Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

242. We’re Under Attack! (3)

Suddenly, Totema, who had been searching for us, began to ramble on about his experiences.

After the Magical Banquet incident, he said he went on a journey for training again.

His skill in spirit magic was increasing day by day, and he claimed he was now strong enough to form his own legion.

`This is my true talent.`

He was delighted to be able to flourish a talent that had been sealed due to his family circumstances.

However, the memories of his previous life as a prince surfaced, and he headed for his hometown.

Papias Kingdom. A small nation established as mercenaries from all over the continent gathered in one place to gain wealth and profit.

The policies there are quite barbaric, so strength is treated as justice.

Therefore, royalty had to be strong without exception. Otherwise, they would be devoured by the bugs trying to crawl up from below.

Perhaps his father, Talema, forced him to train for that reason.

Lost in nostalgia, Totema momentarily stepped into the past.

He wasn’t planning on staying long anyway; he just wanted to check how the kingdom was faring in his and his father’s absence.

After all, he was a commoner, so nobody would recognize him.

At that moment, he felt it. The cries of divine beasts echoing from below the kingdom.

`Spirit and excellent empathy… That’s not all of Totema’s talent.`

Besides spirits and spirits, he could also feel a strong connection with divine beasts.

The reason Angela went berserk during the Nine-Tailed Fox incident was also due to Totema’s extraordinary empathy.

Thus, Totema’s abilities connected to divine beasts. He could read the hearts of those divine beasts that were unseen.

“The moment I stepped there, I realized that divine beasts were present on that land. I have the ability to resonate with them, even though I am not of their kin.”

“Resonate?”

“Yes, they were continuously sending distress signals from below. I can still feel their resonance now.”

“….”

Hearing that, Luska clutched one of her eyes.

Now he understood why it had been slightly prickly for some time.

“I think I felt that resonance too.”

“Really? Ah… Now that you mention it, Miss Luska, you are a member of the Yaho tribe with divine beast blood.”

The distress signal had reached Luska too. They were poking her eyes, asking her to understand their crisis quickly.

“And I had something I wanted to say to Miss Luska.”

“Yes…?”

Totema suddenly bowed his head in front of Luska and pressed his forehead to the ground.

He prostrated himself and shouted.

Suddenly why was he making such a big deal out of it? He had forgotten something all this time.

At the moment, there was neither Talema nor any thoughts of revenge from the Luska sisters since they had already avenged themselves.

It was about what Totema’s father, Talema, had done to her sisters.

“Though it’s late in my apology, I’ve heard what your father did to you both.”

Her mother was used as a specimen for a divine beast on Talema’s orders.

He deceived young Luska and used her as a soldier while making Angela live a life of solitude since she was newly born.

Ultimately, he even killed their mother.

Totema endlessly pondered the fact that such a murderous fiend’s blood flowed in his veins.

Perhaps it was too light a punishment to end with just being stripped of his title.

After all, he was the one who caused Angela to rampage as well.

“Lift your head.”

“….”

“You’re just tied by blood to that demon. You’re not related to his crimes at all.”

At that time, he was just a student attending the Academy. Instead, he was merely a victim caught up in the turbulent waters around him.

“Rather, I want to apologize. At that time, I deceived you both while working with Enviel.”

Every time he recalled that day filled with revenge, he felt guilt towards Luska.

He had involved an innocent person in cutting off Angela’s tail.

For revenge on Papias, she had mentally threatened Totema.

He did not care at all that he was a good person.

“I truly apologize.”

Luska also bowed her head and sincerely apologized.

In fact, it had been almost a year since they last faced each other since the Nine-Tailed Fox incident, so they had no chance for this.

The fortunate thing was that it was not too late, even now.

So, the feelings piled up between them were quickly resolved in a short time.

“Um… I apologize for breaking the mood.”

At that moment, it was Jenny who cautiously interjected, even aware that it might be bothersome.

In fact, it was nothing to be disturbed about.

“May I ask how you found us here… and why you specifically came looking for us?”

“Ah…! I completely forgot!”

He was so absorbed in apologizing that he had momentarily set aside the important fact.

There must be a reason he had gone out of his way to find them and come all the way here.

“Finding you all was entirely thanks to Lord Shaikar. I was granted permission to communicate with him through telepathy.”

To be precise, it was through life-based spirits that they communicated.

Due to Totema’s excellent empathy, it seemed Shaikar had a good impression of him.

It appeared he hurriedly ran here to locate them.

More accurately speaking…

“More importantly… I have an urgent message for Mr. Radon Crawler!”

“For me?”

Totema had come looking for our team on my account.

He took out a photo from his pocket and showed it to us.

What was that about? It was a photo of my face.

It was identical to the photo Harkel had when we first met in this town.

A sense of foreboding washed over me.

“This photo…?”

“It is a photo that has been distributed all over the Papias Kingdom. Along with a flyer stating that whoever captures this boy will receive a huge reward….”

“What?”

The moment I heard that, my mouth dropped open in shock.

Not just me, but Jenny, Luska, and Mary all widened their eyes in disbelief.

“W-why? What reason do they have to target Radon…?”

“What value does this guy have that they’re after him?”

Jenny and Luska questioned, unable to comprehend.

Luska seemed to subtly undermine me, but honestly, I felt similar.

What could possibly be valuable about someone like me…?

Since it was a place where I once grew up, Totema understood the atmosphere well.

`If you want to live, you must be strong.` An unspoken rule given to the people living there.

Strength also included achievements, so the better achievements one had, the more they could rise to a good mercenary company.

“Whatever task it is, we will surely accomplish it. That is the spirit of the people of Papias. Moreover, the task of capturing Mr. Radon had a pretty high request level.”

If it was a high-grade request, then they would be able to rise with good achievements.

Like how a mercenary PMC grew into a national form, each resident prioritizes their own benefits.

If they make someone their target, it is equivalent to turning the entire resident population into enemies.

Right now, with my name and face exposed like a wanted criminal, that’s exactly the situation I was in.

In other words, a complete disaster was unfolding.

“Right now, Mr. Radon will be chased by soldiers dispatched from Papias. I came to inform you about that.”

“I’m going to lose my mind.”

Whether it was Harkel or others, why were there so many people trying to capture me?

My guess is that this was likely instigated by Grisha as well.

What the hell does that cursed old elf want from me?

“Could it be….”

Then I suddenly turned my attention to the materials I had taken from the ruins research lab.

Among the documents, there was a line that said:

A vessel to summon the God of Destruction best suited is the blood of one who has broken a taboo.

“They’re trying to use me as a vessel…!?”

I could somewhat guess why such an absurd situation had arisen.

It seems Grisha had designated me as the medium for the God of Destruction.

So, he had asked various nobles and the kings of small nations like Harkel to cooperate.

But how could he charm such big figures? It becomes easier to understand when considering the current political climate of the empire.

`Is it a power struggle for the throne?`

There isn’t any noble who wouldn’t want to climb to the position of Emperor.

If you had to pick someone who was indifferent to such a position, it might be Duke Gerard Chain Silver?

However, most nobles always have attachments to higher positions.

Knowing well that the more they rise, the more blood they will see, they continuously participate in the mud-fight.

There is absolutely no way that it could be done in a proper way.

They try to ascend to the throne while hiding their inhumane deeds.

“Jenny, what do you think would happen if Chain Silver ascended to the throne?”

“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“All the guys who have been harassing Chain Silver till now would probably be wiped out, right?”

“…Huh?”

Jenny’s expression looked as if she was clouded with confusion.

Although she tilted her head and thought about it, she easily understood my words.

“Well… There are quite a few rivals in our family. But if my father were to rise to the throne, then they would likely fade away naturally. He is someone who doesn’t wish for pointless bloodshed.”

“Of course. Duke Gerard is a good person.”

“Why the sudden compliments….”

“But those bugs under him won’t think so.”

They probably believe their necks would be on the line.

Feeling the threat to their survival, they would be scheming to bring Chain Silver down from the throne.

There’s no surefire way to tackle that. Therefore, they would lead themselves into a path they should never tread.

In the form of joining Grisha’s scheme to resurrect the God of Destruction.

“So that’s why they are so hell-bent on capturing me.”

Because I am the vessel for the God of Destruction.

That means… my family stationed in Silver Town might also become targets.

“Ah, come to think of it… Mr. Radon has the same blood as that Demon King Makia. I heard that from Lord Shaikar back then.”

“Really?”

“What that means is….”

The root of our family tree lies with Prince Rodan, Makia’s brother.

Even if not as much as Makia himself, it would not fall short in summoning the God of Destruction.

“Wait, there are mercenaries frequently coming in and out of this town. Among them, there could be those affiliated with Papias.”

“Then it seems dangerous to stay here for long. Let’s return to the Academy as soon as dawn breaks.”

I wanted to leave right away, but I had to agree with Jenny and Luska’s opinion.

Thanks to Diora firing off that destructive beam, I had no stamina left to move today.

I wasn’t sure how effective the information relay was in this world.

If it were in my previous world, by now my face would have been plastered all over the internet articles, social media, and YouTube as a cyber criminal.

While there are communication magical devices and other forms, there’s no way for it to spread nationwide in such a short time.

Therefore, the people of this town wouldn’t know what I looked like.

`I’d thought the absence of the internet was inconvenient all along.`

It actually felt ironic that it was fortunate there wasn’t any.

There seemed to be a rather similar Archive, but it can only be used within the Academy.

Imagine if it could be used on an empire-wide scale?

“Hey! What’s that scar on your neck?”

Mary, who had been munching bugs, pointed at Totema’s wound.

Totema, as if suddenly remembering something, opened his mouth in surprise.

“Oh, actually, I came here after being chased from Papias. There was a force trying to capture me because I’m the former prince.”

“You walked right into the tiger’s den.”

“Since a year has passed, I thought I was safe. But it seems I was wrong. Anyway… huh?”

Suddenly trailing off, Totema cautiously opened the window.

He had been chased from Papias with the help of spirits, and they were still assisting him now.

At that moment, the spirits were yelling at him to look outside the window.

“Oh no…!”

Outside the window, the entrance of the town was visible.

There, soldiers stationed from Papias were seen gathering together with other mercenaries.

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.