The Recital (1)
Meanwhile, as the students wrapped up their school trip and made their way back to the academy, a bloodcurdling scream tore through a remote cathedral on the empire’s frontier.
“Ugh, kuhk, glk—cough…!”
“Kyaaaaah!!”
“God—oh God, please…!”
“I have to run… I must… hack.”
Licht. The assembly of priests charged with guarding the region. Once filled with devout believers who protected their assigned cities, the order was now drowned in a darkness so profound that any trace of their former light had been utterly extinguished.
In the vast corridor, unconscious priests lay sprawled across the floor. Every one of them twitched and shuddered, their bodies drenched in blood.
“Haa… haa…!”
A woman ran desperately, gasping for air. She was fleeing from something. The air had thickened with a nauseating stench. Her face twisted with raw terror as she forced her legs to keep moving. A faint melody brushed against her ears.
“Nngh…!”
The enchanting tune clouded her mind. It felt as if her brain were melting. She clutched the rosario hidden in her robes and fought to stay conscious. The gentle surge of holy power sharpened her blurred vision once more.
But the clarity was fleeting.
“Ugh… haa…!”
Even as a groan escaped her, the woman refused to stop her exhausted legs. She had to deliver word of this horror to the outside world. The Licht order had been annihilated.
Torn corpses littered the floor. Bright red blood pooled in every direction. The pitch-black shadow that had fallen over the cathedral swallowed all sight. The priests exposed to the music had mutated into something grotesque. Their pure white robes had turned pitch black, and then they had become monsters that feasted on human flesh.
Now only one person remained sane.
“I have to warn them…!”
She ran with her ears plugged. The desperate resolve to spread news of the danger burned inside her. Yet no matter how strong her will, she was forced to stop only moments later.
A shadow stood directly in her path.
“Ah.”
Immediately afterward, the hidden figures lurking in the surrounding darkness stepped forward one by one. Every one of them wore a robe. They looked as though they had been waiting for her all along.
The woman’s legs gave out beneath her.
Thud.
“Dear God…”
She collapsed to her knees. With trembling hands she gripped her rosario, closed her eyes, and began to pray. It was her final meditation.
“Please… deliver us from evil.”
The surging tune swallowed her whole.
The school trip had been eventful in all sorts of ways. Several days had already slipped by since their return from that rather noisy vacation.
The students seemed to be preparing themselves to dive back into their intense daily routines.
Library, training grounds, lecture halls—the children hurried busily across the academy, reclaiming the studies they had set aside for a while.
I was no different.
Of course I had confidence in my grades, but academy life did not revolve around test scores alone. At the very least, I needed to fulfill the duties of the position I had been given.
While the other students studied, I spent my time in the research laboratory.
“Hmm.”
Scratch, scratch—.
Each time the pen tip glided across the paper, a crisp sound rang out. Following the flowing trajectory, the black ink transformed into elegant handwriting.
I slid the mountain of documents piled beside me to the side.
“Master? Here are the documents requiring your review.”
“Thank you, Judah.”
I was assisting Selena with her paperwork—sorting through layered stacks of documents and setting aside anything unimportant. It was the standard duty expected of most head assistants.
“If any administrative work remains, please hand it over to me.”
“I appreciate the help, but… you really don’t have to go this far.”
“It’s no trouble.”
Since we had already reached an understanding last time, I wasn’t strictly bound by these duties. Still, offering at least this small amount of assistance seemed only right. Enjoying power without any responsibility would have left a bad taste in my mouth.
Besides, Selena had neatly covered for my three-day absence during the school trip. This was partly my way of repaying that favor.
One should always return what one has received.
That was simply how adults interacted.
I twirled the pen lightly between my fingers and continued writing. A voice suddenly called out from beside me—completely devoid of emotion.
“Regarding the school trip. I’ve already taken care of the records. I submitted a report stating that you left to gather research materials on my orders. If any other professors ask, answer them accordingly.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Master.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Hmm… I thought you might ask why I left my seat that day, but you seem surprisingly uninterested.”
“Even if I were curious, I wouldn’t ask. That was the condition from the beginning.”
Selena answered with an indifferent expression. Her red eyes blinked slowly. As always, a liquor bottle rested in her hand. She took a few sips to wet her throat, then swept back her flowing purple hair. Her crimson lips offered a single piece of advice.
“I have no intention of interfering. However, I will say this much—don’t play too dangerously.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“You are my student, after all.”
“You are very kind, Master.”
“……That will be all for today’s paperwork. You may leave now.”
Selena’s expression grew vague. She tilted the bottle in silence, as though lost in thought. The faint scent of alcohol lingered. Leaving it behind, I stepped out of the laboratory.
Feeling the breeze against my skin, I reflected inwardly.
As expected, closing the distance won’t be easy.
Selena continued to draw a clear line. Considering the events that would soon unfold, it would be far more convenient to narrow that gap now, yet there had been little progress.
It should be fine… there is still plenty of time left.
I shook off the pointless thoughts swirling in my mind. As I walked, I noticed three figures waiting in front of the research building.
“Young master…!”
“You finally came out.”
“Good work.”
Legia, Emilia, and Irene—in that order. The three girls who had been waiting for me to finish work waved lightly the moment our eyes met.
I returned a faint smile and approached them.
“Sorry I’m a little late.”
“You were a whole ten minutes late! Do you have any idea how long I waited?”
“Th-that’s because we left the library way too early. We still had time, but the young lady kept insisting we should head out right away…”
“Commoner! Stop saying useless things!”
“Hng… S-sorry.”
Legia shrank back beneath the sharp glare. After the villainess subdued the protagonist, the quietly standing fox subtly cut in. Her voice was calm.
“Pink-hair is right.”
“Miss Irene?”
“It was blue-hair who suggested waiting first. She dragged the rest of us out here by force.”
“Y-you stay quiet too! A servant shouldn’t speak out of turn! And I told you to use proper honorifics! I am the legitimate successor of the great Vanity family—!”
“Yeah, yeah, legitimate successor. We’ve heard it a million times today, so give it a rest.”
“Eeeeek!! Such insolence!”
Emilia reacted dramatically. She seemed genuinely offended. Perhaps the time they had spent together after the school trip had built some rapport. They weren’t exactly close, but the previous awkward silence between them had vanished.
I watched them with a satisfied smile.
“It’s nice to see you all getting along so well.”
“Where exactly do you see that?!”
“……I don’t need that. One human in my life is more than enough.”
“W-we weren’t getting close? If not, then… was it all just my misunderstanding…? Uuu.”
The reactions were wonderfully varied. A panicking narcissist. An indifferent fox. A dejected tamer. The air around us had grown cheerfully noisy.
We continued chatting as we crossed the wide plaza. A sudden question caught my sleeve.
“You said you wouldn’t be going to the lab starting tomorrow, right?”
“The exams are almost here.”
“Then how would you feel about studying together? The commoner and I will probably be at the library.”
“Everyone really is diligent. Preparing for exams this seriously.”
“Hmph… If you want, I suppose I could let you join us.”
“Th-that’s right, young master! The young lady said she’d teach the difficult parts too!”
“Hmm.”
It was a tempting offer. Since I already knew all the academy material, reviewing alone would only be boring. Gathering together like we did for normal assignments would probably be enjoyable.
But there was one problem.
“I’ll gladly accept the offer.”
“Then…”
“However, it will be difficult for me to join tomorrow. I’ll start participating from this weekend onward.”
“Do as you like. You already have plans for tomorrow?”
“That’s correct.”
I nodded and took Irene’s hand beside me, interlacing our fingers and giving them a gentle shake. The other two girls stared at us.
“We’re planning to go out alone together. A date, one might call it?”
The casual remark made both girls’ eyes widen.