A Failed Knight Who Went to the Academy To Get Married

038 Observation for Despair

Cat had one secret she had never told Train.

“Yuril will be ambushed by a spider and die in 5 seconds.”

That statement was not mere speculation, but an established fact.

The magic ‘Laplace’s Demon’ that could observe the future a few seconds ahead.

She had secretly used it when fighting the Grizzly Bear, the Manticore, and whenever they were in danger.

It was just that she hadn’t taken any particular action because the conclusion that Train would win was always visible.

But this time, the story was different.

“If you use your magic, you can save Yuril, but you will die.”

Among the thousands of futures observed, there was not one where both survived.

In the end, all Cat could do was give Train the chance to choose.

That’s why I hate this magic.

Sometimes, having the choice is even more cruel.

…Train furrowed his brows and asked Cat.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m sorry. I am serious.”

With those words, Train asked no more.

He just gave a small, resigned smile.

“…Cat, please break Yuril’s curse for me.”

Cat nodded silently.

Then, Train summoned his magic sword without hesitation.

The sword, somehow, was a deeper blue than usual.

The blue gleam of unwavering resolve and the purple madness of endless despair, writhing.

Surely, it must be a mix of those two colors.

“Here I go!”

In an instant, Train vanished from sight.

Yuril, far in the distance, seemed preoccupied, fending off the rocks hurled by the spider.

Because of that, he didn’t notice the spider sneaking up behind the rock.

If things continued as Cat predicted, Yuril would be bitten and killed by the spider—

But just before that could happen, a navy streak slashed through the spider’s leg.

Thanks to that, the spider lost its balance and tumbled over.

At the same time, Yuril’s face turned deathly pale.

“You… I told you not to use magic…”

The spider rose again, emitting a bizarre cry as it charged at Train.

But soon, Train and Yuril’s joint attack began severing the spider’s legs one by one.

Simultaneously, Yuril shouted at Train.

“I told you not to use it!”

But Train didn’t seem to listen at all.

The ceaseless rush of movement.

A myriad of azure trails flickering rapidly.

After the spider lost all its legs and tumbled to the ground,

Traine and Yuril simultaneously struck at the spider’s neck.

The spider’s head dropped to the ground with a thud.

Only then did Traine come to a halt.

In a moment of silence, he burst into a wide smile and said,

“Sorry, Yuril. It seems I’m trash for not keeping even one promise to you.”

“Now’s not the time for that?! We need to treat you-“

The sword vanished from Traine’s hand.

Then, spewing a mouthful of blood, he collapsed to the ground.

“Traine? No, this isn’t like you! You’re not this weak!”

As the people around panicked and rushed to Traine’s side,

Yuril knelt before him, frantically feeling over his body.

“No, it’s not over yet, first we need to cleanse the tainted magic, no, start with the heart massage…”

After struggling for a while, Yuril finally ceased her movements.

And then, with her head bowed, she murmured.

“Lies…”

Cat, who had been watching the scene for a while, also quietly bowed her head.

“May you live a happier life in the next one.”

***

“Here again?”

Train muttered as soon as he opened his eyes.

White ceilings and floors.

Stained glass floating around.

But something was different from usual.

Because his consciousness was so much clearer than in his usual dreams,

Train could intuit that he had died.

“Is this heaven, or is it hell.”

As Train muttered listlessly,

Soon, a gentle voice was heard from somewhere.

“You have died. This place is your deep world.”

“…I see.”

“Soon, this world will disappear along with you.”

“But who are you? You’re not Hwaran, are you?”

“My name is Yumano.”

At those words, Train abruptly sat up.

He looked around, but the owner of the voice was nowhere to be found.

Train let out a heavy sigh and asked into the void.

“Why are you here, God?”

“I’ve come to propose a contract.”

“A contract?”

“I will resurrect you just once, so please grant me one favor.”

“…Speak.”

“Please stop the genocide of other races by the Yumano sect.”

…An ordinary person would have accepted that offer immediately.

But Train’s chronic skepticism flared up.

“Why are you making such an offer to me, of all people?”

“Because I see potential in you.”

“Shouldn’t you be making such a request to the Pope, not me?”

“The voices of those children no longer reach me.”

“But why me, out of all the other people?”

“Only those who can devote everything to pure conviction can hear my voice.”

“With such criteria, there must surely be others who are capable?”

“For now, you are the most-“

“Are you really the divine Yumano? Or some demon trying to tempt me into a strange contract-.”

From noble mtl dot come

Suddenly, the voice raised in temper and shouted.

“Enough already!”

…Perhaps Train is the only one in history to have irritated a god to such an extent.

After a pause, the self-proclaimed ‘divine Yumano’ spoke again in a gentle voice.

“I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away.”

“Oh, no, I should be the one apologizing.”

“Anyway, the contract has been established.”

At those words, Traein’s chest suddenly began to heat up.

“What? Wait a minute-“

“Please do not forget the promise you made with me.”

“No! Something like the terms of the contract! Or a deadline! At least what I’m supposed to do!”

***

“aaargh!”

Traein woke up from his sleep with another scream.

And soon after, he checked on Yuril next to him and realized he had come back to life.

…However, the atmosphere was somewhat strange.

“What, what’s with that look?”

For some reason, Yuril responded not with words but by threateningly raising a torch.

And then he realized that he was not lying in a bed, but on a pile of straw.

It was a situation undeniably on the brink of being consumed by flames.

“Hey, wait, let’s just calm down, okay?”

Trine said that while looking around.

Not only Yuril, but Siran, Shia, Kat, and Maria seemed to be all safe.

And there were quite a few soldiers from the Yumano Kingdom gathered as well.

However, for some reason, they were all staring at Trine with expressions as grim as Yuril’s.

“Why is everyone looking like that?”

Trine tried to get up from his spot.

Then Yuril threateningly pushed a torch towards him.

“Don’t move.”

“What?”

“Why have you come back to life?”

“No, well, that is to say…”

At that moment, a few soldiers shouted.

“Don’t be fooled! He must have turned into a zombie!”

“Judging by your awkward speech, you’re definitely a zombie!”

“Zombies don’t have past memories, so check!”

What kind of beggar-like joke is this?

But Yuril seemed to take the joke seriously.

“What’s my name?”

“It’s Yuril.”

“The name of my teacher?”

“Elford.”

“The name of our country? The name of the princess I was engaged to? The names of my servants?”

“Altoria, Princess Sia, Cat, and Muscle. No, why the heck—”

“My motto?”

“No, I mean—”

“Answer quickly!”

Trine sighed briefly and then, with a smile towards Yuril, replied.

“…At least, I wish for no one around me to be unhappy.”

At that single word, Yuril’s expression instantly softened.

And then, without warning, she threw herself into Train’s arms.

“Hey, wait, you’re too—”

But it wasn’t long before she roughly pushed Train away.

Then she hastily pulled out a handful of pills from her pocket and shoved them into her mouth.

“…What did you just eat?”

Yuril didn’t answer Train’s question.

Instead, she turned around and said to Train.

“If you don’t want to be burned, explain how you came back to life properly.”

“Well, it’s like, in my dream, Yumano asked me to make a contract.”

At those words, Maria rushed at Train and yanked up his top.

“What have you done now!”

“It’s a stigmata…”

“What?”

“It’s Yumano’s stigmata!”

At her cry, Train checked his chest.

There, three crosses he had never seen before were etched like scars.

“What is this now…”

Suddenly, Maria stepped back a few paces and prostrated herself before Train.

“Oh, messenger of the great Yumano!”

Then, the soldiers around her promptly followed suit, falling to the ground.

“What is this! What in the world!”

“Lord Train, could you please tell us specifically what contract you have made with Lord Yumano?”

“Ah, that, to stop the genocide of other races by the Yumano faith?”

“I have received such a command.”

Maria sprang to her feet and shouted towards the soldiers.

“Sisters, you have heard!”

Then, a soldier cautiously asked Maria.

“Excuse me, Lady Maria. Does that mean to defy the Pope’s orders?”

“More important than the Pope is the word of Lord Yumano!”

“But what if that Traein fellow is lying?”

Maria stomped her feet in frustration.

“You fools! Can’t you even believe the revelation sent directly by Lord Yumano?”

While Maria and the soldiers were arguing,

Yuril began to search Traein’s body with a cold expression.

“The body has been resurrected, but the poison remains.”

“If you’re going to resurrect me, at least offer a healing service.”

“Quiet.”

Yuril slapped Traein’s head hard with the palm of her hand.

“A promise is a promise, so now we’re cutting ties.”

“What? No-“

“Don’t ever speak to me again.”