I Stayed Loyal When My Teacher Was Betrayed

3 – The Only Way

I was never really a good person.

I never thought of myself as righteous,

and I was never determined enough to give up immediate gains for the sake of doing what is right.

But,

Because of that, I knew.

Even if I were to betray my teacher and side with them.

The fact that my life would never be happy.

No matter how much wealth and status I obtain,

I am not strong enough to comfortably enjoy the things gained through betrayal.

That’s why I attacked them.

A life that had simply flowed in unfortunate circumstances,

Instead of struggling in pain to prolong my life, I thought it would be better to face a dignified end in this place,

And for the sake of repaying even a little bit of the favor she had shown me…

To the teacher who had been kind to me until now.

However,

Regrettably, my physical condition was not suitable to bear the consequences of such a decision.

I knew very well that using magic when my stamina and magical power were depleted was out of the question.

The fact that my teacher had warned me about it several times in the past.

But now, I was not in a situation where I could adhere to such warnings.

At the same time, even though I was clumsily prepared, deep down, I had one hope as a true protagonist.

A cliché that often happens among protagonists in novels or movies:

In a desperate crisis moment,

They overcome their limits and receive what is commonly known as the “protagonist’s correction.”

Although it was a talentless and unlucky life in this otherworld,

At least, with the wish that maybe this much would be possible in the end, I began to use magic with all my strength.

But…

“Cough-cough!”

The merciless backflow of magical energy was happening exactly as it was. Reality felt like a crumbling shack.

“F***, that’s right! Who needs a protagonist adjustment like me!”

Blood poured out of my mouth, and my strength drained from my body.

Simultaneously with that pathetic ending, the traitors unleashed their retaliation upon me.

Attacks filled with hate and rage poured mercilessly.

In the end, being half-dead already due to the backflow of magical energy, I lost consciousness.

With this filthy and despairing ending,

I thought that I would never open my eyes again…

*

“There’s no other… way…”

Rosemary, embracing Edward with desperation, assembled the ingredients for the spell.

Her body was already crumbling due to severe injuries and excessive use of magic.

The stone mask she was wearing was about to shatter any moment.

She no longer had any magic power left to unleash,

But she still had one means available to her right now.

The remains left behind by the deceased Demon King.

Gathering those remnants that still held immense magical power, Rosemary mustered all her strength and cast her spell.

There was no assurance.

She herself didn’t know if it would succeed or fail,

And she couldn’t predict what the outcome would be.

However, Rosemary no longer had the luxury to consider such things.

“Please… Please let me live… In any form… As any existence… Please!”

Rosemary pleaded for hope, filled with desperation amidst uncertainty.

And then…

And then…

*Crack!*

The stone mask completely shattered in the end.

With no attention paid to what it meant, Rosemary tightly closed her eyes.

The man, draped in a deep red light…

Holding Edward’s body close to hers.

At that moment,

*Creak…*

A chilling sound echoed from right above her head.

As everything around crumbled, the ceiling finally began to collapse completely.

And then…

*Thud!*

*

Darkness,

A sensation as though sinking into an unknown place with no end.

In the midst of that emptiness and strange tranquility I felt within,

I could sense my consciousness fading away completely.

And I understood.

This is death.

My insignificant life in this world,

Ultimately ending in vain, accomplishing nothing at all.

At that moment…

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, a cold feeling washed over me.

A bright light pierced through my closed eyes.

Right after that, what I saw was a scene I believed I would never see again.

A blue sky and softly drifting white clouds.

An uncomfortably warm sunlight.

Simultaneously, faint bird songs reached my ears.

Almost as if to let me know that this place was not the afterlife, but rather the living world.

“Alive… am I? But how…”

Clearly, the last scene I thought I would witness before dying.

Nevertheless, the fact that I still had breath left in me created a deep sense of curiosity in my heart.

However…

“Huh? What… what is this?”

Suddenly, I was captivated by a strange sensation that began to surge within me, leading to yet another perplexity.

I wasn’t feeling any pain or discomfort in particular.

No, my current physical condition was not only devoid of any pain but rather incredibly healthy.

An inexplicable lightness, as if about to fly away,

Yet, in relation to this state of being,

I realized that a significant change had occurred within me.

It was…

A tremendous surge of magical power that filled my body like an overflowing river, an experience I had never felt before.

And.

The sensation of fangs in my mouth.

And the small horn protruding from my temple that had been subtly growing heavier since earlier.

Thus, I turned to look at my reflection in the nearby puddle…

And finally became aware of the state I had transformed into.

“I… have become a demon?”

A race belonging to the higher ranks of monsters, possessing similarities to humans except for features like horns and fangs.

The reflection in the water showed exactly that form of a demon.

It was a twisted version of Edward’s original appearance.

A sudden transformation into a different race, which I assumed would be facing death.

I was immediately seized by confusion in this incomprehensible situation.

At that moment.

“Did… something happen?”

A voice echoed in my ears.

Though it was the voice of a woman I had never heard before,

There was a peculiar familiarity to the sound, causing me to turn my head immediately.

!

Right after that, the person who caught my eye.

The moment I saw his face,

I looked momentarily dazed, forgetting even my confusion just a moment ago.

What was there, was the appearance of a woman sitting next to me.

She must have been in her late twenties at most.

A flawless white skin without any blemishes or wrinkles,

a sophisticated figure visible through the revealing robe.

And,

a young woman with short red hair and red eyes,

an attractive beauty that seemed like it was drawn like a painting.

This person made even this desolate ruins look like a piece of art and was more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen.

Even my colleagues, who were considered fair beauties, could not compare lightly to her goddess-like charm.

While looking at her, I began to feel a sudden palpitation.

At that moment.

“Uh… Please tell me. Is there anywhere uncomfortable? Or if there is any problem…”

She asked with an awkward voice full of concern.

Her appearance made me feel a strange familiarity.

A voice that couldn’t express emotions honestly.

And a subtle familiarity even though we met for the first time.

These facts,

made me feel a natural yet extremely awkward feeling.

“S-Surely… You are…”

It reminded me of one possibility that seemed certain.

“My… Master?”

“That… Yes, it’s me! Your master Rosemary… Fortunately, you seem to remember well.”

The woman, no, Master Rosemary answered with a trembling voice.

In the meaning of affirmation contained in those words, I couldn’t say anything for a moment.

Even though I said the words myself, it was honestly hard to believe.

She usually covered her face with a veil, but despite this, she gave the feeling of being closer to a middle-aged woman. She never wore a robe that showed off her figure like she did now, and her voice wasn’t so beautiful either, like a huge difference between coal and diamonds. Despite accepting this with her head, it was difficult for her to digest this emotional alienation. “H-how… like this… Are you really, really my teacher, Rosemary? But your appearance is completely…”. The teacher had a very embarrassed expression and started to erase the awkwardness on her face with a short clearing of her throat, a kind of routine she showed when calming her emotions. From that point on, the teacher returned to her usual stiff feeling and began to explain to me in a serious voice.

To be honest, the explanation felt a bit lengthy. Something complicated about forbidden magic rituals, but in any case, I could somehow understand the conclusion. “So… the result of breaking the contract? Is that what you’re saying?”. “Yes, it was a contract to amplify magic in exchange for youth. It was over ten years ago.” Rosemary, my teacher, had researched and mastered magic beyond simple witchcraft. Some involved drawing power from otherworldly beings through a contract. Trading something in return for something that is not generally obtainable. Since it was part of the source of her transcendent magical powers, it wasn’t unusual.

I had a relatively good understanding of the situation, but apart from that, my teacher’s words continued. “The main one was algorithm of Yahlrototh, but it was based on the Apocraphy formula, and the mask that mediated the contract was shattered, so everything went back to 0, and the injury has also recovered naturally.” She explained in a serious voice, as if lecturing in this situation as well.

Even at a time like this, she explains the situation in a serious tone, like giving a lecture. While her appearance has become extremely beautiful, watching her clearly show that she is still my teacher, I felt a strange sense of relief. “Anyway, the conclusion is that things have just returned to the way they were, without suffering any losses and even getting interest back on the principal, it could be considered quite a profitable deal,” she said, ending the lecture feeling like quite a long story.

Seeing this, I finally felt I could raise my hand to ask the question I had been curious about. “Then how did I become a demon like this? Was this also because of you, teacher?”

“! That… that is…”

The teacher’s response, clouding her words at my question.

A moment of silence followed,

but soon she lowered her head with a tone filled with guilt.

She remained in that position, looking down at me.

“I… I’m sorry…! But back then, I had no other choice. As luck would have it, there were remains of a demon king, so I hurriedly attempted magic, but in the end…”

The teacher sincerely apologizing.

Originally, she intended to resurrect me as a normal human, but even she couldn’t fully suppress the demon king’s power.

As a result, my body became that of a demon, not a human.

However,

facing the apologetic teacher like this,

I spoke with a smile on my lips.

“Anyway… Thank you, teacher.”

“Huh…?”

“On my part, I did try to help, but ultimately, thanks to you, I could survive. Really, thank you for rescuing me once again.”

“‘Thank you’… You… Surely, you understand what it means to become a demon? So why…”

The trembling voice of the teacher replying.

While thinking that her appearance was wonderfully beautiful as well,

I spontaneously shared a thought.

“At most, it’s just teasing the fact that you’re a demon working for our prosperity, teacher. It’s rather common for magicians to deal with monsters.”

Although I became an enemy as a demon of the free race, I still had some tricks up my sleeve.

Of course, it may not be perfect, but honestly, being able to endure such discomfort from the standpoint of having acquired power that can’t be compared to before was acceptable.

And,

while observing my reaction,

the teacher momentarily made a vacant expression and then slightly raised her head, saying:

“Tsk… You’re quite a cheeky guy… But still, it must not have been easy for you…”

“Well… If it comes to it, the teacher will somehow figure it out. Just like you’ve always done until now.”

“…Really… You, that guy…”

My words containing a hint of a joke.

In response, the teacher, as usual, answered with a voice that seemed to say there was no other way.