The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

"…do vampires' bodies actually get younger when they lose their power?"

Alice Blesbuck smiled at my question.

"No, of course not. The person in that photo isn't Natalia Milited. Well — to be precise, she is Natalia Milited, but that isn't her body."

She let the cryptic remark hang, and her lips curved into an even deeper smile.

"It's a homunculus body Ryle and I put quite a bit of effort into making."

When she finished, she ran her tongue lightly across her dry lips.

Fangs sharper than an ordinary person's flashed briefly into view and glinted.

"But the mind is entirely Natalia Milited's."

"You mean…"

She spoke in a calm voice.

"It used to be dismissed as pure fantasy. And… the two of us have finally pulled it off."

Though it requires extremely restrictive conditions to be met, she added.

Having said that much, Alice Blesbuck — for whatever reason — began launching into a lecture.

"First, you need someone who carries the recipient's genetic information… at minimum, the blood and mana of a direct relative like a parent, child, or sibling. And a tremendous amount of it. The blood serves to bind the soul in place and disorient it so it doesn't slip free during the procedure. Draw that much from an ordinary person and they'd die over and over before you got enough."

"Ah, I see."

"On top of that, the recipient's body has to be tough enough to endure the procedure — and I can guarantee you the number of people who meet just that second condition isn't even in the triple digits. Combine the two, and you can say there's essentially no one. And the most important condition of all…"

"Professor."

Kath Ryle, who had been standing silently beside her, gently cut her off.

When Alice Blesbuck looked over, he spoke in a quiet voice.

"Aren't there more important things to discuss than that?"

"Ah… right. There are…"

Alice Blesbuck trailed off, looking a little embarrassed.

She turned to me, cleared her throat, and went on:

"Sorry — I got carried away talking about something only I find interesting."

"Not at all. It was interesting."

"Oh, really? Then actually, here's the thing…!"

Kath Ryle cleared his throat once more, and Alice Blesbuck flinched.

She mumbled in a slightly subdued voice.

"…To get to the point — Ji-hyeok, you're familiar with the conditions for breaking Seven Calamity Milited's seal, right?"

"You mean the four alchemists?"

"Right. Though more precisely, it isn't 'four alchemists' so much as what those four represent."

Alice Blesbuck nodded quietly.

"Four is the most stable number. It also implies completeness, wholeness, order, and rationality. As you know, those kinds of meanings and symbols carry special weight in alchemy. And the number four holds great significance in Milited's seal as well."

She paused to catch her breath, blinking as if to gather her thoughts.

"…Let me cover some alchemy basics for a moment. One of the first concepts a beginner learns is the three primes. Mercury, salt, and sulfur. Each carries multiple meanings, but symbolically, the most important ones are spirit, body, and soul."

"…So to break Milited's seal, those three have to be satisfied?"

"Right. You need alchemists — or equivalent mana-bearing entities — to fulfill the spirit, body, and soul conditions individually."

"Then what about the fourth?"

She shook her head regretfully.

"I don't know the specifics. But I suspect… the last element might be tied directly to Milited herself."

At her words, I couldn't help glancing at Kath Ryle.

A homunculus born from Seven Calamity Milited's own body.

That was exactly what Kath Ryle was.

"So…"

Having finished her explanation, Alice Blesbuck tapped the photo with a long, slender finger.

"My mother, Natalia Milited — much as I hate to admit it — is more than qualified to be called a Great Alchemist. Which means she can fill one of those four slots."

The girl in the photo bore a certain resemblance to Alice Blesbuck.

"I'd love nothing more than to wipe out her soul along with everything else, but killing a True Ancestor–class vampire carelessly creates problems that are hard to clean up afterward. On top of that, she might have arranged an escape route the way Miss Jin Ye-jeong did."

"Ah, so that's why…! That's why you locked her inside a newly made homunculus."

"Right. I plan to keep her like this until I find a way to kill her for good. I tore out every organ she'd need for alchemy or mana use, and her body is weaker than a child's in muscle and stamina, so she can't try anything reckless. She couldn't even break out of an ordinary pair of handcuffs."

She let out a mocking laugh.

"I plan to look after her with all the same care she once showed me."

There was something chilling about her in that moment, and I couldn't help flinching.

"…So then why have you come here? It doesn't sound like the issue is with Natalia Milited in that state… is it about the 'original' Natalia Milited's body?"

"Bingo. Sharp as ever."

She nodded.

"With her soul gone, the original body's basically just an empty shell. We were going to hold onto it ourselves… but our defenses got breached not long ago, in a rather absurd way. So just to be safe, I came here. As everyone knows, the World Tree clan's detection and barrier abilities are second to none. And the clan head graciously agreed to take charge of sealing it."

She wasn't wrong.

The accepted wisdom was that no one could breach the World Tree clan's territory — even the legendary Shadow Walker had reportedly tried and failed.

Anyone short of someone with Minerva's overwhelming might, or an exceptional case like Lee Jae-jun — the former leader of the Thorn Cross Congregation — wouldn't even attempt it.

"Then why did you ask to see me separately? You said the discussion was already over."

"Hmm… actually, there's something I wanted to talk over with you about Natalia Milited's condition."

I paused at that, taking a moment to gather my thoughts.

The only one of them I'd actually met was Gracius Milited.

I'd never met the other two, Natalia Milited included.

The only thing connecting me to her was the severed ankle Jin Ye-seul had once brought me, calling it a "gift."

"…Understood. When should I come by?"

At my answer, Alice Blesbuck smiled, looking relieved.

"Whenever works. Sooner the better. Honestly, I was going to suggest you come with me right now, but…"

She gazed at me steadily and gave a small smile.

Something about her look made me self-conscious, and I shifted in my seat — only to realize my legs didn't reach the floor and were dangling off the chair.

"In that body, it's not really the time, is it? And it looks like you already have plans."

I nodded silently.

She rose from her seat, and Kath Ryle handed me something.

A phone number was written on the slip of paper.

"Memorize it and burn it. I'd rather not go this far, but with the Association, the Six Stars, and now Milited's Children all in the picture, I figured better safe than sorry."

I took the note and burned it, and she gave me a small wave, as if her business with me was done.

Just then, Kath Ryle — who had been watching me carefully — stepped over and asked,

"Want me to lift you down?"

"No, I'm fine. I can get down on my own."

He nodded as if to say "all right," and stepped back.

A moment later, Alice's mildly surprised voice came from nearby.

"Oh my — were you waiting outside this whole time?"

Lee Ye-eun was standing there.

She was eyeing Kath Ryle meaningfully, and under her gaze, he raised both hands a little and said,

"I was just trying to help."

"I can see that."

With that, she strode into the room.

For some reason, her expression was heavy.

"Well then, we'll be going. We'll come back to see you again later."

Alice and Kath Ryle left their farewells and slipped out almost as if they were fleeing.

The vaguely uncomfortable atmosphere made me shift in my seat once more.

"……"

As if to take their place, Lee Ye-eun sat down where they had been and looked at me without a word.

How much time passed like that, I couldn't say.

"…Could we talk for a bit?"

Her sudden switch to formal speech didn't surprise me.

I just looked back at her, unhurried.

Her eyes were heavy, weighed down.

At the edges of my vision, I could see World Tree branches sprouting here and there.

Her way of shutting out uninvited guests, I figured.

"About what?"

She gave a small smile at my reply.

"Hm, all right. But before we get into anything serious, let's loosen up a little."

She tilted her head.

"What's my favorite food?"

"Huh?"

"It's just a quick quiz. Take a guess."

I thought for a moment before answering.

"I dunno… chocolate?"

"Wrong. It's crème brûlée."

She named a food I'd never heard of, then laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them.

Her pale green hair — like a forest given form — fell quietly around her face.

"All right then… what's my favorite color?"

"Green?"

With her fingers still laced, she crossed her index fingers into an X.

"I like jade best."

"…Didn't know that."

"Now you do. So — last question."

Her golden eyes gleamed as they fixed on me.

"What was my childhood dream?"

This one, I knew well.

I smiled a little and answered.

"World conquest."

She looked like she hadn't expected me to actually get it right, and a small smile crept onto her face.

"I almost would've been a little hurt."

After that murmur, she gave a small nod, as if to say it was my turn to ask one.

I thought for a moment, then remembered something I'd heard once.

"How many seconds does it take for a person's blood to loop all the way around the body?"

"……"

The faint smile Lee Ye-eun had been wearing turned icy in an instant.

She unlaced her fingers and straightened her head.

"How would I know something like that?"

"……"

I caught what I'd done wrong right away, but it was already too late to take it back.

Lee Ye-eun studied me with cold eyes for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

"…Can I trust her?"

"Who?"

"Who else? That woman who's set up shop right next to you — inside your shadow, no less."

She was looking me dead in the eye.

"The fact that I have feelings for you isn't news anymore, so I won't pretend otherwise. Honestly, I have no idea why I fell for an idiot like you, but…"

After what I'd just pulled, I had no leg to stand on, and just gave an awkward smile.

At that, her face — locked on mine until then — gradually flushed red.

She quietly turned her head, brushing off my eyes as naturally as she could manage.

"…I'm not saying this out of jealousy or anything, so don't get the wrong idea. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Your answer's… anyway, I'm not the only one suspicious of her. You know that, right? Everyone around you is on guard against that Seven Calamity — yes, Minerva."

I nodded at her words.

It only made sense, really, if you thought about it for even a moment.

Asking people to trust someone they'd been fighting tooth and nail against just days ago was absurd from the start.

To be fair, even I couldn't explain why I'd opened up to Minerva like this.

I could only vaguely guess it had something to do with the resonance phenomenon we'd experienced while crossing blades.

"While I was waiting for the clothes to arrive for your shrunken self… she came and brought something up with me."

"With you? Minerva came to you first?"

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"She asked for the information I'd mentioned before — about the people targeting you."

I looked at Lee Ye-eun.

She slowly turned her head and met my gaze again.

"What do you think I did?"

"…You told her."

She nodded.

"Right. Threat levels, personal information, objectives, locations — I told her everything. Like I said before, I have a key informant inside the Association. Since Choi Jun-hyeong, the Six Stars' leader, was the one making contact with them, getting hold of the information was a piece of cake. All we had to do was lift what he'd already pulled together."

"……"

I kept my mouth shut.

Lee Ye-eun smiled brightly and said,

"I'd been realizing how soft I'd gotten since I started seeing you. Letting the Association flunkies run their smear campaign, then settling for tossing the backlash back at them and burying them socially — that's where I'd left it. So when she asked, the timing was perfect."

I nodded slowly.

Then, quietly, I said to her,

"I'm sorry."

She froze at the sudden apology, then shot back at me sharply,

"…For what? What in the world are you apologizing for?"

Of all moments to be stuck in a child's body, why this one.

I swallowed a resentment with no clear target.

"That should've been my job to handle. But the situation got messy and I dragged my feet, and you ended up getting blood on your hands instead."

She clamped her mouth shut, looking flustered, and I gave a small smile.

"…You must've agonized over it before you told me. You knew I should hear it, but you didn't want to dump guilt on me, so you put it the way you did."

"……"

"I'll say it again — thank you. And I'm really sorry for putting you through all that. But I'm not the kind of guy who'd just fall apart over something like this. So you don't need to handle me with kid gloves on my account."

At that, Lee Ye-eun suddenly shot me a prim glare.

Then she muttered in a small voice — but one loud enough for me to hear,

"…You sniffled and bawled like a kid in front of me when Sbeungali got into your head, and now you're acting tough because you're the older one. You let only me see you like that — and now you tell me not to worry? How? You really do have some nerve."

At her words, Sbeungali — who'd been quiet inside me — grumbled about being dragged into things when he hadn't done anything.

"And you know what — this is actually starting to piss me off. You couldn't read the room earlier to save your life, but at moments like this you're practically psychic."

"Haha…"

"Be honest. You knew all along and you're playing dumb to keep me on the line, aren't you? Just in case the rose-colored glasses ever come off."

"What? It's not like that. Like I could string anyone along to begin with."

I waved my hands as if to plead innocence, but Lee Ye-eun just gave me a dubious look.

After a moment, though, she let out a deep sigh, as if she just couldn't win.

"Oh well — the one who falls first loses, right?"

With that, she slowly rose from her seat.

"The reason you look like this today is entirely that Seven Cala— I mean, Minerva, isn't it? Honestly, I'd love nothing more than to slip you into my pocket and run off somewhere far away…"

But I'll let it slide today, she murmured, and winked at me.

"In exchange, after her, you'll go on a date with me, right? If you really hate being a kid, you can come as an adult."

"No… that'd be a crime. Besides, I keep telling you — I'm way older than I look."

At my flustered reply, she shot back, brash as anything,

"How old were you?"

"What?"

"Your real age, I mean."

"…Twenty-eight."

Lee Ye-eun let out a snort at my answer.

"What — the way you act so grown-up, I figured you were pushing forty."

"What?"

Paying no mind to my dumbfounded reaction, she walked past me and added,

"I've said what I came to say, so I'll be off. And… don't get too clingy with her."

I was about to say something, then realized whatever I said would only earn me another of her strange smiles, and decided to keep my mouth shut.

Right. That was the plan, anyway.

"Eek — eeek?!"

Startled by Lee Ye-eun's shrill scream, I practically tumbled off the chair.

I rushed over to her side — she'd half-collapsed onto the floor — and once I got there, all I could do was stand beside her and stare blankly out the doorway.

[…Y-you.]

Minerva was standing in the doorway.

The first thought that crossed my mind on seeing her was that, mercifully, she could conjure clothing with her abilities and so hadn't ended up in the same situation I had.

[I-I overlooked the fact that the doppelgänger of the shadow I dwell within is one and the same as you… When I called upon my own mana, then drew upon you, suddenly this…]

A girl — a great horn jutting from her forehead and a tiny tail poking out at her waist — sniffled as she looked at me.

[F-for I, who once made heaven and earth tremble, to fall into such an unsightly state… 'tis the height of shame.]

The situation was simple.

Minerva, like me, had been turned into a child.

"……"

Landschi set down the phone he was holding.

Most of the pawns he'd arranged on the board — convenient little pieces, in his estimation — had gone silent on him.

In a single day.

He knew exactly what that meant, and let out a small sigh.

And…

"That mammal scum, lower than vermin…"

It was rare for him to let his irritation show, but he made no effort to mask it now as he growled low in his throat.

He felt — ever so slightly, in a way unlike himself — the need to act.

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