It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 73

 Chapter 73 : 

One autumn day, a month before the Martial Festival began.

The weather around the academy was gradually turning chilly.

However, despite the cooling weather, the academy grounds were heating up with the fervor of the upcoming Martial Festival.

The Martial Festival, the greatest event of the academy.

Achieving a good result there was a dream for every student at the academy. Who knows what kind of glory awaited the champion?

Thus, the students were eagerly awaiting the announcement of the festival’s schedule, training their minds and bodies diligently.

However, there was a place on campus that was buzzing with excitement for an entirely different reason.

The academy’s grand library.

The reading room.

As most students began dedicating their time to training, the once-bustling library had grown quiet. In that stillness, the voices of two people echoed.

“…So, based on this, Kalfrain’s preemptive strike was a natural choice to address the water shortage caused by the drought. Without securing the waterways, the nation could have faced ruin. And this is evident in Kalfrain’s consistent checks on Udisella afterward,” one voice said.

“But if we consider this thesis, the Kalfrain royal family was in constant conflict with the Udisella royal family. Unlike Udisella, which couldn’t let go of its attachment to the frontier, Kalfrain’s return was much quicker. And this happened years before the drought. Doesn’t that suggest Kalfrain’s attack on Udisella was planned from the start?” the other voice countered.

“Hmm, so you’re saying Kalfrain’s attack on Udisella wasn’t a hasty decision but a calculated, inevitable move?”

“Probably. Though I don’t know why Kalfrain chose that exact moment to attack Udisella. Their main forces weren’t even fully deployed yet. They must have known it would be difficult to dominate Udisella under those conditions.”

“Regarding that, we’d need to dig into war-related records, but for now, the most obvious factor is geography. Kalfrain likely feared Udisella fortifying its defenses. With swamps, marshes, and waterways dominating Udisella’s terrain, if Udisella took a defensive stance and blocked the gateways, Kalfrain would be forced to fight on unfavorable ground.”

“So, Kalfrain acted because they feared Udisella would take the initiative first?”

“Probably… And with the ongoing drought predicting crop failures, Kalfrain couldn’t afford to delay any longer. It’s likely a combination of these factors that led to Kalfrain’s hasty attack on Udisella.”

“Right, then let’s summarize this part like this…”

As he spoke, Eric began jotting down the conversation in the empty pages of his notebook.

Meanwhile, Ragna flipped through his own notebook and the stack of books beside him, choosing the next topic.

With this, they had roughly outlined and organized the events of the Warring States period.

Next up was the Third Great Demon Beast Invasion… or rather, the first united duchies’ army that defended human territories against the demon beasts on the western front after the Second Great Demon Beast Invasion, which ended the Warring States period. It was time to tackle that era.

What topic should they discuss next? Ragna frowned at his densely packed notes.

Eric, stealing glances at Ragna, gave a faint smile.

________

It was a relief that Eric was helping.

Ragna genuinely thought so.

Initially, Ragna had planned to investigate the events of the past 500 years on his own.

But as time passed, he realized this was no easy task.

All he needed was traces of the demon race, or so he thought. But as expected, books detailing the demon race were extremely rare. And the ones that did mention them were fragmented, filled with speculative interpretations and baseless assumptions.

In the end, Ragna had no choice but to abandon his attempt to find traces of the demon race after throwing aside a book claiming the demons had vanished in a divine punishment, supposedly proving the existence of a god.

But if that was the case, it was time to approach things differently.

Perhaps there was a book among the past 500 years of history that revealed the existence of the demon race.

That’s what he thought.

At this point, Ragna discarded the idea that the demons had returned to the Forest of the Demon Realm. It was not only an absurd notion but also practically impossible.

To reach the Demon Realm, one would need to pass through the Forest of Darkness.

But to get there, they would inevitably have to cross human territories.

The fact that no trace of the demons had been found in the ten years since humans reclaimed the eastern lands was incomprehensible. That left only one possibility: the demons were somewhere in the east, or somewhere on this continent, living in complete secrecy.

Their concealment was so thorough that humans hadn’t noticed their existence.

With this in mind, Ragna began combing through history, searching for suspicious regions or notable events.

But as mentioned, this was no easy task.

No matter how sharp Ragna’s mind was, it was too much for one person to handle. That’s when Eric stepped in, offering to help.

Perhaps frequenting the library together had sparked his interest.

Thanks to him, Eric had made it a daily routine to read history books alongside Ragna, and after classes, they would hole up in the library’s reading room, continuing their discussions.

Based on these conversations, they were piecing together historical events anew.

“…”

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Ragna looked up at Eric.

Eric was writing down the flow and conclusion of their recent conversation with an expression of enjoyment.

Seeing this, Ragna muttered to himself.

Eric was definitely useful.

For one, he didn’t dislike reading. To keep up with Ragna’s work, a massive amount of reading was necessary, yet Eric followed along without complaint, even seeming to enjoy it.

Plus, he was sharp.

Their recent conversation style was a method typically used by mages: collective reasoning. It involved presenting opposing research results, engaging in endless debates, and deriving new findings from the middle ground.

The downside of this method was the need for mutual compromise, patience, and the quick-wittedness to counter arguments while accepting rebuttals. At this point, Eric’s abilities were more than satisfactory.

Of course, his reasoning and logical coherence still needed work, but that was something experience would refine over time.

For now, Eric was the best asset Ragna could have.

What to do?

Should he secure him quickly?

Ragna shook his head.

No, not yet.

There was no need to rush.

He hadn’t fully figured Eric out yet. It would be better to take some time, get a clearer picture, and then make a move.

With that thought, Ragna looked at Eric, who had finished writing.

Noticing Ragna’s gaze, Eric flinched in surprise, and Ragna gave a light smile.

_____

With the Martial Festival a month away, the campus atmosphere was somewhat chaotic.

Even so, the sight of female students rushing around in groups seemed a bit rowdy.

Emerging from the library, Ragna couldn’t help but frown at the scene.

Unlike Ragna, Eric seemed to realize something.

“Oh, right.”

“What’s going on?” Ragna asked.

“I think today’s the day they announce the Martial Festival schedule.”

“…I see.”

That explained why the female students were rushing off in a group.

They were probably heading to check the announcement.

“What about you, Ragna? Are you going to check it out?”

“…”

Ragna looked at Eric. It seemed Eric was quite curious himself.

“…Is that okay? There’ll probably be a ton of girls there.”

“It’ll be fine if we watch from a distance. I heard the schedule is written on a huge sheet of paper that takes up an entire wall.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Ragna thought for a moment before nodding.

“…Alright, let’s do it. We’ve got some time before the carriage arrives.”

“Okay!” Eric replied cheerfully.

Together, they started walking, following the group of female students.

They arrived at the outer wall of the student council building. As Eric had said, a massive sheet of paper covered one side of the wall, detailing the schedule and procedures.

Ragna let out a soft exclamation as he looked at the complex rules and the yet-to-be-filled tournament brackets.

“…Impressive.”

“Probably because every student in the school will participate,” Eric said.

Eric read the rules and schedule with curiosity, and Ragna did the same.

The Martial Festival was divided into three main competitions:

Dagger, Shortsword, and Longsword.

As the names suggested, these were golem-based competitions. In an era where personal strength was measured by one’s ability to control a golem, bare-handed duels were meaningless.

The focus was solely on golems and how well one could handle them.

Ragna knew this all too well.

He checked the rules and schedules for each division.

The Dagger division was a tournament, as was the Shortsword division.

Curiously, the Longsword division was structured as a league. Puzzled, Ragna asked Eric, “Why is the Longsword division a league? Wouldn’t that be problematic with a lot of participants?”

Eric smiled and replied, “There won’t be many participants. Only fourth-years can compete in the Longsword division.”

“Fourth-years?”

“Yeah. As you know, the academy’s regular maneuver training results in dropouts every year. Plus, to advance, you need to pass a certain amount of maneuver training.”

“Hmm…”

“And starting from the third year, students use Shortsword-class golems for maneuver tests. By the fourth year, you have to handle Longsword-class golems. In other words, advancing isn’t automatic you need to prove your skill.”

“Even so, is reaching the fourth year that difficult?”

“It is. Most students settle for graduating as third-years. To become a fourth-year, you need to be able to handle a Longsword-class golem for at least 30 minutes. That’s a level comparable to a quasi-knight. Only a small fraction of the nearly thousand first-year students make it to the fourth year. Just the chosen few.”

“Hmm… If that’s the case, is there even a need to stay in the fourth year? If you have skills comparable to a knight, you could join somewhere right away.”

“That’s true, and some knights under lords with territories do just that. But to join the kingdom’s knight order, you need a fourth-year diploma. Plus, by staying in the fourth year, you might get better offers.”

“…I see. So the league format isn’t just about determining a winner it’s more like a showcase to attract better opportunities.”

“Exactly. And it’s also to extend the spectacle of Longsword-class golem battles, the highlight of golem duels.”

Ragna let out a small laugh at Eric’s explanation.

As they spoke, the middle section of the paper being posted on the wall became visible. Ragna’s eyes sparkled at what was revealed.

“That… that’s?!”

“Huh?”

Eric tilted his head at Ragna’s startled murmur and looked at the paper. He let out a soft exclamation.

“Oh, that’s the prize for this year’s winner. Hmm… looks like a pretty big gem. I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s probably worth a lot.”

“…”

But Eric’s words didn’t reach Ragna. His eyes were fixed on the pattern drawn inside the gem, likely mimicking an engraving on it.

And it was no mere pattern.

It was written in the common language of the demon race, a language unknown to anyone in this world except Ragna.

The inscription on the gem read:

‘Demon King Army Communication Orb – No. 1028’

____________

“…”

Blinking, Ragna examined the gem again. There was no mistake it was exactly as it appeared.

“Eric!”

“Yeah?”

“…Where is that prize right now?”

“Huh?”

Eric flinched at Ragna’s sudden change in demeanor, stepping back hesitantly.

With a slightly trembling voice, he replied, “Uh, it’s probably at the royal castle by now.”

“…The royal castle? Shreid’s royal castle?”

“Yeah, most likely. Prizes for these competitions are usually kept at the castle to prevent theft and only brought out for the award ceremony.”

“…”

So, to get the gem, he’d have to infiltrate the royal castle?

Ragna’s expression darkened at the thought.

…It was far too dangerous.

Anywhere else might be manageable, but Shreid’s royal castle was a place Ragna couldn’t approach lightly.

One wrong move could cause a massive uproar.

No, more importantly, he didn’t even know where the gem was kept in the castle.

Finding it wouldn’t be easy.

“…”

Magic?

No, using magic would be difficult too.

Trying to steal it midway was too risky.

Even though his physical condition had recovered significantly, Ragna’s body was far from his prime as the Demon King.

And there was the risk of the berserk phenomenon, which could trigger unexpectedly.

If he ended up in a dangerous situation, the berserk phenomenon might activate instinctively.

To prevent that, he couldn’t afford to take reckless actions.

“…Tch!”

Ragna clicked his tongue, frowning. No matter how dangerous, the gem before him wasn’t something he could easily give up. It might hold clues to the fate of the demon race. He had to obtain it, no matter what.

What to do?

How should he proceed?

Then,

“…Oh, right?”

A thought struck Ragna, and a smile spread across his face.

It wasn’t for any other reason he’d realized a way to obtain the gem.

And it required little effort. He held a trump card: a guaranteed victory in this competition.

That trump card was Seria.

With her, winning the competition would be no issue. She trained with Longsword-class golems. There was no way she’d lose in a Dagger-class competition.

Thus, Ragna had to do nothing.

He just needed to check on Seria’s condition and wait for her to bring him the gem.

With that thought, Ragna let out a sigh of relief.

But at that moment,

A final piece of the announcement was posted on the wall with a flutter.

It detailed the competition’s various rules and conditions.

Ragna skimmed through them to confirm.

And upon reading the final line, his face twisted into a demonic scowl.

Startled, Eric followed Ragna’s gaze to the text.

Upon reading the final line, Eric’s expression turned to one of shock.

The text read:

‘…Additionally, one exception is hereby announced.

First-year student Seria Brandzburg.

Following the student council’s deliberation, in consideration of fairness to other students, this student is prohibited from participating in the ‘Dagger’ and ‘Shortsword’ divisions.

This concludes the rules for the 249th Shreid Martial Festival.

– Shreid Royal Academy Student Council –’

_____________________________________

Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id