Chapter 470
Heidi’s eyes widened in disbelief.
No doubt about it.
That blue hair—he was the boy she had seen at the bookstore just yesterday.
‘Simon!’
That slightly slow-witted kid, who looked like he wouldn’t even be able to adjust properly once he entered school, had appeared while knocking down all those terrifying people.
“Y-you, how did you get here…?”
Instead of answering, Simon smiled faintly and reached out his hand.
Heidi, her hands trembling, stretched out her own and clasped tightly onto Simon’s large hand.
‘Ah.’
The moment she did, her body was wrapped in a pleasant drowsiness. Having stayed awake all night, with fatigue and stress piled to the extreme, Simon’s Sleep worked even more effectively.
Her strength drained away as she sank into the comfort.
Simon gently pulled her closer, letting her lean into his arms. Her vision blurred, her eyes fluttering shut until she completely succumbed to sleep.
“Whew.”
With a sigh of relief, Simon wrapped one arm around her shoulder. Then, with his other hand, he swung Darkness.
Boom!
A projectile made of Darkness ricocheted off Simon’s hand and shot away.
‘So you’ve appeared.’
That sinister Darkness prickled his skin.
A necromancer stood with one arm outstretched, his shabby robe full of holes pulled low over his face. Under the hood, his face was grotesquely twisted, and he stank of rotting corpses.
“…Who are you?”
His mouth opened, and a chilling voice seeped out.
“…How did you find this place?”
Simon answered a question with a question.
“You’re the necromancer hired by the Ampergi family, aren’t you?”
“……”
“Don’t bother denying it. The Ampergi candidate has already been captured and is under investigation by Keyzen. For abducting new students and attempting illegal admission.”
The necromancer propped his chin with a dried-up hand from his sleeve.
His movements were calm.
“This season always drives parents mad. ‘Please get my son into Keyzen’.”
“……”
He had no intention of hiding anything.
“Their obsession is terrifying even to me. The success rate is low, and if they’re caught, the family itself will be erased by Keyzen… yet still.”
His lips twisted into a sinister laugh.
“They even carve Eternal Magic Circles into soldiers who’ve served their family for life. Some even into their own children. Because the family’s prestige depends on whether their child enters Keyzen.”
Simon smirked.
“And you’re just going to spill all that so freely?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
He lowered his hand.
“I’ve bought enough time to prepare black magic. You’re going to die here anyway.”
Crrrk—!
The surrounding walls rippled, and countless zombie arms burst out with thuds. From the ceiling, the walls, even the floor, zombie hands shot forth and clutched at Simon’s legs.
Simon shielded the sleeping Heidi in his arms.
“Vanish now. Take that girl with you.”
“Akemius.”
Simon smiled nonchalantly.
“Don’t kill him.”
KABOOM!!!
The ceiling collapsed, and black feathers exploded downward.
The last thing the necromancer saw was a mass of pitch-black feathers descending before him. And then—
Shrrrrrrk!
After that, he remembered nothing.
Slammed against the wall, bloodied, the necromancer fainted with eyes wide open. From the grotesque feathered mass that had landed before him, a monstrous arm protruded.
[How dare—]
A heavy murderous aura leaked from within the feathers.
[Do you wretched scum even know who this young master is?!]
Screeeechhhhhh!
A ghastly shriek of a monstrous bird burst from its mouth. The scattered feathers on the floor quivered in response.
“Calm down, Akemius.”
Simon restrained him.
The hideous feather mass writhed, then reverted back to the form of the Akemius Simon knew.
[Are you unharmed, young master?]
“Thanks to you.”
Akemius walked over and picked up a feather from a trash bin.
[I’m relieved you didn’t take it lightly.]
When attackers went after Arthur, Simon had swiftly pulled out one of Akemius’ feathers and planted it.
Later, the assailant must have noticed and tossed the feather into a trash can, but they should have burned it completely with black magic. Instead, it had only served to reveal their location to Akemius.
Akemius brushed the feather clean and handed it back.
As Simon accepted it, he said:
“Erase all traces.”
[Yes.]
As expected of an Ancient Undead, he tidied up flawlessly. With a wave of his hand, the feathers melted away like chocolate. The kidnappers were all left unconscious.
“Up we go.”
Simon carefully lifted Heidi into his arms and stepped out onto the terrace.
‘They used this place as a prison?’
It was a clocktower dormitory.
Simon set one foot on the terrace railing, then climbed up. The cold wind howled from above.
“There’s no time. Let’s go.”
[Understood, young master.]
Without hesitation, Simon leapt from the dozens-of-stories-high railing.
Whoooosh!
Akemius followed, seizing Simon’s shoulders with birdlike legs, then spread a massive pair of wings.
‘At this distance, it should be more than doable!’
* * *
‘……’
Heidi dreamed.
A dream where she hadn’t been kidnapped by bad people, and safely entered Keyzen.
She was happy. Chatting with her peers, stopping by the campus store, staying up all night to study, and going on missions while drawing attention in her neat Keyzen uniform.
Then during vacation, she returned home and threw her arms around her mother and father.
The two who had supported her, despite their hardships, all their lives.
Now, as a Keyzen student, she wanted to repay them.
But.
That was an impossible wish.
Another dream followed.
Being saved by that goofy blue-haired boy she met at the bookstore. Too unrealistic, too ridiculous—a delusion born from her desperate longing. And yet, for a fantasy, it felt far too real.
How foolish.
‘I’m sorry, Mom. Dad.’
As despair flickered before her eyes, the dream shifted.
Whoooosh—
A refreshing wind blew.
She was in the sky, being carried through the air.
No—not flying herself, but held by something that was.
“Awake already?”
At the voice, Heidi lifted her head.
‘Ah.’
That blue-haired boy from her dream, smiling warmly as if to reassure her.
Heidi muttered blankly:
“This is… a dream too?”
“No.”
The boy shook his head.
“This is real.”
Whiiiiiish!
The freezing wind whipped against her face, banishing the haze of sleep.
‘Yes.’
This was reality.
She was truly flying through the sky in this boy’s arms.
“Hold on a little longer. We’re almost there.”
They were above Langerstine.
And ahead lay the place she was meant to be.
The ship bound for Keyzen.
* * *
“…As I thought.”
At the same time, a Keyzen staff member on the ship gazing toward Langerstine let out a sigh.
“Retrieving her in fifteen minutes was impossible after all.”
Behind him, bound with rope, sat the Ampergi candidate.
“Hahaha! I told you, didn’t I? How could anyone search the whole of Langerstine in that time? Impossible!”
“You!!”
Arthur, enraged, grabbed the candidate by the collar and shook him.
“So it really was you who kidnapped her, wasn’t it?!”
“Whoa, calm down.”
The candidate snickered.
“I don’t know anything about that. Anyway, I’m counting on you, Keyzen—friend.”
“I’ve never had a friend like you!”
“Hahaha! You’re funny. I hope we end up in the same class.”
Princess Molly, too, was staring desperately out the window. But no matter how much she searched, there was no sign of Simon. Other freshmen, having given up, were just chatting among themselves.
At that moment, a servant clutching a communication crystal orb ran up and shouted urgently:
“The Underworld Whale is right in front of us! We have to seal the ship!”
Shhhhhhhhh!
The murmuring among the students grew louder. From far off the horizon, a massive wall of water was surging toward them.
“No choice, then.”
The Keyzen staff member nodded.
“Take the Ampergi family’s candidate. Make sure all windows are locked and activate the barrier.”
“Yes, sir!”
Clank! Clank!
Locks snapped shut over the windows, and a barrier that looked like a sturdy glass dome spread upward from the ship’s hull.
“Wahahaha! So it’s happening after all! I’m going to Keyzen!”
The Ampergi candidate shook his shoulders and laughed hysterically.
Arthur ground his teeth in frustration, while Molly continued staring straight ahead.
And then—
“Look! Look there! Over there!”
Molly suddenly leapt to her feet, pointing frantically, her face filled with excitement.
“It’s Senior Simon!”
“What?”
“Senior Simon is coming from the sky!!”
Even the Keyzen staff, along with the servants, forgot their dignity as adults and rushed outside. The first-years buzzed with excitement, pressing against the windows.
“He’s really coming!”
“He’s holding a girl in his arms!”
“Did he actually rescue her?”
“Waaaaaaaah!!”
The ship exploded into cheers. The Ampergi candidate shot to his feet, his face pale.
“T-this! This is impossible!”
As the Sleep Simon had cast wore off, the forbidden black magic implanted in the candidate’s body began to awaken. Cracks ran across his face as monstrous flesh burst out in lumps. Once again, he was losing control of his emotions to the side effects.
[How! How! How can this be?! We locked her in the clocktower…!!]
“So it really was you.”
Feeling goosebumps race up his entire body, the candidate spun around.
Arthur stood there with a vicious smile, lifting his leg.
Thud!
Before the candidate could even fully manifest the forbidden magic, Arthur kicked him square in the back, sending him tumbling into the sea.
[You bastard!!]
With a desperate scream, the candidate splashed into the water. The barrier sealed shut, while servants still on the pier reeled him back up with black magic and restrained him.
Tap.
A Keyzen staff member placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur stiffened, realizing what he had just done, and turned around nervously.
He was sure he’d be punished. But instead—
“Arthur, return to your seat.”
Pretending not to notice, the staff member spoke with a smile reminiscent of a mischievous child.
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Close the barrier completely!”
At that, Princess Molly cried out:
“Wait! Simon hasn’t come aboard yet!”
“He is the Student Council President of Keyzen. He will follow without fail.”
Clank!
The staff member sat down and gripped the handle beside him.
“Everyone, brace for impact! Keep your bodies low!”
“Yes!”
From Simon and Heidi’s perspective as they flew, they too could now see the massive wall of water raised by the Underworld Whale.
‘That’s cutting it close!’
Since Heidi had woken, Simon had recalled Akemius back into subspace, flying now on his Skull Drone.
“We’re going faster! Hold on tight, Heidi!”
She wrapped both arms around his neck as tightly as she could. Simon pushed the Skull Drone to its maximum speed.
Emerald light flared as the engine spat rough flames.
Shhhhhhhh!
And then, from within the spray of waves, the colossal form of the Underworld Whale emerged, maw yawning wide to swallow the ship whole.
Cloud!
Simon thrust out his hand, and an emerald rope shot out like lightning, lashing around the whale’s teeth. He yanked hard.
At the same time—
Groooaaarrr!
The Underworld Whale swallowed the ship and dove into the sea.
* * *
Through a long, tunnel-like gullet, the freshmen’s ship finally reached the safe zone prepared within the whale.
The ship halted. The cowering boys and girls slowly lifted their heads.
“Dispel the barrier!”
At the staff’s shout, the barrier vanished. None of the freshmen spared a glance at the whale’s stomach, it was their ship and deck that drew their frantic eyes.
“Where’s the Student Council President?”
“Did he… not make it?”
Disappointment weighed down the cabin. A hush fell over them. The servants were speechless, and the staff member rubbed his forehead with a bitter smile.
‘This won’t end with just a report.’
So he thought, when he turned his head.
“Arthur?”
The red-haired boy was silently staring into the pitch-black throat of the whale. Slowly, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
“As I thought!”
Fwoooosh!
From the dark throat tunnel, a dazzling emerald light burst forth. Heads snapped up.
Thud!
From above, the blue-haired boy descended. The ship lurched to one side with the impact.
Shhhhkk!
His shoes skidded across the deck as he landed. In his arms was Heidi, the freshman who had been abducted.
“H-how…?”
She looked at him, unable to believe her own eyes.
“I told you.”
Sweat pouring down like rain, Simon smiled at her.
“I’d take you to Keyzen.”
A stunned silence.
And then, all at once—
“Waaaaaahhhhh!!”
Everyone there threw up their arms, embracing one another in cheers.
Arthur clenched his fists and shouted, Molly’s eyes brimmed with tears, the staff and servants laughed and hugged each other.
In the minds of the freshmen, this was carved indelibly:
The legendary event where the Student Council President of Keyzen rescued a kidnapped freshman in just fifteen minutes.
A story that would forever be retold among the juniors, another legend was born.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters