There Is No World For ■■

* * *The coast of the academy island, atop a breakwater out of the reach of surveillance cameras.Three figures, a man and two women, were engaged in serious conversation, their faces hidden behind the masks as dark as the shadow of the night.“…Is it not here yet?”The first to speak was the tallest woman among them.She kept fiddling with the whip hanging at her waist, as if something was getting on her nerves. And her occasional outbursts of mana were frightening.“I ASKED IF WE HAVE RECEIVED PERMISSION YET!”“…No, not yet.”The masked man with a large build responded, causing the woman’s eyes to narrow.“THAT DAMN OLD MAN! This is why politicians are so useless. They don’t know how to get things done swiftly….”She bit down on her mask, as if trying to suppress her anger.As the moonlight from above hid behind the clouds, seemingly due to fear of her rage, the military-grade phone held by the large man flickered.“…There’s a message from above. The operation was a success. The minister himself managed to convince that big nose Director to cooperate…”“It obviously had to be a success! Don’t you know the value of the potion that old man took?”The large man flinched and instinctively lowered his head.“These lowlifes… Time is of the essence in an infiltration….”The woman with the whip spat her words again and turned her head.“What about the contact?”This time, the question was directed at the smallest woman among the three.Like the large man, she was also holding a military-grade phone, and her expression visible through the mask was far from pleased.“…N-none of them are answering.”“No one? Even the Black Sheep?”“Yes, the Black Sheep is… not answering as well.”The woman who had been fiddling with her whip cracked her neck as she tilted her head.“Sigh… They’ve only left the barn for a few months, and they’re already starting to rebel.”“…P-perhaps, some unforeseen circumstances might have come up?”“Circumstances? What circumstances? Do you think there’s anything more important than patriotism?”Hearing the woman retort sharply, the smaller woman holding the phone lowered her head deeply.“…I’m sorry. It’s my fault for saying that.”“Watch your words. We’ve not come here to play.”“…Yes.”With that, silence fell.The woman with the whip was deep in contemplation while the other two watched her nervously.After a moment that seemed to go on forever, the woman with the whip spoke again.“…It seems like we have no other choice. We should move first.”“But… what if we get caught …?”“Then just don’t get caught.”“…What about the sheep?”“If the sheep have grown complacent, it is the shepherd’s duty to wield the rod. I will activate the ban in the vicinity of the dormitory.”She declared in a firm voice. The other two bowed their heads in silence and followed her.Orders meant everything to them.Just like the patriotism they had for their homeland, not a shred of doubt or rebellion was allowed.“Let’s move as quickly as possible.”The moment the woman with the whip stepped off the breakwater, all three of them dashed towards the interior of the academy island almost simultaneously.If someone familiar with the technique had seen them, they would have immediately recognized the mastery of their Flying Kick technique.The three of them ran for quite some time, leaving no trace of their footsteps while evading surveillance cameras and detection spells.Eventually, the academy’s first-year girls’ dormitory came into view.Since the building was identical to the one they had seen in photos, they quickly identified the rooms the sheep lived in.“…Prepare the ban.”“What about the target? The Red sheep?”“Focus on the Black Sheep. Seeing their eldest sister spill blood from her seven orifices will make the rest crawl out on their own.”“…Understood.”As the three of them took their positions around the dormitory, preparing to activate the ban beneath the veil of darkness…Flash!A beam of light shot to the sky from the dormitory roof.

* * *That is…

The ‘priest’ using the skin of a construction worker turned his head towards the direction of the academy.A single beam of golden mana shot into the dark night sky.- Oh, are those fireworks? Who could it be at this hour?- It looks like it’s coming from the direction of the island where the students are residing. Maybe they’re conducting a magic experiment or something.The workers who followed his gaze marveled at the beam of light, but the priest had a completely unrelated thought on seeing that.O God, has the prophecy truly changed?And as always, God responded with silence.

* * *The moment an immense amount of mana was absorbed by the seal, Yeomyeong recalled the parting words the Dwarf King left him with.

[If there’s enough mana available, it can also remove any bans and seals. ]He regretted not asking for a more precise definition of ‘enough’ back then.Yeomyeong clenched his teeth as he felt his mana being drained.The situation was dire.If the mana the Surging Wave technique required could be compared to scooping water with a scoop, the mana being drained now was no different from water gushing out a leaky jar.Though it was somewhat fortunate that having consumed the World Tree’s crystal, his body was like a fairly large jar.Hence, he could endure this level of mana consumption for at least a few minutes.On the other hand, this also meant that he would only be able to endure this for a few more minutes at most.…Why?Yeomyeong wasn’t that knowledgeable when it came to magic, but he knew that breaking a mere restriction shouldn’t require this much mana.Then, was there a problem with the magic item? No, the Golden Seal was a treasure of the Dwarf royal family.If anything, it was more likely that the seal was allowing him to endure this efficiently.The only possible explanation was that the restriction placed on the sisters’ minds wasn’t actually a ban.…Seti.Yeomyeong turned his gaze towards Seti and her sisters caught up in the seal’s magic, through the golden mana.All four sisters were staring into the distance with unfocused eyes.It didn’t feel like the restriction was being lifted… instead, they appeared to be under some sort of an illusion spell.…Should I stop here?Yeomyeong’s rational mind was telling him to let go of the seal and stop the ritual.Yes, breaking the ban was important, but what would be the point if Yeomyeong himself collapsed from exhaustion?Was it because they were worried about the shepherds who had come to the academy?Seti and her sisters would suffer, but would they really go so far as to kill them?Rationally speaking, it would be the right decision to stop the magic immediately.Rationally, that is.However, Yeomyeong ignored his rationality.Just like when he swore vengeance at the graves of the janitors.Just like when Mr. Jang Man urged him to give up on revenge.Just like when he charged at dozens of shepherds in Manchuria.He pushed reason aside and surrendered to his fury.He had come way too far to follow his reasoning when the opportunity to screw over the damned Korean government was right in front of him.…Let’s see this through to the end.And so, he poured even more mana into the seal.He continued until the water spilling from the cracks in the jar became a flood.

* * *The Black Sheep blinked.

She had some difficulty processing the scene unfolding before her eyes.She was definitely on the dormitory rooftop with Yeomyeong just moments ago…However, she was now inside a log cabin, unsure if it was a farm or a villa.[It seems that you are mistaken about something.]Unlike the cold, chilly wind outside, the inside of the log cabin was warm thanks to the burning fireplace.[Releasing the sheep is not freedom. It’s abuse.]And in front of the fireplace, the old man… no, the ‘being’ in the form of an old man, kept talking to her as it added dry firewood inside.[Sheep are happiest when they’re on the ranch. They provide their owner with wool, bear more sheep, and ultimately offer their blood and flesh. That’s how they find meaning in their otherwise worthless lives.]Unable to understand those words, the Black Sheep tilted her head in confusion.[You don’t understand? Well, it’s not like you’re a regressor or a transmigrator, after all.]The old man’s words were filled with sarcasm and mockery.The Black Sheep was on the verge of losing her temper but then remembered that a sheep could not speak, so she just stood up.She turned around and headed for the exit of the log cabin.**[**Tsk, tsk,you can’t go outside.]What he said was true. The sheep couldn’t open the door.She tried to grab the handle with her mouth, but it was much higher than expected.She jumped with all her might, trying to reach the handle, but tumbled awkwardly to the floor after failing to do so.[It’s meaningless. You’re a sheep. You are meant to live inside the ranch. And who knows? If you behave, perhaps the shepherd might find a good ram for you?]A good ram? For the first time, the Black Sheep felt her anger rising and glared at the old man.[The shepherds and the ranch owner focus on the big picture. If they can’t accomplish their goals in your generation, they’ll find a good seed and make the next generation.]Bullshit.[Do you think you have a choice? You’re a sheep. You will live as a sheep and die as a sheep.]Get lost.[Come here. Don’t go into the cold outside. Stay by the warm fireplace…]You, the shepherds, the ranch owner, all of you, get lost.**[**Tsk…I tried reasoning with you. Do you need to be punished to come to your senses?]The old man stood up from the place in front of the fireplace. The aura emanating from him was completely different from before.…Ah.His aura was beyond imagination, indescribable, and because it was indescribable, it was impossible to resist.Bearing the brunt of it, her legs lost strength, her glaring eyes closed shut, and her tongue, which had been spitting out curses, became stiff.[Will you die like this? Or will you live as a sheep?]The old man, who had somehow arrived right in front of the Black Sheep, asked. The sheep trembled as she tried to think of a response.She wanted to say she would be a good sheep and live on the ranch forever.However, she was unable to do so.The moment she tried to move her tongue, the face of a certain boy appeared in her mind.If it were Dung Beetle, my Yeomyeong… he would have surely said……Fuck off.It was a futile resistance. Her sheep’s tongue wouldn’t be able to harm the old man in the slightest.But resistance with death in mind was meaningful in itself. It was an expression out of her own will not to follow his words, no matter what.[Foolish thing.]The old man stretched his hand towards her with a murderous expression.[There are many fates prepared for you.]The hand, now filled with rage, reached for the Black Sheep’s throat. However, at that moment…Thud!The log cabin shook.[…What is this?]The old man stared outside with a startled expression. Before he could utter a word, the log cabin door suddenly burst open.[No… how…]As she listened to the old man’s flustered voice, the Black Sheep raised her head and looked outside.The outside, which had been a cold, windy place just moments ago, was now a desolate plain without even a gust of wind.Nothing on this plain smelled of ash except for a small spot.Squinting, she realized it wasn’t a dot but a human-shaped darkness.A darkness wearing a dress like that of a noblewoman, revealing a feminine figure, walked towards them leisurely, as if on a stroll.[Who are you? Answer me!]The old man clung to the door and shouted at the darkness. His voice was mixed with fear.[How is this possible? This is my mindscape! My dream!]The old man’s voice grew louder as the darkness drew closer.[Get out! Get out of here!]However, the moment the darkness arrived in front of him, the old man was unable to utter one more word. He fled deep inside the cabin, as if something was pressing down on him.The darkness didn’t chase after him. Instead, she stopped in front of the Black Sheep.

『Hong Seti.』

The Black Sheep, Hong Seti, raised her head towards the darkness.

This darkness was… on a completely different level from the old man.Just gazing at the wavering shadows making up the darkness made her feel like she would blind her.

『I have come to give you an opportunity.』

『Will you be the first? Or will you keep living here as a sheep?』

Unable to look directly at the darkness, Seti stared at the ground and asked.

“The first… the first of what?”

『The first… to dedicate your fate to my Chosen One.』

She didn’t understand what the darkness was trying to say. So, she dared to ask again.

“…Chosen one?”『Someone you know well.』

“Someone I know well…? Could it be?”

The darkness laughed silently.

『That’s right. It’s exactly who are you thinking of.』

Ah. Seti shuddered, not out of fear, but because of another emotion.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“I, I…”Seti turned around to look inside the log cabin. The space where she was forced to live as a sheep and where she continued living as one.She no longer wanted to live as a sheep.“…I will be the first.”It was a declaration filled with resolve. The darkness smiled and placed a hand on her head.The hand, warmer than the fireplace yet more chilling than death, slowly brushed over her head.

『Being the first is something unique. You shall gladly offer your fate.』

As soon as the darkness finished speaking, a small orb appeared above Seti’s hand.

A brilliant, shining orb of light.Without even realizing it, Seti extended the orb toward the darkness, but it did not accept it.Instead, the darkness slowly leaned towards her and whispered in her ear.

『You must give it directly to my Chosen One, not to me.』

“How do I—”

Her question was left unfinished.The moment Seti raised her head to face the darkness directly, her mind, unable to withstand the pressure, began to wake from the dream.

『When the time comes, call my name, not that of the false god.』

All her senses began to grow distant. As her mind surfaced back into reality, the darkness’ voice echoed distinctly in her ear.

『Mignium. That is the only name you shall ever worship.』