Chapter 157 : Outbreak (2)

I had a gut feeling.

‘It’s them.’

The fishy killing intent at the corners of their mouths and the intense sense of intimidation in their gaze.

I had fought against no small number of necromancers and I realized that the sinister energy underlying their gazes was the same Sagi as that of the necromancers I had fought before.

That’s right.

The information Rachel brought was real.

The problem was that there were two of them and I was alone.

Chaser Idna and the other seniors were searching Icata, and the number of people staking out the hotel like me was a total of five: second-year Bain Winter and my classmates Ivan, Rachel, Gwyn, and Karina.

We had divided our jurisdictions by hotel area, and of course, we were currently scattered in pairs.

It was my and Bain Winter’s duty to monitor the people coming and going as well as the lobby.

However, Bain had left to check if the other kids were doing their duties diligently, and now this situation had occurred with me alone.

‘No. It might be a good situation. If she were here, the chaos would only be greater.’

Having worked with her during the zombie incident, I knew Bain Winter’s reckless personality well.

She was a perfect, downgraded version of Karina, with pride added and intellect removed.

I didn’t know yet how strong these two men and women were.

But given that they had appeared openly in front of me without hiding, it was highly likely that they were necromancers of a high level.

‘Even if they aren’t, they must be confident enough to expose themselves.’

Entering into a battle with just ourselves was too risky.

Also, due to the nature of the hotel, there were many civilians and it was obvious that if a battle broke out, there would be a huge number of casualties.

Still, no matter how I thought about it, it was a huge relief that Bain Winter wasn’t here.

Anyway.

‘What are they planning to do?’

I watched the two necromancers’ reactions, feeling extremely tense.

While I was thinking about various possibilities, the two of them showed no movement. They just stared at me with interesting gazes.

‘They must have a purpose for revealing themselves. Were they simply curious about me as a person?’

After all, from their perspective, causing trouble in broad daylight like this was clearly a big risk.

They were criminals, after all.

And thinking this, I felt a little relieved.

If I could just stall for time until the others arrived—,

Drr-ruk!

But my expectations were shattered by the actions that followed.

“…!”

The female necromancer stood up abruptly from her seat and walked straight toward me.

Tumb-buk, tumb-buk

I checked her through the window and immediately turned on my mana circuit.

A click echoed in my head.

My senses became sharp, my body grew hot and my outstretched will was ready to control the surrounding mana.

At the same time, I caressed my ‘subspace ring’ with my thumb.

The space at my waist shimmered, and when I put my hand inside, I felt the cold touch of a sword wrapped around my palm.

The time it took me to figure out her movements and prepare for any attack was just one second.

‘The moment I feel something strange, I’ll strike.’

The reason I didn’t attack first and waited for the necromancer was purely because I was curious about their intentions.

Necromancers typically have a nature to hide their true selves.

But not only did they reveal themselves, they were also approaching me first.

I thought there must be a reason for it.

I focused all my senses on the approaching female necromancer.

While I was focusing all my attention on the female necromancer, the necromancer next to her.

I turned my head and looked up at her, and as she met my gaze, her eyes sparkled and she opened her mouth.

Suddenly, a new voice cut in from the side.

“What’s up?”

It was Bain Winter, who had appeared without a sound.

Bain was glaring at the woman with a raised eyebrow, and the woman, after staring at her, cast her gaze behind Bain.

Gwyn and Ivan were standing behind Bain.

“I said, what’s up?”

Despite Bain’s abrupt, informal tone, the woman showed no reaction.

Instead, she looked at each of them as if she was taking in their faces.

Then she turned around sharply.

She linked arms with the male necromancer, who had since stood up, and they disappeared in the direction of the elevator.

“Do you know them, Yuria?”

“…No.”

“Then why were they staring at us like that? How creepy. Anyway, let’s all sit down. Did you find anything? Anyone suspicious? Oh! I heard Lady Karina and Rachel are looking around the area. They’ll be here soon.”

Watching the chattering Bain Winter, I thought to myself.

‘Does this person even know what our mission and purpose are?’

“You just saw them. Suspicious people.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

A sigh escaped me, so I decided to speak bluntly.

In a low but clear voice.

“…I think we found them.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to me.

“So please gather all the investigation team members, Senior. No. If we gather everyone, it’ll be too conspicuous, so just Professor Chaser.”

Twenty minutes later.

After listening to Yuria’s story with a serious face, Chaser Idna smiled faintly.

“Well done, Yuria.”

“But I can’t be 100% sure. My feelings are my only basis. It’s too abstract, and it doesn’t make sense that they approached me.”

“Hmm. That’s true. But I think that feeling alone is enough to warrant an investigation.”

To be precise, that was the only situation they could have.

A few days had passed since the investigation team was formed and began its full-fledged activities under the Vice-Dean’s directive.

But the reality was that they hadn’t even achieved any visible results or set a proper direction for the investigation.

The biggest reason was the lack of information about the enemy.

Additionally, Icata was a large city boasting not only a large area but also high floating population and population density.

The scale was too large for the investigation team’s manpower to handle.

Therefore, collaboration with the Central Knights Headquarters and the Capital Defense Force was essential, but the problem was their overly passive attitude.

‘It’s entirely our fault. Annoying Central bastards.’

Chaser swallowed a sigh.

These were people who acted for their own interests, even in a situation where their own countrymen were being sacrificed.

They were like hyenas, filled with various vested interests such as politics, power, money, and ideology, and they would either feign ignorance or try to use it as a weakness if it seemed to be even a little disadvantageous to them or their faction.

Even though a major incident had occurred at the Academy, one of the main administrative bodies representing the royal empire, the very fact that they were getting angry and insisting on holding the banquet without a delay showed how rotten and hopeless they were.

“So what are we going to do now, Professor?”

At that moment, Karina, who was resting her chin on the table, asked.

In any case, thanks to Rachel and Yuria’s performance, the investigation team had finally set a proper direction.

Chaser, who had swallowed his rising dissatisfaction, stood up.

“What? We’re going to raid them right away?”

“What? We’re going to raid them right away?”

“No. We can’t do that. Besides us, there are ordinary citizens in this hotel. We’re not sure if they are really members of the Cult, and even if they are, we are not enough to catch them all.”

I couldn’t confirm that all necromancers belonged to the Beltus Cult.

Of course, it couldn’t be denied that they were still villains that needed to be arrested, but their current target was not freelance-like necromancers, but ‘necromancers belonging to the Beltus Cult who orchestrated the Academy raid.’

A clear target existed.

“Then let’s quickly request for backup. Before they escape.”

“We have to. But reinforcements won’t come right away.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Most of the capital’s forces are concentrated at the Royal Palace right now.”

The banquet for the Second Prince’s return.

It was a natural measure considering the celebrities, the wealthy and the royal family and nobles from various fields who were invited there.

“Damn it. Then what do we do?”

“There’s no other choice. Let’s book a room here too.”

It might have sounded like he was suggesting they relax and enjoy a staycation like the nobles enjoying the banquet, but of course, it wasn’t that.

The cadets immediately understood Chaser’s intention and nodded.

And so they failed to see.

Luis and Dayle, disguised with face masks, entering the hotel.

Only one person, Rachel, saw them and smiled faintly.

***

Dorian twisted his mouth.

“It’s definitely an unexpected turn of events. But it doesn’t really matter.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The Academy, or whatever it is. It doesn’t matter.”

The Grand Cleric, Margo, let out a hollow laugh.

Well, it was true.

As Dorian said, the Academy Investigation Team was “nothing” compared to them.

After all, weren’t they an organization made up of kids with little to no real-world experience?

Of course, he admitted that their potential was considerable, befitting the high reputation of Frey Academy.

‘Everything is relative.’

The opponent is bad.

Margo shifted his gaze to the bed.

He could see Bishop Laitna, who was sleeping soundly in the arms of High Cleric Vallary.

‘It’s a fact that they are nothing but dust compared to those two monsters.’

However.

“Still. You have to be careful of Chaser Idna.”

“Hmm.”

Dorian, who had been so full of momentum just a moment ago, now couldn’t hide his discomfort.

Chaser Idna was an opponent he couldn’t ignore either.

“Be careful of what?”

Margo looked at where the voice came from.

Bishop Laitna, who he thought was asleep, had her eyes open and was looking at them.

“My brother alone is enough for a swordsman like that. Right?”

“That’s right.”

Margo just gave an awkward laugh.

He already knew the rumor that High Cleric Vallary was an eccentric who had refused the position of bishop, but he didn’t know if he could handle Chaser Idna.

As Margo was diligently weighing the superiority between Bishop Laitna, High Cleric Vallary, and Chaser Idna in his mind, he suddenly remembered the girl he had locked up in the next room and asked.

“By the way, Mr. Dorian. What are you planning to do with the girl?”

“Hey. Don’t touch her.”

“…Huh?”

“I said, don’t touch her.”

Dorian’s face suddenly turned cold.

At that, Margo’s expression became momentarily blank.

“You’re not going to hand her over, are you?”

“What do you mean? Am I not supposed to?”

“…”

“Parnaci. If that man keeps his promise and that guy Luis shows up. I’ll send the girl back immediately. So don’t think about anything else and just think about how to subdue that guy Luis if he shows up. He’s fast enough to escape the moment he sees an opening. Got it, you bastard?”

Margo, who had secretly been looking forward to turning the girl into an undead, felt a momentary surge of anger at having his artistic sensibilities trampled on before they could even blossom.

“But Mr. Dorian. Why do you keep talking like that?”

“What?”

“You’re not my superior, are you? In fact, as a subordinate organization of the Darkness Council, you are below me in the hierarchy, so how can you talk to your senior like that—,”

But.

“…can I?”

When he came forward and looked down at me, I met Dorian’s eyes.

Margo realized that he had been gravely mistaken all this time.

What?

Be careful of Chaser Idna?

What a joke.

“Hahahaha! He’s scared. He’s scared.”

“Hehe-hehe.”

He could hear the vulgar laughter of the monster siblings from the bed, but Margo had no time to pay attention to them.

Right in front of him was a beast hungry for blood.

Dorian grinned, baring his teeth.

He asked.

“Say that again. I couldn’t hear you clearly because your voice was too quiet. What did you say? Hierarchy?”

But.

In this situation, Margo strangely felt like laughing.

That was because he was now certain.

No meddler, not even the Chaser Idna who had made him tremble just moments ago, could stop these people.

And, these three people are on my side.

“…Heh. Heheh. I’m sorry, Mr. Dorian.”

In the face of immense power, human emotions were like small crumbs.

Margo, who knew this truth, immediately bowed his head.

“I was out of line. Heheh. I will make all preparations to capture Luis.”

And Margo trembled with ecstasy.

Dorian, who had been quietly looking down at him, withdrew his momentum.

He looked at Bishop Laitna and High Cleric Vallary, who were still cackling, and then at Margo again, and let out a chuckle.

“Honestly, this one and those two are all just crazy.”

He shook his head and returned to his seat.

As soon as Dorian sat down, he took out his watch.

The time he had promised Parnaci was 22:00.

If that old man had followed his instructions, Luis would be there.

‘We finally meet, Luis.’

Dorian closed his eyes and briefly recalled the past.

His fist was clenched tightly without him realizing it.

‘Five hours left.’

…That was the time remaining to fulfill a long-cherished wish.

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