Chapter 382
One week remained until the promotion exam. Simon dove into intense training.
When he ran out of Darkness, he would visit Professor Farahan, who taught Defense Against Holiness.
The plants and barriers around his house absorbed the holiness in the air and prevented it from leaking outside, making it the perfect place to train in holiness without drawing attention.
"Akallion! Get up!"
At Simon’s command, Akallion, who looked like a small teddy bear, was engulfed in holiness and transformed into a hulking monster bear. Simon activated one of the holy magic circles engraved on Akallion’s body.
"Charge!"
Akallion kicked up dust as he charged forward, then leapt high into the air.
Simon focused on the holy magic circle. The holiness emanating from it swiftly wrapped around Akallion’s forepaw.
Boom!
With a crushing blow, a large rock was shattered.
"Nice work!"
Simon grinned brightly. Akallion let out a thunderous roar to the sky.
He couldn't neglect white magic either. As a self-proclaimed Divine Beastology enthusiast, he was training diligently.
Meow!
Meooow! Mrow!
The kitten spectators threw a few stubby paw punches, only to tumble over on the spot.
Seeing that, Simon burst into laughter.
"Haha! You wanted to copy that?"
He picked up Whitey and Blacky.
Though their size hadn’t changed in months, their horns had grown just enough to peek out above their fur. They were divine beasts, after all.
"When will you two grow into proper divine beasts and help me?"
Simon infused their bodies with holiness and gently tossed them into the air.
As they floated midair, their forms twisted in blinding light.
Fwoosh!
Then snapped back to their original shape and plopped onto the ground.
Meow! Meeeeow!
‘That was fun! Do it again!’
The cats bounced around Simon, begging him with whining meows to use holiness on them again.
So he did, and they came running back. And again. And again.
"O-Okay, that’s enough now. I’m exhausted."
Having drained both Darkness and holiness, Simon lay down in the grass. Whitey climbed on top of his head, messing up his hair, while Blacky scratched at his school uniform from under the shade of his legs.
With the stress of the final exam piling up, he desperately needed a nap. Simon turned his head.
"Return, Akallion."
When he retrieved the holiness from Akallion, the bear’s muscular frame deflated like a balloon, turning back into a small teddy bear.
Uuuung!
And the moment the shrunken Akallion appeared, the kittens’ eyes lit up and they bolted toward him.
"Sorry. Just play with them for a bit."
Uwaaaugh!
Akallion let out a groan full of resentment as he fled from the cats.
* * *
All first-year students in Keyzen entered special training for the promotion exam.
After the finals, all subjects were shortened. Professors skipped lectures and textbook progress altogether, focusing on practical attribute training usable in dungeons.
Meanwhile, in Belya’s lab…
"Didn’t expect you, slippery one."
The lab, previously a pigsty, was now spotless. Trash was sorted and tied up, dust and stains scrubbed away.
In the middle stood Dick, dressed in a maid outfit, wiping sweat from his brow with a grin.
"You’re unbelievable."
Belya chuckled as she walked over and plopped into her now-clean seat.
Dick quickly followed, handing her a bottle of liquor in an ornate ceramic decanter. He even opened it and poured her a glass himself.
"What is this?"
"Please, just have a taste first."
Dick replied confidently. Belya tilted her head, took the glass, and sipped.
"!!"
Her eyes widened in surprise. Then she downed the entire glass, picked up the bottle, and chugged the rest without pause.
"Kyaha!"
She let out a manly cheer and laughed heartily. With closed eyes, a wave of nostalgia passed over her expression.
"Slippery. Where’d you get this?"
Dick beamed.
"The Marlat Tribe of the prairie apparently loves this special mare's milk liquor. I heard about it from Professor Hongpeng!"
"...You little shit."
Getting this stuff on Roke Island, far from her home prairie, was like trying to pluck stars from the sky.
Wiping her mouth, she spoke.
"What do you want?"
Immediately, Dick bowed with a sheepish grin, rubbing his hands together.
"Haha! I didn’t do this for a reward, I just wanted a consultation!"
"Then talk."
"My specialty is intelligence warfare, digging into enemy weaknesses and exploiting them. But in dungeons, there might be unknown monsters that don’t exist on the continent."
"That’s true."
"In places with no prior information, what’s the best approach?"
"Pure strength."
With her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, Belya bared her jagged teeth.
"In those cases, you’ve got no choice but to rely on your own raw power."
"That’s… not really my strong suit."
Clack!
Belya stood, draped her coat over her shoulders, and gestured.
"What are you waiting for? Move your ass and follow me."
A smile crept across Dick’s face.
"Yes, Professor!"
* * *
"Starting now! Kami!"
"Yes, Maelyn!"
As Maelyn swung her arms, a massive blizzard of ice surged forth, engulfing the area ahead.
It looked like a lion made of ice lunging with jaws agape.
<Frost Nova>
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
She layered in a modified spell formula, adding a hail of ice shards atop the storm, raining them down on Kamibarez.
"Hup!"
Kamibarez backed off and twisted her left hand like a gun, rapidly firing Bloodshots. Though the power was reduced, the recoil was stable, and she precisely shot down the flying shards.
Clink!
She halted, spun on the spot, and activated a completed magic circle on her right palm.
<Ursula’s Original – Blood Storm>
Whoooosh!
A vortex of blood surged forward and collided with the ice storm. Blood droplets and icy shards exploded in every direction.
While this fierce duel raged,
"Wowww~"
A few hundred meters away, from a window in a nearby building,
A silver-haired girl had her face and palms pressed against the glass, watching eagerly.
"They’re all fighting so well! Go, go, fight on~!"
"......."
Standing beside her with a blank expression, Kajan scratched at the scar near his eye, a habitual tic.
"It’s been a while since you returned to Keyzen, Lady Neftis."
"Mhm!"
Neftis dropped from the window and plopped onto a sofa.
"I’ve been really busy lately!"
"I heard the Holy Federation is becoming increasingly provocative along the border."
"It’s still manageable~ How’s school life, Kajan? Fun?"
Kajan let out a deep sigh. The strength in the fingers scratching his scar faded.
"I want to focus on the mission, but just keeping up with school assignments is overwhelming."
"Waaoong!"
"That’s not a real answer. Maybe you could try creating an environment where I could focus on the mission?"
Neftis shook her head.
"Nope nope! If I do that, the staff will find out who my planted spy is!"
"......."
"You know failing again isn’t an option, right? You must make it to second year this time. That’s your mission."
Kajan groaned. Neftis just smiled innocently.
"More importantly."
Slide.
Kajan handed her a document.
"If the ruler of the Dark Alliance has time to meet with a lowly agent, please take a look at this."
"What is it?"
"A request Simon made. He suspects Professor Walter, who’s acting in place of Sillage."
Neftis blinked, then began reading.
"Walter? I heard HQ even used a mental curse to thoroughly vet him."
"You trust their work?"
"Of course not~ Hehe!"
Then, while reading, she tilted her head.
"Huh? But this doesn’t look suspicious. It says the blood injections were clean, handwriting checks were fine, that kind of stuff."
"It’s not a report of suspicions, it’s a collection of all available materials on Professor Walter."
"Seriously, they’re the ones who vetted him and now they’re questioning it~"
Neftis dropped the file.
"Then why does Kajan suspect Walter?"
"I was investigating a suspect linked to him—Count Caron. He disappeared after sailing across the sea and encountering a storm."
"Okay. So?"
"The deeper I looked into his death, the more inconsistencies surfaced."
Unregistered purchases in the family ledger.
Evidence of renting out the family’s warehouse to outsiders.
Running a monster farm to harvest hearts, despite not being a necromancer.
Servants testifying about strange figures coming and going at the mansion.
And finally, his wife’s testimony that, a week before the storm, he was terrified and convinced he was going to die.
"But these are traces, not records—testimonies, not evidence. I admit, it lacks weight. And linking him to Professor Walter may be a stretch."
"Even I think so."
Neftis swung her short legs back and forth.
"Then why bring this up to me, if you already know all that?"
"Grant me investigation authority."
“Hmm~ You know there’s no way you can launch an official investigation on a Keyzen professor with just this, right?”
“An unofficial investigation will suffice.”
“If that’s the case, fine.”
Neftis rested her chin on her hand and nodded.
“If you’ve got a bad feeling, it’s good to get some closure now. Go ahead and try. You’ve got good instincts.”
At her words, Kajan bowed respectfully.
“Thank you.”
* * *
The next day.
Kajan quietly called out one of Walter’s teaching assistants. The most junior one, at that.
“Wh-What is it, student?”
The summoned assistant looked slightly flustered.
No matter how prestigious a Keyzen student he was, the fact that a first-year was summoning a TA at will was nothing short of arrogant.
“There’s something I need your cooperation with.”
“...What?”
A vein twitched at her temple with a ‘pop’.
‘Someday I swear I’m quitting this job.’
She was sick and tired of listening to the nonsense of noble brats who didn’t even know the meaning of respect.
Still, having experienced plenty of situations like this as a teaching assistant, she kept on her professional smile and replied.
“Student? If you have a question, please visit the department office and follow proper—”
“This is not a matter for official procedures.”
Kajan fished into his coat and confidently held up a scrap of paper like it was a warrant.
There were childish doodles of flowers, trees, and clouds, clearly drawn by a young child.
“Ha, student. This prank has gone too far.”
Her face flushed red in embarrassment as she trembled with rage.
Kajan silently pointed to the bottom of the doodle.
<All staff members are to cooperate with Kajan Edvalt’s investigation! -Neftis- >
And beneath that, Neftis’ personal signature.
The TA, about to lash out in anger, looked down at the signature. Then looked again. And again.
That childish art style...
But the signature at the bottom held a quiet, refined penmanship.
Upon closer inspection, the signature was infused with Darkness. The sinister, overwhelming aura confirmed it was genuinely hers.
The TA, face turning pale as paper, gasped and stammered.
“Wh-Wh-Whatever you command, I will obey!”
Having earned her trust, Kajan finally explained his plan.
Which wasn’t complicated at all.
“Just obtain Professor Walter’s signature using this quill.”
Kajan opened a black case to reveal a single feather quill made from a crow’s feather.
“...What is this?”
“It may look like an ordinary quill, but it’s actually an artifact. It has one effect.”
Kajan spoke in a serious tone.
“No matter what, the user can only write their own name.”
To make sure she understood the mission, Kajan had her grip the quill and try writing anything.
She tried to write what she wanted for lunch, but what appeared on the paper was her name: Amiret Mashani.
“Wow…! That’s amazing.”
“Now, here’s the plan.”
Neftis had already mobilized the Keyzen HQ to bombard Walter with paperwork. He was currently buried in his lab, drowning in documents.
The assistant would go in while he was swamped and ask for a signature. Walter, distracted, would sign using the quill.
If he wrote Walter Han, then he was innocent.
But if another name appeared, then Walter had hidden his identity and infiltrated Keyzen. That would justify a formal investigation.
Ideally, if the name Judah came up, it would confirm Simon’s suspicions.
“By any chance, is Professor Walter the type to pay much attention to his signature?”
“Oh, no. He scribbles it down without even looking.”
“Perfect. If anything goes wrong, say this keyword.”
After a moment of thought, Kajan gave her a code word.
“Let’s go with ‘wine’.”
“Understood.”
The TA took the documents and quill, and headed to Walter’s lab.
She was only following orders from high above, but still found it strange that they were investigating Walter in secret.
‘Well, if this clears Professor Walter’s name, then all the better.’
Even that Kajan fellow didn’t seem too hopeful. What could possibly be discovered from someone writing their name?
Feeling slightly more relaxed, she stood before Walter’s lab.
Cough, cough!
Coughs echoed from beyond the door. Walter hadn’t been well lately.
“Professor Walter, it’s the junior assistant. May I come in?”
“Ah, come in. Cough!”
Opening the door, she saw Walter buried in a mountain of paperwork, furiously signing documents.
Exactly as Kajan had described.
“What is it? I’m a bit busy…”
“Ah, I’m so sorry to bother you! It’s the accounting ledger from last quarter, and we can’t process it without your signature.”
She placed the document folder and quill on his desk and gently pushed them toward him.
Walter skimmed the title of the document and, without suspicion, signed the last page with the quill she had handed over.
“Here you are.”
Autumn-colored hair, intelligent glasses, and a kind smile offered even while crushed by work.
A face she saw often, but never tired of.
Blushing, she accepted the folder and quill.
“Thank you, Professor!”
As she turned to leave with a light step—
“Assistant Amiret Mashani.”
She looked back. Walter was wearing a very charming smile.
“You’ve done well today.”
“Ah, thank you!”
‘Yes! He called me by name!’
She felt like she could fly. Walter gave her one more smile before burying himself back in paperwork. The sound of his quill scratching resumed.
‘What suspicion could there be for someone so proper? Are they doubting him just because he’s a new professor?’
She muttered internally as she lifted the folder to check that all the necessary signatures were present.
That was part of her job, too.
As she flipped through the pages one by one, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Rustle—
When did Professor Walter learn my full name?
Rustle—
‘During our first meeting, the assistants were introduced in a group, and that was it. Afterward, I was just ‘the junior’.’
Does he have an exceptional memory?
Rustle—
Foreboding always creeps in.
Suddenly, and without warning.
She didn’t know why, but her hand trembled as she flipped the pages. Each sheet felt like a sliver of her lifespan.
Rustle—
At last, she reached the final page.
The document was mid-turn, revealing only the first letter.
—Sil
Still unclear what it meant.
—Ra
The second letter came into view.
And finally, she realized something was wrong. Kajan’s words echoed in her mind.
—No matter what, the user will write their own name with that quill.
At last, the page fully turned.
And Walter’s signature was in plain view.
It read:
—Sillage Visabar.
A nightmare.
Goosebumps erupted across her skin. Her blood froze.
She let out a silent scream.
‘P-Pr-Professor Walter… is… Professor Sillage?’
Like a broken doll, she jerkily turned her head.
Walter, still buried in documents moments ago—
“......”
Was now staring straight at her with chilling eyes.
She felt like her lungs had stopped. Terror seized her.
“What’s the matter, Assistant Amiret?”
His cold expression morphed into a gentle smile.
She had to leave. She had to leave.
She had to get out of there right now.
“Ah—Ah! N-No, it’s nothing, Professor! I’ll be going now—!”
She hastily turned away and tried to flee the lab.
Drip.
A drop of blood fell onto the document she was holding.
Drip, drip.
The paper turned red as the blood spread.
She was bleeding.
Blood dripped from her nose.
Then, she realized—blood was also streaming from her eyes.
And her ears.
“You’ve always been like this.”
A voice she had never heard from Walter, but somehow sounded familiar, filled her ears.
“Too curious for your own good. Time for some rest.”
Her consciousness sank into deep darkness.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters