NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 4
✦ Chapter 4 ✦
「Translator – Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
Two Skeletons stood on the stage, their bones rattling with each movement.
Judging by the crimson glow in their eyes, they were undoubtedly the lowest-rank skeletons.
Even an ordinary civilian with basic military training could take them down.
No matter how notorious Terran Academy’s reputation as a ‘trash academy’ might be, even its students could handle five or more of these skeletons with ease.
And here were just two of them.
Yet…
“………….”
A heavy silence blanketed the auditorium.
It wasn’t because Louis was controlling them with his Domination spell, as he had during the entrance ceremony. Nor was it fear of Louis himself that had reduced everyone to silence, making even their breathing cautious.
It was simply…
“This… doesn’t make any sense….”
…sheer disbelief.
At the Hero Academy, students were taught and trained in countless disciplines.
Each academy had its own areas of specialization, with fields they emphasized more than others.
Even so, there is one universal curriculum shared among all Hero Academies: Swordsmanship, Magic, and the History of Heroes.
— The History of Heroes.
It is a subject dedicated to teaching about the countless Heroes who sacrificed their lives for the continent throughout its long and storied history.
A Hero was not merely someone who wielded great strength.
They were individuals who embodied a noble spirit, a selfless willingness to sacrifice for the greater good; the tales of these Heroes, their courage and selflessness, were essential lessons for any aspiring Hero.
And that was why…
“K-Kindeman…”
The name of a legendary master swordsman.
“Rugeros…”
The name of a legendary Archmage.
Their names were etched in the annals of history, their legends sung by bards across the continent.
And now…
*Rattle*
…those very heroes stood before them, in the form of two pathetic, low-rank Skeletons.
If anyone else had made such a claim, even the most apathetic Terran student would have erupted in outrage; to compare these pitiful Skeletons to the Heroes who had sacrificed their lives for humanity!
But…
“This is…real, right?”
“I think so…”
The source of those words made all the difference.
Louis Shambel, the Demon King of Chaos.
He was a figure of immense power, a living legend in his own right.
“……………”
Caught between disbelief and the undeniable reality before them, everyone remained silent.
“L…”
A small voice, barely audible at first, slowly grew in volume, reaching every corner of the auditorium.
“Principal Louis—! Long live!”
It was Orca.
☩
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Orca, who aside from majoring in The History of Heroes, had only learned the basics of self-defense martial arts.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
Orca, who had always been buried in books, her thick glasses perpetually sliding up the bridge of her nose.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
Now, she was darting across the stage like a flying squirrel, her movements nimble and erratic.
“K-Kindeman’s Necklace!”
The necklace that seemed ordinary at first glance but was a deeply significant artifact—created by Kindeman himself to honor a promise made to his late fiancée when he became a great swordsman.
Orca could spend days, even weeks, recounting the historical significance of that necklace alone.
“R-Rugeros’s Ring!”
She reached for the crude ring on the other Skeleton’s finger, caressing it with the reverence one might show towards the ashes of a beloved parent.
The scene was bizarre, grotesque even.
“Ugh.”
Even Rayze, hardened warrior that she was, couldn’t help but avert her gaze, a wave of nausea washing over her.
“They’re genuine! No doubt about it, they’re the real deal!”
And then—
Click
As if sensing something amiss, the Skeleton bearing Rugeros’s name reached out, its bony fingers clamping down on Orca’s wrist.
“An…an honor…!”
Orca began to stammer, her expression quickly freezing as the skeleton’s other hand tore at her collar.
“Eep!”
Gasps and cries of shock erupted from the audience, but silence quickly descended once more as they took in the sight before them; the ripped fabric revealed rows of thin, meticulously crafted magic bombs strapped to Orca’s chest.
Rayze’s face hardened, and her hand instinctively moved towards the hilt of her sword.
“Th-this is…!”
Before Orca could stammer out an explanation,
Beep
A high-pitched sound rang out as Rugeros’s bony fingers brushed against one of the magic bombs.
“It’s going to…”
“It’s… going to…”
The faint hum of a magic pulse signaling imminent detonation reverberated through the air.
“It’s going to explode!” Orca shouted in panic.
At that moment—
“Looks like the teacher prepared a celebratory firework,” Louis remarked as he approached, raising a hand.
And a thin, black barrier materialized between Orca and the bombs.
Pop.
The sound was barely audible, far too faint to be called an explosion.
She had imagined, perhaps hoped, that the blast might inflict some damage on Louis. But that thought was nothing more than her own delusion. Louis stood unharmed, his expression impassive, the barrier having completely absorbed the blast.
“……………..”
Orca stared blankly, her face dazed.
“Setting off fireworks in such a confined space would be dangerous for the students, so I took the liberty of…disposing of them.”
“Pant…pant…”
Orca’s gaze met Louis’.
Her cheeks flushed, her heart pounding in her chest.
In that moment, everything felt like a dream.
Could this man, this calm, collected individual, truly be the infamous Demon King of Chaos?
No.
To her, this man was…
“H-Headmaster…!”
…undoubtedly the Headmaster of Terran.
A headmaster worthy of Terran!
“I pledge my undying loyalty!”
Orca shouted, her voice filled with a fervor bordering on fanaticism, as if she were swearing allegiance to a Demon King’s army.
“There’s no need for unnecessary loyalty. Just step down,” Louis replied dryly.
“Yes, sir!”
Orca scurried back to her seat, her face flushed, her eyes shining with an unsettling intensity.
The students in the auditorium saw only one thing in her — madness.
Orca Pandemishion.
Among Terran’s lackluster staff, she was considered one of the more competent instructors. But ultimately…
She was a Terran teacher.
Flawed, like all the rest.
Once a brilliant scholar who authored numerous papers on The History of Heroes and gained recognition in academia, she was ultimately expelled for crossing the boundaries of scholarly decency.
‘The Maniacal Hero Enthusiast.’
That was Orca Pandemishion.
“Hee, heehee,” seated back in her spot, she chuckled, a disturbing sound that sent shivers down the spines of those around her.
“K-Kindeman… R-Rugeros… heeheehee…”
The legendary heroes, figures she had only read about in books, were standing right before her eyes. It was a shocking sight, but Orca was already looking ahead, envisioning a future far more exciting..
‘The Demon King of Chaos!’
She, more than anyone else, knew that these weren’t the only Heroes who had challenged Louis.
If he was willing…
*Swoosh*
…he could replace even more of the current staff with Heroes.
Orca’s gaze swept across the rows of teachers, her eyes gleaming with a manic intensity.
*Shiver*
The teachers felt a cold shiver run down their spines, sensing the madness radiating from her.
“That…that crazy bitch…”
Someone muttered under their breath.
“There was a bit of a commotion. Let’s resume the ceremony,” Louis declared, bringing order back to the auditorium.
☩
Kindeman, the swordsmanship instructor.
Mugeros, the magic instructor.
Mere Skeletons, yes, but if they could teach, that was all that mattered.
However, there were only two of them.
Twenty-five teachers had been eliminated in the recent incident, and two Skeletons, no matter how legendary, couldn’t possibly fill that void.
Even with adjusted schedules and combined classes, it wouldn’t be enough.
‘One more.’
They needed at least one more instructor.
But Rayze understood the situation all too well.
‘Those two are the limit for now.’
She was aware that countless heroes remained buried in the Graveyard of Heroes in the Land of Chaos.
But what Louis needed now wasn’t soldiers for battlefields; he needed instructors to teach students.
‘And high-rank undead aren’t an option either.’
To create powerful undead from those heroes, they would need to erase their sentience and reforge their souls.
For now, the alternative was to create low-rank undead and…
‘Evolving them.’
And the key to that evolution?
‘Will.’
The will, not just of Louis, but of Rayze as well.
Heroes willing to teach at the academy—those who could abandon their humanity and even their honor as heroes for the future Rayze dreamed of.
They were the reason Kindeman and Rugeros were here.
Still…
‘One more is still missing.’
Louis, however, hadn’t mentioned anything to her about the final teacher.
He simply told her it wasn’t something to worry about.
*Step, step.*
He stepped to the front of the podium.
“Let me introduce you to the final instructor, the one who will guide you…for now.”
The students’ expressions were mixed—some resigned to disappointment, some visibly despairing, while others seemed to cling to faint hope.
And then, Louis’ voice echoed through the auditorium.
“It’s me.”
“…………?”
Silence.
The students stared at him, confused.
“I told you before. By the end of this year, Terran will produce a single hero,” he reminded them, referencing his speech from the entrance ceremony.
“However…”
His face contorted in displeasure.
“You’re all pathetic. Utterly useless.”
“Ugh.”
“You’re not even worthy of becoming low-rank Undead.”
A brutal truth. Some students bristled at his harsh assessment, while others simply hung their heads in shame.
“Tell me, what is a Hero?”
He posed the question, his gaze sweeping over the room.
No one dared to answer the Demon King of Chaos’ question, save one.
“A Hero is one who is willing to dedicate their life to fighting for the well-being of the continent and humanity!”
Orca.
Her hand shot up, her voice ringing with conviction.
“Do you truly believe that?”
At Louis’ sharp retort, Orca’s face crumpled, and she lowered her head.
She was a hero fanatic, yes, but her obsession had blinded her to the true complexities of being a Hero.
“You, there.”
“A-Are you referring to me, sir?”
A student, trembling, pointed at himself, his voice barely a whisper.
“What’s your name?”
“I-I’m Roman, a second-year student.”
Roman’s face paled, his expression that of a man facing death itself.
He knew how humiliating it was for an aspiring Hero to answer the Demon King’s question.
Yet, refusing to answer might very well cost him his life.
In the end, Roman chose survival.
“Answer me.”
“W-what should I…”
“Tch. I asked, what is a hero?”
Roman stammered, his mind going blank as though it had been wiped clean. Sweat poured down his face in torrents.
‘If I answer wrong, will I die?’
Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but he couldn’t articulate a single one.
“I have no intention of killing any of my students.”
“…………!”
“Therefore…”
His lips parted slightly.
[Answer me.]
Demonic Speech.
The Demon King’s absolute command, impossible to resist, reverberated through Roman’s mind.
“A-A hero is someone who is recognized by the Central Temple of Saints and the Persimo Empire! ”
At last, Roman’s deepest, most basic understanding of the term spilled out of him.
“Tch.”
Another disapproving click of Louis’ tongue.
“Next. You.”
“My name is Shtigel, sir!”
The next student, eager to avoid the terrifying sensation of being controlled by Demonic Speech, blurted out his answer.
“They are the strongest individuals in the continent, ranked within the top 100!”
Finally, Louis stopped.
“That was somewhat close to a correct answer. Shtigel, was it?”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“I’ll remember that.”
“It’s an ho—“
Shtigel, about to utter the words “honor,” abruptly clamped his hand over his mouth.
He mustn’t forget.
This man was the headmaster of Terran, yes, but he was also the Demon King of Chaos.
“A hero is…”
Louis began, his voice carrying a weight that silenced the auditorium.
Louis Shambel, the Demon King of Chaos.
To him, a Hero was…
“…one who must kill the Demon King.”
“Gasp!”
“…or be killed by the Demon King.”
It was a simple, straightforward answer, devoid of any lofty ideals or embellishments.
“Therefore, wouldn’t it be logical to learn from the one who knows the Demon King best?”
The final member of Terran’s temporary teaching staff…
“It’s me.”
“…………..!”
“I will teach you.”
The Demon King of Chaos, Louis Shambel.
END σϝ CHAPTER
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