Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 77

Ep.77 The Royal Quarters Part 1

Esich let out a derisive laugh as he gazed at the hidden chamber beneath the academy. It was astonishing that such a large space had gone unnoticed at an academic level. The magical circle set up here was also far from normal, adding to his disbelief.

‘A magic circle that requires the sacrifice of living beings to seal or bind someone…’

He knew that a magic circle activated by the sacrifice of numerous beings, especially humans, would possess significantly greater power than intended.

‘Normally, one would achieve their goals with a smaller-scale magic circle, sacrificing only a few individuals.’

However, the circle laid out before him was among the largest he had ever seen, ranking in the top three for size. The remnants of countless corpses piled up around it made him question its true purpose.

As he contemplated the purpose behind this ominous creation, a member of the investigation team unexpectedly piped up from behind him.

“Wow… at this size, it could probably seal a Demon King, right?”

“…A Demon King?”

“Yes. At this scale, it seems like it could be worth trying against one.”

The mention of a Demon King made Esich consider the implications. Certainly, if the circle was as powerful as suggested, it could be used against a Demon King without much issue. However, there was a crucial flaw in that assumption: the location of the magic circle.

“The Demon King would be in the Demon King’s castle. Why would they have something like this at the academy?”

If a Demon King were to attack, they would most likely head straight for the royal capital, not a distant academy. If such a device were to be built, it would make more sense to install it beneath the capital or at the front lines. The reasoning behind placing it here eluded him completely.

“While it may be a far-fetched assumption…”

He couldn’t shake off the thought that it had been created for the purpose of dealing with a Demon King. The blood-soaked, enclosed space seemed to solidify his dark thoughts.

Just as he was about to step outside to clear his head, he noticed a group clad in white ceremonial robes entering the chamber.

“Wait! Who are you?”

One of the investigation team members stepped forward, trying to halt their advance.

“We’re from the Order; there’s no need to be overly cautious,” one of them replied coolly.

Upon hearing that they were from the rapidly rising Order, the investigator stepped aside, not daring to stop them. Esich couldn’t help but think that the dignity of the kingdom had fallen to an all-time low as he observed the figure leading the group.

“…Cardinal Zemen.”

Despite his young age, Zemen had risen to the highest ranks of the Order, being referred to as its power player. Rumors circulated that all major decisions within the Order were now made by him, and his influence within the organization was monumental.

“To think such a notable figure would come here without prior notice…”

Esich was struck by the irony of the situation. This was not an ordinary place; it was a dark and damp underground chamber. Realizing that something was deeply entangled here, he opened his mouth to probe further, but Cardinal Zemen spoke first.

“Isn’t it beautiful? It’s unfortunate that the contents here seem to have been taken by someone… but at least the magic circle remains, right?”

Beautiful? This blood-soaked chamber? Esich frowned, struggling to comprehend the cardinal’s perspective, which seemed almost inhuman. Zemen noticed his reaction and smiled brightly at him.

“Second Chief Mage Esich. Knowing information that exceeds your subject can lead only to responsibility. So, let’s stop digging and focus on your primary duties.”

Even he, a candidate for the next Grand Mage and the future head of the renowned mage family L’rusié, was being cautioned to stay in his lane.

‘No matter how powerful the Order has become, this crosses a line.’

Dissatisfaction with the Order’s recent oppressive tactics had been building for some time, and many prominent figures within the kingdom had already expressed their strong displeasure. Esich felt that it was about time for the situation to explode, and he wondered if this moment might be the spark.

“Isn’t that rather arrogant of you, Cardinal?”

“Arrogant? Hahaha. That may be true. However, there is no falsehood in what I say. The moment you uncover the truth, you will bear the appropriate responsibility.”

“I’ll decide what’s appropriate.”

“Is that so? Then I won’t stop you.”

With that, Zemen finished his statement with a grin and raised his hand, signaling the paladins behind him.

‘Could they really be planning to kill me?’

Esich couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the thought. He knew then that he had no choice but to draw his magic book. It was clear how seriously he was being underestimated.

This doesn’t match my usual temperament, but…’

He couldn’t simply allow himself to be taken down without a fight. Gathering his mana, which glowed with a bright blue light, he released it outward from himself.

“To all Second Mages, I hereby command you to eliminate them!”

The powerful resonance of his mana reverberated throughout the chamber, causing cracks to appear in its structure. The overwhelming wave of mana was palpable. Feeling it surge through him, Esich decided to show why he was called the next Grand Mage instead of the First Mage.

***

The following day, a notification arrived that left Jeong-hyeon in shock.

[You have been assigned to the Second Grade Royal Quarters – Melphist. Please relocate to this dormitory at your earliest convenience.]

He could hardly conceal his surprise. Frankly, he had expected it to take at least a few days to be assigned to a royal quarters.

‘After all, it’s a matter of putting a commoner into royal accommodations.’

He had anticipated that there would be significant pushback and that the process would be slow. Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would be granted the very next day after it had been mentioned.

Jeong-hyeon thought Charlotte was quite efficient in her tasks as he spoke to Lucia and Miria.

“As I mentioned yesterday, we’re planning to move, so please help me with the packing.”

The first to respond was Miria.

“Why bother moving your things yourself? They’ll take care of it for you, and you have the space in your subspace pouch.”

“That’s true.”

Since Jeong-hyeon had never experienced this before, he nodded in agreement. Miria glanced between him and Hana before continuing.

“However, we should probably hide Hana. It would be strange for a baby to be wandering around the academy.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

He gently stroked Hana’s head, still fast asleep, and nodded. Lucia then chimed in with confidence.

“Don’t worry about that! I’ll take care of Hana.”

“Really, Lucia?”

“Yes!”

Jeong-hyeon wondered if Lucia had a plan. Deciding to trust her, he replied,

“Alright, then let’s go check it out. I want to see how nice it is.”

Seeing the other kids nod in agreement, they headed to their new place.

***

The location wasn’t far, only about a ten-minute walk. Jeong-hyeon found himself chuckling as he looked at the grand royal dormitory, much larger than the one he had lived in.

‘I didn’t expect such a difference.’

Of course, it was unreasonable to compare the lowest-tier dormitory assigned to commoners with the highest-tier royal accommodations, but he had never imagined the disparity would be this significant as he stepped inside.

‘It’s extravagant.’

Decorations adorned the entrance all the way down the hallway, giving the impression that the academy had poured all its resources into this place. Normally, one might find such opulence excessive, but the thoughtful arrangement made it appear beautiful rather than overdone.

As he took in the surroundings, a butler approached him and politely introduced himself.

“I’ve heard the news. I’m Peke, and I’ll be responsible for managing your dormitory, Jeong-hyeon.”

While there had been a manager for his previous dormitory, they had mostly been absent due to staff shortages, so Jeong-hyeon hadn’t encountered them. However, Peke was right there, ready to greet him.

Jeong-hyeon returned the greeting and paused to think as Peke handed him a document outlining the dormitory usage procedures.

“If you could fill this out, I’ll take care of the rest. If there’s anything specific you need…”

Jeong-hyeon felt a bit uneasy about Peke’s overly friendly and attentive demeanor. He wrote down his requirements and communicated them to Peke.

“Could you refrain from managing this place?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’d like to exclude the cleaning and management of this dormitory, and…”

With each of Jeong-hyeon’s requests, Peke looked at him with a somewhat dazed expression. It was likely that he had never encountered a student like this before. However, Jeong-hyeon firmly insisted on matters he wouldn’t compromise on, and Peke reluctantly nodded in agreement.

“… Understood. I’ll pass it on to the dormitory staff.”

Jeong-hyeon had expected Peke to refuse, so he was pleasantly surprised that his request seemed to have been accepted. If it turned out later that it wasn’t possible, he could always voice his complaints or decide to live elsewhere. With that in mind, he followed Peke to the room he was assigned.

‘Wow.’

The space was far too large to be called a mere room. As he surveyed what looked to be at least ten times larger than his previous space, he decided to ask Peke a question.

“Is this room soundproof?”

“Soundproof? Yes, there’s soundproofing magic installed, so as long as the door is closed, no sound can escape…”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

“… Pardon?”

Without answering his question further, Jeong-hyeon simply smiled and bid him farewell.

“Thank you for the guidance.”

“Yes. If you need anything, feel free to call.”

He nodded, and as soon as Peke left, he closed the door behind him. He wanted to test the soundproofing while also tackling the tasks he had been putting off.

Looking around, he spotted the bathroom, which seemed easy to clean, and decided that would be a good place to start.

‘Once Lucia arrives…’

He resolved to have an honest conversation with Karina and stretched his body in preparation.