Chapter 582
“Leave it to me.”
An old, abandoned house.
Inside a shabby room where not even a trace of human life remained, a girl was crying alone.
It was suspicious no matter how you looked at it, but Loraine walked toward her with a confident stride.
— Uhhuhuhuhh.
The girl still buried her face in her knees, sobbing.
Loraine stopped a short distance away and spoke with a gentle smile that melted away wariness.
“Hello?”
The crying stopped.
“What are you doing here? Where’s your mom and dad?”
— …….
A silence, heavy like the calm before a storm, descended.
Simon swallowed hard as he watched. He wanted to stop Loraine immediately, but if the girl really was a castaway, they had to rescue her.
— Why.
The girl finally opened her mouth.
— Why did you leave me behind?
“…Huh?”
Loraine’s expression darkened at those words.
— Why did you leave me behind? Why did you leave me behind? Why did you leave me behind?
The eerie voice echoed like a curse. Simon’s face stiffened, while Loraine hesitated before asking,
“Did your parents abandon you here?”
— …No.
“Then who?”
The girl, still with her face buried in her knees, suddenly lifted her head.
“You’re the ones who left me behind!”
Keeeeeeeeek!
Her mouth opened unnaturally wide like a monster’s, her pupils detached and spinning in all directions.
‘!’
So shocked that he couldn’t speak, Simon felt his body and mind freeze in place.
‘A wraith undead. I need to strike back…!’
But just then—
He felt something soft press against his body.
‘?!’
Looking down, he saw the top of a black head.
‘…Lo, Loraine?’
Simon froze.
Perhaps she had leapt to him without realizing, but even she seemed startled and quickly pulled back. Still, she clutched his wrist tightly and bolted.
Ruuuuumble!
The house was collapsing. Both of them leapt out together, and the whole ruin caved in behind them.
“Haaah… haaaah…”
“Fuuuuh…”
They stood there sweating, staring at the fallen wreckage.
‘What the…’
It all felt strangely unreal.
Seeing a ghost. Loraine leaping into his arms. Everything felt more like a dream.
“Loraine, that—”
Simon began, but she suddenly shouted,
“Run!”
A massive hand shot out from the rubble. Propping itself on the ground, the girl from before—now zombie-like—emerged once again.
— Why did you leave me behind? Why did you leave me behind? Why did you leave me behind?
“Hurry, Simon, run!”
He sprinted after her. The cold night wind slapped his face, helping him regain a bit of composure.
‘If it’s a wraith undead, I can take it down with my Chaos!’
Simon’s only weapon against spirit-type entities was Chaos Spear.
But it took time to prepare.
“Simon! Go ahead!”
Suddenly, Loraine stopped. She reached under her shirt, grabbed the lock at the end of her choker necklace, and brought it forward.
“I’m worried about Eshu and Toto! I’ll hold it off here!”
Click!
She unlocked the seal. Her ruby eyes flared with crimson light, and her hair rose into the air, streaked with dark-red Darkness.
‘She’s using her ability!’
If Loraine was using her ability, Simon had no need to worry. He turned, readying his Chaos.
“I’m counting on you!”
“Mm!”
As Simon dashed off, Loraine pulled a dagger from subspace.
It looked like an ordinary blade, but an eye embedded in the steel marked it as a Summoned creature.
She poured her ability into the dagger.
Ssssshhh!
The blade ignited, blazing like scarlet fire. With elegant poise, she tightened her grip and fixed her gaze on the incoming wraith.
“Haaah!”
Shrrk!
She lowered her stance and slashed. A blazing crimson arc cut through the air.
That was all it took.
The wraith’s body split along the dagger’s path and disintegrated.
“No way…!”
Staring at the vanishing remnants of the wraith, Loraine’s expression hardened.
* * *
Simon kept running frantically. Even now, he focused his mind, charging Chaos into his body as he broke through the brush.
“Guys!”
But the meeting spot was empty.
They had promised to wait there no matter what. Looking around, Simon shouted,
“Toto! Eshu! Where are you?!”
From a distance came Eshu’s terrified scream.
“Over there!”
Simon bolted in the direction of the sound.
Rustle—!
But after only a short run, he froze.
The girl stepped out of the thicket.
— Why.
It was the same girl from the house.
— Why did you leave me behind?
Without hesitation, Simon drew a Chaos Spear and hurled it.
The violent thunder cracked the air, and the violet spear shot straight through her form.
“Got her—!”
Grab!
Darkness flooded his vision.
Without a sound, hands had crept from behind, covering his eyes.
“Why did you leave me behind?”
Startled, Simon twisted free, preparing to retaliate with another Chaos Spear.
Pfft!
He froze at the sight of a woman stifling her laughter.
Ahahahaha!
His tense, frightened face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
“Serne!”
It was Serne Eindark.
Her velvet hair swayed as she laughed, pretending to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Too funny! That’s the second-best face you’ve made this year, Simon. Hehehe.”
“This is insane! That was way too far for a prank!”
Instead of answering, she smirked mischievously and stepped closer with feather-light strides, like she was walking on air.
“Heheheh~”
Then she clasped Simon’s hand—the one holding the Chaos Spear—and stared at it intently.
“So this is Chaos, huh.”
“…What?”
“Try throwing it.”
She boldly pointed toward the forest.
“See? There’s a target right there.”
Sure enough, the ghostly girl was still wandering nearby.
“….”
Simon sighed deeply. Since he’d already summoned it, he might as well use it.
Simon tightened his grip on the Spear of Chaos and hurled it.
Kwaaarrrumble!
The violet lightning shot forward, piercing the girl’s body. With an impact like scattered feathers, the illusion vanished.
“…Are you satisfied now?”
“Simon.”
Serne suddenly stepped closer, locking eyes with him.
“You can use Holiness, can’t you?”
“!”
The blood drained from Simon’s face.
Serne smirked meaningfully and strolled with her hands clasped behind her back.
“Actually, I’ve wondered about it ever since first year, after we fought the Saint together.”
She wagged her slender finger side to side.
“How was it that you, of all people, were fine even after taking the Saint’s Holy Flame head-on?”
“……”
“Any normal necromancer would have been incinerated instantly, so why were you the only one unharmed?”
This was dangerous.
Being exposed as someone who could use Holiness was an entirely different problem from being found out as a Legion Commander. Simon forced calm into his voice.
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She couldn’t have deduced Holiness just from seeing his Chaos.
Holiness was only a tiny portion of the ratio inside Chaos, mixed with blood to function.
She had no real basis—surely she was just fishing for answers.
“…Actually, your future self told me.”
Simon felt like smacking his own forehead.
“Future Simon said this! That Chaos is only the baby step before reaching Void.”
“!”
A chill ran down Simon’s neck.
“He told me, ‘Teach order to Chaos. When Darkness and Holiness fuse purely together with no other element mixed…’”
She spread both hands, miming something forming between them, then clapped her palms together.
“…‘A miracle is born’.”
“……”
“That technique’s name is Void. And Future Simon could even alter its properties.”
Serne grinned impishly.
“Am I right?”
There was no denying it.
Besides, Future Simon wouldn’t have shared such a thing with Serne for no reason.
Simon silently nodded.
“I think ‘Future Simon’ wanted to give ‘Present Simon’ a hint—through me. A message, delivered by someone he trusted.”
Her cheeks flushed faintly as she pressed her palms together.
“Which means he must have thought of me as someone he could really trust, don’t you think?”
“…You pulled all this just to tell me that?”
“Well, that too.”
She stuck out her tongue and made a ghostly face.
“Eheheh—‘Why did you leave me behind?’ Honestly, I was a little mad, so consider it revenge.”
“…Professor Aron told us to move in our own teams.”
“Our team is sooo boring. I wanna hang around with Team 10.”
Shrrrk!
Just then Serne tilted her head slightly. Something red flashed where she moved, and a tree behind them cracked apart with a splitting noise.
Serne’s foxlike eyes curved.
“My my~ If you throw that power around carelessly, won’t your mommy spank you?”
Step. Step.
Out of the shadows walked Loraine, wrapped in crimson ability.
“…You dare deceive me?”
“I got a good look at that rare scene.”
Serne quickly slipped over to Simon and suddenly flung herself into his chest. His face flushed red.
“Weren’t you just like this? Acting all tough in front of Simon—what an embarrassing mess you really are.”
Sparks flared in Loraine’s eyes.
“You…!”
“Loraine! Simon!”
Just then, Eshu and Toto’s voices rang out.
Loraine, who looked ready to lunge, bit her lip with a frustrated “Tch!” She withdrew her ability and locked the choker back in place.
Moments later, the two came running up.
Branches stuck in their hair, leaves clinging all over—they looked like they’d gone through chaos themselves.
“Everyone okay—huh?”
Both Toto and Eshu gaped at the sudden appearance of Serne.
“Ta-dah~”
Serne clapped her hands.
“What’s training camp without a test of courage? Fun event, right?”
She waved her arm, and ghostly figures popped up all around, wailing comically—“Uhhhuhuhh~.”
After standing dumbfounded, the two finally collapsed into relieved laughter.
“Scared me half to death.”
Toto sighed in relief.
“Whoa! So it was all illusions? Haha! That was terrifying, but also amazing!”
Eshu bounced up and down, delighted—it was right up his alley. Loraine was clearly irritated, but seeing the other students’ reactions, she forced herself to hold it in.
“Serne! Let’s bring the department kids tomorrow! They’ll freak out!”
“Oooh, that sounds fun.”
Eshu even tried to be friendly with Serne. Either she had incredible social skills—or maybe Serne herself had mellowed a little.
“Alright then.”
Serne stretched out her hand.
“As an apology, I’ll guide you to a real village. Let’s go.”
* * *
And so, the five of them finally reached an actual village in the Frigod Autonomous District.
Even in the evening, the night market bustled with energy. Stalls sold all sorts of goods, and even Dark Alliance currency was accepted.
Of course, there was one big problem.
“ŀⴀⴠⴃⴟ!”
“ⴆⴘⴀ?”
They couldn’t understand a word.
Eshu boldly stepped forward.
“I want to buy carrots, where should I go?”
“Ⳗⴠⴟ!”
“…What?”
“ⴆⴶⴘⳖⴠⴟ!!”
“Hey, why are you yelling at me?!”
Loraine laughed, pulling Eshu back before he got into more trouble. Serne plucked a feather from her hair.
“There’s a very easy way.”
“…Don’t.”
Simon sighed.
They’d have to manage with gestures and signs to buy food. On top of that, they planned to secure some bare essentials for the Dullahan task.
“Oh! Look!”
Toto pointed.
“That’s Aseraz’s team!”
“For real?”
Everyone turned their heads.
Sure enough, Team 8 of Aseraz was returning through the market. For some reason, White was with them.
“Guess everyone’s here in this village.”
Toto muttered, then looked at Simon.
“What’s wrong, Simon?”
“N-no, nothing.”
He forced an answer while sweat trickled down his back.
Because just behind Aseraz’s team…
He had spotted a boy with blue hair.
A boy who looked exactly like Simon himself—chasing after White.
‘What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!’
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters