Chapter 74

Chapter : 74

“They say there is a method. The contract cannot be modified, but the contract itself can be made as though it never existed. The problem is that if the contract is nullified, the benefits disappear as well....”

“So I would lose the power I received from Amadeus.”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“I see....”

Agares swept his hair back with his hand and nodded up and down. His reaction was calmer than I had expected.

“That is a result I expected to some extent. It cannot be helped. Could you ask that mage how the contract can be broken?”

“You would lose all the power you gained through the contract. Will you still be all right?”

“All right? How could I be? Do you know how much I have accomplished with this power, and how much I will accomplish from now on? How could I be all right? But I think there is no helping it. In truth, I have been lucky. Even my father protected the territory without this kind of power, did he not?”

That was true. Monsters had appeared in the North, and humans who were not citizens of the Empire had attacked it, for a long time.

Among all the lords of the North until now, Agares was the only one who had contracted with a Devil and borrowed power. Thanks to that, Agares had accomplished quite a lot, but that was all.

Even without a Devil’s power, the North’s standing army was of good quality, and its wealth was abundant. If he made good use of those, it would be possible to protect the territory even if Agares lost his power.

“Then, if it is possible, do you intend to break the contract immediately?”

“Hmm, no. The reason I was impatient was because I thought it would take a very long time to find a method. Haha, now that I know there is a method, my heart is a little lighter. If this is power I will have to give up anyway, I want to accomplish as much as possible before then.”

Agares having his body stolen by Amadeus felt like a time bomb. It was extremely dangerous, but until the moment before it exploded, it had no effect. Agares intended to put off breaking the contract and squeeze every last drop out of the power while he still had it.

“Would that not be too dangerous? If you happen to miss the right timing....”

“Ahh. Do not worry about that. I know my own body well. I will be sure to speak before it is too late. Judging by the speed, there will be no problem for at least a year.”

“If that is so, then I understand.”

“You have been a great help. Debts and favors between people should be made clear, so tell me what you want. I will grant it if it is within my power.”

There was nothing urgent. I had enough money, and I was satisfied with my current life. It was enough if I could maintain this life.

“There is nothing I want right now. Though it may be little compared to Your Grace, I have ample wealth. Instead, later, if I fall into danger and Your Grace can help me... I ask that you do so.”

“Hmm, well, good. If you fall into danger, I will be sure to help you. For something like that, I would have moved even if you had not gone out of your way to ask, but still. Is that the request you want to make? Very well, I will keep it in mind.”

It had not been pointless to say. Since I had a certain degree of friendship with Agares, he would probably have helped me even without such a request. But there would be a difference. If I was in urgent danger, would he not stay by my side a little longer?

With anything, certainty was best.

---

After entering the Academy, I had armed myself with martial power. I had trained in swordsmanship with Katarina and learned magic from Ian whenever I found the time. That was how I had grown stronger until now, and I had to keep growing stronger in the future.

There was only one benchmark for the growth I wanted.

Jefrin.

He was the bastard who would die if Bishot told him to die, and kill someone if Bishot told him to kill.

In truth, among the male leads from the original, he was currently the only risk factor. Since I did not know when Jefrin might rush at me and try to kill me, I had to become at least stronger than Jefrin.

Then how far did I have to grow?

How strong did I have to become before I could say I was reliably stronger than Jefrin?

Right now, I was certainly superior. Even if I fought him, I would not lose under most circumstances. However, what I had to watch out for was Jefrin’s growth. In the original, he reached Sword Master at a record-breaking youngest age.

Jefrin’s current skill was not significantly behind where he had been around this time in the original.

Eventually, he would reach Sword Master. What would I do then?

To face a Sword Master, one had to be a Sword Master as well. If I learned both swordsmanship and magic in some half-baked way, my head would come off in the blink of an eye.

To prepare for Jefrin, I also had to reach Sword Master. The reason I invested time in magic even while busy was for after I reached Sword Master.

Even if Sword Master fought Sword Master, one of the two would die. If they fought while using Aura Blade, being struck even once in the wrong place would become a fatal wound.

Even if one side’s skill was superior, mutual destruction could still happen.

If Jefrin came at me with his life on the line for any reason, I would have to be prepared to die as well. I hated that. I was learning magic so I could fight without so much as a single hair getting injured.

Between swordsmanship and magic, the one I had to place more weight on was swordsmanship.

Jefrin’s rapid growth began from now on. He would reach Sword Master before graduating from the Academy, so I had to match that. I asked Katarina for help.

“Lady Katarina, how long do you think it will take me to reach Sword Master?”

“Sword Master? That is not something you should be running your mouth about right now. Just because you reached Expert at a young age.... No, no. Your expression is quite serious. Then I will answer seriously too. Five years, even if it is short. Even if you reach Sword Master five years from now, it will be enough to leave a line in history. Why so suddenly?”

“You should remember Jefrin. Perhaps I may have to fight him.”

“What about that? Are you afraid of that? Fighting with swords is dangerous and has many variables. Even so, I will tell you decisively. You will win. If you fight ten times, you will win all ten.”

“Yes. That is true now. But he will grow faster than I do.”

“Faster than you? Is he going to become Sword Master while still attending the Academy?”

“He might.”

Katarina snorted and scratched her nose.

“So you are saying you have to reach Sword Master before him?”

“Even if not before him, I want to match the timing.”

“You really think he will reach Sword Master before graduating from the Academy? Sincerely?”

I lacked evidence. It was only because it had happened in the original, so it would probably happen this time too. But when Bishot attacked me this time, I realized it. If I let my guard down about even one thing, something major could happen.

“I sincerely think so. Jefrin will reach Sword Master before graduating from the Academy, and I will fight him.”

“So you want to grow quickly, even if you have to give up other things?”

“Yes.”

“Is that so? I regret swinging a wooden stick all day every day when I was young. There are memories you can only build when you are young, are there not? I do not have those. Sometimes I envy other people.”

Katarina shrugged and laughed faintly.

“But that is me. And you are you. People are different from one another, are they not? Fine. Let us do that.”

The swordsmanship learned in this place was different from real-world sports. Real-world sports were science. Training beyond one’s limit caused overtraining and instead made the athlete regress. If one’s stamina collapsed and one repeatedly practiced a technique with one’s posture broken, bad habits formed, and one had to waste even more time.

But this place was somewhat different.

“The more you give up, the stronger you become.”

Fundamentally, talent and aptitude were the best. After that came a good teacher and good Elixirs. Effort came last. However, since the only thing one could usually solve through personal effort was effort itself, everyone invested effort without limit.

What about me?

A decent enough aptitude. The best teacher and Elixirs. As for effort, I had been working hard in my own way.

I wanted to change that. Effort was the least efficient driving force. Even so, only until I reached Sword Master. I decided to push myself for a little while.

I raised the intensity of my training and increased the time spent training.

---

Jefrin sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, and thought.

‘What should I do?’

He realized he was standing at a fork in the road. Protecting someone meant guarding that person. Yes, his role resembled a shield. He could protect his master passively, but he could not actively harm another.

By contrast, what Bishot wanted was slightly different.

She wanted to release what she had suffered onto Raphael. She expected retaliation against Raphael, expected harm to be done to him. Perhaps even with Jefrin’s help.

Jefrin wanted to grant anything Bishot wished. Moreover, he did not think she was wrong.

Raphael deserved to be punished.

What he knew was only part of the atrocities Raphael had committed against Bishot. Even that part was ugly enough. If he was not punished, then who would be?

The problem was the danger.

Touching Raphael was dangerous. He was strong, and his background was solid. Around him were unreachable strong people, such as the Master of the Magic Tower. Unless he personally admitted his crimes, it was impossible for Bishot to punish him.

If she did not bend her stubbornness, eventually, she would ask Jefrin for help.

Then what should he do?

Jefrin judged that the odds of such a thing happening were high. Though Bishot had hardened her heart for the moment, she was gentle by nature. She would not ask him to kill Raphael.

But if, by some chance, that happened?

What should he do?

He did not know. That was why he went to find Raphael.

Did he not intend to turn himself in? If Raphael personally acknowledged every scandal surrounding him, returned the title of Amikanbo, and withdrew from the Academy, perhaps Bishot would let go of her anger.

“Are you inside?”

Jefrin knocked on the dormitory door, intending to persuade Raphael.