Chapter 60 Welcome Ceremony

A bright Saturday morning.

The warm sunlight shone on the cadets on the playground.

The ways of training were diverse.

Some were concentrating on something alone, or matching moves with peers, or receiving teachings from mentors.

“They’re working hard.”

Due to the vice-dean’s order prohibiting outdoor activities, the cadets seemed to be trying to make up for the training they couldn’t do.

Yes.

The special safety period that the vice-dean had declared due to the recent series of magical beast incidents had been lifted as of yesterday.

Because the academy and the magitech research institute had finally succeeded in developing the guardian pillar, ‘Obelisk,’ that suppresses mana freeze, and the Obelisk was immediately deployed in the field, so now the cadets could shake off the fear of mana freeze to some extent.

“In the main story, the Obelisk was created around this time too.”

Then, the next event that would happen could naturally be predicted.

The Obelisk terror.

I had a feeling that I would end up causing that terror too, so right now, I was most curious about the cult’s reaction.

By this time, they must have heard all the news about what happened at dawn.

They were probably out of their minds from the shock.

Bandarok was the largest force among the cult’s lower organizations.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Death Council gained tremendous influence in the cult, and furthermore, that Bandarok was the reason they were chosen as the vanguard for ‘Academy Destruction.’

But, such Bandarok had collapsed, and even Narsi, who was Bishop Cristiano’s confidant, had died.

“There’s no way it didn’t deal a blow.”

The important thing was, ‘In what direction will the future flow as a result of that?’

As someone who only knew the main story, it was a problem I always had to worry about.

It was obvious that Bishop Cristiano’s position would shrink.

In that case, I had to anticipate even the scenario where the Darkness Council and Bishop Lutus, who had only been assisting from behind, would step forward.

Also.

“Rachel. Her schemes too.”

This morning, I had instructed Luis to monitor the Darkness Council and their hideout, the Ladrier Hotel.

To prepare in case Rachel spilled the secret of that day.

A minimal safety measure, so to speak.

I couldn’t figure out her intentions at all, so I had no idea how she would act.

It seemed necessary to meet her once and find out.

Next was…….

“Just watch.”

Since so many things had happened all at once, actively moving carried too much risk.

As someone who judged this incident as a huge turning point that branched the mainstream, I couldn’t help but be even more cautious.

Rather than resisting the sudden rapids, waiting for the current to calm down was also a method.

Like this, many things had changed and shifted again.

The cult and the academy.

And Shadow and me too.

Name: Gerard

Age: 30

Occupation: Thief / Frey Academy 888th Class Cadet

Level: 43

Strength: 47

Agility: 85

Stamina: 44

Mental Strength: 63

Traits ─ Versatile / Instinct / Endurance / Memory and Understanding / Coolheadedness / Sharp Perception / Gaius’s Insight

……It was explosive growth.

The level was a whopping 43.

Mental strength exceeded 60, and agility was 85.

It could only be said to be the result of taking down Narsi and Berga alone.

This kind of growth rate was a first even for me, a veteran, so honestly, I was still dazed.

“No. Even though they were weakened, they were undoubtedly mid-game bosses, so this level of growth is natural.”

Thinking back, that battle at dawn could only be described as lucky.

When I reviewed it, there were many holes.

Raven’s [Power Seizure] was my trump card and it worked successfully, but I hadn’t anticipated Berga’s intrusion.

In the end, as the price for using the ultimate secret technique, I retired as is, and Narsi survived.

If Narsi had any energy left there, what would have happened? Just imagining it made me shudder.

Also, it would have been the same if Dayle had failed the enhancement.

In some parallel world where Dayle failed, the Gerard there might be locked up in Gidmog instead of the academy right now.

“I need to be more cautious when facing bosses next time.”

Still, seeing this much progress and improvement with my own eyes made me feel proud.

If before I had been running forward just for survival, now the fruits were starting to show little by little.

To the point where I was looking forward to the next commission, that’s saying it all.

The feeling of becoming a thrill-seeking madman.

“This is why dopamine addiction is dangerous.”

But unlike my mouth, my brain was pumping out dopamine again at the thought of receiving the secret tomes from Dayle later.

“Ah, Gerard?”

It was then.

A girl walked toward me and was startled to see me lying in the shade.

Followed by a crowd of first-year kids appearing.

“Ah. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were here!”

“So, sorry, senior!”

“Let’s go somewhere else. Senior is resting.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Let’s not disturb and quietly disappear.”

“…….”

I could hear everything.

No, anyone would think I usually beat up and disciplined juniors.

“No, you can rest together in the shade here.”

“B, but. Then we’d be disturbing your rest, right?”

“What disturbance. Sit comfortably and rest.”

Still, the kids hesitated.

It seemed I was still quite intimidating to them.

Come to think of it, we took classes together, but the kids who actually talked to me were few enough to count on one hand.

Yuria, Ivan, Karina, Gwyn, about that?

Hm. I need to pay some attention.

Since they would all become my shields, managing them in advance like this wouldn’t hurt at all.

Who knows? Maybe in case something goes wrong, they’ll write a petition or something.

“It’s fine, so sit…….”

“Thank you, senior!”

As soon as the words fell, one rushed over and stuck right next to me.

And grinned, the face familiar.

Ah. The junior who teamed up with me during the first herbology class to find the Twilight of the Dawnflower.

The name was probably…….

“It’s Devo. Heehee!”

As Devo quickly stuck to my side first, the other kids rushed over without losing out and took spots nearby.

It felt like some staring contest.

Then, they chattered noisily among themselves.

The topic was the article featured prominently in Royal Dream today.

The hottest topic buzzing across the capital and on everyone’s lips was undoubtedly that.

The fall of Narsi and Bandarok.

And another one.

“Then, who is that mysterious swordsman who killed Narsi?”

Among the academy cadets, the biggest interest wasn’t that Narsi died or that Bandarok was a drug cartel, but who the mysterious swordsman who killed Narsi was.

Naturally, my attention turned that way too.

It seemed like pointless chatter, but to me, each one was important information.

“I heard the heart was pierced in one strike.”

“A swordsman who can kill Narsi in one strike?”

“Why not? Just in our academy, there are a few. The dean, Department Head Pirion, the student affairs head. And…….”

“There aren’t any?”

“……You’re right. But if we include the central knights, there are way more?”

“Even so, less than ten. To begin with, they aren’t mysterious swordsmen.”

“Then who on earth? The mysterious swordsman with one-strike kill swordsmanship.”

A brief silence.

Then Devo looked at me and asked.

“Gerard senior, who do you think it is?”

* * *

Lunatic underground liquor storage.

Facing the skull mask, Dayle swallowed dryly.

The pitch-black eye sockets.

The gaze watching him from inside felt chillingly cold.

Finally, this time had come.

The time of judgment.

“You didn’t run away?”

“……I won’t do that anymore.”

Gerard, wearing the skull mask, chuckled and sat down.

The two facing each other.

With that, Dayle felt an intense déjà vu.

When Dayle was first kidnapped by Gerard’s hand and woke up in Lunatic.

It was the exact same setup as then.

But only the setup was the same.

Dayle thought that he now was different from himself back then.

“You won’t run away anymore?”

“Yes.”

“Hm. Well, fine. It could be just words again, so let’s see if it’s real. Luis?”

“Yes.”

Luis, who had been standing behind, placed something on the table.

It was the commission contract that Dayle had written.

Gerard asked.

“You tried to break the promise with us. Do you admit that?”

Dayle’s head nodded heavily.

“……I admit it.”

At the same time, Gerard’s arm moved.

Pak!

A sharp dagger pierced the contract and embedded into the table.

“Then pay the price.”

Special clause, in the event of not fulfilling the promised fulfillment matters in carrying out the contract or showing signs of it, the party shall cut off one wrist and gouge out an eye.

Dayle stared at the dagger with trembling eyes.

The situation was clear.

He had to grip that dagger and cut off his wrist and gouge out his eye with his own hand.

Tremble tremble.

Dayle’s fist on his knee shook violently.

It had been a hard and tough life, but Dayle had never inflicted harm on his own body.

So after receiving the notice from Luis during the day that ‘we need to settle,’ Dayle couldn’t help but fall into trouble.

……It wasn’t about whether to run away.

Which eye to give up.

‘I won’t go back to the past anymore.’

‘I will start anew here in Shadow, with these people here.’

He had already resolved himself.

It was just scary now that the situation had come.

But that time wasn’t long, and Dayle looked at Gerard and Luis in turn with both eyes, then asked in a trembling voice.

“You may not remember, but back then the boss asked me. What I would do if the commission ended successfully. Would I keep running and hiding.”

Gerard nodded.

“Yes.”

“This is my answer.”

Grab!

Dayle pulled out the embedded dagger with all his might.

He held the dagger in reverse grip and stabbed it toward his face without hesitation.

The target was his left eye, which he hadn’t opened until now.

‘It’s an eye that was covered with an eyepatch anyway. I don’t need it.’

He thought it was fortunate that he could show his determination with this.

But.

Pak!

The dagger stopped right in front of the purple pupil.

The tip of the blade trembling.

“…….”

Dayle asked the one who grabbed his hand.

“Why…….”

Instead of an answer, a fist flew.

Gerard snatched the dagger and smacked Dayle’s forehead with the other hand.

Crash! Dayle toppled backward with the chair.

“Ah, no! Why hit suddenly!?”

Dayle jumped up and shouted.

“Whew, that scared me. I thought I’d really become half.”

“I feel the same, master. I didn’t expect him to stab the eye first.”

“Normally, wouldn’t you try to cut the wrist first? Huh?”

“Because that’s less scary.”

“But what’s with this guy?”

“Hm. A weird bastard? Something like that.”

Dayle wore a bewildered expression at the two’s conversation.

‘What? What’s this situation?’

Gerard shook his head and left the liquor storage.

Naturally, the remaining Dayle looked at Luis with dumb eyes.

Luis extended his hand toward such Dayle.

“Let’s go, Dayle.”

“……Huh? Where suddenly?”

“Second floor. To ‘our’ Shadow’s conference room there.”

Dayle doubted his ears.

He clearly said ‘our.’

Our conference room.

The moment he saw the faint smile on Luis’s lips, Dayle felt his heart pounding.

“You are now Shadow.”

Dayle grasped Luis’s hand.

The place they moved to like that.

In the conference room, a modest welcome ceremony for Dayle was already prepared, and the three sat down and started talking about what they couldn’t finish.

“So why did you do that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? If I cut the wrist first, how do I stab the eye? I can’t hold the dagger.”

“Then if you stab the eye? How were you going to cut the wrist. You need to see to cut, right?”

Dayle pondered deeply.

“Now that I hear it, you’re right.”

Luis interjected.

“I correct myself. A stupid bastard.”

Bang, Dayle slammed the table.

“Wh, what, you! You bastard, get up. I was just thinking I need to teach you a lesson anyway, this is perfect! Let’s settle the hierarchy this time! Boss, don’t think of stopping.”

Gerard naturally had no intention of stopping.

Haha, laughter burst out.

* * *

The atmosphere ripened.

Luis explained Shadow’s overall situation to Dayle, and Dayle memorized them all without missing any.

Now there were no secrets between them.

The spirit that Shadow pursued was loyalty and trust.

Naturally, the power supporting Shadow was the solid trust between comrades.

When he heard that they had infiltrated the academy for the cult, Dayle was surprised, and when he learned that the reason he was chased by Narsi was because of Gerard, Dayle got angry.

“Kukukuk!”

“A, are you laughing now? I was really struggling back then!”

The grumbling Dayle laughed kiki again at the glass of liquor Gerard handed him.

Naturally, Gerard had taken off the skull mask now.

“But is it okay? The academy. Isn’t it dangerous? I was only there briefly, but it felt suffocating like I’d die, how can you act as a cadet there?”

“That’s why I’m diligently acting as a model student.”

Dayle clapped as if that’s right.

“Exactly! Boss really seems amazing. How can you come up with such an idea? The top cadet in the academy is actually a thief, who would dare suspect?”

Gerard twirled the glass and answered.

“There was one?”

“Hm?”

“Who is it? That person.”

Even the quiet Luis hardened his face and looked at Gerard.

“Karina Zain.”

In an instant, the merry atmosphere sank heavily at once.

Zain.

It was because of the pressure that name brought.

“Hey. You’re regretting joining our guild now, right. I’ll say in advance, if you try to leave again, it won’t end with one eye this time.”

“Wh, what are you saying. Regret what? Khm.”

Dayle feigned distraction unnecessarily.

“So, is there a way?”

Luis asked.

A way.

“I did gag her for now, but I need to think.”

A half-hearted method won’t do.

Either create irrefutable evidence to completely clear the suspicion.

Or crush her with stronger pressure.

“If there’s anything you need, please tell me.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll help too.”

Gerard smiled.

Just two, but having reliable comrades say they’ll help felt so reassuring.

So suddenly, this thought came.

‘Now it’s two, but wouldn’t three be better.’

Recruiting comrades and expanding forces.

It was a task to slowly think about.

Now, Gerard’s image in the academy was incomparably better than before.

If he just resolved the immediate suspicion from Karina Zain, Gerard was confident that virtually no one would suspect him of being a thief.

The finale was Yuria.

If Yuria, who had already drawn attention once as a magic swordsman, achieved excellent results in the mentor exam at the end of the semester, then Gerard, who discovered such a gem, could be seen as completely off the suspect list.

An object of envy, not suspicion.

No one would suspect him of being a thief.

“What? Gerard senior is a thief? Are you kidding?”

“You’re the thief. You bastard. Tie this guy’s limbs and hang him!”

“It’s blasphemy!”

Uh, a bit over the top.

Such scenes that I had only imagined could sufficiently unfold.

‘So now I need to prepare to recruit comrades too. That’s the next goal.’

In any case, Gerard’s ultimate goal was survival.

Blocking the path to the continent’s destruction was everyone’s fate, and Gerard had to prepare likewise.

In Dayle’s case, the timing coincidentally aligned to recruit him, but Gerard made up his mind to accelerate force expansion right after overcoming the death flag of the end-of-semester exam.

“Anyway, shouldn’t we settle the bill soon? Seems like you’ve waited a lot.”

Dayle, who was chatting lively with Luis, flinched at Gerard’s words and looked at him.

“Ah. You knew?”

“It’s obvious even without seeing. Does it make sense to leave something that important in a hideout? I thought you’d carry it on you, of course.”

“Hehe. This is embarrassing.”

Dayle scratched his head awkwardly and put his hand in his bosom.

“Here, the promised reward. I had it out in advance to give anyway.”

What came out of Dayle’s bosom were two secret tomes.

[Ghost Step] and [Dark Sprint]

Traces of time here and there, undoubtedly originals.

Dayle pushed the secret tomes toward Gerard.

Gerard’s eyes looking at them shone brighter than ever.

‘Finally.’

The Shadow’s secrets he had wished for so much were right in front of him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep