I Have a Sister?

Alberic invited Gris to talk in the greenhouse. The girls, having a tea party, hurriedly left upon seeing Alberic's arrival.

They stole glances at Gris as they passed by. Immediately, they knew he was the boy the entire mansion kept talking about.

After that Forest of Death Test, the remaining children in the mansion numbered about fifty. They did not live in a special pavilion like Gris.

The Oleander Pavilion had belonged to Adelind, Gris' mother, so it became his when she died. The other children shared a room but were free to go anywhere. However, they had to leave if Alberic or Blayz showed up.

"Are you comfortable with this place?" Alberic asked curiously since Gris rarely came out of the pavilion.

Gris looked around. Since his memories had merged with Griswalden's, he remembered that he often spent time with his mother in this greenhouse.

Emperor Lyora gave this mansion after the Fifth Wave. That was five years ago, and Adelind was still alive.

The Doomsday Wave happened once every year. According to Griswalden's memories, Adelind and Blayz went to help the injured people from the Amarthia Empire's side when the Seventh Doomsday Wave was happening. 

At that time, Gris was waiting in the greenhouse for his mother to return. But the knights of the empire brought his mother's body, which...

Gris' memory stopped abruptly. 

"Why did my mother die?" he questioned. Even in Griswalden's memories, the story of how Adelind died was not revealed.

Alberic blinked in surprise. He cleared his throat. "Many things happened during the wave. Your mother helped at the medical camp, but that couldn't prevent her from dying because the situation was too chaotic. But don't you want to talk about the academy?"

"Yes, there are things I want to know."

The conversation regarding Adelind ended there. Gris did not ask any more questions, as it seemed Alberic had no intention of giving him more information.

"Do I have to take a role to join the academy?"

Quickly, Alberic shook his head. "For now, there's no way to know one's role. You can even sneak into Virtue Visa, the heroes academy, with a villain role."

"That means heroes can also sneak into Pandemonium Academy."

"Only if they can hide it well. Pure-hearted people usually cannot stand learning about evil, so they show their true colors sooner or later."

"That seems to have happened."

"Yes, several times as far as I know. It would be best to be careful when choosing your friends at the academy. They could be spies from the opposing side."

Gris stored Alberic's advice in his memory. "So, a role is only required to join the Doomsday Committee?"

"That's for sure."

Alberic nodded. What he said about the academy was common knowledge. Knowing Gris had little knowledge worried him.

"Young Master, were you not interested in learning the role before?"

"I only know a little. Father is a member of the Doomsday Committee, and his role is clearly a villain. He can trick everyone in the empire by doing good things. Then, some people prefer to hide their powers. They could be villains, heroes, or neutrals who don't want to be tied to anyone."

"That's correct. You can also hide your powers at the academy if it makes you feel safe. No one will know you've received a divine blessing."

The rumors spread in the mansion regarding Gris must have been known to Alberic. Hence, he said as before.

Gris responded with a chuckle. "Why do I have to hide it? That's troublesome. I must find creative ways to develop my powers while hiding them."

In his opinion, the main characters who hid all their powers to feel safe or avoid attention were a little ridiculous. They will obviously attract attention when certain parties discover traces of their powers.

The right choice is to reveal some reality to avoid future problems. Gris openly stated that he had obtained the necromancer class.

That was the truth. No one would be suspicious when his unique undead roamed around. He only revealed a little truth while at the same time hiding another truth.

He was still not strong enough to deal with people's reactions to the Route of Death. The original Griswalden got the skill when his position was already strong enough in the Doomsday Committee so no one dared to take advantage of him.

"Are you sure of your decision?" Alberic asked seriously.

Gris gave a nod without hesitation. "I received a divine blessing at a fairly young age. Instead of hiding it, I want to show it to the world so that others will show some respect to me!"

"Sure, if that's what you prefer. What specifically do you want to learn about the academy? You can enter there without choosing a role since Blayz is a committee member. But he has to report honestly about the people he recommends to the academy."

"That means I'll be watched if I don't choose a role?"

"Yes. I recommend taking a role before going to the academy. It can increase others' trust in you, considering you will probably study there for over a year."

Gris recalled that in the story, Griswalden received his class after studying for a year at the academy. "Are all students required to study for a year?" 

"The Doomsday Wave is expected to occur once a year. If you show qualified ability for a year, you can join as an official member of the Doomsday Committee and participate in the eleventh wave."

"Is there a quicker way to join the committee?"

Alberic raised one eyebrow. He was sure Gris had never tried to find out about Pandemonium Academy or the Doomsday Committee.

Seeing the young master interested in the Committee made him a little suspicious. "Why the hurry to join the Committee? The responsibilities are quite heavy."

"I know," Gris interrupted. "But joining the Committee benefits me. Because the responsibility is heavy, I get more targets to take out. I need the dark energy of death to use my power."

Not all villains could join the Doomsday Committee. They had to be screened first to create a conducive situation. Criminals who acted without thinking about the consequences of their crimes usually ended up on the block list.

The Committee sought individuals with a talent for organized execution of plans. This change came after a period when they accepted anyone who chose the villain role, leading to chaos.

Those chaotic criminals created many problems, allowing the heroes to track down the Doomsday Committee. Since then, the mysterious chairman of the Committee has made new rules.

Gris found a brief history of the Committee because it was taught in the Virtue Visa, where Lux honed his skills to become a hero. The heroes were taught to be more careful as the Committee no longer accepted villains with 'bad personalities.'

"Get high grades in all subjects and build good connections with the academy staff," Alberic finally said something after looking at Gris as if he had just stated the most absurd conspiracy theory.

"Is that all?" Gris showed a dissatisfied look. "I need a more convincing answer. I'm serious about my intention to join the Committee."

"Sorry, but that's all I can tell you. I heard that a student named Ragnar was able to join the Committee after six months of study at the academy. All his grades were perfect, and he had a good relationship with all the academy staff."

"Well, that's reassuring. What will I learn at the academy?"

"I will ask your sister for copies of the academy textbooks."

"What? My sister?"

Gris nearly asked if he had an older sister, wearing a foolish expression on his face. When Alberic mentioned 'Gwendolyn,' fragments of memories flooded Gris's mind—of a girl with short, gray hair whom he fondly called Gwen.