Chapter 183: The Devil’s Seed (6)

Why is she here now?

I saw her going to the training hall earlier.

‘Has she already seduced everyone at the training hall?’

It didn’t seem like it.

Behind her, the same guys I had seen just before were still standing by like servants.

The number has increased a little since before.

It seems she didn’t go to the training hall, but circled around the dormitories.

Anyway.

“Oh. Rachel.”

I greet her as naturally as possible, hiding my awkwardness.

“What’s up?”

Rachel, no, Lilith, wearing the shell of her sister Reina, smiled faintly and stared at me.

And instead of answering my question, she muttered to herself.

“You don’t look special. Hmm.”

“……Huh? What did you say?”

“Still, you’re more useful than the ones so far.”

She said so and looked my body up and down as if I were an object.

And there, I was certain.

This bitch isn’t even looking at me.

Furthermore, she seemed to have no intention of hiding that she wasn’t Rachel.

‘Does she not care if she’s found out to be a demon?’

It’s confidence.

The confidence that she can seduce all the men and make them her slaves.

And the certainty that she can take control of this Academy.

As expected, she immediately flashed her eyes and used seduction.

“……”

I could feel something strange squirming in my head.

A disgusting feeling, as if a bug was crawling on the surface of my brain.

At the same time, dizziness was accompanied, and my mind became hazy.

But it disappeared immediately.

Because a warm heat spread from my finger into my body and burned all of that away.

The effect of the ‘Star’s Blessing’.

Of course, it would be a major accident if it was revealed that I hadn’t fallen for the seduction, so I just stood there.

“……”

An unexpected silence fell.

But the silence is a bit long.

Something felt strange, so I lifted my gaze, which had been on the floor, and looked at Lilith.

Lilith was looking at me, who was standing still, with a strange look in her eyes.

‘Damn it. Am I caught?’

It doesn’t seem like it yet.

Her tilting head suggests she’s not sure.

‘How does a person whose will has been suppressed by seduction usually act?’

I hurriedly rolled my eyes and realized that there were examples standing in a group behind her.

I hurriedly scanned their appearance.

Slaves who are all looking at Lilith with half-lidded eyes.

……I copied them.

I slightly relax my body and open my eyes half-lidded, but my focus is clearly on Lilith.

I open my mouth a little, and even let a little drool out…… with a slightly foolish smile.

“Hee.”

Only then does Lilith smile with satisfaction.

“You seem to have resisted a little, but in the end, you’re just a human male. Huhu.”

“……”

“Do you love me?”

“……Yes.”

“Good. Follow me.”

Damn demon bitch.

I curse her out in my mind and follow her.

Whether she intended to go to the training hall this time, she and her slaves headed towards the training hall.

I followed them halfway and then quietly slipped back at a point where the direction changed.

Lilith, who seemed to trust her seduction ability quite a bit, was walking to the training hall without even knowing that I had dropped out of her slaves.

‘Phew. That’s a relief.’

I almost got screwed for real.

Thanks to my brilliant wit and quick judgment of the situation, I overcame the crisis.

‘Let’s get out of the school quickly.’

There’s something to do before that.

I used [Stealth].

I infiltrated the female dormitory C building.

My destination was Rachel’s room.

Just in case she was captured here, I was going to rescue her.

Even if not, I thought there might be other information left by Lilith.

The room was neatly organized.

Only on the surface.

My eyes found the scratches on the walls and floor without fail and read them.

The traces of a fierce battle where sword and sword, power and power had clashed.

They were recent.

‘I see, Rachel was captured here.’

Looking at the traces, the situation at that time was drawn before my eyes as if it were unfolding.

‘As soon as she entered, Rachel faced Lilith.’

But she wasn’t subdued immediately.

In the first place, if it were Lilith, it would have been instantaneous to subdue the startled and frozen Rachel.

She wouldn’t have left such traces.

‘There was another person.’

That person’s skill seemed to be similar to or slightly superior to Rachel’s.

A bloodstain on the floor inside.

It was clearly shed by Rachel.

“Huu.”

I let out a sigh.

I was inwardly certain, but seeing it with my own eyes like this made my head throb.

“This is not good. In many ways.”

The only relief was that there were no traces of a large amount of blood being spilled.

I could see that the floor right in front of the window frame was dented.

This is a mark that is made on the floor when weight is put on the legs when a strong force is exploded in an instant.

‘As Rachel’s resistance intensified, Lilith stepped in.’

Rachel would have been neutralized with that one blow.

She didn’t kill her, she just subdued her.

Why?

There’s only one answer.

‘It must be to extract information about our Shadow.’

In that case, there was a high probability that Rachel was still alive.

She was either being moved to a cult branch, or she was being tortured somewhere in Icata.

Hoping for the latter, I stained my hand with her blood and then took out the artifact ‘Tracker’s Seal’ and put it inside.

And since there was nothing more to find, I went outside.

Yuria was already at the main gate.

“Ah, senior.”

“Did you wait long?”

“No.”

“Then let’s go out.”

Yuria tilts her head at the strange flow of conversation.

“……Go out?”

“Yeah. To Icata. Even if you have questions, don’t ask for now and just follow me.”

“Ah, okay.”

And so, in the carriage heading to Icata after hastily leaving the Academy.

“No. What on earth is so urgent that we’re going in such a hurry?”

“It’s because I’m hungry. Because I’m hungry.”

I know it’s not a convincing excuse, but I couldn’t think of a suitable excuse other than this right now.

But the kids seemed to believe it, taking it as it was.

Karina, who had been glaring at me with suspicious eyes, also just grumbled at the beginning, as if it was a simple complaint, but as soon as we arrived in Icata and entered the city, she looked the most excited.

“So. Where are we eating?”

“Just follow me.”

The place we arrived at was ‘Parnaci of the Plaza’.

That’s right.

The Parnaci branch, one of our Shadow’s branches.

Although it also served as a lodging, its main business was a restaurant, and this place was bustling with customers enjoying a late lunch.

“Welcome!”

As we passed through the entrance, a well-built middle-aged man greets us with a kind smile.

And for a brief moment, my eyes met his.

“……”

His eyes, upon seeing my face, sparkled for a moment, but that time was very brief.

The man, Parnaci, immediately erased all the emotions that had appeared on his face and guided us with a business-like expression.

“Five of you?”

“Yes.”

“Here, this way! I’ll guide you to a large table!”

The table he guided us to was a group table located in the corner, which could accommodate at least ten people.

Yuria looked around and said softly.

“We don’t need a table this big……”

“Tsk tsk. Still so naive. He recognized me, you fool.”

“Recognized you?”

“Me, Karina Zain.”

“……”

“Well, you guys are also somewhat known, so he might have recognized you. Of course, not as much as me?”

She must have a disease where thorns grow in her mouth if she doesn’t indulge in self-praise for a day.

Chuckling at Karina, I decided on the menu and then got up from my seat.

“I’m just going to the restroom.”

“Yes.”

“See you later.”

The corridor to the restroom.

“Is the table to your liking? It’s the most private and spacious table in our shop.”

Just then, Parnaci, who had subtly followed me, asks.

Right,

The one he had recognized was me, not Karina.

“Good.”

“Haha.”

When I gave him a thumbs-up, he smiled pleasantly.

“He will already be waiting.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

……Eternal, Lord of the Night.

With those last words, Parnaci intentionally raised his voice as if for the people around to hear.

“Ah, the restroom? The restroom is at the end of this corridor.”

And after bowing his head, he disappeared into the hall.

At the end of the corridor were the restroom and a staff-only storage room.

I pretended to go into the restroom and went into the staff storage room.

“Master.”

And there, Luis, who had arrived first, was waiting for me.

“The Lunatic?”

“It’s closed. Dayle-nim is waiting upstairs.”

I let out a small laugh.

“Listen well, Luis. Rachel. She’s still here in Icata.”

“Is that so?”

“……Right. She’s still alive. She hasn’t been moved to the cult either. Judging by the fact that she’s not moving, it seems she’s hiding somewhere. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to save her before she spills the beans about us.”

Saying so, I took out the ‘Tracker’s Seal’.

The seal was tracking Rachel.

“Take it. Use it to find her.”

“And you, Master……?”

“I have something to do.”

Luis, who seemed to have guessed what that was, asked with concern.

“Will you be alright? No matter how strong you are, Master, it’s impossible to exorcise a demon in that capacity.”

“That capacity? Ah. As a cadet?”

“Yes.”

I suppressed a laugh.

Of course, it’s impossible.

No, it’s impossible to catch a demon in the capacity of a cadet with so many restrictions.

“Am I a fool? Why would I catch it as a cadet?”

“Then……”

“As the Master of Shadow. I have to catch it as the Skull Mask.”

“……!”

The reason I had tried to solve the crisis as the cadet, Gerard, was to eliminate suspicion with my deep trust.

But now there’s no need for that.

Now that the stage for Shadow’s advance has been spectacularly concluded with the War of Villains.

What we need is for Shadow to be in good health.

“People are curious, aren’t they? Whether our Shadow is a villain or not. Let’s tell them.”

“……”

“Ah. And tell Dayle. To be on standby for the job and come to the front of the Academy in two hours.”

After delivering the orders to Luis, I returned to my seat.

After finishing my meal at ‘Parnaci of the Plaza’, I went outside and checked the time.

This should be enough.

“It would be a pity to go straight back to the Academy from here, so shall we go see a play before we go?”

Fortunately, no one said no.

Just before buying the tickets and entering the theater, I put on a fake act and threw the pre-planned line at the kids.

“Ah, damn it. I forgot I had plans.”

The startled kids turn to look at me.

“……Pardon?”

“Plans?”

“Ah, what are you talking about? The play is about to start!”

“Sorry. It’s with the Dean, so I can’t miss it.”

The kids, who had been showing their various complaints and disappointments, all widened their eyes at the word ‘Dean’.

“Th-the Dean?”

“Yeah.”

“Then shouldn’t you be going quickly?”

“What do you mean, of course? Hurry up. Hurry!”

“Damn it. I was the one who suggested we see it, so I’m sorry. I’ll go first.”

“Eh? No, we’re the ones who are sorry! Hurry! Quickly disappear from our sight!”

Whether it was because I was the one who met the Dean the most and went in and out of the Vice-Dean’s office as if it were my own home, the kids let me go this time too without any particular suspicion.

To the point of even pushing my back to go quickly.

And so, I, who had left the theater, quickly changed my clothes.

From a cadet to a thief.

The sky had already darkened.

Wearing the skull mask, I headed to the Grand Cathedral.

To obtain the second and third means to counter the demon Lilith.

One hour left.

I have to steal the ‘Saint’s Catalyst’ within that time.

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