Ch.1515. How to Save You

Findenai and I descended into the underground, both of us keeping our words to a minimum. Though we illuminated the space with magic, the darkness was so thick and the area so vast that we could only see a short distance ahead.

“Hmm, this is an incredibly spacious place.”

Findenai looked around with a pout.

“Can you see anything?”

“Yes, I can. The smell of preservatives is quite strong.”

“……”

Findenai surveyed the surroundings with a furrowed brow. Her blood-red eyes had instantly adapted to the darkness, and she seemed to be observing something invisible to me.

In this situation, I felt uselessly incompetent, unable to see anything.

I converted souls into light and made them wander around the room. Their screams echoed like the sound of wind, but I didn’t care.

The souls became what people commonly call will-o’-wisps, illuminating the underground.

“……”

Finally, what Findenai had been seeing became visible to me as well.

This place was a kind of warehouse.

A warehouse where countless bone fragments sat tightly packed together, as if waiting for someone to discover them.

“Kiya, what was it? The glorious border barrier Verdi? No, it seems more like a monster that devoured people from the outskirts.”

Findenai chuckled as she kicked at the bones on the floor. Though the scene was shocking, in some way, I understood.

‘So this is why the mansion was overflowing with evil spirits.’

Now I understand why so many vengeful spirits had been wandering the mansion.

[KIEEEEEK!]

At that moment, one of the flames illuminating the space screamed and went out. Starting with that one, the flames began to be sucked away one by one.

An eerie blue light burst forth from the far end, soon brightening the entire underground.

A giant centipede with a human face emerged from among the mountain of bone fragments.

Made of white bones and blue flames, the centipede was reversely absorbing the souls I had taken in.

[No! Nooooo!]

[Save meeeee!]

[I don’t want to die!]

The souls screamed as if recalling the moments of their actual deaths.

I understood why Skral had been reluctant to come here.

“A centipede made of human bones?”

Apparently, Findenai could see the monster too, as she stepped in front of me with a hollow laugh.

“Master, I don’t think we can just fight this thing? We need an axe or something.”

Findenai fidgeted, indicating her empty hands. The creature’s aura was so threatening that even she felt intimidated.

Tak tak tak!

The creature approached with footsteps that sounded like crushing insects. It opened its mouth wide, seemingly ready to devour us immediately.

“Oh crap!”

Findenai quickly turned her body, tucked me under her arm like a bundle, and headed toward the entrance.

I protested with my eyes about being carried this way, but the running Findenai just snorted.

“Aren’t you lucky to have such a capable maid, Master? Without me, you’d be dead already.”

“Sigh, next time don’t save me in such an undignified manner.”

“You’re asking for too much! But won’t the mansion collapse if this thing comes up?”

“It’s fine. Considering it hasn’t come out from underground until now, it probably can’t go any further outside.”

“Hmph, it would be fun if it followed us out.”

As I dangled at Findenai’s side while she grinned, I kept my gaze on the centipede monster.

Its face resembled a giant human skull, with a body extending like a centipede and countless human bones embedded on both sides serving as legs.

‘…A centipede made of human bones.’

I traced its length with my eyes.

Since the soul-light magic was being consumed by the creature, I illuminated with pure mana instead, following its long body to the end.

“…!”

What was at the end of the centipede wasn’t simply a tail.

A expressionless girl, half-skinned, with a hole in her chest.

This monster was connected to the girl’s heart.

Tak tak tak tak!

Findenai passed through the entrance and began climbing the stairs. The skeletal centipede twisted its body, destroyed the entrance, and started crawling up the stairs.

“This is disgustingly creepy!”

Finally unable to bear it, Findenai lowered her body and gripped me tightly with both hands. Then she flashed me a grin.

“Hold tight, Master.”

As I wrapped my arms around her neck, the overwhelming mana Findenai had been concealing exploded outward, and with a single leap, she was able to ascend more than half the passage.

Additionally, the stairs collapsed from the impact at the point she had used as a foothold, preventing the skeletal centipede from pursuing us recklessly.

“That’s me. Know your place, you lowly creature.”

We finally reached the first basement floor. Findenai wore a refreshed expression, saying she’d moved her body after a long time, but I was somewhat serious.

‘Who was that girl?’

The girl whose heart was connected to the giant skeletal centipede. The centipede was too massive to be simply parasitic.

My thoughts spiraled deeper and deeper, and just as I was about to sink into a sensation of being alone in the deep sea—

Pak!

Findenai blocked my front. The head of the family, Darius, who had rushed over, tried to slap my cheek, but Findenai caught his wrist.

“Let go! You foreigner, if you’ve received kindness, you should obediently follow orders instead of interfering with your master!”

“My master isn’t you, though?”

That’s right.

Findenai belongs to me, not the Verdi family.

I met Darius’s eyes and asked quietly.

“Brother, did you know what was down there?”

“What? Why should you care about that! Just drink alcohol and mess around with women as usual—that’s your job! Have you forgotten our agreement not to interfere with family matters?”

Did I make such a promise?

Sorry, but that wasn’t me.

“I’ll ask once more. Did you know what was down there, Brother?”

“Why should you—!”

“Break it.”

Crack!

“Aaaaargh!”

My brother’s wrist, which Findenai had been holding, broke cleanly. The servants behind him were startled and urgently tried to approach Darius, but—

When I stepped forward, they retreated as if pushed back.

Looking down at Darius, who was writhing in pain on the floor, I warned him.

“Don’t test my patience any further, Brother. I’ll ask for the last time, did you know?”

* * *

In the principal’s office of Robern Academy.

Health professor Karen and Professor Erika Bright were engaged in a battle of nerves with the principal between them.

“We need to recall Professor Deus.”

In response to Health Professor Karen’s opening salvo, Erika frowned deeply and refused.

“Are you joking? How long has it been since Professor Deus was dismissed, and you’re saying such things?”

Erika naturally turned her gaze to the principal and continued.

“Dismissal is the highest level of disciplinary action. It’s not just termination but is legally designated by the kingdom as preventing reappointment for a certain period. If we recall Deus now, we would not only be making light of royal law but also shaking the authority of Robern Academy.”

She added that the already unstable royal support might become even more uncertain, causing the principal’s expression to darken.

Karen scoffed in disbelief.

“So what? Is that authority so important right now? No, Professor Erika! Didn’t you see it with me—the work of those strange evil spirits! Professor Deus understood that before anyone else!”

“Deus just happened to know because he was lucky. Now that we’ve found clues, we can handle it sufficiently.”

“No! Ha…”

Karen, who was infinitely cold and calm in battle, couldn’t utilize any of the battle-hardened skills he’d learned as a mercenary in this kind of debate.

Now exasperated beyond belief, Karen looked directly at Erika and asked.

“Why? Weren’t you working with me to unravel these cases until yesterday? Why have you suddenly changed?”

“I haven’t changed. I worked hard to solve the case, and I’ll continue to do my best.”

“Enough.”

The argument seemed like it would continue indefinitely. Finally, the principal, who had kept his mouth firmly shut, opened it.

Though he usually had a warm appearance, today he considered the matter with an infinitely serious face.

And delivered his answer.

“It’s impossible to reinstate Deus. However, let’s at least hear his advice. Given the circumstances, it seems he does know something about the current situation.”

“Yes, understood.”

Erika Bright bowed deeply, satisfied with the result, while Karen bit his lip hard and turned sharply to leave the principal’s office.

The principal sighed at Karen’s departure and said to Erika.

“I suppose Professor Erika doesn’t particularly want to be associated with Deus.”

“……”

She affirmed with silence.

“I’ll contact the Verdi family separately. Please comfort the students and focus on resolving the case.”

“Understood.”

Erika Bright bowed her head and then walked out into the corridor.

The sky was strangely dark.

Despite not a single drop of rain falling, the thick clouds seemed to reflect the troubled situation at the academy.

In truth, there were plenty of ways to reinstate Deus Verdi.

After all, he was a visiting professor who had entered thanks to a woman named Erika Bright.

In other words, he was non-tenured.

Of course, as this year progressed, it was only a matter of time before he would be selected as a full professor.

They had confirmed his qualifications as a professor for three months, and he had sufficiently proven his abilities.

In fact, a recommendation letter for his appointment as a full professor had already been sent to the royal court.

But before that, a disciplinary notice for his dismissal had been sent first.

According to kingdom law, Deus Verdi, as a visiting professor, couldn’t be subject to dismissal as a disciplinary action. At most, it would be termination.

Essentially, he received a disciplinary action from a position where he couldn’t be disciplined.

It sounds absurd, but it happened.

If asked how, there was no answer except that Gideon’s Zeronia family had exerted their influence.

‘I’ll make sure you can never return to this academy, no matter what.’

Erika Bright clenched her fist and walked down the corridor, making a vow.

She would definitely prevent his return.

Even if she had to be unreasonable.

Even if she had to present illogical arguments.

Even if she had to play the role of a narcissist’s lover.

Because that was—

‘The way to save you.’