The Emergency Meeting, Part 2
A chilly silence filled the room.
Everyone began to stare at Doricco Shiro with bizarre looks.
"W-what? Why is everyone looking at me like that?"
"Whew..."
The Knight let out a sigh, as if unable to deal with her.
"Doricco Shiro."
"Y-yes?"
"What on earth did you do in the Sky Ocean Forest?"
"What? I didn't do anything weird!"
Doricco Shiro jumped up from her seat and defended herself.
"I corrupted the Sea Moon Mother just like those lords ordered, ruined the Sky Ocean Forest, and even lured Grandfather Jacques von Heibrun!"
Of course, the corrupted Sea Moon Mother had died by Gaon's sword, and the Sky Ocean Forest was slated to be restored because of it... but Doricco Shiro chose not to mention that.
"A-and those lords were the ones who told me to get close to Gaon in the first place!"
"..."
"I didn't act on my own! I'm telling the truth!"
The others fell into a brief silence.
These were immortals who had coexisted for hundreds of years. Although they only met face-to-face once every few decades, that vast stretch of time had allowed them to understand each other's personalities to the bone.
Therefore, everyone present knew.
They knew that Doricco Shiro was terrible at lying.
If she was protesting her innocence this vehemently, it was undoubtedly the truth.
"Very well."
The Knight nodded reluctantly.
"Doricco Shiro, if you say so, then those lords must have their reasons."
"You finally believe me! Phew!"
Only then did Doricco Shiro let out a deep sigh of relief and plop back down into her seat.
"So, is that all you have to say about the thirteenth Sword Master? Do you have no information on what kind of person he is, or how strong he is?"
"Well, it's not that I don't..."
Doricco Shiro recalled the memories of that day before replying.
"First of all, he's strong. Incredibly so."
"..."
"He looks ordinary on the outside, but you shouldn't be fooled. That's just a deception to make his opponents lower their guard."
The Coward muttered in a trembling voice.
"H-h-how strong is he exactly...?"
"Out of everyone I've ever met, he's the strongest."
"..."
"It was the first time I was suppressed without even being able to do anything."
A sudden pause.
The air in the room turned ice-cold.
Although Doricco Shiro's personality was like that of a child, one could not afford to underestimate her skills.
Before her illusions, any opponent would crumble helplessly.
Even among the Five Nightmares, there was no one who could break through an illusion Doricco Shiro cast with serious intent.
And yet...
...Even Doricco Shiro was suppressed without being able to do a single thing?
The Knight's black sphere fell quiet.
No features—neither eyes, nose, nor mouth—manifested on its surface. This meant the Knight was deeply shaken.
The thirteenth Sword Master.
Gaon.
Less than a month after killing Camilo von Taribas, he had slain the Corrupted.
To engage in a life-or-death battle with someone of that caliber, and then repeat a fight of the same level just a month later...
It was proof that his martial might utterly overwhelmed his opponents.
But to not stop there, and even break Doricco Shiro's illusions...
...Does this mean that not only his physical might, but his mental strength as well has reached a terrifying level?
Having reached this conclusion, the Knight let out a dry chuckle.
"He is dangerous."
"..."
"A Sword Master whose mind and body have both reached the absolute peak... The more I hear, the more extraordinary he sounds."
Doricco Shiro hastily chimed in.
"H-he's not dangerous! I told you, we're friends! I'm sure he'll get along with you guys too..."
"No."
The Knight cut her off flatly.
"Doricco Shiro. I do not know what transpired between you and the thirteenth Sword Master, but you must not let your guard down against his double-dealing tactics. Even those lords are wary of him above all else."
"What? T-that can't be..."
"Last night, those lords spoke. They said that our strength alone would not be enough to stop the thirteenth Seeker."
"...!"
Everyone flinched in surprise at the Knight's words.
...Our strength alone is not enough.
Through that brief sentence, they realized what the Knight was implying.
"N-no way..."
"Yes."
The Knight nodded, concluding his statement.
"Following the Necromancer who gifted us all immortality, the second Apostle will descend."
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
[Hidden Message: Causality is warping.]
[Hidden Message: The descent of the Second Apostle 「#???@?????&?????^??????!?????%????????????????#????」 is being accelerated.]
The hallway in front of the special hospital room.
While the medical staff busily bustled back and forth, Adelia stood guard in front of the door.
"...?"
Just then, she saw two figures walking toward her from the distance.
A tall woman and a stout old man.
They were none other than Selena Servich and Professor Biorf.
She bowed.
Approaching Adelia, Selena offered a polite greeting.
"Did you get some good rest, Miss Adelia?"
"Yes. And you, Professors...?"
"Thanks to you, we rested well too. We rarely get a chance to relax while working as professors, so it was a rare, good night's sleep."
Smiling with her eyes, Selena Servich continued.
"Actually, an emergency measures meeting is currently being held at the academy. It concerns the 'monster' that was hidden in the underground labyrinth."
The magic academy's faculty and board of directors were utterly horrified by the truth of the secret rituals and their victims, which had spanned centuries.
It had been revealed that a horrific atrocity had been occurring right beneath their feet for a period nearly as long as the history of Wintersield itself.
Nothing had been officially decided yet.
However, it was clear that a fierce debate would ensue over how to handle this incident, which could deal a massive blow to the academy's reputation—specifically, whether to reveal the truth or cover it up.
"In that sense... would it be possible to meet Lord Gaon? As he is the most important witness for this meeting, we believe it would be best for him to accompany us."
Selena Servich's reason for wanting to bring Gaon to the meeting was simple.
She needed his help to prevent the existence of the Shadow Society from being exposed to the public.
Above all, borrowing Gaon's authority was the best way to convey the situation to the members of the Shadow Society within the academy.
However, upon hearing Selena's request, Adelia shook her head firmly.
"I am sorry. Sir Gaon requested that no one be allowed into the room for the time being."
"...Pardon?"
Selena asked back, taken aback.
"Why is that...?"
"I do not know the details. I was only instructed to guard the door no matter what."
"..."
It was a command all too familiar to Adelia.
A few weeks ago, after defeating Camilo von Taribas, Gaon had made the exact same request.
And...
—Guard the door. Do not let anyone in under any circumstances until I come out.
...Starting from that very moment, Sir Gaon's strength grew explosively.
She didn't know the exact reason.
But wasn't this situation likely similar to that one?
Therefore, no matter how influential the professors of Wintersield Magic Academy were, Adelia could not let them inside the room.
"Hmm."
Faced with Adelia's stubborn stance, Selena and Professor Biorf looked at each other.
"What should we do, Biorf?"
"What else can we do? We have no choice but to wait here."
"I suppose so, but..."
Selena trailed off.
Gaon was the one who had brought about this entire situation. Naturally, he would have prepared a way to handle the aftermath.
At least, from what Selena had seen of Gaon, he was a man who always possessed the foresight to look one step ahead.
...Rather than us stepping forward unnecessarily, following Gaon's instructions is the most rational course of action.
Having reached that conclusion, Selena gave a brief nod.
"Then we shall wait here until Lord Gaon is ready."
Selena looked at Adelia and asked.
"Would that be alright, Miss Adelia?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
Since there was no reason to refuse, Adelia nodded in agreement.
Selena leaned against the wall, and Professor Biorf plonked himself down next to her.
How much time had passed?
Creaaak.
Just as Professor Biorf began to doze off, the sound of the door opening finally echoed.
"Ah, Sir Gaon."
Adelia straightened her posture and greeted him.
Seeing this, Selena and Professor Biorf also sprang to their feet.
The door opened fully, revealing Gaon.
Behind him, the faint figure of a young man with pinkish hair could be seen.
Gaon looked at the three people standing before him with a calm expression.
"You are all here."
When I stepped out of the room, everyone was waiting for me.
It was a relief that I didn't have to go through the trouble of looking for them one by one.
"Hmm?"
Just then, Professor Biorf's eyes sparkled.
His gaze was fixed on Strawberry Latte, who was visible through the gap in the doorway.
"Who is that...?"
Since he had been unconscious during the Corrupted's ritual, it seemed this was his first time seeing Strawberry Latte's face.
I gave a brief reply.
"He is the one the Corrupted intended to use as a sacrifice."
"Oh?"
Excitement instantly spread across Professor Biorf's face. It was as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.
He muttered to himself.
"I don't know where he popped out from, but his magical talent is truly magnificent. I would love to have a chat with him..."
I ignored Professor Biorf's muttering and stared intently at Selena.
Recognizing my gaze, she immediately began to rattle off the reason she had come to find me.
"The magic academy is in great chaos because of the monster. An emergency measures meeting has been convened, and we would be honored if you could join us, Lord Gaon."
Selena continued to explain the current state of the magic academy.
Many words were exchanged, but the point could be summarized simply.
...Basically, she has no confidence in cleaning up this mess herself, so she wants me to take responsibility.
It was a bit cheeky of her, but I accepted for now.
After all, participating in Wintersield Magic Academy's emergency meeting was part of my plan.
I needed to get acquainted with a few named NPCs there anyway.
"Then let us head to the meeting room immediately."
Selena led the way, and Adelia and I followed behind her.
Professor Biorf reluctantly followed us as well.
Even as he walked, his lingering, regretful gaze remained fixed on Strawberry Latte.
Looks like he won't even need to try hard to become a grad student.
Now that he had caught Professor Biorf's eye, Strawberry Latte was destined to be kidnapped as a teaching assistant even if he did absolutely nothing.
Step, step.
I looked around as we walked down the hallway.
The atmosphere of Wintersield Magic Academy was noticeably different.
The students and instructors sensed a strange vibe, but they didn't seem to know exactly what had happened yet.
After passing through the long corridor, we finally arrived in front of the meeting room.
Selena stopped in front of a heavy wooden door protected by layers of magical barriers.
"All the high-ranking officials of the magic academy are gathered inside."
Staring at me, Selena requested in a slightly anxious voice.
Was she worried I might pull some stunt?
"...I leave this in your hands, Sir Gaon."
I nodded silently.
Creeeak.
The door opened.
We stepped into a circular meeting room filled with a solemn atmosphere.
It was a space with a high ceiling and a grand chandelier. About a dozen people were seated around a round table.
Everyone's eyes turned toward me in unison.
"Ahem!"
Just then, an old man who appeared to be the eldest spoke up.
His expression was slightly displeased.
"...Are you the rumored thirteenth Sword Master?"