Chapter 145
"Kajan...!"
Simon's eyes welled up with emotion.
In this moment, driven to the mental brink, just the fact that someone knew the truth and believed his words without question felt deeply comforting.
"I’ll confirm something first."
Kajan opened his mouth.
"The priest, it's Professor Francesca, right?"
Simon quickly came to his senses and nodded.
"Yes."
"Got it. First, let me share what I’ve found out, her barrier is affecting the entire first-year campus."
Kajan pulled out several detector-like devices from subspace.
"I tried contacting Lady Neftis through the communication orb, but of course, it was blocked. Once the barrier is fully deployed, not only communication but all contact with the outside will be severed."
Kajan’s sharp eyes turned back to Simon.
"Our opponent is professor-level, and has spent at least several years preparing this barrier. Even if other professors come, it’s not the kind of thing that can be easily destroyed."
Simon nodded.
"What’s the scope?"
"At minimum, it’s covering the entire first-year Keyzen campus. Her plan is likely to completely massacre over 900 first-year students."
...The mere thought was horrifying.
A terror attack that would wipe out the entire first-year class. This wasn’t just a numerical loss of future talents meant to lead the Dark Alliance, it meant far more.
Keyzen’s reputation would be shattered, and its absolute authority would be called into question.
Nobles of the Alliance, having lost their children in vain, would be driven into a rage. Anti-Keyzen factions would rise, splitting the Alliance apart. Neutral forces who’d been watching from the sidelines would shift to Efnelle’s side, and Neftis, blinded by fury, might even wage total war against the Holy Federation.
It could escalate into war.
Simon felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.
"I’ll explain everything."
Just as Simon was about to begin—
"Simon!"
Kamibarez was coming down the stairs. Behind her were Maelyn and Dick.
"Kami! Why are you still here?"
Simon asked in surprise. With her hands tightly clasped, she walked up to Simon with firm determination in her eyes.
"The story I told you the morning after we met the priest in the Forbidden Forest. You remember, don’t you?"
Simon’s expression twitched.
"I promised to help you too, didn’t I? Please, let me help."
Simon spoke with a tense face.
"But this is too dangerous...!"
"Ugh, shut up! Are you trying to make people feel hurt?"
Maelyn strode forward, her sky-blue hair swaying.
"Why did you keep something this important from us?"
"Right, right. This is a bit of a blow to our pride."
Dick followed behind, his hands supporting the back of his head.
"Dick...!"
"I get it, you didn’t want to drag us into this mess."
Dick gave a grin.
"But what can you do? Kami already told us everything, and we’re dying to get involved."
"Shut up and talk, Simon."
Maelyn stepped forward, thrusting her face right up to Simon’s.
"Who’s the priest, and what are they plotting in Keyzen right now?!"
"......."
Simon looked hesitantly at Kajan. Kajan nodded.
"We’re short-handed anyway. Now that the priest’s claws are in Keyzen, we’re all involved whether we like it or not. It’s a blessing you have allies here who believe in you."
"Of course!"
Simon let out a small sigh and quickly explained everything that had happened. He spoke so frantically, he wasn’t sure if they understood, but he focused on getting the information across as clearly as he could.
"Professor Francesca...!"
Kamibarez was so shocked she went blank. Maelyn clicked her tongue.
"I knew it. That woman always gave me a creepy vibe."
"Wasn’t it you bawling your eyes out during her speech a few hours ago?"
"Shut up!"
Could they really believe all this?
Simon felt his heart swell. If nothing else, he felt that his time at Keyzen hadn’t been in vain.
"I’ll supplement the explanation with what I know."
Kajan spoke again.
"I’ve been tracking the priest for a long time, keeping all professors and TAs under suspicion. Naturally, I had contingency plans in case Francesca turned out to be the priest."
"Ah...!"
"And judging by Simon’s description of the explosions, it’s almost certainly a cursed bomb called a ‘Desolater’."
"A cursed bomb?"
"Yes. You all remember the Deathland you visited recently."
Kajan’s eyes gleamed.
"It’s the same type of bomb that created Deathland."
Everyone gasped in horror.
So the priest had planned to detonate that deadly cursed bomb right in the middle of Keyzen? If that happened, not only would the students be instantly blown apart, even those lucky enough to survive would turn into zombies.
Dick jumped in again.
"How could Francesca get her hands on such a dangerous weapon?"
"The Desolater is stored in the basement of this building, in the ‘Hazardous Items Vault’. Only the professor of Toxicology and Lady Neftis can access it. She probably killed Lang to become the Toxicology professor."
It matched perfectly with Simon’s suspicions.
All three shuddered at the grim truth. Everything about her kind, caring attitude toward Lang had been an act, a complete lie.
"Simon. Do you clearly remember where the explosions happened, and how many times?"
"Yes, Kajan."
Simon’s eyes gleamed with clarity.
"In order of occurrence, the Darkness Bullet Shooting Range, the Magical Engineering Hall, the first-year boys’ dorm, and the Study Hall."
"She really spread them around well."
Kajan looked over at the three.
"You’ll have to stop the bombs. This will be a matter of life and death. If you’re not fully prepared, you should just run before the barrier finishes deploying—"
"I’ll take the boys’ dorm."
Dick cut in before he could finish.
"Then I’ll take the Magical Engineering Hall. My clubmates are there too."
Said Maelyn.
"I-I’ll go to the Darkness Bullet Shooting Range!"
Said Kamibarez. Kajan nodded.
"Good, I like your resolve. Disarming the Desolater’s magic circle will be beyond your abilities. So use a simpler method, put the Desolater into your subspace."
"What?"
"I’ve confirmed that Keyzen’s Desolaters are activated using ignition-type magic circles. If they’re placed in a personal dimension like subspace, the ignition command becomes completely nullified."
Dick looked at Simon, then pointed at Kajan with a dazed expression, just who was this guy?
Kajan gave a small cough and spoke.
"I’m from the Thieves' Guild."
"...Wow, no wonder!"
That familiar vibe made sense now. He was from the same information faction.
Just then, Maelyn grinned slyly.
"Found a higher-tier version right here~"
"W-what are you saying! Hey, in the end, merchants always win. The Information Guild sells info for money, after all."
"Enough chatter. Take these."
Kajan handed out the exact same glasses Simon had used, taking them from his subspace.
"If the explosion’s going to happen in just two hours, she’s probably already planted the Desolaters. She’s surely hidden them using perception-disabling magic. These glasses will cancel that and let you see them."
Maelyn took a pair and grumbled.
"Ugh, just like before, the design is so lame."
"Maelyn, Kajan’s a repeating student."
"They’re beautiful, senior!"
She changed her attitude immediately.
"That’s enough. Just call me Kajan. We don’t have time, so move fast."
"Yes!"
The three each took one location, and whoever cleared theirs first would head to the Study Hall.
Meanwhile, Simon and Kajan went down the basement stairs together.
Tak.
Tak.
It was Night of Erebo, so all the lights were out, and the basement was drenched in an eerie atmosphere. The two moved silently.
"Until all the Desolaters are neutralized, you must avoid engaging Francesca at all costs."
Kajan handed over a mana-powered night vision device as he spoke.
"If she manages to detonate even one, it’ll be a catastrophe. Until your friends place the bombs into subspace, you need to focus solely on shadowing her."
"Understood."
The two passed safely through the basement and reached their destination.
A large, tightly shut door appeared. Rather than a room, it looked more like a bomb shelter.
"Looks like she’s already gone inside."
Kajan sprayed something on the floor to reveal footprints, then spoke.
"There’s not much time."
Simon bit his lip.
"Sitting here waiting for Francesca to come out would just waste time."
"I agree. I’ll stay here and tail her if she exits. You head to Lang’s lab on the top floor of this building, gather intel, then regroup with Feer."
"Yes."
Without the power of the Legion, if a battle broke out with Francesca, Simon wouldn’t be much help. Just as Kajan said, regrouping with Feer was the top priority.
Having made his decision, Simon ran up the stairs swiftly.
He first stopped by Lang’s lab on the fourth floor of the building.
Since the door was locked, he opened the hallway window and summoned Overlord onto the wall. Using it to form a temporary ledge, he walked across and smashed through the window to enter.
Crash!
Simon landed lightly and looked around.
For a Keyzen professor’s lab, there wasn’t much to see. Papers, books, a bed — it looked more like a study or a lounge than a laboratory. Seemed like Lang had lived here until his death.
Simon began rifling through the desk drawers in a frenzy.
‘Professor Lang was probably being controlled by Francesca.’
Three years ago, he’d heard Lang’s health was normal.
But his condition had rapidly deteriorated over the past two years, Francesca must have done something during that time.
‘If there are any traces left behind...’
As Simon frantically rummaged through the drawers, he suddenly froze. Then he turned his head sharply.
Squish, squish.
A green slime emerged from behind a picture frame. Simon tensed slightly and stepped back, keeping his eyes on it.
The slime, as if shy, didn’t fully come out from behind the frame.
Then, a hole formed in the middle of the slime, transforming into the shape of a tongue and a mouth.
[Pretre]
It spoke!
The pronunciation was strange, but it clearly sounded like a priest. It even had a slight nuance of the far-eastern Dresden Kingdom.
Simon cleared his throat and replied in the same tone.
[Francesca.]
Then—
The slime’s mouth opened wide, and it spat out two items.
One was a notebook.
The other was Lang’s professor ID.
"...!"
Simon tucked the ID into his inner pocket and quickly opened the notebook.
‘He actually left something like this?’
It was Lang’s diary.
Superb.