Chapter Text
If it is only after that we understand what has come before then we understand nothing at all. And he who learns must suffer a pain that cannot forget the fall, drop by drop bleeds the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of Gods.
The story of the Great Demon War is a great portrayal of this irony as if instilled within the nature of “humanity”. A complete telling would reach back beyond the Dark Ages during the first appearance of the First Demon King and before the emergence of the 3 great Powers.
The first King of Demons was nothing more than some exaggerated legend, with little to no record to his name. Before him, was said to be a time that humans thrived whilst demonkind had been on the brink of extinction. And yet, in the end it wasn’t war nor strife that herald the end, but foul hubris.
Humankind hadn’t strayed that far from the story. Even before the Gardis Empire were retellings of lineages passed through trial, while the rest, lost to fire and soot. So we are told.
Accounts, you see, are easily twisted in personal shades that it is almost a kind of fever dream. War, for example, no one in particular wants it, but then all at once there it is—and yet half the world is in it all the same. So, if all accounts are null and the tallies of fate are inescapable then we can only define the human will as such: He who will conquer everything.
Damn it.
I told that guy I would make him see the infirmary’s ceiling, but in the end it was me who woke up to it.
“Junior, You’re awake.”
“Ah, senior.”
It was Adrianna.
Apparently what happened shortly after I got the bastard to surrender was that I suddenly collapsed. Whatever left of my adrenaline left as quickly as the danger had disappeared.
What would have happened had the rush left mid beatdown? It’s a little scary to think about.
[Event Quest Complete – Duel with Art]
[You have earned 600 achievement points as reward for your victory.]
[New feature unlocked: Wisdom +.05]
Wisdom? What the hell was that?
“Were you seriously expecting such nonsense as suddenly awakening your supernatural power at just the right time? Don’t you understand things unless you get beat up?”
Anyway, Adriana seemed angry.
“Isn’t it fine as long as the results are good?”
“Nonsense. Of course, I heard about your strange aptitudes, junior, but…. You did something very reckless.”
I knew I had a latent supernatural power and realized how to awaken it just then. However, to others this might have seemed like I was hitting my head against the floor to break it.
“If it didn’t go well, wouldn’t it have been even worse than losing?”
Adriana didn’t seem to know what to say in response to my reaction as if there was something wrong with that.
“Junior, you still have six years to live in Temple. You just started your first year. You were able to awaken a supernatural power through great coincidence this time, but will you continue to do these kinds of reckless things in the future just to turn your other aptitudes into talents?”
“No, not really….”
Supernatural powers were just special cases, and the rest of the talents I wanted I could buy with achievement points, so there wouldn’t be a reason to do these kinds of things anymore.….
“Anyway, don’t do such reckless things anymore. Also don’t be rude to your seniors just because you won that duel.”
“It will probably happen again in the not so far future though….”
With a temperament as ferocious as mine, it seemed inevitable that another clash would probably, no- likely happen.
A bizarre thought struck me…
This won’t end up in a strange tradition where I get challenged on a daily basis, will it?
“Really now. Then I seriously have to scold this junior of mine. Got that?”
“This is very one-sided, what if they picked a fight first?”
“Then you have this senior to watch out for you.”
Adriana was staring at me intensely. It’s clear that she was being serious.
“…Okay. I’ll try to restrain myself.”
I felt like a petulant child under that gaze.
Besides, I didn’t want to be scolded by someone who was so worried about me to the point that she got angry. Just because she got angry with me about something like this didn’t necessarily mean that she hated me.
Even if you’re thought to be crazy by everyone else, you should be nice to the people who would actually stand up for you.
“Honestly, I’m grateful.”
The duel which was suppose to end in a one-sided beating ended up with me miraculously winning. Of course, if it were a real then Mayarton would have ended my life in less than 5 seconds.
It was through sheer luck that not only did my supernatural ability manifested, it was also an insanely strong ability.
[Self-Suggestion]
An ability that forced a reality to happen based on will power. It was that kind of ability wherein the more absurd my belief, the stronger my power will grow.
My vague belief in my own victory seemed to be just enough to win against Mayarton. The moment I realized how to use it, I managed to believe in this scenario.
I convinced myself that I could win to win.
In other words, To get stronger, I just have to embrace the dark side of me and become the Ultimate Chuunibyuu!
I was treated by the teacher designated to be the nurse in the recovery room. While I was getting treated, it was only fair that I would be examined.
Regardless of circumstances no normal person would suddenly get a power up after getting thoroughly beaten up like a dog. It was just too abnormal!
What is this? A novel?!
“……Self-Suggestion….”
So naturally, I had a consultation with Mr. Epinhauser.
“It’s interesting, No. 11. You did say that there had to be an aptitude for supernatural powers among your countless ones, so it should be possible to awaken one. It seems to me that you accepted your senior’s challenge out of necessity…. It’s rather ridiculous, but you turned out to be right.”
“Actually, I did this because I wanted something else to happen, but it somehow turned out like this.”
I desperately needed the achievement points, To think that I would win that fight outside of everyone’s expectations.
“Luck is also a talent. Just as the other talented students hadn’t necessarily acquired their power through hard work. I do not know if it was mere luck, but you are not allowed to use your ability to attack someone anymore. Unless it’s in special circumstances like a duel.”
Mr. Epinhauser was still staring at me with his unflinching gaze.
“I won’t do anything stupid.”
“Yes, although you seem to be quite violent, I don’t believe you to be an idiot.”
And just like that, I was left alone.
Aside from [Self Suggestion] there was an odd addition to my status window.
[“Reinhardt” (Valier Jr.)]
[ Strength 4 (F+) ]
[ Agility 4 (F+) ]
[ Dexterity 5.2 (D-) ]
[Magic 10 (C) ]
[ Stamina 6.5 (D) ]
[Wisdom (F-) ]
The hell kind of status is Wisdom? Is it making fun of my academics? Knowing the Admin’s malicious tendency, I originally chalked it up to just another insult.
Look at this idiot! He’s learnt something! Good boy!
Is it just like that?
What is wisdom anyway?
The ability to apply knowledge to make sound judgments, Judgements that are based on past lessons and lessons that are usually based…
On past experiences?
[Look at this idiot, He’s so smart!]
I saw something flashed from the corner of my eye for a split second.
What was that?
“Hey.”
I jolted up the bed by instinct. Inside the infirmary room, there really wasn’t much to look at so naturally my eyes went to the door first.
But there was no one there.
Was I imagining it?
“Valier.”
I felt heart drop.
“W-what? Who’s there?!”
I threw the curtains on both sides open.
Nothing. Even with the windows wide open.
Moreover, even if it were Sarkeegar, he wouldn’t address to me by my name so openly and to anyone else in my life right now, my pronouns nowadays are either “Your Highness”, “Reinhardt” or “That Bastard”.
“What did you think of doing just now?”
“Huh? Haak—Cough!Cough!”
I almost let out a scream.
Had I not been soundly beaten near death, I would’ve mustered the energy to curse.
Because staring from across me was the murky silhouette of the young man I’ve first seen at the collapsing Castle. It was the apparition of the Demon Prince Valier!
Smiling with malice, he leans his head forward with one hand on his chin as if amused.
“You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Y-you’re…How are you here?”
“Where else would I have gone to? That is my body you are inhabiting, Body snatcher.”
Shit.
Objectively speaking, it was me who was a ghost in this situation, I was the one that died of a heart attack and proceeded to transmigrate into Valier’s body to confront the shit I’ve haphazardly written.
But isn’t this situation kind of absurd? Why do I have to explain the reason that I had to kick out the original goods’ soul out of his own body? The hell was I suppose to say?
I slowly stood up from the floor.
The moonlight seemed to dim for an instance or rather, it was as if the darkness in the room slowly started to overtake the light.
Umbrakenises?
“I can explain.”
“Go on.”
Valier had an arrogant yet commanding air to him.
I quickly composed myself.
Something about this situation tells me that I should proceed with caution.
“Listen, I’m not from around here.”
“…”
This situation isn’t my fault in the first place, It was the fucker behind the system’s fault! Why do I have to wipe their ass for them?!
“Rather I’m not from this world…I think I died...”
There was a saying that the best lies come from half-truths.
“My latest memory was that I was reading a novel.”
Somehow, I just have to patch together something that sounds vaguely complicated and consistent.
“Next thing I know, I was inside a castle under siege with a face I don’t recognize…”
I recounted to Valier the events that happened when I first came to this world.
I didn’t tell him about the system yet.
The circumstance is crazy enough as it is.
“…Turns out she was a princess! Don’t give me that look! Her name was Charlotte De Gardis!”
I even told him about my chance encounter with Charlotte.
“…I didn’t realize I was inside the novel I had read until I learned the full name of the princess and recognized the emblem that was described to be Duke Salerian’s. You see in the book, The main antagonist in the second half was the Crown Prince, Bertus De Gardis….”
I sprinkled a bit of truth here and there. There was no point to me exposing the fact that I’m the author of this world to Valier either. Not only is it going to make my already convoluted explanation extra nonsensical, It could possibly lead to Hostility.
How would you have reacted if some madman says he wrote a story featuring your father’s murder? Forget the bat! Tie him up and send him to the white rooms!
Ofcourse, I could also pretend to have foresight but it’s highly unlikely I could get away with it.
“…At the time, the only place I could think of was the central of the story, The Capital City, Gardium…”
“But suspecting who I might be or who you are, I decided to leave quietly…”
“…That was when I thought of selling the scrolls I stole… then that was how I met Eleris…”
The more I explained it, the more I myself realize how well connected my story was.
It was almost as If I was part of a story myself!
By the end of it, Valier’s face was unreadable.
The shadows in the background swayed like a curious cat’s tail. He tapped his finger against his forearm with an unreadable look on his face.
In the end…
“Alright… How do you expect me to believe any of that?”
I knew you would say that.
I wouldn’t believe it myself either.
He merely nods and slowly smiles ominously.
"I had been willing to give you the benefit of a doubt yet instead you opt to tell me another lie."
Although he spoke calmly, it was obvious from his tone that he was furious.
“Do you think life is a joke for you to be prancing around Temple in my body? Did it feel good swindling all sides with my face and authority?”
The silhouette of a sword manifested into his hand.
“You fraud, How about you start claiming to be a God next?”
B-but I am a God!
The shadows writhed before it exploded across the room, plunging the room into pitch black darkness with only the vague silhouette of Valier and myself visible within the space absent of light
“Nonetheless, Whatever the reason for your existence, You are undoubtedly still human.”
Then, Valier’s silhouette vanished, leaving me in complete darkness.
“ So die quietly, ‘Reinhardt.’ ”
I had no choice.
I screamed.
“HELLPPPPP!!!”
---Clack Clack Clack!
The sounds of rushed footsteps quickly followed soon after before the infirmary door which was closed slammed open.
The darkness receded and my vision came back.
“Huh?”
I noticed I was leaned against a medicine cabinet facing the Demon Prince who was calmly watching from across me.
Right outside my door was an alarmed night guard and the cleric who looked after me.
The nightguard’s eyes went from my frantic disarrayed self, the empty room but then back to me in concern.
“What happened?”
The cleric walked in after it was established that there was no threat and quickly helped me back to bed.
From across me, Valier grinned. He wordlessly sat back on one of the chairs.
There wasn’t a single sound.
“I…uhh..”
I swallowed, Can they not see him? Am I seeing things?
“I..well.. You see..”
I looked at Valier who seemed amused by my panic then at the guard whom looked genuinely alarmed, scanned the room, checked the windows then looked back to me.
“Go on. Tell the man what you told me. Maybe a white room will be better over pitch blackness? Provided you don’t get beheaded instantly.” Valier mused.
Can they really not see him? What is happening?
And what am I supposed to tell them? Won’t telling them that I’m seeing the apparition oust me as the Demon Prince?
Do I tell them?
I swallowed.
“…Uhm. Nothing, It was just a nightmare, Yes…”
I had no choice but to lie.
Even to me it sounded like a poor excuse.
“ A nightmare?” The guard was incredulous.
“Ah, yes. It was…Honestly, I forgot what it was. Anyway, I’m fine now.”
I was stammering. I had nothing else to say after raising the alarm. Sir guard’s careful eyes looked at me up and down in consideration before his eyes landed on the medicine cabinet.
Now hold on.
Does this punk assume I’m on something?
This time, he eyed me warily,
“Did you take anything by chance?”
“No?”
This punk!
“I only gave him pain killers.” The cleric lady dutifully reports, retracting her hand from my forehead.
Like how the Nightguard carefully assessed me, The cleric also gave me a quick examination.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Ah, Yes. It was just a bad dream.”
“Hm. But to wake up screaming… I can’t give you sleeping pills without a prescription, but I can refer to you to counselling?”
“No, really I think I’m fine.”
“Will you really be alright? I can ask one of the mages to put you to a deep sleep? ”
“I said I’m fine.”
“This child. Don’t be so embarrassed. It’ll be over in no time. You need sleep to be able to focus tomorrow!”
If you keep making a fuss it’s only going to further make me feel more embarrassed. Hey lady, Mentally, I’m older than both of you!
Being on the receiving end of their concern oddly felt like I was a toddler telling my parents I have a monster hiding under my bed!
But that monster is right there! Look it’s the devil!
From the corners of my mind, I hear Valier chuckle. It seemed like all his malice he had tempered in the face of my panic.
Seeing that Valier stepped back to observe the people examining me allowed me to get my bearings back.
This has to be good, right? I meant his compliance.
In the first place, what do I even say? Tell them that I’m seeing the ghost of the demon prince whose body I was possessing?
Either way I’m fucked.
Either I’d get locked in a padded room or I myself will get tortured to death.
Yet right now, Valier isn’t doing anything.
Can I count that as a good thing?
Either Valier wasn’t actively planning to kill me....
Or that he couldn’t harm me in the first place.
After pacifying the cleric and the guard that I didn’t need anything else, they left leaving me with only Valier.
Before anything, I must establish something first.
“Are you real?”
“Do I look like something your feeble mind can conjure?”
“Just answer the question with a yes or no. What’s wrong with you?”
“I should be asking you that. Do you realize how absurd your situation is?”
“Yes, You bastard. Now answer my question.”
He tilted his head to the side, smiling wryly. He tapped his finger again before he answers.
“Hmm.. It’s a little hard to explain.”
“Calling me a figment of your imagination wouldn’t be far off but It wouldn’t be correct either. For now let’s say that I am a remnant of the ‘Valier.’”
“You mean like a split personality?”
“...Sure. Our souls right now are at a fragile imbalance. You just happen to override me through divine intervention.”
“Override? Divine intervention?”
“There’s no need to hide it, ‘Reinhard’ only the gods can meddle with the human lives in a convoluted way. The question is, which god?”
How would I know? I was sent here by a scamming Grim Reaper!
Seeing my confused look, Valier merely nods along, smile taking a pitying aspect.
I can’t help it that anything Magic-related and religious is so absurd.
I was the one who wrote it so willy nilly!
“The Gods can’t directly meddle with the lives of mortals. Moreover, It’s basically taboo to kill so whatever our situation is, is a compromise. The fact that I am somehow alive when I should be dead the minute I was ejected out my body is proof of this.”
Now hang on a second, I did not create this rule, did I? Since when can’t gods not interfere with human lives? They’re literally the worship Idols of this world!
“Aren’t the gods who are being worshipped sponsoring the Five Religions?”
“You would think that wouldn’t you? But reality is, The Gods doesn’t really care what happens or where their powers go.”
He shrugs.
“Blaming the gods would be like blaming an arms dealer for the slaughter during warfare.”
It was unnerving.
The person that threatened to kill me just a second ago was suddenly answering my questions so cordially as if we were student and teacher.
I couldn’t help but ask,
“Your threat earlier… It was a bluff?”
“My silly fellow, Do you think If I wanted you dead you’d still be speaking right now?”
He’s blatantly states his lack of control! He crosses his arms and gave me a look over.
“Prior to just now, can you think of anything out of the ordinary that potentially triggered my—let’s call it—‘Awakening’”?
Right. There was that. Just before I head to bed, I remembered something.
Should I tell him about that?
---[New Feature Unlocked: Wisdom +0.5!]
A terrifying thought struck me. Will increasing Wisdom mean that Valier’s side of influence potentially getting stronger? System, What are the chances of Wisdom increasing in the future? And Also, The hell kind of unfair circumstance is this?!
[System: All features solely exist as to not jeopardize the user redemption so work hard! (｡ゝᴗ•) ᯓ✧]
That’s an annoyingly vague answer! Is this your way of telling me to just fuck off?! On the other hand, the system compliance could also mean that Valier’s existence isn’t a direct threat, right? Right???
It would be redundant for the Admin of the System to put me into a flawed vessel that would be unusable for redemption, wouldn’t it?
I would have to think so!
"Why should I tell you?"
"So there is something. Heh."
A chuckle.
"Do you think we are in a position to be keeping secrets from each other?"
"You give me the creeps. I think that's enough reason."
"Isn't the concept of possession more terrifying though?"
Rather, instead of being wary, he sounds as if on the verge of laughing.
What kind of man would be smiling as if amused in this situation? I wouldn't know what one should be feeling when they suddenly realize that their body has been taken over by a stranger. I'd go gangho and fist fight the demon until the exorcist arrive, I definitely wouldn't just allow it to happen, not without a fight. But the real Valier in this scenario seem to be a bizarre man.
I can't tell if his nonchalant temperament is a front or the situation genuinely doesn't faze him.
“There was a notification.”
Reluctantly, I opened my mouth.
There wasn’t any point to hiding things that would only further dig me into a hole.
Valier blinks.
“What is that"
“Erm...There is this interface or a floating glass pane I see every now...”
Valier silhouette ripples as he moves closer in soundlessly.
[“Reinhardt” (Valier Jr.)]
[ Strength 4 (F+) ]
[ Agility 4 (F+) ]
[ Dexterity 5.2 (D-) ]
[Magic 10 (C) ]
[ Stamina 6.5 (D) ]
[Wisdom 0.05 (F-) ]
“ What does it say?”
“You can’t read it?”
“More accurately, I cannot see it.”
Does that mean that the system is exclusively for me?
“It’s basically a spreadsheet of quantified data based on my current Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Magic, and most recently Wisdom.”
“I see, so it’s like a self-scanning tool,”
“Yeah, that.”
“Can it be used to scan other people?”
I nod although what I see afterward was disturbing.
[V█l██e█ Jr (█████)]
[ Str█ngth█ (████]
[ Ag██lity█ (████]
[ ██xt█ █ █ ity █ █ ████]
[Magi█ ███) ]
[ █ █ a█ ina 6. █ (D) ]
[█████ █████ ███]
...?
“Your data is encrypted.”
“... Why is that?”
“How would I know?”
Valier merely smiles.
“….Perhaps it’s because you’re not scanning my physical body.”
At my look he mockingly smiles and continues.
“Theoretically, a person’s spirit and mana is essentially infinite. It’s only the physical body that limits the human potential.”
“You said you died, right? Isn’t your resurrection here proof that this theory might be valid?”
“Well, I guess?”
I never really put much thought into it. I was never into the spiritual soul searching shenanigans, My Anger Management Counselor called me a lost cause and the guru I onced hired turned out to be a sham that fleeced me off my hard-earned money!
The point was, I never really believed in Karma right until I died and was suddenly thrown into this world.
“Ah right, I…think one of the recently added statistics is a synchronous rate.”
I hesitantly told him about the Abnormal feature: Wisdom.
It was either one way or another that he was bound to find out anyway so might as well rip the bandage off!
[New Feature Unlocked: Wisdom 0.05 (F-)! ]
A mysterious function that was recently added!
I really hope this doesn’t end in the cliché where I have to fight for my own body.
Our precarious relationship is a clean 50/50 between mutual benefit or destruction.
In other words, This is a negotiation.
"What do you plan on doing if you get your body back? "
"Why, I'll run away of course. "
He didn't even hesitate to answer.
His eyes suddenenly zeroes into the disguised flame of Tuesday.
--!
I almost reached out to grasp it.
"I had been wondering, Why Temple? But I can guess the sequence of events. Did Eleris threaten to scorch you if you don’t fall for humanity or something like that?”
Scorch people? Eleris would never! And I came here by my own will! Whatever image Valier have of Eleris, It’s clear that neither of them had been close.
Technically speaking my reasoning has been a result of interlocking sequence of events, the biggest being The Gate Incident.
Should I tell him?
“It’s to try and stop a calamity from happening.”
“A calamity?” Vallier’s wry expression becomes frozen.
“That’s right.”
In the future, there’s going to be disaster that wipes out more than 90% of the human population all because I was incapable of writing a happy ending.
It was the Gate Incident. So many living person would die just because I wrote it so.
“You can call me crazy all you like, but in the story I've read it will happen soon.”
“How soon?”
“By the 3rd Year graduation.”
“That’s… awfully specific.”
Valier crosses his arms, contemplating.
“And you happen to know this calamity from the prophetic book you happen to read?”
“Well, it was a novel.”
“A novel?”
Valier smiles as if finding something in that funny.
“Did it mention anything about the Demon King?”
I probably shouldn’t mention that the title of the book literally says [The Demon King Is Dead].
Under no circumstances is he allowed to know I wrote the whole premise of the story on his father, the Demon King’s, Death. It was a blank book with no author, I swear!
“Well, The story started 2 months ago, during late January during after the, uhm, Demon King’s death But nothing else past that.”
“I see.” Valier accepts my explanation readily with a nod.
“It must have been a pretty uninteresting story then.”
He murmurs offhandedly
?!
Did this bastard just insult my work?
I’ll have you know that I successfully published the story in the end with over hundreds of responses! Never mind that They may be blood curdled reviews! Look at that number!
For a moment, Valier looked at me amused and gave me a mocking smile.
I felt my back itch.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bad liar?”
Huh?
“You pull this funny looking face whenever you’re internally flustered but truthfully, the harder you try to hide something the more obvious it becomes that you are hiding something from me.”
His face does a mocking impression of a stiff face. The shadows in the room stopped swaying with his antics before swaying again.
“You need to get rid of that habit of yours soon, otherwise you won’t survive the ‘story.’ ”
I paled.
“What do you mean?”
He bleeds out of reality, suddenly manifesting sitting on the nurses’ desk.
“Regardless of your noble cause and intentions. I think you’re too idealistic.”
"Why are you suddenly changing the topic?"
His hands idly brushes over a poster of the human anatomy by the wall.
“...Not only are you the Demon Prince now but you are also at the school of previous heroes, Temple.”
He smiled at me.
“Regardless if it's It’s not often that I see humans be so dauntless for a selfless end but unfortunately, it’s the kind of courage that will lead to a foolish end.”
He sits on the desk, fingers tapping.
“Shouldn’t you stop worrying over others when you should be worried over yourself first? Or are you so arrogant that you think yourself to be responsible for the life of others?”
Was this man helping me? No, he probably doesn't want to get caught and die.
Was I being arrogant? Perhaps. But the bottom line here is that when you are given the option to save countless lives isn’t it only natural to want to save them?
Moreover, the deaths would only go to my hand as the person who knows about the tragedy but choose not to act. I definitely must not allow it.
Seeing this, Valier could only sigh.
“Maybe Ignorance is Bliss in this situation. Would you still react the same way if I were to wipe the novel off your memory?”
“...You can't do that.”
'Otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation.'
Either way I don’t know. But it’s because I do that I am determined to stop the crisis from happening.
I won’t let people die over some petty karma.
I could only hope that Valier wouldn't get in the way.