漫画大王

Chapter 19

On second thought, if polymorph allowed for full physical reconstruction, did that mean it could technically enhance one’s physical attributes accordingly as well?

Could I become as strong as someone who had a strength stat of 99?

When I voiced this question to the group, Loyar responded with a slightly pitiful look.

“...A polymorph of such strength would only be possible for someone with dragon-level magical powers.”

“And Archdemons aren’t at the dragon-level?”

“Dragons are creatures of imagination. It would be impossible for a creature that can use magic without having to cast it to exist.”

She was clearly having fun. Her voice dripped with mockery.

“Your Highness, you’re not actually using polymorph. Polymorph is a vision that is unique to our clan, but you ultimately need to become stronger yourself. Any strength you receive from transformation doesn’t actually become your strength, Your Highness. Relying on such tricks won’t do you any good.”

Wow, thank you for kindly letting me know that such tricks didn’t work. How great.

In any case, I would gain the abilities of the dreadfiend clan, which meant I could not just disguise myself, but truly transform into another being.

“By the way, I have a question.”

Okay, I understood that polymorphing could turn you into a person with a muscular physique, but that didn’t mean it would turn you into a bodybuilder all of a sudden.

“For example, are there any limitations on things like hair?”

“My pardon? I’m confused, Your Highness.”

Sarkegar seemed not to understand my question, but I was dead serious.

“For example, let’s say I’m bald due to hair loss. Would I be able to transform into a, um... a person with a luxurious head of hair? Or something like that?”

“Well, of course. Something trivial like that is definitely possible, Your Highness.”

Nice!

“Sarkegar! You truly are the loyal servant of the century. Yes, yes you are!”

Sarkegar, you really were a good guy.

I couldn’t contain my excitement and hugged him.

The ring that granted permanent immunity to hair loss was in my grasp!

“If you desire, I would gladly give my life away for you, Your Highness!”

Loyar and Eleris watched us with stunned expressions while Sarkegar and I embraced each other passionately.

***

Gradias Temple.

It was the main stage of the novel.

Honestly, there was no real reason for me to enroll as a student in the Temple. Thanks to Sarkegar, the risk of exposing my true identity had diminished and the story would progress on its own, leading to its predestined ending.

To be precise, it was better not to interfere.

Just by getting involved, new variables would emerge, and the mere presence of Charlotte de Gradias and her survival would already significantly alter the course of the story.

I didn’t want to engage in unnecessary antics that would intrude on a story already heading toward its conclusion.

Moreover, there was really no need for me to mingle with some teenage kids at school. Why bother?

For the time being, though, I didn’t know what Sarkegar was going to do to me if he found out that I had little interest in the restoration of the Demon Realm. And as for Loyar, I wasn’t too sure what was on her mind. Sarkegar was undoubtedly a devoted servant, but he was also the most dangerous threat to me.

In the end, it just seemed like Sarkegar wanted me to become stronger. Fighting honestly did not suit my disposition, nor was it something I actively pursued. I had a strong desire to be in a place where survival and safety were guaranteed without having to endure unnecessary suffering, just like everyone else.

However, whether I enrolled in the Temple or not, I eventually had to become strong enough to break free of Sarkegar’s grasp.

Whether I stood with Eleris or with Sarkegar, becoming stronger was not optional.

I was to enroll in Gradias Temple.

“But how?” I asked.

“If I adopt you as my heir, you should be able to enroll in the Temple.”

If I used Count Pontius’s status and became his adopted son, I’d be able to enroll in the Temple. Perhaps, as a son of a noble, I might even be able to enjoy a luxurious life as well.

“That’s dangerous,” Eleris said as she shook her head.

Sarkegar narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean, Eleris?”

“Sarkegar, you’re the one who kidnapped the princess. Now that she’s returned, another comprehensive investigation of the kidnapping will take place. With the princess back as a witness, it’s possible that they might trace the deed back to you.”

“That’s nonsense. I left no traces.”

“Still, we should consider all possibilities.”

“... Alright, fine.”

Surely, another investigation into the princess’s kidnapping could implicate Sarkegar. It was a slim possibility, but Eleris seemed to think there was no need to risk it.

Thinking about it, that was a valid point.

“Then, should Eleris be the guardian...?”

“No, Your Highness.”

“... What?”

I naturally assumed that she was going to say yes, but instead, Eleris shook her head.

“I’m a vampire. If my identity as a vampire gets exposed, there’s no doubt that Your Highness, who is under my guardianship, will also come under suspicion. I’m trying to stay cautious in every aspect as I cannot predict what may happen in the future.”

Eleris, although already well-integrated into human society, was still mindful of the possibility that she might be outed as a vampire.

“Wait, if both you and Sarkegar can’t be my guardian, how can I enroll in the Temple?”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to?”

Eleris gestured towards the final candidate as if it were the most obvious choice.

“... Me?”

“What? Are you serious?!” I asked.

Choosing a beggar to be my guardian? Was this some kind of madness?

Loyar and I remained silent, and Eleris shook her head.

“I meant that having a guardian who is known as an orphan might actually be beneficial to your situation, Your Highness.”

I understood what she meant.

“If you become Sarkegar’s son, you might be at risk if he gets exposed, and likewise, if you choose me as your guardian, you might be at risk if I get exposed.”

“... I understand what you mean. Even if I get exposed, my club members don’t know I’m a lycanthrope, so Your Highness can just pretend that he didn’t know, right?”

“That’s right.”

Loyar’s group members were unaware that Loyar was a lycanthrope. So even if Loyar was exposed, most would believe that the members had nothing to do with her, as they didn’t know her true identity. The group also consisted of a large number of members, so it made sense.

Moreover, by entering the Temple as an unknown orphan, the likelihood of me being exposed along with other demons was low.

Eleris was right.

“...So, are you telling me to start living here from today?”

“I cannot believe that His Highness must reside in this impure place! This is nonsense!!” Sarkegar exclaimed.

Flames burned in Loyar’s eyes.

“Did you just call the place I live in ‘impure’? Do you want me to make you understand what it feels like to have to use your own money to buy bread from tomorrow onward? Huh?”

“Oh, oh... no... my bad, I didn’t mean that... it’s just that His Highness here... is just a big... you know...”

“Stop it, will you? Giving the prince ‘the luxurious lifestyle he deserves” is easy for you to say, but do you know what our folks will have to go through to make that much money?”

Loyar was the financial provider of our enterprise. In other words, she had the biggest say.

Loyar snarled at Sarkegar in a threatening manner, and Sarkegar turned pale, realizing that he might go bankrupt.

Eleris let out a sigh as she watched them fight.

“Actually, there’s no need to stay here. If you enter the Temple, you can stay in their dorms. You only need to be here for a few days.”

She seemed to find it ridiculous that I’d thought she was actually going to make me live in this filthy place.

I mean, I wasn’t asking for anything extravagant like becoming a noble’s son, you know.

Was I going to be made fun of by the kids at school for being homeless? Although I was in my thirties in real life, I’d still lose my temper if those little brats started teasing me.

“...”

Still, Eleris’s suggestion seemed like the safest option.

Just a few days, you say... A few days in a place like this...

When I asked if it had to be this place, Eleris insisted that it had to be that way.

I was an orphan with no official status to prove it. I needed to establish some kind of proof that I was indeed an orphan, and to do that, I had to obtain testimonies from Loyar’s gang.

Obtaining a new status through the testimonials of beggars. How bizarre.

“There are lots of guys in our group who don’t have any legitimate official documentation, Your Highness. Furthermore, I’ve encountered many cases where my crew members eventually needed official documentation, so I’m an expert in that area.”

Loyar was the head of the organization, so it made sense that she referred to her members as “brothers”, but nonetheless, it was still strange to hear.

A lycanthrope associating with humans—it was almost like the real-life version of “Tiger Brother,” except in this case, would it be called “Wolf Brother”? Well, it was more like “Stray Dog Brother.” No, my bad. “Stray Dog Sister” would make more sense.[1]

Even though Loyar had been provoked by Sarkegar’s words, she seemed to agree that it wasn’t a good idea for me to stay in this environment for too long.

“Eleris will come up with a suitable excuse, so let’s just go along with it,” Loyar said calmly.

Eleris began to contemplate how she could get me out of being homeless and enrolled in the Temple as soon as possible.

***

Sarkegar and Eleris left, leaving Loyar and me behind.

The plan had already been communicated to us.

Loyar assured me that no one would be around to bother us, but that wasn’t the problem.

Why did everything have to be so difficult?

I didn’t like the idea of going to the Temple, let alone becoming a beggar’s child who lived under a bridge. I was starting to feel reluctant, and the idea of the Temple was growing more unappealing.

But what could I do? This was supposed to be the safest option, after all.

Loyar led me out of the sewers and to the hideout of the beggars.

She whistled, and the beggars who had been scattered around the area slowly began to gather.

Despite their lazy appearances, they seemed to obey quickly.

This must be the dark side of Gradium.

“Hey boss, who’s this little punk?”

Eleris or Sarkegar would have gotten upset at that statement, but Loyar showed little reaction.

Someone who despised me in her heart, but whose body was obedient to me. Quite a strange one.

“He’s a new addition to the family. His name is Reinhart.”

It was not my real name, Baalier, but rather a new one: Reinhart.

‘Wait, Baalier is not my real name either!’

It was an alias on an alias upon another alias. What was I, an onion or something? They had to stop adding layers to me!

Reinhart was an alias that Sarkegar had suggested. He said that I needed a codename rather than Baalier, so he asked for my opinion.

Oh. I had something in mind.

“Grom Hellscream.”

“...Hellscream? Your Highness, isn’t that name a bit too ominous?”

The first suggestion had been rejected by Eleris.

“How about Rich King?”

“Perfect! It’s a name overflowing with the potential of a Demon King! With such a name, Your Highness can undoubtedly become a master of magic surpassing even the richest of the rich!!”

“If that’s the case, you might as well go by your real name, Your Highness.”

Sarkegar agreed, but Loyar objected. She believed that a menacing alias like “Rich King” would invite unnecessary suspicion, and that it might even be better just to stick with my real name. It made sense, as it would be the equivalent of naming yourself “Kim Darkness” in Korean.

“In that case, how about Thrall?”

“...Your Highness, you can’t be making jokes like that.”

Eleris’s face stiffened. She thought I was making a pun on the word “balls.”

“What about ‘Reinhart’?”

“...It sounds too much like a typical protagonist’s name, but...”

“I think that it’s much better than something like ‘Hellscream.’”

“The name is too simple... I suggest we add a few more syllables to the name.”

“Calling him something longer would just be unnecessary. Let’s go with this. Besides, we don’t want His Highness to have his name be mistaken with a noble’s.”

And that was roughly how the name was decided.

Not too flashy, but not too weird. Just an ordinary name.

1. Tiger Brother is a famous Korean fiction web-toon where a tiger takes on the form of a human and experiences everyday human situations. ?