Chapter 231. Mark of Heresy
Venus spoke quietly to Radel.
“Do you know that? All magical beasts are actually descendants of dragons.”
Radel was a little surprised at the story he was hearing for the first ti.
Senior Venus wasn’t the type to just say anything without reason.
Guessing there must be a reason for bringing this up, Radel silently nodded his head.
“I see.”
“Yeah. Long ago, when dragons ruled the world, there were no such things as magical beasts. Magical beasts were born from where the dragons disappeared.”
To think there were no magical beasts at all.
Wouldn't that be a truly peaceful era?
Radel naturally thought of the modern world he used to live in.
A peaceful world where the only fierce beasts difficult for humans to face were things like lions or tigers.
Although it was a story from before the Gates opened…
Anyway, it was true that it was difficult to encounter fierce beasts in an ordinary city.
It ant that when dragons existed in this world, it was such a world.
‘Then that ans magical beasts appeared after the dragons disappeared.’
If magical beasts were descendants of dragons as Senior Venus said, did that an all magical beasts resembled dragons a little bit?
Images of the magical beasts he knew floated in Radel’s mind.
Wyverns that looked exactly like dragons except for the lack of wings.
Various magical beasts with glistening scales and strong claws.
Of course, there were magical beasts that resembled insects or large mammals rather than dragons, and there were also amorphous monsters with no fixed form, like slis.
He also thought of magical beasts with intelligence similar to humans and those that lived in groups.
There were many magical beasts that didn't seem to resemble dragons at all, but Radel could accept Venus’s words.
‘Polymorph.’
One of the abilities possessed by great dragons.
Considering the ability to transform into anything, it wasn't impossible to understand.
And the innate magic power possessed by magical beasts also supported Venus’s words.
Compared to humans who had to learn magic to use it, there were many cases where magical beasts could use magical abilities from birth.
Wouldn't that be the biggest characteristic of a dragon?
“...So, I like magical beasts.”
Venus muttered while stroking the Griffin’s back.
‘Senior Venus is indeed a mber of the Esven Marquisate.’
Radel nodded inwardly at his sincere words.
He had thought it was strange that Venus liked magical beasts, unlike the people of the Esven Marquisate who loved dragons so much.
However, he had fallen for magical beasts because they also resembled dragons.
It was very like soone from Esven who was sincere about dragons.
“I also like magical beasts.”
Radel sympathized with Venus’s words.
Before entering the Academy, magical beasts were just targets to be hunted when clearing a Dungeon, but Radel had co to know the charm of magical beasts while learning cryptozoology.
Now, he was feeling a new charm every day while encountering various magical beasts in the valley of cryptozoology.
At Radel’s words, the corners of Venus’s mouth went up slightly.
“I communicate well with you.”
DING.
[The target’s Affinity exceeds 10.]
[The target’s Affinity has beco 20.]
The sound of Senior Venus’s Affinity rising rang in Radel’s ears.
At the sa ti, Venus’s expression beca serious.
“...Be careful of the 4th Princess.”
“Yes? What do you...”
Radel looked at Venus in surprise at the sudden advice.
He thought he was a person who had no interest in anything other than magical beasts.
“The 4th Princess’s Ability is Primordial Origin.”
Venus, who was caressing the Griffin’s back, turned his head to look at Radel.
His blank eyes were unusually gleaming.
“If you trace it back, you will know what that origin is.”
The mont he heard those words, a certain conviction flashed through Radel’s mind.
Senior Venus knows exactly what the 4th Princess’s Ability is.
He must know not only the ability to turn into a magical beast but also sothing more.
For instance, the ability to turn into the ancestor of magical beasts…
Just as Senior Venus had just told him, he could sufficiently guess what that ancestor was.
‘You are telling such information?’
Even among the imperial family, they did not know everything about each other’s Ability.
It was natural not to reveal it as it could beco a weakness.
Just knowing more than others was advantageous.
Even knowing that, Radel felt grateful to Venus for giving him important information.
“Thank you, Senior.”
As Radel bowed his head in greeting, Venus whispered softly.
“The 4th Princess has been watching you continuously since earlier.”
* * *
“The winner of this Magical Beast Ball is!”
Professor Donton Murr shouted, spreading his arms wide.
“Red Wolf Dormitory!”
As soon as Professor Donton finished speaking, the stadium was filled with cheers.
“Wooooah!”
“It was an incredible match!”
Especially the cheers of the 4th-years, who were Red Wolf Dormitory students, seed to pierce the sky.
“Red Wolf Dormitory!”
“Woooo! Red Wolf!”
“Well done!”
The 4th-years climbed onto the podium, hugged the Magical Beast Ball championship cup, and shed tears.
“Thank goodness!”
“With this, we can escape from Professor Lilian’s demonic hands!”
“Keuheuk! It was so scary!”
It seed like strange sounds unrelated to the joy of victory were heard in the middle, but their sincerity was sufficiently felt.
Radel looked at the 4th-year seniors and understood their feelings.
‘No wonder they were too strong.’
It was natural for Academy 4th-year seniors to be strong, but he had felt a tenacity for victory that couldn't be explained by that alone.
Indeed, the professor in charge of the 4th-year Red Wolf Dormitory was none other than Professor Lilian.
With a terrifying professor standing behind them, they probably couldn't have been weak even if they wanted to.
“Prince, it is such a pity.”
“That’s right. The Griffin Kick you showed earlier was truly fantastic.”
The 1st-years, seeing the 4th-years lifting the championship cup, felt regretful and offered words of comfort to Radel.
Since Radel’s Griffin was the main player for the 1st-years, Radel had also created various techniques to beat the seniors.
Griffin Kick, Griffin Pass, Griffin Shoot, etc.
Every ti Radel showed a technique, the 4th-years were flustered by its power.
‘Griffin Shoot!’
BANG!
‘I-It’s a Griffin Shoot!’
‘What is that!’
‘I don’t know, just block it!’
However, as expected, 4th-years were 4th-years.
Unlike the 2nd-year seniors, no matter how much the Griffin’s belly shimred in front of their eyes, they did not fall for the temptation.
‘We have been watching Professor Donton’s wyvern for 4 years!’
‘Right! The Griffin is amazing, but we aren't weak enough to be shaken with victory ahead!’
‘It is unconditional victory only!’
The techniques Radel devised crumbled before the tenacity of the 4th-year seniors.
The skills of the seniors, who had accumulated experience participating in Magical Beast Ball for 4 years, were not easy to deal with.
Still, they took second place, so it was a decent result.
CLAP CLAP CLAP.
Radel was sending applause to congratulate the winners when he spotted Edward and his friends shouting from the stands.
“Prince! It was a truly aweso match!”
“Thanks to you, Prince, we won big!”
“Thank you, Prince!”
It seed Edward’s friends had made a huge bet on the Magical Beast Ball.
Next to them, Edward was wiping his face.
“...Stop it, you crazy bastards...”
Radel, who waved his hand to them, discovered other faces in one corner of the spectator seats.
It was exactly the 4th Princess Estina and her follower Kier.
It wasn't strange for Academy students to watch a Magical Beast Ball match, but after hearing Senior Venus’s words earlier, their presence didn't seem trivial.
‘They really were watching continuously.’
Radel waved his hand to the two of them as well.
After all, weren't they also spectators?
Estina turned her body as if offended by Radel’s action.
Then, Kier, who was standing next to her, was seen saying sothing to Estina.
‘Wait, thinking about it, isn't the sports festival an opportunity to et the 4th-year seniors?’
He didn't know if they were really watching him, but it worked out well.
Even within the sa Combat Magic major, it wasn't easy to et 4th-years.
Since conquering the tower was a daily routine for Combat Magic majors, it was difficult to see faces of other grades unless they bumped into each other on the middle floors.
In fact, since the eting with his direct senior, Radel hadn't t 4th-years for quite a long ti.
But if it was a sports festival, there were many opportunities to encounter other grades.
For Radel, who harbored suspicion that Estina’s follower Kier was a heretic, it was an opportunity he couldn't miss.
‘Good. I should check the mark during this sports festival.’
Radel decided to take action imdiately.
* * *
“Oops!”
Kier Iern, the follower and right-hand man of the 4th Princess, frowned at the sudden splash of water.
His uniform jacket had beco completely soaked.
“I am sorry, I didn't look ahead and...”
The person who bumped into Kier was wearing a black tie, which ant he was a student of the Black Falcon Dormitory, the 1st years at the Imperial Magic Academy.
The other party also seed flustered upon seeing Kier’s red tie and bowed his head.
“You are a 4th-year senior. I am truly sorry.”
Since he was still a 1st-year, a 4th-year would seem distant and high up.
Kier decided to have a generous heart befitting a 4th-year.
“It is fine. Mistakes can happen in life.”
He waved his hand toward the 1st-year who had spilled water on him.
But wasn't it a face he had seen a lot sowhere?
“Thank you for your understanding. Senior Kier. I was in a hurry going to prepare for the next match.”
The identity of the 1st-year smiling awkwardly at Kier was none other than the 8th Prince.
“Oh my, it’s all soaked. I will wipe it for you.”
As the 8th Prince approached while taking out a handkerchief, Kier instinctively took a step back.
The 8th Prince’s eyes felt sowhat ominous.
“No. It is fine, Prince. I can just go to the dormitory and change.”
“...Is that so.”
Radel withdrew his outstretched hand as if it was a pity.
He intended to check if a mark appeared on the body while pretending to wipe Kier’s uniform.
However, Kier avoided Radel’s handkerchief and left the spot hurriedly.
Radel smacked his lips while watching Kier’s retreating figure.
“Should I have sprayed it more properly.”
As Radel muttered, Gusto, who was watching nearby, revealed himself.
“No. You were precise.”
“If I sprayed it precisely, it ans he didn't react to the holy water... Did I see the wrong person?”
At Radel’s words, Gusto shook his head.
“High-ranking executives of the heretics have so strength to withstand holy water. Just as a priest with high Divine Power has resistance to Demonic Energy. If he infiltrated the Academy as a student, he wouldn't be ordinary.”
“So you an even a heretic can be fine after being hit with holy water.”
Radel realized the solution.
No matter how much he could withstand holy water, there would be a limit.
In other words, he just had to increase the amount!
“Then next ti, should I catch him and dunk him in holy water entirely? I have a lot of holy water.”
Just as Radel was thinking of the box of holy water he possessed, Kier rubbed his arms at the sudden goosebumps.
He couldn't explain it in words, but he felt a very bad feeling.
‘What is it?’
But there was no particular source he could guess.
He was one who served the great Archdevil Leviathan.
One who ruled darkness and manipulated people's desires.
It was natural to have nothing to fear.
‘That cannot be. It must be just a feeling.’
Without even dreaming that there was an existence daring to target him, Kier shook off the uncomfortable feeling and headed to the dormitory.
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