The Rot Beneath the Academy

Contempt.

"I'm sorry, but I can't provide information on the cadets. I hope you understand."

I tried to get information about Copson and Jade from the staff member in the academy lobby, but the employee politely refused. In a way, it was only natural. The empire's premier academy wouldn't go around handing out personal information. Especially since most of the cadets were nobles, that made it even less likely.

"Hmm..."

That meant I'd have to gather information on Copson and Jade myself... Fine. In times like these, there was one method that was both the most effective and the simplest.

"Excuse me... I have a quick question."

"M-me?! Um... ahem. Here, this is my arcapone..."

The method was simply asking the cadets... but why was she handing me her arcapone?

"Ah, that's not what I meant. I'm looking for some cadets. Do you happen to know anyone named Copson or Jade?"

"Ah... wait. What did you say? Copson and Jade?"

The female cadet, who had been wearing a slightly disappointed expression, suddenly twisted her face into one of utter disgust the moment she heard those names, as if she'd just recalled something repulsive.

"Look. Why are you looking for those ba— I mean, those cadets?"

"Oh. I have some business with them."

"Sigh... I thought spring had finally come for me too... ugh."

"Um... could you at least tell me their dorm room numbers? Copson and Jade?"

"Ugh. 118 and 119. Happy now? You'll probably end up just like them anyway. Disgusting."

It seemed she assumed I was one of their group. The female cadet shot me a look of pure contempt, hurled one last insult about how revolting I was, and walked away.

"Just what the hell have Copson and Jade been doing that makes all the cadets hate them so much...?"

Come to think of it, asking a female cadet for male cadets' dorm numbers had been a stupid move. But the fact that she knew their room numbers anyway... it meant they had done something bad enough that even the female cadets knew about it. The group beating I'd witnessed earlier was probably just the tip of the iceberg.

"Hmm. Then I suppose I'll head to the dorms first."

The male dormitory was right across from the female one, so I knew the way. Since they were cadets too, it would be difficult to meet them now that most ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠students had gone to class. Still, it was better than doing nothing.

I made my way toward the male dormitory.

"117... 118. This is it."

I arrived in front of Copson's room, just as the female cadet had told me. To an ordinary person, there would appear to be nothing strange about it at all... but—

'...What the hell is this?'

Thanks to my Mystic Eyes, I could sense a clear trace of dark magic leaking from inside the room. It was far weaker than what I'd felt at the black mages' stronghold, but unmistakable. Just to be sure, I checked the neighboring room 119 as well. The same faint residue of dark magic. At this point, it was safe to conclude that Copson and Jade were connected to the black mages.

"Hmm... what should I do about this?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Breaking down the door and storming in right now seemed like a bad idea. The continent's greatest academy would obviously have proper security measures in place. The moment I did any damage to the room, a siren would probably go off. That meant I'd have to wait until Copson and Jade returned...

'I can't be sure they'll even come back to the dorm today. What should I do?'

There was a chance they wouldn't return at all tonight, and even if they did, it would be late. I'd heard rumors that every cadet had mandatory duties today, so everyone would be returning late. And by the time they got back, it would already be close to curfew. Which meant I'd have to return to my own room as well.

"It'd be nice if I could avoid getting caught... Is there any good way to do this?"

But just because I wished for it didn't mean an invisibility cloak would suddenly fall from the sky.

'...Still, if I absorb this dark magic right now, it feels like something good might happen.'

As I was pondering my options, that thought suddenly crossed my mind. If I absorbed the dark magic now, I had a strong feeling I would grow another step stronger.

After all, even if I didn't absorb it now, there was no way to report it to anyone else. I immediately chose to absorb the dark magic.

A strange black energy slowly seeped out from beyond the door and flowed into me. I felt something gradually filling up inside.

The moment the status window flickered, I felt as though I could now ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠use some new technique. Almost in a trance, I opened the dark magic category.

"...Is the sky actually watching over me or something?"

The invisibility cloak I'd mentioned in passing had truly fallen into my hands. Of course, there was the downside that the stealth would be canceled the instant I was discovered. But if I just didn't get caught, wouldn't that solve everything?

While an invisibility cloak had the problem of needing to be worn, I could maintain this ability indefinitely as long as my dark magic allowed.

'Alright. I don't know why things are going so smoothly, but... let's give it a try.'

There was nothing I could do right now anyway, so I decided to return to my room and prepare until the cadets started coming back.

Ding— Ding— Ding— Ding— Ding—

The bell rang far more times than any I'd heard before. Judging by the time, this had to be the final bell.

Right on cue, Ariel sent me a message through my arcapone. It looked like classes had finally ended for the day.

After replying to Ariel, I finished preparing to leave the dormitory.

'Good thing I brought the robe just in case... it's coming in handy.'

I put on the robe and mask I usually wore when walking around with Ariel. The moment I did, my mind strangely calmed down, as if I'd become a completely different person.

'Stealth.'

The moment I muttered it inwardly, I felt my dark magic slowly draining away. I looked down at my hand, wondering if it had actually worked. But my hand was still clearly visible. I could move it and wave it around without issue.

"What? Did it not work?"

I could definitely feel the dark magic gradually decreasing. Maybe it only looked this way to me?

"...Ah, whatever. I'll just go outside and see."

Deciding to let fate decide, I opened the door and stepped out without hesitation. In the hallway, I saw cadets walking by. They all jumped in surprise when they saw the door suddenly open.

-Whoa, shit. What the hell?

-Did someone just sprint into their room the second the door opened? What is that about?

Just to test it, I walked right up to them and waved my hand in front of their faces, but they walked right past me as if they couldn't see me at all.

'Looks like it worked. Then shall we head back to room 118?'

Even as I walked all the way to room 118, I didn't feel a single gaze directed at me.

"Ugh... fuck. This is seriously boring as hell."

"Yeah. Maybe I should just drop out already."

Luck was on my side. The moment I arrived in front of room 118, the faces I'd seen that morning appeared. Copson and Jade, with their unmistakably filthy expressions.

"Sigh... but if I drop out, Father will beat the shit out of me like a dog, right?"

".......Guess we have no choice."

Even to them, their father was apparently terrifying. Pathetic bastards.

Copson and Jade opened the door to room 118 and went inside. I slipped through just before the door closed, entering the room without anyone noticing.

"Fuck it. Let's just hurry up and go to the assembly."

"Yeah. That sounds good."

As they spoke, they pulled out black robes and masks hidden in the corner of the closet and began putting them on. The robes bore the pattern of black mages that I had grown all too familiar with.

'These bastards... it looks like there aren't just one or two of them?'

Assembly. Copson had definitely said that. Which meant there were quite a few black mages.

....To think the empire's greatest academy was infested with this many vermin.

"Let's go. We need to hurry."

Having finished changing, the cadets who had now become black mages stepped out of the room. But... wouldn't they get caught by the guards like this? I'd heard that guards patrolled after curfew.

....Wait. No way?

Creak—

The moment they opened the door, they made eye contact with a guard. Just as I feared, the guard simply checked their behavior, nodded, and resumed his patrol.

.....Oh my god. Even the guards were remnants of the black mages? Just how deep did the rot in this academy go?

Copson and Jade descended the stairs, going lower and lower. They went down to the first floor lobby and then descended even further underground. I'd heard that the basement only contained storage rooms.

When they reached the basement, they arrived at a room filled with stacked materials. After confirming no one was watching, they pushed aside a shelf loaded with supplies, revealing a hidden door which they opened.

'But they don't know that I'm watching.'

Just before the door closed, I followed them inside.

What greeted me the moment I entered was a long, excavated tunnel and purple torches embedded in the walls. The instant I stepped into the tunnel, an intense dark magic surged from all directions. It was incomparably stronger and more malicious than anything I'd felt in the black mages' previous hideouts. An endlessly negative energy, as if it sought to curse and devour everything in the world.

Strangely, I felt something inside me rising in response to that energy.

'If I just stand here, I might get stronger without doing anything.'

My dark magic capacity was increasing in real time, to the point that the amount I was using for stealth had become meaningless. While I was marveling at this, Copson and Jade had already walked far ahead. I hurried after them before I fell too far behind.

The meticulously dug earthen tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. It was hard to believe humans had dug it. And the tunnel was gradually sloping downward. I could feel us descending deeper underground. At the same time, the dark magic grew even thicker.

After walking for some time, they stopped in front of a massive door radiating overwhelming dark magic. The tunnel had opened into an enormous cavern large enough to reveal the entire black, colossal door.

And in front of that door stood a person wearing the same black robe.

"Show the holy relic."

"Here it is."

At the man's command to "show the holy relic," Copson took out a glass orb that emanated dark magic and presented it. After confirming the orb, the man nodded.

Rumble...!

At the same time, the massive door began to shake and slowly open. The dark magic that had been sealed behind the tightly closed doors burst forth, spreading out as if to consume everything in this world.

The more the door opened, the more frantically the status window went wild. At the same time, I could feel the dark magic sleeping within me growing even stronger.

Just what... was inside there?

I couldn't even begin to imagine.

Right before the door fully ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠opened, I could faintly make out people gathered inside the space beyond. Just as I tried to step closer to confirm their identities—

The door opened completely, their figures were revealed, and the status window began flashing like it had gone insane.