When I let out a heavy sigh, Evan's expression changed. "Don't tell me you're about to launch into some tedious moral rant?"
"Sorry, but I am. And I'm going to swear, too. Hey, you insane son of a bitch, we don't even know anything for sure yet. Why kill them?"
"I just explained why." Evan looked genuinely confused. "There are over 1,000 students at Cartel Academy right now. Add the faculty and staff, and that number grows by at least half again."
"I know."
"So we're talking about killing two people to save 1,500. Why wouldn't we do that? Unless... by some slim chance, you're a devout royalist—"
I cut off his nonsense with a sigh. "What if neither of them belongs to the church?"
"They're our top two suspects. There's a list of high-ranking suspects under them. We just have to go down the list, one by one," Evan replied.
"And you're seriously planning to keep killing people like that?"
Evan raised his hands, his expression flat. "I admit it's extreme. But with the time we've got, it's the only way to save everyone."
That was when I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "There are a dozen things I could pick apart, but let's start with this one."
"What is it?"
"If all it takes to end this is killing the prince and princess, why do you want my help?"
"What?"
"If it's just about killing them, you could've done it on your own."
Evan fell silent.
I continued, "Want to hear what I think? Killing the prince and princess is just step one. You need me for what comes after. If I share the crime of killing imperial family members, no one will believe me if I expose your identity. You'll be killing two birds with one stone."
" Tch. " Evan smacked his lips and scratched his cheek.
Something about the way he looked sheepish, as if I'd caught him off guard, reminded me of the Evan I used to know.
After a moment, he shrugged. It was a silent confirmation.
I felt a flash of irritation, strong enough to make me want to hit him on the back of the head, but I swallowed it and asked what I really wanted to know. "So what's the next step?"
"After killing the priest, that is."
"Priest?"
Evan nodded. "Yeah. I'm calling the person who temporarily summoned the demon king the priest. It's clear there was a ritual involved."
"Do as you want." I didn't have the energy to argue anymore, so I let it slide.
"Technically, killing the priest after the demon king's descent is just damage control," Evan noted. "You can put out the wildfire, but the forest is still gone."
"So?"
"We can at least keep the flames from spreading. Similarly, killing the priest would prevent the demon king from growing stronger."
"Growing stronger?" I echoed.
"Yeah. Sacrifices have to be made regularly..." Evan trailed off for a second, then continued, "To be honest, even now, the odds of defeating the demon king are close to zero. Killing the priest is our only shot at even a sliver of hope. You're following me so far, right?"
"I am."
"So, will you go along with my plan?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No."
Evan let out a weary sigh. "Fine. Then let's hear your idea. Got any better alternatives?"
"I have a question first," I said.
"Go ahead."
"What exactly happened to you in the research wing?"
It was a fair question, so Evan nodded. "To put it simply, the twelve buildings of the research wing are already territory claimed by the Dark Church. During the day, they're not too dangerous, but everything changes after sunset. There's a high chance you'll be pulled into the Otherworld."
"Pulled in?" I asked, brows knitting.
"Yeah," he said. "After that, my memory gets fuzzy. Like I said before, it felt like being trapped in a dream world. Still, I'll tell you everything I remember."
What he described next sounded unbelievable. He said that when he blacked out and woke up, he was standing in a nighttime version of the academy, beneath a blood-red moon. Apparently, that was the Otherworld.
"I remember seeing many people besides myself," he went on. "I've forgotten their faces, but they were mostly students and professors."
"That... sounds strange," I murmured.
If there were many people, that had to mean at least a dozen. The academy was a place where tracking people was far easier than elsewhere. If a student missed even one class, it would immediately be recorded on the attendance register. Suspicious absences naturally raised alarms among the professors.
Evan's case was unique. He had died and come back to life.
"Hadenaihar is a demon king who loves games, so I'd wager there are rules in the Otherworld. It sounds unreasonable, but it means there is a chance to return to the original world."
"I see."
"Anyway, I remember three key terms from that place: puppets, exploration, and the blood moon."
"Puppets." Somehow, it reminded me of Perist, holding that doll, but the connection stirred something unsettling in me. How should I put it? Every bit of circumstantial evidence pointed straight at her, and maybe that was why I felt even more uneasy.
Of course, like Seren had said, this wasn't fiction. If someone seemed suspicious, it was probably because they were. Still, I didn't want to dismiss the nagging sense of uneasiness I felt now.
I told Evan, "Alright. I get the general picture. So your real goal is—"
"After killing the priest, go to the Otherworld, and try to take down the demon king," he finished.
I nodded slowly. "I think I understand. By the way, don't you think it's too much for just the two of us to defeat the demon king?"
"I agree. The more allies we have, the better. Personally, I think around five is the ideal number." Then Evan looked at me and asked, "What's with that look on your face?"
I shook my head. "Nothing."
When Evan mentioned the number five, Seren's words flashed through my mind. "Princess Perist wants five members in total. I don't know the reason."
The princess wanting five members and Evan saying they need five people to defeat the demon king—could that really be a coincidence?
Evan asked, "Do you know anyone we can trust? They have to be reliable but not clumsy. That means no Hector or Charon."
Hector and Charon were excellent allies at the level of hero disciples, but they wouldn't be enough against a demon king.
The first person who came to mind was Seren, but someone more useful flashed through my thoughts. "I do."
"Who?" he asked.
"The head of the academy," I replied. "Dean Alderson."
I needed to share the situation with the Seven-Colored Archmage and get his help.
***
I rushed to Alderson's office in the main building, but the man who appeared to be the secretary replied, "Dean Alderson is now in the Tower of Training. In fact, he spends more time there than in the dean's office."
At first, he refused to tell me where Alderson was. That changed when I showed my student ID card. Thanks to that, Evan and I left the main building immediately and headed toward the Tower of Training.
We walked through the dimly lit academy. The streetlights seemed unusually weak tonight. I glanced at Evan silently following me and wondered, Can I arrange a meeting with Leone?
Leone had said she would share more if a Young Dark Pope was brought to her, but I wasn't sure why she sought one in the first place. Who knew? Maybe she had a sinister purpose, like taking over the Young Dark Pope's body.
In fact, I couldn't fully trust Evan, who was trailing behind me. Ugh, I have a headache.
I sighed and tried to make sense of it all. I had heard that ordinary people rarely saw even church members, let alone priests, during their entire lives. Somehow, I found myself caught between Young Dark Popes, and it felt like I was slowly dying. Still, I couldn't just discard Evan. The demon king had descended, and I needed his help to survive this crisis.
I pushed those thoughts aside and asked, "You know about Dean Alderson, don't you?"
Evan answered casually, "He is the Purple Archmage. Of course I know him. But I doubt he will easily believe your story."
Certainly, any reasonable person would find it hard to accept that a demon king had descended in the capital. Still, I was confident that he would.
"I am sure he will believe me."
Evan's tone tightened. "The Badniker name carries weight."
I'll say nothing for now. I want to see how the two of them interact. I hoped to learn something by watching the two Young Dark Popes.
We soon reached the Tower of Training. The tall structure stood like a lighthouse against the night sky. Which floor was Alderson on? If he were at the top, would we have to climb from the first floor?
As I wrestled with those questions, a gust of wind swept by, and Alderson appeared. "What are you two doing here at night?"
He said you two , but his eyes locked on me. I broke his intense stare and said casually, "I want to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"Can you summon Leone?" Regardless of Evan, I wanted to ask Leone what was happening at the academy right now.
" Hmm... Follow me." Alderson waved his hand, and the scenery changed. We found ourselves in the treasure trove.
Alderson glanced at me and said, "You came to summon Leone. Does that mean you have gained something?"
"For now," I replied.
Alderson studied me for a moment, then shook his head. He stretched out his arm just like before. Beneath it, a wooden puppet bound with threads appeared.
" Oh... " Evan let out a soft sound of admiration.
As Alderson's mana flowed into the puppet, its form changed. The transformation was strange no matter how many times I witnessed it. A blank, featureless face slowly formed brows, a nose, and lips. The figure sharpened into something lifelike. In moments, a perfect replica of Leone stood before us. Compared to the princess's doll, this one was far more detailed—so realistic it could have passed for a human.
I watched Evan closely, not wanting to miss any subtle change when he saw Leone's face for the first time. Surprisingly, he showed no reaction. Contrary to my expectations, there was no particular response.
He really doesn't recognize her? Or is Evan more cunning than I thought? I wondered.
Leone snorted. Her striking features, the gleam in her eyes, and the smile that wavered between confidence and mystery made it easy to forget she was just a puppet.
She didn't spare Alderson a glance. The moment her eyes opened, they settled first on me, then shifted to Evan standing behind. Her smile deepened, just slightly.
Suddenly, the entire tower trembled. The movement was subtle but too strong to ignore.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"The armored troops must be causing trouble again," Alderson replied.
"Armored troops?"
Once only the three of us remained in the treasure trove, Leone burst into laughter. "It's been a while. You arrived earlier than I expected."
"Do you feel the passage of time?" I asked.
She chuckled as she approached. "Of course. It's a little different from your time."
Leone's walk had a strange dignity that didn't fit a simple step. She circled me, smiling. "From your expression, it seems you've started to understand a bit. Child of the Badnikers, do you happen to know?"
"Know what?"
"How to tell a person from a puppet."
What was this nonsense all of a sudden?
I stared at her in bewilderment. Leone stepped so close our breaths could mingle. Her hypnotic red eyes locked on mine before curving into a half-moon shape.
At that moment, I realized something. This girl... She isn't breathing.
It made sense. A puppet with no heart, no blood vessels, no lungs had no need to breathe.
"Insects crawling on the ground, fish swimming in the sea, even weeds by the roadside—they all breathe. Breathing is the clearest proof of life." Leone moved her mouth close to my ear. "Puppets like me are rare. Most don't even know they are puppets. They move on strings, mistaking the pull for their own will. It's ridiculous. A young Badniker and a Young Dark Pope... This combination reminds me of old days. I'm in a good mood, so let me give you some advice."
Her cold whisper touched my ear like ice. "Doubt everything. Cast off useless assumptions. When curtains of deception and suspicion hang everywhere, close your eyes and think without end."
"What?" Those vague words rankled me the most.
I glared at her slightly. Leone smiled, then turned and walked away without a trace of malice in her expression.
"What did she say?" Evan tilted his head, as if he had not caught Leone's whisper.
Instead of answering, I watched him carefully. Normally, people didn't check if someone was breathing unless that person was seriously hurt. A slight rise of the chest, the pulse of air through the throat... Evan is breathing.
At that moment, Alderson returned and smiled warmly. "Sorry to leave so suddenly. I handled things well. By the way, how far has your conversation progressed?"
"Ah." I studied his face, pretending to weigh my words while counting seconds in my mind. "So..."
Five seconds passed after Alderson reappeared. Then ten seconds slipped by, followed by fifteen, then twenty. Not once during that stretch did I detect a single breath from him or any movement in the chest hidden behind his beard.
Leone stood beside Alderson, smiling softly, and a chill ran down my spine. I did not even need to say something like, "No way." The truth was already clear—Alderson was a puppet.