—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Run!”
Simon grabbed Camibarez’s hand and ran.
At the same time, a chilling whooshing sound pierced the air behind them.
Boom!
Thud!
Black crosses slammed into the ground one after another, creating large craters.
Simon’s eyes widened.
‘…A Priest using Jet Black?’
Simon realized the situation was far more serious than he thought.
It wasn’t just a Priest hiding on Locke Island.
‘…There’s a traitor within Kizen!’
Simon had two reasons for this conclusion.
First, Jet Black and Divine Power were opposing forces; one could only wield one or the other.
Second, this Priest was using Jet Black, not Divine Power.
This meant they weren’t an outsider but someone operating within Kizen.
Most likely a spy for the Holy Federation, stealing information from Kizen.
No one in Kizen prayed to God.
That’s why the Priest had gone deep into the Forbidden Forest, where no one would disturb them.
Simon and Camibarez had been unlucky enough to stumble upon them.
In short, the conclusion was clear:
‘If we’re caught, we’re dead!’
Whoosh!
Wheeeeeesh!
Crosses made of Jet Black rained down indiscriminately.
Blood splattered on Simon’s arm and thigh, stinging with pain.
Gasp! Gasp!
As Simon ran, gasping for breath, his eyes widened. He saw something snake-like moving towards them.
“Watch out!”
Simon yelled, arching his back.
A jet-black chain shot out, narrowly missing his hair.
Simon straightened up and looked to the side.
“Are you alr-!”
She was being pulled away.
“S-Simon!”
Her leg was entangled in the chain.
They both reached out, but their fingers grasped only air.
She was dragged away into the darkness with terrifying speed.
“Damn it!”
Simon ran after her.
He found her unconscious, slammed against a tree, her body bound tightly by the black chain.
‘Cami’s been captured!’
Simon gritted his teeth and turned around.
The robed Priest was slowly approaching.
The darkness beneath their hood was so deep that their face was completely obscured.
The voluminous robe hid their gender and physique.
There was almost nothing to discern from their appearance.
The Priest raised their left arm.
Snap!
Simon instantly used Jet Black to propel himself behind a tree.
The oncoming chain slammed into the tree and recoiled.
Woooong! Woooong! Woooong!
The Priest, a skilled user of Jet Black, conjured dozens of crosses in the air.
Using the power of Jet Black, the symbol of necromancers, to create crosses, the symbol of Priests.
Simon felt a strange sense of dissonance.
As the Priest pointed their palm downwards, the crosses rained down.
‘Ugh!’
Simon pulled a skeleton’s shortsword from his subspace and ran.
The crosses slammed into the ground like tombstones.
Just as he thought he couldn’t avoid them, a black streak shot towards his side.
Clang!
Simon swung the shortsword, deflecting the cross.
A jolt ran up his arm, and the shortsword shattered.
Clatter!
Chains flew at him from both sides.
Simon dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding them, and grabbed a stone.
‘Jet Black infusion!’
Woooong!
He channeled Jet Black into the stone, turning it black, then stood up and threw it with all his might.
Wheeeeeesh!
Simon watched the stone fly with bated breath.
‘Hit! Show your face!’
Caught off guard, the Priest reacted too late.
The right side of their hood was torn slightly, but that was all.
“…….”
Although he couldn’t see their face, Simon could sense the Priest’s fury.
More crosses appeared in the air. Simon tried to dodge, but the crosses spread out, covering the area above his head.
This was unavoidable.
“Sigh.”
Simon closed his eyes and raised his arms in resignation. And then.
‘Now!’
A massive greatsword materialized behind the Priest.
Crasssh!
With an earsplitting roar, the Priest was thrown backwards.
They managed to avoid being bisected by creating a Jet Black shield, but the crosses they had conjured dispersed, some shattering into ashes as they hit the ground.
[Khehehe! Are you alright, boy!]
Pier appeared, his eye sockets blazing with an ominous blue light.
His towering figure, over two meters tall, was cloaked in a flowing, intangible mantle.
In his hand, he held a pure white greatsword.
The Priest seemed visibly shaken by the sudden appearance of the ancient undead.
‘Pier!’
[Stay back! This opponent is too much for you!]
Pier raised his greatsword. Simon nodded obediently.
‘Please!’
[Khaaaaaa! It’s been too long since I’ve had a proper fight! Here I go!]
Pier stomped on the ground.
The earth cracked as he shot forward like a bullet.
The Priest created a Jet Black shield.
Boooom!
The greatsword clashed against the shield, the air screaming as the ground shook. Surrounding trees were uprooted.
This was no longer a fight Simon could participate in.
He turned and ran towards Camibarez.
Pier’s surprise attack must have canceled not only the crosses but also the chain, as she was now slumped on the ground, free from her bonds.
“Cami!”
Fortunately, she seemed unharmed, only unconscious from the impact.
Simon scooped her up into his arms.
As always, she was worryingly light.
Boom!
A large chunk of rock landed nearby, prompting Simon to move further away.
The terrain was changing with every clash between Pier and the Priest.
‘Pier! How’s it going?’
[Ugh! This one’s tough!]
Pier’s voice was strained.
[This bastard! Incredibly strong with Jet Black alone! Might even be professor-level!]
Even for an ancient undead, Pier was still weakened from his recent release from his seal.
Moreover, Pier was the legion’s marshal, not a combat specialist.
If his opponent truly was a Kizen professor, it would be a difficult fight.
‘There has to be…’
Simon bit his lip.
He couldn’t just let his father’s undead be defeated.
‘There has to be a way…!’
Simon’s eyes suddenly widened.
‘Pier! Get away from the Priest! Buy some time and make as much noise as possible!’
[What?]
‘No time to explain! Hurry!’
Trusting Simon, Pier distanced himself from the Priest.
He swung his greatsword, creating tremors in the ground and sonic booms as he sliced through the air.
From the Priest’s perspective, it probably looked like a waste of energy, but it was their only chance.
And soon enough,
“Over there! I heard something from that direction!”
“Sounds like explosions?”
Lights appeared in the distance. Simon clenched his fists.
‘Yes!’
The Watchmen had arrived, drawn by the commotion.
A few hours ago, they had been a source of fear, but now, he couldn’t have been happier to see them.
The Priest, who had been pressing Pier, also noticed the approaching lights.
More witnesses would only complicate things for them.
The Priest broke off the fight and fled into the forest.
“Don’t chase them, Pier!”
Simon ran towards Pier, who was leaning on his greatsword, catching his breath.
Pier grinned.
“Are you alright?”
[This much is nothing! But it seems like things will get complicated again if we stay here.]
“Yeah, you’re right.”
The barking of the dogs and the lights of the Watchmen were now close at hand.
Pier scooped up Simon and Camibarez.
[Let’s get out of here! Hold on tight!]
Pier leaped into the air.
The surrounding landscape blurred as they flew away.
***
Pier carried them beyond the Forbidden Forest, to a spot where they could see the walls of Kizen.
[I can’t go any further than this.]
Pier set them down.
[I sense a bothersome presence. Seems like there’s a wide-range detection spell active.]
Simon nodded.
Camibarez was still unconscious.
“Thank you, Pier. You saved us.”
[Khehe! I can’t afford to lose my contractor so soon! Get back safely!]
“Yes, thank you.”
Pier disappeared into the darkness.
Since going through the main gate would mean explaining the situation to the guards, Simon decided to use the tunnel in the stable, just like before.
He climbed the ladder, pushed aside the straw, and poked his head out.
“Ah, you’re back?”
Cabin, who was watering the horses, smiled at Simon.
“Has Rick returned?”
“No, the Watchmen suddenly swarmed the area, so he didn’t come this way. He might be taking a longer detour.”
“I see. Thanks for letting me know.”
Cabin pointed to Camibarez in Simon’s arms.
“Is she alright?”
“We were chased by the Watchmen, so she’s a bit exhausted. She’ll be fine.”
Simon flicked a coin from his pocket as a tip, just like Rick had done, a silent request for discretion.
Cabin bowed deeply with a wide smile.
Leaving the stable, Simon wondered where he should go.
Should he take Camibarez to the infirmary?
But they would question him about her injuries, and if he told them the truth, it would reach the professors and other officials.
A midnight battle.
The Priest might have seen his face, but it was unlikely Camibarez had.
To avoid putting her in danger again, he needed someone trustworthy to treat her.
‘Someone trustworthy…’
Going to Nephtys would be the safest option, but he didn’t know where she was.
After much deliberation, Simon made his decision.
***
Kizen Boys’ Dormitory 1, Duty Room.
“Yawn.”
Lena, the dormitory supervisor, was slumped over her desk, her arm acting as a pillow.
“I hate night duty…”
Cleaning, laundry, cleaning, laundry.
Her main task was dormitory management, but she could never get used to waiting on the noble students hand and foot.
She chuckled dryly, looking at a messy document.
“Bringing girls into the dorm for a three-on-three what? Ugh, those crazy bastards…”
Kids these days had no sense of decency.
When she told them she couldn’t overlook their actions and would report them to their professors, they had the audacity to threaten her, name-dropping their families.
“Ugh, I want to quit…”
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
What could it be at this late hour? She rubbed her eyes and said,
“Come in.”
Click!
The door opened, and a male student entered, carrying a female student in his arms.
Lena’s eyes widened, and she bolted upright.
“A-Again, bringing a girl into the boys’ dormitory! What is the meaning of-!”
Her outburst trailed off as she recognized the male student.
His uniform was covered in dirt, and he had bleeding wounds.
“Ah… S-Simon?”
“Please, help me.”
Simon said, his voice strained.
Lena rushed over and cleared the items off the bed in the duty room.
Simon gently laid Camibarez down.
“What happened? You should take her to the infirmary, not-!”
“It’s a bit complicated.”
Simon’s expression hardened.
“I can’t explain the details, but I can’t take her to the infirmary.”
“…….”
Four years as a Kizen dormitory supervisor.
A high-paying job with a notoriously high turnover rate; 95% of the staff quit within a month.
And yet, she had endured for four years.
During that time, Lena had seen it all, experienced the dark underbelly of Kizen.
Students would do anything to survive.
Anything.
Students avoiding the infirmary to avoid penalties, even when injured, was a common occurrence at Kizen.
She sighed deeply.
“Get out.”
“What?”
Lena pushed Simon’s back.
Simon, taken aback, said,
“W-Wait a minute, Lena! I-!”
“I said get out! I need to treat her wounds!”
“Oh…”
As Simon awkwardly scratched his head, Lena grabbed a first-aid kit and placed it beside the bed.
She then drew the curtains, shielding Camibarez from Simon’s view.
A moment later, they heard the rustling sound of Camibarez’s uniform being removed.
“…Sigh.”
Lena sighed from behind the curtain.
“Be honest with me. What happened? She has scrapes and bruised knees, but this wound on her thigh…”
Her voice turned cold.
“It looks like a cut from a sharp object.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
