Episode 71
"Professor Isollet, what exactly are you scheming?"
Around the time chaos erupted at Frey's mansion, Klana glared at Isollet in a dark room and posed her question.
"...I am merely observing the test."
Isollet replied to Klana with an indifferent expression and resumed her motionless stance.
"Very well, let's say that's true. But why are you only monitoring our team?"
"It is entirely at the professor's discretion which team to focus on during the test."
"Then may I know the reason for exercising such discretion?"
"Is that a question from a student, or an order from the Third Princess?"
Growing quite exhausted with Isollet's continued stiffness, Klana finally squeezed her eyes shut and spoke.
"Let's say it's both."
Isollet, who had been quietly looking down at Klana, changed her expression to a cold one and spoke.
"To get straight to the point, I suspect you, Princess."
"Suspect?"
"I suspect that some 'intent' of yours has gone into this special test."
Upon hearing this, Klana raised the black tea on her desk without making any reply, and Isollet, watching this, continued speaking.
"Although there was indeed much corruption in this final exam, the Imperial decision this time is highly unprecedented. You are well aware of this, are you not, Princess?"
"...Yes."
"I was curious about who proposed such an unusual and peculiar order, so I conducted a private investigation... and found quite interesting results."
Saying this, Isollet pointed at the moon floating in the sky outside the window.
"Does the Moonlight family lie behind this?"
"Princess, do you know why the moon shines?"
When Klana asked with a puzzled expression, Isollet smirked and asked in return.
"...The moon shines because it reflects the light sent by the sun."
When Klana did not answer the question, Isollet answered it herself, then sat across from Klana and began whispering in a low voice.
"It has been quite some time since the Moonlight family received light from the Imperial family, but considering various circumstances..."
"So what is it you wish to say?"
When Klana interrupted Isollet's words and glared at her quietly, Isollet, who was tapping the desk with her finger, asked in a calm voice.
"...What do you intend to do to Frey?"
"Ha."
Klana made an expression of disbelief and asked.
"Risking danger to investigate the Imperial decision behind the scenes, unilaterally changing the commander, monitoring me under the pretext of observing the test... was all of that for that reason?"
"...'That' reason?"
When Isollet shrugged her shoulders with a puzzled expression, Klana asked again in a cold voice.
"I'm asking if you did all this to protect Frey, that terrible, evil, cruel, ugly... entity that's like a cancerous lump of the Empire."
"Well..."
Isollet answered Klana with a calm expression.
"...For now, he is also my student."
"Unbelievable."
Klana looked at Isollet with disbelief, then frowned and asked.
"Do you not hate him?"
"I want to kill him."
"Then why!"
But when Isollet answered again with a composed expression, Klana jumped up from her seat and shouted.
"I'm asking why you're interfering!"
"I don't know myself."
"What?"
But upon hearing Isollet's answer that followed, she asked back with a blank expression.
"What do you mean...?"
Looking at Klana quietly, Isollet asked in a low voice.
"Do you know why I chose Sunrise Academy instead of the Royal Knight Order?"
"...Isn't it because you were fed up with the Imperial corruption?"
When Klana, who managed to hear that low voice, answered, Isollet shook her head quietly and replied.
"Teaching my first disciple, that silver-haired little one, was the happiest and most enjoyable experience of my life."
"........"
"That's why I don't know. How I should treat the one who taught me the joy of teaching. How I can rehabilitate him. Whether I even have the right to do so."
Isollet, having said this, let out a deep sigh, then stood up and returned to where she had been standing.
"However, there is one thing even I can be certain of."
"...And what is that?"
"Your method is wrong."
Having finished speaking, Isollet crossed her arms and began monitoring her again.
"Haa..."
Klana stared blankly at Isollet for a moment, then sighed and lowered her head, but suddenly an owl flew in through the window, startling her.
"Coo-oo!"
"W-wait, why now! I clearly..."
"Coo!! Coo-oo!!"
"Ow, ow ow!"
Eventually, Klana, who was flustered and tried to send the owl back out, had no choice but to accept the letter as the owl pecked at her forehead and held out the letter, then began glancing at Isollet.
".....!!!"
Klana, who opened the letter in that awkward position, soon wore an expression of shock and hurriedly began heading toward the room's exit.
"Where are you going?"
"Move! There's no time!!"
Eventually pushing aside Isollet, who had a puzzled expression, Klana began running at full speed with her face pale.
It was the moment when cracks began to appear in the plan she had thought was perfect.
.
- Whoosh...
"Cough! Cough!!"
When I opened the main gate, the toxic moon mana poured out. Thanks to that, I was about to rush inside but ended up stepping back and coughing.
"Damn..."
With this level of toxicity, fortunately, there's no danger to life. However, most people wouldn't be able to hold out and would faint. Seeing that even the guys out in the yard have already fainted, I need to move as quickly as possible.
"Hup...!"
I take a deep breath and begin emitting star mana. The fact that it might strain my body isn't particularly important. I simply wrap star mana around myself over and over to create a state where I can last as long as possible inside.
"Puha... Haa..."
After wrapping star mana around my body for a while, I realized there was no more time and took a step forward.
- Crackle, crackle!
Then the moon mana filling the mansion began to penetrate into my body.
"Hup!"
But when I radiated the star mana I had stored in my body in all directions, the moon mana trying to penetrate me began to slowly retreat.
"My, there are people collapsed everywhere."
Then I began to see unconscious commoners lying around everywhere.
- Vwooom!
"Khek!!"
Of course, the assassins roaming the mansion looking for someone were no exception.
'...Thank goodness, they didn't touch the students.'
I took out my sword from my embrace and cut down the assassins who discovered me in a single stroke, then approached the commoner students they were investigating, confirmed their safety, and let out a sigh of relief.
"We can't see the target! What should we do?"
"There's definitely something here. Today we will capture the darkest star in the Empire."
Eventually, I concentrated star mana in my ears and overheard the conversation coming from upstairs, then frowned and muttered.
"...Damn, the plan's leaked."
For the past 6 days, I had found the identity of the spy hiding in my house.
The spy's identity was Alice, the commoner representative who had been acting hostile toward me at every turn.
And according to the letter Serena obtained and gave me, there were several other students mixed in as spies besides Alice, so I devised a clever plan.
That was to put powerful sleeping pills in the dinner to make everyone fall asleep, then suddenly search the students and their rooms.
Of course, since Perloche had high mental strength, sleeping pills alone weren't enough, so Kania kept making her fall asleep with black magic from behind.
Of course, since the power Perloche possessed was holy power, which was extremely effective against black magic, it must have been a somewhat straining task.
Still, seeing that Perloche showed no reaction the next day, Kania apparently handled the job very well.
Anyway, having found all the spies cum assassins hiding inside, I was planning with Kania and Irina to neutralize them.
But then, for some reason, the day after finding all the spies, a surprise attack like this was launched. It truly couldn't be more coincidental.
"I heard a sound from down there."
"I'll go check."
While I was thinking that, sounds began coming from above the stairs.
- Tap!
Eventually, one assassin landed on the first floor, looked around, and then slowly began heading into the mansion.
"Khek? Ugh..."
I quietly followed behind him and quickly snapped his neck, then began removing his assassin outfit.
"It seems it was a mistake. Still no one visible on the first floor."
"...Just a waste of time."
Wearing the guy's clothes and quietly going up to the second floor, when I mimicked his voice with star mana, the guy who appeared to be the leader muttered in a cold voice.
'Good, they bought it.'
And I smiled victoriously, mocking him internally.
Right now, the mansion is filled with smoke created from moon mana, so even skilled assassins would have considerable difficulty distinguishing objects.
So they probably wouldn't be able to tell that I'm wearing the clothes of an assassin with a similar build to mine.
"Wait, stop. I sense something strange somewhere."
Just when I thought I had successfully infiltrated among the assassins, the leader raised his hand to stop movement and began looking around.
'...Damn, is it because of the star mana?'
I thought using star mana wouldn't be noticeable since everything was covered in moon mana, but the leader of the assassins seems to be quite capable.
In that case, there's no choice.
I have to endure using only mental strength without star mana.
"...Stand by. Something is strange."
Stopping the use of star mana and watching the situation, the leader tilted his head and began examining the surrounding assassins one by one.
"Mmh..."
Meanwhile, I stood still, gritting my teeth and enduring the moon mana's influence.
In my mind, I wanted to draw my sword immediately and slaughter the assassins, but if the commoner students lying around everywhere were taken hostage, it would be a big problem.
And since I need to find out exactly who's behind them... I'll have to grit my teeth and endure for a while, painful as it is.
"Move slowly. Never let your guard down. Even if the opponent is the incompetent Frey, we must always do our best."
After enduring the pain for a while, the leader gave a scatter command.
Thanks to that, freed from the motionless stance, I began heading to the dining hall while watching the assassins scattering around.
That's because I detected quite a number of movements there.
- Creak...
When I opened the door after looking around the dining hall, relatively clearer air greeted me compared to before.
"Huu..."
Thanks to that, I was sitting down to catch my breath when breathing sounds came from somewhere.
They were breathing sounds so faint they normally wouldn't be heard, but to me who had enhanced hearing with star mana, they came through clearly.
"...Hoh."
Carefully looking under the dining table where the breathing sounds were coming from, female students were crouched there.
It seems they were all emitting mana together to block the moon mana.
Not just here, but feeling such mana in various places throughout the mansion, it seems quite a number of A-class students successfully resisted, as expected of them.
""......Hup!""
The students crouched under the dining table with visibly panicked expressions discovered me wearing an assassin's outfit and began trembling with fear.
"Shh...!"
Afraid of being discovered by other assassins, I quietly put my finger to my mouth and began gesturing for them to come out from under the table.
"W-who are you...?"
The female students looked at me in bewilderment for a moment, but when I started making desperate gestures, they whispered in low voices.
"Hey you, did you find something?"
But right then, an assassin opened the door on the opposite side of the dining hall and began walking toward me.
"Ah, yes! Please see what I found!"
"Did you find some unconscious brats? If so..."
"It's a secret passage! A secret passage!"
"...A secret passage?"
He was walking with an indifferent expression, but upon hearing my urgently made-up words, his eyes went round and he asked back.
"Yes! It's a huge discovery! We need to report to the leader right away!"
"Hmm..."
When I acted excited, the man who had been staring at me for a while finally turned his steps and said.
"You investigate that. I'll personally report..."
- Vwoom!
"Do..."
I hit the back of the man's head with a silver laser as he was heading back toward the entrance, then whispered to the female students who were watching the scene with pale faces.
"Let's get out of here, follow me."
First, I need to rescue the students who can move.
.
- There is a change in the operation. Repeating. There is a change in the operation.
"...What is it?"
I was killing lone wandering assassins and secretly getting students resisting the moon mana out of the mansion, but then I tilted my head at the words coming from the communication magic tool attached to the stolen assassin outfit.
- Several of our personnel have disappeared. Also, movements other than ours have been detected inside the mansion. Considering all that, it seems students who haven't been neutralized are resisting.
"...This is bad, I need to hurry."
Hearing the communication content, after sending one trembling female student out the window, I quickened my pace.
- And just now, an urgent message came from headquarters. It was such an urgent message that I don't know the details well, but it seems the Elder Council has been attacked.
"Ha, serves them right."
Learning that the attack operation on the Elder Council that I had been diligently instructing the Demon Lord's army over the past few days had begun, I started to smile victoriously.
- Therefore, this operation is cancelled. And from now on, the sub-plan is... khek!
Smiling as I headed to where the next group of students were gathered, I tilted my head when the communication suddenly cut off.
'...What? Did they get attacked by students?'
Since the students were unexpectedly fighting quite well, I was wondering if they might have been taken down by students when sounds started coming from above.
"This way! Quickly quickly!"
"Cough! Cough!!"
Wondering what was going on and looking up, Irina and Arienne had subdued an assassin and were leading students toward the exit.
"Hey you! Catch those brats running away over there!"
I was watching their struggle for a moment and about to head elsewhere, but unfortunately, an assassin running beside me at that very moment shouted at me, revealing my presence to Irina and Arienne.
"Irina, prepare! The enemy...!"
- Sslash!
"...Huh?"
Not wanting to fight Irina and Arienne under any circumstances, I drew my sword without hesitation and beheaded the assassin beside me.
"You... who are you?"
Then Arienne, who was blocking the moon mana with protective magic, frowned and questioned me.
"...None of your business."
I answered briefly with voice modulation using star mana, then took out a dagger from the limp assassin's embrace and threw it forcefully.
"Khek!"
Arienne, caught off guard, spread a barrier in front of her, but the dagger passed right through Arienne and pierced the head of an assassin approaching stealthily from behind.
"However, I'm not your enemy."
Saying that, I walked past Irina and Arienne with a calm gait.
"...Let's follow, Irina."
"Huh? But shouldn't rescuing the children be the priority?"
"Ah, right."
Then Irina, who had noticed the star mana I was emitting due to her heightened mana sensitivity, quickly took Arienne elsewhere, and only then did I let out a sigh and begin looking around.
'There are injured but... no deaths. Most of the commoners have escaped. Now I just need to rescue some of the commoners remaining on the 2nd floor.'
Having made that judgment, I carefully began making my way to the 2nd floor.
"I definitely saw it! Wearing our clothes and slaughtering our comrades... khek!"
Upon reaching the 2nd floor, I disposed of an assassin urgently warning his colleagues about me, then headed toward where life reactions were detected.
"It's, it's my fault... my fault...!"
"...Excuse me."
"Hiek...! I was wrong! I won't ask for anyone's love ever again! Please forgive me!"
"Haa..."
Eventually, I chopped the back of Lulu's neck, who was in a panic state in the corner of the room, and carried her as I walked down the corridor.
"Y-you! Who are you!"
But Arienne, who had appeared out of nowhere, blocked my path.
"Behind you!!"
"....Mph!"
And at the same time, I warned her about the assassin who appeared upon hearing that voice, and predicting that her barrier deployment would be slightly delayed, I quickly tackled her and knocked her down.
- Vwoom!
Then, having no choice but to use star mana to snipe the assassin, I held Lulu out to Arienne, who had a blank expression.
"...Take her and get out."
"B-but there are still people remaining... and you, you're bleeding..."
"I'll take the two in the next room out. So please, get out."
"...I don't know who you are, but thank you."
At my continued urging, Arienne, who had hesitated for a moment, finally bowed and accepted Lulu, then left the house saying.
"You are our benefactor."
I savored her words for a moment, then headed to the next room, feeling stinging pain.
"My."
"P-please spare me! I was wrong!"
Then a female commoner student in that room cried out with a terrified expression.
"I don't know who you are, but won't my life do? Please."
I was about to knock her out and take her out with a sigh when Alice urgently stepped in front of me.
"Please kill me. Because I'm someone who deserves to die."
"Haa..."
"If you don't want to kill me, you can embrace me instead. So please, just let this child go."
Having said that, Alice prostrated flat on the floor.
"...I beg you."
I looked at such Alice for a moment, then sighed and helped her up, saying.
"I came to rescue you."
"What?"
"There's no time for this. Let's get out quickly."
Saying that, I grabbed Alice and the female student's arms and quickly stepped outside.
"Cough! Cough!!"
"...Hold your breath. We're almost at the entrance."
I was heading to the entrance while driving out the toxic gas with star mana when suddenly a dagger flew from the side.
"Kyah!?"
"Run straight forward. Don't look back."
Recognizing that the one who threw the dagger was the leader of the assassin group, I pushed them forward with all my might and blocked the corridor.
"Is it you...? The one who ruined the mission?"
"...Whose unilateral decision is this?"
When I questioned the guy approaching me with a fierce expression, he coldly answered my words.
"I simply follow orders."
"...Tch."
Feeling the moon mana growing even stronger, I rushed at him while feeling stinging pain.
Praying earnestly that today, of all days, the Demon Lord's army would win.
.
"Haa... Hwaa..."
I lean my back against the wall, breathing roughly.
"Cough! Cough!!"
I used too much power.
Unfortunately, during the fight with him, all the remaining assassins jumped in, so I ended up using too much strength.
"Sigh... these tiresome assassin bastards."
I sigh and check my body, it's covered in blood all over.
"...Frey!! Frey!!"
"Irina."
Not wanting to see any more blood, I closed my eyes for a moment and was breathing roughly when Irina, who had collapsed beside me, hugged me and started shaking me.
"Don't die! Frey!! I, I was wrong so please!"
"...I'm not dying, you idiot."
I pushed Irina away slightly, who was making a fuss after hearing about the ordeal I had told her about earlier, but feeling deep gratitude to her for running to me with fire in her eyes at the dangerous moment, I stood up.
"Frey... let me support you. Hurry..."
"...Wait a moment."
But something is strange.
I thought I had rescued all the children, but I sense a life reaction.
"There seems to be someone in the underground storage."
"Underground storage?"
When I said that and staggered toward the underground storage, Irina began supporting me with a guilt-ridden expression.
"Frey, is there no way for me to give you my life force?"
"There isn't. You can't even dream of that without the Hero's power."
"Then... even my organs..."
"Irina, I don't know why you're doing this, but... you know it won't matter soon anyway."
I chuckled and said a word to Irina who was worrying about me excessively, and she lowered her head weakly.
"Alright... which clever kids were hiding here then."
After patting her head, I opened the storage door, and an unexpected person was collapsed in the storage.
"...Perloche?"
Perloche was sprawled on the basement floor.
Slightly flustered, I rushed to her, and fortunately, she had only briefly fainted.
"There are quite a few children here too. Did Perloche hide all of them?"
"It seems so..."
Looking at the considerable number of children beside her, I happened to pick up a diary that had fallen next to Perloche.
"...Ha, that's so like Perloche."
After skimming through the diary's contents for a moment, I laughed at the content that was truly like her and was about to put the diary back on the floor, but...
- Remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember remember
"...Huh?"
Seeing numerous words written on the last page of the diary, I made an uncomfortable expression and began examining the content.
- First letter of each date
"...What is this?"
Reading the content written at the end of that page, I carefully checked the first sentence of each date and...
"Nice to meet you, I'm Perloche, someone who doesn't know embarrassment, now it doesn't matter anymore... wait.
I was ultimately shocked.
"Has she been cursed... God, why give me such an ordeal..."
It seems I need to have a little talk with Perloche.