The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 31



30 – The Princess Teaches Assassination

A magic that makes you younger.

I immediately understood why Nia came as an associate professor of magical studies.

‘If you can become younger, even adults can enter the Demon Palace.’

Only students who have not reached the age of adulthood can enter the Demon Palace.

So, it was an inevitable choice for the world.

To protect the world from the evil existence, students are being sacrificed in the name of a noble mission.

Of course, the world wouldn’t be entirely comfortable with this fact.

Certainly, among the students, there are outstanding individuals worthy of the name of heroes.

But you never know how the times will change.

To the eyes of the elderly, the young seem endlessly immature and dangerous.

Although they respect the young in their own way, they cannot hide the anxiety that arises after entrusting them with tasks.

Above all, adults have responsibilities.

To ensure that the young can go out into a better society.

It is the responsibility and role of adults to pave the right path for them.

So, the adults also pondered how to deal with the Demon Palace.

It’s a heartbreaking story, but even the current third-year generation has been labeled as the weakest generation.

If the next generation, and the generation after that, continue to fail without any talent.

The Apostle will not be able to stop it, and the Apostle will open the door of the Demon Palace and come out.

To prevent this, the magic of rejuvenation was created.

‘It seems they thought of the same method as the bandage of the veil I used.’

Bicamon is currently a third-year student.

Next year, he will not be able to enter the Demon Palace.

But the bandage of the veil solves this problem.

The bandage of the veil is a unique item among items.

It is a one-of-a-kind item created through mystery.

Anyone who uses the bandage of the veil can change anything.

This means it is possible to make the physical age younger.

‘If you use the bandage of the veil, anyone can enter the Demon Palace.’

This is something only the player knows.

Then, you might think, why not put the bandage of the veil on the promising knight commander of the empire and send him to the Demon Palace.

If that solved everything, I wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble.

‘Above all, the Duke of Roblia would scheme.’

The Duke of Roblia has already joined hands with the evil.

He will not sit idly by.

The knight commander will be killed somewhere, and the bandage of the veil will be disposed of.

Considering this alone, it was impossible to give the bandage of the veil to a skilled person and send them down to the Demon Palace.

‘But the magic of rejuvenation is different.’

As it is a magic actively researched in the world.

The Duke of Roblia has no way to interfere.

If it succeeds, the entire knight order can be sent to the Demon Palace.

There was no reason for the empire not to research this magic.

Nia was in charge of researching such magic and achieved some results.

And it was clear that she came temporarily as an associate professor at the academy to test it.

‘Then why didn’t Nia come to the academy in the route I usually played in the game until now?’

She could have come to test it in other game routes as well.

Why didn’t Nia come and eventually got assassinated?

“I can’t figure out where it all went wrong.”

I knew there would be many variables from the moment Lucas died.

But with a completely new character popping up, my head is a mess.

“Even if it’s complicated, what can I do?”

I have to get through it.

“Princess Sweet Potato, what are you thinking about so much while eating?”

Seron said, stirring his spoon in front of me.

“I’m always envious of how you seem to have no thoughts.”

“Are you picking a fight?”

“Can you win if you take me on?”

“As long as I don’t self-destruct, I can win!”

Did he forget that he lost last time even without self-destructing?

“Look over there, it’s the troublemaker trio.”

“They’re hanging out together.”

Then I heard the voices of kids passing by, giggling.

I didn’t think much of it, but Seron frowned deeply.

“They don’t even know we saved their lives.”

Is he talking about the forest keeper story?

Given that the professors themselves talked about the recent labyrinth upheaval.

Other students also know about the forest keeper story.

But being grateful for it is a different matter.

People don’t realize how serious something is until they experience it themselves.

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Even if it saved their own lives.

The perception changes depending on whether they were directly saved or not.

So even if the professors praise us for doing a great job.

Students who don’t know how dangerous the forest keeper was are indifferent.

Some students even said, “What’s the big deal about catching one apostle from the upper floors?”

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Getting angry here won’t change anything.”

In the first place, I ruined my own reputation.

How many things have I done to provoke Isabel’s anger.

If my reputation were good, it would be rather unfair.

“Hehe, there are kids like that, but on the other hand, there are also those who think highly of you because of this incident. Don’t worry.”

Then Card, who was listening beside me, chimed in.

As Card said, there are also those whose reputation has risen because of this incident.

Especially among the students, the top students who are well aware of the dangers of transformation are like that.

“I just don’t want to see the faces of those who give us a hard time.”

Seron grumbled.

If that’s the case, they shouldn’t hang out with us.

I guess they don’t want to be alone.

“Yeah.”

At that moment, I noticed that it had suddenly become quiet around us.

Seron, who had been grumbling, froze with the fork he was holding.

When I turned my head to see what was going on.

I also froze in place.

There stood a familiar face.

Long black hair and eyes shining brightly with a red hue.

The most feared person in the empire and a captivating woman whose gaze is hard to avoid once you see her.

The 3rd Princess, Iris Hyserion.

She was standing behind me.

“3, 3rd Princess Your Highness.”

“Enough.”

As Seron and Card hurriedly tried to show their manners, Iris stopped them.

She glanced down and then looked at me.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

The 3rd Princess wants to talk.

I had no right to refuse.

“Gladly.”

I asked Seron to take care of my tray and stood up.

Just in time, I had finished my meal.

Knowing this, Iris must have spoken to me.

She didn’t care that the restaurant’s attention was on her.

Anyway, she was a person who drew attention wherever she went.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

After a while, Iris arrived at a secluded park.

It was still lunchtime for the students.

Perhaps that’s why the park was sparsely populated.

Iris sat on a bench.

When I tried to stand politely in front of her, Iris tapped the seat.

“Sit down.”

“Yes, Your Highness, the Third Princess.”

I couldn’t refuse when the princess asked me to sit.

I gladly sat next to her.

“Nia Cynthia.”

And then an unexpected name came out of her mouth.

“Do you know why he came to Jerion Academy as an associate professor?”

What could it mean?

She asked without even glancing at me.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t read her expression.

“Yes, I heard it was to test the magic that makes one younger.”

So I just honestly said what I knew.

There was no benefit in playing mind games with the Third Princess.

“Interesting magic. If that’s possible, the academy students wouldn’t need to sacrifice anymore.”

“Rather than a sacrifice, it’s a noble mission.”

“Even if you dress it up, a sacrifice is still a sacrifice.”

Iris was not pleased with the situation the students were in.

“Do you think the magic that makes one younger will succeed?”

“Honestly, it’s almost impossible.”

The bandages of the veil are items imbued with mysterious power.

So, it’s said that such things are possible.

If it were in the realm of pure magic, the story would be different.

Indeed, magic makes the impossible possible.

But even that has its limits.

“Transformation magic is quite dangerous because it can cause mental collapse by making you identify with the form you attempt to transform into.”

As he said, transformation magic is a tricky magic.

It’s not just about putting on a shell, but completely becoming that being.

It has many adverse effects, knowingly or unknowingly.

The bandages of the veil are not much different in this respect.

“But if it’s magic that makes you younger, it would be even worse.”

“You’re very skeptical.”

“It’s just a waste of time to spend on such magic.”

In fact, I was just as skeptical about this part.

If this were possible, they would have conquered the world long ago and cut off the head of the evil lord.

However, the fact that they still haven’t done so means there is a reason.

‘Until I saw the ending, such magic had never been completed.’

Naturally, the chances are very high that it will be the same this time.

“Is there a reason you’re telling me this story?”

The question is whether there is a need to share this story with me now.

I don’t have much of a connection with Iris.

Although we are tied by blood and various other ways, this was not a conversation to be had personally.

“Someone is targeting Nia Cynthia’s life.”

My eyes slowly widened.

It was hard to believe that such words came from Iris’s mouth.

Iris lives to become the emperor under the protection of the Duke of Roblia.

For her to bring up the assassination of Nia Cynthia, who is on the side of the first prince.

Moreover, Nia’s assassination is due to the third princess’s side.

“…I’ll ask again, why are you telling me this?”

“Because I think you can stop it.”

What on earth does this mean?

I can’t understand the meaning.

I remained silent for a moment.

“Do you wish for Princess Nia Cynthia to live?”

“She is a talent for the nation. Of course, I don’t want her to be assassinated.”

Saying that, she stood up from the bench.

“So, if possible, I hope she survives.”

I was surprised.

Iris was more purely devoted to the empire than I had thought.

She did not want the budding talent of Nia Cynthia, who would become a great strength for the empire in the future, to be cut off by political strife.

This must be the reason.

No matter how much the Duke of Roblia supports her from behind.

Because she sincerely cares for the empire, the faction of the third princess gathers under her.

“If it’s true, I will try my best.”

I don’t know how she will be assassinated.

Iris did not tell me this much.

Iris turned away at that point.

Then, as if something had come to mind, she looked back at me.

“What you told me last time was good. Is there anything else?”

It was about her chronic insomnia.

“There is a plant called Suryeochu that grows naturally in the west of the empire. If you make it into a candle and burn it, it gives off a dawn scent that helps with sleep, so it will be helpful.”

“Thank you.”

With that, Iris left.

Nia Cynthia came to Jerion Academy.

But the beast targeting her was not yet finished.

In the original Flame Butterfly arc, Nia Cynthia’s assassination is inevitable no matter what.

But now.

Perhaps the only chance to prevent that assassination has come.

If Nia Cynthia does not die, Nikita’s darkening route will also disappear.

But the moment that is prevented.

The world will once again stray from the main story.

‘I am.’

What choice should I make?

My gaze reached the sky.

The world will perish if it cannot proceed with justice.

Lucas, what would you have done?

I miss him, even though I have never seen his face.