Interlude- Artifact War

If you've never seen a grown man try to hide under his own desk, you haven't truly experienced the higher education system—or, more specifically, Diko after a finance meeting.

Let's back up.

Teaching was never my dream.

When I joined Vanguard Academy, I had three goals: avoid getting killed, keep my friends and loved ones from dying and finding Zuatha.

Becoming a "mentor" was nowhere on my to-do list.

And yet, here I am.

Stuck in Diko's over-decorated office, supposed to be sharing my "legendary" mana control with the next generation.

Instead, I'm sipping lukewarm tea, plotting my escape from the academy, while Diko fidgets with a pile of debt statements high enough to block out the sun.

He's the only person alive who can make a suit look like a straitjacket. He has no doubt promoted from Director to Prisoner with Debts.

"Thalamik," he whines, voice wobbling like a loose wheel, "you promised you'd actually teach. If you don't, they're going to make me pay for all those Pseudo Artifacts you ordered! Me! I have a family, you know!"

I looked him in the eye to call out his obvious lie.

"Sort of. Maybe a houseplant." He said.

I shrug. "You should've read the contract before cosigning. Anyway, what's the rush? I'm still screening applicants. You wouldn't want just anyone to learn my secrets, right?"

He glares at me, as if hoping the power of pure hatred can erase a debt ledger. "Screening? No one's signed up. Not a soul. Not even the janitor, and he's not picky."

"I have standards."

"Do you have a heart?" Diko mutters, rifling through his papers for a lifeline.

Suddenly, a messenger bursts in, gasping for air and waving a letter. He slaps it down like it's a winning card, but something in his eyes says, 'Please, not today.'

Diko snatches it, reading faster than I've ever seen him move.

His face lights up. "Artifact War! The winner gets a genuine Artifact!"

He looks at me, expectant. "This is perfect, Thalamik! If you win, you could sell the artifact, pay off all my—I mean, our—debts, and maybe buy me a coffee."

I smile, but for entirely different reasons.

A real Artifact is the ticket out of this place.

I could finally be a full-fledged Hero—leave the Academy, leave the paperwork.

Finally free, perhaps.

Perhaps I will see the world again instead of getting cooped up in this eternal paperwork prison.

Besides it's lonely without Raymed and Carmilla.

It's been 4 months since we saw each other, what the hell are they doing?

I thought they said they would make time when they're free.

"Yeah," I say, all charm. "I'll win easily and gradu—pay the debt, sure."

Diko grins, wild and desperate. "We're saved!"

I can taste freedom.

I can already see myself leaving Diko in the dust, artifact in hand, sprinting for the first train out of town.

I'm sorry, Diko. I didn't sign up for this when I tried my best to save everyone.

I can't believe the Vanguard Academy and United Front are this petty.

The messenger coughs. "Um. Excuse me. Small print, sirs—only hero candidates may enter. Special Auditors are… strictly prohibited."

The room goes cold.

Diko's mouth opens and closes like a beached fish.

My own jaw aches from clenching it so hard.

"So… you're telling me," I say through gritted teeth, "The Academy made me Special Auditor so I can't win?"

"And you're telling me," Diko squeaks, "I'm going to go bankrupt because he got promoted?"

We both turn, slow and menacing, toward the messenger. The poor boy shakes so hard his cap falls off.

"This is a plot," I growl. "They're trapping us."

"I still haven't married enough and am too pretty to go to debtor's jail!" Diko yelps.

In unison, we grab him by the collar, the very picture of professional meltdown.

Inspiration slaps me across the face just when the messenger looks ready to faint.

"Wait," I say, releasing the poor soul. "Diko. If I can't enter, then my student can."

Diko blinks, frazzled. "You don't have any students! Nobody's suicidal enough!"

I let out a slow, wicked grin. "I will find someone. I'll train them up, win the Artifact, and—"

Escape and Be Free!

"—pay off your precious debt, too."

Diko stares into the void. "We're doomed, aren't we?"

"Not if I can find one lunatic with a pulse and no sense of self-preservation," I say.

There's always a loophole.

And if not? Well, there's always the window.

***

Let it be known that nothing in the world can bruise a man's ego quite like a school hallway echoing with the sound of his own reputation… and the footsteps of terrified freshmen.

My first stop is the central courtyard.

Trish and Lulu are already there.

Trish sees me and waves with that innocent smile.

"Thalamik, you came!" she beams, dragging over a bespectacled person with a hopeful look. "This is Mika. He's interested in mana efficiency! Mika, meet Thalamik, Special Auditor. He's looking for a protégé."

I nod, trying to look wise. "Hello. I'm Thalamik."

The kid squints, as if making sure I'm real. Then his face goes pale. "Wait… are you THE Fiend Kaiser? The one who raises the dead?"

I attempt a winning smile. "Why Yes. I am."

.

.

.

Mika screams, bolts so fast his clipboard spins in the air, and disappears around the fountain.

Trish blinks. "Maybe… I should have left out the title?"

I clear my throat. "Surely not everyone will behave like that, right?"

Then Lulu tried to help me. 

A few minutes later Lulu bounces up, dragging a pair of demi-human twins. "Here! They're super curious about mana transfer!"

"Excellent." I bow and said, "Greetings. I'm Thalamik."

The twins' ears stand straight up. "The necromancer?! The one who haunts the western dorm?"

I tilted my head, "What?"

They yelp and flee, leaving only a trail of dropped flashcards and a half-eaten mochi.

Lulu shrugs, ears flopping. "Maybe next time!"

"Surely not everyone will behave like that, RiGht??????"

Then I went to Dwargo.

Dwargo, arms crossed and beard bristling, drags a burly transfer student from the mines forward. "This one's got guts, Thalamik. Says he ain't scared of nothing."

I clap the guy on the shoulder. "Well met. Heard you're interested in advanced mana channeling?"

The transfer student looks me dead in the eye. "You… you're the one who turned a dead wolf pack in the Lupache estate into your fiend army, right?"

"Ummmm I mean—"

He runs. The ground shakes.

Dwargo scratches his head. "Huh. I thought he'd last longer."

I mumble, "SuREly not EveRYoNe will behave like that, RiGhT?"

Then I went to Killiar.

Killiar is elegant, poised, and possibly armed. She gestures for a nervous elf girl to step forward. "Go on. Ask your question."

The girl opens her mouth, eyes huge. "I heard you… um… absorb souls into your daggers and talk to them at night?"

I stare at Killiar and back to her, "What the hell are you talking about-."

The girl bursts into tears and sprints away, yelling, "FORGIVE ME, DON'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY!!"

Killiar raises a brow. "You do have an image problem, you know."

I sigh. "I am beginning to see a pattern."

Then I went to Illias.

Illias, stoic as ever, leads over a stoic-looking boy. "This one is highly logical. I'm sure he'll see the value in your methods."

I hold out my hand. "Hello. I'm Thalamik."

The boy studies me like a rare, poisonous mushroom. "They say you made the undead work endlessly on fighting during the Focalors' siege. Is that true?"

I smirk. "As of matter of fact I did. It's because—"

Before I finish, the boy sprints in the opposite direction, yelling, "I DON'T WANT MY SOUL TO BE TAKEN!"

"WHAT IS HE EVEN AFRAID OF!" I spat.

Illias watches him go. "Well, that's all I had."

I stare after the last retreating student, massaging my temples. "At least they're fast."

Trish sidles up beside me, sympathetic. "You want to try the kitchen staff?"

I groan. "Nah, I need a break."

***

I flopped onto the grass beneath the old willow near the academy courtyard, letting my arms sprawl as far as dignity allowed. After the morning I'd had, the roots felt like a better audience than any living person. At least they didn't sprint away at the mention of "Fiend Kaiser."

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, making everything feel a little less like a colossal, public disaster. I closed my eyes. Might as well daydream.

Raymed and Carmilla were probably out there, carving their own legends, standing at the edge of some city, looking forward, not back. I imagined Raymed swinging his Avalon or perhaps Blastur as high as his hopes. Carmilla smiling gently as she made miracles seem normal.

They're moving closer to their dreams.

That's good.

Me? Well, I'd done alright.

Made peace with the elves on Lupache estate even after many destruction happened there.

I didn't become a duke because I refuse.

I also didn't marry Trish because it was weird. Didn't even knew her that long probably elven politics again.

But somehow I didn't get cursed by them.

They still act grateful when I visit, shoving extra food into my hands, arguing over who gets to show me around.

Overall, not so bad.

Maybe I'll go see my father-in-law and mother-in-law soon.

A breeze nudged the leaves, and I almost drifted off.

"Excuse me… Are you the Fiend Kaiser?"

I cracked an eye.

Not a hallucination.

"What, do I have it written on my forehead?"

There stood Addison.

I blinked, then had to grin despite myself. "Addison? What are you doing here?"

She beamed, that familiar earnestness sparkling in her eyes. "Hehe. I'm actually accompanying someone right now." Addison, daughter of Hale, our old instructor, whose funeral we'd all attended together. Ever since then, Addison had thrown herself into running the orphanage Hale left behind, all righteous energy and high drive.

In short, a lot like her mother.

"So, business trip?" I asked, sitting up.

"Hmm, not quite. There's a new donor at the orphanage, and she just got accepted here." Addison glanced around, then leaned in and whispered, "She said she needs connections to survive at the Academy, so I told her I knew the Fiend Kaiser."

I gave her a look—half amused, half proud. "You got her to bring you along as an excuse, didn't you? Smart child." I ruffled her hair. "You'd fit right in with the local politicians."

Addison giggled. "Learned from the best! I get a week's free vacation if she meets you. Maybe I can even see Big Bro Raymed and Big Sis Carmilla, too!"

"Ah, about that…"

I gave her the short version. The mission, the departures, the promotions.

Her smile wobbled. "They what? Nooo!" She looked ready to sob. "I came all this way, and they're not even here?"

"Easy, easy," I said. "They might come back soon. Maybe. Besides, don't you have your hands full at the orphanage? You should go home quickly, find a college nearby, and keep things running smoothly?"

She hesitated—a tone I knew all too well. "About that…"

I studied her, recognizing the look of someone who'd spent too many nights staring at the ceiling, dreaming something new. "You're thinking of enrolling at Vanguard, aren't you?"

She puffed up, determined. "I want to fight on the frontlines, too."

"Absolutely not!" I blurted, reflexes kicking in. "Do you know how dangerous that is? If anything happened to you, your mother would come back just to murder me."

Then I paused.

Hale was always the first one to say "try it yourself."

She probably wouldn't haunt me—she'd probably haunt the Academy for not letting Addison take risks.

Addison smiled, sensing my resolve crumbling. "Mom always said to chase what interests me. Right now, I want to carry on her legacy. I've been practicing her body enhancement magic—'Kai.' I want to get even better."

Kai—Hale's signature. I heard it from the coat and letter Addison gave me a few months back before I fought Vepar and Focalor.

Mana channeling, muscle-by-muscle, to push the body past human limits.

If Addison was really set on this path…

I sighed. "Alright. If you do decide to enroll, let me know. If I'm still here, I'll teach you a few tricks. But only if you promise not to outpace me in your first year."

Her face lit up. "Yay!" She hopped in a circle, joy radiating off her like sunlight. "Maybe I can meet everyone soon, too."

I stood up, brushing grass from my coat. "So. About this mysterious donor?"

"Oh, right!" Addison said, bouncing on her toes. "She's waiting at the café in town. I'll show you the way!"

I shook my head, half-smiling. "Lead on,"

***

The café was cozy enough, with that annoyingly pleasant aroma of freshly baked pastries and rich coffee swirling in the air. Addison cheerfully led me through the tables, stopping before a woman whose presence drew every curious eye.

The fox ears sticking out from her neatly tied pink ponytail might've had something to do with that.

"Miss Momoka, this is The Fiend Kaiser," Addison announced, flourishing her hands dramatically as if I was a showpiece.

"Thank you, Addison," Momoka said warmly, rising and extending her hand towards me. Her yellow eyes met mine calmly, sharp but polite.

I shook her hand briefly. "Thalamik, Special Auditor at Vanguard. And, yes, Fiend Kaiser."

"Would you like to order anything?" Momoka asked politely.

"Not really."

Addison leaned toward me conspiratorially, whispering, "They have Chicken Cordon Bl—"

I thrust my hand into the air abruptly. "Excuse me, waiter! Chicken Cordon Bleu with a chocolate milkshake, please."

Momoka giggled softly, covering her mouth with one slender hand. "My~ My~ Please, tell me about yourself, Thalamik."

"No," I replied immediately. "You first."

Her polite demeanor faltered for half a heartbeat, replaced by mild amusement. "Fair enough," she conceded. "I'm a fox demi-human. During the incursion, I was transported to a region you call Japan. Over the years, I adapted, formed contacts, and eventually found my way to the Demi-Human officials now ruling Australia. Hearing of your triumph over three Demon Lord Envoys, I decided I wished to join your fight."

I tilted my head slightly, then abruptly turned to Addison. "Addison, I forgot something crucial in my dorm room. Could you go fetch it for me? Immediately."

Addison stared at me incredulously, her expression clearly shouting, 'Seriously, right now?' But being the good kid she was, she sighed and complied, leaving the café muttering about adult weirdness.

Once Addison vanished around the corner, I leaned forward, mana stirring slightly as my voice lowered, carrying an edge. "Forgive the theatrics. But let's be clear—you're here because you deliberately used Addison, fully aware of her connection to me, Raymed, and Carmilla. Correct?"

Momoka merely smiled. "My~ My~ Is that so wrong?"

"Not wrong, just… suspicious. Clever politics, I'll admit. But what exactly are you really after?"

Momoka's smile faded, replaced by a sorrowful grimace. Her voice dropped to a strained whisper. "The truth is, I'm pursuing someone—a Fey, specifically."

Her yellow eyes narrowed, the gentleness evaporating into smoldering anger. "That creature destroyed my life back in Japan. Forced me to flee, stole something irreplaceable from me. My lover's life. And then the authorities blamed me."

Fey trouble.

I knew the feeling all too well.

Despite the friendly rapport I'd built with Lupache, my own grudge against Zuatha Il Zikmel still lingered bitterly in the shadows of my heart.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said softly. "Did you see what kind of Fey it was?"

She shook her head. "No… but with his last breath, my fiancé told me clearly—it was a Fey."

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "Fey is a broad term—dryads, nymphs, elves, dwarves… Do you remember anything distinctive about the attack?"

Momoka hesitated before carefully sliding a photograph across the table.

The scene was grotesque—her human fiancé had died brutally, a gaping hole through his stomach.

The image wasn't just painful; it was unsettlingly familiar.

"Fey rarely cause wounds this brutal," I said slowly. "This looks more like rage… or personal hatred."

Her fingers caressed a delicate ring on her finger, voice trembling. "He was a good man. I can't fathom why he deserved such cruelty."

"I understand," I murmured, my thoughts momentarily drifting to Amus, my own beloved taken cruelly by an elf I still pursued without answers. "Perhaps we can get answers. But we'll need Fey King Oberon's cooperation."

"Oberon?" Momoka asked sharply. "Do you suspect he's involved?"

"Maybe. It's unclear, but we'll need leverage—countermeasures of sorts."

She opened her mouth to ask, but at that moment, Addison came sprinting back into the café, slightly breathless and clutching some entirely unnecessary documents I'd sent her for. But, importantly, she also held out a colorful flyer.

"Thalamik, you forgot your papers. And this flyer arrived from Director Diko's office—something about an 'Artifact War'?"

I took the flyer, quickly scanning it. My pulse quickened. "The Artifact War… The winner gets an Artifact—exactly what I need."

I met Momoka's questioning gaze. "With an Artifact, I can officially become a Hero. And with that status, I'll have enough sway to investigate your case properly—even pressure Oberon, if necessary. Oberon is the king of the Fey. He is bound to know things we don't."

Momoka blinked in surprise, a hopeful spark igniting in her eyes. "You really think that's possible?"

"Better odds than anything else," I assured her confidently.

She shook her head lightly, a small smile returning. "You really are as cunning as they say. But what exactly do you need from me?"

"You'll be my protégé. Due to my Special Auditor status, I can't compete personally. But you can. Without training, though, you won't survive long."

"Wait," she said skeptically. "Wouldn't this help me more than it helps you?"

I smirked knowingly. "Don't overthink it. Just accept this as good fortune. Be warned, though—I'll train you mercilessly. No breaks, no slacking off. I absolutely must win—through you, of course."

Momoka laughed softly, finally nodding. "Then, from today onward, I'll be your student, Master Thalamik."

I visibly shuddered. "Please, just call me Thalamik. 'Master' sounds profoundly weird coming from anyone who isn't undead."

Her laughter filled the café, a cheerful, musical sound that made heads turn once again.

Even Addison looked a little startled.

I sighed inwardly.

Here I was, officially becoming a mentor—by—choice, even—training a fox lady.

Raymed and Carmilla wouldn't believe this if I told them.

But still, this was a necessary step.

After all, if I had to mentor someone to reach my goal and perhaps help Momoka find closure along the way…

No, in truth, I need this to find closure for myself. 

I must find Zuatha.