Chapter 93: Episode 93

“Run, Simon!” Kamibarez shouted, firing a rapid succession of Blood Flow Bullets that took down the pursuing students.

Their range and velocity were far greater than a normal exploding Blood Flow Bullet; she was a dead ringer for a sniper. Under her cover, Simon sprinted without interference and finally…

—’Simon Polentia of Class A. Mansion entry confirmed.’

He stepped through the mansion’s entrance. Hearing the announcement, Simon let out a long breath and rested his hands on his knees.

“You’re late,” said Lorraine, who was waiting inside, waving leisurely as she returned her skeletal horse to her Subspace.

“Ran into a little trouble,” Simon replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

“Oh my—it seems I’m the last to arrive!” Serne chirped as she approached. Around her, a dozen students were desperately protecting her, either blocking the hail of attacks or taking the hits themselves. Thanks to their escort, she stepped through the mansion’s entrance with a light gait, having exerted no effort at all.

—’Serne Aindark of Class C. Mansion entry confirmed.’

“Good work, my slaves.” She snapped her fingers. The feathers attached to the students’ bodies scattered into the air and vanished. Snapping back to their senses, they looked around in confusion.

“Huh, what?”

“Why am I here?”

Lorraine narrowed her eyes and approached Serne. “Isn’t that a little cheap? You were more than capable of getting in on your own, so why did you have to harm other students—?”

“I was simply making legitimate use of my abilities. What’s the problem?” Serne replied with a saccharine smile. “If it bothers you so much, why don’t you go tattle to your mommy? Please, tell her to get me expelled.”

“Stop spouting nonsense. I’ll never do what you want.”

The two began to growl at each other. Caught in the middle, Simon sighed inwardly.

’Being caught between these two is exhausting. Seriously.’

“Simon!” Kamibarez rushed over and tightly grabbed his hand. “I’m so glad! I’m really so glad! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seeing her pure, heartfelt concern, Simon felt his mood rapidly improve. He was even a little touched. ’Yeah, this is what it’s like to be around people.’

“I’m fine, Kami. Thanks for earlier.”

Startled, Kamibarez let go of his hand. She looked down at her toes in embarrassment, then looked up again and giggled.

“Now then, Simon?” Serne purred, approaching him. Simon felt his body tense reflexively. “You owe me a huge debt, don’t you?”

“…Y-Yeah. Thanks for your help,” he admitted, having no other choice.

Serne put a finger to her lips and smiled slyly. “Ahh, this kind of feeling is nice once in a while. What should I make you do?”

“I do owe you, but it’s not like I have to grant you a wish or anything.”

“I know, I know. In that case…”

“Simon!!”

Meirin, back from her fight with Elisa, stormed in with frightening momentum. She shoved Serne in the face and stood before Simon. Serne let out a little shriek and pretended to fall over, but Meirin paid her no mind.

“I warned you! I told you to avoid that woman at all costs!”

“Huh? Oh, right.”

“Then why are you with her?!”

“Well, there were circumstances…”

Just then, Serne clung to Meirin’s arm with a smile. “Aaah! It’s Meirin! What are you doing here?”

“Ah, shit! Get off me!” Meirin snapped, shoving her away.

Serne pouted. “Hmph. So mean. Serrie wants to be friends with Meirin.”

“Don’t you ‘Serrie’ me! I told you to stop that, it’s creepy as hell!” Meirin said, disgusted. Then, as if a thought occurred to her, her eyes hardened. “And you, you bitch. You stuck one of your feathers on me without me knowing, didn’t you?”

“Hmm?”

“Why would I attack Simon?! It was your doing!”

Serne tilted her head. “Serrie has no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb!” Meirin’s face flushed red with anger. Serne wagged her index finger, speaking with a lisp.

“And my power doesn’t create emotions from nothing; it merely amplifies what’s already there. The reason Meirin attacked Simon wasn’t because I made her, but because she was just being true to her own feelings…”

“Stop with the sophistry and just drop dead!”

The two of them started to grapple. Of course, it was less of a fight and more of Meirin one-sidedly pummeling Serne, who just took it.

“Serneeeeeee!”

A voice boomed loud enough to shake the entire mansion. Serne gave a wry smile. “I suppose I’m just a sinful woman.”

Striding into the mansion was none other than Special Admission No. 10, Malcolm Randolph.

“You bitch!”

He closed the distance in a single stride and grabbed Serne by the collar, lifting her up. She didn’t resist, letting her arms hang limply.

“How dare you control me and make me do something so humiliating?!”

“Oh my—I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

’Thud!’

Malcolm slammed Serne to the floor. As she fell, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“…It could only be you,” Malcolm said, seething. “You’re the only one who could humiliate someone like that! How dare you play with me like a dog?!”

Lying on the floor, Serne silently wiped the blood trickling from her lip. Malcolm’s grip on his staff tightened.

“Ivory Tower or not, you fucking bitch, you need a lesson.”

Just as Malcolm raised his staff, Simon, who had approached from behind like a shadow, grabbed it tightly.

“That’s enough.”

Malcolm strained, but the staff didn’t budge. His flustered gaze shifted behind him.

“What the hell do you want?!”

“This is a non-combat zone.”

Biting his lip, Malcolm grunted and put all his strength into both hands, but he couldn’t overcome Simon’s grip. With so many students watching, his face turned red from the sudden humiliation, and he aimed his left hand at Simon’s head.

“Then you can just die, too—!”

An ebony dagger flew silently past Malcolm’s eye, embedding itself in the wall. Sitting at a table with her legs crossed, sipping juice, Lorraine was staring at him with her red eyes.

’…Lorraine Archbold. You too?!’

It was only a thrown dagger, but Malcolm felt the fight drain out of him. His grip on the staff loosened, and Simon let go.

“Damn it…!” Malcolm shoved Simon’s shoulder and stomped up the stairs. The quiet surroundings filled with murmurs once again.

“Are you okay, Serne?” Simon asked, offering her a hand.

Serne smiled sweetly, took his hand, and let him help her up. Beside them, Meirin watched with her arms crossed, a very displeased look on her face.

“Thank you, Simon.”

“Glad to hear it. Then this makes us even…”

“As if,” Serne’s eyes curved into a smile. “You weren’t seriously thinking we’re even just because you shooed away a little mouse who tugged on the lion’s whiskers, were you?”

Simon winced. He had tried to gloss over it, but it hadn’t worked.

“If you want a reward, get it from Malcolm. Thanks to you, he just escaped with his life.”

Leaving him with just those words, Serne waved and disappeared. Soon after, Lorraine, having finished her juice, stretched and announced she was going to take a shower before leaving as well.

“Ah, by the way, where’s Dick?” Simon asked Kamibarez.

“We’re waiting for him, too.”

“I was sure he’d be here already.”

Only about ten minutes remained. The students who had been guarding the mansion were now trickling inside. The members of Group 7 continued to wait for Dick at the entrance.

“Meirin, have you seen Dick at all?”

“…I don’t know,” she answered bluntly, turning her head away. ’Why does she seem so upset?’

Now only five minutes remained. Students poured in with a final spurt, and Elisa and the others who had been guarding the mansion until the very end came in as well.

“How dare you sink my ghost ship?” Elisa scowled, glaring at Meirin the moment she entered.

Meirin chuckled and waved her away dismissively. “If you’ve got a problem, bring it on. I’ll just sink all your other ships, too.”

“Ugh…!”

Elisa trembled with rage, but she bit her tongue and turned away. Watching her, Simon blinked.

“You fought Special Admission No. 7 and won?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I won, but matchups are a thing,” Meirin said with a chuckle, looking like she had an ace up her sleeve.

“It’s the countdown to go home!” a student shouted.

The students waiting at the entrance began a loud ten-second countdown, all eyes fixed on the door.

“Five!”

“Four!”

“Three!”

“Two…!”

And just as they were about to count to one, Dick stepped into the mansion with a leisurely stride.

“Hahaha! Made it!”

“Dick!”

—’The Island Survival evaluation has ended. All students, please cease combat and wait in a safe location.’

—’Forced teleportation will now commence, starting with the students outside the mansion. When a teleportation magic circle appears, please do not step outside of it.’

“Waaaaaaaah!”

“It’s over!”

“Let’s go eat steak instead of monster meat!”

“Who wants to hang out in Rochest tonight?!”

The students inside the mansion cheered, reveling in their joy. Simon grinned and high-fived Dick.

“What took you so long?”

Dick chuckled. “I was just hanging back nearby until the coast was clear. No need to take unnecessary risks, right?”

“I’m so glad, Dick!”

“How is coming in with one second left safe? Ugh, you idiot!”

Simon sat on a nearby sofa and leaned back, the thought of finally returning to Kizen making his body relax.

Just then, Hector approached, dragging the loose scales dangling from his body. The three people next to Simon flinched and grew wary.

“…Simon Polentia.”

Simon lifted his head to look at Hector. ’What now?’

“That monster that appeared on the southern island.” Hector’s eyes flashed. “Were you the one who brought it down?”

Simon let out a short laugh and shook his head. “Believe what you will.”

Hector stared at Simon in silence, then turned his back and walked up the stairs.

—

A short while later, the entire first year had returned to Kizen. The dormitory bathrooms and public baths were swarming with students.

Students who had already washed themselves at the mansion simply changed their clothes and headed out to Rochest, while others went in immediate search of a meal.

“Yes, it all ended safely. Of course, I’m fine,” Serne murmured into a communication crystal.

A man’s voice filtered through the device.

—”And your efforts to persuade Simon Polentia?”

“Ah, that was a failure,” she replied, her tone breezy. “He’s not the type to be swayed by threats or intimidation.”

—”He is Special Admission Number One for a reason,” the man conceded. “Very well, we’ll proceed as planned. If we begin work this week…”

“But,” Serne interjected, cutting him off, “do we really have to kill him?”

—”Yes. We have no choice. If he is not an ally, he is an enemy. It is better to act quickly, before Kizen makes a move.”

“Uncle.”

Staring down at the crystal, she propped her chin on her palm, a sly smile playing on her lips. “You’re working so very hard. Could it be you’re interested in the Legion Commander’s seat for yourself?”

A flicker of panic crossed the man’s face in the crystal’s reflection.

—”What an outrageous thing to say! You go too far!”

“Ahaha! My apologies. I was only joking.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “As the one on the ground—and as the successor to the Ivory Tower—I will be issuing the next directive.”

—”Pardon?”

“Give me a little more time.”

—”Y-You mean…!”

She smiled brightly. “Simon Polentia is irreplaceable. It would be a grave mistake to eliminate him simply to seize his Legion. I will take my time and persuade him.”

—”That is…! Please, reconsider! The future of the Ivory Tower is at stake! Even as the successor, you cannot make such a critical decision on your own…!”

“I will speak to Father myself,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll take full responsibility. Is that clear?”

She ended the transmission without waiting for a reply. At her elegant gesture, a feather carrying a teacup drifted toward her. She took the cup and brought it to her lips, taking a delicate sip of coffee.

Savoring the sweet taste, she gazed at the ceiling with a cryptic smile.

“I’ll be watching your next move, Simon Polentia.”

And just like that, by Serne’s executive command, the Ivory Tower hardliners’ plan to assassinate Simon was postponed indefinitely.

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