Chapter 186: Unexpected Luck

I look at Roland, who is panting heavily on one knee.

“……You. You’re not just some thief. Who on earth are you? What is your purpose in causing chaos in the Grand Cathedral and looking for her?”

I did not answer.

I have no obligation to tell him that obediently and to be more honest.

‘This is so damn hard, shiva.’

……I don’t have the strength to answer.

It’s even hard to stand.

As expected of the next commander of the paladins, the only military force in the Holy Kingdom, his swordsmanship skills are truly remarkable.

‘The ridiculous thing is that’s not even his full power.’

He did not use his divine power just now.

Also.

‘That blindfold.’

I look at the blindfold he has not yet removed.

Like Dayle, who has the eyes of a demon, Roland is also an eye-ability user.

The difference is that Roland is truly blind.

The reason is because of a contract with the angel Uriel.

Uriel, who coveted Roland’s beautiful eyes so much, proposed to take his two eyes in exchange for giving him immense power, and Roland accepted.

──That is the story from the original work.

Right.

It’s a common, cliché setting in fantasy.

Roland.

He is the representative character of the phrase ‘blinded by power’.

The fortunate thing is that Roland is a character of absolute good alignment, so he does not use that power for trivial matters.

It’s the same now.

Because he had no intention of killing me, he did not use Uriel’s power.

‘And it’s the same for me.’

What would happen if both of us fought in our serious modes?

The official setting book explains that Roland’s stats, with his angel’s eyes opened, are in the top 5 of the world.

So of course.

‘I would most likely get my ass kicked.’

Of course, the outcome of a fight is not decided by stats and specs alone.

If I find all of Shadow’s lost visions, then it might be a different story.

Anyway, it was about time to move, so I asked Roland.

“Let me go.”

Roland’s head tilted to the side.

“You’re saying something strange. Aren’t you the one who defeated me just now?”

“I know you didn’t go all out, Roland of the Max Paladins.”

Roland’s expression hardens.

But at my next words, he looks surprised.

“A demon has appeared at the Academy. The demon is Lilith. One of the six followers of the great demon Angmar, who presides over lust.”

“……What are you talking about right now?”

I ignore him and continue.

“That’s the reason I was looking for Ilai. Her divine power and faith will surely be a great help in exorcising Lilith. It’s up to you whether you believe me or not, and it’s also your decision whether to let me go. However, I hope you keep in mind that the more time is dragged out, the more the Academy will fall into the hands of the demon.”

Roland, who heard my words, was silent, as if in deep thought.

Watching him, a thought flashed in my mind, ‘Huh? What if?’

‘What if I take this guy instead of Professor Ilai? So, a chicken instead of a pheasant.’

I don’t know why Roland is here in Icata and not the Holy Kingdom.

But it might be a blessing in disguise.

What if this is a chance?

‘Since he’s a paladin. Even if it’s not as much as Professor Ilai’s holy magic, he’ll be a great help in other ways.’

Right.

Do we really need a cleric for a demon battle?

If the kids block Lilith’s swarming slaves, and in the meantime, me and the eye-opened Roland quickly exorcise Lilith?

I roughly calculate the estimate in my head, and oh?

The conclusion is that this might be better.

‘Good.’

In fact, there is no better way than this for now.

So I changed my goal.

To persuade Roland.

“If you can’t believe me, going to the Academy together is also an option. Yes. With that power you have, you will be of great help in exorcising Lilith.”

“Huhu. You seem to know me well?”

“I don’t know.”

“I see. I think I know who you are now, too. The Master of Shadow.”

I nodded my head.

“That’s me.”

“As I’ve heard, you seem to know everything.”

It’s not that I don’t, but it’s a bit much to say so myself, so I just stayed quiet.

“But you don’t seem to know this.”

Roland, who said so, suddenly smiled bitterly.

I felt an unreadable ominousness from that smile, and it soon became reality.

“I cannot leave this Grand Cathedral. Because I am being punished.”

“……?”

“I have been expelled from the Holy Kingdom and am currently detained here. I am not a deputy commander either. Because I was stripped of my rank.”

……Shit. For real?

It was a shock.

To the point where I didn’t want to believe it.

‘No. What on earth did he do wrong to be stripped of his rank and detained at the same time?’

I was curious, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

I couldn’t give up, so I continued to talk.

“No matter what crime you committed and are in confinement for, exorcising a demon is the duty of a paladin, isn’t it? Isn’t this a special situation where a demon is involved.”

The duty of a paladin comes before paying for one’s sins.

I tried to persuade him like that.

However.

“Even if I go, I won’t be of much help in the battle.”

“……Why?”

“Because I sealed my own divine power.”

I let out a deep sigh inwardly.

From the part where he said he sealed his own divine power, I could deduce what crime he had committed.

‘The sin of blasphemy.’

Aah.

So that’s why he didn’t use his divine power just now.

He didn’t not use it, he couldn’t use it…….

‘What. Then this bastard is just useless?’

It’s like digging a well in dry land.

Also, I don’t need to ask for permission to let me go.

In the first place, this guy has no power to stop me.

In other words, I just wasted my time.

‘This is so fucking annoying.’

But I couldn’t blame him, since I had been mistaken on my own.

‘What was that about for the Lord at first? And what was that glittering brilliance.’

Anyway, I was properly hooked.

After suppressing my anger by cursing inwardly, I turned my body.

There was no time.

Just then, Roland’s question from behind caught me.

“Is there a way? For you.”

I frowned.

“What if there isn’t? Should I give up and run away?”

“……”

“Even if there isn’t, I have to stop it and I will. So you just stay here and pray.”

At my words, Roland opened his mouth as if he had made a decision.

“In that case, please take this.”

I looked at him.

With eyes that said, ‘Are you serious?’

Whether he had noticed the atmosphere, a smile appeared on his lips.

“I’ll say this in advance, I’m lending it to you.”

“You trust me?”

He shook his head.

“I trust in God. I believe that me, who is in confinement, meeting you here is God’s will.”

A guy who is imprisoned here for committing blasphemy believes in God.

A small smile rose on my lips at the contradictory words.

But it must be true.

His eyes, which had received Uriel’s power, see through the truth.

That’s also why my stealth was pierced.

In any case, I thankfully received his item.

And.

“Since I’m borrowing a sword anyway, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

Saying so, I raised Raven.

* * *

Meeting Roland was a completely unexpected stroke of luck.

But to think that such luck was waiting for me again.

‘Hmm?’

As planned, I was waiting for Ivan and the others on the road leading up to the Academy after leaving the Grand Cathedral, but I found two people I hadn’t expected at all.

It was Professor Ilai, whom I had been looking for so much.

And the man next to her was.

‘……Section Chief Baron? No. Why is that old man with Professor Ilai there?’

Was the urgent appointment she had after finishing the service early a date with Section Chief Baron?

‘My goodness.’

It was an absurd and funny situation, but this made things easier.

‘That’s a relief. That Section Chief Baron was out in the city.’

To fight the boss of the ‘Nightmare’ episode, Lilith, you had to first meet and defeat the two mid-bosses.

And the last mid-boss of those two was Section Chief Baron over there.

In the original work, Section Chief Baron is caught in the seduction while trying to stop Lilith at the Academy and becomes her faithful right hand.

‘So that’s why the Saint’s Catalyst was needed…… is this how the situation flows?’

It’s the first time.

That the flow of the main story, which had been changed by me, had been helpful in such a good way.

Very.

So damn nice.

‘The kids must have gone up to the mountain gate first because of Roland.’

Then there was no time to hesitate.

I threw a [Whisper] at Professor Ilai and Section Chief Baron, who were rushing up to the mountain gate.

[Even if you run like that, you won’t be able to get in anyway. There’s a barrier.]

At the same time, thud, the two’s running stopped.

Section Chief Baron scans the left and right with sharp eyes.

But no matter how much he looks, unlike Roland, he cannot detect my stealth.

[If you go a little further, there’s a side path that branches off. If you come along that way, there’s a small open lot. Come there.]

The two looked at each other for a moment and whispered.

They seemed to be debating whether to follow my words or not.

Soon, Section Chief Baron nodded his head first.

It seemed he had decided to do as I said, and I saw him take the lead and turn into the side path.

And soon, they reached the open lot.

“Show yourself.”

After watching Section Chief Baron, who was letting out his energy without restraint and warning softly, I released my stealth and came out of the bushes.

“Skull Mask……?”

The two had surprised expressions, as if it was an unexpected appearance.

“Greetings, you two.”

“Why are you here? And why did you call us? What’s your business?”

“Of course, I came to help you two.”

“Help us?”

“That’s right.”

Professor Ilai intervened at my answer.

“You said there was a barrier, what do you mean by that?”

“Just as I said. A barrier. And not just any barrier, but a barrier cast directly by a demon.”

At the word ‘demon’, the two’s faces changed remarkably.

“A-a demon?”

“Don’t lie, you bastard!”

“Huhu. Why would I tell a lie that will be obviously exposed if you go up?”

I chuckled and continued.

“I can assure you, there is no one who is grasping the current situation more clearly than me. You must have heard on your way here that the serial killer who has been staining the royal empire with blood is on campus, and that his identity is your student.”

“……”

“But she is not your student. She is the demon, Lilith.”

“That can’t be. Rachel is not a demon.”

“That’s right. If she were a demon, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known.”

“The Saintess of Ludwig?”

At my question, she took a step forward.

“I am Ilai Dain.”

“You are right, Ilai. Rachel. She is not a demon. But the girl who is up there is not Rachel.”

“……What do you mean by that?”

Instead of answering, I took off the skull mask I was wearing.

The two let out a gasp, but they didn’t take their eyes off my revealed face.

Hmm.

Don’t tell me they’re mistaking this face with the face mask for my real face.

“……”

It seems they are.

Seeing them widen their eyes and hurriedly scan my face.

Well, there’s no need to kindly tell them it’s fake, so I just said.

“There’s no time to explain everything one by one, so I’ll tell you on the way. Follow me.”

The two showed a suspicious look this time too, but they soon started to follow me obediently, as if they had decided they had no choice.

And so, as we went up to the mountain gate, I told them that Rachel had a twin sister and that she was Lilith.

“……Is that really true?”

Section Chief Baron asked in the middle.

“You must have heard this news from the Royal Dream, right? The one that was a special report.”

“That’s right.”

“It was us who provided the documents to that Royal Dream.”

Section Chief Baron swallowed a moan.

For now, he seemed relieved that Rachel was not possessed by a demon.

“Then where is Rachel?”

At Ilai’s question, I shook my head.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know that either.”

Soon, we arrived at the Academy’s mountain gate and could see the troops that were blocked by the barrier and couldn’t enter, filling the front yard.

And among them, Ivan and the kids, who were flustered.

“Kids!”

“P-Professor!?”

The joy of the unexpected reunion was brief.

I stepped forward and at the same time, gave instructions in a quiet but clear voice.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have time, so we’ll move right away.”

“Right now?”

“As I said before, we don’t have time. I believe I already told you about Lilith’s ability?”

Ilai’s expression became heavy.

It was then.

“Who are you?”

It was Yuria.

She, who had been staring at me since the first time she saw me, without taking her eyes off me.

Don’t tell me she recognized my true form?

But since I had confirmed that the face mask was firmly attached, I dismissed it as nothing.

The kids who were looking at me at Yuria’s question.

Right.

I have to tell them my identity too.

“This is the first time we’ve met in person.”

In that moment, a short gasp and jet-black pupils widening.

At that, I nodded my head.

“Let me introduce myself formally. I am the Master of Shadow. To you, I am called the Skull Mask.”

Afterward, the expressions of the kids who were looking at me were quite a picture.

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