I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 654: Ghost of Past Memories (2)

Setadel gazed at Diena with eyes full of contempt.

"Did you think I wouldn't know that you deliberately tried to eliminate the Saint by continuously sending her into dangerous situations because her existence bothered you?"

"Nonsense!"

"Nonsense? When the Saint passed away that day, her power disappeared from the Holy Kingdom. A Saint who should have appeared in the next generation was not born in subsequent generations. So what is this Saint that exists now?"

Wrinkles formed on Setadel's brow due to anger.

"A false Saint. A fake created using fragments of power that Saint Arkenis left behind in the order just in case."

In the past, the Bretus Holy Kingdom fell into deep contemplation after losing their Saint.

After Saint Arkenis died, no one with the power of the Saint appeared.

It wouldn't have mattered if Arkenis had lived out her natural lifespan or died in battle.

The problem was that her death was connected to the god Lumensis.

The order thought:

Could it be that Lumensis, in his anger, completely withdrew the Saint's power from this continent?

Otherwise, there was no way someone with the Saint's power, the judgment, wouldn't appear in the order.

But they couldn't reveal this fact to the outside world.

If they did, who knows what those who realized there was no Saint would do.

"To somehow restore the lost power of the Saint, you created fakes, established stand-ins, and enjoyed your authority quite well."

Setadel pulled out a lantern emanating a green light.

"And seeing that you remember me, I can get a sense of who that filthy trace residing in your body is."

-Kiiing.

As the light flowing from the lantern intensified, Diena screamed.

"Kyaaak! Stop! Enough! Stop it!"

She tried to struggle by twisting her body, but she couldn't move at all as she was fixed in place by black iron chains and a blue spear.

"Come out of there right now. You filthy specter."

A soul that looked like it was made of grayish mucus began to emerge from Diena's head.

The form of that soul was an old and shabby elderly man.

"Ugh. What on earth is that?"

Seridan frowned at the sight.

The slimy gray mucus dripped down to the floor.

It was ectoplasm formed when something spiritual took shape in reality.

"More importantly, who is that?"

It was Surna who answered Helia's question.

"The former Holy Emperor."

The former Holy Emperor Benedict van Bretus, who disappeared after handing over his position to Salesin.

The face of that old man clearly bore Benedict's features.

"Benedict, who disappeared after handing over the Holy Emperor position? Why is he in this form?"

Setadel muttered with disgust while looking at Benedict's soul.

"Seeing that you recognize him, I guess Benedict also continued from before that. From a very long time ago."

"Could it be... he performed soul succession?"

Helia clicked her tongue in disbelief.

It was a method that only soul masters who switch souls through physical bodies can use.

To deny this would be impossible, considering Setadel himself had been replacing his own body continuously to survive.

"Having children, passing on your soul to those children, and handing over the position. If you do that, you can ascend to the Holy Emperor position again in a completely new body."

"Then does that mean Salesin now..."

"On the outside, he's a young Holy Emperor, but inside, a terrible old monster that has lived for a long time resides."

Violetta, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, raised a question.

"Wait a moment. If a specter resides in the current Holy Emperor, then what exactly is this specter we're seeing now?"

"This is a fragment that broke off from the soul," answered Setadel after checking the condition of the specter.

"He succeeded his soul to his bloodline, but because Diena van Bretus' talent was too outstanding, a part of his soul also resided in her. Thanks to the manifestation of talent that would have made her an excellent soul master in the old days."

"Then the reason Salesin left only Diena intact was perhaps..."

"Even though it's just a part, since his own soul resides in her, rather than killing her, he probably thought to use her."

This was the reason why only Diena was spared while other bloodlines were cruelly disposed of.

Someone who understands, at least in part, one's thoughts and ideology is much more useful than others who don't know the inside and have the possibility of betrayal.

Surna nodded as if understanding.

"Indeed. So that's why she had hostility towards me and could use some of the power."

The power Surna experienced was indeed not an illusion but the original.

Alex shook his head as he looked at the slimy soul.

"A monster who kept switching bodies because he didn't want to let go of power. It's truly horrifying just to hear about it."

The sluggish ectoplasm specter stared at Setadel with empty eyes.

[Setadel... why... why did you betray us...]

"Seeing that you're repeating the same words even though I just explained the reason thoroughly earlier, I guess some part of your memory is properly damaged."

With such a state, it seemed difficult to extract proper answers even if they tried to get information.

Setadel extended the lantern towards the soul.

[Why! Why!]

"There's no need to answer. Just suffer in here for the rest of your life."

[Ah, no...!]

The specter tried to escape, but it couldn't get away from Setadel's lantern.

A powerful force drawing souls from the center of the lantern sucked in the specter's body.

The Holy Emperor's specter struggled to escape.

Ectoplasm splattered around slimy, but it was futile.

The gradually collapsing form was now nothing more than a melting lump of mud, which couldn't even be called an old man.

-Shuaak!

The Holy Emperor's specter was eventually absorbed into the lantern like being sucked down a drain.

"Ah, uh. Ah..."

After the specter completely disappeared, Diena, who had momentarily lost consciousness, opened her eyes with a groan.

"This place..."

Her voice flowed unnaturally.

Because part of her soul had been assimilated with the Holy Emperor's specter, the aftermath of forcibly extracting that specter remained.

But since Diena's soul wasn't completely gone, she was able to regain her reason, albeit imperfectly.

"I see. So that's what it was. Our role was a failure."

Diena looked at Rudger with blurry eyes.

A faint smile formed at the corners of her lips.

"You've grown strong, my youngest brother."

"..."

"Yes. It's funny to say such things now."

Diena readily admitted the wrongdoings they had committed.

Although she was influenced by the specter, she wasn't completely innocent.

There were definitely evil deeds she had committed as a bloodline of the Holy Emperor's family when she was fully Diena van Bretus.

"Salesin won't stop. He has already succeeded in holding the entire continent in his grasp."

"That's no reason to stop."

"Even if the whole world is your enemy?"

"Not everyone is."

At Rudger's words, Diena looked at his companions and nodded obediently.

"That's right. You've found good companions. As my last gift before I go, I'll tell you about the secret of this Galahad Fortress."

"The secret of Galahad Fortress?"

Sheridan's eyes lit up.

She instinctively caught from Diena's voice that there was a hidden function in this fortress itself.

"This fortress is not just a simple castle. It's one massive device."

"For what purpose?"

"An amplifier to scatter power across the entire world. If you use the complete function of the fortress, its hidden true form will be revealed. If you utilize that, even if the whole world is your enemy, you'll have a chance."

Rudger pointed out a strange aspect.

"Why didn't Salesin use this power? If it amplifies power, he wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble."

Rudger shook his head mid-sentence.

"I see. He couldn't use it. Because Salesin doesn't have the qualification. Neither does the specter residing in his soul."

"...You're indeed sharp. That's right. But you, Heathcliff, should be able to do it."

"How can we use that function?"

"I don't know that either. I just know that such a thing exists..."

Diena's voice gradually faded, and her eyes began to close.

Due to part of her soul being torn away, her life was now not long for this world.

Diena's final gaze fell on Surna.

"What you're looking for. It's definitely here."

"..."

Although Surna would normally have responded glibly, this time he did not.

Surna silently nodded.

"Everyone, do your best."

With those words, Diena closed her eyes.

"Hmm?"

Salesin, who was sitting on a terrace overlooking the imperial garden and enjoying the moonlight, raised his head.

"Oh my. Did she get caught?"

Even though he was far away, he could tell that part of his soul had completely disappeared.

"I thought she was quite useful, but to think she would disappear like this. Was my expectation too high, or was my youngest brother's skill more outstanding than I thought?"

Of course, if a demon had attached itself to Heathcliff, it wouldn't be incomprehensible.

"At this rate, I have no choice but to go all out."

Salesin smiled.

Who would have thought that he, the Holy Emperor, would have to attack his own country?

"A lot of blood will flow."

While expressing regret with his words, Salesin was actually pleased.

Yes. It wouldn't be fun if they fell so easily.

Salesin turned his head to look inside.

"Are you ready? Second Prince. Or should I call you Emperor?"

At those words, Ivelon von Exilion, who had been waiting, humbly bowed his head.

"I'm not Emperor yet, so please feel free to call me Second Prince."

"I see."

"The preparations are complete. Soon, the world will declare war against the heretic Heathcliff. A holy war that will go down in history."

"I look forward to it."

"Then, I will take my leave for the departure ceremony tomorrow."

Salesin stopped Ivelon as he was about to leave.

"Ah, Second Prince Ivelon. May I ask for one favor?"

Favor.

Salesin didn't need to ask Ivelon for a favor.

If he wanted something, he could just give an order.

Yet he used the word "favor" as if he were nobody.

"Yes. Please speak."

"For tomorrow morning's newspaper headline. I'd like to add one word before my brother's name."

"What word would you like to add?"

To Ivelon's question, Salesin replied with a benevolent smile.

"Demon Lord."

After finishing his private audience with Salesin, Ivelon returned to his quarters and sighed as he looked around the quiet and secluded room.

He felt a sharp sensation against his back.

Ivelon was well aware that it was a sharp blade.

"Why don't you stop this already, sister?" Ivelon said in a calm voice without surprise.

At those words, the sensation of the blade behind him silently disappeared.

"Annoying man."

Aileen, who had been holding Ivelon from behind, emerged from the shadows.

"An ambush? Where on earth did you learn such a technique?"

"None of your business."

Aileen sat down heavily on the empty bed, twirling the dagger in her hand.

It was a strange scene.

Aileen, who should have had her mind brainwashed and her reason destroyed, was having a normal conversation in Ivelon's room.

"I was surprised to find out that you were a spy for the Bretus Holy Kingdom."

"Please call me a double agent."

Ivelon sat on the sofa in comfortable attire after removing his coat.

"Holy Emperor Salesin will wage war. As you know, the target is Heathcliff van Bretus. I heard he escaped from the Holy Kingdom's prison and, conversely, occupied Galahad Fortress."

"Hmph. It's that man after all. Pretending to be captured while building up forces right in the middle of enemy territory. A bold decision that couldn't be made without being crazy."

"But now he has turned the whole world against him. And tomorrow, a holy war will be officially declared."

Ivelon looked at Aileen with complicated eyes.

"We can't stop this war itself. So you need to step up."

Long ago, the Holy Kingdom secretly planted spies to prevent the Exilion Empire from doing foolish things.

They contacted Ivelon and made him their believer.

"I still wonder. The Holy Kingdom's unbelievable power of brainwashing. I thought it was necessary to side with them to prevent the Empire from disappearing because of it. But now I'm here with you, plotting to betray the Holy Kingdom. It's strange even when I think about it again."

"Then why don't you brainwash me and drive me away, then sit on the Emperor's throne yourself?"

"You know very well that I can't do that. Just as you left me alone, I am also someone who has no choice but to do the same."

Ivelon wore a bitter smile.

"After all, I prefer a harmonious family more than being something like an Emperor."