“Beasts are actually spirits.”
Changyeom explained.
“Ethereal beings animated by mana-crafted cores as their nucleus. Those who remain in the Middle World have become ‘Beasts’, while those banished to the Demon World became ‘Demons’.”
Changyeom revealed the truth about the beasts I had hunted countless times in-game.
“What do you think?”
“Don’t mimic Changyeom’s tone and pretend to be her, Kim Fenrir.”
“Ah, you caught me, nyah.”
Changyeom had said those words before.
And Fenrir was mimicking her—because Kim Fenrir had been there when the story was told.
“Did you know this? Living beings can largely be classified into two types: those born with a core from the start and those who, though lacking a core as an organ at birth, can develop one in their hearts as they grow.”
“The former refers to most ethereal beings, while the latter includes humans and other beastfolk, right?”
“Correct, nyah. Though, even before our banishment to the Demon World, those classifications had essentially lost their meaning.”
Kim Fenrir stirred up the air with a flick of her fingers.
“If ethereal beings mimic human flesh with ether to the point of structural similarity, they essentially become indistinguishable from humans.”
A core is formed, and from that core, numerous tissues branch out and replicate like cellular division.
“If mana transformed into human flesh, with a structural similarity of 99.99%, could you even say it’s not human?”
“From a biological perspective, it might not be the same species, but if that remaining 0.01% difference is the ‘core,’ then the story changes.”
“Exactly, nyah. The presence or absence of a core. If a human’s heart were cut open and revealed a core in the form of a magic stone, it would mean that the being wasn’t a child born from human reproduction but rather a spirit-based lifeform.”
Modern understanding at places like the Academy doesn’t acknowledge this.
Even if a core resembling a magic stone were found in a heart, people would simply assume it was accumulated mana crystallizing like gallstones.
But it’s fundamentally different from kidney stones or gallstones.
No human is born with a magic stone in their heart.
When such a core is discovered, it’s not because mana formed it but because a spirit or beast imitating humanity was killed, and its heart was cut open.
The doppelganger is a prime example.
“Maybe all spirits are something like doppelgangers of specific humans, nyah.”
“When the original human dies, and enough time passes, their essence continues through the doppelganger?”
“Exactly, nyah.”
Kim Fenrir snapped her fingers.
“Dukes like us often model our forms with mana based on a priest who once worshiped us, a maiden offered as a sacrifice, or a child we took a liking to, nyah.”
Kim Fenrir’s appearance began to change, finally settling into the form of a cat-eared beastfolk woman with black hair streaked with mint.
“And because we transform like this, we typically end up with forms that lack reproductive organs, nyah!”
Kim Fenrir struck a pose as if preparing to shapeshift.
It was reminiscent of a mannequin standing in a shopping center, except her current form didn’t include clothes.
“Could you maintain some decorum as one of the Seven Dukes of Hell, Fenrir?”
“Have you ever seen a beast wearing clothes, nyah?”
“Not livestock, but I’ve seen pets wear fur coats.”
“Aha, but there’s nothing obscene here, nyah. This is when I should say what Changyeom taught me to, nyah…!”
Kim Fenrir struck a playful stance, grinning at me.
“Why so embarrassed? It’s not like I’m bare, nyah. Pfft.”
“…….”
“How is it, nyah? Did I sound like Changyeom?”
“Yeah, for a moment, I thought Changyeom herself had possessed you.”
Even if it’s my mental world, ‘Changyeom in the Demon World’ can’t speak to me directly.
Even in this mental realm, Changyeom in the Demon World couldn’t directly speak to me. If I heard her voice, it would be lingering remnants of her thoughts embedded in this body.
As for the real Kim Fenrir, now floating around me like a ghost with her lower body fading into mist—
“This actually does make you seem like a genuine spirit.”
Her semi-transparent form made it less overtly l*wd despite the apparent lack of clothing.
You know how fantasy comics and games sometimes feature spirits with nothing to cover their forms?
Even though their features might be fully visible and alluring, it doesn’t necessarily earn an adult rating.
Similarly, the ghost monsters in Esdinas Academy’s lore included creatures without any explicit features.
“So, does this mean I can walk around people like this, nyah?”
“No.”
Still, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
“You look prettier in clothes, whether it’s a maid outfit or something else. Go ahead and dress like a civilized being.”
“Is it because you like maid outfits, nyah?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Aha, nyah.”
Kim Fenrir laughed, her mana swirling around her.
The green wind enveloped her, forming what could only be described as—
“A magic girl maid costume? What is this?”
“Changyeom made this for me, nyah.”
“Oh, well, in that case, it’s fine.”
Not the typical black-and-white maid uniform but one with deep green hues.
It was unique and, without a doubt, eccentric.
“Anyway, let’s get back to a more serious topic.”
Kim Fenrir stood before me, hands behind her back, staring intently.
“Now that you, as the Demon King’s proxy, know that beasts are intelligent beings, what will you do, nyah?”
“…”
“And what about those who, having been exposed to angelic energy for far too long, lost their intelligence and became mere monsters?”
“The answer is clear.”
I bowed my head to Kim Fenrir, who promptly leapt onto my shoulders.
“I’ll purify those who can regain their intellect and become spirits. But those who remain angelic soldiers, indiscriminately killing all living beings, will be eliminated.”
“They’re living beings, too. Killing them is no different from killing humans.”
“I made peace with that a long time ago.”
I don’t hold back.
It was something I had been mentally prepared for, even from long ago.
“Whether my opponent is human or beast, if they want to live peacefully with me, they’ll be my neighbor. But even if they’re an Archangel or the Goddess herself, if they try to kill me or disrupt my peace, I’ll fight them to the death.”
I pulled Fenrir closer by her thighs and stretched both arms outward.
“Even if the large number of beasts appearing in the northern territory of the Count Habsderk family are the spirits of Habsderk’s ancestors, angels who descended during the event ten years ago and got crushed by me, or the souls of hunters murdered by Rattatosk—unable to find rest and bound to the land as vengeful ghosts—reappearing in spectral forms because they recognized the ‘Wind’.”
“Exactly.”
Fenrir gripped my head and gestured around us.
“They’ll attack you. Why? Because I’m inside you.”
With a snap of Fenrir’s fingers, the black beasts lurking nearby turned their gaze toward me in unison.
“The Wind inside the Phoenix. They instinctively know that if they consume that core, they can be ‘reborn.’ Even if their human flesh is gone, their primal human instinct tells them they can be reborn as a ‘spirit’.”
Kyaaaaah!!
“In such a situation, what will you do, Phoenix?”
“There’s only one answer.”
The sky was clear.
“[Azure Flame].”
And the world would be dyed in blue fire.
* * *
“…….”
The rattling sound of wheels accompanied the slight sway of the carriage, stirring me from my sleep.
Through the drawn blackout curtains, faint rays of the early morning sun streamed in, tickling my eyes.
“…”
The only sound was breathing.
The sound of Yunia breathing steadily as she slept comfortably on top of me.
The soft breaths of Ludmila, arms folded, legs crossed, yet leaning her shoulder against mine.
The peaceful breathing of Evangeline, her head buried against my shoulder as she dozed.
Beyond their soft breaths, there was another sound: the faint rustling of pages being turned.
Yurha Silverstar.
At some point, she had put on her glasses and was looking at something.
Noticing I was awake, she glanced at me with a hint of surprise before smiling softly.
It wasn’t the right time to talk.
The three were sleeping soundly, and if I spoke, they would all wake immediately.
— Not yet.
Yurha mouthed silently, beginning to explain with a whispering gesture.
— We’ll arrive in about ten minutes, so please wait just a little longer.
I considered replying the same way, moving my lips silently, but I hesitated, worried it might still wake the others. Instead, I simply blinked in response.
– Nothing has changed while you rested. We left the Old School Building and the Green Belt, passed the terminal, and are heading toward Ludvecia.
The carriage had likely been moving for five hours straight.
While I had been sorting out my strategy with Kim Fenrir, Yurha Silverstar must have been agonizing over how to handle the monster outbreak.
“…Huh?”
Yurha, who had been smiling, suddenly looked startled as she glanced at her magic pad.
“What is this…?”
“…What’s going on?”
Her shock was evident, so much so that I had no choice but to ask, even though the three were still sleeping next to me.
“I … just received a report.”
Yurha showed me the magic pad.
“…This.”
“…”
Displayed on the screen was the image of a ‘boy’ cloaked in a dark figure surrounded by green winds.
“It seems like he’s the master controlling the wolf beasts in the contaminated zone…”
The ghostly form of the boy bore an uncanny resemblance to someone I knew.
(TLN: We have finally found out what the author meant by Foundation… anyway new illustrations on discord.)
