Chapter 149: Preparations (2)

[Frey Heroes Academy, Suffers a Calamity!]

That news, like a bolt from the blue, struck the empire as soon as the next morning came.

Daily newspapers with the word ‘Special Report’ emblazoned on them were scattered all over the streets, and all the citizens of the empire were buzzing with talk about it.

The Academy took immediate action.

First and foremost, the Vice-Dean, Karad, made a statement on behalf of the Dean, Bell Toro.

[Last night, during the final evaluation, Frey Heroes Academy was attacked by unidentified intruders. Although the Academy guards, professors, and cadets joined forces to repel them, as you citizens know, the Academy has been embroiled in various large and small incidents this year……(omitted)……After a long pursuit, we have found out that their identities are composed of necromancers, dark magicians, assassins, etc., and that they are a new religion that believes in an evil god. The name of the cult is Beltus. We have determined that they are already operating in various parts of the empire……Therefore, the Academy has clearly defined the Beltus Cult as an ‘enemy’ and will devote all its strength to repelling them together with the Central Knights Headquarters and the Magic Tower……]

The Department Heads went in and out of the Central Knights Headquarters and the Magic Tower, the professors held countermeasure meetings and the Academy guards further strengthened their security and vigilance.

The cadets restored the damage caused by the battle or reorganized in their own ways.

And in that gloomy and chaotic situation, a funeral was held for the victims.

The victims were guard members and cadets.

There was one victim from each grade and among them, the most were the 4th-year cadets who were supposed to play the role of villains in the final evaluation.

Their bodies were found in a warehouse next to the school’s incinerator.

There was also a victim among the 1st-year, 890th class cadets.

His name was Hannes Kasa.

With a cheerful personality, he was close with Gwyn Gaiard, but he was popular because he was friendly to everyone, regardless of their grades or background.

And the vacation began.

Since it was the first vacation at the Academy, the 890th class cadets had been waiting for the vacation, even making elaborate plans, but not anymore.

No one was happy or excited.

As the final evaluation ended ambiguously, the results of the semester rankings were shrouded in mystery, but there were no cadets who complained about this either.

Everyone was just sad and angry.

Wudangtang!

It was while moving materials to rebuild a collapsed wall.

An 890th class cadet accidentally dropped the materials.

The cadet stared blankly at the bricks rolling on the dirt floor, let out a faint sigh, and then bent down to pick them up one by one.

But suddenly, he began to throw the bricks he had painstakingly picked up back on the ground in a fit of anger.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

The bricks were crushed, and stone fragments flew up.

And they left scratches on his face, arms, and clothes.

But he did not stop his act of resentment.

No one who was working with him and witnessed his appearance tried to stop him.

Because they were not unaware of the feelings of him, who had lost a close friend.

“…….Heuk. Dammit!”

In the end, Gwyn, who had knelt down, sobbed hotly.

Ivan, who was watching him from a distance, lifted his head and looked at the sky.

The indifferent sky was still high and blue.

Three days have passed since then.

But his gloomy mood showed no signs of improving.

His head was complicated, and it was hard to bear the sense of futility and powerlessness that was slowly crawling up his body.

On top of that, he had even lost the artifact that Department Head Pirion had given him, the ‘Tracker’s Seal’.

“Haa.”

He just wanted to swing his sword like crazy.

It was the same yesterday, and the day before.

Seeing Gwyn, who was freely expressing his resentment, he decided that he had to hold a sword today as well.

It was then.

“Are you going to keep being like this?”

Ivan looked to the side.

Guillaume, who had approached at some point, was standing next to him.

“Ah, sorry. I wasn’t trying to slack off.”

“It’s a mood where everyone is resting because of Gwyn anyway. That’s not what I mean.”

“Then?”

At Ivan’s question, Guillaume put down the pile of bricks he was holding and sat on it.

“You saw the Royal Dream, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you know what kind of guys attacked us until now.”

Ivan nodded his head.

The Beltus Cult.

A mysterious new religion with little known about them other than that they are a pseudo-religion that commands magical beasts and worships evil.

Still, the biggest known characteristic was that its believers were mainly composed of people who were socially isolated and lived inhumane lives, such as dark magicians or assassins.

“They say that even well-known villains might be affiliated with the Beltus Cult. You know, like Skull Mask, Head Collector Cave and Holy Sabo. It might be a pretty large organization and those guys are after our Academy.”

At the name Skull Mask, Ivan’s eyes, which had been listening with a blank expression, narrowed.

But Guillaume, who didn’t see it, continued to speak.

“Anyway, that’s why the 4th-year seniors, led by Professor Chaser, are going to form an investigation team. To wipe out those pseudo-religion bastards who have been attacking us until now.”

“Really? Do they know where they are?”

“I don’t know that either. But I think they’re hiding somewhere in Icata. You know, there were guys who survived this terror attack. One necromancer and the Skull Mask. Where would they have hidden? Only Icata.”

While the excited Guillaume was chattering, Ivan was lost in thought.

The word that came out again, Skull Mask.

Strangely, when he thought of him, Ivan was engulfed in a strange feeling that he couldn’t express.

Separate from the strong killing intent, anger, and fighting spirit that arose when he thought of other villains.

Ivan recalled the terror on the night of the attack.

At that time, Ivan had clashed with the Skull Mask.

And not long after, he was caught in a huge explosion and lost consciousness.

But when he opened his eyes, Gwyn, Karina, and Yuria were in front of him.

And the story he heard from them was quite surprising.

‘He saved me.’

Of course, he couldn’t know if the guy had purely intended to do so.

Because he had been unconscious.

At least, it was certain that he had brought him to his classmates in a sound state, so it just seemed that way from the circumstances.

Ivan’s thoughts went further back, to when he had first met him.

The battle with the ghost knight in the cemetery.

Come to think of it, he had been saved then too.

‘And this is the second time.’

Just then.

The voice of him, who had thrown the mana bomb up with all his might and shouted at him, echoed in his head.

─‘Run……!’

“Ivan? Ivan!”

“Ah. Huh?”

“What are you thinking so seriously? Did you even listen to my story?”

“Sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked what you’re going to do now. You have to avenge Hannes, don’t you? Are you just going to stay still like this?”

……Revenge.

Ivan glanced at where Gwyn was.

He was already gone.

“He just went back to the dorm. It must be hard for him. The two of them were very close.”

Huu, Ivan let out a sigh.

“The Academy right now is a bomb that will explode if anyone just touches it. The professors are trying to suppress it, but how can they do as they please? And since it’s vacation, the cadets are free. And the professors are busy with this and that.”

“……”

“So I think we should also move.”

Ivan immediately understood what Guillaume was trying to say.

“You want to organize an investigation team among ourselves, like the professors.”

“Yeah. For Hannes.”

The cause of Hannes’s death was a penetrating wound from necromancy.

A magical beast’s spine had shot out of the ground and pierced Hannes’s chest.

Although not as much as Gwyn, Ivan was also close with Hannes.

The other classmates were the same.

There was no one who did not have animosity toward the necromancer who had killed him.

In addition, since necromancers were beings who went against the laws of nature, they were treated even more vilely than dark magicians or assassins, and they were a tribe to whom the special provision of being able to be summarily judged upon discovery was given.

Their very existence was evil.

They were, in a word, villains.

And only then did Ivan realize why he had been so conscious of and thinking about the Skull Mask.

It was a question about the Skull Mask’s identity.

From the first meeting to the second meeting.

At his action of saving him, Ivan had come to question, ‘Is the Skull Mask really a villain?’

However, he realized it while talking with Guillaume just now.

‘It was a problem not worth worrying about.’

The Skull Mask is a villain.

And a wanted target currently ranked as Slaughter grade at that.

Whether he saved him or not, the fact that he is a villain who has committed heinous acts does not change.

And the fact that many people have been harmed because of him is also an unchanging truth.

Of course, he was curious.

Why did he do such things?

However, his intention was surely impure.

Because he was a villain.

No other reason was needed.

Just as he was sorting things out, Guillaume asked again.

“You have experience in an investigation team, Ivan, don’t you?”

“That’s right. But that’s the same for Gerard-senior.”

Come to think of it, where did Gerard-senior go?

At his appearance, which had not been seen all day, Ivan looked around and asked.

“By the way, Guillaume. Gerard-senior? Where is he?”

“He didn’t come out today.”

Hmm?

Didn’t come out of the dorm?

Ivan scratched his cheek.

It was true that the 3rd-years were exempt from the cleanup.

But wasn’t it Gerard who always took the initiative in situations like this?

Just then, Guillaume’s words added to the suspicion.

“Speaking of Gerard-senior, there’s a strange story going around.”

Ivan immediately looked at Guillaume’s mouth.

“What story?”

“When we were attacked. After the final evaluation started.”

“Yeah.”

“At that time, they said sunbaenim was nowhere to be seen.”

“So?”

“So. They said no one saw Gerard-sunbaenim anywhere in the battle zone when we were attacked. Isn’t that strange?”

A wrinkle formed on Ivan’s brow.

“Didn’t they just not see him because they were busy? And how big is the Academy? He must have been fighting somewhere else.”

“But the battle zone was decided because of the final evaluation, wasn’t it? Around the Research Wing.”

“……”

“In fact, most of the villains’ bodies were found around there, and the ones that weren’t were not far from there. And is Gerard-sunbaenim the type of person to be left out when something like this happens? He’s the first one to step up.”

Ivan nodded his head without realizing it.

He had just been thinking something similar himself.

“And when I saw him at the infirmary yesterday, his arm was injured.”

“What about that?”

“The Skull Mask who fought with Supervising Professor Chaser. He also injured his arm.”

Ivan shot up.

His eyes, as he glared at Guillaume, were full of unbearable displeasure.

“Guillaume. What are you talking about right now?”

Guillaume just blinked his eyes.

“What’s wrong? Ivan. What did I?”

“So? Gerard-senior is the Skull Mask. Is that what you’re trying to say right now?”

“It’s not what I said. It’s a story that’s been secretly spreading among the cadets. I just relayed it to him.”

It was hard to believe.

No matter how angry and difficult the situation was, to suspect a fellow comrade of being a villain.

And that, someone who had dedicated themselves to the Academy until now.

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