Chapter 267: Crossroads (8)
……If we rewind the story a little, after parting with Yeriel, I headed straight toward the Library.
Yeriel, on the other hand, moved toward the people approaching the Headmaster’s Office.
It might not have much meaning, but they said the difference between at least having a nominal conversation and not having one at all was literally the difference between heaven and earth.
Because he held the position and justification of being the Headmaster of the Academy, he said it could not be helped—for the sake of what would follow—and left the room to receive them.
At the same time, Yeriel muttered in a complaining tone that he would soon end up fighting them anyway and that it was unavoidable. Even so, he did not forget to warn me.
“—Never fight them.”
“—If it looks like you might run into them, run away.”
“—And if you do encounter them… surrender instead.”
In some ways, it might have sounded like advice that belittled a person, but I silently accepted it.
After all, I had already experienced to the point of exhaustion in my previous life what kind of beings the Agents were.
‘To think I’d end up entangled with those monstrous humans again….’
Agents.
One of the two major military forces of the Holy Sun Church.
There was hardly any need for further explanation when one considered that Lancia Jintia herself belonged to the Agents.
More than anything, their power, persistence, and even chilling fanaticism—I had experienced them countless times in my previous life.
‘They were troublesome like the Imperial Knights… no, perhaps even worse than them.’
The Imperial Knights would advance in organized groups and pressure their opponents, but the Agents would rush in at completely unexpected moments.
And unlike the Imperial Knights, who exercised at least some restraint, they did not care in the slightest what happened to their surroundings.
That included not only their comrades, but even their own lives.
‘Every time we met, they kept shouting things like “Cultist of the Evil God” or “Heretic.”’
No matter how I thought about it, the memories were nothing but horrifying.
Of course, even though Lancia was an Agent, I had never been entangled with her in that kind of ill-fated relationship—neither in this life nor in my previous one.
…But there was a reason I panicked the moment I saw her in this life and tried to avoid getting involved with her.
That was how deeply the name “Agent” was engraved in my mind as something dreadful.
‘The Headmaster told me to avoid getting involved and run away. But….’
No matter how I thought about it, that didn’t seem possible.
If I truly intended not to get entangled with them, I should have never left the Headmaster’s Office in the first place.
Wasn’t the other side practically launching a surprise attack that went beyond a mere declaration of war?
Earlier, I had said they probably wouldn’t take overly extreme actions…
But in truth, both Yeriel and I knew that was an overly naive hope.
However, neither of us said it out loud.
‘They’ll probably attack the moment they feel even slightly irritated.’
Even if it wouldn’t be a fight to the death, it was right to assume a battle would occur and move accordingly.
When I looked at the Crystal Sphere earlier, there were at least five Agents heading toward the Library.
…If I had to face them alone, no matter what method I used, that was a number difficult to defeat.
‘If I stall for time, it should work. Then surely—’
[Surely what?]
At the voice that echoed in my mind again, I flinched and trembled.
No matter how much I tried, it was difficult to get used to it.
‘Mentor?’
[Yes.]
It was Berenistella.
There had been silence for a while, and now she contacted me again without any warning.
‘Did everything go well with what you went to handle?’
[Hah. You fledgling chick—who do you think you’re worrying about? It seems your confidence has grown far more bloated than I expected.]
“…….”
For some reason, her attitude was extremely… cold.
No, rather than cold, it was almost like a child sulking…
[…What was that?]
‘No, it was nothing, Mentor.’
Realizing my mistake, I immediately cleared my mind.
The fact that she could speak directly into my mind also meant she could read my thoughts to some degree.
Thinking unnecessary things could cause trouble for me later.
[…Anyway, I contacted you to explain the situation to some extent.]
Berenistella spoke again, her voice slightly softer than before.
[As we expected, the children of the Merchant Group were working quite diligently. Especially that one—Valdemar. Perhaps because of the previous incident, he struggled quite hard even though the sun was still up. Thanks to that, the damage in that area was less than expected.]
‘I met my companions as well. As you said, Mentor, fortunately no one was injured.’
[Are you saying you didn’t trust what I told you?]
‘Not exactly. It’s just that seeing it with my own eyes put my mind at ease. You know… didn’t you once tell me a proverb like that? That seeing and experiencing something once yourself is better than hearing it a hundred times.’
[…Hmph. Your tongue is still quite smooth.]
Berenistella muttered as if her interest had faded.
Having spent several years as her disciple, I knew well how to continue a conversation with her.
[On the other hand, that… human event.]
‘You mean the Departure Festival.’
[I have no interest in it. Anyway… the damage there was far worse than I expected.]
My eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Older Brother.’
Artiac.
As a member of the Imperial Knights, he would certainly have been there.
‘…No, since Velita accepted him as her attendant, perhaps he’s somewhere else.’
While I was thinking that, Berenistella continued speaking.
[Because the leader hesitated awkwardly, the Front Lines collapsed and the battlefield turned into chaos. As a result, everyone became tangled together—an utter mess.]
‘…Then.’
[Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do there.]
She said it firmly.
I had expected as much, so I said nothing further.
[Still, things seem to be settling down now… so at least they won’t all be wiped out.]
‘That’s a relief.’
[…Anyway, enough with the introduction. Let’s move on to the Main Subject.]
She spoke quietly.
[First of all, I would also prefer that you did not fight… but you won’t listen to my words, will you?]
‘I’m sorry, Mentor.’
[Foolish child. That was not the answer I wanted to hear.]
Berenistella let out a small sigh.
[If you insist on fighting, I won’t stop you. But be careful not to die.]
‘Yes, I will.’
[I’m not joking. If it looks like you’re about to die, I will intervene immediately.]
She said calmly.
[There’s no need to hide it, so I’ll say it plainly. As long as I’m watching you, you will not die.]
[No—you cannot die. So you need not worry about that.]
[However, you will never again be able to live among humans.]
[Because I will simply carry you away and return to my Territory immediately.]
[Even if you somehow escape from my hands… how could the disciple of one of the Eight Demon Lords, the pinnacle of the Demons, live in the human world… especially while belonging to the Holy Sun Church?]
She spoke calmly—words that were anything but calm.
“…….”
I could only remain silent.
[…Anyway, that should be enough warning.]
“Haha….”
[Search your pocket.]
Following her words, I checked my pocket.
Inside was a Bracelet I had never seen before.
[I placed a spell on it. Since it was forged while excluding the power of the Demons, it cannot contain much power—but it will certainly be better than nothing.]
‘I will use it gratefully, Mentor.’
[My words are not finished yet, foolish child.]
Berenistella said with rare irritation.
[…My aura is naturally faint, so under normal circumstances it will not be detected. However, “under normal circumstances” means that those with particularly sharp Energy Perception or unusual techniques might notice it.]
‘Does that mean the Agents might detect you?’
[Hmph. Those butchers? Even if I’ve declined, do you think something like that could detect me?]
She snorted in disbelief.
[The one you must be wary of is… your temporary teacher in this life.]
‘Ah.’
[Even if she’s only a half-breed, she is still an Elf, and she bears the title of Archmage. She will surely be able to read my aura. So be careful. And also…]
Berenistella hesitated slightly.
[Even I did not anticipate this, but one of your companions noticed my aura.]
‘…What? Who?’
[The woman who was on your back.]
‘Senior Lancia? Her?’
[Yes.]
Berenistella answered.
[When I last checked, it was not there… but at some point she carved a Brand into her eyes. Because of that, she clearly captured my aura with her sight.]
‘In her eyes….’
Rahma had also carved a Brand into his eyes.
But to think Lancia had one as well.
It was something I had never anticipated.
[I wanted to tell you sooner, but if you had known earlier, your reaction would have revealed it immediately. So I waited until now. …You have always been terrible at acting.]
‘…Thank you for telling me.’
I quietly expressed my gratitude.
Then I began thinking about how to approach the conversation when I met Lancia again.
I knew well that her hatred toward the Demons was extraordinary.
At that moment—
[You’ll encounter them soon.]
Berenistella’s warning passed through my mind.
In truth, even without her warning, I had already realized it.
“…….”
Because just moments ago, I had seen the future that would soon unfold before my eyes.
“Wait.”
One of the Agents who discovered me said that as he approached.
Though he appeared to walk calmly without any hurry, he moved faster than most people running.
“Why are you here? The Academy is currently under lockdown.”
“Ah, is that so? I was wondering why I couldn’t see anyone around.”
One of the men who had come close to me said that.
I blinked slowly and muttered as if I knew nothing.
“Go back immediately. We’re patrolling to check for intruders. If you wander around, you might be suspected.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you. Which direction should I go?”
“…Just go the way we came from.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I bowed my head to them in gratitude.
Just as we were about to pass each other without incident—
Clang!
Suddenly, a thunder-like sound rang out.
It was the sound of me deflecting a blade that had shot toward my neck—as if I had already known it would come.
“…….”
“…….”
Even though their ambush had failed, they showed no agitation.
Rather, as if they had been waiting for this moment, they each took positions in different directions and charged toward me.
“…Hmph.”
I let out a small snort.
Then suddenly I rushed toward the man who had swung his sword at me and tightly grabbed his body.
If they were ordinary people, they might have hesitated out of concern that their comrade could get hurt.
…Yes, if they were ordinary people.
“How foolish.”
The man I grabbed muttered that.
Rather than resisting, he firmly grabbed my body as well—as if it worked perfectly in his favor.
Thud! Thud!
The four blades that flew in afterward mercilessly pierced through both our bodies.