— Cheongru. It’s time. Send the Kashan Knights to Professor Dante. This is their first meeting, right? I’ve already informed him, so tell them to take care of the Starfall Mountain cleanup.
“Yes.”
Cheongru hung up the call.
Across from him in the warehouse, the man spoke.
“So you’re really going through [N O V E L I G H T] with it now?”
The man was none other than the leader of the Kashan Knights.
The Royal Special Division’s Chief Knight—Kashan.
A knight who handled the dirtiest jobs for the crown. A filthy knight for filthy business.
“Yeah. Let’s begin. This is the only chance we’ll get.”
“...Cheongru, you know I follow orders without question. But are you sure about this?”
“Shit. We’ve got no choice. Think about it. At this point, how else are we going to safely eliminate Princess Rebecca? Soul harvesting? That’s baseless. Even if she killed someone, she’s royalty—she’d get leniency. But this time... it’s different.”
“...Because of Dante Hiakapo.”
“That’s right.”
His title? Just senior professor. No ranks. No official grades. No military backing.
But—
“...he holds immense intangible value. If he disappears, it’ll shake the Black Abyss, the White Saber, the royal family, even the Dormant Dragon Cadets... That one man disappearing would throw everything into chaos.”
“I’ve only heard the rumors, but he must be something else.”
“He is. Tch.”
Cheongru clicked his tongue. He hated to admit it, but facts were facts.
“And that bastard... he gave me this weird feeling. Like he knew something.”
“Knew what?”
“That I was planning to get rid of Rebecca.”
“...How would he know that?”
“Hell if I know.”
“.......”
Cheongru remembered it clearly. That incomprehensible smile Dante Hiakapo had drawn across his face.
— Cheongru, you must care deeply for Her Highness.
— What are you talking about? Of course I’d give my life to protect her. That’s the duty of a royal guard.
— ......Dependable, truly.
That slightly tilted head, those pink eyes staring down at him. The voice that followed—Cheongru hadn’t taken it lightly.
“Hmph.”
At that moment, Kashan was thinking: This wasn’t some act born of personal sentiment. Cheongru had done the math. A cold-blooded calculation.
‘Kill Dante and pin the crime on Rebecca...’
Rebecca had sent Kashan to push the Witch of the Graveyard out of the picture, with royal authorization.
But the specifics of the order Rebecca had given Kashan weren’t known to the outside world. The reason? They wanted to keep everything about the Starfall Mountain redevelopment under wraps.
‘She’s probably trying to sabotage the Academy. Closing the gates to the Empire is the only way left.’
Cheongru intended to exploit that.
The old man said,
“Anyone who’s in the know already suspects there’s something off between Professor Dante and the Princess.”
Because the Dormant Dragon Cadets—a sword—had two masters.
“Yes. Well, understood.”
The Grandmaster—Kashan—rose from his seat.
“Still... are you really okay with this?”
“With what.”
“She’s the princess you’ve been with since childhood. She might be bad at expressing it, but she treats you like a grandfather.”
“......”
Cheongru, face lined with age, gazed out the window.
Toward the royal carriage that had already disappeared from view.
“It’s hard.”
“Ah... I thought as much. Maybe I shouldn’t ha—”
“Putting up with a spoiled little brat, with all her ridiculous tantrums, for ten goddamn years... it’s fucking hard.”
“.......”
Kashan lowered his head.
Well, he didn’t care much for the relationship between a cranky old man and a clueless girl.
“Understood. I’ll proceed without issue.”
As he stepped outside, a thought crossed his mind.
Dante Hiakapo.
Even as a knight with no ties to the Academy, Kashan had heard that name a few times.
‘He sounds like a promising professor...’
He felt a twinge of guilt.
“Everyone, let’s move.”
“Yes, sir.”
It might’ve looked excessive—seven royal knights sent to kill a single assassin—but there was no helping it. Illusion assassins were notoriously difficult to kill.
Still, Kashan held no doubts.
Because of the other name the Kashan Knights were known by:
The Assassin Execution Unit.
***
I headed to Starfall Mountain with Ran.
On the way, we came across a curious lodge, so we stopped by.
“I used to be a boy who loved looking at the stars.”
“When was that, exactly?”
“Oh, about seventy years ago, dammit!”
An old geezer was practically begging us to get rid of the Witch of the Graveyard.
“I’ll give you a hint—her weakness.”
“Her weakness?”
He proceeded to dump everything he knew about the Witch. That she was powerful. Only appeared at night. Hard of hearing. Had an extreme aversion to death and the loss of life.
“Thanks for the info. Stay healthy.”
“If you’re gonna do it, do it now and take that damn witch out! If you don’t, I’ll be forced to initiate the 88-year-old Allmount Final Teamfight of my life!”
At that, Ran paused at the door and tilted her head.
“How powerful is this teamfight supposed to be?”
...Why would you ask that.
“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you! Here’s what I prepared to take down that witch—!”
As the old man’s veins popped in his neck, I hurriedly dragged Ran outside.
As we resumed climbing the mountain, Ran spoke.
“Unusual. Hearing impairment. Anti-killing doctrine.”
“Indeed.”
At a glance, the information seemed disjointed. Even to a veteran like me. Which likely meant the Witch of the Graveyard was a character added in a new [DLC].
“They say she only appears at night, but it’s still too early.”
“If she’s not there, we can always come back at night.”
And so we ascended the mountain.
We soon spotted something seated atop a large burial mound—larger than any other grave in the area.
Contrary to what the caretaker had said...
Even in broad daylight...
“...There she is.”
The figure wore something like a moss-colored hooded one-piece dress.
Was that the Witch of the Graveyard...?
“......”
Name: Eve
● Eve – 『Curse of Oblivion』
A name I didn’t recognize.
Which confirmed she was part of a new [DLC].
Beside her name was a single word: “Curse.”
『Curse of Oblivion』... A curse that erases one’s presence from the world and the memory of others.
A high-tier [Curse] only archdemons could cast.
‘That’s why the data was so fuzzy.’
We were hiding behind a tree at the time.
Even though we made noise rustling through the brush—
She didn’t notice us.
“What should we do? We came to scout her out... and now we’ve found her.”
“First, we talk. She’s humanoid, after all.”
I came to evict the witch for the redevelopment of Starfall Mountain.
If she left willingly, great. But...
Still, if she doesn’t kill people, there’s value in approaching her.
“If anything happens, I’ll block her.”
“No need.”
“I have two lives.”
“...Just don’t take off the headband-type limiter.”
After warning Ran, I stepped forward.
Slowly—
I approached the witch.
It was simply an approach toward an unknown entity.
No more than that. No expectations. No hopes.
And yet... A strange sensation crept in.
Why did this feel oddly... familiar?
But then again, déjà vu is common in life. No reason to assign it meaning.
“Hey. Witch of the Graveyard.”
I called out while walking—but she didn’t respond.
Ran leaned in and whispered.
“She’s deaf.”
“...Still worth checking.”
“Miss Witch! ...Nope. She didn’t hear it.”
“......”
Her antics were ruining the tension of the moment, so I raised a finger to my lips to shut her up—
And then it happened.
“......?”
The witch turned her head.
Blue eyes met mine.
Beneath the hood of tangled grass was a face that looked unexpectedly young.
We were close enough now for me to see it clearly—those striking blue eyes, those pupils moving.
“......??”
There were two of us, yet the witch was staring only at me. Then, still seated on the mound, she froze. Seeing her notice me, I stopped as well.
But something felt off.
What’s with that reaction?
“She’s frozen.”
“...So it seems.”
I studied her more closely. She didn’t look anything like a “witch.” If anything, she resembled a startled squirrel. Her posture, her bent fingers, all matched that impression.
She tilted her head as she stared at me.
Then, slowly, she stood up.
“She’s standing.”
“...You don’t need to narrate it.”
The witch rose from the mound and began descending.
And then, very, very cautiously, she began to approach me.
I drew a sword from [Inventory]. A national treasure.
“Are you going to fight?”
“We’ll see.”
About thirty paces between us.
Maybe it was because of the battle yesterday, but my tension was running a bit high.
Yet even after seeing the weapon, the witch didn’t stop—only continued her slow approach.
As she neared, her expression grew clearer. Something was... off. Her downturned eyes looked too kind to call her a “witch,” and her movement was cautious to a fault.
“I’ll block the approach.”
“......”
Around twenty paces in, Ran stepped between us.
Which meant the witch was now close enough for her eyes to fall on Ran for the first time—and her brow slightly furrowed.
“Her expression changed.”
“...Looks like she doesn’t like you.”
“Correct.”
I considered something: maybe this witch was the one who had attacked Ran, costing her one of her lives.
“You should step back.”
“Understood.”
Ran carefully withdrew—and immediately, the witch’s expression brightened.
Something about this was bothering me. Earlier too. Even now. The witch was looking only at me. As if she knew me. No—as if we were close.
If I had to describe it... like a baby elephant locking eyes with you and wanting to wiggle over for a hug.
‘...Why an elephant?’
A metaphor that made no sense crossed my mind, and I felt a sudden disorientation—because this elephant-like witch suddenly smiled at me.
“......”
Her lips curved ever so gently. One eye squinted just a bit more than the other. It somehow looked... a little sad.
The witch smiled at me.
“......”
She started walking again. Now slowly lifting her hands—maybe trying to hug me?
By the time only ten paces remained, an unexpected alert flashed before me.
(ㅇω│Unknown Status Window│ㅂㅇ)♥
They were reconnaissance spirits. Not one—two.
What the hell are they doing here...?
I pretended not to notice. If reconnaissance spirits realize they’ve been seen, they flee immediately.
Then—
The witch, having stopped ten paces away, was suddenly shoved forward. I guessed the spirits had pushed her, trying to force some kind of interaction. That’s how they worked.
“......”
Maybe it was the sudden push—but as the witch stumbled three steps closer, her hood fell back.
What was revealed beneath it was hair the color of the sky.
And...
‘Ah.’
...She’s a demon.
“Ran. Stand back.”
Ran quickly leapt backward.
I reflexively drew the 「Giant Soldier’s Sword○」
Then immediately began chanting the activation phrase.
Bwooooom—
Ever since the Balmung–Nibelung incident, my mana had leveled up again, and now it exploded outward.
The wave of magic expanded across the mountain, pressing down on everything around us. A motion like an invisible divine soldier rising from the earth.
KU KU KU KUNG...
All of Starfall Mountain rumbled. The witch—seven paces away—began to retreat. Her eyes, once smiling, were now wide open in shock.
“......?”
But this time, I advanced. No reason to hold back.
Demons must be slain.
As I stepped forward, the demon recoiled, backing away in confusion. That was... very strange. She came toward me—why is she retreating now?
“So that’s your strategy.”
“......?”
“You’ve made it this far pretending to be harmless.”
Anyone can fake innocence. Even demons. The hornless demon I killed yesterday had worn the same expression—the one who aimed an anti-tank rocket at the kids’ dorms.
I felt thankful to the spirits.
Had I not known she was a demon, that thing might have approached with a dagger. And I would have fallen for that gentle look. That cautious approach. And died.
“So. Witch of the Graveyard, huh. A fitting name...”
And yet something was wrong. Why does she have two horns? A “bicorn demon” shouldn’t appear until the mid-to-late stages of the main story.
If this really was a bicorn demon, running was meaningless. Unless you were a Constellation-tier, you wouldn’t even qualify to face it.
“Ran!”
“Yes!”
“Is this demon truly a bicorn?”
“Yes! But it’s a nonstandard instance! It can’t output more than ten percent of its full power!”
Ran had once said something here was alive that should have died within the rules of order. A bugged entity, in other words.
“......??”
Even now, it’s pretending—acting all innocent, shocked and confused.
Don’t make me laugh.
I have to kill it now.
Before this demon recovers from its bug and destroys Hiaka.