Ragfrid offered us a seat first.
She then explained to Valtraus why the previous youngest sibling was essentially dead.
She declared that if the ‘third’ was dead due to the absence of memory, then the one who lost their memory and established a new self was the ‘fourth.’
Since blood relations are not determined by the presence or absence of memory, she announced that she would continue to treat me as her youngest brother.
‘Actually, it’s not that I lost my memory, but that the soul was swapped…. If she knew the truth, I wonder if she could still treat me as her brother while bringing up the blood flowing through this mere body?’
It was impossible to voice these thoughts aloud.
Instead of responding to her, I attempted to change the subject by throwing a question at Valtraus.
“More importantly, Brother. Weren’t you going to explain what happened at the Marble Hall?”
“Ah…! That’s right. I forgot because the shock of seeing Sister cry was too great.”
Fortunately, Valtraus immediately recalled his original purpose.
Ragfrid also realized the severity of the matter and stopped her nonsense.
“Now that I look, there is blood on the Familiar’s body. Tell me in detail what happened.”
“Around the time the banquet began, the ground suddenly shook, unfamiliar plants grew in an instant, and monsters appeared. Just like the contents of the report we checked yesterday.”
“And? Surely you didn’t do something dangerous like the youngest, did you?”
It seemed Ragfrid had taken what I said in the previous chapter to heart and decided to look after Valtraus as well.
However, Valtraus did not know this context.
Naturally, a look of discomfort spread across his face—.
“…It’s not that. The Imperial Guards stepped forward immediately to deal with the monsters. However, since they couldn’t possibly kill the monsters with their abilities, I did grant them a Buff.”
“Then why is your Familiar in such a state?”
“To explain that…”
“Did you get targeted by the monster because you were using a Buff?”
“I’m still speaking, so please just listen quietly! Don’t act like you’re worried and cut me off for no reason when it’s something you never do!”
—He looked genuinely taken aback, even grimacing at his sister’s unusual behavior.
It seemed he was annoyed because he wanted to finish sharing information quickly and go rest, but kept being interrupted.
It was an extremely natural reaction.
‘Even if she’s clumsy at expressing concern and showing interest, there’s a limit…’
Because she asked questions in succession with her characteristic cold, monotonous tone.
Since she was in a hurry to resolve her own curiosity, it could only sound like she was prying under the guise of worry.
This is probably why the saying ‘you need to have eaten meat to know how to eat it’ exists.
“…I’m sorry. I’ll stay quiet, so finish your explanation.”
Eventually, Ragfrid slumped her shoulders and promised not to ask any more questions.
Only then did Valtraus continue conveying the information.
“The monster was so strong that even a dozen Imperial Guards struggled to even bind its feet. This was despite me giving them a Buff and the daughter of the Sudri family supporting them with healing powers. So, if anyone could fight, whether they were human or a Familiar, they had to add their strength.”
“If it’s that much, it must be a much stronger individual than the monster that appeared at the Academy. At any rate, the monster I encountered could be handled by the students.”
I subtly added the information that ‘the strength of monsters varies widely, and the one that appeared at the Graduation Ceremony hall was the weakest of the weak.’
Then, Valtraus glared at me and snapped, “Consider yourself lucky,” before continuing his explanation.
“Furthermore, the monster that appeared at the Marble Hall did not die even when killed. Not only did wounds heal immediately, but even after its head was cut off and it fell, the head regenerated and it moved again…”
As if recalling the dizziness he felt at that moment, Valtraus trailed off and closed his eyes tightly.
To provide supplementary explanation, while the monster at the Marble Hall was certainly stronger than the one at the Graduation Ceremony hall.
It’s highly likely it wasn’t an individual with particularly superior regenerative abilities.
It would simply be one of the ordinary Boss Monsters.
Even after hearing the description that wounds disappeared immediately and the severed head regenerated, the reason I speculated so was….
‘Because there’s a setting that, due to the influence of the Mana Core held in the heart, a Boss Monster cannot even be wounded unless by an Awakener!’
It wasn’t explained how the Mana Core actually influenced things, but since the Original Work said so, I had no choice but to accept it.
For reference, even for an Awakener.
If you only cut the neck and do not destroy the Mana Core, the Boss Monster does not die completely.
It resurrects after a certain period of time.
‘This is also one of the reasons why the Mana Core must be crushed.’
‘It’s a very unfriendly world-building considering that a status window exists.’
How to use an Awakener’s status window, how to kill a Boss Monster, how to enter a Demonic Realm, etc.
Nothing is explained, and people have to find out while getting caught in the Demonic Realm and dying or getting injured.
‘I, who read the Original Work, know a lot of information….’
The problem is that it’s information I shouldn’t know at this point.
If I release information that even Reysir, a survivor of the first Demonic Realm, doesn’t know yet, people won’t praise me for having great insight.
‘Magicalization is an artificial phenomenon, and Karbaldr is a member of the group causing it… they would reach that wrong conclusion.’
If I at least knew the cause of Magicalization and how to prevent it, I could somehow defend myself.
Regrettably, the Original Work went into indefinite hiatus without revealing any of that information.
It would be foolish to risk being suspected of involvement with the mastermind behind the abnormal phenomena just to inform the world a little earlier of information that people would find out soon anyway.
If things went wrong, I could be tortured and die in pain.
“Then is that monster still alive?”
Knowing that if that were the case, Valtraus wouldn’t be here, I deliberately pretended not to know anything and asked.
Valtraus took this false doubt of mine for granted and gave the following answer.
“It’s not like that. For some reason, only the attacks from the First Imperial Princess and her Familiar could leave wounds on the monster. And once the spear of wind she created pierced the monster’s heart, it didn’t come back to life anymore.”
“That is quite…, a strange thing.”
“Yes, it’s strange. Monsters that appeared elsewhere were relatively weak and didn’t show any strange regenerative abilities… I think the monster at the Marble Hall was a special individual.”
Look at this.
Once the fact that the person who killed the monster at the Marble Hall had ‘Awakened’ becomes known, and it’s revealed that Reysir is also an Awakener.
The conclusion that only an Awakener can kill a ‘special individual’ that is the core of a Demonic Realm will naturally be drawn.
‘By the way… as expected, the First Imperial Princess was also caught in the Demonic Realm!’
Actually, when I heard the news that a Demonic Realm had formed during the Imperial Banquet hosted by the Imperial Family, what I was most curious about was whether the First Imperial Princess had Awakened.
As mentioned briefly in Chapter 13, the one most likely to be the next successor of the Empire is the Princess.
And in male-oriented fantasy novels, if a young woman is the supreme ruler or mentioned as a candidate for it.
It means that character is a being prepared as a Heroine Candidate.
And in 《Nas-e》, being a Heroine Candidate means being a character destined for death!
Anyway, the First Imperial Princess is one of the important supporting characters in the Original Work.
Since she’s a character of high status, her connection with the protagonist is late, and they were scheduled to meet about five years from now.
That’s why I had a doubt.
‘Did the First Imperial Princess Awaken this early in the Original Work too?’
After searching my memory for the settings of the First Imperial Princess.
‘…I don’t know.’
When the Original Protagonist first met the First Imperial Princess, she was already an Awakener.
The past narrative of when and how she Awakened was never shared.
‘Author Senna just didn’t share the settings, she must have Awakened at this time in the Original Work too,’
I could only guess and accept it.
“Anyway, although the criteria haven’t been confirmed yet, it seems not just anyone can face certain monsters. So the conclusion is not to step forward recklessly if you get caught in an abnormal phenomenon.”
Valtraus finished his explanation and stared at me.
With a gaze as if looking at a problem child who would cause a big accident if not closely watched.
Ragfrid sent a similar look my way.
“Brother, didn’t you hate me? Why are you sharing this information with me too?”
“The First Imperial Princess wishes to see you. Having experienced it herself, she realized that facing a monster is not something that requires ordinary courage, and said we cannot delay showing respect to the one who accomplished it.”
“Ah, I see. Since I shouldn’t be ignorant of what you just told me when I meet Her Highness. You had no choice but to explain it to me.”
“You understood correctly. For the record, identifying the situation is the priority for now. Awarding a medal at an official setting will be later…, ugh?!”
Valtraus, who was relaying the First Imperial Princess’s words, suddenly clutched his shin and groaned in pain.
The perpetrator was his sister.
“To kick away a chance to improve your relationship..! Would it kill you to just say you told him because you were worried and didn’t want the youngest to die?”
“Why do I have to go as far as telling such lies to match my younger brother’s mood?”
“Because he’s your brother and family…!”
“Are you really my sister? I don’t think you are….”
I’m the possessor who entered someone else’s body, but for some reason, an innocent person is being suspected of their identity.
Just how indifferently must she have treated her younger brothers for her to be treated like that just for saying they should get along?
‘By the way…, this is somewhat unsettling. If she’s calling me for the reasons above—!’
In the Original Work, the one who defeated the monster during the Graduation Ceremony was an unnamed Extrac professor.
Moreover, at this time, Reysir was grieving the death of Hailga and falling into a swamp of self-reproach, not in his right mind.
So, according to the original flow, it should be impossible for the meeting between the Original Protagonist and the First Imperial Princess to happen now.
However, in this Graduation Ceremony episode, it was Reysir who delivered the finishing blow to the Boss Monster.
And his current mental state is very sound.
‘With a high probability. No, 100% for sure. Reysir will also be summoned to that place.’
I gave my final greetings with a bittersweet heart, thinking I would never see him again.
Moreover, there’s a possibility that he caught me accidentally smiling right before we parted.
‘To have to reunite with the Protagonist of Another Novel in the near future?!!’
It felt like a bolt from the blue.