Surviving as a Villain at the Academy - Chapter 181



181 – There’s a Devil in the Mage Tower. (8)

As soon as the Emperor’s order to audit the Mage Tower was issued, Edmund moved.

However, Edmund anticipated that this audit wouldn’t be easy. He didn’t expect them to accept the crystal ball containing the suspicious carriage’s image, handed to him by Frah, so readily.

Of course, it showed vagrants and elders who had lost their way alighting from the carriage against the backdrop of the Mage Tower… But still.

They could deny knowing about the disappearances, or they might say that listening to the Holy Kingdom and auditing the Mage Tower is an overreaction.

They might even claim the crystal ball was tampered with.

A forceful confrontation might be inevitable.

Edmund kept all possibilities open.

Human experimentation had been a law established since the empire built the Mage Tower, and violating it was tantamount to treason. Even if the instigator was a member of the imperial family.

The reactions of those involved in the treason were clear at a glance.

He sought out Sir Ethan Crassus, the commander of the imperial knights. A clash with the Mage Tower could occur, so someone who could ensure absolute safety was necessary.

But that alone was not enough. The opponent was the Mage Tower. The mages of the Mage Tower were among the empire’s finest. Naturally, half-hearted forces would not stand a chance.

Especially since the mages of the imperial Mage Tower mainly developed combat magic rather than simple domestic spells.

The Mage Tower was established to bolster firepower in war, so naturally, a powerful force capable of withstanding their firepower was needed.

Especially in terms of magical power.

Naturally, the names of Prach and Asti came to Edmund’s mind. After much thought, he decided to take Prach with him for the inspection.

And Asti as well.

He knew his son’s skills were already somewhat transcendent.

He had long surpassed the level of a mere academy student, and his recent exploits in the holy nation suggested he had even surpassed the level of an average knight. His prowess was not limited to swordsmanship.

There were occasional whispers that Prach’s magical abilities surpassed those of the average Mage Tower mage.

Indeed, his son was a genius whose achievements were beyond capable, recording a level of accomplishment that was nonsensical… It wouldn’t be strange to place him among the historical greats.

Of course, Prach himself would not admit it, but Edmund could objectively assess his son’s strength.

After all, it was Prach who had informed the imperial leadership of the clues to this incident, so not bringing his son to the inspection would be absurd.

“So, Prach, you will also be taken for the inspection.”

“Understood.”

“You accept readily. There might be a violent clash with the Mage Tower.”

“I have already considered that. If you are taking me, Father, it must be because I am strong.”

Prach responded to Edmund’s words, sipping his tea.

“That’s correct.”

“And Asti will come too, right? You know as well, Father. Asti’s talent is extraordinary.”

“I’m well aware of that. Wasn’t it that child who taught you magic? I know you never deeply studied magic before.”

Edmund clearly remembered that Prach had never been keen on learning magic properly before. Despite his beloved Aris’s fondness for magic, Prach had not been so inclined.

But things changed after Asti came along.

“That’s right. Asti said so. That I too am overflowing with magical talent.”

Could it really be just a matter of talent? No matter how much magic is a discipline of talent, without an excellent teacher, that talent would fade.

“It must be because of the excellent teacher. Anyway, let Asti know as well. The inspection schedule has been set.”

“When is it?”

“In three days.”

“The timeline is tight. Do we have any other forces besides Sir Ethan and ourselves?”

“Of course, we do. The Emperor has granted permission. If the Tower of Magic resists or anything, we can threaten them with charges of treason. And once the audit produces evidence, we can subdue and detain everyone in the Tower.”

“Treason, you say?”

“If they resist the audit, it must be because they have something to hide. There’s no institution in the Empire that would refuse an audit without cause. And so far, the Tower has been free from various issues. Under the pretext that we must not harm the autonomy of the magicians, they have enjoyed their freedom. In other words, regardless of whether their finances are in ruins, they have complied with the audits. After all, they knew they wouldn’t be pressured.”

Edmund paused for a moment to sip his tea.

“I see.”

“From the very establishment of the Imperial Tower of Magic, human experimentation was an absolute taboo. Any magician who led such experiments has always been dealt with for treason.”

“It might turn into a fierce fight. Once accused of treason, the only way out is to flee the Empire. But, um…”

“Yes?”

“As far as I know, there’s a member of the royal family in the Tower… Would they also be charged with treason?”

“Are you referring to Lord Dellagio?”

“Yes.”

“There are no exceptions. If the human experiments are true, then even they will be charged with treason,” he said, setting down his teacup.

* * *

“So, who’s this additional force?”

Back in my room, I lay down next to Asti, who was rolling around on my bed, and told her about the Tower of Magic audit happening in three days.

“Who else? Obviously, the priests from the Holy Nation who started this whole mess.”

“Does that mean Adrian too?”

“Yes.”

“I thought as much. It seems the royal family has sensed something too.”

“Without the crystal ball, it would have been difficult to proceed with the audit immediately. But since that’s been taken care of, actions can be expedited.”

“But if the audit starts so soon, I wonder if Aime will quickly slip away…?”

“That’s why I’m entrusting it to you. If the Tower Master or other magicians engage in a violent clash, they’ll inevitably neglect Aime…”

“Are you sure? I was supposed to deal with the Tower guys with you.”

At her words, I nodded. With the forces my father has gathered from all over, there’s no need for me to confront the Tower Master directly.

In other words, I can leave Aime’s handling to Asti.

“Now that we have some leeway, let’s change the plan. Our target is Aime, not the Tower. Even if the Tower Master is a Grand Magician, I can now face one.”

No matter how strong the Tower Master is, it’s unlikely they could handle the Saintess, the Commander of the Royal Knights, and me all at once. Besides, I have Salus with me, so it’s unlikely the fight will be as tough as to worry about.

Thank you, Father…!

“What shall we do with Aime? Just kill her?”

“Kill her.”

There’s no benefit to keeping her alive anymore. Just kill her cleanly, and blow up the magic tower while we’re at it.

They’re madmen who participated in that insane experiment. There was no reason to keep them alive.

Of course, considering Aime’s characteristics as Asti mentioned, there might be some who are brainwashed by Aime… But once someone is brainwashed by a demon, there’s no turning back. Brainwashing completely transforms a person’s thought process, unlike mere enchantment.

Especially since they are magicians. Who knows what they might do, knowingly or unknowingly. So, they must be disposed of.

“Got it. I like it clean.”

From noble mtl dot come

Her response was as cheerful as if she were going to kill a bug. It was only natural.

Aime may have gathered strength through her antics, but the gap between a high demon and a superior demon is of a different dimension.

The gap between a high demon and a superior demon is even greater than that between a low demon and a high demon. Perhaps, Aime would have to continue such acts for hundreds of years before she could even reach the feet of a superior demon.

In short, becoming a superior demon is not a position one can achieve through mere effort.

Birth. How powerfully one is born.

And Asti was of the highest echelon by birth. It’s a natural story. After all, she was one of Deus’s first creations, along with Michael and Lucifer.

There were virtually no demons that could trouble her. At most, maybe Lucifer and Baal.

From the moment Asti set out to capture Aime, this affair was as good as a walkover.

“This task seems quite easy~”

“Indeed. A breather, at last.”

“But what if this leads to more trouble? I’ve never seen things go according to your plans.”

“I wish you wouldn’t speak of worries.”

I sincerely feared another unexpected variable might pop up. Then Asti, with a slight smile on her lips, said,

“Hehe. It’s just a joke, a joke. Surely it won’t happen.”

“It always seems that ‘surely’ has hindered the smooth progress of things.”

“Not this time. It won’t take long to capture Aime, so no need to worry.”

“True. With Salus around… it might not be too difficult. It was no joke when we used it last time.”

“That’s right. You worry too much. What if there’s a variable? Just smash it. That’s what we’ve always done, right?”

“Haha. True that.”