Chapter 53
Simon decided to lay a trap to catch the mysterious priest suspected of being Efnelle's "spy".
He released corpse spiders near the Forbidden Forest where the priest had been sighted and waited.
If the priest appeared, the information would immediately be relayed to Simon, and Erzebet and Feer would be dispatched. Erzebet, disguised as a high-ranking priest, would approach him to extract information.
[My apologies, but if the target is a priest, won’t they quickly detect that I’m an undead? I’ve heard priests who deal in holiness are highly sensitive to the undead.]
"That’s not going to happen. That guy used Darkness."
Darkness and holiness are polar, mutually exclusive forces.
The priestly sense that detects undead only forms in the presence of holiness. And that traitor priest gave up holiness in order to wield Darkness.
Even if they were discovered, it didn’t matter. Feer and the entire Legion would charge in and launch a joint assault on the priest.
Even if the opponent truly held the rank of a professor and victory couldn’t be guaranteed, at the very least, Feer and Erzebet would have no trouble escaping.
[Understood. I will begin studying the appearances and behaviors of upper-class priests.]
"Yeah, I’m counting on you."
The trap was set. The priest likely wouldn’t enter the forest directly for a while out of caution, but all Simon could do was hope he’d walk into it eventually.
With that, Simon released the undead around the ruins and returned to Keyzen.
* * *
The mission period ended, and a new school life in Keyzen began again.
When Simon returned to the classroom after a long time, the atmosphere was noticeably brighter and more energetic than usual. Laughter burst out from all directions, and the conversations were nonstop.
Everyone was too busy sharing stories from their missions, and it seemed unlikely all the topics would be exhausted even within the day.
‘The others aren’t here yet?’
Dick, who had been walking with him to school, suddenly had to run to the bathroom due to an upset stomach, leaving Simon to arrive alone. While looking around for a good seat, he spotted a familiar face.
"Maelyn!"
She had been chatting merrily with two other girls, but upon spotting Simon, she quickly blushed and hid something behind her back. The two girls giggled and poked at her arm as Maelyn flailed, telling them to stop.
"What’s up?"
As Simon approached, Maelyn flinched and took a step back. The other girls greeted Simon cheerfully, then glanced knowingly at Maelyn.
"Well then, since we’re in the way, we’ll leave~"
"Ohohoho!"
"Hey!! You two are seriously dead!!"
They burst into laughter and ran off to another spot.
Maelyn glanced up and gave Simon a small glare, then cleared her throat.
"You sure are a bit shameless, aren’t you?"
"What?"
"...Are you just dense, or what?"
She let out a small sigh, then quickly brought out what she had hidden behind her back.
"Here."
"Hm...?"
What she held out was a beautifully wrapped carrot cake set. Simon blinked.
"You’re giving this to me?"
"Don’t, don’t get the wrong idea! Please! I’m only giving it because we’re in the same team!"
She shoved the cake into Simon’s arms and quickly pulled her hands back, turning away and fanning her flushed face.
"Thanks. But what’s the occasion? It’s not my birthday today."
"..."
She gave him a look that said, “Are you seriously clueless?”
"Today is Cake Day."
"Cake Day?"
"Yeah! The day when girls give cake to guys!"
Simon’s brain spun into high gear.
Cake Day? He had never heard of such a thing.
Back in Leshill, the only holidays were things like Thanksgiving, Goat Special Day, or Weed-Pulling Day. Maybe this was a city-only tradition.
And judging from Maelyn’s reaction, not knowing about this made you look like an idiot—or a country bumpkin. It seemed smart not to say anything dumb.
With that, Simon understood the situation and smiled warmly.
"You were thoughtful. Thanks, Maelyn."
"..."
She fanned herself even faster.
"It’s not like that! I just felt sorry for you, that’s all! If you and Dick didn’t get anything from the girls in our group, that’d just be sad—"
"Hey, Simon!"
At that moment, two more girls from Class A approached.
"Here! Lemon cake!"
"And mine’s earl grey cake! Thanks for helping with the Magical Combat stance last time!"
They each placed their cakes on top of Maelyn’s, stacking them in Simon’s arms. He was momentarily taken aback, but soon smiled brightly.
"Thanks, girls! I’m glad I could help."
"...Ah."
The girls’ cheeks suddenly turned pink.
"I’ll enjoy them."
"Y-yeah!"
A slightly awkward but strangely charming atmosphere lingered. Then the girls waved goodbye and hurried off elsewhere.
"...N-not bad."
Maelyn, who had been watching with arms crossed, began to sweat a little.
"But all three were just thank-you gifts, right? Including mine. That’s all over now, so..."
"Simooooon!"
Now who was it?
As Simon turned around, he saw Kamibarez running over, her face smudged with whipped cream. She held a large cake box in her hands.
"Ah, Kami."
She came to a stop in front of Simon and took a deep breath. Then, focusing hard, she held out the cake.
"...Simon! U-um, I caused a lot of trouble, and, and thank you, and... please continue to look out for me this semester!!"
She bowed deeply as she offered the large cake.
‘Seriously, what is this Cake Day? Why are they all going so far for me?’
Simon felt strangely touched. Maelyn, who peeked over, widened her eyes as well.
"Whoa! Homemade cake? Amazing..."
At her words, Kamibarez’s face grew even redder as she shook her head vigorously.
"N-no! Not homemade! I just bought it from Rochest—"
"Kami."
Simon stepped forward and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Then, he gently wiped the whipped cream off her cheek.
"Hold on, you’ve got something here."
"...!!!"
Her face flushed to the absolute limit. After shoving the cake into Simon’s arms, she fled the classroom in a panic.
"What was that all about?"
"...Haa, you really are something."
Maelyn sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
After that brief commotion, Simon sat down and neatly arranged the cakes he had received on his desk.
He took a deep breath and slowly looked around.
Before he knew it, the classroom was filled with colorful cakes, and pink-tinted vibes flowed between boys and girls exchanging them.
Turns out, the lively atmosphere Simon had noticed earlier wasn’t just from the joy of reuniting after missions, it was also thanks to the power of Cake Day.
And over in the far corner of the classroom, Hector came into view.
He sat with his legs spread wide, looking thoroughly annoyed, though the expression clashed with the ridiculous party hat on his head. In front of his desk, cake boxes were stacked like a mountain.
"Ah, hey there, Hector!"
At that moment, a girl cautiously approached him. She was even from another class.
"I-I prepared this for you..."
"...Just put it anywhere and scram."
"Kyaaaah!"
Adding her cake to the mountain, the girl turned beet red and ran out of the classroom.
Watching Hector scratch his head in irritation, unable to even get mad, was oddly entertaining.
‘That guy’s got it rough too.’
Simon was thinking that as he pulled out his textbook.
"Hey there~ Simon."
Simon looked up.
"Ah, class rep."
Jaime Victoria.
After giving a salute as class rep during Toxicology class, she had become known as the class president among Class A students.
With short green hair and a slender build, it was hard to tell at first glance whether she was a girl or a pretty boy.
"Cheese, vanilla, or cinnamon flavor. Which one do you like?"
She asked as she rummaged through the bundle on her back.
"I like cinnamon..."
"Oh! That one wasn’t very popular, thanks for picking it!"
She handed Simon a box of cupcakes. Simon thanked her and asked,
"Are you giving these to all the boys in Class A?"
"Yep! Just as a token for a good semester ahead. Well then!"
She winked and moved off to another spot. Two boys sitting behind Simon, empty-handed and pitiful, lit up like they’d just seen a savior when Jaime approached.
"...Simon, you."
Maelyn, who had just unpacked her things and sat next to him, gave a meaningful look.
"You didn’t know about Cake Day, did you?"
Simon’s shoulders flinched. Seeing his reaction, she shook her head with certainty.
"Just so you know, this is a school, a school. If you don’t want to get looked down on by your peers, you’d better start keeping up with basic holidays and current trends."
She had a point.
But then—
"There are other days like this?"
"Of course!"
"Next one’s probably a day where the guys give something to the girls, right? What day is it?"
Maelyn smirked.
"Accessory Day."
Simon let out a dry laugh.
"...Unfair."
"Oh, come on. If you’ve got a conscience, would you really expect to give a girl cake and get a real jewel-encrusted accessory in return? It’s just silly little trinkets people exchange."
"Is that so?"
"Yup, yup."
She smiled brightly.
"Of course, if a guy really wants to go all out, no one’s going to stop him~"
...The world really is unfair.
After the chaotic prep time, the first class of the new term at Keyzen finally began.
The first lecture was Jane’s Elementary Black Magic.
"I’ve received confirmation that every member of Class A has returned to Keyzen safely. As your supervising professor, I’m pleased to hear it."
Jane looked over the students and continued.
"First, an important announcement."
She received a new document from the assistant and read it.
"Yes. Starting this week, the duel evaluations will begin."
Ah—
Grumbles of anxiety echoed throughout the room. The cheerful mood from Cake Day quickly froze over.
Regardless, Jane carried on.
"The duel evaluations will continue throughout the entire semester. The rules are simple. You will each battle one-on-one against other Keyzen first-year students. Not just within Class A, but all the way to Class N. All 14 classes are your competition."
She walked over to the chalkboard, grabbed a piece of chalk, and drew a simple diagram.
"The winner moves up to a higher squad, the loser moves down."
Top Squad: 30%
Middle Squad: 30%
Lower Squad: 30%
Bottom Squad: 10%
"Squads are updated weekly. And for students who remain in the bottom squad by the end of the semester..."
She glanced over the class coldly.
"...All will be expelled."
Superb.