Chapter 107: The Centennial Beasts Festival (7)
Chapter 107: The Centennial Beasts Festival (7)
The incident finally came to a close in the early hours of the morning. People had gathered in the empty Assembly Hall.
Four of them were members of the Elite Adventure Club, and the remaining nine were all related to the Beasts Festival—well, they used to be. The “related to” part was now in the past.
“Ahh, ugh… Uuugh…”
“P-Please don’t move. It might make your injuries worse.”
Aselle said in a voice filled with concern. In front of him, three men in armor, who were now groaning in pain, had their backs propped up. Invisible hands had them in a tight grip. Marya snorted as she slung his greatsword over her shoulder.
“Just let them be. They brought this upon themselves.”
“This girl… is she a half-blooded Giant? What kind of power…”
“You guys are the ones who are too weak. This is what happens to powerless adults.”
Marya laughed mockingly. The men’s armor were dented as if they had been crushed by a giant hoof. The result of Marya’s heavy strikes. Her signature, the “Heavy Impact,” crushed the ribcages of the men in just a couple of blows.
“When I received the note out of nowhere, I wondered what this was all about… Ronan, how did he know about this?”
“I-I don’t know either.”
The men were all poachers disguised as guards. When they received a note telling them to go to Varen’s office in Tower 13 all of a sudden, they were puzzled. However, upon arrival, they found two men actually trying to break into the office. Braum, who had his arms crossed, cleared his throat as if he was displeased.
“Cough! Poachers invading the Sacred Hall of knowledge… Unbelievable!”
“At least… it’s fortunate that we knew beforehand.”
“Beegh.”
Ophelia, who was standing to the side, shook her head. Her little companion, Cita, flapped her wings in apparent agreement.
Ophelia, Braum, and Cita had teamed up separately to deal with the poachers who were trying to steal the Doppelganger. Since all of them were combatants, it took quite some time, but in the end, they were able to subdue them safely. The woman who was kneeling at Ophelia’s feet trembled and murmured.
“Vam… vampire…”
“Hush.”
Ophelia placed her index finger on her lips. There were two small, bloody holes on the woman’s neck. She wasn’t the only one. Ophelia had left the disguised poachers drained. A part of them seemed slightly pallid, though they didn’t know why. Ophelia, petting the woman’s head, glanced at Braum with a frown.
“They were bad people… right?”
“I-I didn’t say anything!”
“Hmm… Thanks. I was so hungry…”
Braum nodded his head like a broken doll. Cold sweat was running down his temples. Ever since learning Ophelia’s true identity, he had been having nightmares about her sucking him dry of his blood every three days.
“Is everyone here now? Except for Ronan.”
“No, there’s still one more person left.”
“Who? Ah, that guy that was also a member of our club.”
Aselle nodded his head. Creek- Suddenly, the door to Assembly Hall opened, and a boy with deep blue hair walked in. Unlike the other club members with disheveled appearances, Shullifen was dressed in his perfectly neat school uniform. Braum couldn’t help but laugh when he saw that he was wearing his tie too tightly.
“Haha, truly impressive.”
“He looks so aristocratic… like a true noble.”
Ophelia also nodded in agreement. Shullifen was holding the neck of an old man in a suit with his right hand.
Judging by the fact that the two people’s clothes were stained with blood, it seemed like things had not gone smoothly. Marya recognized the old man’s face and widened her eyes.
“Is that… isn’t that old man quite famous?”
She remembered seeing his name on a wanted list. He was not just a poacher but also a notorious criminal known for a series of murders. He was at the level of Aura awakening, so he was definitely not someone a student could catch.
Shullifen walked forward with great strides and threw the old man in front of the other poachers. Aselle asked worriedly.
“A-Are you hurt…? The blood…”
“It’s not my blood.”
A dry response came back. In fact, there wasn’t a single scratch on his body. Shullifen, who was looking around the Assembly Hall, opened his mouth.
“Didn’t you say there would be ten people in total? Why are there only nine?”
“W-well… Ronan took care of one of them…”
“I see. Did he kill him?”
Shullifen asked nonchalantly, as if he had expected it. Aselle, who was rummaging through his pocket, took out a note and began to read it.
“Uh, yeah… so, what happened is…”
It was the note he received from Ronan while they were capturing the poachers. Just like the crow-delivered note, it contained information about Ronan’s duel with Arondale and him capturing the Omega Doppelganger.
When Shullifen heard the name Arondale, he raised an eyebrow. He never could have guessed that the last one out of the 10 was him.
The fact that Ronan defeated the guy he had explicitly ordered everyone to run away from if they encountered him was amusing to Shullifen. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“…You seem to be making progress as well.”
“Huh…?”
“No, never mind. I’m going.”
Just as Shullifen was about to turn away after finishing his business, the double doors suddenly swung open, and a boy with bandages wrapped around his chest entered. A familiar voice resonated through the room.
“What, everyone is gathered here?”
“…Ronan?”
“Long time no see, you unlucky bastard.”
Ronan’s sudden appearance left the members of the club in shock. He was covered in blood beyond comparison to Shullifen, and was holding a long rope in his hand. Ronan glanced around the Assembly Hall and couldn’t help but admire the situation.
“One, two, three, four… Oh, you’ve caught them all?”
All the poachers who had been ordered to be caught were captured. He thought they would miss at least one person, but he hadn’t expected them to catch all of them.
Since Navirose had wiped out the entire transport team waiting outside the school, it was safe to say that there were no more poachers left in Philleon. Ronan, who had been grinning, looked at his club members one by one and opened his mouth.
“Everyone worked hard. No one got hurt, right?”
“Umm, no. Everyone’s fine. By the way, Ronan, about the Omega Doppelganger…”
“Oh, that. I was planning to introduce you anyway. And I unexpectedly made some gains on the way.”
“Unexpected gains?”
“You’ll see. Come on in.”
Aselle raised an eyebrow. Ronan suddenly pulled the rope he was holding.
– I couldn’t protect anything.
– I love you.
Soon, two men entered the room from the other side of the door. The men were bound with ropes and stood on either side of Ronan. The club members stared in astonishment.
“There are three Ro-Ro-Ronan…?!”
“What’s going on?”
“Beeghhh?!”
Marya covered her mouth with both her hands, and Cita, who was flying towards Ronan, froze in mid-air. The original Ronan grinned and addressed his fellow club members.
“Well, what do you think? Similar, right?”
The club members couldn’t find their words. The other two men looked exactly the same as Ronan. A total of three Ronans were facing the club members, standing side by side.
While the other two were wearing blindfolds, there was no doubt they were Ronan. The original Ronan let out a sigh.
“They are wearing blindfolds for a reason. The Omega transformed into a Drake after encountering Varen. That Ware-lion got into trouble with that kind of monster…”
Ronan and Varen had to sweat again to catch the Doppelganger who had transformed into Drake. The blindfolds were used to prevent the Doppelgangers from accidentally turning into other troublesome beings.
The three Ronans each had a different appearance. The Ronan on the left was huge, resembling an adult. He was wearing an Imperial Military uniform, and his boots were soaked in blood.
The Ronan on the right looked exactly like the current Ronan, but he was wearing a noble outfit that a crown prince might wear. Aselle asked in confusion.
“Did you catch the Alpha as well? When did this happen?”
“Well, it just happened. We ran into it on the way to here.”
“…Who ran into the Alpha?”
Suddenly, Marya’s eyes narrowed, and her sharp gaze was directed at Ronan. The other club members flinched at her low voice. Ronan finally spoke up.
“Me.”
“Who?”
“Damn it, me.”
Ronan sighed. While returning to the main club building carrying a sleeping Adeshan, he encountered a fluffy puppy. The puppy that was perking its ears suddenly transformed into himself. Ronan suddenly felt a pang of shame and twisted his lips.
Marya, who’s eyes were quivering, couldn’t accept the situation.
“Now, go in.”
Ronan put the Omega Doppelganger into the cage. Its body was much softer than that of a human, so it was easy to put it in.
This time, it was the Alpha Doppelganger’s turn to go in. Suddenly, the thought that it would be a waste to end it like this crossed his mind.
To have a creature that could transform into someone you loved. There was no doubt that it would attract a massive crowd, and it would be difficult to see it on the day of the Beasts Festival.
“…Wait, since I already caught it, shall we have some fun? Hey, Rising Star of the Empire..”
“What is it?”
Shullifen turned to look at Ronan. At the same time, Ronan removed the blindfold from the Alpha Doppelganger’s eyes, and their gazes met.
The Alpha Doppelganger’s body began to bubble, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a beautiful young woman with long silver hair. Iril, ropes were tied around her, smiled brightly.
– Woah, Shullifen! Hello!
“What is this…?!”
Shullifen’s face lit up with surprise. Ronan couldn’t help but laugh. The other club members who seeing Iril’s face let out an exclamation. Shullifen, who had completely lost his composure, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and shouted.
“Don’t you dare tie Iril like that, you insolent…”
“Does that matter now? You really like my sister.”
“You scoundrel!”
“Yes, yes. So, next up is our wimp.”
Ronan turned the Doppelganger’s body towards Aselle. The Doppelganger who blinked its eyes bubbled up again. Aselle, who belatedly realized the situation, let out a scream.
“Oh, nooooooooo!”
However, it was already too late. The Doppelganger’s chest swelled, and the rope tightened. In an instant, the Alpha Doppelganger transformed into Marya and smiled at Aselle.
– Cutie! Do you want to live with big sis?
“Oh, no…!”
Aselle, whose legs gave way, fell to the ground. Marya’s eyes widened, and her face turned red, as she looked down at Aselle.
“Cutie, you…”
“Marya! I mean, this is, um…”
“…Did you like me?”
Marya, who had been gently patting Aselle’s head out of habit, stopped abruptly. Aselle was frozen, and with a voice choked with emotion, he stammered.
“That… uh… I, uh…”
“Ahaha, you seem a bit flustered.”
Marya chuckled, her cheeks tinged with a blush. An awkward silence settled between them. Aselle’s tearful eyes filled with overwhelming emotion as he gazed back and forth between the two Maryas.
“Uhh… Wuuu… Uhhhh!”
Suddenly, Aselle leaped to his feet and bolted out of the Assembly Hall, his cries of frustration echoing through the corridor. Marya, who stood there for a moment, murmured softly.
“Cutie… liked me.”
“Yes. Miss Marya, look over here.”
But there was no time for her to dwell on emotions. Ronan quickly turned the Doppelganger toward Marya. Marya covered her eyes with her superhuman reaction speed and screamed.
“No, don’t! If you show that to me, I’ll kill you!”
“Alright, alright, Look here. You have to make eye contact for it to transform.”
“I said no! Aaaaagh!”
A scream followed. Despite Ronan’s efforts, Marya eventually fled from the Assembly Hall without ever locking eyes with the Doppelganger. Ronan tried to show the Doppelganger to Braum and Ophelia, but both had already escaped through the window. Ronan sighed in disappointment.
“Ah, that’s no fun.”
Shullifen had also left, leaving the Assembly Hall empty. Outside, various sounds were mingling.
There were voices of people talking, the growls of animals, the clashing of swords—sounds of people preparing for the Beasts Festival. Ronan suddenly had one question on his mind.
‘By the way… is it possible to love yourself while also hating yourself?’
What Ronan hated was his past self who couldn’t protect anything. But thinking about it, it was absurd that the Alpha Doppelganger, who transforms into the person someone loves, transformed into himself.
“I wonder what happened…”
With a wry smile, Ronan stood in front of the Alpha Doppelganger. The moment their eyes met, the Doppelganger’s shape distorted and the transformation began.
“Hmm?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. The outline that was beginning to take shape was different from before. The golden hair turned black, and it grew so tall that he had to slightly raise his head.
In the end, the Doppelganger did not transform into himself. A heartbreakingly nostalgic voice sounded in the Assembly Hall.
– Corporal.
“…Huh.”
Ronan chuckled. The ridge of his nose suddenly turned cold at the unexpected sight. Ronan wiped his eyes with his sleeve, looked up at the Doppelganger, and opened his mouth.
“Seems like I admired you.”
The eve had come to an end. The dark blue sky was slowly becoming diluted. The day of the Beasts Festival had arrived.
*****
The commotion that occurred the previous night had been kept a closely guarded secret. Ronan, who had managed to sleep for about two hours, left his room and headed to Tower 41, where Jhordin’s office was located. He knocked on the door and was soon greeted by Jhordin, who was still dressed in his pajamas.
“Ronan…? What’s going on at this hour?”
“Sorry for the sudden visit. Can you please open the passage?”
“The passage…?”
“Why, you know. The passage leading to Professor Sekreet’s office.””
Jhordin, who had just woken up, was looking quite disheveled, his hair standing up like a newly built magpie’s nest. He opened his mouth with his eyes half closed.
“Ah… you mean Separacio. It’s the long-awaited festival today, but you aren’t enjoying it.”
“I will enjoy it. But let’s take care of this first.”
“That’s right… you live a very busy life.”
The two walked towards the bookshelf on the wall. As Jhordin took out a few books and chanted an incantation, the bookshelf receded and a passage appeared.
“Kashfash, Lunajia, Delphirim.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Leaving a short word of gratitude, Ronan walked down the passage. He emerged into a library surrounded by books. A child was sitting on the floor, reading. Sekreet recognized Ronan and waved at him.
“Oh, Ronan. It’s been a while since I saw you.”
“Indeed. It’s been a while, Sekreet.”
“So, so what brings you to this old man?”
Sekreet chuckled, stroking his nonexistent beard. He seemed to be grappling with the recent change from having turned into a child. Ronan, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“I need you to help me. By any means necessary.”