Chapter 134
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Encounter with the Masked Figure
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“Wha... what in the world is your true identity...”
“I'm a guest family member.”
He couldn't give the answer they wanted.
The chilly silence persisted until Leon emerged, carrying the unconscious Princess Eileena on his back.
Kwaaaaaah!!!!
Nothing was visible clearly. Ever since the problem arose, noise had been interfering with the recording artifact.
“Hah...”
“What did I just witness...? What kind of creature is that thing?”
“I've studied monsterology for years, but I've never seen a lifeform like that...”
Professor Rommel muttered as he swallowed hard.
The exam was canceled.
The sudden rampage in the Black Forest had mercifully resulted in no deaths, but it was more than enough to upend the Academy's entire testing system.
The cadets were placed under intensive care, and Princess Eileena, who recovered last, underwent thorough examinations by imperial physicians and priests summoned from the palace.
After the incident, several senior professors at the Academy—including the dean and the Imperial Chamberlain who had arrived from the palace—minutely examined the artifacts used to film the cadets and the one attached to Princess Eileena's body.
And they realized the truth.
There had been no issues at all until the midway point of the exam.
“Is there any possibility of tampering?”
The professors shook their heads at the Imperial Chamberlain's question.
“The likelihood is low.”
It was a massive disaster that struck without a single precursor.
“Sigh... Before the exam began, Young Master Leon warned us. He said the Demon Realm is dangerous. That holding the test here was far too reckless.”
“...”
Normally, they would have dismissed it with a “What do you know?”, but none of the professors could open their mouths.
Because it had all come to pass exactly as Leon had said.
“Is there any chance that young man orchestrated this on purpose...?”
“House Cascadia has managed special hazardous Demon Realms for generations. Cadet Melissa once said the same thing. Of course, nothing happened back then...”
Groans of dismay crushed the air around them.
“More importantly, what the hell is that guy's identity? House Cascadia or whatever, that was just...”
The footage was noisy, but the professors had seen it. Leon drawing his Aura Blade and rescuing the cadets at speeds untrackable even by the artifact.
“That's an Aura Blade. Yes, the hallmark of a Sword Master.”
The professors fell silent.
“Even stepping into Expert at that age earns you the title of once-in-a-generation genius. A glance through continental history shows how few there are.”
“Indeed.”
“But a Master? That's beyond a joke.”
Hah...
It was a scene too unbelievable even after seeing it with their own eyes.
“That's not the issue. Look at this.”
At that moment, the professor in charge of necromancy studies manipulated the artifact.
The footage showed Leon wielding his Aura Blade while simultaneously casting necromantic spells.
“That's unmistakably necromancy magic. And not low-circle either. That's a 5th-circle necromancy spell.”
“...Professor, could you do that?”
“Yes, it's possible. But...”
The professor paused briefly before activating the artifact from Princess Eileena.
It captured him erecting a violet barrier around her and deploying dozens of magic circles.
“Shall I be frank?”
“Please do.”
“That's a feat impossible without the level of a grand archmage.”
A Sword Master and a 6th-circle-or-higher necromancer?
Wasn't that going too far?
The human body wasn't some stretchy rubber—it couldn't just elongate endlessly. How was that even possible?
Excelling in one alone would etch your name into history as the foremost figure, yet he had two.
“This is what baffles me most. That thing...”
“Isn't that necromancy magic?”
Watching the end of the footage where Leon drew a black scythe, the necromancy professor shook his head.
“To be honest, I have no idea what kind of magic that was.”
“Pardon? What do you mean...?”
“In all the necromancy magic I've studied, nothing matches that. The structure, the method—superficially similar to necromancy, but it's not something I'd even call magic. That's why I must ask, Professor Rommel.”
“Yes.”
“That boy... is he really human?”
No one among the professors could respond to the question.
They had all witnessed it. What happened after the massive, eerie death god swung its scythe.
A portion of the Demon Realm, impossible to purify, had been utterly eradicated.
Mana, air, earth, lifeforms—nothing within that range remained alive.
“That purple veil was installed to shield her from the aftermath. It was intentional from the start.”
“Hah... It might be best to summon him directly and ask, but...”
Even as he said it, the situation didn't allow for it.
The two were currently by the side of the injured Isna.
“It's curious, though. During a counseling session with Cadet Melissa before, I heard about her brother. She said she had to shoulder the family burden in place of her big brother.”
Who in their right mind would call a monster like that talentless fool based on rumors?
If the professors had paid even slight attention to outside gossip, they might have heard about the Kraken incident too, but unfortunately, they hadn't.
The Imperial Chamberlain was no different.
The palace didn't have the luxury to collect every passing rumor.
“For now, I suggest we keep this incident under wraps.”
“To prevent widespread chaos, that's wise. Please ensure the cadets stay silent. And cancel all future exams in the Black Forest. It's far too dangerous to use as a mere testing ground.”
“Understood.”
The Imperial Chamberlain muttered gravely.
If word got out, protests would flood in from countless nations.
They absolutely had to avoid that scenario.
In other words, Leon had just prevented what could have escalated into a massive international crisis.
“However, there are some troubling elements.”
“Troubling elements...?”
“The suspicion that someone may have orchestrated this situation. And Professor Pivian is nowhere to be found.”
One senior professor cautiously spoke up.
“Is that true?”
“Well, it's not confirmed, but...”
The princess was immediately transferred to the Academy's central hospital, and the professors said they would enter the Black Forest to assess the situation after cleanup.
When I said I was worn out from rescuing people and slipped away, Professor Rommel relayed that I should go ahead and rest.
Since I was a firsthand witness, I would need to testify eventually, but thanks to the recording artifacts, they seemed intent on piecing it together among themselves first.
It was a small mercy that they'd contact me separately later.
“What happened?”
Luna caught up to me as I walked silently around the Academy grounds, scanning my surroundings.
Neither she nor I appeared injured, after all.
The other cadets didn't seem aware of the Black Forest situation either, so we didn't draw any attention.
Luna's mask was proving to be quite the bargain.
“Nah, just something nagging at me.”
Saving Princess Eileena and dealing with the Red Moon had gone off without a hitch.
But while exiting the withered Black Forest with the exhausted princess on my back, I discovered a peculiar corpse.
All faint life force that should have lingered due to the power of death had been completely extinguished.
Could it have been someone caught in Thanatos's wake who failed to escape?
Though the body was charred black, with most of the flesh twisted and decayed, I could tell it was an older woman.
And then.
“That wasn't killed by Thanatos.”
“Hm?”
“Nor by an undead.”
Upon examining the faint wounds, it was clear a fellow human had done the deed.
“Someone killed her right there. At the peak of the Black Forest chaos.”
Luna's gaze dropped slightly at my explanation.
“Professor Pivian.”
“Hm?”
“One of the Academy professors is missing.”
She must have overheard that somehow.
“If it wasn't the aftermath of Thanatos, is it really worth fretting over?”
“This whole mess feels like someone's hand was subtly involved.”
[The Red Moon phenomenon is not within the range of phenomena that a human can cause.]
'Nothing's certain anywhere. And even excluding the Red Moon, the Black Forest was already in bad shape.'
There was another mystery.
It was when treating Isna's wound.
If asked whether she was strong, it was ambiguous.
From the Mielephon sword family and a genius, but only slightly superior to Melissa in that regard.
From mine or Luna's perspective, she wasn't particularly formidable.
Even so, for someone of her caliber, that injury shouldn't have happened.
She was sparse with words, but she denied harming the corpse herself. That left only one conclusion: the corpse's killer had attacked Isna.
Isna herself had brushed it off as fatigue and retired early, which only deepened the unease.
In short, someone had clearly manipulated the situation.
“Conversely, could that corpse have caused this mess?”
“Possible. That's why I need to check personally. Some traces remain, conveniently. Time to face them head-on.”
With that, I stepped into a dark alley.
Even within Academy grounds, the vast area meant spots like this were overlooked.
Not that it was crawling with thugs or anything.
A chill breeze brushed past, stinging my skin.
As we entered the shadowy alley in silence.
Luna, mask removed, furrowed her brow.
“Blood.”
“Yeah.”
At the same time, I caught the thick stench of death, so we plunged into the darkness without hesitation.
And there, we saw it.
A man who appeared to be an Academy staffer lay collapsed, vomiting blood.
And standing before him was a petite figure in a black robe, gripping a bloodied sword.
That's the one.
The eerie dissonance emanating from the corpse.
It was emanating precisely from that figure—from the aura they exuded.
I subtly pushed Luna back and smoothly drew my sword.
“No reason to fight you right now.”
That was when it happened.
A distorted voice whispered directly into my ear.
“That, I'll be the judge of.”
He—or she, given the small stature that didn't fit a man—turned to face me.
Beneath the deeply hooded robe sat a mask.
Hard to sense their presence, analyze their inner state, or even discern their voice properly.
Magic user, no doubt.
Whatever the case, this was someone who knew something about the incident.