Bernel Marquis.
Age 27.
Veritas Academy Class 525 graduate.
Bestowed title 'Messiah'.
Residence: Escolea's slum district semi-basement (previous resident couldn't endure and fled after one week)
Possessed assets: 72 gold coins.
"When are you gonna pay back my money, you bastard!"
-72 coins
Two large men wrecking the house, and a relatively smaller but vicious-faced man.
And one man knelt on the floor, trembling helplessly as he watched their rampage.
The bespectacled, frail man began wringing his hands.
"P-please, just give me a little more time. It's an experiment that needs long-term observation so results might be a bit lateā."
"How much longer is 'long-term'? I gave you a year? You said meaningful results would come within a year?"
"I, I said they c-could come out. But collecting those monster corpses is difficult and I......."
"Aah."
The loan shark waved his hand dismissively, cutting off the words.
"No need for excuses. So can you turn what you have now into money or not?"
"Th-that probably won't make money....... There are still variables......."
"Haa......."
The man looking down at Bernel was a loan shark.
He lent money at high interest to bastards who couldn't even get credit loans from banks.
Snatching it up before the research finishesāthat's their exact purpose.
"I really stepped in dog shit proper this time."
Eyes squeezed shut, he looked like he wouldn't even recover the money he lent to Bernel Marquis.
The loan shark dragged a worn-out chair over, sat before him, and bit a cigar.
"Fine. I'll defer the debt repayment a bit more."
"R-really?"
"On the condition you give up that research you're doing now."
"......Excuse me?"
The loan shark exhaled a long stream of cigar smoke.
"Looking at it, you flew a bit in 1st year at the academy? Transcript shows you weren't just top of class but top of the entire year?"
"Ah, yes, back then I didn't know what to do so I half-assed it and still got top marks but......."
Half-assed.
There's no one else who'd call the top spot 'half-assed'.
"So do something else. If you half-ass something else and produce results, wouldn't that work? I've got a few projects from other deadbeats besides you? I'll give those to you so wrap them up and bring them. Then the debt's wiped clean. How about it?"
"Th-that...... can't I run it parallel with my other experiment? If it's that much-."
Thud!
A dagger flew to the floor, embedding precisely right before his crotch.
"Hiiik!"
"Talk nice and you think nothing's visible. Heard organ prices are sky-high lately thanks to that 'human rights' bullshit. How much they paying?"
"If it's just keeping me breathing, I'd pay off all the interest though?"
"What do you think? Sell organs. You keep doing your experiment. Don't like that, do you?"
"Y-yes, that's a bit......."
"Then quit the research and do mine."
"That's also a bit......."
Wham!
The loan shark's foot struck Bernel's side.
"You think you're joking with me right now!? Don't like this, don't like that? Then just die, you bastard! Worthless dog-like bastard with no value alive!"
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
Bernel curled up helplessly taking the beating.
Unable to even make a sound, he screamed inside.
'Someone, someone please save me!'
His prayer wishing for a single rose blooming from the sewer never reached.
"That's enough."
But today was different.
The thugs' and loan shark's beating stopped.
They turned their heads toward the door they'd smashed in.
Bernel followed their gaze.
"Sorry to interrupt your good time, but I'd appreciate it if you stopped."
The ray of salvation Bernel so desperately wished for.
Its color was gray.
'Aah.......'
Bernel despaired.
That man was a stranger.
A stranger wouldn't save Bernel, so he had no choice but to despair.
The loan shark, who'd been beating him senseless, swept back his hair and licked his lips.
"Looks like some young master from somewhere, but don't interfere right now."
"Sorry, but I'll have to interfere."
The gray-haired man pointed at Bernel, himself, with a finger.
"I have business with that man."
By the time Ferda entered the semi-basement, the beating was already in progress.
Seeing the sight of him being beaten like a dog that bit its owner, Ferda thought this:
'Timing's pretty damn good.'
To be able to appear right when he's yearning for a ray of salvation.
"That's enough."
So Ferda stopped the loan shark's beating.
Bernel was pushed to the background, and the loan shark looked Ferda up and down with a crooked posture.
"Different breed from the model students in Escolea...... you from out of town?"
"Yeah. Came from out of town."
"Did that bastard borrow from you too?"
"No."
"Then wait your turn. I was first. Meet him after I'm done fixing up that bastard."
"How kind. What if I settle that debt for you?"
A brief silence.
The loan shark made a subtle, caught expression before opening his mouth.
"Principal plus interest, 72 gold coins. Can you pay?"
"Of course it's possible."
"Then just pay the money."
72 gold coins.
For Ferda, now lord of Valdrova Castle, that wasn't such a large sum.
Something he could give as easily as throwing a eaten rib.
But Ferda didn't readily accept that proposal.
Ferda's blue eyes rolled toward Bernel, curled up bleeding.
Seeing his state, Ferda made this proposal:
"Let's do it this way. Grab this bastard, deduct property damage and liquidate at 50 coins. How's that?"
The loan shark burst into hollow laughter.
"Ha, you crazy? The stuff we broke ain't worth more than 3 gold coins."
"Is that so? Then just take 49. Since you're giving away that man you beat up for about 20 gold coins practically free."
"You nuts? Just 'cause we bonded a little you want me to burn 20 gold?"
"Negotiation broken?"
"Negotiation my ass, this is extortion."
"Broken it is."
Ferda raised a finger.
"Then you'll get it back exactly as is and settle it, Ruri."
Ruri, standing behind, moved forward.
"Make it exactly the same state."
"......."
"The promise will be kept, so don't worry."
"Haa, understood."
A silver-haired side-tail maid girl walked over with an expressionless face.
"What, a brat?"
"A young master bringing a brat to a slum like this, is he an idiot?"
The thugs sneered lewdly.
Unlike those large, uneducated bastards, the loan shark could tell well enough.
That this brat isn't a brat just by appearance.
At that moment, the ominous brat drew out a portion of her hidden power.
The brat's silver eyes emitted a strange light.
Beeeepā!
Tinnitus ringing simultaneously in their ears.
"Ugh!"
"Eurk!?"
"Wh-what?"
The thugs and loan shark were flustered.
But even more flustering was,
"Ugh...... ugh......."
"M-my body......!"
Bodies won't move.
Try as they might, only trembling pathetically.
Bodies wouldn't move like they'd turned to stone.
Ruri glanced at them, then approached the nearest thug.
"First, I'll fix you up."
Ruri pointed her finger there.
At that moment, the space constituting one thug distorted like a mirage.
Powpowpow!
Sounds of relentless pummeling burst out and the thug collapsed.
"Ugh uuuugh......."
Covered in bruises, nosebleed dripping, groaning on the floor.
Exactly what Bernel suffered.
'What the hell is that?!'
The still-standing thug and loan shark broke into cold sweat.
In their world, this wasn't common sense.
Her eyes turned to the other thug.
"Next is you."
"Uh uh......?"
Powpowpow!
The loan shark was seeing this phenomenon for the second time but still wore a face that couldn't grasp it.
Air distorts, then simultaneous pummeling explodes.
'Magic!'
He grasped it, but that grasp alone couldn't explain everything.
'It's magic but! Does magic like that exist?'
The girl's magic had no magic circle, just a flick of her finger.
She uses magic that produces that kind of destructive power?
"Next...... no one else left but you."
"Uh...... uwaaa!"
The loan shark attempts a final struggle.
Trembling, trying to force his frozen body to move.
His vision distorts.
Powpowpow!
The loan shark topples forward.
Crack!
"Aaack!"
Another scream bursts.
As he fell, his right index finger snapped.
"Ack! My f-f-finger!"
An unforeseen variable in the calculation.
"You bastard! You said you'd make it the same! Finger wasn't included!!"
The loan shark throwing a tantrum.
With that vicious face shown earlier, he was throwing a childish fit.
The loan shark's boss had started his seed capital with blackmail and threats.
That true worth is being demonstrated right now, in this moment.
A truly dumbfounding moment, but Ferda wasn't.
"Indeed. Truly troubling."
Ferda's expression turned serious, and he stared down silently.
The loan shark felt an odd, creepy sensation.
"You're saying only your finger broke so it's unfair, right?"
"Th-that's right, you bastard! What about my finger!"
Ferda tilted his head toward Ruri.
"The gentleman says it's unfair."
"Understood."
The way to soothe that unfairness: give compensation befitting it.
Or do the exact same thing to him.
Ferda didn't want to give compensation.
Snap!
"Kyaaack!"
Snap!
"Aaaack!"
The other two thugs' fingers were made exactly the same.
Thinking it was settled, Ruri turned to leave.
"Ruri."
Ferda called her name.
"Yes."
"Isn't there still one left?"
"......Are you serious?"
Ruri frowned and asked, and Ferda nodded.
"Calculations must be thorough."
Ruri made a face of incomprehension.
If calculations must be thorough, one side remains.
"Uh......?"
Bernel Marquis.
Snap!
"Kyaaack!"
Bernel's index finger was snapped just like that.
The tantrum-throwing loan shark and his underlings lost all words at the sight.
'Wh-what?'
'Why'd you break that model student's finger?'
'Wasn't he on Bernel's side?'
They forgot even the bone-ringing pain.
Saying let's be fair, he broke even Bernel's finger.
So they'd all be in the exact same state.
'Crazy bastard psycho!'
From there, they began feeling fear toward Ferda.
Ferda glanced at their state and nodded with satisfaction.
"Looks done to me. If anyone feels over-punished, speak up."
Ferda curled his lip slightly.
"I'll handle it all fairly, after all."
"N-no!!"
"Th-this is enough."
"Is that so?"
Ferda held out his hand to Ruri.
She pulled a pouch from her skirt, and Ferda threw it to the loan shark.
Exactly 69 gold coins, minus the goods value.
"Then the debt's settled, so get out now."
"Th-thank you."
They didn't look back, just scrambled away.
Watching where they disappeared, Ferda spoke quietly to Ruri.
"Skilled with magic."
"Just used the basics."
"Are healing spells in those basics?"
"I know them to some degree."
"Then I'd like you to treat Bernel rolling over there."
"Kkeueuk...... no need."
Bernel, groaning in pain, waved his hand.
"If you receive too much healing magic, you build resistance later. If a time comes when it's really needed and healing magic doesn't work, that'd be bad...... so I'll endure this much."
"Rational judgment befitting a scholar."
Bernel grabbed his own finger.
"Kkeueueuk......!"
Crack!
After setting it back, he flexed it once more.
Confirming it returned to normal, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Huu...... thank you for saving me."
Even though you broke my finger.......
Swallowing those words down his throat, he asks Ferda.
"May I ask your name?"
"I'm called Ferda Valdrova."
"Valdrova? That's the Red Dragon's name, isn't it?"
"Correct. I'm the one who'll become that person's consort."
"Huh? D-don't tell me?! The one engaged to the Duke King is......?"
Color drained from Bernel's face.
He knelt again and bowed his head to the floor.
"I, I'm sorry for not recognizing the Great Duke King's consort!"
"No, not knowing is natural. Don't mind it."
"And I'm not consort yet. Just using the Valdrova name."
Ruri interjected to correct.
Bernel introduced himself.
"I'm Bernel Marquis. As known to the world, a scholar called Messiah. You surely knew and came. Haha......."
"Right, I've heard your reputation well."
"To such a pathetic person, what business could you possibly...... have?"
"Hate beating around the bush, so I'll speak directly. I'm interested in your research."
"M-my research?"
Eyes went wide.
The loan shark who lent money treated him like an idiot, yet someone's interested in his research?
"If you come to Valdrova Castle, I promise unconditional support for your current research."
"Eh?"
"Materials you want, research funds, facilitiesāI'll support without question."
"Huh, heok!"
Unconditional support.
A support condition no scholar had ever receivedāunprecedented.
So he's happy, but simultaneously anxious.
What conditions will be attached from there to make him do it?
Bernel asked in a trembling voice.
"C-c-c-condition, what is it?"
"Your research. I'll make weapons with it."
Bernel's expression hardened.
"Weapons...... you say?"
"Yeah. With your research."
Bernel, who'd been cheering joyfully until just now, shook his head.
"Then I can't do it."
"That's what you say to someone who cleared your debt?"
"Even with a knife to my throat, I can't do that. I...... want a peaceful Serdes Continent. I only wish for the people living in it to be happy."
He expected it wouldn't go smoothly.
Because Bernel Marquis is a pacifist.
"Weapons of war...... only create more victims. So even if you're my benefactor, I can't do that."
Ferda stroked his chin and muttered.
"So you won't change your mind even with a knife to your throat?"
Bernel felt a chill run down his spine.
Threats to kill him, cripple himāBernel had heard countless times.
But this is different.
Felt like death was embracing him from behind.
"But think about it."
Ferda swept his index finger across the dust-covered floor.
"Whose grace do you think lets you research comfortably in this rat-sewer hole?"
"This is what I chose."
"Wrong. You didn't choose. Enjoying this peace isn't something a trivial thing like you chooses to create."
Bernel flinched tense.
Emotion was vividly embedded in his tone now.
"My future consort, Valdrova Duke King, goes to the front lines almost once every three days. She fights monsters that could destroy this city like it's nothing. What do you think she stakes each time? A bit of territory? Far East residents? Or my life?"
Ferda poked his own chest with a finger and answered.
"No, she stakes herself. You throw your life away for that flimsy belief, but she makes peace by cutting enemies with her life as a noble sword."
Ferda always watched Valdrova fighting on the front lines.
From the highest place, he secretly etched that sight into his eyes.
Right now, Valdrova's figure seemed to appear in Ferda's eyes again.
Chest feels stifling.
Ferda's finger unconsciously dug into his own chest.
What remains for him, who can only watch helplessly, is guilt.
"So I'll do anything for her."
Flames flickered deep in Ferda's eyes.
"So whatever your thoughts, I'll tell you to make weapons, and."