I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 648: House Breaking (1)

Hans, who simultaneously manifested the power of two spirit beasts, swept away the holy knights with overwhelming force.

'It still doesn't feel good.'

Hans, now using the combined power of two spirit beasts, felt a strength unlike anything he'd experienced before.

The instinct inherent in the factor showed him how to use this power.

Hans added his own knowledge to this as he faced the holy knights.

In his original body, even a single holy knight would have easily subdued him.

Now, using the spirit beast's power, he realized just how much stronger he had become.

But rather than pride, he felt more discomfort.

He didn't want to kill anyone.

Hans still had trauma from transforming into a beast and harming people.

Was it because of the wolf spirit beast's ability?

The fishy scent of blood and smell of death at the tip of his nose didn't allow Hans to escape this reality.

That's why Hans could see everything he was doing.

That's why he didn't look away.

That's why he didn't run away.

'I can't stay like this forever.'

He had experienced many things while meeting and being with Rudger.

Running away from fights, hiding like a coward and only handling information, trying to console himself that this was enough.

But the path Rudger walked became increasingly rough, and even Hans who walked alongside him began to tire of its harshness.

Should I quit?

That desire welled up several times a day.

'Brother told me I could run away.'

He said he wouldn't blame me even if I strayed from the path I should take and ran away.

The words he spoke then were surely sincere, not empty.

Hans was truly grateful for those words.

He thought Rudger knew him well and was being considerate.

'Yes. Brother was always like that. Even knowing his own situation would become difficult, he always tried to consider others first.'

It's the same this time too.

Telling Owens to make his own choice, while allowing himself to be captured in the middle of enemy territory.

Even if they hadn't come to rescue him, Rudger wouldn't have been mistreated.

Someone like him would have used some extraordinary method to successfully escape and continued his lonely fight alone, just as he always had.

'I will absolutely not let that happen.'

He had received too much help to ever repay the debt.

Rudger would insist it wasn't necessary, but Hans' pride wouldn't allow it.

Beyond that, his desire to see Rudger was great.

He was curious.

What exactly would be at the end of the path Rudger was advancing on?

Even if he couldn't be with him until the end, if he could at least push his back forward.

Isn't that enough?

'That's why I'm fighting.'

Blue light pouring from the sky, and blue wind sweeping across the ground.

The number of deer shedding starlight from the sky had already increased to five.

Thanks to the [Division] ability possessed by the Ulburg family's guardian beast, even after dividing, their actual combat power was almost the same as the original.

In that state, combined with the powerful magic of the deer spirit beast, it created tremendous synergy.

"Amazing."

Seridan couldn't help but admire what Hans was showing.

The sight of him overwhelmingly sweeping away enemies would leave anyone's mouth hanging open, even those with no knowledge of war.

'That cowardly guy. He's really serious.'

What impressed Seridan even more was that Hans was fighting with genuine sincerity.

"Everyone fall back!"

"Retreat to the fortress! Everyone move quickly!"

As the battle situation turned unfavorable, the holy knights quickly chose to retreat.

Hans, who had been persistently chasing them, stopped firing when the distance became too great and returned to the First Checkpoint City.

"Phew."

After gathering his divided forms and inserting the neutralizer, Hans returned to his original appearance.

"Good work."

"Not at all."

Hans' complex expression softened at Rudger's simple words.

The Owens quietly watched the retreating holy knights.

"Is it okay to leave them like this?"

Violetta asked if they should pursue and eliminate the remaining forces.

"Our goal is in that Galahad fortress anyway. What we need to do hasn't changed."

"We have no information about that fortress. We don't even know how many troops might be lurking inside."

"However many there are, it won't be fewer than now."

If not now, when most of the forces Bretus Holy Nation had prepared were spread throughout the continent, there would be no opportunity.

"Get ready. From now on, we'll capture the Galahad fortress."

Salesin van Bretus was staying at the imperial palace, receiving the empire's utmost hospitality.

No one stopped him regardless of when or where he went.

Now that the power of brainwashing had engulfed the entire imperial court, Salesin was essentially the master of this place.

Reports continued to arrive for Salesin.

They were reports from holy knights sent with priests, confirming they had successfully carried out their orders.

As the one who issued the orders, Salesin nodded with satisfaction.

But his expression turned somewhat cold when the last report arrived at an unexpected timing.

[Y-Your Holiness! This is terrible!]

"What's the matter?"

A signal from the homeland.

Moreover, the signal was sent by the Archbishop who had been left in charge of defending the homeland.

They were forces left behind just in case enemies might attack the empty holy nation, though such a thing seemed unlikely.

It was this person who contacted Salesin with an urgent voice and face.

"Judging by your reaction, it's not good news."

[Th-That is...]

While the Archbishop hesitated to finish his sentence, a series of explosions echoed from afar.

Soon after, the cries of elite holy knights shouting "The outer wall has been breached!" reached Salesin.

The news that this iron fortress, the first line of defense against enemies, had been breached seemed like a lie.

"You don't need to explain. I understand. Enemies have attacked, correct?"

[Y-Yes, that's right.]

"Hmm. I haven't heard news of large-scale troop movements, which means it must be a small number of elites. And at their head would be my brother, I presume."

[Th-That's correct.]

The Archbishop seemed perplexed by how quickly Salesin had grasped the situation, stammering his response.

"Well. Even a rotten croaker is still a fish, I never thought my brother would stay quietly imprisoned in such a place. But even accounting for that, I thought I had prepared sufficient forces, but was the enemy that strong?"

[Though I hate to admit it, the enemies are truly powerful. They're people whose names we don't even know, but they've rendered us helpless in ways I can't understand, with such strength.]

"Huh. It seems my brother has prepared many things."

[Your Holiness. Even now, if reinforcements to the homeland...]

"Ah, that won't be possible."

[W-What? What do you mean...?]

"It's already too late."

At Salesin’s words, the Archbishop's expression momentarily became blank.

Come to think of it, hadn't the explosions that were occurring around him subsided just now?

What about the senior holy knights? The priests? The internal holy law defenses?

The Archbishop turned around, startling at the cold blue gaze looking down at him.

[Eek!]

The Archbishop's face turned pale upon seeing Rudger.

When did he arrive? More than that, there was no sense of his presence as he approached.

Above all, who were these mixed group of men and women positioned around Rudger?

[Y-You all...!]

-Crunch!

Before the Archbishop could cry out, a burly figure's hand grabbed his head.

The Archbishop struggled, drawing up holy power, but the iron-like grip didn't budge despite his resistance.

With a light application of force, the struggling Archbishop's body went limp.

The position of Archbishop of the Bretus Holy Nation was one that received great respect anywhere.

Such a person was now thrown like a broken puppet, rolling across the marble floor as a corpse.

Watching this scene through the artifact, Salesin shook his head without erasing the smile from his lips.

"My goodness. You could have spared the Archbishop at least. Do you know how much time and money it takes to raise one?"

[Wasn't it you who called me to the homeland knowing this would happen?]

"To be honest, I didn't expect it would be to this extent."

Salesin clapped his hands in congratulation.

"Your chosen and selected subordinates seem to possess quite remarkable skills. To think the outer wall would be breached by just that small number. It's unprecedented in our homeland's history, so you should be proud."

[Do you think this is the end?]

"I don't think so. But you know it can't be otherwise, right? While you might be able to penetrate the outer wall by inheriting father's blood, the inner wall is different. In fact, that's where the real challenge begins."

Despite not being at the scene, Salesin knew how the situation was unfolding and how it would proceed.

"Besides, even if you succeed in completely conquering the inner wall, what do you plan to do by occupying an empty castle where the core forces have already left?"

[I can at least properly tarnish the name of the Holy Nation.]

"Haha. That's a bit scary. But such tarnishing only happens when connoisseurs remember and talk about it, right?"

[So that's what this is about.]

"No one will remember what happened this time. Rather, everyone will define you as evil. The Bretus Holy Nation will be noble sacrifices who fought against evil until the end."

Salesin showed his teeth with a deep smile.

"Because I'll make it so. Because I can make it so."

[You sent priests and people to the continent for that purpose.]

"Oh. Did you figure it out?"

[I've been curious for a long time why Lumensis has no apostle. Every god has their agent to exert influence in the mortal realm. Lumensis wouldn't be an exception. Looking at the current situation, I finally understand. Isn't that right?]

Salesin lightly shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes. As you said. I possess the power of an apostle. And that power..."

[Is extensive brainwashing that can overturn history.]

"...hey, don't steal my lines, will you? It makes your older brother very sad when his younger brother has no manners."

[Are you planning to brainwash the leaders of all nations on the continent and bring them under your control?]

"I'm going to start by creating one enemy of the world. Heathcliff van Bretus. King of Heresy. Lord of Demons. How about it? Isn't it cool? You can choose a title if you want."

Rudger ignored Salesin’s joking manner and said:

[That brainwashing. It doesn't last long, does it?]

"..."

[If it did, the Bretus Holy Nation wouldn't have needed to do all these troublesome things in the first place. The range is wide, and it can be applied to many people, but the duration itself is short. However, since the effect of brainwashing itself exists, there's a slight manipulation of memory.]

The reason why the kingdom that became the predecessor of the Empire 500 years ago changed without anyone knowing.

The reason why the Bretus Holy Nation maintained its position throughout that long history without declining.

[Moreover, it seems you can't use it at will. There appear to be restrictions as the scale of the power increases, and if information spreads after one mistake, irreversible consequences would follow.]

From beyond the artifact screen, Rudger wore a sardonic smile.

[It's literally a half-baked power. You're so eager to fill your own authority with the power received from Lumensis that even that power seems to have faded.]

After hearing Rudger's point, Salesin’s shoulders trembled before he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Right! Everything you said is correct, brother. This power is half-baked. The original power was in a much more complete form."

[After Saint Arkenis’ death, that power became half. You would have needed the saint's judgment.]

"My, you thoroughly understand the situation here."

[Was sending people to the continent also aimed at finding the saint's power? While Saint Arkenis died, her power would have continued somewhere on the continent.]

"Yes, that's right. That's why the Holy Nation has used the power of brainwashing only at important moments throughout history. Right at the inflection points of history."

[You mean at moments when the Holy Nation is threatened.]

"If used incorrectly and the leaders of other countries find out, the Bretus Holy Nation would collapse immediately. If you're going to do it, you have to use it thoroughly. So it's really troublesome. To think I'd have to use it in my generation."

Salesin intertwined his fingers and gazed at Rudger with subtle eyes.

"So what are you planning to do? The power has already been activated, and I've gained the power to move the world for a while. Conversely, you haven't properly conquered the Fortress of Light, Galahad."

[...]

"You've now turned the whole world against you. Are you prepared? Apostate brother who wants to overthrow the Holy Nation."

[Prepared?]

Rudger snorted at those words as if they were funny.

[I'll be waiting. It would be good if you use all your best moves. I'll do the same.]

"Insisting on a head-on battle even in an unfavorable situation. Yes, let's both lay out all our cards. Brother."

The half-blooded, superficial brothers declared war on each other.

That was the end of the conversation.

Before cutting off the signal through the artifact, Rudger said one last thing to Salesin.

[Those titles you recited earlier. Your sense is the worst. Not a single one appeals to me.]

"Oh dear. And I put so much thought into them."

[If you're going to call me something, call me this.]

In the fading signal, Rudger's low voice was transmitted to Salesin.

[The Demon King.]