Chapter 215

The long, bloody night had passed.

The sun rose.

The same sun as yesterday.

But that was the only thing that remained unchanged.

Everything else had changed.

Everything.

Four days had passed since everything had changed.

* * *

Mount Cali, midway up the slope.

Soldiers in Imperial uniforms swarmed the area.

They were soldiers who had come with the investigators dispatched from the Imperial City.

“Ugh.”

One of the soldiers frowned and covered his nose at the stench of rotting corpses.

It wasn’t just one corpse, but exactly twenty scattered around, so the foul smell was overwhelming.

“When the hell are they going to clean up these damn corpses? What more is there to investigate?”

“They say they’ll burn them after today’s investigation.”

“Ha, really? That’s good to hear.”

The soldier who had been frowning relaxed his expression.

It was then.

They heard the grumbling voices of other soldiers from afar.

“Ugh, there’s nothing here. What the hell are we supposed to keep investigating?”

“Exactly. Some hidden dungeon? A temple-like building? Bullshit, there’s nothing here. Let them come and find it themselves.”

“Don’t the higher-ups know that? Why do they keep making us investigate?”

“Didn’t you hear? Multiple people gave the same testimony.”

“Oh, that’s just it. Collective hallucination. Those dark mages could easily do something like that.”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

“Come on, let’s just kill some time and make up a report later. That’s all we have to do.”

The soldiers were getting ready to slack off.

It was understandable.

The hidden temple, as well as any traces of the dungeon, had vanished without a trace.

* * *

“No, I’m telling you the truth!”

Thump!

Slain slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

An intimidating aura.

But the investigator, with his dry expression, didn’t even blink.

For him, a seasoned investigator who had seen it all, this was just another day at the office.

“I’m only stating the facts. There’s no need to explain which is more reasonable, the results of the investigation or your memories.”

“I’m telling you, it was there! I went inside myself, myself!”

“The reality is that it’s not there.”

“Ugh, of course it’s there! I even have proof! That eye…”

Slain, about to mention the eyeball in his excitement, abruptly stopped himself.

Everyone who had been there had agreed not to speak of the eyeball.

Slain had also agreed without objection.

It wasn’t just because it was a suspicious item that those unidentified enemies were after.

It was an item they had barely managed to retrieve, even if it was only half of it, after a life-or-death battle with the worst enemies.

‘We can’t let those who didn’t shed a single drop of blood get it for free. No way.’

If he mentioned the eyeball, the Imperial investigators would definitely try to confiscate it under the pretext of investigation.

So he had hurriedly shut his mouth.

“What did you just say? You have proof?”

The investigator looked at him with a questioning gaze.

“Tsk, I thought I had it, but it’s gone. I must have left it in the dungeon.”

Slain changed the subject.

Judging from his reaction, it seemed to have worked.

“Sigh, the dungeon again…”

The investigator shook his head.

He scribbled something on a notepad with his pen.

– Collective hallucination. Symptoms severe.

* * *

Whoosh!

A man swung a gleaming silver greatsword in a tranquil garden.

He was a handsome man with blond hair and jade-green eyes.

His bare upper body was sculpted with well-defined muscles.

What was most astonishing was the man’s movements.

He swung the greatsword in the exact same posture, without a single deviation.

His flawless form seemed inhuman.

After swinging it exactly one hundred times, the man casually tossed the greatsword aside as if it were trash.

A servant hurriedly ran over and picked up the greatsword.

The man turned around.

Two maids approached and carefully wiped the sweat from his body with a dry cloth.

Once they were done, the man said,

“You may leave.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

From their reply, it was clear.

That the man was one of the Imperial princes.

And among them, there was only one prince with such pure blond hair and deep jade-green eyes.

The First Prince of the Empire, Adolf Peresia.

Adolf put on a robe and sat down on a garden bench.

“You heard the news, Teacher?”

The only person Adolf addressed as “Teacher.”

Galbraith, the Sage of Keen Sight, nodded with an unfocused gaze.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“I’m quite disappointed. I thought the legendary dark mage group would be something special.”

“Haha, you had too high expectations for those who were barely clinging to their legacy.”

Galbraith stroked his beard and continued,

“But even a dull blade doesn’t die easily.”

“Yes, how many did they kill? Just that much…”

Prince Adolf didn’t even mention the dead islanders.

It was only natural.

They weren’t even considered human in his mind.

They were ants.

Insignificant ants that he wouldn’t even bat an eye at if he stepped on them.

“Hahaha, I wonder if it’s just ‘that much’. But it has significance as the first step.”

Galbraith’s blind eyes gleamed strangely.

The world had been peaceful for too long.

But it couldn’t stay that way.

It had to fall into chaos.

Uncontrollable chaos.

Only then could Adolf, the prince he served, achieve his goals.

This deal with Red Rain was just the first step.

The large-scale appearance of dark mages, who were believed to have been wiped out long ago.

And the massacre of the islanders by those dark mages.

That alone would create unrest in the world.

“Significance. An interesting word.”

Adolf smiled wryly.

“Well, that’s enough for this time. The opportunity to clip my dear sister’s wings…”

Rip!

Adolf tore the robe he was wearing in half.

“Will surely come again.”

* * *

The deal was done.

But regardless of the success or failure of the mission, cleanup was necessary.

Slash!

A head was severed without warning.

Blood spurted out like a fountain.

The dark mage, his eyes wide with shock, was covered in the red blood.

“M-Monster…”

Thwack!

The dark mage’s head was also severed in an instant.

It was impossible to tell what had cut it.

Because it was invisible.

But some would know.

If they saw the face of the monster.

A dark-skinned beauty with a deep hood.

Natasha, the dark elf.

It was her.

Decapitated corpses were scattered around Natasha.

All of them were dark mages.

Natasha, paying no attention to the headless corpses, bent down.

She reached out and pushed the floor.

Creak.

A hidden staircase was revealed.

Natasha descended without hesitation.

A deep, deep staircase.

But she could finally see the end.

At the end of the staircase.

There was a door.

A secret chamber.

Natasha pushed the door open.

An old man was inside.

An old man missing an arm and a leg.

The elder of the dark mages.

The old man’s expression was surprisingly calm.

“Was this your plan all along?”

“Think whatever you want.”

Natasha replied indifferently.

The old man closed his eyes and then opened them.

“…This old man’s desire for his long-cherished wish has led everyone to their deaths.”

“You chose to suffer.”

Natasha raised her bladeless sword.

It was then.

“Suffer… Isn’t it the same for both of us?”

The old man said, looking at Natasha with mirror-like eyes.

Natasha narrowed her eyes.

“The same?”

“Yes. Your people were also…”

Slash!

The old man’s words were cut short.

Because Natasha had beheaded him.

But Natasha’s reaction was different this time.

Her expression was cold and distant.

“How dare you speak without knowing anything. This is why I hate humans.”

Just as Natasha muttered coldly,

“Oh dear… It seems the timing wasn’t very good.”

A strange, echoing voice came from the empty air.

No, it wasn’t empty air.

There was a faint figure, as if shrouded in mist.

“No, it doesn’t matter. Speak, messenger.”

Natasha’s expression returned to its usual indifference.

“Yes, Dark.”

The messenger nodded and continued,

“The Heavenly Lord is disappointed with this outcome.”

“I have nothing to say.”

A clear failure.

Moreover, Shadow, who had accompanied her on the mission, was dead.

There was no room for excuses.

“But he also said not to dwell on it too much. Everything will flow according to the right path.”

Words of generosity that were unexpected from the boss of an organization.

But Natasha knew that it wasn’t just empty words to show off his authority to his subordinate.

The Heavenly Lord knew many things.

Perhaps more than anyone else in this world.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Very well. Then, your next mission.”

“What is it?”

“The World Tree in the Forgotten Forest…”

The messenger smiled meaningfully.

“…Bring the fire of calamity that can burn it down from ‘Hell’.”

Natasha’s eyes wavered.

* * *

A funeral.

None of the faculty or students would have ever imagined that such a ceremony would take place at the academy.

But it was a stark reality.

The faces of all the students in the grand hall were somber.

As if they were experiencing the weight of death for the first time.

Swish.

I offered my condolences and laid a flower.

Numerically, it was a good outcome.

Only ‘two’ people had lost their lives, considering the gravity of the situation.

If I had been playing a game, I would have thought the same.

But I was different here.

A weight that couldn’t be measured by numbers.

That was the difference between reality and a game.

And at that moment, I saw the Headmistress for the first time since I possessed this body.

Headmistress Arifer.

A person so pure and virtuous that she was called the “Angel’s Reincarnation.”

But she was born with a weak constitution and rarely appeared in public.

There were even rumors that she was a figurehead with no real power.

But I knew.

That her position within the religious order was far greater than anyone imagined.

As the representative of the religious order, there was no way she would lack power at the academy.

In the end, the reason she seemed like a figurehead wasn’t because she was powerless, but because she didn’t like to stand out.

Thud.

My steps stopped in front of the Headmistress.

Because her gaze had called out to me.

She showed me a note with something written on it.

She must have written it beforehand.

– You’ve been through a lot. I sincerely thank you, Max, for your heroic actions in saving so many lives despite such hardships.

Written communication.

That’s right.

The Headmistress was deaf.

The sign language I had learned in the game was for the purpose of communicating with her smoothly.

The armored guard who guarded the elevator leading to the underground space of the Holy Land also used sign language, but he was more of an extra.

Swish, swish.

I moved my hands.

– It was nothing. My role was small. I was able to do it thanks to the help of my classmates and juniors.

The Headmistress, who had been trying to read my lips, looked at me in surprise.

She usually relied on written communication because very few people knew sign language.

But it was cumbersome and time-consuming, so she didn’t enjoy or engage in long conversations with others.

So it was only natural that she would find my sign language special.

After a brief pause, the Headmistress moved her hands instead of writing this time.

– You know sign language… I’m surprised.

– I had the opportunity to learn it.

– You’re a student who keeps surprising me in many ways.

– You flatter me.

We conversed naturally.

I could feel the people around us staring in surprise.

Because it was the first time they had seen the Headmistress conversing with a student in sign language.

– I’d like to talk more, but this isn’t the right place…

– Yes, of course. Then I’ll see you again next time.

A formal greeting.

But it seemed like the Headmistress didn’t mean it formally.

– I’ll contact you soon. Is evening okay?

What? Evening?

Dinner with the Headmistress, just the two of us…?

My eyes widened.