episode_0029

After being discharged from the clinic, Vyrn put on his coat, greeted Sophia, and went outside.

Jenice walked alongside him.

“‘Meeting again in swordsmanship class, Vyrn,’” Jenice mimicked Sophia’s tone.

“That woman. She was so charming. Did you fall for her?”

“What are you talking about? I’m just grateful for her help, that’s all.”

“Hmph.”

Jenice snorted.

“Somebody said their friend ran off alone to catch a demon, so they went to find them, only to discover that the friend was in a woman’s arms, trembling and at the clinic?”

“I apologized… I won’t act alone like that again.”

“You talk a good game, but actions speak louder.”

Vyrn and Jenice walked in silence for a while.

“By any chance…”

In the silence, Vyrn spoke up.

“Yeah?”

“Do you have feelings for Sophia?”

“What?”

Jenice turned to Vyrn with a bewildered expression.

“No, I mean, you were talking about her in an unusual way. If you’re interested, I could introduce you. She’s a new friend of mine… Ouch!”

Jenice roughly stepped on Vyrn’s foot.

“Hmph. That’s more like it.”

Pushing Vyrn aside, Jenice moved forward.

“Wait, Jenice?”

“Ugh, this frustrating guy.”

Seeing that, Vyrn sighed inwardly.

“He’s talking about introducing a woman to another woman dressed as a man. No wonder he did that. It’s a small price to pay.”

What Vyrn didn’t know was that if Jenice hadn’t known Vyrn was a woman, she would have acted the same in the same situation. Also, the reason Jenice stepped on Vyrn’s foot wasn’t solely because of gender issues.

Groooan

“…Hm?”

Vyrn, who had been about to follow Jenice walking ahead, turned his head at a sudden sensation.

“This feeling…”

Viceus slowly walked along the unfamiliar energy he felt.

He passed through the bushes by the road and entered a dark space among the trees.

It was already late, and the area densely packed with trees was shrouded in darkness.

Rustle.

As Viceus pushed through the undergrowth, he sensed a presence up ahead and stopped in his tracks.

“Hey, you pig! I told you to be careful with this!”

“Uh… sorry.”

Viceus cautiously peered out from the bushes, assessing the situation.

Two academy students were carrying a fairly large box that seemed to contain something.

“Ugh, this piglet is really frustrating.”

“Uh, I can’t help it…”

One male student with an unpleasant demeanor and another who seemed timid and hesitant.

‘What’s going on here?’

Given the late hour, the sight of two academy students transporting something in a remote location did not seem ordinary at all.

And above all, the unfamiliar energy emanating from the box being carried by the two students.

The same energy that had drawn Viceus to this place was now flowing out from within the box.

Viceus maintained his position as a leading member of the academy’s security team.

‘First, let’s confirm what’s going on.’

“If we complete this mission of delivering this, we’ll finally be recognized as legitimate members of the Demon King’s army. It’s about clearing away the pathetic life of an inferior academy student!”

‘Demon King’s army?’

“It can’t be helped…”

“Yeah. We’re staking our lives on this!”

“It’s good…”

A year ago, an army from another world suddenly appeared and declared war on the entire continent—the Demon King’s army.

It was a major incident, as the existence from the legends of the underworld was now publicly acknowledged, leading to a state of emergency across the continent.

With ambitions to engulf the continent, the Demon King’s army crushed and occupied the kingdoms bordering their point of invasion, displaying overwhelming power and dominance.

Some even betrayed humanity to join the ranks of the demons, enticed by their imposing presence.

Due to such traitors, humanity suffered significant damage, and anyone who had even once colluded with the demons was considered a betrayer and immediately subject to punishment.

“Mages, even within this academy. This is more serious than I thought.”

Versed, who had hidden, thinking lightly of the student’s misconduct, tensed up.

Am I going to get scolded by that guy again?

Rustle rustle

Two academy students slowly moved through the bushes, carrying a box.

Versed concealed his presence as much as possible and followed the two students slowly.

“Whew… It’s tough. Let’s rest here for a bit.”

“A brief break…”

The two students put down the box and slumped down.

“This is really heavy.”

The rugged-looking male student wiped sweat and turned his gaze towards the box.

“Since our mission is just to deliver this thing, should we take a quick look at what this item is?”

“A brief look…”

‘Deliver. Are they trying to deliver an item within the academy to the external demons?’

The grounds of Leichtnitz Academy were established by former heads of the academy and are protected by a special barrier operated by the current head, Beatrice, a grand sorceress.

Therefore, the demons, unable to enter through normal means, resorted to creating monsters inside using magic secretly.

The monster Versed caught during the day was also created for that reason.

“Where, where…”

The two students carefully opened the lid of the box.

“…A sword?”

“It’s a sword…”

Over the shoulders of the two students, the contents of the box were visible—a moderately sized, rather unimpressive, old-looking sword.

“They told us to secretly steal it from deep inside the academy’s archives, so I thought it would be a valuable treasure… but it looks more shabby than I expected.”

“Even to Mages, it looks shabby…”

The two students couldn’t hide their disappointment upon seeing the contents of the box.

‘Stolen from the academy’s archives.’

The academy has long been a place of learning that nurtured heroes of the continent.

It was a place where numerous treasures were hidden and protected.

Perhaps that sword is also one of those treasures.

Are the demons planning to steal something to the extent that they are luring academy students?

If so, they must not be allowed to leave the academy with that sword.

As a vanguard member guarding this academy, I cannot let that happen.

Versedus intervened and lowered his stance to subdue the two students and confiscate the item.

“Just first pin down the guy on the left’s head… Okay. Got it.”

Versedus glanced around for a moment.

As the two male students were distracted by the sword, Versedus suddenly sprang out from the bushes.

Thud

“What the!”

Versedus grabbed the bewildered student’s head and slammed it down.

“Ugh!”

Leaving the unconscious student behind, Versedus leapt towards the stupefied student.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Though he tried to block Versedus with his considerable size, he couldn’t stop Versedus from striking the back of his neck as he turned around.

Thump

The two students, rendered unconscious by Versedus, collapsed onto the grass.

“Phew. It ended without much trouble.”

This should be fine even if Jenis finds out.

Tap tap

Versedus wiped his hands and turned his gaze toward the direction the two students had been examining the sword.

An unfamiliar aura that had drawn Versedus here was emanating from the old sword.

“A sword coveted by demons. Could it be the legendary holy sword from the tales?”

Is it too unimpressive to call it a holy sword?

Feeling an inexplicable attraction, Versedus approached the sword.

Just as Versedus’s hand was about to touch the old sword

Kwoooom

With a eerie sound, an immense pressure crushed Versedus’s entire body.

“W-what!”

A small portal opened in front of him, and something pitch-black sprang out.

“Hmm?”

“Demon! How can a demon be inside the academy!”

Dark skin and a thick aura of magic emanated from it.

Versedus realized that it was a superior demon.

“I-I need to move!”

Due to the pressure, Vess’s body didn’t move properly.

“Something’s different. You’re not the one I made a contract with.”

The demon scanned Vess up and down.

“I see. You’ve been hit. This has become troublesome.”

Voom

A black sphere appeared in the demon’s hand.

Crackle

The sphere shattered.

Crunch

Simultaneously, the bodies of two male students who had collapsed twisted into forms similar to the sphere.

“Since I intended to discard them from the beginning, it won’t make much difference.”

The two male students, crumpled like pieces of paper, soon concealed their appearance.

“Hmm….”

The demon looked at Vess.

“If it’s just this one, then the story is simple.”

With the demon’s hand, the magic gathered back into the form of the sphere.

“Die.”

The demon shot a curse towards Vess.

‘Going to die!’

Kwang

Vess barely managed to dodge the attack by rolling his body.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

In a paralyzed state due to the pressure, Vess struggled to catch his breath.

Where Vess had just been, only a huge pit remained, the overwhelming destructive power of the curse having erased everything.

“Damage?”

Once again, the magic gathered in the demon’s hand.

“It would have been easier for you if you had died.”

‘I can’t win like this!’

But it was also impossible to go find someone else before being attacked again.

Vess’s sight fell on an old sword lying on the ground.

‘The academy’s artifact that the demons tried to steal by planting a mine within the academy, and even sneaking in such high-level demons… Maybe!’

“Die.”

The demon shot the curse again.

“Ugh!”

Vess flew as if thrown down.

“….!”

His fingertips touched the old sword.

Woo-woo-woom

The trembling old sword.

“S-Surely not!”

Along with the startled cry of the demon, a bright light engulfed the surroundings.