Chapter 28
The lights of the wardens were drawing closer. Hunting dogs, sniffing with their noses to the ground, were closing the encirclement.
‘Come out.’
Simon summoned a skeleton from subspace. He ordered it to halt, then made it lie down in the grass.
“Kami, this way.”
Simon grabbed the trembling Kamibarez's wrist and lowered his posture. After a lantern's light passed by, he took her from behind the tree and dashed toward a broad boulder.
Then, he summoned another skeleton from subspace and made it lie down. Currently, Simon could control up to two skeletons at once.
‘I have to use everything I’ve got.’
As he picked up stones from the ground and stashed them into subspace, Simon rolled his eyes diligently, mentally recording as much situational data as possible.
How many wardens there were, how many held lanterns. What weapons they carried, the breed and habits of the hunting dogs, the terrain, the direction of the wind, and the sound of the stream running through the valley.
Right now, the wind was at their backs, confusing the dogs, but the direction of the wind could change at any moment.
It was time to make a decisive move.
‘Now!’
Simon's eyes shot open. The skeleton lying under the tree sprang up and started running.
“Over there!”
The wardens reacted immediately, and the hunting dogs barked loudly as they gave chase.
“Only half of you chase! The rest, keep advancing!”
“The other dogs are still tracking the scent!”
True to their status as professional hunters, they weren’t so easily fooled by one trick. Simon now sent the skeleton crouched by the boulder running.
“That one's real!”
“Get it!”
The wardens and hunters rushed en masse to the side.
“Kami, run!”
This was the moment. Simon and Kamibarez, who had been hiding behind the boulder, turned and sprinted away.
‘We didn’t completely shake them. Some are still following our trail!’
While running frantically, Simon looked back. Several wardens were indeed pursuing them.
“Hang in there, Kami!”
“Yes!”
Ruff! Ruff!
The dogs, having caught the scent, were cutting through the grass and approaching fast. No matter how fast a person runs, they can't outrun a dog.
“Kami! Use any haematology spell you’ve got, throw it in the direction the dogs are coming from!”
“Got it!”
While running, Kamibarez cast black magic. A small magic circle bloomed at the tip of her index finger, and crimson blood burst forth.
She bent her waist and flung her arm backward, sending blood mixed with Darkness flying on the wind, soaking the grass.
Ruff! Ruff ruff ruff!
Grrrrrrr!
The scent of vampire blood was so potent, it was even used in high-end perfumes.
The rich scent made the dogs go wild, tearing up the grass as they thrashed about. Taking advantage of this, Simon and Kamibarez picked up speed and widened the gap.
Thump! Thump!
Their hearts pounded wildly from the tension. Simon started to worry about Kamibarez’s stamina, but she was desperately keeping up with him.
“There they are!”
The lantern light swept past Simon and Kamibarez’s backs. At the same time, the sound of bowstrings being drawn tight could be heard.
Thwack!
Thunk!
Arrows suddenly flew in and struck the ground, making Kamibarez let out a short scream.
“T-They really shot at us! What do we do?”
“It’s fine.”
Simon spoke calmly.
“They saw our uniforms. No matter what, underlings wouldn’t be allowed to injure a Keyzen student.”
Just as Simon said, the arrows were landing well away from their running path. It was clearly intended as a warning fire.
“Those bastards……!”
“Stop! I said stop!”
Would you let yourself be captured if it were you? Simon smirked and pulled an imaginary lever.
Thooom!
Subspace opened from the ground, and the stones he had stored earlier came pouring out at maximum output. It was nothing more than a barrage of rocks, but the charging wardens halted, thinking it was black magic, and took defensive positions.
“Kami, this way!”
“Yes!”
Thanks to Simon’s quick thinking, they bought themselves a little more time.
It might have seemed like they were just running aimlessly, but in truth, Simon had been following the sound of water. They had finally reached the valley.
‘Damn.’
Unfortunately, it was a cliff. Below the steep precipice, the valley flowed gently, and the opposite cliff was quite a distance away.
“Kami! Do you remember the leaping technique we learned in Magical Combat? Can you use it?”
Her face turned pale. She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head.
She was one of the two who had failed to jump the cliff during Magical Combat class.
Ruff! Ruff!
But there was no time to hesitate. Even now, the barking of dogs and the glow of lanterns were drawing closer.
“Simon, it’s okay.”
Kamibarez forced a smile and pushed against Simon’s chest.
“Go on ahead. Even if I get caught, I’ll never say anything about you……”
“Pardon me.”
In a flash, Simon swept her into his arms and turned to dash across the grass.
‘The feeling of trampling Darkness!!’
BOOOOM!
From the tips of his toes, black smoke exploded like a blast. Simon soared through the sky.
Below was a sheer drop, and above, a massive full moon.
The chill of the wind against his face, the thrill of nothing beneath his feet.
For a brief moment, Simon felt utterly exhilarated, until his body began descending.
SPLASH!
He barely scraped the ground as he landed on the other side of the valley.
Simon quickly ran down the hill and set Kamibarez down. Both of them pressed their bodies close to the ground.
“Where are they?”
“Gone!”
Above their heads, they could see lantern lights sweeping back and forth. After a few minutes of thoroughly scanning the area, the lights finally receded.
“Let’s check that way.”
“Move! They couldn’t have gotten far!”
Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!
The lights and barking gradually faded into the distance, and soon all signs of pursuit disappeared completely. Only then did Simon let out a deep sigh of relief.
“Whew… Kami, are you okay?”
Kamibarez looked dazed, her expression blank. But when her eyes met Simon’s, tears began welling up.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt…?”
Simon sat up in alarm, but she shook her head and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
“I really thought we were going to get caught. Thank you. Thank you for saving me……!”
Then she burst into sobs like a dam had broken. Simon silently patted her shoulder.
‘She was that terrified, and yet she told me to go on without her?’
He felt like he understood a bit more about what kind of person she was.
After some time, Kamibarez calmed down. The two of them stood up and brushed the dirt off their uniforms.
“Let’s go back. We’ll have to take a detour to avoid the wardens, are you okay with that?”
“Yes.”
And so, the two of them once again began walking through the forest shrouded in darkness.
They decided not to light their lanterns, as there was still the risk of being discovered by monsters or wardens. Thankfully, the moon above was bright.
About an hour had passed since they started walking through the forest.
‘…Where are we now?’
Before they knew it, they had wandered deeper into the forest than expected.
The surroundings were eerie, to the point Simon wondered if this part of the forest had even existed. The trees grew taller the farther they went, their dense leaves covering the night sky, and from time to time, pairs of glowing eyes—whether of beasts or monsters—would appear and vanish. A chilling cry echoed through the forest, making their shoulders flinch and nerves tense.
There was something about the midnight forest that stirred a primal fear in humans, enough to make one think returning to the wardens might be a better option.
Even Kamibarez, a vampire, seemed terrified, lightly clutching Simon’s sleeve as she glanced around nervously.
‘The map is definitely in my head, but I don’t even know where we are anymore.’
Had they been bewitched by spirits or something? No matter how far they walked, it felt like they were going in circles.
‘We’re tired, and our body temperature keeps dropping. What now?’
“…Simon.”
Kamibarez spoke, her face pale.
“Don’t you hear something?”
“Owl sounds?”
“No.”
She pressed closer to Simon, her voice soaked in fear.
“People… voices…”
“……”
Simon closed his mouth and focused his hearing.
Sure enough, faintly, but it was there.
Whether it was a wild animal, a monster, or a person, some kind of indistinct voice was being heard repeatedly.
“Let’s go check it out.”
He had heard that some people lived in the forests of Roke Mountain. If it was a person, they might be able to ask for help. The two nodded and moved toward the voice.
-#$#@%@#^@.
As they walked, they focused on their ears. Bit by bit, the voice became clearer.
-@$%@^Have mercy upon us.
-$톰íRemove our fate @%#$^@ Almighty @$@%Mother.
The voice was cold, monotonous, and dry.
-$††@^We worship you @%@$$^holy.
What the hell were they saying?
Frowning, Simon focused harder on the voice.
“…Simon.”
He flinched in shock.
Kamibarez was crying, tears streaming down her face in fear. Yet, the corners of her mouth were trembling upward in a strange, unsettling expression.
“What’s wrong? Kami?”
“…We have to run.”
-#$^$##Glory to the Mother alone on high %@%
“…We have to run.”
“Run? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Ugh. Ahh. Ahhh. Aaaahhh…!”
She suddenly convulsed, thrashing about. Simon grabbed her and bolted in the direction opposite the voice.
But the voice only got closer.
-@#$@#Have mercy. The sins of the world #@$@#$@.
Simon tore through the bushes, blindly rushing forward, until finally—
He reached the source of the voice.
A shrine appeared.
Someone in a long gray robe was prostrating on the ground.
Their arms were stretched forward with palms turned to the sky.
On the altar above, strange objects and the entrails of beasts were hanging down, and beneath it, a still-twitching animal, stabbed through the chest with a dagger, had been offered as a sacrifice. Sticky blood dyed the area bright red.
And at the center of the altar, something large was laid out.
Simon recognized what it was, but he couldn’t believe it.
Something that should never be on Roke Mountain.
Something that should never exist in Keyzen.
A cross.
It was a cross. Why is there a cross here?
A naked woman was grotesquely nailed to it, her body wrapped in thorny vines.
The robed figure beneath the altar lifted their upper body to chant a prayer, then bowed again, pressing their chest to the ground with both palms facing the sky.
Simon felt the blood in his body run cold.
‘…A Priest!’
A Priest was here, in Keyzen.
Kneeling in Keyzen’s territory, bowing, reciting prayers.
‘I have to run.’
He had seen something he should never have seen. If they were discovered, it would be over.
Kamibarez, having witnessed the horrifying sight, was completely frozen in terror. Thankfully, she had both hands clamped tightly over her mouth, so no sound escaped.
As Simon wrapped his arm around her shoulders to retreat—
Rustle.
A soft sound came from grass being stepped on.
The Priest, in the middle of prayer, froze.
“……”
“……”
Simon felt his throat go bone dry, and slowly turned his head.
‘!!!’
The Priest was standing, staring directly at them.
From beneath the shadow of their hooded robe, their eyes glowed like shining orbs.
Simon’s legs tensed.
“Run!”
Superb.