In the basement submerged in silence.
Five bodies were organized in a symmetrical manner, two on either side, with one at the center. Meanwhile, Ferzen was staring at the scene while being immersed in his thoughts.
'How should I take care of this....'
It will be over if I poke their heart with a thin needle, then burn them to death by sending an electric current.
In fact, the simplest method is to pierce their skull and directly inflict damage to their brain...
However, if the damage inflicted on the corpse is quite severe, it not only affects the synchronization rate but also makes it nigh impossible to control the corpse.
For example, if there is a missing arm, it can be replaced with 0.7% of synchronization rate while consuming 1% of mana. But the synchronization rate might fall down to 0.1% depending on the wound inflicted on the brain.
Thus, a headless corpse is an inefficient trash that's not even cost-effective, and that's why there is no warlock who bothers to use them even in an emergency.
As such, the students who were assigned the corpses will soon notice this issue and lodge complaints to me through the department office.
The midterm exams and assignments are passed through the corpses that they have paid for, so they will be furious about why they're discriminated against compared to other students.
Of course, the right thing to do would be to inform the Chairwoman, Imperial Princess Elizabeth, and bring in 5 new corpses, but if that happens, I will be forced to reveal the truth about my abilities.
When this matter is brought to the Imperial Family, unless they inspect me separately, I can lie as much as I want to because they don't have concrete evidence.
'Just because they're aware of my abilities doesn't necessarily mean I'll let them exploit it....'
However, it would still be better if it doesn't get revealed.
"... "
After deliberating for so long, I decided not to kill these unconscious people by piercing their hearts with a thin needle for now.
However, I was curious about the information on how to enter a state of 'Stasis.'
There was plenty of room to use it in various ways, if only I knew how.
In the future, it could become an insurance policy.
There is no camouflage as perfect as death for a mortal.
Naturally, I have my own reasons for making such a decision.
The five people who fell into a state of stasis are all ordinary people possessing mana. Thus, they wouldn't dare to terrorize the academy, which is guarded by Imperial Knights and the Wizard Corps throughout the day and night.
In order to inflict effective damage, their aim must be the students, who they were assigned to.
'Looking at this...'
There is a high possibility that the current state of affairs will be resolved naturally next week or during the 3rd week of Black Magic lecture.
Knowing this schedule in the first place means that there is a collaborator inside, and I'll have to catch that collaborator to get the desired result.
'So if I delay the assignment...'
The schedule will naturally get twisted.
Then wouldn't the collaborator come to the cellar to use some kind of means to make them fall into a state of stasis once more?
'Even if it's not on that date, there's a high chance they'll wake up sometime in the 3rd week... and then, they will surely get caught.'
If the collaborator doesn't bite the bait at the right time, I'll have no choice but to turn them into corpses and distribute them to the students.
Obviously, there is a possibility that the margin of error concerning the release period should be within a day, not after n days. Thinking as such, I stroked the altar and opened the gate to the underworld.
Assuming that the release period is one day, not after n days, continuous monitoring is necessary to prevent sparks from igniting.
For example, if there were no casualties, there would be no justification for the Imperial Family to accuse me.
– Creak!
A dark gate engraved with a strange pattern opened.
Beyond the dimly reflected light lay the first floor of the 'Underworld.'
The difference from this early morning is that a bizarre thing that resembled a human ear popped out from both corners of the plaque located above the gate.
"Observation, surveillance, espionage."
And towards that ear, I recited the important keyword in a hushed tone.
Even if it's not Ernesian, it doesn't matter what tongue you speak as long as it has a language framework.
Even if you spit out the keywords in Korean and English that Seo-jin Lee remembers, the meaning will be delivered safely to those ears.
"... "
Soon after, beyond the gates of the Underworld.
A bizarre scarecrow with countless eyes attached to his body emerged amidst the blurry landscape.
"The transaction method will be 'Immediate Payment,' the deadline will be 10 days, and the transaction items will be loaned."
The monster's name, no alias, is 『Peephole』.
This is because in exchange for lending half-reduced ability, it can project visual information essential to monitoring a specific area or object.
"...The transaction has been completed. After the specified ten days, the deadline can be extended further, so please call again if you wish."
Thousands of eyes clinging to the scarecrow's body closed at once.
Did he just greet me in his own way?
I waved my hand with a slightly disgusted expression, then cut off the magic and closed the gate to the Underworld.
The price of borrowing the ability for ten days must have been paid for by randomly selecting certain valuable objects that stayed in the subspace.
Converting that value into money, it would roughly be around 44 million Berns.
'It was the same when Ferzen first made a deal with the Underworld..…'
The goodwill shown by the monsters is quite strange.
Is it possible that the special ability displayed as question marks is the reason why beings of the Underworld are friendly towards me?
"... "
I opened the status window and looked at it, but it was still displayed as question marks.
For now, I will stop thinking about it and assign the location of the Underworld monster—the Peephole's halved ability to the cellar here.
After that, I took out a small hand mirror from the subspace and connected it, so that I can observe the visual information that it monitors...
'All right.'
After seeing the vivid landscape of the cellar painted with luminous stones one last time, I put the bodies in coffins and walked out of the cellar.
Then I stopped by the department office and told Alphonse to put a notice on the bulletin board saying that the bodies will be distributed after the third lecture conducted next week.
"Oh, Professor."
"Do you have anything to say?"
"Yes. Well... your wife has come."
"Euphemia?"
"I haven't seen her properly, so I can't confirm, but I don't think anyone would be foolish enough to impersonate your wife, so I told her to go to the Professor's office on the 4th floor..."
"I see. Take care then."
"Yes!"
What kind of wind brought Euphemia to the academy?
I kept walking while wondering about that.
* * * * *
Click-clack, Click-click!
"What..."
The Academy's main building, 4th floor, Room 404.
In front of the Professor's office where the name Ferzen Von Schweig Louerg was written, Euphemia turned the doorknob, but it wouldn't open.
I came because I don't know when he will return from work.
'Where did he go... '
A letter bearing Brutein's insignia arrived at the mansion.
It wasn't that urgent of a letter that needed to be delivered right away. However, Euphemia took this opportunity to check out the academy she would be working in.
'If I wait, I'm sure he will come.'
Today there shouldn't be any lectures.
So, even if there is a delay, it won't hurt to wait a little.
With that thought in mind, Euphemia began looking around the hallway in front of the door.
There were hardly any people loitering around, so she thought it was fortunate that they didn't notice anything.
'It hurts...'
Was it because I chose to walk instead of riding a carriage in order to learn the geography of the Imperial Capital?
Euphemia stretched her hand out and stroked her waist due to the throbbing pain.
In fact, looking back on the memories of last night, it would be the lower abdomen that should hurt, not the lower back.
Euphemia, who secretly placed her left hand on her belly as her golden eyes blinked, lowered her right hand that was stroking her waist.
'This... '
Then she took her hand off and examined the distance between her two hands, trying to measure the length from the entrance to her vulva to the position of her uterus.
She had a disgusted look on his face.
She has never seen another man's thing, but she intuitively realized that his shaft was rough and wasn't ordinary.
Just like his cold-hearted and cruel self, his thing is also violent.
'...'
Of course, it's ridiculous to be surprised now.
– Creak!
"...!"
Euphemia, who hurriedly lowered her hands, flinched as she saw a woman walking out of Room 403, next to Room 404. She grabbed the hem of her skirt and gave her an elegant greeting, courtesy of an aristocrat.
"You are..."
"My name is Euphemia El Lauren Louerg."
The fact that she did not introduce herself as Ferzen's wife was her own pride.
"... "
"... "
Silence lingered.
If someone has revealed their name, it's common courtesy for the other party to do the same.
The woman who walked out of Room 403 didn't do that. Instead, she glanced at her unpleasantly, as if to scorn her.
"Excuse me."
"Pardon?"
"I don't know if you're trying to show off that they're a passionate couple, but if you do intend to hide it, isn't it better to cover it properly?"
When the woman pointed to her nape, Euphemia was taken aback and began to adjust her loosely untied clothes.
She was sweating a little after a long walk, so she made sure that there were hardly any people so she could cool off for a while. As such, she untied the knot that fastened the collar.
'Really, he has no manners...'
Even if it wasn't the nape, it's inconsiderate to engrave a mark in an area that's naturally exposed. Euphemia blushed as she cursed Ferzen, who wasn't present, inwardly.
"I feel sorry for you."
"Pardon?"
"I'm aware that Louerg is a poor territory, but I wonder if there was really a need to seduce such a man."
"... "
That has never happened.
In the first place, she was coerced into the marriage.
However, from a third person's point of view, it wouldn't be the case.
Even when she thought about it herself, she couldn't believe that the Bruteins would come up to the Louerg and force a marriage by threatening to wage a territorial war.
"That's right."
But apart from that, she knew that the woman in front of her was speaking with clear contempt...
"I have only met him once, but I didn't know that he would come all the way from Brutein to Louerg to take me as his wife."
Rather than denying it, Euphemia clearly affirmed it by adding a little more spice.
Perhaps it's a woman from a noble family, who loved him deeply based on his outer appearance without knowing his true face.
Therefore, even if she protested, it wouldn't work, so she thought it would be better to scratch her wounds this way.
– Wriggle.
In fact, Yuriel frowned and raised her brim hat slightly.
She tried to utter a retort...
"Euphemia."
Unfortunately, upon hearing the familiar voice of a man coming from behind, she couldn't dare to do so.
"Why did you come here?"
Ferzen passed her by, treating as if she had never stood there to begin with
"This..."
"Is this a letter from my brother?"
"It isn't really urgent."
"Is that so? Let's go in for now."
Opening the door to the Professor's office with the key, he gently placed his hand on his wife's waist and led her inside.
– Slam!
As soon as the door was slammed shut, Yuriel, who was left alone in the hallway, expressed her annoyance and discontent with all sorts of expressions. Soon afterwards she turned her back swiftly and went down the stairs.
'... '
It's time for the lecture.
For some reason, I feel like if I opened my mouth, I would only spat out sharp words. So I think it will be better to slow down the pace of the lecture and give them a couple of new assignments to finish.