episode_0019

000

When the cloth covering the eyes is gently untied, light seeps into the corneas that had become accustomed to the darkness of the night.

One could tell that they were in a room where the sunlight was shining warmly from the outside.

The scent of incense had dissipated after ventilating the room overnight, and a sour, medicinal smell stung the nose.

The surrounding curtains and the hygienic environment within the room.

And seeing the ornaments symbolizing healing, one could easily tell that this was a ‘clinic’ within the city.

“─Ah, you’re awake, Cleon.”

A voice reached Cleon, who was a little dazed and recalling the events of last night.

The one who opened the door and entered was a dark-skinned girl with ashen eyes and black hair braided into a strand and swept back.

That voice was the same one that had whispered moans and obscene words into his ear last night.

In other words. This pure and innocent-looking girl was Perdia.

Her attire was not the black outfit of an assassin from yesterday, but a thin, light nurse’s uniform in white.

With the addition of the nurse’s cap on her head, it seemed quite official.

“Ah, this attire? I usually help out at this clinic.”

Given the continental sentiment that one could receive healing magic without pain or suffering by offering gold coins at the temple, ‘clinics’ were places for people with illnesses or those expecting childbirth.

Or, they were places for people with physical or mental disabilities.

Moreover, since the cost was relatively high compared to that of the temple, it was not a place that an adventurer would visit, even by mistake.

In that respect, for the ‘Veil’s Fang,’ which does not engage in assassinations targeting ordinary people, a place like a ‘clinic,’ where only specific people seek it out, was a suitable place to hide.

“─Since the clinic’s doctor has passed away. This place will have to close down soon, though.”

Perdia had a slightly forlorn expression.

Cleon pondered for a moment whether he should offer some words of comfort, but he swallowed his words and decided to change the subject.

“What happened to Albein…?”

“The woman who used the Evil Eye on you took him away. After that, you immediately lost consciousness… I wanted to pursue them, but prioritizing the cleanup of this place was the first thing to do.”

At her words. Cleon nodded and stood up.

“How is my physical condition…?”

“No problem. My eyes, the magical power circuits within my body… they’re moving better than usual. Thanks to you.”

“No. I was merely repaying the favor I received.”

Perdia blushed at Cleon’s words and turned her head away.

Judging by how she couldn’t keep her hands still, she seemed to be recalling the events of yesterday.

Cleon stared at Perdia for a moment before gathering his equipment next to the bed.

He had managed to stop Albein once, but the woman from ‘Execution Department’ who was controlling him was still somewhere in this city.

He needed to move faster to reassure Ruthie.

The match against Albein would be after tearing up her script.

“…Please let me help too. That Evil Eye wielder… surely, she incited the Hero to attack our hideout, right?”

Perdia erased the face of the amorous girl from just now and spoke with an ice-cold expression.

Cleon seemed hesitant at Perdia’s words, but he acknowledged that her revenge was justified and nodded.

“Thank you. Cleon. I won’t be a hindrance.”

“Not that I doubt your skills, but that hair, it’s quite a bit shorter than yesterday.”

Cleon recalled the ‘technique of manipulating hair’ that she used, and remembered that it had been half-cut off by Albein.

Currently, her hair was asymmetrical, with only the back hair on the right side reaching down to her waist.

“It’s alright. This is enough to fight with.”

Then, black light arose from the tips of her hair, and the hair moved against gravity as if it were alive.

The number had decreased, but there would be no problem fighting with the ‘assassination’ technique.

“However, the whereabouts of that woman are still unknown. I’ve had the children who can move search for her traces, but─”

“No. It’s probably impossible for us to find her hideout.”

Cleon could say with certainty.

According to what he saw in Lyla’s memories, the people of the Execution Department were excellent at completely concealing their existence in the darkness.

‘Assassins’ were also professionals at such things, but the Execution Department was even more deeply connected to the darkness.

Multiple false identities. Dozens of hideouts. Hundreds of aliases.

Tracking those who change them every day would be difficult even for the kingdom’s best investigative agency, the Knights.

Finding a snake hidden deep in a burrow is difficult.

If you put your hand in the wrong way and get bitten, if poison spreads throughout your body, the result would be a net loss.

Then… all they had to do was lure her out.

A temptation that she couldn’t help but come out to, even knowing it was a trap.

What was needed was bait.

If it was something that would make an ‘Execution Department’ member’s eyes light up…

Cleon looked at Perdia.

Then, he quietly began to talk about his plan.

001

Bang! A powerful fist struck the wall of the dark room.

Unbearable anger. She pretended to be composed and escaped from the scene, leaving the Hero at the temple.

But for her, who as a member of the Execution Department had driven countless people into fear and manipulated them like puppets.

Yesterday’s events.

‘Don’t come near me.’

“Kugh…!”

Just recalling it sent shivers down her spine and made her heart beat faster.

Clearly, it was an unknown existence.

Turquoise hair, light brown skin. A woman that even she, as a woman, would consider beautiful.

But at the same time, a sense of disgust rose from the depths of her heart.

Just moving from that spot without being overwhelmed by the murderous aura that stimulated her peripheral nerves was all she could manage.

“Just what is… that existence…”

The Execution Department has the authority to view all the knowledge that exists on both the surface and the inside of the Academy.

After returning to her room with quick steps, she used communication magic to order the librarian of the Forbidden Archives to investigate the ‘Demon of the Cursed Sword.’

But even after 12 hours, she had not received a satisfactory answer.

Even those who are called the darkness of the Academy, like the ‘Execution Department,’

Their roots are ‘scholars’ who seek knowledge.

After tasting a fragment of knowledge and ideology that she did not know, her mind had not calmed down easily.

Anger, curiosity that overcomes fear, thirst for knowledge.

Of course. Until now, she had investigated many cursed swords and holy swords.

But, among them, she had never encountered an existence like ‘that,’ no, ‘her.’

Even when she forcibly caused a cursed sword to go berserk and annihilated an entire village…

Even when she drove the Hero of the Holy Sword to the battlefield and turned an entire area into a wasteland…

If there was a possibility, it would be that Cleon’s cursed sword was the only one that had a contract with such an existence.

In order to confirm that, a re-engagement with Cleon was necessary.

Of course. When he meets her, he will be sufficiently wary of the Evil Eye, so things like yesterday will not happen unilaterally.

Thinking about that, it was necessary to somehow coax Albein well and manipulate him to neutralize Cleon.

“Tch…”

However. Even that important Hero was groaning and unconscious due to the damage he had sustained in yesterday’s battle.

He was receiving treatment at the temple, but healing spells cannot recover from mental shocks.

In the end, all they do is restore the body using the power of magic.

If someone does not nurse him by his side, it will take some time for him to recover.

“…If I had known this would happen. I would have ‘gone berserk’ with Albein and turned an entire city to ashes…”

She muttered, placing her hand on the black scroll in her bosom.

Of course. Doing so would be like burning the stage along with the script she had put so much effort into.

Even if the final result was the same, her pride would not allow it.

She needed to calm down a bit.

She was the shadow of the Academy.

A human who accepted the darkness in order to pursue power and knowledge.

There was no need to be wary of the city’s leader, the Guild Master of [The Wind of Happiness].

Since she held her secrets, she could not go against her.

…Should she use the guys from the back alleys? They were trash, but [The Gang] and [The Cult] still remained.

She was still in a superior position.

Compared to her, who knew the location of Cleon’s hideout, they would never be able to find her.

Yes. She would leak information about that mansion to the town and have all the adventurers head there this time.

She only leaked Cleon’s hideout to the Veil’s Fang because she wanted to obtain a corpse in as intact a state as possible, but now was not the time to be picky about that.

They were weak, selfish, and a disorganized rabble, but they had numbers.

If she faced those numbers, there would surely be an opening.

At that time, she would finish it off with her Evil Eye…

“…Hm?”

At that moment, the sound of cheers from outside.

Pulling back the curtains of the black room and looking outside, there were adventurers marching through the streets, shouting cheers.

At the very front was someone covered in a black cloth, and.

Someone slowly walking with the ‘beautiful sword’ from her memory in their hand.

“…That is…”

Was it one of the city’s adventurers?

To her, all the adventurers other than Cleon and Albein looked the same, so she didn’t remember the person.

However. That sword. Even from a distance, it was clear that it was the demon’s sword that had terrified her yesterday.

Could it be that Cleon was dead? While she was terrified and holed up in her room?

Terrified?

“Haha…”

A dry laugh escaped her lips.

The ‘Execution Department,’ unconsciously reminded of her true intentions, downed the bottle of alcohol she had placed beside her.

She poured all of the liquid that was about half full into her stomach and raised her head.

She didn’t know what had happened.

But if things had turned out like this, there was no reason to be holed up.

She needed to get her hands on what she wanted.

002

A celebration was taking place in the adventurers’ guild’s rest area.

An unknown adventurer had finished off the cursed swordsman, who was wounded and collapsed.

They then recovered his head and the cursed sword and returned.

Some disparaged the adventurer who had encountered such luck.

But after all, in the end, the adventurer who gets lucky wins.

Skill is just for compensating for one’s misfortune even a little.

Finding gold and jewels. Discovering ancient relics. Discovering forgotten knowledge.

Fighting a monster with a huge gap in strength and winning by chance.

If you have ‘luck,’ it’s possible.

So they loudly called out the name of this lucky person and toasted.

After all, not everyone was genuinely committed to hunting the ‘Cursed Swordsman.’

Some were swept up in the atmosphere.

Others may have simply been wary of the dangerous elements operating in the city.

Some may not have been able to forgive the guy who had tarnished the guild’s name.

But that threat was over.

‘That guy’ was unlucky.

Someone’s misfortune is another’s good fortune.

This was exactly that situation.

As the red parchment that had been occupying the bulletin board fell off.

The guild decided to cover all food and drink expenses for the day in commemoration.

This was the true nature of the celebration taking place at the guild.

In that noisy atmosphere.

Guild Master Ruthie had called the guest who had come to see her into her office and was sitting at her desk.

A woman in a red coat uniform.

The person who had come to see her with Albein before and threatened her by mentioning her secrets.

She must have come to see her after hearing that Cleon was dead.

Ruthie did not take her eyes off of her and quietly listened to the sophistry she was spouting.

“──Therefore. I have determined that the body of the cursed swordsman Cleon, the culprit of this incident, and the ‘Cursed Sword’ he possessed must be recovered by the Academy.”

In the end, this was the conclusion.

Only the ‘head’ had been recovered. The whereabouts of the body were unknown.

And the cursed sword had stopped functioning, but its magical power had not completely disappeared.

Did the function of the cursed sword stop when Cleon died?

The ‘Execution Department’ quietly scanned the cursed sword with her eyes and raised the corners of her mouth.

With this, that demon would not come out either.

“Aren’t you being a little too greedy? You want to take both the head of the wanted criminal and the cursed sword.”

Ruthie answered with formal courtesy as if resisting the woman’s outrageous words.

But the Execution Department scoffed and twisted her mouth.

“Have you forgotten~? You cannot resist me.”

Yes. She could completely control this woman.

There was no need for the power of the Evil Eye.

All she had to do was reveal the facts she knew.

Ruthie’s face became fierce, but she did not say anything else.

The blood vessels rising in her eyes and the vertically slit pupils.

Clear anger dominated the space, but to the Execution Department, it only felt like the death throes of the powerless.

“A~a~. Scary. Raising your magical power pressure so much~ This is from the old empire─”

“Stop!”

As if she didn’t want to hear any more words. Ruthie released her magical power and closed her eyes.

A brief silence. Only the woman from the Execution Department was smiling there.

“Take it. But. You’ll keep your promise, right?”

“Yeees~ Of course. Of course. Only if you don’t betray me… but.”

She said that, and used magic to levitate objects.

Cleon’s head, wrapped in a bundle, and that cursed sword.

It had certainly become the ‘Execution Department’s’ possession.

003

There are two types of scholars.

One is those who explore knowledge to the best of their ability within the boundaries of good that they have set and return it to the society or group to which they belong-

The other is… those who do not have boundaries and are simply honest about what they want to know and what they want to learn according to their desires.

The thirst for knowledge at the root is the same, but the difference lies in whether they can control themselves.

The woman from the Execution Department was clearly aware that she was the latter.

However, from her point of view, the former were just cowards.

They are those who are bound by morality and ethics and cannot see what they truly need to see, and are not even included in the category of ‘scholars.’

She must make full use of her abilities – no, more than her full abilities – to unravel the secrets of the world.

If one is a scholar enrolled in the Academy. She believed that they should live such a life.

That’s why she didn’t hesitate.

What she did as soon as she returned to her room was. To analyze Cleon’s cursed sword on the spot.

Originally, she should have returned to the Academy to report and then obtain permission from the higher-ups, but-

That was not the path of a scholar that she was pursuing.

Above all, even if she received permission, someone else could be put in charge of the research.

She had to unravel the secret of that demon.

With that, she turned on her Evil Eye and stared at the cursed sword for about 10 minutes.

When she brought an analysis tool closer, the barrier that had been created with the remaining magical power repelled it.

Even though the cursed sword’s function had stopped, it was protecting itself like a caterpillar’s cocoon.

No─ or perhaps. This barrier was created by the cursed swordsman squeezing out all of his magical power before he died.

It is said that the magical power created by burning one’s soul right before death is the strongest.

Naturally, her eyes turned to the bundle next to her.

She had already checked the contents in Ruthie’s office.

There was no doubt that it was the head of ‘Cleon’ that she knew.

Information remains even in the brains of the dead.

Perhaps the knowledge he left behind right before his death would help to break this barrier.

She did not care about ‘morality’ such as the desecration of the dead.

She took out the head of Cleon, which was revealed as she untied the bundle, and stabbed a ‘long needle’ into it for analysis without any problems.

If the tip is reinforced with magical power, it can easily pierce through the head of a dead human.

She injects magical power through there, passes it through the brain, and extracts the information that is caught with another needle.

The brain would not be able to withstand the heat generated in the process and would melt or burn, but

Well. That much sacrifice.

As the analysis begins, she scans the knowledge flowing from the heated needle.

It was still early. It was too early to be disappointed.

The information coming out was mostly useless.

In that way. 5 minutes passed.

Even though she was burning lime and protein, the smell was not that bad.

No, rather, it was a fragrance that made her body feel comfortable.

Her mind became hazy and she couldn’t remember what she was trying to do.

The Execution Department was somewhere, with her arms limp. She was leaning back in her chair, looking at the ceiling.

‘Huh─ why… am I… like this…’

Her thoughts were aimlessly changing.

The light of reason disappeared from her eyes, which were full of malice and intelligence, and the fragrance that filled her lungs with every breath she took-

Frag…rance… There was something bothering her.

Something she had missed.

“To get so hung up on a plan, your judgment has become clouded. Or is that even part of Cleon’s plan…”

A girl’s voice was heard from the darkness.

The Execution Department’s gaze naturally turned to the shadows.

There, she saw a black-haired girl wearing a skull mask.

The Veil’s Fang. The group that she had used as a discard to kill Cleon.

“Wh…y…”

The girl quietly stared at the thing that looked like Cleon’s head with fire burning in it-

She moved her hair and pierced it like a spear.

Then, what was seen inside was not Cleon’s brain or skull.

Rolled up grass and something with added lime for weight.

“‘Silver Spider Grass.’ You should know. Its effectiveness. Of course. Not neutralized for treatment. In its original potency.”

“Magical power…circuit’s…runaway… Abnormal…body…activation… Senses in…the brain are…accelerated…”

Slowly. Slowly. Answers flowed from her mouth like a spell.

Her brain, which had completely lost its mind due to the effects of the fragrance, was wandering in the gap between the reality that was passing more slowly than she felt.

She was constantly feeling a moment that was like eternity.

And another person. A man walking behind the girl.

He was wearing a mask to block the effects of the fragrance. But his distinctive appearance could not be hidden.

Cursed Swordsman Cleon.

The ‘Execution Department,’ who had made eye contact with him, sent magical power into her eyes as if it was her last struggle.

Blood flowed from the eyes where more magical power than necessary was concentrated due to the runaway organs, but─

A different inscription was floating in Cleon’s eyes.

The hunter’s inscription.

It was the most effective way to protect himself from the Evil Eye.

Cleon ignored her. He took something out of the bag next to him.

Then, he tore off a sheet and handed it to Perdia, who was standing next to him.

“These are the people who are hiding in the city and cooperating with this woman. …I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes. Cleon.”

At the same time, Perdia once again hid in the shadows and disappeared from the spot as if melting into the moonlight.

Cleon, who was staring at his broken head, quietly reached out to Galatea, which was placed next to him.

Then, the cursed sword, which had stopped functioning on its own, opened its eyes.

[I was uncomfortable.]

“Sorry. For making you suffer.”

Cleon answered the voice of his partner, which was heard softly.

The tip of the sword was shining with ominous magical power.

[Then. Let me eat.]

“──This?”

[Yes. Looks quite delicious.]

Cleon instinctively knew what Galatea was referring to.

His eyes turned to the Evil Eye wielder from the Execution Department, who was drooling and twitching.

Even if she came to her senses, she would kill herself to maintain secrecy.

Moreover, she had done too many things to be kept alive.

“… …”

Cleon nodded.

Then, the cursed sword revealed its true form.

As always, she smiled seductively and dangerously, and brought her mouth to the woman’s neck.

The widely opened mouth was in the next moment.

Piercing through that neck-

Slowly. Slowly.

The woman’s body scattered into magical power.

All of it was being absorbed into Galatea.

What she felt at the end was not fear. Not anger. Not despair.

‘Dying while feeling something’

Was a luxury for her.

And even that her soul was falling into hell.

004

Cleon quietly set fire to the things in the room.

This was because he had checked all the contents of the ledger and determined that the existence of these ‘physically existing things’ could be a threat to many people.

Dense smoke rose from a small building that was inconspicuous even in the city.

There was no atmosphere of people living in this building anymore.

It had been an empty house where no one had lived for years.

It was probably a building prepared by the Academy to monitor the city.

Cleon, who had left the building, quietly headed towards the back alley.

Then, as if she had been waiting there, ‘Ruthie Sions’ greeted Cleon.

“… … Ruthie.”

“Thank you. Cleon. But isn’t the method too cruel? I was so surprised. Even if it’s a plan.”

The pink-haired girl cutely puffed out her cheeks.

When Cleon’s head was discovered and brought before her.

Ruthie felt like she was going through the hardships she had gone through for the past ten years in just a few minutes in order to not change her expression.

However, after checking the head directly.

The next moment after realizing that it was not real, she was able to maintain her composure and cooperate with the plan.

“Because I trusted you.”

“…Ugh. Really. Such irresponsible words.”

Ruthie took her finger to his mouth at Cleon’s words.

His lips felt over the mask.

Slowly, her finger went up and took off Cleon’s mask.

And hiding in the shadows of the moonlight.

Quietly, as if revealing her heart.

She brought her face close to his face─

“Cleon. The cleanup is… ah.”

However. At the sound of the voice that was suddenly heard. Ruthie hurriedly blushed and moved away from Cleon.

“…I’m sorry. Did I interrupt?”

Hearing Perdia’s sincere voice as if she was sorry, Ruthie shook her head and looked at her.

“Veil’s Fang. Commending you for your contributions to this incident, the matter of attacking the guild’s personnel will be dropped.”

Her voice had returned to the usual Guild Master- Ruthie Sions of the Wind of Happiness.

Perdia placed her hand on her chest and answered.

“No… it was to avenge my master. And to repay the favor I received from Cleon.”

“…What will happen to Veil’s Fang in the future?”

Perdia quietly took off her skull mask.

Her ashen eyes were filled with sorrow that could be seen even in the moonlight.

“…With my master’s passing, only me and the children remain in the organization. The hideout is also a mess. It was my master’s will that they grow up and walk the path of light. So I will follow that will.”

After saying that much. Perdia clenched her hand that she had raised to her chest and looked at Cleon.

“And, I want to be Cleon’s strength.”

“…Is that so. That’s good, Cleon. Another girl has increased.”

“…Don’t tease her.”

Perdia’s face blushed at Ruthie’s words. When Cleon rebuked her in a low voice. Ruthie sighed and shook her head.

“I’m kidding. …I understand. It seems like there’s something I can help with. Please come and see me later.”

“…Are you sure? We are”

“Veil’s Fang is an ‘assassination group.’ But I’ve heard that since the time of the previous generation, they have only accepted requests to assassinate ‘evil people.’ This request… well, it was that Cleon was a bad guy.”

At Ruthie’s words, Cleon crossed his arms and turned his head away.

“Besides, the sins of the great-great-grandfathers have already been paid for by the great-great-grandfathers.”

Perdia nodded vigorously at Ruthie’s last words.

A light of hope was seen on her face.

And, she spoke to Cleon.

“Cleon. If you need my strength. Please tell me anytime. I’m sure I’ll be of help.”

“…Ah. I will.”

After hearing Cleon’s answer, Perdia jumped into the darkness of the back alley as it was and disappeared as if melting into the moonlight.

Ruthie stared at that departing figure for a moment before turning to Cleon.

“Is this the fourth one?”

“No, five… ──What are you asking about.”

“Five!? There’s one too many! Who else is it!?”

Cleon, annoyed, brushed off Ruthie, who was questioning him about the existence of a woman she didn’t know.

In his pocket, walking through the darkening shadows─

He was holding a black scroll containing an ominous curse.