Gray hit it big!
......But that fact didn’t make everyone in Hiaka happy.
There were plenty who were put in a foul mood by the news.
For example:
“What’s so pretty about that delinquent? I don’t get it.”
Jealousy incarnate — Marina, cadet of Moonshadow Institute under Black Abyss!
“They should’ve gone with Elize. Why her, of all people... tch.”
Extreme Black Abyss hater — Toy, Chief Professor of White Saber!
“She’s not here again today...? Hmph, I wanted to hang out...”
Forget going big — Elize lost a friend!
And then, there was someone whose mood soured for completely different reasons.
“The escort professor for that trip... was Professor Dante?”
It was Balmung Nibelung, cadet of the Dormant Dragon Cadets.
“......”
Lately, Balmung was depressed. The sky, the land, the sea, the very air — everything was tormenting him.
There were several reasons, starting with when the cracked-brained Kendreik began needing his help.
Kendreik could eat well, go to the bathroom fine, and even exercise regularly, but for some reason, he started avoiding showers.
“...Take off your clothes.”
“Uhh...”
“Take them off, you bastard. It’s bath time.”
Bath duty...!!
He hated it to death. But there was no way around it.
The maids of the Dormant Dragon Dorm weren’t safe around Kendreik, and the only male cadet nearby was himself.
Quan?
That bastard had no sense of responsibility.
If you asked him, he’d probably laugh like a damn weeb going “Ufufufu...! Me, really!?” while pouring toilet cleaner over Kendreik’s head or some shit.
In the end, it was always up to him.
Kendreik was resisting, groaning like some cave beast.
“Ugh, hurry up and strip, you bastard! I’ve got plans this evening!!”
“Uhh... uhh...”
Smack!
Even hitting him just made Balmung feel more drained.
It was like washing a goddamn bear.
Anyway, shower on.
—shhhhhh!
But thanks to his perfectionist personality, he couldn’t just half-ass it.
Kendreik might be a dumbass chicken-brain, but if he was going to wash him, then by God, he’d come out as clean as a baby’s ass.
So Balmung squeezed shampoo onto the idiot’s red scalp, lathered it, scrubbed his huge frame with body wash, trimmed his nails meticulously, even shaved him with care.
And after that desperate effort...
“Ugh...”
Behold — smooth-as-a-baby’s-ass Kendreik, complete...!!
‘...Fuck.’
Even just this much was depressing enough to make one gag.
Next, there was the issue of Zone 4’s former disciplinary officer, Denis.
That mad bastard had the nerve to request an assassination on Professor Dante.
Balmung had planned to hunt him down and beat the shit out of him — but in just three days, he had quit the Academy and vanished somewhere.
That only made things worse.
At this point, Gray was gaining massive recognition in the Empire as a warrior. And among Black Abyss professors, some were already comparing Balmung unfavorably.
That part only brought mild annoyance.
“Guess we’ll have to put all our chips on Gray now...”
“The rest aren’t looking too great, right? Kendreik’s lost his mind, and Balmung, well...”
What the hell were they implying?
He didn’t care. He had no expectations from the Black Abyss professors — all they ever did was use people.
But the fact that Dante had personally escorted Gray to the Empire shoved Balmung straight into a pit of despair. Dante had never even agreed to spar with him.
To make matters worse, Gray would casually brag about him from time to time.
“You know what Professor Dante said to me then...?”
“That time we trained 『Glass Butterfly』 together, Professor Dante and I...”
The feeling of agitation started to double.
Because Gray’s expression, which usually carried nothing but mischief even when she smiled, now overflowed with something else — a deep satisfaction.
And that made sense.
Getting personal attention from the greatest genius professor in human history — a man who used time magic at thirty, was stronger than Rank 400 (Batalion), and gave off the scent of a Cross Constellation-level being...
How could she not feel fulfilled?
“I’m jealous...”
When the Academy was collapsing into the Assassination War, and Balmung himself was drowning in despair — it was Professor Dante who shattered his blocked worldview and opened a new one.
And now that same man was giving all his energy to Gray, while she basked in happiness.
“......”
Since that day, whenever he felt depressed, Balmung would climb the hill behind the Academy and gaze down at Zone 0.
It gave him a strange sense of openness — often lifted his mood.
But not this time.
This time, no matter how long he stared at the open expanse of Zone 0, he didn’t feel better.
Ah, it’s just...
“...I’m so fucking jealous...!”
Balmung was a depressed doberman.
“......”
But this depression... felt off.
It wasn’t just emotional.
It felt like something was pressing down on his heart.
“......”
Suddenly, a memory surfaced — from long ago.
The time his mother came at him with scissors. The feeling of something being cut from him as she apologized.
Painful memories.
“......”
Around the same time—
“Everyone, please refrain from going outside unless necessary.”
Princess Rebecca addressed the cadets in the dormitory.
Her expression had become notably more irritable these days.
Elize raised her hand.
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
Rebecca let out an annoyed sigh and began speaking.
“Because Hiaka Academy is entering a period of upheaval.”
That was what Shaman Kreutz, head of the Assassination Department, had told the professors of Zone 0 during a meeting.
“The department’s opening and the academic exchange with the Empire are progressing step by step.”
His face had never looked so solemn. Comparable to when he was eating a fresh donut.
“We may be drunk on this great opportunity, but now more than ever, we must stay sharp. When food appears, you can bet the parasites come crawling in with their spoons.”
Even the jiggling flesh on his jaw didn’t move.
“Please, professors — steel yourselves. Do not reach out for any seduction or temptation.”
That concluded the meeting.
⋮
And sure enough — before long, his words came true.
For the first time in decades, the department was opening. Exchange with the Empire was beginning.
And to gobble up a piece of that giant pie—
Big names started showing up from the outside.
“Are you by any chance Professor Dante Hiakapo?”
A polite voice. I turned my head and saw two well-dressed men standing there.
Smiling gently.
Above their heads were names I hadn’t expected.
● Nibelung Family, Kadurfin
● Nibelung Family, Mammon
The Nibelung Family.
One of the most powerful and dangerous organizations in Hiaka. The syndicate of the “Black Star Constellation⚉” Matriarch Nibelung.
They were the largest criminal group in Black Abyss, yet also protected Hiaka by managing border tensions with overseas criminal syndicates.
So what were they doing in Zone 0?
“What’s this about?”
“We’re these people, and we came in with permission from Chief Betelgeuse.”
He smiled and held out a business card. The name stamped in huge letters was: [Hiyakbong: Hiaka Volunteer Group for Medical Aid].
This was the Nibelung Family’s legal front for their public activities.
“We heard you have a connection with the great master of illusion, Chief Professor Cain. If possible, could you help arrange a meeting?”
“Chief Cain’s whereabouts are classified by the department.”
“We wouldn’t ask for free. We’re willing to offer a small token...”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ah, but even if you could just... give us a small hint. We’re trying to do good work for the homeless and orphans.”
“......”
“Please. Aren’t you his direct disciple?”
Yes — officially now, the department was pushing the idea that I was Cain’s direct disciple.
“I’m not sure...”
I could’ve just brushed them off with a corporate “I’ll see what I can do” and later used the excuse that “upper management said no~.”
I had that kind of office-worker social skill too.
But I didn’t want to use it here.
“My apologies. There’s nothing I can do.”
“Ah, I see... Then, could we at least request a separate meeting with Cadet Gray? You were her escort on the Empire trip...”
“That too, I’m sorry.”
“Um—”
“Please direct the rest of your questions to the department.”
That was how I swatted away their spoon.
But the moment I turned around, a sharp mutter came from behind me.
“...This fucker’s really acting like hot shit.”
I turned back. One of them had lost his cool, and the other was trying to hold him back, whispering, “Hey.”
“You selfish piece of shit. As long as you’re doing fine, fuck everyone else, right?”
“......”
“We’re trying to do something good. While you guys sit comfy and eat well, we handle the dirty work. So why won’t you cooperate? Fuck, you think the world revolves around you?”
Mm. So the department opens, and now I get this kind of bullshit too.
I didn’t feel much about it. I just kept watching them. I had to probe the Nibelung Family’s intentions using 【Script】.
【 ‘It’s not like we only have one or two cadets under Black Abyss. This is the perfect chance to expand our influence into the Empire...’ 】
【 ‘Chief Betelgeuse said no, but if we keep digging, something’ll turn up...’ 】
Exactly what I expected.
“Hey. Just because Cain and Gray are doing well, you think that makes you something? You’re just riding their coattails, and your ego’s already that bloated?”
“Stop. That’s enough...”
“You know we’re part of the Nibelung Family, right? Who the fuck do you think you’re mouthing off to? You want me to show you what happens to guys like you?”
“Cut it out. Stop...!”
I’d seen enough and turned my back.
They were, metaphorically, people smeared in shit from head to toe.
I didn’t want to touch them.
***
“Balmung!”
Even if it was brief, if he’d had a tail, it would have wagged.
Amid his gloom, Balmung’s expression softened slightly.
“Kadurfin, Mammon.”
He felt a rare sense of warmth seeing his old family’s people again.
“Been a while, kid.”
Truthfully, Balmung had never been especially close to these two. But back when he was being hunted by the Matriarch, they’d at least chosen to stand by and do nothing. And that inaction, compared to everyone else who had rushed to turn him in, had meant a lot.
“How have you been?”
“You tell us. You’ve been out of the organization — how’s life been? Everything okay?”
“Yes. I’m doing well. I didn’t think you two would come now that the department’s opened...”
The two enforcers chuckled.
“Damn, this little coward’s grown up.”
“For real.”
“Back in the organization, you were still wet behind the ears, always calling us hyung this, hyung that.”
“Right? You remember that one time? This punk saw a ghost when he was little, ran out of the bathroom with no pants on, little thing dangling out—”
“Bwahaha!! That’s right! Crying to Amelia like ‘I’m scared!’ That had to be what, ten years ago?!”
Coward. That had been Balmung’s old nickname.
“Ah, hyungs, could you not...”
Balmung waved his hand, embarrassed.
“Hey. Let’s sit down somewhere and catch up properly.”
“Sure.”
Then Balmung remembered what Rebecca had said.
Avoid going out. Don’t draw attention.
“...Should we go to the dorm?”
“Oh? Can we?”
“If it’s my room...”
And so the three of them headed to Balmung’s room.
It was shockingly dull and obsessively tidy. Not a speck of dust on the floor. Even the books on the shelves were arranged in perfect ascending order.
No one could mistake it for a child’s room.
“Damn. You really did grow up.”
One of the enforcers laughed, lightly tapping the back of Balmung’s head.
Then he burst out laughing again.
“Oh, wait. Nope — still a damn kid.”
“Huh?”
“What’s with the balloons, you little shit?”
In one corner of the bed, there were white balloons.
“Ah...”
“Geez, you actually keep stuff like that? You think those belong in this room?”
“Yeah... I guess it’s kind of awkward... Please, sit down. I’ll make coffee.”
After that, the three of them chatted about old times.
Eventually, the two enforcers got to the real reason they were here.
“Hey... you don’t happen to know anything about Chief Professor Cain, do you?”
“Ah, he’s pretty famous these days.”
To be honest, Balmung had been curious about their intentions this whole time — so when they finally got to the point, he felt a little more relaxed.
“Thing is, I don’t really know much. Just that he’s apparently incredible.”
In Balmung’s opinion,
Considering how Dante had suddenly appeared out of nowhere,
It was likely that Chief Professor Cain was another carefully placed piece by the Director.
“Then what about Gray? Is there any way we could make contact with her?”
“Why Gray?”
“What do you mean? Her family’s in a rough spot, right? If she’s trying to swim in deeper waters, she needs solid backing.”
“Exactly. If a dragon’s gonna rise from the riverbed, it needs a dragon pearl. You know this. What other Black Abyss group in Hiaka has the strength to stand up to the Empire?”
Balmung nodded.
He hated the Nibelung Family. He hated the Matriarch even more.
But what they said wasn’t wrong. Nibelung was the largest Black Abyss organization in Hiaka.
So maybe they really did come with good intentions...
Rebecca had said to avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible, but if their motives were decent... it might be okay?
“In that case, I’ll try to connect you with Gray later.”
“Oh?! Really?”
“Of ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) course. You’re my hyungs.”
“Thanks, seriously. In the end, it’s only folks from our crew you can count on. These professor bastards here — it’s hilarious. Outside, they’ll kill for money like human butchers, but in here, they act all high and mighty...”
And so, the room was filled with cheerful laughter.
That is — until one specific professor was brought up.
“By the way, you close with Professor Dante too?”
“Huh? Ah.”
Professor Dante?
At that moment, the bored little tail in Balmung’s heart perked up.
Professor Dante. Yes, they were close. He respected him deeply.
“I met that guy — he’s kinda entertaining.”
“How so?”
The next words made that tail fall limp.
“Cocky as fuck.”
Balmung went silent for a moment.
Then asked again, in a much lower voice.
“......What did you say?”