“Professor, it’s full-body paralysis season.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be ‘heaven high, horse fattening’?”
I froze the moment I said it.
“Nope. Full-body paralysis is right.”
A cadet came charging at me with a hammer in hand.
It was autumn.
...Even though the Soltia Conference had been in summer.
Time was flowing quickly, just like that.
⋮
< [Front Page] Horanche’s Minister of Defense was also a demon... Citizens uncover the truth behind a mass genocide. Massive armed protests erupt. >
< Cross Constellation† declares: “The Pink Drug, as its name implies, is a cure for humanity. A festering wound must be cut away.” Kreutz’s Virgin Church Central Cardinal Havian was also revealed to be a demon... “Now is the time for all humankind to unite.” >
< Shock paper from Khan Federal Research Lab: “On Demonic Reproduction: All demon-born children were revealed to be adopted.” >
⋮
Main Story 4, 「Paradigm」, had been a success.
It worked like a vaccine—lightening the burden of the upcoming Demon King War.
Even if 99% of humanity were wiped out in a great extinction, the remaining 1% would spread like a virus and tear through the ecosystem in mere millennia.
And the moment they mixed blood with demons even once, the demons stopped being mysterious monsters. They became known entities.
“Total projected revenue is 4.28 billion Hika, Professor.”
“Good.”
I nodded at Ran’s report. In the meantime, we had commercialized 『Glass Butterfly』 with Gray and were spinning up various monetization models.
As part of that, all applicants had to be interviewed by me in person to ensure demons couldn’t learn 『Glass Butterfly』.
The tuition was... slightly high.
We deliberately set the price steep to filter out demons. A sad but necessary measure. Honestly, I wanted to offer 『Glass Butterfly』 lectures for free to everyone, but those damn demons existed, so...
“Eh??”
Gray flashed her snaggletooth and squinted slyly.
“Are you really doing this to filter out demons? You're charging Kreutz twice as much even though they have the fewest demons...?”
“......”
I put on a straight face.
Tsssk. Shhh.
Can’t a guy scam a few naïve idealists?
“Pfft...”
Gray shook her head.
“In the end, illusionists are getting scammed into handing over cash... And Gray’s getting used for lectures solo... Let’s be real. Professor, you’re the real demon here. You’re using the entire world.”
“Gray Habanero.”
“Mm?”
“Quiet.”
Kya-ha-ha! Gray laughed.
Even though she talked like that, her face had been brighter than ever lately.
Probably because a lifelong dream of hers was finally being fulfilled.
Slight tangent, but the Dante Assassination Squad was in a state of provisional disbandment.
Everyone had grown too powerful and high-profile to just gather for freelance gigs.
That included Balmung and Elize.
Anyway...
Gray was right.
Monopolizing illusion.
It was like humanity, fresh off building rockets, suddenly regressing to the Stone Age.
And even then, I wouldn’t be teaching the ultimate secrets of 『Glass Butterfly』.
To even qualify for 『Glass Butterfly』 training, you’d need to pass my obsessive screening.
Until the Demon King War ends, [Illusion] must be mine and mine alone.
Thus, as summer passed into autumn, everything was falling into place.
So—am I satisfied?
Still a long way to go.
No. This isn’t enough.
I’ve walked four steps toward the Demon King War. At least three more remain.
At present, there were three pressing issues.
One: The assassin for the Hero Party has yet to be selected.
That one, at least, seemed close to resolution.
Glory—who now washed and shaved regularly—showed up one day and said:
“I’m going to bring another member.”
“An assassin?”
“Yes. Someone I want to bring into the team.”
“Who is it?”
“I’ll show you once I bring them. They’re probably in the eastern Empire by now.”
I silently stared at his face.
Where once he’d looked like a deranged hobo,
Now he looked like a clean deranged hobo.
“If you need help, let me know.”
Around the same time, Eve also approached with wide eyes and said:
‘Soon... going somewhere.’
‘Why?’
‘Friend. Need to bring them.’
‘Where to?’
Eve pulled out a map (I taught her how to read maps) and pointed at a location.
Her finger landed on the western Empire.
West?
My eyes widened.
Because Glory had said he was heading east.
The classic trope of a hero gathering allies to save the world—was already familiar to us.
But now that we had two heroes, the thread was beginning to tangle.
“Got it.”
That wrapped up Issue One.
And the second emerged when Ran returned from a walk and casually reported:
“Professor. One-horned demons are flying toward every nation.”
Another [Corruption] was beginning—following Jinksythe and Bomiteka.
“What kind of entity does it appear to be?”
“Unconfirmed, but judging by the size, we suspect [Trappycche].”
Trappycche.
A one-horned demon that uses traps and contagious poison—its form entirely different from other demons.
It’s a living, breathing, moving, ultra-massive [trap].
“...It’s arriving earlier than expected. It should’ve come at least half a year later.”
“Correct. Most likely due to the effects of 『Paradigm』. The impact of the paper and the Pink Drug was greater than anticipated, and the demons appear to be launching a full-scale assault.”
Even the Demon King had grown desperate.
“The Demon King, huh.”
I fell into silent thought.
Where is the Demon King? What shape does he take? Or is it even a he—could it be a system itself?
That’s part of the second issue.
As of now...
Demons, captured by the famously monstrous species humans—who torture aliens to extract tech on a regular basis—are undergoing every kind of experiment.
Papers detailing all of this are pouring out.
And yet, despite the abundance of information being made public about demons, there has been no progress in studying their [hive mind].
No one has found a single lead on the two-horned demons or the Demon King.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this...”
『Paradigm』 had two purposes:
One—exterminate demons within humanity.
Two—track down the Demon King.
That’s why I made sure to mention the enemy of mankind at the Soltia Conference—to toss scholars a clue.
Yet humanity was still groping in the dark.
That concludes Issue Two:
Finally, the third issue:
“Third—Even amidst all this, not a single whisper has come from the two-horned demon inside Hiaka’s royal palace.”
Excluding Eve, the only two-horned demon I knew of—Setian—was silent.
Why is that bastard lying low?
It’s not just that he’s masking his outward actions.
Since the start of 『Paradigm』, I’ve been deploying assassins nonstop to monitor movements within Hiaka’s palace.
From the dementia-ridden King Hiaka III,
To the Elder Council Chair—Setian—who suddenly retired citing “age,”
To the daily patterns of key figures within the palace...
“All of them are too quiet. Suspiciously so.”
But I don’t believe for a second they’re actually quiet.
Setian must be doing something behind those locked gates.
I had to find out before it was too late.
So I ramped up my deployed assassination force.
To 200 agents.
— Tyson Spyspy: Professor.
One week later, I caught a demon’s tail.
— Tyson Spyspy: Setian has been in contact with the Imperial royal family.
Well well.
Just like the royal palace of Hiaka, the Imperial Palace had also been oddly quiet—despite identifying and removing a few hornless demons.
So I contacted Hicks Bohr.
— Hicks Bohr: A high-level demon from Hiaka’s royal palace is connected to the Imperial family?
— Hicks Bohr: I’ll confirm it immediately.
I believe Setian is deeply tied to the “Demon King War.”
And not just because of his horn count.
He ruined Rebecca—the Hero Party’s mage.
The King ended up demented.
And let’s not forget the name of this game is Hiaka Academy: Department of Assassination...
Naturally, the beginning and end of the storyline must unfold in Hiaka.
That’s why I went to see Ezekiel.
“What is it, you sewer rat.”
“I want to gain leverage in the palace. I need to operate from within. Is there a method?”
After I explained the situation, Ezekiel sighed.
“There is a way to gain influence inside the palace. Just one.”
“What is it?”
“The royal family is, after all, a family. The most powerful family in this country.
So the way to get in? Simple. Become family.”
Gain influence in the palace—by becoming family.
But...
“For example, you could become my son. But I’m a collateral line, always stuck on the fringes. If you became my son, you'd still be just as sidelined.”
Which meant, getting tied to the main line was ideal.
I could think of exactly one way.
And Ezekiel thought of the same.
“Marry Princess Rebecca.”
“......”
“Marriage! Direct and simple. Even if half your blood is filthy, she’s still the king’s real daughter.”
Right after saying that, Ezekiel bared his fangs.
“So you’re finally using the demon excuse to lay a hand on my niece.”
“......”
“Keep that poker face up. Show even a flicker of affection and I’ll kill you.”
“Yes, sir...”
What a miserable way forward.
I’d pulled every stunt imaginable just ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) to cancel the engagement not long ago—and now we were leaping straight to marriage?
It was an effective method.
Even I had to admit, marrying her would firmly make me part of the royal family.
But...
“The problem is that it’s Rebecca. Again.”
If it were a contract marriage with Eve or Ran, I could go through with it without a second thought.
It’s not like it’d be a real marriage.
But Rebecca...
Rebecca.
I don’t outright hate her anymore.
Ever since I realized she was the Hero Party’s mage, the hostility had dulled.
The problem is... she hates me.
Didn’t she once scream for me to die while drunk-driving?
Tossing marriage at someone like that—even a contract one—who knows what kind of bombshell it would trigger...
“Isn’t there another way?”
Tormented by the thought, I fired off an SOS.
“There is one.”
“There is? Another way to join the royal family?”
“There is. A very, very effective one—more reliable and powerful than marrying Rebecca.”
Then Ezekiel grinned. Sleazily.
“Rebecca has a younger brother.”
“I know.”
“And the 『Contract of Life♥』 constellation has the ability to change your gender.”
“......”
“A prince’s legal spouse holds more power than a princess’s consort, you know.”
“......”
“If you’re willing, I can look into it. Word is, the prince’s obsessed with swordsmanship, but hasn’t been able to find a master.
From what I’ve assessed, your elephant’s above [Challenger] level.
Send it to train the prince, have Cain sent to the Empire to receive a title, grease a few wheels...
With that and the broken engagement as leverage, a contract marriage with the prince could be possible...”
While Ezekiel rambled on about this disturbingly realistic plan, I covered my face.
Female Dante vs. Rebecca’s Husband
“This is a goddamn legendary pick-your-poison situation.”
I’m. So. Screwed.