‘It’s over.’
Yuri successfully apprehended and restrained the assassin who had infiltrated the hotel.
Meanwhile, another assassin who had attempted to break into the Magic Association and destroy my thesis had just been captured as well.
On top of that, a note discussing the execution of the operation was found in Sephiroth’s prison cell.
‘Did Sephiroth orchestrate all of this to take revenge on me…?’
The culprit was within the range of my expectations.
Sephiroth—the traitor who attempted to overthrow the nation by brainwashing an entire legion through sorcery.
Perhaps she still harbored resentment because I had completely thwarted her rebellion.
I never imagined that even from prison, she would be using letters to command subordinates and carry out such sabotage.
Still, it was a relief that we managed to prevent it in advance.
Irene Vermont had already been on alert and apprehended the assassin who infiltrated the Magic Association.
And the message being delivered to Sephiroth via pigeon was intercepted by Reinhardt, who had been keeping a close eye on her.
‘Now, time to interrogate the culprit.’
It was obvious why Sephiroth had targeted me.
But just in case, I decided to proceed with the interrogation.
So, I headed to where Yuri had the assassin restrained…
“Saint! You truly exist…!”
“Yuri. What the hell is this about?”
“I have no idea. I merely saved him using my healing ability when he attempted suicide, and now he’s suddenly spouting nonsense…”
“A power that can save even someone who has ingested a lethal poison capable of killing an elephant with a single drop—such an ability can only belong to the Saint! Please, it’s time for you to accept it, Saint! Surely when you awakened your power, an angel descended from the heavens, and a voice of divinity echoed, did it not!?”
“That… never happened.”
Ah…
I got the gist of it.
That guy must have completely misunderstood Yuri’s healing ability as divine protection.
Or… is it really a misunderstanding?
After all, she is a hero blessed by a game system that is practically a god itself.
Calling it divine protection wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
Yuri looked flustered, repeatedly denying that she was a Saint.
But the assassin’s eyes gleamed with madness, already fully convinced that Yuri was indeed a Saint.
Actually, this worked out well.
If he truly viewed her as a messenger of God, the interrogation would become much easier.
“Alright. If you truly revere the Saint, then you must understand why you’ve been captured, correct?”
“Yes! I now understand! The failure of our mission must have been the will of the divine!”
“Then answer truthfully—why were you trying to kill me?”
“…What? Kill you?”
The assassin tilted his head in confusion, looking completely bewildered.
Suddenly, it felt like our conversation wasn’t aligning.
“Didn’t you lace my tea with poison?”
“Oh. That poison was for suicide. What I put in your tea was this.”
“…?”
Rustle.
The assassin fumbled inside his pocket and pulled out a small bottle with an open lid.
The label on it read: “Laxative.”
I blinked and rubbed my eyes, but the words remained unchanged.
“…What the h*ll is this?”
.
.
.
Clack, Clack.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the far end of the prison corridor.
A man in a pitch-black suit emerged beyond the iron bars, and Sephiroth smirked bitterly.
“Count Vermont. Your presence here must mean my plan has failed.”
“Correct.”
So, it really did fail.
She had suspected it ever since Reinhardt intercepted the pigeon.
But seeing Aslan Vermont standing before her—who should have been suffering in a restroom after ingesting a laxative—made her feel completely drained.
“You’ve already secured the Empress, the Northern Archduke, and even Lord Reinhardt. What is there left for you to fear? The entire world will soon be in your hands.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. Even though I’m in prison, my network is extensive—I still receive inside information from the Magic Association. I heard that the topic of your upcoming academic presentation is Black Magic?”
“…”
“At last, you’re realizing your father’s lifelong ambition. Congratulations. No doubt this presentation is merely the first step toward summoning an Evil God and turning this world into hell. My sabotage may have failed, but now that there’s no one left to stop you, I might as well offer my congratulations in advance.”
“…”
Sephiroth twisted her lips into a strange smile.
Aslan Vermont, listening in silence, could only think.
‘What the hell is this lunatic even talking about?’
It was so absurd that he momentarily lost his words.
Just hearing her speak was giving him a headache.
Summoning an Evil God through Black Magic?
That was beyond outdated—it was completely ridiculous.
The fact that she completely misunderstood Black Magic was one thing.
But this was Sephiroth—the villain who had planned to dispose of the Empress and seize control of the Empire for herself.
Why the hell was she now acting like she was trying to stop a so-called evil black magic sorcerer from summoning an Evil God?
Was this some kind of villain rivalry?
I must conquer the Empire, so I can’t let some other villain destroy it first?
‘Something about this world’s villains just doesn’t seem right…’
Aslan felt increasingly confused.
He never expected even Sephiroth to be such a chaotic mix of good and evil.
Did that mean the only purely wicked individual in this world was… Aslan Vermont himself?
At first, he had thought being reincarnated as Aslan was a curse.
But lately, he was starting to think it was actually a blessing.
If he hadn’t taken over Aslan’s body, he wouldn’t have been able to stop all of the real Aslan’s atrocities in time.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Did I strike a nerve? I bet no one has ever figured out your plans this thoroughly before.”
“I don’t even feel like explaining it.”
“Heh. I suppose it makes sense. When the day of destruction arrives, I’ll probably be the first to die anyway. It must be tedious to explain things to me.”
“…”
Without a word, Aslan pulled out a document and shoved it through the bars.
Then, without hesitation, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing as he left the prison.
Sephiroth, who had been jeering at him, finally picked up the document once his footsteps faded.
She read the title.
“Hah. So this is your thesis on Black Magic, huh? You bastard…”
Sure, she had tried to overthrow the Empire.
But never once had she considered selling the entire world to an Evil God…!
Sephiroth trembled in fury at the sinister machinations of Count Vermont.
Sephiroth began reading the thesis, half-expectant and half-fearful of its contents.
“…Huh?”
It wasn’t particularly long.
There were no complex terminologies or intricate theories—just a well-structured document that even an ordinary person could understand.
By the time she finished reading it, Sephiroth’s face was flushed red all the way to her ears.
“Why the hell isn’t this the evil black magician’s Evil God Summoning Plan!?”
Wasn’t Aslan Vermont the son of the man who was executed for researching Black Magic?
Just like I hypnotized Reinhardt, wasn’t Aslan Vermont supposed to have hypnotized the Empress and planned to hand over the Empire to an Evil God?
Then why was this thesis… so perfectly normal and academically sound!?
“AAARGH!!!”
Aslan’s smug, silent reaction from earlier replayed in her mind.
Sephiroth wanted to die from sheer embarrassment.
The only thing that echoed through the prison was the pitiful scream of a humiliated woman.
***
‘There have been way too many incidents leading up to the academic conference…’
First, a reactor meltdown, and now an attempted poisoning via laxative.
Ever since arriving in the capital, there had been one incident after another, leaving me with no time to rest.
If I were in a body that actually needed sleep, I’d probably be tossing and turning in anxiety right now.
But at least the kids were safe.
By now, they were probably sound asleep at the Northern Archduke’s villa.
I figured I’d explain everything to them tomorrow.
Just as I was about to review my script for the presentation…
“Mister, are you okay!?”
“Aslan! I heard an assassin attacked! Yuri told me…!”
“…”
The door suddenly burst open.
Charlotte and Julia rushed in, panicked and flustered.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
“You two… It’s nearly midnight. Why aren’t you asleep?”
“How can we sleep when you were in danger!?”
“It wasn’t dangerous at all. Even if the assassin succeeded, the worst that would’ve happened is that my bowel movements would’ve been too active to attend the conference.”
“What!? You almost missed the presentation!? But Aslan and I worked so hard on it! Those bastards! …I mean, how dare they!”
“…That’s true.”
Charlotte and Julia fumed on my behalf.
I simply smiled, unable to argue.
It really wasn’t a big deal.
But with the way these two were reacting, you’d think something catastrophic had happened.
“Anyway, there’s no need to worry anymore, Aslan! I stationed spirits around the hotel, so they’ll alert me if anyone suspicious approaches…!”
“I also brought Super Super Strong Sword, so there’s nothing to fear!”
“…That’s actually terrifying. If you split the hotel in half, I can’t even begin to imagine how much I’d have to pay in damages.”
“I’m really, really good at controlling my strength now!”
Charlotte and Julia puffed up their chests with confidence.
Were they trying to reassure me?
It was almost amusing—no, adorable—to watch.
“And what about you, Aslan? Why are you still awake? You should be getting rest for tomorrow’s presentation…!”
“Oh, I just can’t sleep…”
“I knew it! Then I’ll hold your hand until you do!”
“Me too! You can hold mine too!”
“…What?”
Julia blushed slightly and shyly extended her hand.
Charlotte followed suit, holding out hers as well.
Did they still not realize that I didn’t need sleep?
“Alright. Thanks.”
“Hehe…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is screaming in jealousy—this is the first time she has ever envied you this much!]
Of course, there was no need to tell them the truth.
As I held onto Charlotte and Julia’s hands, I decided that tonight, for once, I’d not work.
Instead, I’d simply lie back and rest.
