“Hehe… well, it doesn’t matter if I tell you, but I’ll say it anyway.”
Resia openly belittled the Hero Party. Esther shouted in anger.
“What do you mean by that?! What do you mean it doesn’t matter if you tell us?”
“It means exactly what I said, new Saint. You seem more incompetent than the last Saint. Teresa was very sharp. She managed to uncover the truth in no time. Well… because of that, she’s now locked up in the underground prison, though.”
“What?!” Esther broke out in a cold sweat.
“As far as I know, Teresa was imprisoned for embezzling the party’s funds…”
“Hahaha! How foolish! What does the truth matter to you, who can’t even see what’s happening right in front of you! I’ll just kill you all here and return to my domain…”
“Wait! Please tell us! What is this truth you’re talking about?!”
“Any further conversation is pointless… The only one who was even remotely useful among you was Teresa. I have no further use for you. I’ll kill you one by one in misery. Hell Memory!”
Cynthia.
Cynthia Reagrove
The top graduate of the 96th Academy Class.
Promoted to Senior Mage five years after graduation.
Three years later, she earned the title of Archmage.
Particularly known as a sage-level mage in the fields of Fire and Wind, she was already credited with defeating high-ranking demons before joining the Hero Party, and after joining, she hunted 37 high-ranking demons.
She was recognized for her potential to join the “Five Sages,” though approval was delayed due to her family’s crimes.
Despite growing up in a harsh environment where she bore the sins of her family, Cynthia is hailed as a legendary figure who achieved success.
Tiffany.
Tiffany Lace.
Born as a princess of the Lace family, one of the royal families of the Elves, she is presumed to possess an immense amount of mana.
Elves naturally have far greater mana reserves than humans, and it is common for royalty to possess superior talents.
After the Lace family was annihilated by the Empire, she was forced into slavery, but later gained her freedom and lives proudly.
She is a strong contender to be chosen by the World Tree, and if selected, could become the Queen of all Elves.
Jeanne.
Jeanne Grave.
A princess of the Grave Kingdom.
She was the only survivor of the royal family during the war between the Empire and Grave Kingdom.
After being adopted into a noble family and later disinherited, she joined the Knight Academy, graduated at the top of her class, and went on to become one of Emperor Carlos the Great’s personal guards.
She earned worldwide fame as a knight and became known as Humanity’s Spear after leading the Hero Party’s vanguard and defeating countless demons.
This is the information Esther knew about the Hero Party.
It was common knowledge shared by all of humanity.
But… the truth unfolding before her eyes was completely different.
“Hehe… By the way, this memory is being broadcast worldwide. Everyone is watching your shameful memories.”
Resia spoke maliciously.
As he said, three videos were being broadcast in front of every human and demon across the world.
The first was Cynthia’s embarrassing past.
She was in a uniform, opening a lunchbox in a bathroom.
The contents of the lunchbox were unimpressive: just plain rice wrapped in seaweed, shaped into a rice ball. She quietly ate one of the rice balls.
Then, at that moment…
Splash.
Water poured down from above.
Looking up at the ceiling, she saw an empty mop bucket.
“Hehehe!”
“Hey! Cynthia’s eating here!”
“Sia~ Why are you eating here? No friends? Want me to eat with you?”
“Stop it~ What if she thinks you’re serious and asks you to be her friend? You gonna be friends with her?”
“Are you crazy? What if I become a demon too after befriending someone from a traitor family?”
“Right~”
The mocking voices came from outside.
Cynthia bit into the soggy rice ball and spat it out immediately.
It was inedible.
She opened the door and glared at the children who had thrown water on her.
“What’s going on? Why are you doing this to me?”
Among them was Krista, the most popular student at the Academy.
Krista was second in the class, meaning she lost first place to Cynthia.
That was probably what upset her.
Krista spoke.
“Why? Don’t you know? You’re the demon’s sister. Since you’re carrying demon blood, you’ll eventually become a demon too, right? What’s wrong with getting rid of you now before that happens? Isn’t that the truth?”
“I… I’m not carrying demon blood! I’m 100% pure human! It’s just that my brother… no, Resia!”
“Yeah, Resia massacred the nobles and became a demon. So, you’re the sister of a demon, right?”
“What does that have to do with me! The one who committed the crime was Resia, not me!”
“It doesn’t matter? By the way, among the kids here, there are people whose families were killed by your brother. Does that still not matter?”
“Your brother ran away to the Demon Continent without paying for his crimes, and your parents cowardly took their own lives. So the only one left to take responsibility is you, right? If you have any conscience, shouldn’t you at least make some atonement?”
“I… What am I supposed to do?”
Krista spread her legs.
“What?”
“What did you say?”
“I apologize on behalf of my older brother, the demon Resia, for the sins he committed… that’s what you want me to say, right? Then maybe I’ll believe you’re a little sorry.”
“Are you crazy? Why should I say that? Forget it!”
“Ah~ you’re not sorry then? You must want to leave for the Demon Continent like your brother, right? You’re learning magic here to use it for becoming a demon, aren’t you? Someday, you’ll probably use that excellent magical skill to kill humans, right? With your brother?”
“No! How many times do I have to say it?! It’s not true! Really, it’s not true! Really, really!”
“Then does that mean you feel some guilt about your own brother turning into a demon?”
“O-of course! Of course I’m sorry! As a human!”
“Then crawl.”
“If you can’t crawl, where will the vengeful spirits of the people who died because of you go?”
“Why is it my fault…”
“If you don’t apologize, I’ll report to the chairman that Cynthia admires demons.”
“What?”
“Then 100% you’ll be expelled. Ah! By the way, didn’t I tell you that the chairman is my aunt? Your life is in my hands. Got it? Now crawl, you b*tch.”
In a split second, countless thoughts crossed Cynthia’s mind.
But even with her sharp intellect, she couldn’t find a way out of this situation.
She was now a powerless social weakling, without the backing of her family.
She knew well that even the smallest blemish would result in her destruction, like a bug ready to be exterminated.
“Ah… okay… I’ll crawl.”
Cynthia swallowed her humiliation and bent down. Krista’s feet, spread apart, looked eerily like the gates of hell.
“What are you doing? I said crawl.”
“…”
The shame was so overwhelming that tears welled up in her eyes.
“Hey, she’s crying.”
“Hehe! Hahaha!”
“What a dumb b*tch.”
Cynthia, moving her body as if it were gold, crawled between Krista’s legs.
That was when it happened.
Krista suddenly bent her legs and climbed onto Cynthia’s back.
“Now, run! Run!”
Slap, slap.
Like a jockey commanding a horse, Krista slapped Cynthia’s bottom.
The second-ranked student in the entire academy grabbed the twin braids of the first-ranked student as though they were reins, pulling them sharply.
Cynthia cried out in pain as her scalp was yanked.
“Stop it! Please, stop!”
“Apologize! I taught you what to say earlier, right? If you don’t apologize, you’ll be expelled! Demon Cynthia!”
“I’m not a demon! I’ve told you, I’m not a demon!”
As her hair was tugged, Cynthia’s face contorted into a grotesque expression.
That moment was also being broadcast live to the entire world.
Krista continued to slap Cynthia’s bottom.
“Say it, demon b*tch!”
“I… I apologize on behalf of my older brother Resia for the sins he committed… I’m sorry for the trouble caused… humans…”
“Hahaha! Did everyone hear that? ‘Humans’! This b*tch isn’t human at all! She’s a demon! A demon going to an academy? How arrogant!”
“H-huh… Huh… you told me to say it!”
“From now on, call me ‘Krista-sama’. If you don’t, you’ll be expelled immediately!”
[……….]
“Alright!”
“I understand, Krista-sama… I get it, just not the expulsion… Huh… ugh…”
“Hehe!”
Laughter filled the air as the video ended.
“Ahhhhhh!!! No! No!! This is a lie! It’s a lie!! It’s a lie!!”
Cynthia, now crying blood, denied the past. But no one stood by her.
Everyone had lost their words after seeing the humiliated past of the great mage Cynthia.
“Resia… that bastard… I’ll kill him… I’ll kill him…”
“Why are you like this, demon Cynthia? Let’s get along.”
“Ugh… Huh… Huh…”
Cynthia was helpless, unable to do anything except shed tears in frustration at Resia’s mocking words.
And now, Tiffany’s humiliating past was about to be revealed.
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