Casually Taking Down One Guy

The sun set and night fell over the academy.

Normally I would have had to move silently, but it didn't matter now.

Because I had a staff ID.

If anyone questioned me, I could just show this, so I straightened my shoulders comfortably and arrived below the clock tower.

Before starting, I would check the Golem Cores.

If the Demons moved ahead of schedule, I would have to adjust the plan, so there was no harm in being cautious.

Whether I took the left path or the right path, it all came down to killing the Demon.

"Was the warehouse this way?"

Melted into the darkness, I headed toward the warehouse full of Golems.

The academy would have done a final inspection because of the Practical Exam being held the next day.

If the chancellor, who was worried about many things because of the Demon, had been paying attention, he would have posted guards.

"There it is."

Memorizing the academy map after leaving the chancellor's office had paid off.

I found the warehouse in one go without wandering.

As expected, two knights guarded the entrance.

After taking out my staff ID from my pocket, I cleared my throat and managed my expression as much as possible.

As I approached the warehouse, a knight stretched out his hand.

"Halt! Stop!"

I calmly moved exactly as the knight said.

When I stopped in place and took out my staff ID, the remaining knight approached to verify my identity.

"Please state your purpose of visit and affiliation. We are authorized to arrest you if you refuse."

"I am with the academy. I am visiting to inspect the Golems, and I have my staff ID here."

I handed over my staff ID to the knight and stated my purpose of visit.

The knight examined the staff ID carefully and nodded.

"You're the one the chancellor gave us a heads-up about. Thank you for your hard work inspecting this at a late hour."

"Isn't safety always the top priority?"

"That can never be said enough."

Thanks to the chancellor, the identity verification was quickly finished.

It seemed that, despite making his distaste clear, he had still gone out of his way to help with academy business as much as possible.

While the knight unlocked the warehouse, I asked a simple question.

"Has anyone else entered before I arrived?"

"No, sir."

So the Demons hadn't moved yet.

If I had been a step late, they would have killed the entrant as scheduled and erased the evidence.

"You may enter now."

Before long, the firmly closed door opened easily. The knight who had finished the entry log stepped aside, and I got my staff ID back.

This staff ID, its very existence was something to be grateful for.

It was utterly lovely, eliminating processes like infiltration and covering up traces.

"If anything unusual happens, please inform us immediately."

"Understood."

I went straight into the warehouse packed with the things that would torment the examinees and looked around.

I checked for traces left by an intruder or a Demon.

Fortunately, there were none.

Instead, a large Golem caught my eye.

They certainly had good facilities, given the generous support from the Imperial Court.

"That must be worth quite a bit."

I tapped the Golem's left leg and inspected the core.

No issues were found.

I moved around and examined the other Golems as well.

They were all perfectly fine.

If so, staying here was a waste of time.

I had to hurry to the next location.

When I came out of the warehouse, the knight bowed his head in greeting.

I returned it lightly and then walked briskly toward the clock tower.

If it wasn't here, it was time to investigate the academy's outskirts.

Finding this alone, one by one, would take too long.

So there was a magic spell for situations like this.

It was a detection spell called Scan, and the principle was simple.

I would scatter my Mana throughout the academy.

If it detected movement or a target, I could pinpoint the location.

Although the detection range was drastically narrowed at the moment because of the Artifact, singling it out wasn't difficult.

I leisurely began the search based on Demonic Energy.

"Scan."

At that moment, Mana spread out at a tremendous speed.

I sharpened my nerves and tracked the clue.

A map formed in my head.

The knight guarding the warehouse.

The chancellor working overtime even at this hour.

I excluded everyone I had met and anyone categorized as an ally.

Having eliminated the variables like that, I captured the target in a brief instant.

"Found you."

Given that it had only done the prep work and disappeared without any lingering attachment, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠probably noticed my pursuit and twisted its path.

The direction pointed to the Underground Waterway.

Running first and thinking later was a Demon-like way of thinking.

From then on, the game of tag began.

* * *

As I followed the faintly remaining traces of Demonic Energy, I left the academy and reached the Underground Waterway in a secluded spot.

This was a must-visit course for anyone who had dabbled in the Underworld.

Though it was ostensibly an Underground Waterway, it was frequently used for covert deals or escape routes.

The complex structure played a part in that.

It was certainly a good place to flee, but hiding here was a losing move.

Because this place was practically my home ground.

Before entering, I rummaged through my pocket.

"It's been a really long time for you too."

I took out a small, simply-made Brooch and pinned it to my chest.

Though it looked like nothing, it was an Artifact that could cause powerful Perception Obfuscation to the desired degree.

To give a simple example, depending on the need, it could completely block perception, or reveal who I was.

Thanks to it, only a very few knew my true appearance.

The only people who had this were Flora and me.

"Where could it be hiding?"

That day I opted for a method that concealed my entire body.

Since I had wasted time putting this on, it was no different from giving the Demon a handicap.

I leisurely stepped on the traces and chased after its tail.

I moved forward, navigating the maze-like twisted area in every direction.

For some reason, Underworld denizens were visible here and there that day.

I inadvertently overheard a conversation among the Underground Waterway regulars.

"Did you see the guy who just ran past? You could just tell he was going to die today."

"He must've done something wrong. Don't get involved for nothing."

"Of course not, I've got plenty of years ahead of me."

The regulars were seen discreetly slipping away on their own.

If I fought the Demon later, no one would get caught up in it, so it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠actually a good thing.

After passing them, maybe because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had walked quite a distance, I entered a section that suddenly narrowed.

'…Just how far in did it go.'

No matter how many times I smelled it, I couldn't get used to the musty stench that grew thicker the deeper I went.

At the same time, the Demonic Energy felt vivid, so the game of tag was probably over.

"It's no fun if it's caught already."

I removed the Brooch and spoke to the one quietly watching for an opportunity from among the shadows.

"Stop hiding and come out."

"…To think you'd notice that."

The one who revealed itself looked similar to a human, but oddly distinct points stood out.

Typical examples were a slightly paler skin tone or the shape of the pupils.

This one didn't look particularly strong.

I had inwardly expected it to be around Level 2, so it was a bit disappointing.

Still, it felt strangely novel seeing a Demon after so long.

Since normally, you could only rarely spot them in the Empire's border areas.

Perhaps the Demon saw me as a mere human, as it acted relaxed.

"If I'd known you were a pathetic punk, I would have just killed you. I got scared for nothing."

"So?"

"It means you were looking for me so diligently that I lured you all the way here. You walked right into my trap."

To think a Demon could roughly gauge power.

It even possessed simple combat knowledge.

It had lured a mage, who typically held the advantage at long range, into a narrow space to gain an edge.

It essentially forced a close-quarters battle.

A guy who was born and roughed it in the Northern Region of the Continent seemed different indeed.

I clapped my hands as a way of complimenting it.

"You're unexpectedly clever. No wonder you dared to mess with the academy."

"What? How did you figure that out?"

"I have my ways."

The Demon was startled and stepped back.

If it ran away, it would be troublesome.

I didn't give it a chance to think and rushed at the Demon.

Instinctive Multicasting.

I used magic, which would take years of training in the Magic Tower to learn, as easily as handling a toy.

I cast Defensive Magic and Physical Enhancement Magic in an instant.

I had originally intended to resolve it neatly with firepower, but I adjusted the plan.

The surroundings were narrow, and if I wasn't careful, the Underground Waterway could collapse.

Then the problem would be what came after dealing with the Demon.

In the past, I could have simply feigned ignorance, but now I was entangled with the Empire.

Rather than running into Welton and having it become a nuisance, I decided to resolve this peacefully.

So I opted for Body Enhancement over attack magic.

While I prepared this meticulously, the Demon launched monotonous attacks.

They were not threatening, utterly pathetic.

A straight punch, clearly visible to the eye?

Blocked by Defensive Magic.

A roundhouse kick flying as a follow-up?

I lightly blocked it with my left arm and tried to grab its leg, but unfortunately it widened the distance.

As all its attacks were futilely blocked, the Demon repeatedly put on a flustered expression.

"You're blocking all of this?"

After lightly twisting my body to deflect the final attack involving a dagger, I didn't hesitate to throw a punch.

"Hrgk!"

Perhaps because I hadn't warmed up enough, it unfortunately just grazed its cheek. Red blood trickled down the Demon's cheek.

I clicked my tongue and expressed my disappointment, and the Demon touched its cheek with a trembling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hand.

"Y-you crazy bastard…!"

Even though the wound healed quickly due to the Demon's unique regenerative ability, it screamed.

"H-hey!! What kind of mage throws punches…!"

"That's just how it is when you grow up rough."

The world was ending.

This guy had stereotypes too.

Would a mage always be elegantly shooting magic from the back?

Maybe if I had someone to protect me, it'd be different, but to prepare for variables that could pop up from anywhere, I had to be able to fight at close range.

The rule was, you had to protect your own body.

If you didn't abide by it, it was a straight trip to heaven.

The battle that followed ended blandly.

I unilaterally beat it down and subdued it in an instant.

After all that hard work, the time for interrogation had finally arrived.

It was time to check how tight-lipped it was.

Unfortunately, the Demon standing at the crossroads of life and death clasped its hands and pleaded desperately.

"P-please spare me! I'm just a grunt, I don't know anything. I'm just following orders from above and helping out."

"Stop talking nonsense. Spill it all."

"The boss gave the order to support this side. I just did as I was told."

"The boss would be the Demon you follow. What is 'this side'?"

At the unsatisfactory answer, I slowly dusted off my hands.

Perhaps the light warning worked, as the Demon shook its head vehemently and produced a peculiar symbol.

"I don't know the details either. I just heard it's an organization gathering humans. I swear!"

"So in the end, you just moved as you were told?"

"Right! That's it, that's it!"

I closely examined the symbol the Demon handed over.

Living in the Underworld, one was bound to hear about all sorts of organizations.

But I had never seen an organization or Order like this before.

It seemed to be a newly formed Order that emerged while I was imprisoned.

I had secured an important clue for tracking the Demons.

"Decent information."

"R-right? So you're going to let me live?"

"Since you gave me something useful, I'll consider letting you live."

"Thank you! I'll put in a good word with the boss and arrange a good opportunity for you. You'll definitely be satisfied."

A good opportunity, my ass. The only good Demon is a dead Demon.

Since the consideration was over, I broke both of its legs so it couldn't run.

"Gahaaaak!"

The Demon writhed in agony.

Its earlier groveling had gone, and it spat out curses without hesitation.

"You said you'd spare me! You son of a bitch!"

"Right. I did say I'd spare you."

I nodded my head slowly.

I quietly watched the Demon crawl while trembling violently.

Precisely, it should be called disgust.

"P-please spare me…!"

Spare you? The race that ruined my organization wants me to spare them?

With a cold gaze, I conveyed the exact meaning of 'considering'.

"I learned from an Imperial official that 'considering' just means thinking it over."

"G-grk…!"

"More than anything, I hate Demons."

Crunch!

When I stepped on its neck and crushed it just like that, the thrashing Demon went limp.

Since the objective was achieved, it was time to head back.

Without straying to another path, I headed straight for the lodging the chancellor had told me about.

Since it was near the academy, finding the way wasn't difficult.

"Oho."

A building with a decent atmosphere came into view.

I had assumed they would put me up in a cheap inn since I was a wanted criminal, so this was unexpected.

I took the key out from inside my clothes, easily unlocked it, and went inside.

After briefly looking around, the interior was very clean.

The puzzling part was that the house layout was designed with a two-person household in mind.

I was going to live alone, but there were more rooms than necessary.

Was I meant to be living with someone else?

I'd have to ask the chancellor about this when I saw him again.

Since guessing here wouldn't let me figure out the answer.

First, I needed to get some rest.

I took off my coat, hung it on a chair, and opened the bedroom door.

And then, something completely unexpected happened.

"You're a lot later than I thought."

The sight of Flora perched on the bed came into view.

She was wearing pajamas, so I thought I had come to the wrong place.

"Flora?"

When I thought about it again, it matched the lodging the chancellor had given me.

As I stood there blankly, Flora patted the bed and spoke.

"We'll be living together from now on."

"What?"

"I ended up coming to the academy too. I look forward to working with you."

They even dragged Flora into this?

For a moment, I barely suppressed the rage that surged up my throat.

At times like this, I couldn't let myself be consumed by emotion.

After calmly steadying my breath, the words I spoke were cold.

"Explain everything that happened."

I had no intention of letting this matter slide.