The Demon Prince goes to the Academy

dir= ”ltr ”>From the start, should I have changed my perspective?

 

Had he not lost his arm?

 

I finally understood.

 

I finally realized.

 

“So that's…
what it was…”

 

In order to give something.

 

I had to take something away from the beginning.

 

He didn't lose his arm.

 

Taking his arm was, in itself, the beginning of giving him something.

 

From the beginning, it wasn't about being disqualified.
Rather, losing his arm was the pivotal event that brought him onto the path.

 

“What's that, by the way?”

 

As I mumbled words that I didn't understand, Harriet was looking at my hand.

 

“Ah, this.”

 

The object that I had been rolling in my hand throughout our conversation.

 

“I don't know.”

 

“I see.”

 

I didn't know.
I didn't know why I had taken it.

 

I didn't know what it meant.

 

It seemed like a meaningless object for Ellen, who felt like she had crossed some kind of end.

 

But still, it shouldn't have been discarded.

 

I put the round, white amulet into my pocket.

 

——

 

Nighttime.

 

A dark night when even the researchers were asleep.

 

But in the deep, deep underground laboratory where day and night became meaningless.

 

Even in the isolation chamber at the deepest part of the lab.

 

There were four people there.

 

Christina, arranging the prepared drugs and reagents in order.

 

Anna de Gerna, drawing a magic circle.

 

Louis Ancton, checking the magical tools and ritual equipment.

 

And.

 

In the center of the magic circle.

 

There lay Ludwig, shirtless.

 

Wearing a mask, Christina checked the tools, more suited for primitive surgery than for a mage, and said,

 

“Think it over again.”

 

“Please.”

 

“I've told you dozens of times that you could die.”

 

“I've thought about it a lot.”

 

At Ludwig's words, Christina frowned.

 

“We can find an arm from a living person, someone who hasn't been dead long.
The success rate would be higher.
It wouldn't be difficult to obtain.
Just wait a little longer, and we can find an arm that's safe and ethically unproblematic.”

 

“You know that's not what I want anymore, Christina.”

 

“…”

 

Christina had tried several times to change Ludwig's mind, but she couldn't.

 

“Ludwig…
Do you really have to do this…?”

 

At Anna's words, Ludwig nodded his head.

 

“I want to become stronger.”

 

“…”

 

“I don't know any other way, because I'm powerless.”

 

Fortunately, they weren't the only ones who ignored Ludwig and deemed him insignificant.

 

He had friends who didn't consider him nothing.

 

An extremely dangerous ritual with a high possibility of death.

 

But still, he wanted to undergo the most perilous one.

 

There were also those who could help Ludwig.
Anna and Christina both knew they couldn't persuade him.

 

However, wanting to do it didn't mean they could do it right away, and they couldn't cast such a dangerous spell on their friend's body without proper preparation.

 

So, all three of them carefully checked Ludwig's condition, gave him medication for several days beforehand, and tried to create the best possible state for him.

 

As a result.

 

Louis spoke from outside the magic circle.

 

“Ludwig, I've done a thorough check of your physical condition, and you're quite different from others.
Quite a lot.”

 

“Different?”

 

“Abnormal, to be precise.”

 

As Louis examined the data he had collected, he wore a serious expression, checking something.

 

Anna and Christina were already aware of this information.

 

At Louis's words, Ludwig looked puzzled as he lay there.

 

“To put it simply, your talent is really strange.”

 

Before starting anything, Louis Ancton had meticulously examined Ludwig's physical condition and discovered a very peculiar aspect.

 

Other students of the same level had powerful supernatural abilities, or two or three, or even talents that encompassed other abilities.
In Ellen's case, she possessed numerous such comprehensive talents.

 

However, Ludwig had only one talent: physical stamina.

 

A talent corresponding to the B-class of the Royal Class.

 

Ludwig never considered his talent exceptional.

 

But he was the only one with the talent of physical stamina.

 

“A strange talent?”

 

“I thought your talent was related to endurance or physical stamina, but it seems it's not.”

 

“Ludwig.”

 

Christina took over Louis's words.

 

Wearing tight gloves and a mask, she looked at him.

 

“It seems your talent is closer to vitality rather than stamina.”

 

He had always thought his only advantage was not getting tired.

 

A talent related to vitality rather than stamina.

 

Ludwig didn't know the specific meaning of this.

 

Was the one talent he thought he had actually quite remarkable?

 

In any case, there was no need to know the specifics.

 

“Anyway, for now…
that's a good thing, right?”

 

In a moment of success or failure, the talent could provide assistance.

 

He could understand that much.

 

“Yes, your chances of not dying are much higher than others.”

 

“That's a relief.”

 

“Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll succeed.
Keep that in mind.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Ludwig was born with an abnormally high level of vitality.

 

It wasn't a simple matter of muscular strength or endurance.

 

The very source of life.

 

As if under the protection of something unfathomable, Louis Ancton had discovered that Ludwig had some strange power.

 

Vitality.

 

Louis confirmed that it was indeed a bizarre and alien talent.

 

After a while, Anna finished the magic circle and stepped back.
Louis took something out of the prepared container.

 

It was an arm.

 

Something in the shape of a right arm.

 

As Louis brought the arm, Ludwig asked,

 

“Can I ask whose arm it is?”

 

Louis carefully placed the arm where Ludwig's right arm should have been.

 

“Larken Simonstite.”

 

“I see.”

 

Hearing the name, Ludwig slightly closed his eyes.
It wasn't an unfamiliar name to him.

 

Larken Simonstite.

 

The traitor of humanity who had become a Grandmaster.

 

Saviolin Turner's predecessor, humanity's strongest.

 

His right arm was placed where Ludwig's arm should be.

 

Louis stepped back, and Christina approached Ludwig with her gloves and mask on.

 

It was uncertain how much would change by receiving just one arm.

 

However, one thing was clear: something unexpected would happen.

 

It was a simple transplant, but the arm being transplanted had once belonged to a man who was mentioned among the world's strongest, and had been further enhanced by dark magic and alchemy before being regenerated.

 

If the transplant and adaptation were successful, something unpredictable would happen.

 

With the arm of a traitor to humanity, would he annihilate humanity's enemies?

 

“Now that it's come to this, I'll make sure we succeed, Ludwig.”

 

“I'm counting on you.”

 

“Together, let's take revenge on the world.”

 

A gleam appeared in Christina's eyes.

 

“We'll make everyone pay for all of this.”

 

Although she had tried to give up and resign herself, once she had resolved to act, Christina could not help but think of joining forces with Ludwig.

 

Seeing Christina's eyes flicker with madness and vengeance, Ludwig looked up at the ceiling.

 

“That's right…
a price.”

 

“We must make them pay.”

 

“I'm stupid.”

 

“But no more will I ask others for their opinions, or seek affirmation that my judgment is correct.”

 

“I may be wrong, I may be making a mistake, but I won't look for answers from others anymore.”

 

“If I'm wrong, then so be it.”

 

“If I'm right, then so be it.”

 

“I will follow the path I have chosen.”

 

“Everyone must have had their reasons.”

 

“There must have been some reason, and perhaps it was something they had no choice but to accept.”

 

“But if that's the case…”

 

“I can do the same.”

 

“I can be like this too.”

 

“I must accept my own helplessness.”

 

“Just as they justify many things by saying they had no choice.”

 

“I will justify myself, that in this world they've created, I had no choice but to become this person.”

 

“It's allowed, isn't it?”

 

“If it was allowed for them, I think it's allowed for me too.”

 

“Revenge…”

 

“Well, I don't think it's revenge.”

 

“This is…
yes, in their favorite words.”

 

“It's not revenge or retribution…”

 

Ludwig spoke.

 

“It's just…
an inevitable occurrence, I suppose.”

 

Fate disguised as coincidence intertwined and intermingled.

 

The phrase 'there was no choice' repeated and accumulated.

 

Another inevitability.

 

It had arrived at a destination and starting point.