Doom

— What kind of person is Ex? Ask around the academy, and you'll get all kinds of answers. “A worthless lowborn piece of trash who doesn’t know his place.” “That weird guy behind half the rumors going around?” “He’s actually nicer than you’d think. Pretty mature, too.” In other words, there was no single, clear…

The plan itself was simple. Ex would become the ultimate bait. The kind of irresistible bait that could lure the hidden revolutionaries out into the open. “The Revolutionary Front has lost the Imperial Princess. That means their creed of acting for the sake of equality has lost the figurehead that gave it power.” An organization…

The night before. “I’m going to become the new Hero.” Beatrice was understandably baffled by Ex’s out-of-nowhere declaration. 「Ex, you can’t become the Hero just because you want to.」 “I don’t mean I’m actually going to become the Hero. More precisely, I’m going to ‘pretend’ to be one.” There were two things in this world…

Leon said he wanted to speak with Ex alone and led him somewhere else. It was an empty training area inside the indoor practice hall. In that vast space, only Leon and Ex stood facing each other. Ex looked around and confirmed there was nobody else there. That only made Leon's intentions seem even more…

Somewhere in a dark alley beyond the reach of the Empire's watchful eyes. A burst of light flashed once, and someone appeared. A shabby robe concealed her body, but there was no hiding the golden hair and eyes beneath it. “Damn it…!” It was Andras. “Those damned human mages…! How long are they going to…

A day had passed since the trial ended. Even after news spread that Imperial Princess Beatrice was a demon, the Grand Festival continued without interruption. Darius had decided to press ahead with it. More importantly, the festive atmosphere was already beginning to die down on its own. Now, everyone's attention was focused on the Tournament….

An awkward three-way confrontation. There was no better way to describe it. Count Lemercier had moved to the VIP lounge and was leisurely sipping his tea. Lola fidgeted restlessly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, her eyes darting around as she tried to read the room. And Ex was desperately racking his brain over this completely…

Imperial Princess Beatrice was a demon. The news that would send shockwaves throughout the Empire spread like wildfire. Darius and the Imperial Family mobilized every resource at their disposal to contain the fallout. But there was no stopping the news from spreading. “This is a complete disaster. Hell itself couldn't be much worse.” Darius, his…

“How…?” Darius and Beatrice could only stare in shock. The divine power Ex had displayed here was not something that could be dismissed as an ordinary feat. ‘There were rumors that he could use internal energy and mana, but now he can wield divine power too?’ The legend of the Hero, the one who commanded…

Ex opened his mouth. Not many people were surprised by that. At most, Darius and Beatrice were. But right now, the silence of those two alone was enough. "I stand before you today as a citizen of the Empire and a devout follower of the Goddess Deuslute. I pray for the peace and prosperity of…