Otaku Translation: The villain only wants to live a Buddhist life Chapter 449

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Chapter 449: Dark Demon Observes with Detachment

It was, after all, the first final exam, so very few students handed in their papers early. Even those who finished simply sat quietly in the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring. When it finally did, everyone was forced to put down their pens and submit their exam papers in an orderly fashion.

At that moment, one could see the full spectrum of human emotion. Some were brimming with confidence, others wracked with anxiety. Some scrambled to scribble down a last-minute answer, while others subtly glanced at their neighbor’s paper, trying to catch a glimpse of what they had written… It was, in its own way, amusing.

After handing in his test, Dark told Dianna and Rose to go on ahead without him. He lingered until everyone else had left, then approached the podium. With a casual motion, he picked up the stack of exams and fell into step beside Professor Silver.

"Is there something you need from me, Dark?" Professor Silver asked with a gentle smile.

Dark hesitated for a moment before replying, "Professor, have you read today's morning news?"

Silver shook her head as they walked. "I've been busy today."

Dark thought for a moment, then said, "I came across an article in The Daily Sage that left me somewhat puzzled."

Silver glanced at him curiously. "What was it about?"

Dark lowered his voice. "The Demon King."

Silver's expression shifted slightly, her curiosity piqued. "Let's discuss this in my office," she said.

---

Not long after, Dark found himself seated in Professor Silver's office. He placed the stack of exams neatly on her desk, and by the time he turned around, Silver had already locked the door behind them.

"Hold on a moment," she said, moving toward the table. She picked up a rolled-up newspaper that had been lying there. Though she subscribed to the newspaper, she hadn’t yet had the chance to read it.

As she settled onto the couch, Dark naturally began preparing tea. Silver unfolded the newspaper, her brow furrowing as she read, lost in thought. By the time Dark had finished brewing the tea, she had nearly completed the article. She looked up, her tone contemplative. "Two months have passed."

Dark tilted his head. "Hmm?"

Silver set the paper down. "It’s been nearly two months since the Demon King escaped its seal and reincarnated. The Holy Church has finally begun taking action."

Dark's eyes widened in realization. "So it was the Holy Church that was behind it? But what have they been doing all this time? Surely they haven’t just been sitting idle?"

Silver’s expression grew serious. "That’s impossible. I imagine they’ve been conducting covert operations. If they’ve chosen this particular approach now, it likely means they haven’t been able to locate the Demon King’s reincarnation vessel—or, if they did find it, it managed to escape again. Hence, they’re resorting to underhanded tactics to mitigate future fallout. What do you think their goal is in fabricating this report?"

Dark frowned, his voice measured. "Professor, it’s not easy to deduce."

Silver nodded. "Try thinking from their perspective."

Dark paused, considering. "If I were the Holy Church, the first thing I wouldn’t know is how the Demon King managed to commit suicide and escape its seal. Once they discovered this, they’d immediately focus on unraveling the mystery—searching for external or internal factors. But I doubt they’d find any external causes."

Silver gave a small nod. "That’s correct."

Dark continued, his tone thoughtful. "In that case, they might need to purge their ranks internally, which would cost them some time. Of course, their primary objective remains locating the Demon King’s reincarnation vessel. During this process, they’d likely employ methods akin to divination. But given that the Demon King has always been called ‘the Undying,’ it stands to reason that it has ways to counteract such techniques. Perhaps its reincarnation is unique—leaving no trace to follow."

Silver agreed. "Precisely. If it were easy to locate the Demon King’s reincarnation vessel, even if it had thousands of them, and even if it took ten or twenty years, the Holy Church would undoubtedly eliminate every single one."

Dark nodded, his mind racing. "If they can’t find the Demon King’s reincarnation vessel, they’ll need to prepare for the consequences of its sudden reappearance. They must consider the impact it could have on the Holy Church—or on society as a whole. They need stability!"

Silver couldn’t help but nod approvingly. "Stability—that’s a good word. The Holy Church differs from us. They don’t know that this reincarnation of the Demon King will affect its soul consciousness. As such, they’re preparing for the Demon King at the height of its power."

Dark’s curiosity deepened. "How powerful is the Demon King at its peak?"

“Hmm…” Silver took a sip of her tea, her voice slow and deliberate. "Roughly on par with my current level."

Dark’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t entirely sure of Professor Silver’s exact strength, but as the Deputy-Headmistress of Saint Marian Academy, she was undoubtedly one of the strongest individuals alive—perhaps second only to Headmistress Arte. A decade of rapid advancements in magic technology had allowed magisters like her to evolve further, surpassing their former limits.

And yet, despite a decade-long absence, the Demon King was still comparable to Silver in her current state… Just how strong had it been in its prime?

"No wonder the Brave One Bright perished in the battle against the Demon King," Dark murmured, taking a deep breath. "But if it no longer possesses its former dominance, why fear it?"

Silver shook her head slightly. "Perhaps because the Demon King’s very existence is a symbol of faith. Remnants of the demon race scattered across the world, along with fanatical cults, could rally around it, forming a formidable force. Or perhaps the Demon King holds the key to mass reproduction for the demon race, potentially reviving their numbers. Moreover…"

She looked up at Dark. "The magic technology of the past, though instrumental in our victory over the demons, was neither systematic nor streamlined. Today’s magic technology, however, has advanced significantly—not only in depth but also in structure. There are now systematic methods for learning it. For someone with sufficient talent, especially a foundation in advanced magic, mastering it isn’t difficult."

Dark’s thoughts turned to Vlad. "Like Vlad?"

Silver nodded. "Yes, like Vlad."

Dark mulled this over. "This is indeed a problem. The Holy Church views the Demon King as a major threat. If the situation worsens and the Demon King reemerges, the Church will be blamed for its escape from the seal. To maintain stability and protect themselves, they need to distance themselves from this crisis. I think I understand now!"

Silver’s expression shifted slightly. "What do you understand?"

Dark’s voice grew animated. "The Holy Church undeniably wields immense influence worldwide. To the general public, their words are authoritative. Suppose they one day announce that the Demon King has been completely eradicated. Some may doubt it, but not many. And if they establish the narrative that ‘the Demon King is dead’ before it can declare its return, they can erase it from public consciousness entirely."

"In other words," Dark continued, "even if the Demon King returns to the modern world, as long as no one believes it’s the Demon King, it won’t cause widespread panic. If the Holy Church acts swiftly, the returning Demon King could be dismissed as a remnant of the demon race or a member of a radical cult—all depending on the Church’s narrative."

"Control the people’s voices, and you control the world’s ‘truth.’ And this article," Dark concluded, "is the first step in shaping that narrative!"

---

Silver’s lips parted slightly, her mind racing with astonishment. She had entertained similar thoughts, but Dark’s analysis was far more detailed than she had anticipated. If the Holy Church was indeed acting as Dark described, they were orchestrating a global-scale deception.

Faced with the choice between admitting failure and deceiving the world, they had chosen the latter. If successful, it would be a masterstroke. But this seemingly brilliant strategy carried risks far greater than simply admitting defeat. Should the Demon King rise to power and the truth come to light, the Holy Church would face irreversible ruin.

"Who could have devised such a plan?" Silver wondered silently. Was there someone within the Holy Church bold—or reckless—enough to propose this? Didn’t they fear that another faction might uncover evidence of their deception and use it to overthrow them?

Then again, if the royal family held such evidence, they might choose to remain silent. Similarly, Saint Marian Academy, maintaining its neutral stance, would likely refrain from speaking out. After all, the royal family and the Holy Church weren’t adversaries; rather, they were intertwined, both pillars supporting societal stability.

Overthrowing the Holy Church would benefit no one—not the royal family, not the academy, and certainly not the people. Perhaps in another era, the outcome might differ. But in this time, humanity couldn’t withstand another internal war. Ten years of recovery was far too brief.

Other demi-human races shared the same fragility. Thus, the otherwise impartial Saint Marian Academy had, for once, shown a preference for the dovish faction—a rare deviation from its usual neutrality.

……

Just as she was pondering this, Dark rose to his feet. "Professor, I'll take my leave now."

Silver nodded without attempting to stop him. "I should get started on grading the exams anyway."

With that, Dark exited the office. His perspective on the matter differed slightly from Silver's. He had never truly believed that the Demon King posed any significant threat, nor did he particularly care about the Holy Church's fate. As such, he hadn't delved too deeply into the implications of their actions.

Instead, the situation had sparked a realization in him: the world was gradually moving toward an "information age." What the Holy Church was doing—or might be doing—was nothing more than manipulating public opinion and controlling the flow of information. With the spread of basic education and the progression of the times, media like newspapers would only grow in importance as tools for disseminating information.

But behind it all lay the true hallmark of the "information age"—computers. Though primitive by future standards, the technology already existed in subtle forms. Saint Marian Academy's sorting cards, or even the access card Dark carried, possessed functionalities akin to early computers, though far more advanced and convenient.

The problem was that no one had yet focused on further developing the sorting card technology. Moreover, its reliance on the academy’s magical barriers limited its broader application. But all things began with simplicity. Once a foundation was laid, development became possible. Every flaw and limitation could, in time, be addressed.

If someone were to harness and master this technology, they would effectively control the new era's means of information dissemination—and, by extension, the era itself.

---

That said, Dark merely entertained these thoughts idly. He neither had the time nor the inclination to become this world’s John von Neumann. After all, he still had a Potions exam to worry about in the afternoon.

As for the Holy Church…

And the Demon King…

He could sit back and watch their madness unfold, watch them crumble under the weight of their own schemes. Wouldn’t that be amusing?

---

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. When the final bell rang at the end of the Magic Beasts exam, most students felt as though they had been released from purgatory, some even howling like wolves to the sky in relief. Among the six exams taken over those three days, Arithmetic proved to be the most challenging, as evidenced by the pale, drained faces of the students leaving the testing hall.

The one consolation came in the evening when the first-years discovered that the second-years were suffering through similar trials. Humans, after all, found solace in shared misery.

Professor Bacon, who taught second-year Arithmetic, had not only adopted Dark’s anonymously authored textbook but also integrated it with the original curriculum, making the course exponentially more difficult. Upon learning this, Dark couldn’t help but feel grateful that the book was credited to "Anonymous." If the second-years ever discovered the “demon” responsible for their torment was right under their noses, they might very well drown him in retaliation.

In contrast to the grueling Arithmetic exam, one subject stood out as unexpectedly easy: Magic Beasts. Professor Nini’s exam consisted of basic questions that anyone who had paid attention in class could answer. Given that Magic Beasts was considered an introductory elective alongside Astronomy, there had been no need to elevate its difficulty. Consequently, students emerged from the exam hall visibly more relaxed.

With all exams finally over, the first-years didn’t even bother returning to their dorms to drop off their bags before flooding into Traveller Street, which had been specially opened for celebrations. The impending three-month holiday called for unrestrained revelry.

Dark had initially planned to skip the festivities, but Doron and Pistein dragged him along despite his reluctance. Dianna and Rose joined them as well, both in relatively good spirits. However, the first-years were still somewhat inexperienced in celebration; after a single meal, the group dispersed without much else planned. Most students simply wandered around Traveller Street before heading back to Noble House’s communal lounge to chat, play chess, and enjoy each other’s company.

They had at least two extra days to remain on campus while the professors graded their exams and distributed the results. Additionally, based on their scores, the professors would assign varying levels of summer homework. On Friday evening, the end-of-term gala and graduation ceremony would take place, along with the announcement of the House Cup winner and the ceremonial wish-making event involving the Holy Grail.

At the mere thought of the House Cup, students from the three houses other than Magister House felt a familiar pang of bitterness, as if they’d bitten into a sour lemon.

---

It was nearly nine o’clock when Dark finally managed to extricate himself from Doron and the others and returned to his dormitory. He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"A whole academic year… it’s already over."

"What a pain it’s been!"

But before he could fully relax, a knock sounded at the door. His brow furrowed in irritation.

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