# Chapter 42
—
Professor Norse began a long speech in a voice brimming with a sense of duty.
About how exceptional Arcane University was, and how difficult it was to graduate from here.
The students—only seventeen years old—listened attentively, but Arthur was different.
More precisely, all his attention was focused elsewhere.
*‘…A love letter?’*
Arthur scratched his head.
The contents of the neatly written note.
“I have something to say, please spare me some time”—no matter how he tried to interpret it differently, it was a love letter.
Otherwise, why would a girl he had never even spoken to suddenly ask to meet him alone?
*‘Didn’t see this coming… Hm.’*
While Arthur was mulling it over, he sneaked a glance to the side.
He saw Yenika Hazel, who had handed him the note, with her calm expression.
Looking at her, Arthur tilted his head.
*‘Why would a girl that pretty be interested in me? We’ve barely even met.’*
Could it be some kind of religious solicitation?
As he entertained the thought, the first lecture came to an end.
“Arcane is a city of opportunity. And Arcane University is the place where you can seize the most opportunities. Remember, what you gain here depends on your own hands!”
With those somewhat cheesy words, Professor Norse exited.
At once, the students who had been holding their breath throughout the lecture let out sighs of relief.
“Wow… The atmosphere’s no joke.”
“No wonder it’s the number one school for dropout rates…”
“I was planning to take the swordsmanship class, but now I’m not sure if I can handle it.”
As everyone began enjoying their free time in their own ways, Yenika, who sat beside Arthur, rose from her seat.
Arthur, noticing her movement, stood up as well.
“Hm? Where are you going, Young Lord?”
“Just going to the restroom, Elin.”
With that, Arthur left the classroom.
Elin, watching his departing figure, pouted her lips.
“He’s not interested in me at all. And it’s been a whole year since we met again.”
Should she start a conversation herself and try to spark some talk?
But after a moment of thought, Elin shook her head.
*‘That’d make me look too desperate. Hm… I’ll just wait a bit longer for now.’*
With that, she began preparing for the next class.
Meanwhile, having followed Yenika Hazel into a secluded spot, Arthur swallowed dryly.
*‘Judging by the atmosphere… she’s really going to confess, isn’t she? What do I do? I’m not planning on dating yet.’*
His thoughts made him tense up without realizing it.
Just then, Yenika turned her head, glancing around before facing him.
At the same time, a sudden burst of mana spread out, cutting off the sounds of the surroundings.
Sensing the abnormality, Arthur narrowed his eyes.
“Hm? What’s this?”
At his question, Yenika smiled softly.
It was a dazzling smile that matched her face perfectly, but Arthur wasn’t fooled.
The strange mana now enclosing the area was stronger than that of Ares Arekis—the so-called genius mage he had killed only a few days ago.
That’s why, as Arthur secretly vibrated the ring inside his chest, Yenika spoke.
“I shouldn’t be doing this, but curiosity got the better of me, so I arranged this meeting, Young Lord.”
“A meeting?”
“Yes… But first, let me say this.”
Yenika smiled brightly.
“The rookie mercenary of Willet who stirred up the underworld. I never imagined that was you, Young Lord.”
—
—
Arthur’s lips curved up at her words.
The rookie mercenary of Willet.
For her to mention it in such detail, she must have been confident in his hidden identity.
That was what puzzled him.
*‘How did she find out? I don’t recall leaving any trace.’*
During his mercenary work, he had been through countless incidents and accidents, but not once had he left traces.
Of course, he had erased them—and killed all witnesses as well.
*‘…There were some who survived after clashing with me. The Necromancer, and Tacen. That group, the Black Cross?’*
Then could Yenika, standing before him, be part of the Black Cross?
After weighing it, Arthur came to a half-and-half conclusion.
She might be Black Cross—or she might not.
But his instinct said the likelihood was high.
The reason was simple: Yenika’s magic, which had completely sealed off the outside sounds.
Even in the underworld, magicians of this caliber were rare, and those who existed were usually affiliated with an organization.
With that thought, Arthur asked,
“Then, Miss Yenika, are you part of the Black Cross?”
A strange glimmer flashed across her eyes.
Arthur caught that brief change and smirked.
“…Even if you’re just fishing for information, it’s impressive. How did you know?”
“I thought my disguise was perfect. But if it’s been discovered, then the odds are high that it was by someone who’s crossed paths with me. Yet the people who survived such encounters are very few.”
Yenika blinked.
Perhaps because of the tense atmosphere, that tiny shift gave her emotions away completely.
“Only the Black Cross… survived crossing paths with you?”
“Yes. There were also those gang fighters, but they didn’t have the skill to see through my disguise. Which leaves only the Black Cross.”
At that, Yenika crossed her arms.
“Sharp. And a little unsettling… I never thought my identity would be guessed for such a ridiculous reason.”
“I’m unsettled too. I never thought my identity would be exposed like this.”
With that, Arthur’s skin began to change—turning into reptilian scales.
Yenika’s eyes lit up at the transformation.
*‘That must be… the bloodline ability Tacen mentioned?’*
It looked even more unusual than what she had read in the reports.
Bloodline abilities tied to such transformations were rare in the first place.
*‘But… why would a boy from the Ducal House of Bayern have such a power? The Bayern bloodline has no connection with that side at all…’*
Her eyes narrowed as she thought.
Suddenly, static electricity crackled in the air.
At once, Arthur’s body was wrapped in raw lightning.
The vivid current was far too real to dismiss as mere static, and Yenika’s eyes widened in shock.
*‘What? Magic?’*
Her words faltered in her surprise—
—and Arthur vanished.
Her eyes snapped wide, arms lifting instinctively.
*Crack!*
A sickening sound of flesh tearing rang out as blood ran down her forearm.
Arthur’s claw-like nails had gouged into her.
Had she failed to block in time, her neck might have been severed.
Arthur himself pointed it out.
“Good reflexes, Miss Yenika. Not something I’d expect from a girl your age.”
With a wry smile, Yenika replied,
“…I wasn’t planning on fighting you, Young Lord.”
“I wasn’t planning on fighting either. I actually thought you were going to confess.”
“…?”
“When you handed me that note, I thought it was love at first sight. So I really agonized before coming here…”
Trailing off, Arthur surged forward with his troll bloodline, pressing Yenika against the wall.
She tried to brace herself, but the sheer force was overwhelming.
*‘He hasn’t even activated his Ring… how is he this strong?’*
Her body was crushed into the wall.
Leaning in close, Arthur said,
“Honestly, it would have been better if you had just confessed. Don’t you think this situation is worse?”
Flustered, Yenika muttered,
“…I heard you were unusual, but you’ve far surpassed my expectations, Young Lord.”
“I get told that often.”
“So… are you going to keep fighting me?”
“For now, yes. I don’t want my identity exposed. The safest way to ensure that… is to kill you.”
Yenika fell silent.
His emotionless gaze showed he wasn’t bluffing.
*‘So he believes he can handle the aftermath, no matter what…’*
With that thought, Yenika smiled faintly.
No wonder the White Beard of Sky Island had taken an interest in him.
*‘Truly extraordinary. If only I’d met him earlier… I might have recruited him somehow. But not now.’*
Arthur tilted his head.
“Smiling won’t make me go easy on you, Miss Yenika.”
“…It’s fine. I have my position too—I can’t just let myself be taken down, Young Lord.”
With those words, Yenika’s body suddenly collapsed into gore.
“…!”
Arthur instinctively leapt back in shock.
Escaping his grasp as a mass of blood, Yenika reformed into her original shape.
Arthur muttered sourly as he watched,
“Hm… A bloodline ability?”
“Yes, that’s right. A bloodline ability.”
“The ability to turn into blood?”
“That’s one of the authorities I possess.”
She raised her hand.
At that instant, the blood and flesh clinging to Arthur’s claws returned to her body.
Arthur let out an involuntary gasp, while Yenika explained,
“As I said, Young Lord—I don’t intend to fight you.”
“……”
“I didn’t infiltrate this academy because of you, but for something else entirely.”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Not to get revenge on me?”
“No. I used to want that… but it no longer has meaning. So, I’d like to make a proposal.”
Arthur’s voice turned slightly displeased.
“What kind of proposal?”
“How about forming an alliance?”
“…An alliance?”
“You don’t want your identity revealed, and I don’t want mine exposed either. In other words, as long as we both keep silent, we can each achieve our own goals.”
Arthur chuckled.
“That sounds like a bad deal for me. And I don’t trust you.”
“It’s the same for me. But Young Lord—the one taking the greater risk is me.”
Yenika slowly stepped closer.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed at her unguarded approach.
“If your identity is exposed, you can still survive. But if mine is exposed—I cannot. No need to compare who’s holding the greater risk, is there?”
Yenika smiled lightly.
Her beauty alone seemed to brighten the atmosphere.
But Arthur wasn’t swayed.
*‘A truly dangerous woman. To think she knows how to wield her looks as a weapon…’*
Not just her looks, but also her bloodline, and the magic she hadn’t even shown yet.
Taking all that into account, she was indeed fitting of the Black Cross—the group that housed Tacen and the Necromancer.
Rationally speaking, Arthur knew he should accept her proposal.
In his current state, without even the meteor iron sword, his odds of defeating her were slim.
But Arthur didn’t want to make the rational choice.
The reason was her bloodline ability, revealed earlier.
*‘Yenika’s blood… what on earth is it? Even for a bloodline ability, turning one’s entire body into blood isn’t something simple.’*
Bloodline powers were special, but they weren’t magic.
No matter how unique, they normally remained within the realm of reason.
Yet Yenika’s bloodline displayed a miracle beyond reason.
Even with his experience from his past life, Arthur had rarely encountered such a bloodline.
*‘If not now… I might never get another chance at this bloodline.’*
With that thought, Arthur’s lips curved upward.
“Fine. I’ll accept your proposal, Yenika.”
Yenika nodded.
“A wise decision, Young Lord. There’s no need for us to point blades at each other.”
“Yes, I agree. But… there’s one condition.”
“…A condition?”
“Yes. A very simple one.”
Arthur’s eyes gleamed.
“Your blood. If you give me just a few drops of it, I’ll accept the alliance. How about it, Yenika?”
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