Chapter 708
“Si, Simon? Why are you here?”
At Maelyn’s question, Simon blinked. That was what he wanted to ask instead.
“Then what about you, why are you here?”
“Well, I was just… huh?”
She belatedly looked down.
“Uwah! Wh, what the—?!”
Maelyn was overly startled as she looked at the holy golem she herself had just smashed apart.
Kukung–!
Just then, the body of the holy golem crushed under the ice collapsed, and Maelyn, who had been standing on top of it, slipped along with it.
“Kyaak!”
She tried everything to stop herself on the ice, but in the end, thud! she landed on her backside, then bumped down onto the ground once again.
Simon squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.
It hurt just to watch.
“Augh, tch!”
With tears forming at the corners of her eyes, she rubbed her sore butt and stood up. Both cheeks were flushed bright red with embarrassment.
“Wh, what. You! Weren’t you supposed to be on that commission about Goddess Dave or something?”
For some reason, her anger was being directed toward him. Simon held up both palms as if to calm her down.
“That’s exactly why I came here. What about you, Maelyn?”
“I was investigating my own commission!”
After listening to her explanation, it seemed the request Maelyn had taken on was about the villagers’ “collective memory loss phenomenon”.
Recently, not only villagers but even students had been involved, and apparently one such student had directly put a letter into the request box for help.
“So I checked the spots where the victims’ memories cut off, and traced every single movement without leaving anything out.”
She took out a notebook.
Lines neatly marked out people’s movements across a map.
“While investigating, I noticed there were overlapping routes. I also gathered testimonies from villagers, and finally reached here. That’s when I felt holiness seeping from the ground. So I used the Darkness Freeze Barrier to break through the old floor, and then…”
Her sapphire-like blue eyes turned toward Simon.
“There you were.”
Perfectly understanding, Simon nodded.
“Seems like our commissions overlap.”
In Simon’s case, his client Auror had been controlled through spiritual magic while asleep.
Other villagers also reported “collective amnesia”, but it was likely a similar situation.
‘…Well, the number of items prepared for the ritual was far too many for Auror to have gathered alone.’
Then Simon explained his side of events, and Maelyn listened, wearing a slightly resentful look.
“I went through all the trouble of tracking people’s routes and questioning villagers to get this far! And you solved it with just one artifact?”
Simon chuckled.
“That’s called efficiency.”
“Hmph.”
Tossing her sky-blue hair, she stepped forward. Sure enough, a holy golem was rising like a guard, as though another holy magic circle had been triggered.
“Anyway, since it’s come to this, let’s take them down together.”
She conjured flame and ice into her hands as she spoke.
“Reassuring.”
With that, Simon stepped onto Darkness and charged. Maelyn’s covering fire followed right behind.
Keyzen’s Student Council President and vice president, their performance was dazzling enough to match their positions.
In the blink of an eye, they smashed all the holy golems installed in the ancient sewer, advancing to its deepest point.
“Ugh.”
Maelyn rubbed her pale shoulder.
“This place feels nasty somehow.”
This was the terminus of the old sewer.
Just one more turn of the passage would lead to the final area. The faint trickle of holiness they’d felt before was now flooding openly without restraint. It was only natural for a necromancer like Maelyn to struggle here.
‘If we go further, it’ll be dangerous.’
He himself could withstand holiness, but Maelyn could not. With the crucial final exams ahead, it would be terrible if she got hurt.
“Maelyn.”
“What?”
“Past this point is too dangerous for a necromancer. It’s beyond what we can handle. Let’s end the investigation here and call the professors.”
Maelyn tilted her head.
“What are you saying, as if you’re not a necromancer?”
“Huh? No, ha ha! That’s not what I meant…”
“And calling adults in feels like running away from danger, I don’t like it.”
She spoke resolutely.
“This is the commission given to me—no, to our student council. So we have to resolve it ourselves, and make it our achievement.”
“Maelyn!”
“I’m going. You can wait here. Or go call the professors, if you want.”
Her determination looked unshakable.
Apparently, her low score on the “student communication activities” section had stung quite a bit.
‘No helping it then.’
Simon followed after her.
“Hold on.”
“What? If you’re going to stop me—”
Grab!
Simon firmly grasped both her shoulders from behind. She hadn’t expected him to touch her, so she let out a startled squeak.
Then, with force, he turned her shoulders to face him directly.
“Wh-wh-what are you doing?!”
“I have something to say.”
Maelyn’s face turned crimson. Simon leaned in slowly, his expression deadly serious.
Maelyn’s eyes, wary and defiant, wavered as he drew closer, until finally, unable to endure her embarrassment, she turned her head aside.
“Wh-wh-what are you suddenly trying to say?!”
Simon whispered softly.
“Sleep well.”
Srrrk–
Her eyes fluttered shut. As her body went limp and she nearly collapsed, Simon quickly supported her. Her sky-blue hair, like a flowing brook, brushed against his body.
“Phew.”
Having successfully cast Sleep, Simon sighed in relief and gently laid her on the ground.
Then, rummaging through his cloak, he pulled out a holy subspace artifact.
“Good thing I brought this just in case. Come out, Akallion.”
From the artifact, a bear-like divine beast popped out with a thump.
It was Akallion, one of Simon’s divine beasts.
“Protect Maelyn here. Guard her by any means necessary.”
—Oong!
Akallion nodded. As Simon infused holiness into it, its body transformed into a massive white-furred bear.
‘Alright, let’s go.’
Leaving Maelyn under Akallion’s protection, Simon strode alone toward the final chamber.
Closing his eyes, he thought reverently.
‘I can do anything.’
Fwoosh!
The Darkness within him faded away, replaced by the warm, enveloping power of light filling his body. Now as a priest, Simon’s steps carried no hesitation.
And so he reached the final chamber of the ancient sewer, where what awaited him was none other than—
‘…As expected.’
A massive altar.
One might even call it a “small cathedral”. In the midst of the filthy sewer walls, this area alone was carved in white marble. Rows of brass trays and candlesticks were set out, and sacred magic circles were engraved into the marble.
Fueling it all was one blindingly radiant object.
‘…The sacred relic of Ever Kire. So it was still here.’
Ever Kire, the nightmare-like fanatical zealot.
She had installed powerful sacred relics all over Roke Island, attempting to dedicate her twisted version of Goddess Dave to the island.
But that attempt had been foiled by Kajan and the Keyzen agents. They analyzed the holy energy waves she emitted, deduced the relics’ locations, and succeeded in destroying all ten of them.
Afterward, she was defeated by Simon and Lete, and with her relics sealed off, Ever Kire was finally killed by Neftis, who had just returned to Keyzen.
That was how the Dark Emperor incident had concluded.
And yet—
‘There was one more?’
The ten weren’t all. Apparently this one had been a spare, prepared for the worst-case scenario. Had it been activated, Keyzen would have detected it through its holy energy waves.
But hidden in an unknown spot of Roke Island, like a horrific tactical weapon, it had caused calamities that ensnared innocent villagers.
Simon stepped forward to retrieve the relic.
‘Naturally, there’ll be a guardian, right?’
Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—!
Just as he expected. The instant the altar sensed an intruder, every surrounding holy magic circle activated.
Kiiing!
Kiiiing!
The runes of the circles shone, their light converging at the center of the floor to weave the form of another magic circle.
Krrrrrrrrrr!
From within, a massive arm shot up, slamming onto the ground. Then, in one swift motion, the upper body pulled itself out.
"!"
Once again, a spirit formed of holiness.
But it was far more grotesque than what he had seen in Auror’s body. Within a mass of vast wings, three-headed women each laughed, wept, and kept silent, while countless pinprick eyes were embedded across their bodies.
[Death, death, death.]
[Revival, revival, revival.]
[Destruction, destruction, destruction.]
The triplet guardians moved their arms like a dance.
Sararararararak–
‘Fast!’
Before Simon could react, flowers bloomed along the shabby sewer walls, scattering white pollen.
All of it was holiness.
Simon’s body was buried in the pollen. Having succeeded in sealing their prey, the triplets approached and wrapped him in their arms. Hihihihihi– the three faces, each showing a different emotion, all sneered.
In response, Simon pulled out his right arm, and—
Paaaak!
Swung with all his might.
—Kiiiiiiiii?
The triplet guardians were hurled away, and the pollen vanished like dust in a storm.
“Doesn’t work.”
Woooongwoooongwoooong–!
The guardians, collapsed to the ground, were flustered. They chattered in strange tongues among themselves, then turned their gaze on Simon.
Kiiing!
Kiiiing!
They unleashed another skill. Each head opened its mouth, combining three magic circles into one devastating blast.
<Holy Light>
Hwaaaaaaak–!
A pillar of light struck down upon Simon, then spread outward.
[…]
As the light cleared, the guardians stared ahead.
The intruder necromancer had been swallowed by white magic, leaving not even a trace behind.
Satisfied at last, the triplet guardians turned their backs.
“What are you doing?”
[!]
Simon stood atop their heads, perfectly unharmed.
In front of his outstretched right arm, a holy spear wrapped in countless ribbons of blessing spun furiously.
<Simon Remade – La Escrime>
Kwaaadeudeudeudeuk–!
The rotating holy spear ground straight through the guardians’ torsos, drilling all the way in.
One strike was enough. Landing softly on the ground, Simon watched as the shattered holy mass collapsed, scattering faded rubble in every direction.
Clap, clap.
Simon brushed off his hands lightly.
“…For something Ever Kire prepared, isn’t it way too weak?”
In truth, this had been intended to block intruders on Roke Island teeming with necromancers, but preparing only purification-type spells for anti-necromancer combat had been a mistake.
Simon turned his head.
At the very center of the altar, the sacred relic installed by Ever Kire came into view.
‘Hmm.’
There was no trace of Ever Kire’s holiness. Though this was a spare relic on standby, it seemed to have leaked its inner holiness from being left unused for too long.
That vast amount of holiness had activated the prepared magic circles, bringing the entire altar to life.
For the sake of its own survival, the altar had attempted to seize Auror and the villagers as sacrifices for ritual.
“But now what do I do with this?”
Simon stood before the relic, troubled.
For necromancers, it was useless junk, but Simon was different.
An object was just an object. If he blocked the leaking holiness, perhaps it could serve another purpose.
As he pondered its disposal—
Uuuung–!
The relic suddenly moved on its own. Holy magic circles flickered and gave off sound.
[Holy magic ineffective. Detecting special wavelength. Identifying subject as Ever Kire.]
“What?”
He didn’t know what was happening, but it was unpleasant. Did it just mistake him for Ever Kire?
“Some mistake this is.”
All the more reason to smash it. Simon reached out toward the relic, but suddenly its lid burst open and holiness stretched out like vines, coiling around his body.
‘!’
[Subject confirmed. Subject confirmed.]
Simon felt his breath choke for a moment. The relic was abandoning the altar, trying to use Simon himself, filled with holiness, as its new medium.
‘What is this, dangerous…!’
But the instant he touched the relic’s holiness, an image of a white throne rose in his mind.
The essence of the Saint.
Specifically, the remnants of the Harvest Essence still within his body began to stir.
‘You mean you’re stepping in?’
Simon relaxed, closed his eyes.
Since it seemed to be trying to help him, he let the essence act as it willed.
Soon cracks splintered across the vines binding his body, and wheat sprouted from them.
Swaaaaah–
The stalks shook violently, sucking up the immense holiness inside the relic.
“Kh!”
Simon staggered as a headache struck him.
Time passed, and—
Clatter–
The relic fell to the floor, reduced to a faded, decrepit kettle.
All the holiness in the area had been absorbed into Simon. Nothing remained but an empty, useless pot.
Every holy magic circle dulled, and the altar ceased to function.
“Haa, huu.”
Panting, Simon looked down at himself.
His entire body brimmed with holiness, yet the wheat that had sprouted from him had already disappeared.
Though bewildered, Simon could feel the change within. He carefully raised his index finger, closed his eyes, and focused.
Sarararak–
A stalk of wheat rose from his fingertip.
Though it was nowhere near what the Saint of Harvest or Ever Kire had wielded, it was undoubtedly the Saint’s authority. Relieved, Simon wiped the sweat beading on his forehead.
‘I don’t know what just happened. Should I ask Mom about it?’
Hmm—
Then, from behind, Maelyn’s voice rang out. Startled, Simon dashed over.
“Maelyn!”
The Sleep spell had worn off, and she was beginning to wake.
Quickly, Simon recalled Akallion into the holy subspace and reverted to his necromancer state.
“Hehehe.”
But she was smiling.
“Lord Feon, if you carry me like that again, I’ll be embarrassed…”
“…?”
What kind of dream was she having?
Watching her grin foolishly, Simon felt a chill down his spine and snapped his fingers.
Snap–
“Mm?”
She opened her eyes.
Springing up, Maelyn looked all around.
“?!”
Her face flushed even redder.
“What, what! What happened?”
“The relic over there exploded, so I think you briefly lost consciousness.”
Simon smiled and pointed ahead.
“Want to go see?”
* * *
After rechecking the site, Simon and Maelyn returned to the academy to report.
Immediately, personnel from Keyzen headquarters were dispatched to verify the scene, confirming it as a spare relic left behind by Ever Kire.
—On behalf of our department, we thank you.
—Both of you have done well.
This time, having resolved quite a major case, Jane was pleased too. They would be kept updated as the incident progressed.
The problematic evaluation category was now certain to earn five stars. Even the houses and roads damaged during the operation by Simon and Maelyn would be compensated in full by Keyzen.
—And, Professor, I have a request!
Auror was set to move into a new house.
Recently, her grades as a second-year had improved, and due to her racial traits causing her expulsion from the dormitory, she had been chosen as a recipient of the academy’s academic support fund. Now she would be able to live in a better home.
So, as the situation finally settled down, in the dawn of that day—
“……”
Simon, having entered Feer’s ruins, opened his eyes.
“It’s complete.”
Pssshhh–
In the palm of his hand,
A single stalk of wheat glowed with a violet light.
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