans like an idiot.

Minerva, who lost a bet with a human and was sealed herself.

Militant, who no one knows why she was sealed.

[Except for those three… me, Venus, and Yuno; Ariman sealed the three of us.]

* * *

“Hey, Ji-Hyuk!”

A pair of hands clapped in front of my eyes.

I turned my head to see Han Soo-Young’s face staring worriedly at me.

“Are you okay?”

She said and carefully placed her hand on my forehead.

Then she put her hand on her forehead for comparison and shook her head.

“I don’t have a fever….”

I gently pushed her hand away.

I didn’t know what to do next, partly because Choi Hyun-Woo and Jin Ye-Seul were staring at me and partly because I had a lot on my mind.

“I’m sorry. I just need to think about something.”

“What is it? Is it serious?”

“It’s just a little personal. I’m afraid I can’t tell you, but it’s really nothing, don’t worry.”

Even after saying that, Han Soo-Young still looked worried.

She stared at me with her lips pressed together as if she had so many things she wanted to say but barely contained herself.

“It seems pretty serious for you to make a face like that.”

Even Choi Hyun-Woo, who usually doesn’t say such things, chimed in.

After closing my eyes for a moment, I smiled wryly.

“Maybe I looked like that because I was hungry? Come to think of it, I wanted to be here early, so I only had a light breakfast.”

“…….”

I looked at Jin Ye-Seul for help, but she was staring at me, expressionless.

It was as if she was calmly observing me to discover what had happened.

“…You guys are just embarrassing me.”

I sighed.

What to say?

As I pondered, I quickly came up with a good excuse.

“Yeah, there’s no point in hiding it. The truth is…I’m worried about Yu-Na.”

I’m sorry.

I’m so sorry, but let me sell your name just once.

“You know, she’s been sick a lot lately.”

“That’s… true.”

“…….”

Han Soo-Young, who hadn’t had much to do with Yu-Na, nodded obediently, along with the wide-eyed Choi Hyun-Woo and Jin Ye-Seul, who were close to her.

I continued, still looking worried.

“It might be wrong of me to do this, but… we’re both studying under the same professor, and we’ve been involved in various things in the past, so I’ve been worried about her. That’s why I have a lot on my mind…”

“…I see.”

Fortunately, the three of them seemed to be somewhat convinced.

Choi Hyun-Woo gave me his trademark reassuring smile and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Let’s go visit her later. I heard she’s feeling a little better.”

“…On the way, I’ll give you the notes I’ve organized. Half-assed, but better than nothing.”

Han Soo-Young muttered something like that.

Sighing secretly, I told them they should go to the restaurant for a quick meal.

“But, Ji-Hyuk.”

“Huh?”

“Yu-Na.”

“What about her?”

Han Soo-Young said, smiling brightly.

“Me and Hyun-Woo took so long and had such a hard time calling you by your first name… but somehow you easily called her that?”

“…….”

Choi Hyun-Woo flinched and shuddered.

He turned to look at me, and his eyes seemed sad.

“You deserve this.”

My actions earlier were paid back in full.

As I wondered what I should do now that even my most trusted ally had turned his back on me, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

I thought it was Jin Ye-Seul, but she stood on the other side.

I turned my head to look behind me, wondering who it could be.

“Excuse me.”

As soon as I turned my head, the first thing I saw was silver hair.

Silver hair.

There was only one other human with that hair color.

Laura Hartmann, a member of the Ten Strongest and a Paladin.

She was standing right behind me.

“You’re the Yoo Ji-hyuk that Lee Myung-Joon was talking about, right?”

She was dressed in jeans and a hoodie, a rather unassuming outfit for a woman who would typically be clad in heavy armor.

“If you don’t mind, I was wondering if I could speak to you briefly?”

She flashed a beautiful smile as she adjusted her hat, emblazoned with the initials of the perennial last-place baseball team.