I Became a Murderer in the Academy.-Chapter 108

"..."

It showed me another memory.

A woman with silver hair lay on the cold floor of a dark basement, surrounded by black, shadowy figures.

'That’s...'

These weren’t my memories.

It was an unfamiliar place, a strange scene.

The figures surrounding her—were they members of the Demon Lord’s army?

'Why are they with her?'

Some faces were unfamiliar, but others I recognized.

The people I’d read about in Seir’s memories, and the woman with silver hair.

That was likely Iria. Not me, but Iria before I possessed her body.

"Forgotten monster, you who resemble my master."

The figure who seemed to be the leader of the Demon Lord’s army spoke to the unconscious Iria.

A purple aura of ominous energy rose around him, and I saw the surrounding space distort like a mirage.

Then he fed something to Iria.

I couldn’t tell what it was.

But I could sense that it was something extraordinary. It resembled the Demon Lord’s fragments but was distinctly different in essence.

"Should you awaken one day, become the new ruler."

With those final words, the memory shown by the fragment ended.

What was the connection between the Demon Lord’s army and Iria? Why was the fragment showing me this memory? More than that, what were ‘I’ and ‘Iria’ in this world?

There was so much I didn’t know. And once again, my head throbbed.

I wanted to see a little more of this memory, but when I came to, I was already awake in my bed.

"..."

Morning already? This was turning out to be an unpleasant morning.

The irritating sunlight leaked through the window, stabbing into my eyes. My hair, which had been wet last night, was now damp with cold sweat.

My head felt like it was splitting.

The memory I’d just seen was likely imprinted onto Iria’s body. But I didn’t know why or how the fragment was showing it to me.

But that wasn’t the point.

The fragment had pulled out information I didn’t know from this body. Perhaps it could reveal more.

I might finally resolve some of the questions that had lingered in my mind for so long. I turned my gaze to the two remaining fragments I hadn’t yet consumed.

If I ate those, would I find answers? Could I finally clear up the mysteries that had been festering in my mind?

Just as I reached for one of the fragments, intending to put it into my mouth, I stopped.

"Ah."

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Today was the day I was supposed to meet Serthia. Eating this now and falling asleep would throw off the plan.

There is a priority to everything.

For a moment, I felt impatient, but the feeling quickly subsided. Maintaining a cool head is a strength only monsters possess.

I prepared to leave.

Yet, as I dried my hair and changed my clothes, my gaze kept drifting back to the Demon Lord’s fragments.

It was as if my body was craving them.

Had my constitution changed somewhere along the way? Before I knew it, I was holding one of the fragments in my hand.

"Hmm."

In the end, I shoved it into my pocket.

If a fierce battle were to break out, it might come in handy.

Ever since I landed in this world, I’d had questions.

Right now, I was a foreign entity, possessing Iria’s body in a world that wasn’t my own.

An alien existence in a world I didn’t belong to.

So, what kind of being was Iria before I took over her body?

Am I a creature that exists by stealing someone else’s body? And if so, where is the consciousness of the Iria who was displaced?

Who is Iria, and where do I belong in this world? Who or what drew me into Iria’s body?

I pondered a lot. Unable to speak to anyone about it, I could only think, over and over again.

But the information I had was always insufficient. For every question answered, more arose.

There were always more things I didn’t know than things I did.

Could I reach the truth in this world?

I was a monster living for death, but the thought of dying without learning anything left a bad taste.

I had resolved not to die during my meeting with her.

The agreed-upon meeting place with Albert was in front of the Academy’s Chancellor’s office.

Today was an official holiday for the Academy, yet Albert was still on campus.

He was standing outside Serthia’s room, waiting for me.

"You’re here."

I nodded.

After adjusting his glasses, Albert turned and began walking somewhere, saying only that I should follow him.

"..."

I walked after him.

I didn’t know how long we walked. My perception of time differed from that of ordinary people, but it seemed we walked for quite a while.

The scenery changed several times, and morning turned into noon before I realized it.

Was this outside the Empire? I rarely ventured beyond the Empire, so I wasn’t sure where we were.

"Are you sure we’re going the right way?"

"Yes. Serthia wishes to meet you underground."

I shot a sharp look at Albert.

Calling me, the back-alley monster, an enemy of the Empire, and inviting me to an external location instead of the Chancellor’s office.

Wasn’t it all a little too obvious?

Albert seemed unfazed by my scrutiny and continued walking ahead. Since he wasn’t answering, I decided to read his memory.

Humans with large amounts of mana often resisted memory reading, but we were on an empty street with no witnesses.

With magic, I could probably read Albert’s memories.

I locked eyes with him, focusing on pulling up last night’s memories.

He’d spoken with a woman with jet-black hair. Most likely Serthia.

I listened to their conversation.

The resistance from his mana blurred some parts, but I could catch the gist of it.

‘So that’s how it is.’

It seemed Serthia was just as wary of me as I was of her.

Half of what I suspected was right. At least, it didn’t seem she was planning an assassination, so I quietly continued walking.

Regardless of her motives, I had to go there anyway.

Serthia might know things I didn’t.

How much time passed, I couldn’t say.

"This way."

"It’s farther than I expected."

"She’s a bit capricious. Former Chancellor Serthia is waiting underground here."

"..."

We arrived at Serthia’s location.

It looked like a well-built underground facility. The interior was filled with countless magical texts and books.

Was this Serthia’s private library? Being a member of the original hero’s party, she must have amassed a great fortune.

That was the thought that crossed my mind as I descended the stairs.

"Is it that room?"

I pointed to a door and asked Albert.

He didn’t bother to answer. Sometimes, silence is affirmation. Since he didn’t deny it, I assumed I was right.

I didn’t need to open the door to sense it. It was an instinctual warning.

The door concealed an immense, almost unrestrained, force beyond.

The blatant hostility emanating from the other side made me reluctant to enter.

A massive surge of hatred and killing intent was directed at me.

Did Albert not feel it? Did he not realize that the monster beyond that door was furious?

Humans had limited senses. Someone had once called humans inferior beings, and maybe they were right.

"Aren’t you coming?"

Albert, already descending the stairs, turned to look at me.

I didn’t like it, but I had to go.

"You don’t need to tell me. I’m going."

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

A massive wave of mana hit me.

"Why are you in the Empire?"

The woman with jet-black hair, who I presumed was Serthia, addressed me sharply the moment she saw me.

I barely had a chance to grasp her appearance before the question was fired.

Even Albert beside me seemed surprised by her abruptness.

I didn’t know why, but Serthia held an intense hatred for me.

"You wouldn’t say you’ve forgotten me, would you?"

Her fierce red eyes fixed on me.

And then—

"Demon Lord, Echidna."

A name I had never heard before.