Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Shadow Cast Over Ark #2
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Monday during lunchtime.
I had a casual meal with Elga at the cafeteria.
It was pretty surprising to see Elga, the lady of a great noble house, digging into a 5,000-coin pork cutlet.
"Um...."
In truth, she hadn't touched her food at all and was just letting out a groan. Marmar, sitting beside her, spoke up.
"If you're not going to eat it, may this Marmar have it...?"
All that was in front of Marmar was a single 2,000-coin bowl of bean sprout soup. It apparently hadn't been enough to fill her up.
"If you're not going to eat, this Marmar will have it...!"
Marmar finally slid the pork cutlet from in front of Elga over to herself and started devouring it. Watching her, I felt a twinge of doubt.
"Marmar. I gave you the meal vouchers I took from Silvers Condé and 150,000 coins. What happened to that?"
"That must be saved for emergencies...!"
So that was it.
"But to regrow my tail, I need to consume lots of nutrients...!"
At Marmar's words, I glanced at the imp tail wand coiled around my wrist like a bracelet. How would I have known she cut off her own tail to give to me?
"This pork cutlet is incredibly imp-friendly and delicious...! Inexpensive too. Tastes cheap but so very good...!"
Watching Marmar eat the 5,000-coin pork cutlet like it was premium beef made me feel unnecessarily guilty and uneasy.
So, with the intention of doing something about it, I offered her the two remaining dumplings.
"Have these too."
"As expected of a comrade—your heart is vast indeed...! Sharing food like this...! Truly the model of the church...!"
Perhaps because of Marmar's racket, Elga—who had seemed lost in deep thought—furrowed her brow sharply.
"So noisy I can't concentrate. What the hell is this imp? Why is an imp here anyway?"
"This is Marmar Marnoy...!"
"Maru-what? Theo, what's with this one eating lunch with us?"
It seemed this was Elga's first time meeting Marmar. Makes sense, since Aira was always around whenever I was with Marmar.
Still, I pondered how to explain it to Elga.
"She's, uh, kind of like my intern."
My vague dodge only made Elga crease her brow even more in confusion.
"What's an intern?"
"An intern is something very excellent and wonderful...! There's tea time, paid leave too...! Far superior to a teaching assistant...!"
"What are you even saying. Whatever. More importantly, where's my food?"
Elga noticed her plate in front of her was completely empty. Marmar replied in a creeping whisper from the side.
"This Marmar already ate it...!"
"What? Who said you could eat mine? Want a knuckle sandwich?"
"Hieeek...!"
Marmar trembled at Elga's growl. Her mouth, emitting a scream similar to mine, was smeared with pork cutlet sauce.
Thinking Marmar might actually get clocked by Elga at this rate, I decided to jump into the conversation.
"Lady Elga said you could have it."
"Did I?"
"Yes. You must not remember because you were lost in thought."
"Did I say that?"
"What on earth are you thinking about so deeply?"
I casually asked Elga, who had seemed distracted ever since class ended. Truth be told, I had a pretty good idea what was on her mind.
She was probably still dwelling on the cadets' chatter about the undead stirring on the city's outskirts and the wicked necromancer.
"You're still paying attention to what others are saying?"
"What do you mean, paying attention?"
"About that wicked necromancer. The one handling an arch-lich."
"......"
Elga didn't outright deny it. She glanced around furtively before leaning toward me and murmuring quietly.
"You think so too?"
"Think what?"
"Whether Mirna Draco—that girl—is the one wandering the outskirts, digging up graves, stealing corpses, attacking people, and turning them into undead."
In the past, I might have thought the same.
Among Ark's cadets, no one was as infamous for necromancy and black magic as the Draco family's lady.
A necromancer wielding an arch-lich?
Who else but the Draco lady?
But I had been invited to the Draco estate just the other day and inspected the place myself. I knew full well that Mirna Draco was actually a scaredy-cat terrified of ghosts and skeletons.
Mirna Draco becoming a wicked necromancer?
Impossible.
"It's not Miss Mirna."
"Then who the hell is doing these awful things? Who else but that Draco bitch?"
Elga's question left me speechless.
She apparently didn't know about Narmi Draco, Mirna's twin younger sister. That's why Narmi wasn't even on the suspect list.
Of course, neither sister was the culprit. At least, that's what I thought.
Others seemed to think differently.
─Did you hear? Last night, citizens on the outskirts were attacked by that necromancer.
─Yeah, I heard. They found the Draco family crest on the fallen undead.
─What if that necromancer is the Draco family's lady? She's single digits, so she can come and go from campus and off-campus freely. And apparently, she's been heading out to the outskirts every night lately.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
The tale of a renowned great noble house's lady attacking people nightly and turning them into corpses had already become a ghost haunting everyone's minds.
─Even some gold brooch cadets got hit, I heard. If gold broochers in the top 100 rankings are falling, that means it's someone top-tier in Ark.
─Mirna Draco's in the top six, so she's more than capable.
The circumstances pointed squarely at Mirna Draco as the wicked necromancer.
The Draco family was shrouded in secrets and eerie curses, after all.
But I didn't like seeing the twin sisters, who waited every morning in that gloomy mansion for the sun to rise, slandered by baseless rumors.
Insulting Angmar's great houses was tantamount to insulting the Angmar Kingdom.
And insulting the Angmar Kingdom was insulting everything that I—the Demon King's descendant—would one day rightfully reclaim and rule.
"Then this Marmar must head out first—it's time for wicked Professor Belhork's errands...!"
"Sure. See you later."
I waved to Marmar as I stood from my seat.
"Lady Elga, I have some business too, so I'll head out first."
"Yeah. I have stuff to do as well."
* * *
After lunch, I headed to the building housing the professors' research labs.
The person I was looking for was the renowned black mage Professor Ballan, who taught Ancient Dead Language.
I thought she might know about the seal I found on that zombie's tongue early Saturday morning.
Even if not, there might be some clue, and that could serve as evidence to clear up the campus buzz about the undead incidents and necromancer rumors.
"Are you in?"
Thus, I stopped before Professor Ballan's lab and knocked.
Her lab was in a far more luxurious and ornate research wing than Professor Belhork's, which I had visited before.
It seemed professors had unspoken hierarchies like cadets' brooches.
A corridor with tropical fish aquariums said it all.
Knock, knock.
"Are you in?"
I knocked on the lab door again.
Lunchtime was over? Maybe she's in class? As I waited for a response, a woman laden with heavy loads approached and spoke.
"Professor Ballan is at a faculty meeting...!"
She appeared to be a blue-haired nymph working as Ballan's teaching assistant. 'Miris' on her nameplate—her name, perhaps?
"Teaching Assistant Miris, when will Professor Ballan return?"
"No idea...! With all the undead stirring everywhere lately, the professor is swamped...! Piles of documents needing approval...!"
Got it.
As a black magic and necromancy expert, plenty besides me must be seeking her out amid the current situation.
I had no choice but to turn away.
I'd meet the professor tomorrow anyway.
Thus, time passed to the next day.
I headed to the lecture hall for Tuesday's Ancient Dead Language class.
As I slid the door open, the chattering cadets instantly fell silent—it felt like I was being ostracized, which was a bit depressing.
I set my things on the corner table where I'd sat last time and waited for class to start.
Had Mirna Draco not arrived yet?
As I glanced around, it hit 9:00 sharp. Finally, the door slid open with a rattle, and a woman with notably large breasts entered the lecture hall.
Black dress, deep navy hair. Red eyes with prominent dark circles—that was Professor Ballan. Her complexion seemed even paler than last time.
She scanned the room before slapping the lectern with her palm.
"Everyone, take your seats. Class... starts now."
I glanced at the empty seat beside me—the only one vacant. Mirna Draco still hadn't shown.
Was she going to be late?
"Today's lecture is practical. And there's homework. Explore ruins near the city, Gracia. Ancient dead languages. Copy them from these scrolls."
Class proceeded regardless of absences.
The second Ancient Dead Language lecture was practical: venturing beyond Ark to survey ancient ruins directly.
Someone raised a hand.
"Professor, I've heard undead appear at off-campus ruins. Is it safe?"
"I-it's fine. Our professors have. Cleared that area. Completely. A few rowdy ones, but. Stick to the spots I designate. No problem."
Professor Ballan began sketching something on the blackboard.
It was a map of the expansive 'Old Castle Ruins' site north of Ark, she explained.
"Those taking my class. Tw- twenty people. Pairs. Ten teams. Each covers one of ten zones. Report back. I've hidden markers. Bring them for extra credit."
Pairs?
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
Group project.
And I had no one beside me.
"Th-Theo. No friends? No partner?"
In the end, I was left alone, suffering the humiliation.
Everyone had a group but me.
If only it were a class with Elga or Aira. The only person I knew here was Mirna Draco.
"Th-then pair with Lady Draco. Tell her what I said today."
Thus, I ended up paired with the absent Mirna Draco.
"N-now, by dawn today. Everyone find markers and runes. Submit to my lab. Dismissed."
Class ended, and I set out to find Mirna Draco. I needed to inform her we were partners.
So I headed to her luxurious dorm and knocked on her door.
"Are you in?"
─Ugh....
A pained groan came from inside.
"Miss Mirna. It's Theo Gospel."
Clunk, creak.
The door wasn't locked.
As it slowly opened, I saw the opulent interior of her single-person dorm: plush bed, and Mirna Draco lying there, slowly propping herself up.
Uncharacteristically unladylike, she was disheveled.
Her long shirt—like pajamas—revealed bare legs and chest below, but Mirna Draco didn't seem to care.
"Are you ill? You didn't respond, so I entered. Sorry."
"Can't sleep at all lately.... Why are you in my room, commoner?"
"Came to tell you about homework. You'll need to take a walk with me today at the northern Old Castle Ruins."
"Ugh...."
Mirna Draco's face was flushed red. Though I didn't touch, her forehead and cheeks must be burning.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Wincing deeply, she pointed at something on the table with a finger. It looked like dried kelp. Kombu?
"Give me that. Very good for recovery...."
"Sure."
Mirna Draco popped the kombu in her mouth and chewed. But lacking strength, she struggled with the tough texture.
"Ugh."
In the end, she spat it out.
I picked up the hard kombu rolling on the floor and asked casually.
"Why are you in such bad shape? Why couldn't you sleep...?"
What came to mind were the rumors the cadets had whispered.
About the wicked necromancer who appeared Sunday night, attacking people and indiscriminately raising undead, causing trouble.
Right now, Mirna looked just like a necromancer who hadn't slept at night.
Breathing hot sighs slowly, Mirna Draco said,
"Sorry, but really, I hate to ask this. No other choice. Commoner, could you... wipe my body with a cold towel...?"
With that, Mirna Draco collapsed back onto the bed. She could no longer stay conscious.
I nodded, eyeing the washbasin and towel beside her.
"Sure."