The Cry of the Underworld Whale
Nephthys had bought Simon a large-capacity subspace pouch as a gift.
Simon bowed again and again in thanks, and Nephthys declared he'd earned it as she patted his head. More precisely, she stretched out her arms and bounced up and down on her toes until Simon had to crouch for a moment so she could reach.
As the three of them made their way out of the shop, with Nephthys and Stephanie chattering away, Simon spoke up hesitantly.
"B-but is it really okay for me to just accept something like this? You said it was priceless."
At that, Lorraine's smile turned impish.
"Funny, you didn't refuse nearly so quickly when Mom told you to take it."
"Wha—no! That was just—"
"I'm joking."
She let out a rare laugh, then went on. "More importantly, how are your father and mother doing, Simon?"
"They're well. Thanks to your concern for them."
"Mom's old war comrades, after all. I really should visit someday, with a gift in hand, and pay my respects."
Simon found himself thinking that, for someone his own age, Lorraine was remarkably composed and mature. It was the sense that she carried a different weight on her shoulders. People were already whispering that Lorraine held a fair degree of influence over Kizen's administration.
"School starts tomorrow. What have you been up to?" Lorraine asked.
"Vacation homework with my group back at the lodging. Our place is honestly great—we get the space under the Clock Tower. Want to come hang out, if you don't mind?"
She shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but no. If I showed up out of nowhere it'd make your groupmates uncomfortable, and I have my own preparations to finish for tomorrow."
"Did you finish your vacation homework?"
The corners of her mouth curled up. "Starting on it now, actually~"
Worth remembering, once again: for all that her dark magic skill towered impossibly far above any student's, Lorraine's written grades were not exactly stellar.
After parting ways with Nephthys and Lorraine, Simon returned to the Clock Tower.
"Wait—this is wrong! Who told you to write the curse formula like that?!"
"Dick! This part's wrong too!"
Everyone was in the final sprint.
Dick sat in the middle, tearing his hair out over his assignments, while the two girls flanked him and unleashed an endless barrage of nagging and unwanted instruction.
"Just leave me aloooone!"
Mid-shriek, Dick looked up and spotted Simon walking in—as if the Second Coming itself had just crossed the threshold.
"Simon! Help me!"
"Sure."
Simon swapped into his slippers and sat down across from Dick.
"Want me to check your Summoning work?"
"Ah! Not that one!"
There was so much squabbling that things kept veering wildly off course, but with four heads working together, Dick's vacation homework eventually reached a state where it could be glossed over well enough. By then, Simon and Camibarez were sitting side by side, wrapping up their own assignments.
"I'm looking forward to the opening ceremony tomorrow~" Camibarez said, setting down her quill. Dick, sensing a new topic, hurried to jump in.
"We'll get to see the new professors at the ceremony! Did you two hear? Forget Professor Byeolya arriving for Toxicology—word is the Hemomancy professor's changing too!"
"Yep."
"Yes."
Dick's mouth snapped shut. That was not the reaction he'd been fishing for.
"Th-then, um, I take it you don't know who the new Hemomancy professor is—"
"Professor Walter Hahn," Simon answered flatly.
"I actually saw him this morning, Dick," Camibarez added with a bright, beaming smile. Dick pressed a hand to his forehead, looking bitter.
"...Ah. And that was my trump card."
"Hey!! I told you not to tease me!"
There was a loud crash from beyond the wall, and then Meilin burst out in her pajamas. Her hair was tied back in a single cord, and her face was freshly scrubbed and shiny—she'd apparently just washed up.
Dick, who'd been slacking off, jolted in alarm and pretended to study his homework.
"Meilin! Let's have a pajama party!" Camibarez clapped her hands together. Meilin nodded.
"After we make the boys finish their homework."
"Hehe, sounds like tonight's a no-go for me."
"...Sob. Would you all quit beating up on me? I'm the one who secured this lodging in the first place, you know. It's just cruel."
"Modest, aren't we, over one little room. If you're that salty, do your vacation homework ahead of time next time."
Simon watched the three of them carry on with a smile, then folded his arms.
"So, the Integrated Second Semester. They're calling it a semi-wartime curriculum—I wonder how it'll actually run?"
"What's there to wonder about?"
Meilin took her seat and rested her chin on her hand.
"Back when the break started, war could've broken out at any moment. But things have supposedly settled down on the Holy Federation's side now, right? There'd be nothing strange about going back to peacetime classes."
"Then why did things calm down?"
"Oh, oh! I know this one!"
At the mention of a story he knew, Dick lit up and barged in.
"Apparently some heretic cult—the Blood Sky Cult, or whatever—pulled every bit of aggro! They were trying to set the Holy Federation and us against each other!"
"That's right. It was a huge controversy in the Dark Alliance too."
At this particular topic, Simon subtly turned his head away and feigned indifference.
The fact that he had been standing at the very heart of that momentous historical event still didn't quite feel real, even now.
I wonder if Lethe, Ellen, and Lady Israfil are all doing okay. And I hope Metin managed to overcome his Divinity Slump, too.
Just then, Dick sidled over and slung an arm around Simon's neck.
"Ahem! What's this, brooding all by yourself again? Don't keep interesting thoughts to yourself—share with the class!"
"Haha! No, it wasn't anything interesting."
Late into the night, the four of them chatted and bickered their way through their preparations for the new term.
Early dawn.
"Huaaam."
"Yaaawn."
Simon packed his bags to the sound of Dick and Camibarez yawning, still only half awake.
Meilin, seemingly incapable of exhaustion, nagged as relentlessly as ever, while Simon—blessed with stamina to spare—had his own things ready in no time and ended up handling all the cleaning on top of it.
"Thanks for having us!"
With Dick's parting shout, the four of them spilled out of the Clock Tower lodging and walked down streets still mostly empty. In front of a few shops, people were sweeping their doorways and getting ready for the day.
Before heading to the meeting point, the four stopped at a bookstore.
They'd originally planned to buy their second-semester textbooks yesterday, but the unexpected incident had forced the purchase to today. Naturally, buying textbooks in Rochest cost a fortune, so the usual routine was to purchase them in Langestin before crossing over to Roc Island.
Inside the bookstore, plenty of first-year students had turned up for the same reason.
"Oh! It's Meilin!"
"Simon!"
They ran into familiar Class A faces. There was Jamie Victoria, the master of questions and honorary class president, along with Cindy Vivace, Class A's Spirit Magic ace.
While Meilin and Jamie fell into a whirlwind of chatter, Cindy elbowed Simon in the ribs with a snicker.
"Yo. How've you been?"
"You know. Getting by."
Simon answered with one hand clamped over the wallet in his pocket. Cindy took one look and burst out laughing.
"I'm not gonna steal it this time, you punk!"
Seeing the other Class A students for the first time in two months, Simon realized how much he'd missed them. At the same time, the atmosphere of a new term came rushing in all at once.
Camibarez and Dick joined in too, and the whole group caught up on Class A news together.
Meanwhile, Meilin and Jamie had chattered their way so far off that the two of them stood apart from everyone else. Jamie let out a low whistle.
"Damn~ You got even prettier over the break? Look at that hair, all swishy."
"Flattery. How kind of you."
Meilin's reply was lukewarm, but she wasn't unhappy about it. Truth be told, she'd been growing her hair out with tremendous care for the play.
"Ah, but I'm kind of jealous," Jamie sighed.
"My group is all girls. You get to strut around with two boys in tow."
"S-strut around with? What's that supposed to mean!"
Meilin shouted, her face going red. Jamie caught the reaction and smiled a knowing smile.
"Come on, tell me. Which one of the two?"
"Hey! Stop it! The others can hear—!"
"Could it be... Dick?"
"Are you broken?"
Meilin went dead serious, not a trace of playfulness in her voice. Apparently satisfied with that answer, Jamie giggled.
"If you ever need help, big sis is always here for you~"
"It's not like that, so drop the crap and worry about your own love life. Weren't you into Hector?"
Now it was Jamie's turn to go red.
"Hey!! You actually bring that up and I'll—!"
"What are you two talking about?"
But the conversation was cut short by the ambush of Cindy Vivace—who, as every girl in the class knew, had the loosest lips around.
The moment both of them clamped their mouths shut, Cindy looked at Meilin, clearly having gotten entirely the wrong idea.
"Whoa. Meilin's into Hector? Bold taste."
"...Should I freeze her out or burn her."
With all their textbooks purchased, the four of them left the bookstore.
There were various routes into Roc Island, but anyone who'd come to Langestin generally traveled by Underworld Whale—Simon's group included.
"It's my first time riding one of those!"
Camibarez said, her face alight with excitement. Dick, gnawing on a strip of dried meat he'd bought as a snack, asked, "Then what did you ride for the entrance ceremony?"
"From the Carlos Kingdom, I came over on something like a giant eagle! I was sitting in a building, and the eagle picked the whole building up and dropped it off on Roc Island."
"...Wow. Classic Kizen. The scale is insane."
The four of them arrived at the pier.
Just like last time, a large ship sat anchored in the harbor, and henchmen herded the students aboard in orderly lines. Dick was in the middle of an enthusiastic explanation to Camibarez.
"So once we're on the ship, the Underworld Whale comes and swallows us whole!"
"Whoa!"
"You four."
A man in a cloak trimmed with black crow feathers looked their way.
"Cut the chatter and move along. The people behind you are waiting."
"Ah—yes sir! Sorry, sir!"
Dick bowed hastily and sprinted toward the ship.
"Guys, did you see that? Did you see? That was a Crow!"
The Crow—Kizen headquarters' core combat force, an organization of the academy's most elite active necromancer agents. Among the current Kizen faculty, Bahil and others counted themselves among its ranks.
Meilin's expression turned grave.
"Last time it was professors, now they've sent the Crow. Something wrong, you think?"
"Oho."
Dick's conspiracy-loving eyes glittered. A frightened Camibarez shook her head quickly.
"D-do we really need to think like that? They're probably just a bit short-staffed."
"Let's hurry aboard. Unless you want another scolding."
Simon said. The four took their seats in a row, and before long the other students boarded as well.
Hector and his clique were there too. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice—Hector's group headed down the stairs to the lower deck.
Soon every Kizen student in Langestin was aboard. After receiving the headcount from the henchmen, the Crow agent boarded last.
"Agent. Departure in five minutes."
At the henchman's report, the Crow gave a tired flick of the hand. The henchmen scurried about, shouting at everyone to fasten their seat restraints.
It's been a while since I've ridden the Underworld Whale.
Simon fastened his restraint, heart thrumming with anticipation.
"There it is!"
From far off on the horizon, an enormous surge of white water came rolling toward them. The students, electrified by the fact that they were returning to Kizen at last, let out cheers that were half nerves and half exhilaration.
WHOOOOOOSH—!
A colossal wave swelled up, and out of its heart rose the Underworld Whale. It engulfed the ship in a single gulp and plunged into the deep.
"You may now unfasten your restraints."
The ship had settled safely inside the whale's belly.
The students, as if they'd been waiting for exactly that, unstrapped noisily and rose from their seats. Belly of a monster though it was, the interior was surprisingly warm and comfortable.
Henchmen moved among the students offering desserts and refreshments—there was even a menu to choose from.
Simon picked a cream coffee.
"I-it's a little scary, though."
Camibarez said, eyes wide, glancing around at the raw crimson vault of the whale's insides. Dick chuckled.
"Relax, we're not heading into the actual stomach. And the real scenic highlight comes after we disembark—look forward to it!"
"Highlight?"
"Yup. The whale launches us thousands of meters into the air and drops us straight onto the Kizen campus. The sunrise from up there is to die for!"
At the words thousands of meters, Camibarez went pale and shuddered.
Meilin was just raising her hand to smack Dick across the back and tell him to stop scaring her when—
KWAAAAAANG!
The ship abruptly began to lurch violently.
"Wh-what was that?!"
"An explosion?"
Dick stared at Meilin in shock.
"How hard did you just hit my back?!"
"You lunatic! Do you think I did that?!"
KWAAANG! KUUUUNG!
The shaking grew worse and worse, and through the hull came the Underworld Whale's agonized, pained cries. Simon gripped the ship's railing.
...What's happening?
His vision began to blur at the edges.
Then, with a thunderous BOOM, the ship heaved violently—and Simon's consciousness went dark.
SHAAAAAAA—!
The sound of waves washing ashore.
Simon slowly lifted his eyelids.
His mouth tasted of dirt, and his head throbbed dully.
Shaaaaaa.
Seawater rushed over his body. As it turned out, he was face-down in a stretch of sand.
He had no idea what was what. Bracing his palms against the ground, he heaved himself up with effort.
"...Dick? Meilin? Cami? Where is everyone?"
Simon called for his friends as he scanned his surroundings, but the three of them were nowhere to be seen. He was utterly alone here.
Shaaaaaaa.
Only belatedly did Simon's gaze turn toward the sea. The water rolling in toward him was red.
"!"
Simon scrambled upright and whirled around. What he saw through the thick sea fog made his eyes go wide.
Floating motionless in the distance, some way off, was the massive Underworld Whale they'd just been riding—its body listing beside the ship it had swallowed. The sea around it was stained crimson from end to end with the blood it had spilled.
"What in the world happened here?"