I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind – Chapter 425

Meanwhile, at the battlefield where Lowell and Orobas clashed.

“Tsk!”

Lowell clicked her tongue as she created distance between them. Seeing this, Orobas cackled.

“What’s wrong? To think you won’t kill a demon right before your eyes.”

“…”

“The honor of your noble family will crash to the ground. Kuhuhuhuhuh!”

Even at the demon’s mockery, Lowell couldn’t offer any response.

The contract bound Lowell’s limbs.

—Members of the Lucid family cannot attack demons belonging to the Second Legion.

An absurd contract. Only now did Lowell realize why the demon before her had wrapped itself around Baron Kelven’s face.

It was to prevent information from leaking.

—If demons belonging to the Second Legion disclose the contents of this contract in any way, this contract will be automatically nullified immediately.

Perhaps because he couldn’t see or hear, Baron Kelven shifted his body uncomfortably this way and that.

However, he didn’t shake Orobas off. It must be because he knew he couldn’t escape this situation with his own power.

‘I didn’t expect to encounter a demon from the Second Legion here.’

A situation with no one to protect her. But Lowell didn’t despair.

After all, there’s a saying that crisis breeds opportunity.

“Haah… Right. Of all things, it had to be the Second Legion. Just my luck.”

“Kuhuhuh, are you admitting defeat?”

“Obviously? I can’t do anything. Lately I’ve been thinking I’d like to go find the Second Legion Commander and grovel before him. To ask them to nullify the contract.”

“A human who knows her place well. Very admirable.”

Orobas blinked his large single eye as if pleased.

Lowell continued in a polite tone.

“So… do you know where the Second Legion Commander is? I want to apologize on behalf of my inadequate father.”

“An admirable thought. The great Commander. That person is now…”

Orobas rolled his eye to the upper left, searching his memory.

Suddenly, his eye curved greatly like a crescent moon.

“You think I’d tell you? Kuhuhuhuhuh!”

Orobas cackled with laughter.

Lowell’s submissive approach—he knew it was a ploy to discover the Legion Commander’s location.

Lowell’s eyebrow twitched.

He can’t tell me? Then…

“Die.”

Lucid Family Style First Secret Technique.

Earth Flip.

Thududududuk!!

Lowell’s longsword split the earth.

Large chunks of stone flew up in all directions, and the flipping ground crashed down on Orobas.

Thukwang—!!

A cloud of dust rose, obscuring her vision.

Lowell waved her arm, struggling to clear her sight.

—Members of the Lucid family cannot attack demons belonging to the Second Legion.

Demonic contracts boast absolute power.

Yet the reason Lowell could attack Orobas was this.

Contracts always have loopholes, and even that seemingly absolute clause had a weakness.

‘Right now, I’m not attacking the demon—I’m attacking the ground.’

That’s right. Moments ago, Lowell attacked the ‘ground.’

It meant anything was possible as long as there was no ‘intent to attack a demon belonging to the Second Legion Commander.’

‘Well, this isn’t easy either, though.’

Take the current situation as an example.

The fragments might injure the opponent.

The opponent might die from being buried.

The moment she had even the slightest such thought, attacking the ground became impossible.

She had to swing with only the pure will of ‘I’m going to smash the ground, walls, or ceiling!’

In fact, it took Lowell three years to reach this point.

As an aside, geniuses like Duke Luke, Lucia, and Lucas achieved this level in less than a year.

That wasn’t the only loophole in the contract.

Digging traps to make them fall, drowning them, causing landslides to crush them, and so on.

There were quite a few methods to fight back. She’d even actually killed some this way a few times.

However.

‘The one before me is Grade 6… a mid-level demon, so this won’t be enough to finish it.’

Right. These shallow methods only worked on ‘lower-level demons’ at best.

Beyond that, she couldn’t kill them unless she put her blade directly to them.

The fortunate thing was that it didn’t seem to have high combat ability. There was a high possibility it was an intelligent type that used special demon magic.

Huuuu—.

When the dust had settled somewhat, the sound of wind came from somewhere.

‘From the front?’

Directly in front of Lowell. More precisely, the sound of wind was coming from where Orobas had been.

Lowell frowned upon confirming Orobas’s appearance.

Orobas, who had taken the earth flip head-on. Yet his body was completely clean without a single scratch.

“…A defensive-type demon magic?”

“Kuhuhuh, you catch on quick. That’s right. Ranged attacks are meaningless against me. Projectiles cannot inflict any damage on me whatsoever. How’s that! The power of the great demon, Orobas!”

Orobas sang his own praises, but Lowell couldn’t offer any response.

That she couldn’t inflict any damage on him whatsoever. It was the truth.

‘Bad compatibility.’

Close-range attacks would work, but they were practically impossible. They’d likely be treated as ‘attacks.’

This one and that one—why do they all have such irritating defensive techniques?

‘If Pleche were here, I could’ve sent that bastard packing in one shot.’

But she’d left that protector behind of her own accord. There was no one to call for help.

Of course, if Caron came, he could easily resolve this, but…

‘He’d notice something’s off.’

Though they were fairly close, Caron was ultimately the Emperor’s sword.

If he learned the secret, he would immediately report it to the Emperor.

After all, if they could get a leash on the Lucid family, it would make the imperial authority even more solid.

“…I have no choice but to resolve this myself.”

Pabak!

Lowell kicked off the ground and charged forward.

Orobas, who had been singing his own praises—suddenly, dark purple thorns burst from his body.

Perhaps because he’d lost track of Lowell’s movement, he sprayed thorns in all directions.

The moment one thorn appeared before Lowell, she spun once and drew her sword.

Lester Family Style Third Secret Technique.

Abyss.

The thorn heading toward Lowell changed direction and shot toward Orobas instead.

The speed was so fast that even Lowell could barely follow it.

A speed that a Grade 6 demon could never react to.

If the thorn pierced his body like this, it would be Lowell’s victory.

Peobuck—!

“…Damn!”

Lowell clicked her tongue. The thorn flying toward Orobas—

Just before touching his body, the thorn bent abnormally and stabbed into the ground.

It was the power of the demon magic Orobas possessed.

‘Even ranged attacks using counterattacks don’t work…!’

What a goddamn demon magic.

But Lowell didn’t give up.

She’d already closed the distance considerably. Moreover, Orobas couldn’t follow her movements at all.

Pabak!

She kicked off the ground once more and dove in, succeeding in getting behind Orobas in an instant.

Lucid Family Style Second Secret Technique.

Mountain Pierce.

…

A powerful thrust. But nothing happened.

The sword stopped right before Orobas’s back.

‘Damn it! I can’t do it after all!’

She’d thought ‘I’m piercing the empty air,’ but unconsciously she’d imagined Orobas’s death.

It wasn’t as easy as thinking. In fact, even the family members called geniuses had never once succeeded with a close-range attack.

Pusheuk!

“Kuk!”

Suddenly, a thorn pierced through Lowell’s body.

She felt a hot sensation in her stomach. Lowell cut away the thorn and backed away.

Fortunately, the thorns didn’t seem to count as ‘part of the body.’

“Damn it…”

No matter how much Lowell was called the Mad Lion, even she couldn’t act against the ‘contract.’

This was the true terror of demonic contracts.

‘This won’t work.’

She had to somehow nullify this goddamn contract.

And Lowell had that method—a move only she could make.

“Kuhuhuh, I don’t understand the Commander. With these kinds of people bound by contracts, just cut off their limbs and lock them up and be done with it.”

“Are you a pervert? Do it if you can.”

“Are you sure? Then your already small body will become even smaller.”

“You can’t even lay a hand on that small person right now, can you?”

“What?”

“Do I need to spell it out for you? You were honestly scared. You’re staying still even in this advantageous situation because you’re afraid of the Commander. You know that’s really pathetic, right?”

Lowell began provoking the demon.

One of several pieces of information obtained through demons belonging to the Second Legion she’d met before.

Using the fact that the Second Legion Commander had ordered them not to fight with the Lucid family.

“The truth is you’re not confident you can kill me, right? Because the Commander’s wrath would be terrifying.”

“Insolent human! This Orobas merely follows the Commander’s orders!”

“Really? But does the Commander even know your name? I doubt they’d know trash like you.”

“Y-you insolent bitch…!”

Pyupyupyut!!

Countless thorns pierced through Lowell’s body. Blood flowing from Lowell’s body soaked the ground.

Yet even so, they couldn’t bring Lowell down.

“I-is this all? Are you Grade 9 instead of Grade 6?”

“You insolent humaaaaaan!”

Puuk!

Orobas bundled the thorns into one massive thorn, and it burrowed into Lowell’s stomach.

“Kheuk!”

Lowell’s body bent halfway. The moment Orobas heard Lowell’s single scream, he flinched.

Because he realized his mistake.

—Demons belonging to the Second Legion cannot kill members of the Lucid family.

One of the clauses in the contract between the Second Legion Commander and the Lucid family.

If he killed Lowell here, this contract would be automatically nullified.

“Wh-what have I done! D-don’t die! Human! You mustn’t die!”

Orobas tried to pull out the thorn, but it wouldn’t budge. Because Lowell gripped the thorn firmly with both hands.

That’s right. What Lowell had been thinking about for a long time.

Using her own life as the price to nullify the contract.

“Keuuk…”

This pain is nothing.

Rodelin, no.

As long as our Delin is safe. As long as she can break the shackles binding her family members’ hands and feet.

‘I can give up this life any time!’

Lowell gripped the thorn and moved forward. Toward Orobas—the thorn grew thicker the closer she got.

With each step forward, her legs trembled madly.

But she absolutely would not fall.

“A Lion never kneels before the wicked!”

“You biiiiitch! Let go! Let go right now!”

Orobas screamed madly, but he couldn’t shake Lowell off.

Lowell’s vision gradually blurred.

Ah, so this is how I die.

No regrets. This is my purpose. The greatest gift I can give to my family and Rodelin.

However, if there’s one thing that’s regrettable.

‘I shouldn’t have gotten angry.’

That she showed Rodelin such a pathetic side until the very end. That was regrettable.

Perhaps because death was near, other regrets began surfacing one by one.

If I’d known it would be like this, I should have smiled for her.

I should have praised her instead of scolding her.

I should have given her one last piggyback ride.

If I’d known it would be like this, if I’d known this meeting would be our last.

I should have hugged her tightly like before.

‘I should have pretended to lose to that brat Zero and listened to him.’

If I’d patted Rodelin’s head, at least the last memory would have been a good one.

“D-damn it!”

Seogeoк!

Orobas cried out a scream. At the same time, Lowell’s body toppled to the side.

Through her blurred vision, she could see it. The sight of blood spurting from the thorn.

‘Did he… cut the thorn with his own hands?’

Orobas tore Lowell’s skirt, pulled out the thorn, and wrapped it tightly around her stomach.

He applied first aid.

“Y-you’ll be fine. I-I dealt the fatal wound, but I didn’t actually kill you!”

Orobas’s words that it wasn’t the thorn that killed her, but excessive bleeding.

Could that get him out of the contract?

She didn’t know. Her mind wasn’t working.

And it seemed Orobas was in the same state.

He moved frantically in all directions, trembling all over.

“Just, just live a little longer! For my sake!”

The ironic situation of a demon worrying about a human’s life.

Regardless, Lowell’s eyes slowly closed.

Ah, if only I could see my cute Delin’s face one last time, that would be so good.

Then I’d truly have no regrets.

“…er!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached her ears.

When she forced her eyes open with difficulty, she saw something through her blurred vision. The figure of someone running toward her while shouting.

An angel come to take her?

Lowell struggled to adjust her focus. And she could see.

Her beloved younger sister. Rodelin’s figure.

“Sister!!”

It was the real Rodelin, not a hallucination.

Don’t come! It’s dangerous!

But no sound came out of her mouth.

She had to stop her somehow. If she came running so defenseless like that…!

“What are you! Die!”

Pusheuk!

A massive thorn headed toward Rodelin, and Rodelin, who was running while crying, couldn’t react.

Just as the thorn was about to pierce Rodelin—

A boy with golden hair threw himself forward, caught Rodelin, and fell.

Following him, a boy with narrow eyes appeared. And then.

He opened his eyes.

Lester Family Style Third Secret Technique.

Abyss.

Thukwang!!

The thorn bounced back toward Orobas.

Though it couldn’t inflict damage due to his unique demon magic, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

‘That technique…!’

Lowell’s eyes widened in disbelief.

She was so shocked that even her spirit, which had been heading to the afterlife, returned.

The mysterious boy Zero, who hadn’t been pushed back at all even when clashing with her.

His mouth opened with that characteristic sly smile.

“Keke, didn’t I tell you?”

That I’m a genius.

–TL Notes–
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