94. Escape from the Pantheon (1)

The atmosphere at Pantheon Academy was heavier than ever before.

Martial law had been declared throughout the Imperial Capital. Simultaneously with that martial law, Pantheon was once again placed under a school closure order.

However, this closure was different from the one immediately following the Mana Demon War.

“It seems some students have been detained, just as Count Yulian-nim said.”

And now, it was night, after the sun had set.

The Loia Dormitory of Pantheon. Three men were hiding in the secluded back of that building.

Fabian nodded at Reef’s words.

“Students from the medical order who are friendly with Princess Lilia-jeonha. And Yulian Frontier Marquis… 아니, Count-nim, who is her fiancé. They’re desperately searching for students from the North who are associated with him, it seems.”

Fabian grinned after saying that.

“So, Eric here was also a very likely candidate for detention. But he’s a free man now.”

“Shh. Fabian. Keep your voice down. Even though it’s night, the Imperial Guards are patrolling.”

As Fabian said, Hans, Yulian’s coachman, and Eric, Hans’s younger brother, were naturally targets for detention.

But Eric had received that information in advance. Naturally, from Yulian.

‘As expected of such a great person. It’s hard enough for us to live a normal Pantheon life. But he finds out such important information…’

He was going to be the Frontier Marquis in the future anyway. Just like during the Mana Demon War, Yulian moved a step ahead, on a level that students couldn’t even imagine.

Of course, figuring out a rebellion in advance like this was an area of even more ghostly intelligence operations.

But as the heir to the Grand Duke, it seemed such amazing things were possible for Yulian.

“I knew Grius was a crazy bastard. But to actually start a rebellion like this. That son of a bitch.”

And Eric spat out a curse in a low voice. The people of Essenmund have a very high sense of loyalty to Frontier Marquis Wilhelm.

So, Grius, the ringleader of the rebellion who betrayed the lord they had sworn allegiance to, was simply unforgivable according to Essenmund’s common sense.

‘Still, it’s a relief that Count Yulian-nim hid himself in advance.’

He couldn’t tell them the details for Yulian’s safety, but Yulian had asked the current three to cooperate.

He said that Grius’s rebellion would happen soon. He would hide himself and prepare to suppress the rebellion.

And the day he had mentioned in advance that all the preparations would be completed was today. Today, the three of them decided to help Yulian escape from this Pantheon.

Eric recalled the words Yulian had told him in advance.

‘He said he was hiding in Pantheon.’

Considering his status, it would have been right to evacuate to a safer place than Pantheon.

But Eric didn’t doubt Yulian’s words, the very same Count Yulian who had risen from the lowest-ranked student to the top in just three months.

‘He must have found a way to overcome this rebellion from within.’

He had seen Lilia-jeonha and Yulian leading the students right in front of him during the Mana Demon War. Besides, Eric was an Essenmund native.

In fact, he couldn’t honestly say it because Fabian and Reef might become rivals. But Eric already respected Yulian far more than the loyalty Fabian had shown to Yulian.

‘Although the rumors until last year… 아니, before the military parade were really bad.’

Now, he knew very well that he was not at all lacking as the sole heir to the Frontier Marquis and the fiancé of the Princess-jeonha, 아니, rather, he was more than enough.

So, Eric, a Northerner, an Essenmund native, swore allegiance to the current Yulian in his heart, just as he was loyal to and respected Frontier Marquis Wilhelm.

Above all, the fact that he had been entrusted with such an important mission was very touching to Eric now.

‘Actually, Fabian and Reef aren’t Essenmund natives, but they must be thinking similarly to me.’

The most important thing in the life of a swordsman and a knight is to find a lord to whom they can dedicate their sword.

If there is no lord who recognizes their sword, then the knight is no different from the filthy Bairea Mercenary Corps who have joined the current rebels.

“A lord is someone who clearly tells you for whom to wield that sword. That’s the difference from a mere knight.”

And as if he had read his thoughts. Reef spoke at that moment.

“Count Yulian-nim said that he will escape from this Pantheon with Lilia-jeonha. We must risk our lives to open that path. Absolutely. Because we can’t be loyal to that dirty Grius.”

Reef also didn’t show it, but Eric could tell that he was very happy when he heard from Yulian about the information about the rebellion and the request to lend his strength to suppress it.

‘Not just me, but those two have definitely set their goals. To join the White Nights without fail.’

In fact, before these three hid themselves. Many students from the combat order were forced to be loyal to the Grius faction Imperial Guards.

The rebels had already occupied the Imperial Capital. So, it was actually risking their lives for students like them to oppose them.

But the three of them didn’t hesitate at all. Because Yulian had asked these three directly.

“I’m not as righteous as Reef, but according to rumors, Grius even makes a harem and enjoys aphrodisiac sex every day. I absolutely refuse to serve such a lewd and corrupt priest as my lord.”

It seemed Fabian was the same. Eric was momentarily surprised by those unexpectedly sensible words.

“But according to your standards, isn’t Grius someone to respect? Making a harem and enjoying sex is…”

“No. That’s not it. Looking at Grius’s filthy face, no woman would happily enter that harem. The ideal harem I’m thinking of is a voluntary harem. A harem where you’re so deeply in love with the master of the harem that you can even tolerate yourself being in the harem. Such an idealistic…”

Eric couldn’t understand Fabian’s bullshit at all. But the chatter ended there.

“I’ve received a message! It’s time to move now!”

The three men simultaneously looked at the woman who had approached them. A witch who had carefully approached through stealth magic. It was Rosette.

And Fabian, after confirming her face, said.

“Then Reef, Eric. Please follow my instructions from now on. I have a plan in mind.”

Eric and Reef nodded with tense expressions.

---

The group all escaped the underground temple.

The path they used this time was the underground of Istia Dormitory. They passed through the underground where the portal to the primeval forest was located and came up to the surface.

“Now we have to go outside. Everyone, prepare.”

At my words, the group all nodded. They had to quickly leave Pantheon and escape to a safe place.

‘Fortunately, Rosette and Fabian moved in time.’

Chloe headed to the territory of the Aitern family. And Rosette remained in the Imperial Capital. But for Rosette, the Imperial Capital was also a safe place.

The witches who were in charge of the Imperial Capital’s communications. So, the real-time communication that they could use through animals or spirits like familiars was very secretive and fast.

So, Rosette, who would have grasped the movements of the Grius faction Imperial Guards in real time. She was much freer to move than the other Pantheon students.

‘Stealth would have been easy too.’

That Rosette was now in Pantheon. My sylph, who had found Rosette, conveyed her words.

‘From Istia Dormitory to Endear Dormitory. The security on that side is the weakest. I’ll join you right away too.’

And I entrusted Fabian, Reef, and Eric with a mission. They were my combat order classmates. So, I naturally asked for their cooperation rather than ordering them.

All three of them followed my words very enthusiastically.

‘I asked them to make the security of Pantheon as lax as possible when I tried to escape from Pantheon.’

Seeing that Rosette had conveyed the message to me. It seemed they had succeeded in their mission.

‘As expected, all three are tempting. Definitely as members of Essenmund, of the White Nights…’

I ended up thinking about my work as the future Frontier Marquis again. But for now, escape was the priority.

The group all came outside. When they came out of Istia Dormitory, Rosette, wearing a witch’s robe, was hiding in the darkness.

“Yulian!”

Rosette’s expression brightened as if she was happy to see me. But soon, she quickly became timid after seeing the many women around me.

“Y-you were all together.”

It was a voice mixed with a strange disappointment. But still, Rosette, who had experienced the Mana Demon War. She didn’t forget what had to be prioritized now.

“We have to get out of Pantheon as quickly as possible. You can’t leave any traces of you and Princess Lilia-jeonha moving.”

As expected of the smart Rosette. She perfectly grasped the group’s priorities.

‘We have to make it impossible to know where Lilia and I are. That’s how we can confuse Grius even more.’

Lucia carried Cecilia on her back. And Aylin rode behind Rosette’s witch staff.

“There won’t be any problems moving quickly like this.”

I nodded at Lucia’s words.

I followed Rosette, who was leading the group with low-altitude flight. As Rosette had told the group, there were no Imperial Guards patrolling around Istia Dormitory.

And I hurriedly asked her.

“What about Fabian’s group? How did they make the security lax?”

I couldn’t gamble with the lives of those three. Those three would definitely be a great help in the future. But Fabian had created an opening with a much more ingenious idea than I had thought.

“That combat order student named Fabian is from the South. So, he wasn’t detained. So, he pretended to be very interested in joining the Grius faction Imperial Guards and became close to the Imperial Guards. And…”

In the explanation that followed, Rosette blushed as if she was embarrassed.

“He said he knew the pretty female students in the academy well. So, he said he would hold a special banquet in the academy for the people in charge of those Imperial Guards…”

That’s how he had called the executives of the Imperial Guards in charge of Pantheon’s security to a lecture hall in advance.

‘Fabian is eloquent. He must have properly deceived those executives.’

My guess was correct. Of course, it would be dangerous if the executives found out. So, Fabian didn’t actually bring the female Pantheon students right away.

Fabian had the executives drink the expensive alcohol he had prepared in advance and made them look forward to it. Then, he belatedly brought in the female students.

Of course, they weren’t real female students.

“I contacted them in advance through my spirits. I asked them to cast magic on themselves because I was going to use such a deceptive beauty scheme…”

So, before Rosette joined them like this. She had cast a spell on Fabian, Reef, and Eric to cross-dress them.

Rosette was already a witch who had surpassed the 5th Circle. So, if she had a few items, it wouldn’t be difficult to temporarily cross-dress a man.

“Imagining that… It’s a bit… Nauseating.”

I agreed with Lucia’s words too. Lucia wasn’t close to those three, but she knew their faces because they were in the same order.

All three were excellent swordsmen from the combat order. So, they were men who were the furthest thing from cross-dressing in the world.

‘But with Rosette’s magic, they must have been completely hidden as women.’

She said that she had even put a secret sleeping pill prepared by Rosette in the alcohol in advance. So, it was a highly effective drug that even high-ranking knights wouldn’t notice anything suspicious.

She wasn’t as good as Chloe, but since Rosette was a witch, it seemed she had such elixirs prepared at home.

‘Anyway, for the three of them to do that much for me… To even abandon their dignity as knights.’

They were all proud prospective knights. I definitely had to write letters of recommendation for the three of them for the White Nights Knights.

I followed Rosette. And when they had left Istia Dormitory and almost reached Pantheon’s central road. Rosette urgently raised her magic staff.

“Wait! There are Imperial Guards patrolling there!”

As Rosette said. The security inside Pantheon had become lax, but there were Imperial Guard soldiers guarding the main roads.

‘There aren’t many.’

There were about six Imperial Guards visible. Even though they were followers of the corrupt Grius.

The Imperial Capital Imperial Guards were also an elite knight order included in the Empire’s Three Great Knight Orders.

‘That means they’re at least better than Pantheon’s students.’

But there was no time to argue with them. And the group’s appearance must never be revealed to them.

Tension momentarily settled on the group’s faces. There were six skilled opponents. Of course, the group’s skills were also very excellent.

But they had to act extremely secretly now. If they couldn’t subdue them in one fell swoop and they requested support. If Lilia and I were discovered.

Even after passing this central road, a siege would be created in an instant.

‘We have to get to the technology order, Endear Dormitory, to get out of Pantheon.’

Above all, the two of them were the two people the rebels were most desperately searching for right now.

“Lilia-jeonha. I’ll take care of it.”

But before such anxiety could spread to the group. I quickly drew Siertia.