Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Rotten Stench Spreads (2)
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A peaceful afternoon at Aphria.
The anomaly struck in an instant.
A single thunderous boom. A single explosion.
From that signal, Aphria was overrun by beasts. Or rather, "overrun" might not be the right word.
Beasts erupted from every corner of Aphria. From the ground, from the ceilings, from the corridor windows, from the outer walls of buildings—they poured out like vomit.
Their numbers were far from few.
It wasn't their quality that was alarming, but their sheer quantity.
It would be comforting to think this was the result of some failed experiment. But the knights stationed within the academy grounds sensed otherwise.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ This is terrorism. They seemed mindless at first glance, but a pattern emerged in the beasts' movements. Someone was raising and controlling them.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Someone is controlling the beasts. Beasts drawn to demonic energy follow demonkin. Only demonkin can control beasts. Yet there couldn't possibly be any demonkin here.
The knights had good reason for thinking that.
Aphria was an academy located within the capital.
It was protected by the barrier encircling the capital.
And no ordinary demonkin could breach that barrier. Even if they did, their bodies would warp, unable to maintain human form.
So, not demonkin.
That left only one possibility.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ A turncoat has appeared. Turncoats—humans who sold their souls to demons.
They were special. They wielded demonic energy yet retained their human essence. Free from the capital's barrier.
"There's a turncoat inside Aphria."
The princess's guard knight.
Havel, the highest-ranking knight here, spoke up.
"To cause a phenomenon like this, they must be a mage of at least professor level. The demon they contracted with must be considerable too."
He reached a swift conclusion.
"Finding them right away won't be easy. That's for later. Our priority is protecting the students, and..."
Havel's face hardened as he uttered the final words, knowing their weight.
"Protecting the Fourth Princess, Aila."
The knights sprang into action.
As always, for the noble ones.
2.
"..."
Aila stared blankly at the scene before her.
Beasts roamed the academy grounds.
They poured out from somewhere. Walls crumbled. The situation itself wasn't unfamiliar to Aila.
'I've experienced it once before.'
It was before she awakened as the Child of the Stars.
A terrorist attack targeting her, just prior to her awakening.
A figure who had reached the rank of grand mage.
Gellik, the court's chief mage.
He had become a turncoat and unleashed terror on the royal family.
Aila remembered that incident clearly—the one that turned the capital upside down.
-This way, Your Highness.
The turncoat Gellik had scattered beasts in pursuit of her. Aila fled. Logically, a young and weak Aila could never escape Gellik.
Yet she ran.
-Protect her with your lives!
It wasn't her talent or power that let her escape Gellik.
-Flee, Your Highness!
-We'll hold them here. Go!
Countless knights protected her.
-Hurry, Your Highness.
-This is our duty.
Knights sworn to the crown gladly sacrificed their lives. Solely to protect Aila.
Many knights died that day.
Leaving them behind, Aila ran.
'I kept running.'
Believing someone would help.
She ran and ran until she reached a place that now seemed utterly random.
'The Royal Library.'
She didn't know why she fled there.
It was before awakening as the Child of the Stars, so she couldn't blame instinct.
Coincidence.
And at the end of that coincidence...
-Your Highness?
"Your Highness?"
There was a mage.
Blink.
Aila blinked once. She shook off the memories swirling in her mind and focused on the present.
"Are you alright?"
-Are you alright?
She tried to shake it off, but the memories overlapped strangely.
Aila gazed at the woman before her with hazy eyes.
Ash-gray hair.
Blue eyes.
Features matching the mage from her memories.
The woman's blue eyes turned toward her.
"Your Highness."
She asked.
"A message just rang out. Did you hear it?"
Aila finally gathered her wits and replied.
"...No, sorry. I didn't hear it."
"The knights are looking for you, Your Highness. Shall I escort you there?"
Aila nodded slowly.
"Yes, thank you."
"Please wait a moment. I need to clear the path first."
"Pardon?"
"We can't just stroll through there."
She pointed down the corridor.
Beasts swarmed the corridor. They weren't charging yet, but no guarantee they wouldn't if approached.
"Gotta clear them out."
Saying so, she rolled her shoulders.
Rotated her wrists.
Step.
Then, she took one step forward. Her gait matched when she entered the classroom.
Neither fast nor slow.
A moderate pace and stride.
The difference came when she was about three steps from the beasts.
Thud.
Suddenly, weight loaded into her step.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Enhance-Strength The spell flashed.
Crunch!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the corridor floor. She kicked off the ground and charged the beasts. Ash-gray hair fluttered.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Haste The spell flashed for an instant.
She swung her arm. A short, snatching swing gripped the beast's head. Crushed it.
Splat.
Blood rained down as she thrust her hand forward. She snapped her fingers. An invisible shockwave tore the beast's maw and pierced its body.
Beast corpses piled up.
Aila stared blankly.
"Ah..."
A monster rampaged among the beasts.
Numbers didn't matter. With every shake of ash-gray hair, the beasts retreated step by step.
Mindless beasts backpedaling.
Instinctual terror. Dozens of beasts retreating before one human.
But whether they charged or fled, the outcome was the same.
Chargers were stomped. Flee-ers were shredded by shockwaves. No hesitation in her fluid motions.
Her side profile, glimpsed suddenly, was utterly expressionless.
"Ugh..."
Aila closed her eyes. Turned her head. When she opened them again, it was over.
The corridor beasts were gone.
Bloodstains filled their place.
Turn her head—beast without a neck. Heart-pierced beast. Beasts with holes, crushed and slammed into walls.
Many such.
Very many.
The blood-soaked corridor looked like a beast had rampaged through.
Drip.
Blood flowed to Aila's feet.
She followed it with her gaze.
"..."
At the blood's origin stood Professor Lania.
Flicking blood from her hands, lightly shaking her head. Ash-gray hair swaying in the breeze.
Little difference from before.
Just a few blood drops on her robe.
"Ah."
She turned back.
Then added casually.
"All clear now."
Lania approached Aila.
Aila looked up blankly at her.
"Hm..."
She seemed thoughtful.
Soon, she pulled something from her robe.
Black gloves.
The ones she wore during class.
She slipped them on and extended her hand. As if to help her up.
"Up you get."
-Up you get.
In that gesture.
-Get up, Your Highness.
Aila saw another figure overlap.
The mage who had extended a hand to her that day, beasts at her back.
Ash-gray hair, blue eyes.
And that impassive expression.
The memories coalesced.
In the overlapping scene, Aila murmured unwittingly.
"...Lady Raniel?"
"My name is Lania."
"Ah! Oh, sorry..."
Aila clapped a hand over her mouth.
Shocked at her own words, she widened her eyes.
'What was that...!'
Calling a woman by a man's name. To Aila, it was deeply rude.
"Ugh..."
Feeling embarrassed, Aila bowed her head. She spoke in a small voice.
"Sorry, Professor Lania..."
"It's fine."
Though her words said so, reluctance tinged her voice. Aila, head bowed deeply, took the offered hand and stood.
'She must be offended.'
Thinking so, Aila glanced at the professor's back as she walked ahead. Between swaying ash-gray locks, a pale nape gleamed.
'...Sweat?'
Cold sweat beaded on that nape.
'...She's exhausted.'
Of course—dealing with that many beasts in so short a time would tire anyone. What rudeness to such a person.
'Sorry...'
Aila murmured inwardly as she followed.
3.
'Ugh, goosebumps.'
I rubbed my nape absently.
Hearing "Raniel" made my heart sink.
'How sharp is her intuition?'
I glanced back casually.
Princess Aila followed with head down. No sign of suspicion, at least.
"We're here."
Before long, we'd reached the knights' outpost.
"P-Princess!"
"Ah, Havel."
No sooner had we arrived than knights spotted Aila and rushed out. The lead knight knelt before her.
"Are you safe?!"
"As you see, I'm fine. Havel."
"Thank goodness... truly... I'm so sorry I wasn't at your side..."
"It's okay, Havel. It was my fault. And..."
Aila pointed at me.
"Professor Lania here protected me."
Knights' gazes turned to me.
The knight called Havel approached, bowed deeply, and expressed gratitude.
"Havel, guard knight to Princess Aila. Thank you so much, Professor Lania."
"Just doing my duty."
I shook my head lightly.
It felt like overtime, but escorting her here was my responsibility.
'Though I never imagined that thing I saw back there would connect like this.'
I'd left it alone for now, prioritizing the princess's safety...
'But I need to clean it up.'
I planned to head back to that corridor.
Before that, I confirmed a few things with the knights.
"Where have the students evacuated to?"
"Ah, we're using the spell training hall..."
"Professors and knights are guarding it."
A solid choice.
The training hall's outer walls were sturdy. No ordinary beast could breach them.
'And from what I saw...'
The beasts weren't high-grade. None seemed capable of breaking the training hall door.
"Ah, Professor Lania."
A knight who recognized me added.
"Professor Rosel is at the shelter too."
"Then it's safe."
I nodded.
With my master there, even a turncoat wouldn't try anything.
'No worries there.'
My tasks were clearer now.
"Where are you going?"
"Got a place to check."
"We'll come with—"
"No need."
I waved off the knights and entered the building alone. The stench hit my nose the moment I did.
"Rotten smell."
"The rotten stench spreads."
The piercing stink was familiar.
Familiarity in a place it shouldn't be. I wrinkled my nose.
I splayed gloved fingers.
Folded my thumb.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Silence Footsteps vanished.
Presence erased.
No more beasts charging at me.
Next, I folded index and middle fingers.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Tracking ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Spell-Capture A long trail appeared before my eyes. I followed it. The destination wasn't far.
A door at the corridor's end.
I didn't know how long it'd been there. I'd never seen it passing through before.
A door out of nowhere.
I stood before it. Then folded ring and pinky fingers too.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Anti-Spell ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Unlock The locking spells tore away.
I hooked a finger on the handle. Pulled.
Creeeak.
The door opened with a racket.
The stench intensified as it swung wide. I peered inside.
"Ha."
I let out a sudden laugh.
"Fitting for me, this rotten stench."