《Preventing Lady Jepar’s Scheme》
《Time Remaining: 6 Days》
Lady Jepar, who has fattened up the piglets, is planning to summon a demon.
When I first found out about this, I thought Lady Jepar was just making trouble for herself, and the output seemed like trash compared to the input. But when I learned the truth, my thoughts completely changed.
Lady Jepar was that desperate.
She had heard a story so sweet that it made her act completely contrary to her reputation.
“I was thinking of pinching Murmur’s cheek…”
I haven’t explained Lady Jepar’s motives to everyone yet.
From Esme, who is still staring at the magic circle in front of her, to Citrine and Nicasia, they all need time to understand the situation.
“Why pinch Murmur’s cheek?”
“Well… I thought I’d play a prank while saying that even bad rumors have their limits.”
Esme swallowed hard.
“If it weren’t Murmur but another kid saying Lady Jepar was preparing something like this, I would have glared at them too.”
“I can’t deny that either.”
I didn’t feel bad.
In fact, I felt somewhat good because everyone was making sensible remarks.
“But Murmur didn’t lie.”
“Yes, that’s right… With a magic circle like this, summoning a demon is possible.”
“If Murmur is correct, does that mean there are three more of these magic circles somewhere in the Academy?”
I nodded and crouched down, hitting the ground with a stick I was holding.
We were currently talking in a rather secluded part of the Academy.
Who would have thought they’d draw something like this in a warehouse near the ‘Mercurius Hall,’ where high school students are busy with classes?
It’s like the darkest place under the lamp, but neither the staff nor the students ever come here. Besides, the magic circle is invisible to begin with.
“Yeah, there should be about three more like this.”
“At first, I thought Murmur was teasing me.”
Nicasia frowned, as if her head was already starting to hurt.
“Murmur said there was a magic circle, but you couldn’t see it?”
“Yes, but when Murmur hit the ground with a stick, it became visible, right? What’s the principle behind that?”
“This magic circle is drawn with paint containing Lunarin.”
Citrine flicked her thumb and index finger.
“Some people at our guild also request items like that, so I know about it.”
Citrine tapped the ground with her pretty shoes. Just like I did, she infused it with magic, and soon the engraved magic circle revealed itself again.
“It’s a magic circle that can only be seen with the naked eye when magic is infused.”
“Then how did Murmur know about it?”
“Murmur can sense it.”
In fact, Citrine, who is also a demon like me, accurately moved her shoes to where the magic circle was and played around with her feet.
To Citrine and Esme, it probably just looked like I was randomly tapping the ground with my feet.
“A magic circle is still a magic circle. The flow of magic through the ley lines will inevitably change.”
“Murmur sensed that?”
“Yeah, with a magic circle this big, it’s impossible not to notice.”
Esme crouched down after hearing my words and felt the ground with her palm.
“I’m not a demon, so I can’t fully understand Murmur’s senses… but after hearing the story and checking the ley lines, there’s definitely something unnatural.”
“But the other members of the New Helheim club… sigh, yeah. Even if they knew, they wouldn’t tell us.”
Nicasia frowned as she spoke.
“Of course not. They wouldn’t tell Nicasia, who appeared suspiciously as a demon, that they found a suspicious magic circle.”
“That’s right… They’d either try to deflect or, at the very least, think it’s not me, but the conversation could easily take a strange turn and cause trouble.”
That’s why the demons of New Helheim hardly attend Academy classes.
Solving that problem is part of the fun of the Demon King route, but now is not the time to worry about that.
“Murmur, Esme. Can you explain a bit more about this magic circle to me?”
“To explain, it has the function of indiscriminately absorbing the magic of those who have consumed Lunarin and sending it to a desired location.”
“Yeah, a lot of processes are skipped, but that’s the gist of it.”
“… Wait a minute.”
Nicasia rubbed her forehead with her right hand.
“To summarize, this magic circle coincidentally has the function of absorbing the magic of those who have consumed Lunarin and sending it somewhere?”
“That’s how it works.”
“But why? If the goal is to absorb magic, why specifically target those who have consumed Lunarin?”
“Princess Nicasia. Any all-powerful magic comes at a cost. That’s why magic that rivals divine power is something humans can’t even imitate.”
“Esme is right. The more you limit the target and adjust the power, the more precise the magic becomes, and the less cost it requires.”
Nicasia clicked her tongue.
“Since consuming Lunarin amplifies magic, even if you limit the target, there’s no loss, and the burden on the magic circle is reduced, right?”
“Are you satisfied with that, Nicasia?”
“… I told you, Citrine. I want to help Murmur too.”
Nicasia looked at me with a very apologetic expression.
It’s okay. I know, Nicasia. Nicasia deals with adults a lot, so she knows their standards well.
“Murmur… please don’t get mad and listen.”
“Yeah, feel free to say what you want, Nicasia.”
I tightly held Nicasia’s hand.
“I understand that there’s an evil scheme going on at the Academy, as Murmur said.”
“There are four magic circles engraved to collect magic for summoning a demon.”
“But. There’s no evidence here linking this magic circle to Lady Jepar.”
“Is that necessary?”
“I don’t need it. I believe Murmur’s words. But… the adults will want it. Ledgers showing the smuggling of Lunarin, letters with suspicious conversations, photos of Lunarin being secretly hidden in other guild’s items…”
I brought Nicasia’s hand to the wall.
“How about this?”
Where our hands touched the wall, there was a pretty drawing. This was also drawn with paint containing Lunarin, so it only revealed itself when magic was infused.
“This is… the emblem of Chronicle House, right?”
“Isn’t this enough?”
Nicasia touched the corner of her mouth with her left hand.
“But who… why? Why would someone dangerously engrave this emblem here?”
Knowing the answer, Nicasia’s question feels quite cute to me.
Esme quietly looked at the emblem and then reached out her hand.
“Huh? This emblem was engraved even before the magic circle.”
“Yeah, they had no choice but to engrave the emblem first.”
“Why… is that?”
“It’s like a secret signal. We know there’s a magic circle here, so it looks suspicious.”
After hearing my words, Esme tilted her head and then cutely raised her hand.
“Murmur, I don’t understand. Honestly… I agree with Princess Nicasia’s opinion. Why would someone engrave the guild’s emblem here?”
“Oh~ hohoho! Are you two really asking because you don’t know?”
Citrine, being a changeling, probably felt it right away.
“I really don’t know. Please explain.”
“You both know that Lady Jepar has a very good reputation, right?”
Nicasia and Esme nodded.
“How could we not know? She treats all the Academy students like her own children, right? It’s not just a day or two that she’s been giving out free desserts at Piglet House.”
“I’ve also been patted by Lady Jepar before. She’s such a kind person. Though… I said something bad back then.”
Lady Jepar is a demon, so considering Esme’s background, it makes sense.
“Lady Jepar’s good deeds have continued not for one or five years, but for a whopping 50 years. And now, suddenly, she’s trying to summon a demon.”
“I don’t understand why she’s trying to summon a demon.”
“We can’t know the exact reason right now. We can only guess that there’s ‘someone’ who made her take such extreme actions. If we guess who that someone is, the story will unravel.”
Nicasia rolled her eyes.
“Someone who’s lived kindly for 50 years doesn’t suddenly wake up one day and decide to live badly. Also, someone running a guild wouldn’t suddenly decide to smuggle Lunarin.”
“Logically, the possibility of an external intervention is higher than her changing her mind on her own.”
“Yes, and there are creatures in this world who love to tempt and whisper into people’s ears.”
Nicasia closed her eyes and sighed.
“I know! You’re talking about Primeordial Lex, right!!”
By now, even Esme is starting to catch on.
“The ones Aunt Colette always curses during dinner, right? I’ve heard of their infamy. They tempt people by saying they’ll grant any wish, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. They approach countless people like that and drag them into their schemes. To us third parties, the deception is obvious, but to the person involved, they offer a wish they can’t refuse.”
Nicasia said this but still looked unconvinced.
“I get that Primeordial Lex tempted Lady Jepar. But if that’s the case, why would the guild emblem need to be drawn here first?”
“Nicasia. You need to change your thinking. Primeordial Lex doesn’t have the power to secretly bring Lunarin into the Academy. Without Lunarin, they couldn’t draw this emblem first.”
“Wait, then that makes it even stranger, right? If they can’t draw this emblem and the magic circle with paint containing Lunarin, how did they tempt Lady Jepar?”
“Do you really think so?”
Nicasia nodded.
“Logically, it doesn’t make sense. Just by saying they’ll grant a wish, Lady Jepar suddenly acts completely contrary to how she’s lived her whole life. That can’t happen. Besides, Lunarin isn’t a cheap mineral, is it?”
“Nicasia. This world already hands over dozens of boxes of gold coins with just a word.”
“What do you mean…”
“The word ‘investment,’ Nicasia, you already know it.”
“Investment… Are you saying the wish Primeordial Lex promised to grant has that much… that much power?”
Citrine nodded and touched the emblem.
“Primeordial Lex made Lady Jepar an offer she couldn’t refuse. Lady Jepar prepared the paint containing Lunarin as they wished, and drawing the guild emblem here was a signal that the items were ready.”
“… … Primeordial Lex are all changelings, and they never reveal their identities or act directly, so Lady Jepar also sent them a secret signal.”
“Yes, that’s right. Nicasia, you know about Primeordial Lex, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know they leave letters and various secret signals to carry out their activities.”
Nicasia let out a sigh.
“But I still can’t understand. What wish could they have promised to make her… …”
Nicasia clenched her fist.
“Nicasia already knows.”
“Me? I don’t know. I really can’t imagine.”
“No, you said it yourself earlier.”
Citrine coughed and turned her head. This story must be uncomfortable for her.
“Did I accidentally say the answer?”
“Yes, you said Lady Jepar treats the Academy students like her own children, right?”
“Yes, I said that. But that’s… … that’s… …”
Nicasia’s face turned pale, and soon her eyebrows furrowed roughly.
“Don’t tell me… Good heavens! That’s too much!”
“Princess Nicasia? Murmur? Am I the only one who doesn’t understand? Can, can you explain?”
Looking at the pitifully speaking Esme, I opened my mouth.
Now, everyone should be ready to accept the truth.
“They tempted her by promising to bring her daughter back to life.”
“That’s also the reason for summoning the demon!! It’s not just any demon. I wondered why they needed so much magic…!”
Nicasia clenched her fists and trembled as she shouted.
“They plan to summon the gatekeeper guarding the sealed Demon God, the demon Gabriel!!!”
“… If it’s the Demon God, she has the power to grant wishes. Lady Jepar, being a demon, couldn’t not know that.”
“So Lady Jepar is risking everything to cooperate with Primeordial Lex. If her daughter, who died 50 years ago, can come back to life, what wouldn’t she do? She probably wanted to draw the guild emblem big and bold to help quickly draw the magic circle! Getting caught wasn’t even a consideration from the start!”
Why did Lady Jepar feed sweet desserts to the piglets?
Only I, Murmur, knew that the Demon God dislikes sacrifices.
