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Chapter 7 Part 1

Chapter 7 – The Former Demon King, Fights The Private Tutor

“A black arrow has been fired…!?”

Kachel Mieghem muttered. He was stunned when he saw the arrow that was shot towards the sky.

“Xellos-sama failed his examination!? After all the trouble I had gone through, he failed!?”

“He didn’t fail. He probably withdrew”

said Princess Iris Restia.

“There may have been some sort of issue. There is also the possibility of a re-examination. When the three of them come back, we’ll hear what they have to say”

“…I’ve… failed. I… me! Even after all the work I’ve done!!”

“…Kachel?”

The tutor, Kachel, did not respond to Princess Iris.

He crouched and started punching the ground with his fists as if he hadn’t heard anything.

“As I thought… this is wrong. Two hundred years have passed, but people still don’t understand the hierarchy. It is impossible to make the ignorant understand…. That’s why… the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’── !?”

“What are you doing, Kachel Mieghem!? You are being disrespectful to Her Royal Highness!”

“…That’s why the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ ── their will is to be inherited by ‘──────’”

Princess Iris turned pale at Kachel’s next choice of words.

It was the chanting of ‘Ancient Magic’.

“Get away from Kachel!”

“‘Sylph Summoning’  ‘Fire Spirit Summoning’!!”

In the next moment, birds of wind and lizards covered in flames appear around Kachel.

There were twelve of them. 

All at once, the birds and lizards descended upon the soldiers. 

“── G-Gahhhhh!?”

The soldiers’ limbs were lopped off, their faces burned, and they fell one by one.

“…Let’s move on to the second plan. I shouldn’t have relied on the child of a countryside noble in the first place. My career as a tutor was ── foolish!!”

“Stop it! Kachel Mieghem!!”

shouted Princess Iris.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing in front of her.

A private tutor in the service of a Baron family should not attack royal soldiers with magic.

“You are the son of the former minister, Longes Mieghem, aren’t you? Why are you doing this?!!”

“‘From ── The ── Darkness’ ── ‘Summon’ ‘The Black Beast’”

‘──── Uuuuoooo’

The birds of wind and the lizards covered in flames disappeared. Instead, a magic circle appeared in front of Kachel.

What emerged from there were three jet-black hounds.

Each has two heads and two tails. Their six pairs of eyes were as red as blood.

“Protect Her Royal Highness Princess Iris!”

“Shields up! Keep the monster away from her!!”

The soldiers formed a circle with Princess Iris at the center.

‘Gwaaarrggghhh’

The three beasts jumped towards the circle.

The soldiers thrust out their spears and attacked the beasts. But ── they couldn’t hit them.

The two different parties’ reaction speed was too different.

As the beasts dodged the soldiers’ spears, armors and shields were pierced with their claws, wounding the soldiers.

“Begone, you monsters! Activate, ‘Fire God’s Relentless Barrage, Ifrit Blow’!!”

Princess Iris’s ‘Ancient Magic’ created flames that flew towards the hounds.

However, she couldn’t hit them. The enemy was moving too fast.

“Odd… Kachel Mieghem shouldn’t have the magic power to control this many familiars…”

“You have such doubts, Your Royal Highness?”

Kachel gave a lopsided smile at Princess Iris’s question.

“Well, Kachel is just a magic tutor. The lowest rank in the ‘Magic Guild’. He is just a small fry trapped at the end of the line. Is that what you think?”

“I don’t think of you as a small fry!”

“My father, the minister, didn’t choose me as his successor. He chose an illegitimate child. And the royal family acknowledged it. They acknowledged it, you know?!!”

shouted Kachel.

“That’s why I had to show the royal family my true power. For that very reason, I wasted so much time in this countryside, for this family!!”

‘Gwaaarrggghhh!!!’

As if to agree with Kachel, the three hounds cried.

“It was a very boring jar being a magic tutor. A child with a bad ability to learn and an illegitimate child who doesn’t know his place. But now it’s over. I’ve succeeded in inviting the royal family on the pretext of an examination. Now is the time to raise the signal!!”

“…Signal…?”

“Yes. The resurrection of the great ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’!!”

The soldiers’ eyes widened in surprise upon hearing Kachel’s words.

‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

It is the organization of mages who first discovered the legacy of the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’ in the world.

They analyzed the ‘Ancient Magic’ and ‘Ancient Artifacts’ and made them their power.

Wielding their mighty power, they drove out all demi-humans and monsters with intelligence and expanded human territory.

Then, kings from various regions fought over the territory, and war broke out.

The war was supposed to end in a skirmish, but the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ intervened.

They used the war to benefit themselves and gain power. Thus, this had led to intensifying the war.

In the end, it led to the worst war of all, the ‘War of the Eight Kings’, in which eight kings fought each other over territory.

The ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ was destroyed because a sage stood up and stopped the Church’s rampage.

The ‘Ancient Artifacts’ were scattered, and most of the ‘Ancient Magic’ was also lost, but the war was over.

After the war, the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ became a taboo organization, and its members were executed.

The organization was destroyed. There should be nothing left of it.

“How could the great ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ be destroyed? Here is the legacy of their ‘Ancient Artifact’!! Sacrificial magic power!!”

Kachel Mieghem held up an amulet with a black stone on it.

“You should consider yourselves lucky to be able to witness the resurrection of the great ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’!”

‘Gwaaarrggghhh’

The beasts pounced on the soldiers.

“Gyaaaahhhh!”

The beasts’ claws tore through the shields, and their fangs bit into the soldiers’ arm.

In the meantime, another soldier thrusts his spear into the body of the beast. However ── it had no effect.

No blood flowed from the beast’s wounds. The beast’s enormous magic power quickly closed the wound.

“Originally, I was going to send Xellos Grossalia to the ‘Magic Guild’ and use him as a tool to revive the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’…”

Kachel laughed.

“Children are simple. If I could get them to only believe in me, I could fool them in no time. He didn’t even know he was just a tool to be used by me! But he fulfilled his role, at least. After all, he brought Princess Iris here. I’ll use the princess to turn this Baron’s household into a base for the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ ──”

“── Shut up”

A voice came out from the forest.

Iris turned her gaze and saw a small shadow running out of the forest.

“Yuuki Grossalia-sama!!”

“You’re back, huh?! But fire magic from that distance ──”

‘Gii’ ‘Gii-gii’ ‘Giii!!’

The princess heard a voice right above her.

She looked up and saw black wings flying in the sky. Bats. It was bats.

They flew in a cloud towards Kachel’s familiars.

Princess Iris moon-eyed.

The bats’ wings seemed to have a red crest on them.

“Characters? Symbols? No! That’s the ‘Fire God’s Relentless Barrage, Ifrit Blow’!?”

The wings of the bats started to lit up with a red light.

And then ──

Zudododododōntsu!!

Countless fire bullets shot out from the bats’ wings and rained down on Kachel and the black beasts!

“Gyyaaaaahhhhh!!”

‘Gwwaaaarrrgggghhhh!!’

Kachel and the beasts screamed.

“As I thought, it was the ‘Fire God’s Relentless Barrage, Ifrit Blow’!? But why from the wings of a bat!?”

The ‘Fire God’s Relentless Barrage, Ifrit Blow’ is the ‘Ancient Magic’ that Princess Iris has just acquired.

It’s not possible for a bat to fire it in rapid succession.

“Gyaaaahhhh! Stop. Stop it!!”

‘Gwaaarrggghhh!!’

Zudododododōntsu!!

The barrage of fire bullets did not stop.

Kachel used his magic to create a barrier and managed to defend against the barrage.

The beasts, however, took the rain of fire head-on.

The three black beasts were pierced by the fire bullets, burned, and disappeared.

“Now’s the time! Everyone. As soon as the fire bullets subside, charge in and seize Kachel!”

shouted Princess Iris.

“Get out of the way!”

Yuuki Grossalia’s voice stopped the princess and the soldiers from moving.

For a moment, goosebumps appeared on Princess Iris’s arms.

His voice was terrifyingly cold and full of anger.

“Ha-haha! The illegitimate child!? The illegitimate child of a Baron family used ‘Ancient Magic’!?”

The fire bullets stopped.

Kachel Mieghem shouts while pressing his wound with his burned robe.

“Impossible! This must be some sort of mistake. The filthy illegitimate child of a filthy Baron family just ── gyaaaahhhh!!”

“I told you to shut up”

She wondered when he pulled it out.

She wondered when he slashed him.

The next thing she knew, the boy was running past Kachel with a dagger in his hand.

Kachel’s left arm was gouged, and blood spurted out.

“…Did you see him draw his dagger?”

Princess Iris looked at the soldier next to her.

The soldier shook his head.

“I couldn’t see it. It was too fast”

“Amazing… who the heck is he?”

Neither Princess Iris nor the soldiers could move.

The boy, Yuuki Grossalia, completely dominated the area.

“I’m going to kill you”

said Yuuki Grossalia.

“You called my family a tool and tried to use my family. I’m going to kill you!”

It was as if he had already decided to do so.

Yuuki Grossalia proclaimed.

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Chapter 6 Part 4

“Listen to me, you stupid brother!!”

‘Fii!?’

“You’re annoying!!”

I struck the clinging bird with my fist.

‘──── Gii!?’

The bird made of magic power dispersed with a single blow.

Naturally, with two ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ spells in effect, the fists themselves have also been strengthened.

The back of my hand was ripped open and bled, but that’s okay!

“Wait, Xellos! Xellos Grossalia!!”

“Yuuki!?”

“Listen to me for once, you stupid brother!!”

“Why!? How can you run that fast!?”

“The effects of the ‘Ancient Artifact’s replica’ change depending on how you use your magic power! That’s how it’s supposed to work!!”

“T-That’s bullshit! How are you faster than me!!?”

“I understand. I’ll tell you then! I’m actually the reincarnation of a mage who died two hundred years ago! I have a mysterious aptitude for ‘Ancient Magic’! Because of that, the effect of the spell is doubled. I can move twice as fast and have twice as much physical strength!! So how did that sound? Do you understand now? You stupid brother!!”

“Even now, you still talk nonsense!” 

Xellos nii-sama kicked a tree, changed his direction, and came running towards me.

“I’m going to silence your impudent talk!! Yuuki!!”

“You’re finally looking at me, Xellos nii-sama!!”

“Yeah, I never liked you!!”

“I know! You don’t like illegitimate children, do you!?”

“You’re wrong!! You annoy me! I joined the ‘Magic Guild’ to prove that I’m superior to you!! It was troublesome! The ‘Ancient Magic’ and the studies!! If it weren’t for you, none of this would have happened!!”

“Don’t you dare blame this on me!!”

“Shut up!! ‘Ancient Magic’ ── ‘Sylph Summoning’  ‘Fire Spirit Summoning’”

Nii-sama started drawing out two intricate crests with his finger.

‘Giii!’ ‘Gyuooo!!’

A bird of the wind and a lizard covered in flames appeared from the two summoning circles.

“Summoning magic!? Isn’t this the part where nii-sama and I exchange blows!?”

“I’m a legitimate child! The one who will join the ‘Magic Guild’ and raise the Grossalia family’s name, Xellos Grossalia! That’s why I’ll defeat you with everything I’ve got!!”

“Bring it on!!”

I ran towards nii-sama with the speed boost from the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ spell.

“Go! ‘Sylph’  ‘Salamander’! Make Yuuki kneel before me!!”

“Go to hell! I’m not going to let such a tiny monster like that stand in the way of the ‘Monster, Nosferatu’!”

I use my fists to slay the blue bird and my dagger to kill the flame lizard.

In the meantime, I took a few steps to close the distance while nii-sama activated the summoning magic again.

As expected of ‘Ancient Magic’ summoning. It’s fast and can be used continuously.

However, I’m the ‘Monster, Nosferatu’. My cheek was cut by the bird’s wing, but it didn’t matter. The flames burned my clothes, but it didn’t matter. I’ll ignore the wounds and say goodbye to the Grossalia family here anyway.

I’m going to beat up Xellos nii-sama and Kachel so that I won’t have any regrets!

“Yuuki… you…. Your hands are… bleeding!!”

“Now, do you understand that I’m the ‘Monster, Nosferatu’? You stupid brother”

“No, you’re not. You’re family. I’m… I’m…”

Just in time.

I held my fists over my head.

If I hit him with two ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ spells still in effect, he would die, so I canceled one of them and kept only one active.

After all, Xellos nii-sama has to manage the Grossalia family.

Just like a fight between human brothers, I’ll hit him just enough to keep him from getting hurt.

“Grit your teeth!! Don’t bite your tongue!! And stand firm, too!! Xellos nii-sama!!!”

My fist hit Xellos nii-sama in the stomach.

“Ugh! Yuuki ── you…”

Xellos nii-sama’s body tumbled and lay down on the grass.

The amulet that nii-sama was holding was also blown away.

“…It hurts”

Blood began to flow from the wound on my right hand and splattered all over Xellos nii-sama’s face and arms.

My right hand hurts like hell.

As I thought, it was too reckless to fight against familiar spirits with my bare hands….

“…No… I wasn’t… planning to hurt a member of my family… Yuuki is… bleeding… hurt…”

“Get up, Xellos nii-sama”

I grabbed Xellos nii-sama by the arm and pulled him up.

“You can do what you want with the Grossalia family. After all, I’m an illegitimate child. I’ve told you many times that I’m not interested in the peerage. If you think I’m lying, then so be it. Instead, from here on out, I’m going to leave the Grossalia family. As the ‘Monster, Nosferatu’”

“…Yuuki. You…”

“If you want to remold the Grossalia family as you see fit, so be it. But I won’t allow you to mess with my family. If I stop by here in the future and see that something happens to Rumia and Martha, I won’t forgive you, nii-sama. I don’t care if it’s the Grossalia family or the magic guild. I will use my entire being as a monster… to crush you”

“…U-Ua”

Nii-sama’s body began to tremble, and he plops down on the ground as I let go of his hand.

It seems like I’m exhausted, too.

I’ve done it.

I revealed my true identity and used twice the amount of ‘Ancient Magic’. I’m completely exhausted. 

…Let’s get out of here before someone comes.

“What on earth are you guys doing over there?!!”

Suddenly, I heard a voice.

A person walks towards the exit of the forest. It’s Barnes-san with the axe.

“We don’t allow examinees to fight against each other! Just what on earth are you guys doing here?!!”

“…T-This is”

Xellos nii-sama looked at Barnes-san and me.

I revealed my true identity to nii-sama, and he will probably tell Barnes-san about it.

After all, nii-sama has no reason to stand up for me.

My human life ends here.

Barnes-san is the princess’s bodyguard. There’s no reason for him to let me, the ‘Monster, Nosferatu’ go.

I’ll ask Dick and the other bats to slow him down, and then I’ll use that opportunity to escape to the mountains. After that, I’ll be leading a vagabond life.

What a pain.

If possible, I wish I could have said goodbye to Martha.

“This is… just a fight between brothers. Barnes-sama”

…Nii-sama?

“I was the one who charged at Yuuki, and he fought back. That’s all”

“…Hey, Xellos nii-sama”

I put my face close to nii-sama’s ear.

“…Aren’t you going to tell him my true identity?”

“…How can I tell him that!? You idiot!!”

He was furious.

“…If anyone finds out that there’s a monster in the Grossalia family, the family would be ruined. As the legitimate son, I have to protect our family”

“Is that so?”

“…And besides, I have no way of confirming who you really are. But you see… I’ve lost. You’ve made it clear that I’m no match for you……. It’s somewhat refreshing”

Nii-sama slumped his shoulders tiredly and picked up the fallen amulet.

“I knew it was a lie that you were bad-mouthing me. But I have to make the Grossalia family comparable to the high-ranking nobles. To do that, I need to obey Kachel-sensei. That’s why I had to believe in his words. While I was thinking about that… I… began to think that what that man had said was… true…”

“…Nii-sama is too serious”

“…Shut up. You’re just my younger brother”

“You haven’t called me your younger brother for a long time. Xellos nii-sama”

“Yeah, you’re my younger brother. So don’t go off on your own”

“…Well” 

“I don’t want Rumia to cry after you’re gone, and I also don’t want Her Royal Highness Princess Iris to get suspicious. I have to protect the Grossalia family. I can’t let our family be ruined because of me. So… don’t leave”

“……All right. Seriously. Humans are troublesome”

It seems like nii-sama is not going to tell anyone about me.

If he is fine with that, then… all is well.

There’s no way for me to prove that I’m a reincarnation of Dean Nosferatu either.

It also seems hard to live a vagabond life at the age of thirteen.

I can always leave at any time, after all.

“Are you done talking? So what do you want to do now? Will you continue the examination, Xellos Grossalia?”

Barnes-san thrust the butt of his axe into the ground.

“The aptitude examination also includes fighting me. You don’t have to defeat me. You just have to use magic to avoid the attack and get through the forest. If you can do that, I will approve you to join the ‘Magic Guild’”

“I withdraw”

Nii-sama brushed off the dirt from his trousers and stood up.

As it is, he bowed deeply to Barnes-san.

“I don’t have what it takes to join the ‘Magic Guild’. I’ve… strengthened ancient magic with dirty means ──”

“Are you sure you want to withdraw?”

“Yes. I’ve already decided”

“I understand”

Barnes-san put down his axe and then took out a small bow and arrow from his back instead.

He also pulled out a red cloth and a black cloth from his pocket and explained quickly. The red cloth is a sign of passing, and the black cloth is a sign of failing.

Slowly, Barnes-san tied the black cloth to the arrow.

As if waiting for nii-sama’s reaction, he pointed the arrow to the sky and drew the bow, but nii-sama said not a single word. 

So Barnes-san fired off the arrow to the sky.

“With this, Her Royal Highness should now know the results of the examination. Well done, you two”

“May I ask you a question, Barnes-san?”

“What is it? Xellos Grossalia”

“Is it true that Yuuki saved Barnes-sama?”

“Yes”

Barnes-san nodded readily.

I was hoping he would dodge that question.

“I’m certain of it. That’s why Her Royal Highness and I mistook Xellos Grossalia for Yuuki Grossalia. Her Royal Highness meant no harm. I apologize for our disrespect”

“No, that’s all right”

Xellos nii-sama relaxed his shoulders and laughed.

“…As I thought, I’m no match for Yuuki…”

Just as nii-sama uttered those words ──

“────── !!”

Suddenly, there came screams from the other side of the forest.

That’s where the princess is.

“We’ll talk later. Let’s head back to Her Royal Highness. Follow me!!”

Barnes-san started running towards the entrance of the forest.

Xellos nii-sama and I looked at each other and then followed suit.

For a moment, the face of the princess appears in my mind.

The face looked just like Alice, Lyle’s daughter, and Lyle, who I deemed my child in my previous life. 

“Sorry. Xellos nii-sama, I’ll go ahead first”

I once again activated my ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ x2 spell.

Xellos nii-sama can’t keep up. He seems to be wobbling on his feet. Probably because of that attack I did earlier.

I overtook Barnes-san and continued onwards.

“…Her Royal Highness Princess Iris, huh?”

Seriously.

If she didn’t look so much like Alice, I’d leave her alone.

Lyle and Alice are both… resonating in my mind.

They’re really troublesome children. Seriously!

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