Chapter 43 The Same but Different

"This is impossible..." The moment Frey lost consciousness on the top floor of the civilian dormitory, Irina witnessed the result and was thrown into a state of shock. "...Did he really use himself as a medium?"

According to Irina's theory, to break the magic circle inside the civilian dormitory, it is essential to set up a'medium' that can condense magic power at the center of the magic circle. Only in this way can a large amount of magic power be condensed on the medium and then released all at once, completely shattering the magic circle structure drawn with thick magic power. Of course, there is also the orthodox method of deactivating the magic circle in the order of its drawing. However, in the urgent situation at that time, if the orthodox method was adopted, the magic circle was likely to be activated, so there was no other choice.

Nevertheless, since this method does not follow the orthodox way of deactivation, it has considerable risks. That is...

"...Hey, he's not dead, is he? Frey?" Irina, who was staring blankly at Frey in deep thought, was brought back to reality by Perosh's voice from the front.

"Hey, hey? Crazy Mr.?" Perosh, with a somewhat scared look on his face, gently poked Frey.

"...Perosh."

"Ah!?" Perosh, who had been poking Frey with his finger, was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder from behind by Klara and let out a scream in horror.

"Frey has fainted now."

"Ah... I see." Hearing this, Perosh took a step back with a complex expression, but Klara still looked down at Frey.

- Sizzle... Soon, a faint golden light began to linger around Klara's hand.

"...Uh." Seeing this scene, Perosh showed an incredulous expression, while Klara walked towards Frey with a serious look.

"Frey!! Are you okay!!" But at this moment, Serena rushed towards Frey in a hurry.

"Miss Serena, please wait a moment. Let me check first..."

"Ah, that crow that was probably controlling Mr. Frey is staggering!" Klara slightly frowned and was about to speak, but Serena didn't give her a chance and directly started to explain.

"This crow is the root cause of all this! So, at least in this incident, Mr. Frey is innocent..."

"...Hmph." Klara watched quietly as Serena eagerly hugged Frey and started to explain. Then, she coldly pulled a straight face and took a step backward.

"K, Miss Klara." At this time, Perosh wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cautiously looked at her.

"...This is actually good news. This is a great opportunity to completely destroy him."

"But..."

"Now, it's indeed possible to kill him... But if so, his death would be too easy, and there are too many witnesses. Moreover, after his death, the buried corruption, embezzlement, and the intelligence of the Demon King's Army will also disappear. The losses would be too great." Klara whispered to Perosh, then deeply sighed and continued, "In this empire, besides Frey, there are many other villains. We must find a way to seize power and eliminate all these people. So, we can't act rashly."

"Um..." Perosh responded sullenly. Klara quietly looked at Frey behind her and then said, "However, this doesn't mean we do nothing."

"Um?"

"This incident has already exposed Frey's connection with the Demon King. I'm afraid it will soon be known to the world, and his reputation will plummet."

"But... if Frey plays tricks..."

"I haven't been idling around. I have already gathered a certain amount of power. So once we leave here, my informants will spread the news all over the empire. And this will be our first counterattack against Frey and the dark forces in the empire." Hearing these words, Perosh opened his mouth in surprise and stared at Klara.

"This is just the beginning. I will gather forces as soon as possible to bring down Frey, and then purge all the corrupt nobles who have colluded with him."

"I see..."

"So, let's put off killing him for now. Now is the time to use him for the revival of the empire and the defeat of the Demon King." After Klara whispered, Perosh first nodded vigorously, then tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Uh... but, why Miss Kania... Mmm?" But before he could finish speaking, Klara hurriedly covered his mouth. Perosh immediately looked flustered and made a muffled sound.

"...I'll tell you about her later, alone." At the same time, Klara glanced at Kania, who was observing Frey together with Serena and Isolte in the distance, and answered in a low voice.

"Um..." Just then, Irina, who had been silently watching them, spoke up.

"Yes, yes?"

"What happened?" Hearing this, Perosh and Klara naturally separated from each other and tilted their heads in confusion. Irina stared at them for a while, then asked in a low voice, "...You two also have memories of the future, right?"

"Uh, that... Well..." Perosh started to sweat and stammered in reply.

"...Perosh, Miss Irina is not a bad person."

"Ah! That's right!" Klara gently reminded Perosh, then quietly looked at Irina and said, "...Let's talk about it in detail together later."

"Going to... the cat café again?"

"No, my subordinates have prepared a special place." After saying this, Klara's eyes slowly turned to Frey.

"By the way, it seems he's quite badly injured."

"...Yes." This was the first time Perosh faced a seriously injured person without offering help. His heart was filled with complex emotions, and his face became solemn. At this time, Klara, who had been clenching her teeth, murmured in a low voice, "If he dies now, things will become quite troublesome... But to be honest, there's a part of me that hopes he just dies like this."

Hearing these words, Perosh, who was good at healing, spoke softly, "Looking at the chaos of magic power in his body, he'll probably have to stay in bed for about a week."

"...Anyway, he's really tenacious." Irina, who was listening to their conversation in silence, continued her previous thoughts: 'I can't believe he really used himself as a medium...'

To break the sacrificial magic circle, the'medium' used must have an extremely high degree of magic - power condensation. Not an ordinary level, but an extremely outstanding one. Of course, for a small - scale magic circle, an artificial magic - power condenser or a magic crystal can be used instead. But if it's a large - scale magic circle that sacrifices all the students in the civilian dormitory, and it's a sudden situation... There's only one thing that can be used as a medium. That is 'humans'. Humans, who have been habitually controlling magic power since birth, can freely use the magic power in nature and in their own bodies, and are second only to elves in magic - power control. Of course, to control the magic power of the scale just now... Unless it's a quite powerful powerhouse, it can't be done.

That is to say, others think that what happened just now was a side - effect caused by the failure of the magic - circle activation... Considering Frey's usual weak and incompetent appearance, this is a natural result. But...

'If Frey... is really that Liana who saved me last time?' That mysterious woman 'Liana', who dragged her bruised and battered body, protected me all day, killed the magic beasts, and even though the situation worsened, still defeated and made the dark golem that almost destroyed the Rising Sun Academy disappear. For some reason, she exuded a familiar magic power and knew the name I gave to the fruit. If she is really Frey... Then the assumptions made so far are valid. Frey, using himself as a medium, destroyed the sacrificial magic circle. Pretending to be brainwashed by the crow and putting on an act. Otherwise, how could a person who wants to awaken the power of the Demon King be willing to endure the intense pain of condensing magic power in his body and then pouring it all out?

'...But, why on earth?' So, why on earth did Frey do such a thing? In the memories of the future, he had committed countless terrible crimes. There was not a trace of kindness or mercy in his evil deeds... It was as if pure evil had manifested in the world. Such a him, why did he destroy the magic circle with his own hands when the power of the Demon King was about to awaken? Was all of this part of his plan... and only due to a miscalculation in the plan did he betray the Demon King and destroy the magic circle? Or, was there some reason he had to destroy the magic circle when casting the magic?

'Not very clear... too much information is blurred.' Irina kept thinking and followed Klara and Perosh towards the dormitory exit. She suddenly stopped to try to sort out her thoughts.

'But one thing is certain... There must be a reason behind Frey saving everyone today.' Of course, Irina didn't know what that reason was. However, it was precisely her curiosity and persistent character that made her a great mage that made her determined to find out the truth. Therefore, from now on, she would officially take action to find out the reason why Frey made that decision. In addition, the relationship between Frey and 'Liana', the reason why he suddenly turned from a kind - hearted person since childhood to an evil one, his relationship with the Demon King, and everything else related to him would all be re - examined. A fire was ignited in Irina's heart, and she was determined to complete this matter before she could feel at ease.

"Remember, Perosh. From now on, you can't trust anyone anymore."

"Th, then... What about Miss Klara? Should I trust her? Or not?"

"It seems I need to call some people for help. You two stay here and watch Frey..." After making up her mind, Irina was about to leave the civilian dormitory with Perosh and Klara, who were talking, and Isolte, who was walking towards the door to call someone. However...

"Ah!!!

"Fr, Frey!!!" Suddenly, screams from Frey and Serena came from behind. The people around were startled and turned around one after another.

"...!!!"

In their line of sight...

"Frey!! What's wrong with you! Wake up!"

"Ah, ah..." Blood was gushing out of Frey's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, and his whole body was shaking violently.

"No, don't! No!!" Serena looked at Frey, who was bleeding from all seven orifices, in horror, then rushed forward and hugged him, shouting loudly.

"Save, save him...! No, Miss Perosh!! Please help him!! Please!!"

"....."

"If this continues, Frey will die!! Please!!" In the chaos of shock and fear, Kania, who had been standing quietly aside, also began to tremble all over and muttered to herself, "Who on earth..." Kania, who knew the situation better than anyone else and was torn with pain inside, could only lower her head and keep muttering.

"Who on earth... noticed..."

A few minutes before Frey started bleeding from all seven orifices...

"Hello~! Is anyone there~?" A young girl was knocking on the door of the secret orphanage he had established.

"...May I ask what's the matter?" After the girl knocked for a while, a female staff member opened the door with a puzzled expression.

"Is this a newly established orphanage?"

"Yes... May I ask what's the matter?" After confirming again that it was an orphanage, the girl walked in and showed a bright smile, saying, "Do you need any staff?"

"...Staff?"

"Yes, staff." The girl blinked her shining eyes and asked. The female staff member showed a puzzled expression and began to say, "Well... Since it's a newly built orphanage, we are indeed short - handed..."

"Really? Then hire me!"

"...What?"

"I'm strong and quick at work! So, just leave it to me!" As the girl spoke, she began to act coquettishly. The female staff member stared at her blankly for a while, then sighed and said, "Well... We haven't posted a recruitment notice yet, so the salary hasn't been determined... Why don't you wait until we confirm the budget..."

"I don't want any pay."

"Ah?" But the girl interrupted her decisively. The female staff member's expression became even more confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not doing this for money."

"Th, then... Why on earth..." Facing the female staff member, the girl replied calmly, "I'm also an orphan. So, I know better than anyone the pain of orphans."

"Ah..." The female staff member was momentarily speechless at this unexpected answer. The girl gently closed her eyes and continued, "My dream is to bring hope to all the orphans in the empire. So, I want to take the first step towards realizing my dream here."

After saying these words, the girl showed a pure and bright smile. The female staff member, touched by the girl, gently stroked her head and said, "...Another saintess has emerged in the empire."

"You're too kind." The girl blushed slightly, showed a shy expression, turned her head, and pointed inside the orphanage, asking, "Are the children inside?"

"Yes, they are inside. Do you want to be introduced to them?"

"Of course!" The girl nodded. The female staff member looked at her with satisfaction, then took her hand and walked into the orphanage.

"Hello!!"

The children who were playing inside all lowered their heads and greeted the female staff member in unison. The female staff member looked at these children with satisfaction.

"...The children are quite lively, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are always very active at this time of the year. My younger brother was like this before..."

"You have a younger brother?" The girl tilted her head and asked. The female staff member smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, I have a lovely younger sister at the Imperial Academy now. She is more precious than anyone else."

"Really? I will also enter the academy next year."

"Wow, really?" Just as the female staff member and the girl were chatting about the academy, suddenly someone approached them.

"...Do you want some candy?" A little boy blinked his big round eyes and offered the candy to the girl.

"Thank you." The girl took the candy, smiled, and stroked the boy's head. The boy's face turned bright red immediately, then he ran away quickly.

"Is that child also from here?"

"No, that child has many friends here, so he often comes to play."

"Ahaha..." The girl, who had been staring at the little girl, asked in a low voice, "But, where did these children come from?"

"Well... Most of them are children who were begging in the market alleys."

"However, they seem quite 'healthy'?"

"Yes, for some reason, they seem to have brought a little money... And they also seem to have been well - taken care of..." The female staff member put her hand on her chin, tilted her head and thought for a while, then carefully put forward a guess, "Maybe they are children from some orphanage that closed down and ended up on the streets?"

"...Something like that."

"Um?"

"Ah, I think so too." From that moment on, the girl, who had been staring blankly into the void with a suddenly stiff expression, immediately changed her words and asked the female staff member a question, "This orphanage won't close down, will it?"

"No, although I don't know why... But the budget is quite sufficient. It's a good thing for us."

"I see..." After hearing the answer, the girl looked around the orphanage and showed a satisfied expression. Looking at her like this, the female staff member asked softly, "...But, are you really okay?"

"Um?"

"Anyway, you could take a little more pay..."

"No, it's okay." The girl interrupted the female staff member again decisively, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and replied, "As I said just now, this isn't about money."

After the girl finished speaking, she bowed slightly and continued, "Well, I'll come to visit you again tomorrow. I suddenly have something to do... There's something I need to take care of."

"Okay, see you tomorrow!" The female staff member waved goodbye to the girl who was walking towards the exit of the orphanage. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she looked at her back and asked, "Ah, by the way... What's your name?"

The girl stopped, froze in place for a moment, then showed a faint smile and replied, "...Just call me Ruby."

After saying that, the girl pushed open the door, walked out of the orphanage, and walked towards the street with light steps.

"Frey Rahn Starlight..." Then, the girl stopped in place, looked up at the sky as before, and murmured in a low voice, "...Sure enough, you are the hero." As she said these words, a creepy smile appeared on the girl's face.

"sister!!I've distributed all the candies!" Shortly after the girl left the orphanage, the little boy who gave her the candy ran up to a little girl and said with a bright smile.

"Um...Well done." The little girl gently stroked his head. Suddenly, she showed a puzzled expression and turned to the person beside her and asked, "Master, is there really a magic that can make words and numbers float in the air?"

"...Snore."

"Master?" However, the old man beside her had already fallen asleep. Seeing this, the little girl started to shake him vigorously.

"Master...! You said I could ask you any questions at any time...!"

"Ha ah..." The old man, who was forcibly woken up from his sleep, rubbed his eyes and then muttered impatiently, "Ah... Damn kid... I hate crying brats the most..."

"I'm also a kid, you know?"

"You're an exception." Hearing the girl's slightly aggrieved voice, the old man immediately changed his words. Seeing this, the girl threw another question at him.

"Then, is there really a magic that can make words and numbers float in the air?"

"Of course. There are at least hundreds, maybe even thousands of them."

"Um..."

"Just these? Then I'll go back to sleep. Next time you wake me up, wait until you've finished everything here." Shortly after, as the girl sank into deep thought, the old man, scratching his head, said these words and then drifted back into a deep slumber.

"How strange... Apparently, no one else can see it... Can only that lady see it? But why can I see it so clearly?" Just as the old man started snoring again, Greina, who had come to the orphanage to visit her friends...

"Come to think of it..." She pondered repeatedly, then tilted her head and murmured to herself. "...What on earth is the 'Path of the Hypocrite'?"