'How much time has passed?'
She didn't know.
Sweat poured like rain, her breath rose to her throat, her armor was half destroyed, and her sword blade was chipped all over.
'He's strong.'
Far beyond a first-year level.
His sword was sharp, and the black aura was overwhelmingly heavy.
Above all, the dense ominousness radiating from the aura was downright chilling.
'Is that demonic energy?'
Fernan had said so. That he had been consumed by a demon. If that were true, then the black aura was the power used by demons—in other words, it had to be demonic energy.
Perhaps that was why. The demonic energy was constantly trying to erode her aura. Because of that, the consumption of her aura was even greater.
Boom!
Luina tumbled to the ground. The earth where she had just been standing was obliterated.
The black demonic energy pursued her closely. She urgently got back on her feet and raised her blade.
Clang! A clash of dark and bluish light erupted. Shattered aura fragments scattered in every direction.
"Get a grip, Berian Kalburden!"
Her shout didn't reach him.
'What do I do?'
After several fierce clashes, Luina was able to clearly gauge her opponent's level.
If she aimed to win—then victory wasn't impossible.
But even if he had been consumed by a demon, he was still a student of the same school. The problem was that a "moderate" level of force wouldn't be enough.
She could win, but Berian Kalburden would die as a result.
He wasn't someone she could defeat while holding back.
"..."
She bit her lip.
Her whole body screamed in protest, and her fingertips trembled.
The end was drawing near.
The biggest problem was that unlike her opponent, whose energy gushed forth like an unending spring, her aura hole was rapidly draining dry.
'…What should I do?'
Fernan came to mind.
If he hadn't run away, things wouldn't have been this difficult.
Whether with his own power or by borrowing the strength of an artifact, his support skills were top-tier. Even if it would've been tough, they could've subdued Berian safely.
It was then.
Piii—
A whistle sounded not far off. From the west—where Fernan had fled.
'A signal?'
Luina realized this was the signal Fernan had spoken about.
'…There must be a definite plan.'
She suppressed the disappointment rising within her and kicked the charging Berian hard in the chest.
He tumbled across the ground, and in that brief moment, Luina turned and ran.
"This way, Luina. Come here."
"You…!"
Luina, sprinting along the mountain path, spotted Fernan and shouted.
"Why did you run away?!"
"A strange question. Because he's a demon."
Fernan replied as he guided the furious Luina.
"If you hadn't run, we could've won!"
"…Huh? You think we could've won if I had stayed?"
Fernan tilted his head.
A knight consumed by demonic energy—only barely defeated with Aint's help after awakening.
"There's no way that's true."
Naturally, Fernan had classified Berian as top-tier level.
That was based on two things:
Aint was said to be the one who would save the world.
And demons—their power and the unknown.
"He's a demon, Luina. A demon appearing after a thousand years can't possibly be weak."
"What kind of absurd certainty is that? That's not a demon—it's Berian. Sure, it's grotesque enough to defy explanation unless you say he's possessed, but underneath it all, he's still Berian."
"...."
At that moment, Fernan realized he had made one critical mistake.
Aint's level.
No matter how much Aint was destined to become the hero who would save the world from demons, no matter how much he was receiving teachings from the soul of Sir Gardner Alpenfarsen—he was still only a first-year student at the academy.
He had shown phenomenal growth, rising to second place among first-years in an instant, but still, he was only a first-year.
There were clear average-level differences between the academy's years, and at present, Ruina Berchef was without a doubt stronger than Aint Armian.
"…Hold on."
Fernan's expression hardened as he realized he had become too obsessed with two overwhelming variables—the demon and the prophecy—and had missed the truly important thing.
"You really think the two of us can take him on?"
"Yes. I can't subdue him without killing him on my own, but if you help me—"
"Then what the hell are you waiting for?!"
"…What?"
"Go stop him! Before he gets any closer!"
Fernan stretched out his hand toward Berian, who was charging like a rampaging bull.
"Get over there and stop him before he ruins the trap I worked so hard on—!"
──!
─!
That was when the explosion began.
"Ah, no…!"
It all started with a small rock Berian stepped on.
The pebble exploded, briefly throwing off his balance. In that moment, magical arrows shot out from all directions.
Clack-clack-clack—
The exploded demonic energy protected its host. Berian deflected all the arrows and charged forward again, exuding a savage killing intent.
No—he tried to charge.
In a split second, the ground beneath him collapsed. Berian lost his balance and flailed in midair.
And the moment his back hit the ground—
Fwoosh—
A magic circle, drawn with crimson Bristy reagent, reacted and ignited.
─!
At the center of the circle, which absorbed mana from the mana stones and expanded, a pillar of flame surged vertically—melting everything in its path.
Yet Berian did not fall.
He exploded his black demonic energy to neutralize the flames and clawed his way up from the pit.
That was when Fernan's next move welcomed him.
As Fernan's outstretched hand triggered the trap, the prepared reagents flew out.
Crash—
Five vials shattered, splashing all over Berian. Ssshhh— The reagents had corrosive properties that weakened mana, slowly eroding even the demonic energy.
Berian staggered with a scream, triggering yet another trap. A scroll was torn. Crackle! A violent spark burst as ten lightning bolts struck in a straight line.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Pure white lightning pierced through the half-eroded demonic energy. Berian's body trembled as if he were being tortured.
"GRAAAAAAAH!"
At last, a grotesque shriek burst from his mouth.
…And that was the end.
"Grrggh…"
Foaming at the mouth, Berian rolled his eyes back and collapsed.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Fernan and Luina stood there, stunned.
"…Is he okay? Don't tell me he's dead…"
"I was originally planning to switch places with him when he rushed me, then trigger another trap…"
Fernan muttered, seemingly not hearing her voice.
Only then did Luina check behind them. Just one step behind where Fernan had stood was a trap—clearly the result of painstaking preparation.
"After that, I planned to deal with the wrecked bastard with your help, but…"
Ha ha, Fernan let out a laugh.
"There really was no need. Not for the two of us."
That was supposed to be a demon?
Bloodshot, Fernan's eyes flared.
Among wizards, there's a well-known saying:
"A mage is one who prepares."
"A fully prepared mage can defeat anyone."
Ruina berchef had fought many mages before, but she had never truly understood what those words meant.
But in this moment, she understood completely.
A secured location.
Prepared magical traps.
Meticulously calculated tactics.
She finally understood the true meaning behind the words mages always uttered.
The reason she had never grasped it before was simple: all her previous encounters had merely been duels.
"This is what a real mage's battle st—"
"Wrong. This is a merchant's way of fighting."
Fernan cut her off.
"…Not a mage, but a merchant?"
"Think about it."
He pointed with his finger.
"Scrolls I bought with money."
He gestured to the side.
"Artifacts I bought with money."
"You didn't use any artifacts, though."
"I was going to. But the guy was so weak I didn't need to."
He gestured again.
"Magic reagents and mana stones, all bought with money. Even the traps were made with them."
Every part of the plan was touched by money.
"It started with money and ended with money. If this isn't a merchant's battle, what is? Do you think those penniless rag-wearing mages could pull this off?"
Not a chance. Fernan shook his head.
"They couldn't do it in a thousand lifetimes. Without money, it's impossible. And mages—by nature—are consumers, not producers."
"…I get what you mean, but you're still technically a mage."
"That's wrong too. I only learned magic for self-defense and utility. At my core, I'm a merchant."
Which is why it stung.
All the resources he had poured into this battle—when converted into money—added up to a considerable sum.
"The more I think about it, the more absurd it is. If I had just known that bastard was weaker than I thought…"
If he hadn't been scared off by the word demon…
"No, if you had just told me the truth a little sooner…"
"You're the one who ran off without a single word."
"And since there was no explanation, you should've just followed me."
"You're the one who said to hold out for ten minutes."
"And you think it's right to follow blindly without a reason?"
Ha… Luina let out a scoff. Exasperated, she shook her head and changed the subject.
"Still, that was unexpected. If we go by pure cost, waiving my family's interest payments for three years would've been way more expensive."
Honestly, she had been suspicious when Fernan—reputed to be a money-obsessed miser—made such an offer in the first place.
At first, she thought the rumors were exaggerated. But seeing him now, fretting over every wasted coin, she was no longer sure what to believe.
"Different situations."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know why I love money?"
"Do I need to know?"
"Because with money, you can do anything."
"You're not even listening to me, are you."
"Money is possibility."
With money, you can accomplish what once seemed impossible.
With money, you can find solutions that didn't seem to exist.
With money, you can win over people who once seemed out of reach.
Money, in other words, is a universal treasure that can do anything.
"That's why money is precious. That's why it should be spent on something meaningful—on something valuable."
Not on trash like this—but on people like Luina.
The money he spent on Luina didn't feel wasted at all. Because he saw the potential in her—to become a future Royal Knight.
"There was no reason to waste all this on someone the two of us could've taken down easily."
Fernan's cold gaze shifted to the collapsed Berian. Only now did Luina have the presence of mind to properly look at him, and she gasped.
After being hit by dozens of traps and spells, it was no wonder he was on the brink of death.
You could even say that the only reason he was still alive was thanks to the demonic energy in his body.
"I'm sorry to ask this in the current situation, but… could you give him a potion? If we leave him like this, he'll die."
"…Yeah."
Fernan pulled out a potion and poured it over Berian's body.
No helping it.
He murmured under his breath.
"I'll just have to collect the cost of this from the bastard himself."
That was the law of the world since ancient times. And for that to happen, Berrian absolutely couldn't die.
But before that, he'd better start by recovering all the intact traps.