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We followed Danya’s trail.

The destination was the entrance to a massive sewer system.

Iron bars blocked our way.

The gaps between them were too narrow for a person to squeeze through, but a cat might manage to slip inside.

“It looks like the cats went through these gaps.”

Silvia shone her light forward.

It was a giant sewer, with a diameter of at least three meters.

There was no noticeable odor.

‘Not that it would have stopped us if there was one.’

It seemed like the type that required a key to be inserted in one corner of the bars to unlock it.

With bars like these, I could probably just cut through them.

As I took a stance, Elena stopped me.

“Calm yourself, Brother! I can open it!”

Ah, right. For some reason, Elena always had a knack for picking locks.

She fiddled with the lock here and there, and with a flash of white light—click! The lock opened easily.

“Well done, Elena. Let’s go inside.”

We opened the iron gate and entered.

As expected, it was dark inside.

Silvia cast a light spell, just bright enough to show the surroundings and the silhouettes of those nearby.

It was the right decision to keep our presence concealed.

Water trickled down the channel, and we followed the narrow path beside it.

“This way.”

The path was complex, but we didn’t need a guide. Silvia’s magic was clearly tracking Danya’s location.

“Now that I think about it, I’ve heard scary things live in the academy’s sewers.”

Lina said nonchalantly.

She must have picked up the rumor while chatting with friends.

Elena reacted with alarm.

“S-scary things? Like monsters?!”

“Probably.”

“Whaaaat?!”

Elena started trembling.

Silvia, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, spoke calmly.

“There’s no need to worry too much.”

“S-so, it’s just baseless rumors?”

“No. There’s a possibility of mutations, but I doubt they’d be that dangerous.”

“…Huh?”

“There are hundreds of research projects at Lichten Academy. Among them, there must be unregulated waste, some of which likely flows into the sewers. Animals exposed to such substances could mutate—that’s easy enough to imagine.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“But it’s more likely they’d get sick rather than stronger due to such ‘accidents.’”

“S-so scary!”

Instead of calming Elena down, Silvia’s matter-of-fact explanation made her even more frightened.

Still, Silvia had a point.

The academy’s sewer system was a breeding ground for various mutated animals and plants.

‘Usually, the plants here have unique effects.’

For now, we were busy tracking Danya, but since we’d cleared the entrance, it might be worth coming back later for gathering.

As for the animals, they weren’t a big concern.

As Silvia said, most substances were more likely to harm than empower.

—Splash, splash.

I patted Elena on the shoulder to comfort her as we moved forward.

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The further we ventured into the sewer, the louder our footsteps echoed.

The air grew more humid, and the path narrower.

“…”

Perhaps because of the earlier talk of mutations and monsters, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the shadows around us were unusually restless.

Ever since encountering that unknown skill that emerged from the shadows, I’d been particularly wary of them.

“We’ll be heading deeper underground.”

Silvia warned quietly.

As she said, the sewer now sloped downward.

As we descended the stairs, Lina asked.

“By the way, Ian, why did you throw mud at the cats earlier?”

“Yeah! I also saw you detonate it while summoning a wall, Brother. What was that about?”

Ah.

I hadn’t explained that yet.

I must have been too focused on tracking Danya to think about it.

“It was to disrupt their ritual.”

“Ritual?”

“Yes. The cats are likely sacrificial offerings, and some of the marks on their bodies are probably tools to amplify a particular spell.”

“…”

“That raven-shaped mark. If my guess is right, our opponent is formidable.”

“What’s your guess?”

“High-ranking members of the Bloodstone Cult.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“I can’t say more for sure. Just stay alert.”

I held back the words ‘If you want to turn back, now’s the time’.

Having come this far together, none of them were the kind to entertain thoughts of turning back. Determination was clearly etched on the faces of my party members.

We walked on for a while.

— Woom

I felt a faint, transparent barrier, almost imperceptible. I halted and expanded my mana.

Something was definitely there.

Silvia, who followed my lead in deploying mana, murmured.

“It’s a barrier.”

“A barrier?”

“The kind that conceals any traces of activity within. It’s often used for covert operations.”

As expected, we were on the right track.

But there was a problem…

“We can’t go any further.”

The sewer had gradually narrowed until it was now an opening so small I could barely fit through.

Elena could go a little farther, but she’d likely hit a dead end soon.

The air was damp and suffocating. I scanned my surroundings.

There had to be a door somewhere for maintenance purposes.

…There it was.

“This way.”

A sturdy iron door stood nearby.

It didn’t appear to have a lock.

I pushed it open with a loud creak.

Beyond lay a long passageway that seemed to lead further underground.

“Who are you!”

A startled guard standing in the passage immediately pointed his weapon at us.

Of course.

Was this an Academy security zone?

A few possible scenarios crossed my mind.

Elena, following behind me, gestured at the guard.

“A gatekeeper…!”

“Are you students?”

Ahem!

The guard cleared his throat, then spoke firmly while fixing his gaze on us.

“You cannot proceed beyond this point without official authorization from the academy.”

“But we’re looking for a comrade—”

“This area is a B-grade security facility. You’ll need proper authorization to pass. That’s all I can say. Frankly, I should be investigating how you even got out from there…”

He glanced at the door we’d just exited before continuing.

“Curiosity is a dangerous thing. Turn back now, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”

He seemed eager to avoid trouble.

Still, he didn’t look like someone who could be persuaded with words.

Elena leaned in and whispered.

“…Shall I take care of him, Brother?”

Are you seriously a priest?

As I covered Elena’s mouth, Silvia quietly spoke.

“This barrier seems deliberately planned. It starts right behind where the guard is stationed. This means it’s all part of their calculations. Likely, they’re trying to buy time with these procedures.”

I nodded in agreement.

‘To buy time, huh.’

That meant they were likely setting up a magic circle or something similar.

Unfortunately for them, their strategy wasn’t going to matter.

I pulled out a small metal plaque I always carried in my pocket.

The guard’s eyes widened.

“I’m an imperial knight! I won’t be bribed—”

“It’s not a bribe. Take a closer look.”

The guard, still wary, accepted the metal plaque and examined it.

His eyes grew progressively wider as he inspected it.

“…A pass authorized by His Majesty?”

“That’s correct.”

“…Who exactly are you? Or rather, who are you?”

His tone shifted instantly to formal speech.

I shrugged and asked.

“May we pass?”

“…Yes, of course.”

I ushered my companions inside first.

“If you have a passage permit, your companions can also—”

“I understand. You may proceed.”

Of course. Power makes everything convenient.

After passing the guard, we broke into a run.

This seemed to be a passage following the sewer’s course.

“Wait a second. There’s a map here.”

It was a large map mounted on the wall.

The map revealed where we were headed.

A massive cavern located beneath the very center of the Academy.

‘So that’s what it is.’

I began to get a sense of how things were unfolding.

A fitting place for a boss fight.

“Everyone, get ready.”

◆

Bloodstone Cult.

5th Disciple.

Evan Kessler.

He stood beside the massive magic circle he had drawn.

Creak.

He tilted his head and looked around.

—Hiss!

—Meow!

Cats poured in through the sewer openings from all directions.

The channels, which should have carried flowing water, were instead filled with an overwhelming number of cats.

“…Hah.”

A short laugh, almost like a scoff, escaped his lips.

Despite numerous obstacles along the way, the plan had been carried out flawlessly.

Ian Blackangers.

That meddlesome brat had slowed things down, but the plan had been executed nonetheless.

Not that it mattered now.

In the end, Evan had gathered all the ingredients he needed.

“No, not my ingredients.”

These were the materials ‘that person’ needed.

Fresh blood and flesh from 33 young sprouts.

And 1,333 cats.

He had gathered exactly 33 students as the sprouts.

As for the cats, he had simply ensured there were more than enough.

“Isaac. Dispose of the unnecessary ones.”

“… Street cats are filthy.”

“Isaac.”

“Apologies, sir. I’ll do it immediately.”

—Rumble.

The ground trembled, and roughly half the cats turned to ash-gray dust, vanishing into thin air.

Isaac, watching the scene, muttered under his breath.

“Senior.”

“This ritual… it really is connected to the ‘Void,’ isn’t it?”

“I heard it from Lady Blood Witch. The leader is targeting the ‘Void.’ That’s why he reached out to the Second Prince’s faction and the Celeste faction. If he succeeds, then everything in this world will—”

“Isaac.”

“Yes, senior.”

“You talk too much.”

“But—”

“You’ve done well.”

That was the end of it.

The 9th Disciple.

Isaac’s shadow opened its mouth wide, grotesquely swallowing its own master.

—Crunch!

It happened in an instant.

Isaac was gone, consumed by the shadow, leaving no trace behind.

Evan, who had been watching the shadow, raised his head.

A deep smile spread across his face.

—Woom.

The magic circle began to glow.