The arrival was much faster than the ti it took to leave.
Given that the main characters now had real weapons in their hands, it was an expected result.
As I entered the main hall, I surveyed the traces of the battle that had taken place here.
The magic division seed exhausted, likely from repeatedly casting spells without their staffs, and all the surrounding chairs were shattered.
It seed that the knights had used them as makeshift weapons.
“Looks like they attacked while we were away?”
When I asked this, the group slumped their shoulders.
“Ugh… I’m totally drained.”
“I’ve got a gift for you all.”
Aslay lay down his backpack.
The others, after keeping only their own weapons, distributed the rest to all the first-years.
Now, even if we leave, they’ll be able to protect themselves.
With that, the first gate had been perfectly cleared.
“At least we still have plenty of food. Let’s take a breather and move on.”
Stretching out, I approached the table filled with food.
The first thing the returning students reached for was the drinks.
Ricks gulped down water and, like a desert wanderer who had found an oasis, let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew. Ah, now I feel alive.”
Thanks to wrapping up our task quickly, we had more ti to rest.
After quenching their thirst, they ate to regain their strength.
By the ti their food had settled, Bellman spoke up.
“We now have the ans to fight. But I still have no clue what we’re supposed to do next.”
Ricks lowered the cup he had glued to his mouth.
“He did say it was a ga. There might be so clues hidden about what to do next.”
“That’s true. A ga can’t exist without shared rules. Without them, it’s just playing by oneself.”
While they debated, I quietly stepped back and checked the wall clock.
Two hours and five minutes left.
Soon enough, the answer to the question they were discussing would appear.
With nothing else to do for the mont, I stared absentmindedly at the ground.
At my feet was a plate of fish.
When I was picking food earlier, I had set aside so for the cat.
Swooosh—
As expected, smoke began to swirl, and the cat ford, eagerly devouring the fish.
Chomp chomp.
Watching this scene, I started thinking about the next scenario.
Soon, the Wraiths would break through the walls.
Wraiths were ghosts created by Felia, and there were three types: a librarian, a chef, and a professor.
There were three in total.
They weren’t enemies to be hunted.
You could think of them as sothing like ga masters.
The task for the main characters from here on was to find the treasure.
The Wraiths would only guide them to where the clues were hidden.
To get to Luon, they needed to break the barrier on the ninth-floor staircase, and the key to opening it was finding an ergency key.
After that, they just had to defeat the three sub-bosses, and the first-act boss battle would begin.
However, the invitation in my possession…
The location was the dining hall of Adele Hall, a place unrelated to the scenario, and I had to enter it alone.
This worried greatly.
With the added complication of Erucel, I wouldn’t even be able to check if the main characters successfully subdued Luon.
What exactly was waiting for in the dining hall made more concerned about my own safety than theirs.
There were too many uncertainties.
The only comfort was the cat eating at my feet.
That was all.
I petted the cat’s back.
ow.
When it finished eating, I spoke softly.
“It’s about ti I received your help.”
The cat, which had closed its eyes, opened them again.
Then it turned into smoke and wrapped around my left wrist.
A black band appeared on my arm, like a tattoo I’d never gotten.
This was my bodyguard and a one-ti trump card.
It would be my lifeline.
As I felt reassured by this, a commotion arose in the main hall.
“W-wait! Look at the wall!”
“Good heavens, are those ghosts?”
The transparent Wraiths, wearing flowing robes, revealed themselves as they floated in the air.
The Wraiths explained the ga to the main characters in a mournful voice, then beckoned them to follow.
The group glanced nervously at , so I gave them a nod.
At that mont, one of the students from the Schlaphe Hall approached and asked,
“Hey, Hersel. Don’t you need to go too?”
“Why? Do you want to take my place? That’d be fine by . Less work for .”
The student, fearing I might really pass the invitation to them, fled in a panic.
I’ll go when I’m ready.
Don’t push off a cliff, you little brats.
***
In the professor’s building, Rockefeller was pressing Hadal hard.
“How many tis do I have to tell you that’s not the way?”
Hadal, being possessed by an undead, had his mind elsewhere, but that didn’t an he was unable to communicate.
Other professors had combined various spells—such as a voice transmission spell, a visualization spell to see in the dark, and a mirror spell to share what Hadal was seeing, among others.
With all these spells in place, Hadal was equipped with several functions.
“Grughrrr.”
When Hadal rolled his eyes and let out a wailing sound, Rockefeller turned to the professor beside him and asked,
“Has his intelligence dropped to an undead level as well?”
The professor pointed at the mirror.
Undead creatures were swarming around Hadal.
“I think he might be pretending. If he spoke like a human, he’d be found out.”
“That ans he’s listening.”
Rockefeller shook Hadal’s shoulder and said,
“Your job is to find Sir Bellen. Don’t get sidetracked and head to the club floors imdiately!”
Normally, they would have thought of Arkandric first, but if he were in good condition, none of this would have happened in the first place.
Sothing had clearly gone wrong.
Thus, the only alternative was Sir Bellen, who had skills comparable to his.
“But what about Hersel Ben Tenest? He should be in the main hall by now. Shouldn’t we check on that too?”
At the professor’s question, Rockefeller clicked his tongue.
“Tch, if we keep relying on that guy, the academy will be ruined.”
Recently, they had given him a famous sword as a reward from the treasure vault.
His already high expectations had only grown.
If they kept offering rare treasures as compensation every ti sothing happened, they wouldn’t be able to manage it in the future.
“We need to handle him more cautiously. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, we should avoid dealing with him. I hope you’ll rember that.”
Rockefeller gave Gomon a sharp look as he issued the warning.
“If anyone dares to offer rewards to Hersel Ben Tenest without authorization, I will hold them personally accountable.”
“Uh… Professor Rockefeller, wasn’t that all in the past, anyway? Haha…”
“Silence, Gomon.”
Gomon shrank back and slunk into a corner.
The professor watching the mirror asked,
“But what if the club floor where Sir Bellen is located is also blocked by a barrier?”
“That’s possible. But there’s no need to worry. With her skills, the one they call the Empress will handle any barrier with ease.”
As they waited, Hadal finally reached the club floors.
As expected, the entrance was blocked by a barrier.
Hadal squeezed between the nearby undead and pressed his forehead against the barrier.
Two students standing on the other side pointed at him and laughed.
“Hey, hey. Doesn’t that look like Rockefeller?”
“Yeah, he’s got that sa nasty look. If there wasn’t a barrier, I’d totally bash his head in.”
The professors gasped in shock.
Rockefeller glared at the two students in the mirror with hollow eyes.
“Bring those two students to my office as soon as they’re done.”
“Y-yes….”
As one professor searched the student roster, Rockefeller spoke to Hadal.
“Hadal, tell those two fools to bring Sir Bellen here right now.”
“Grughrrrr.”
Hadal knocked on the barrier door.
Knock knock.
Then he whispered clearly, in a low voice,
“Excuse , is Sir Bellen inside?”
***
The exclusive dining hall of Adele Hall was on the 6th floor.
Undead filled not only the hallways but also the staircases.
As soon as I appeared, they rushed at .
Grughhhrrr!
Yet, I didn’t even draw my sword.
I simply waved my hand casually.
“Move.”
Grugh?
The undead flinched, then slowly retreated.
Donatan, clearly puzzled by the scene, asked,
“W-what’s going on here?”
I tapped the black line tattooed on my wrist.
“They saw the cat and got scared off.”
This creature had been brought by a grand magician from deep within the demon realm.
It was a being that lived in an abyss full of terrifying monsters, far superior to re undead.
Even though they were decayed, the undead instinctively recognized it as a predator.
‘Well, at least it makes things easier for us, don’t you think?’
‘Hmm… I did sense a bit of ease from you, and now I know why.’
Thanks to that, I was able to climb the stairs without any battle.
Everywhere we went, undead fled in panic as we made our way down the hallway.
Then, in the distance, I saw so figures fighting. They were Bellman, Leana, and Silla, who had business on the sixth floor like .
“Bellman, with these constant attacks, we can’t find any clues. Can’t you just block them with a barrier?”
“Just hold on a little longer. I haven’t fully recovered my mana yet.”
“Silla, take Bellman to the library. I’ll block the entrance.”
They were doing their best in their own way. Not wanting to interfere, I averted my gaze and continued walking toward the dining hall.
The door to the dining hall was wide open.
Not a single undead was in sight.
The cleanliness of the room was intact, illuminated by a soft light, and the fragrant sll of food filled the air. It looked as though the place could start serving custors right away, just like on any other day.
Tock tock tock.
As I stepped inside, I looked at the long table.
At the head of the table, in the VIP seat I once used, sat Felia, possessing the body of a professor.
She was savoring a glass of wine.
“The food and wine these days are pretty good. I’d say they have a very clean taste, and the aroma is quite nice, too.”
A question imdiately escaped my lips.
“Why did you summon here?”
“Oh, first, have a seat. Is there anything you’d like to eat? Just say the word, and it’ll be prepared in no ti. None of the servants here were hard.”
She’s the disciple of a grand magician.
There’s a chance she might know about the cat.
I carefully sat down, being mindful to conceal the tattoo on my left wrist by adjusting my sleeve.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Really? Well, I suppose you’ve already had your fill. Sothing about a victory feast, right? Hah, back in my day, we didn’t have such luxuries.”
I casually covered my left hand under the table and propped my chin up with my right hand to draw attention away from it.
That should be enough to avoid detection.
Since Felia was using a human body as a host, she wouldn’t have the sharp senses of a monster or the spiritual awareness of an undead.
“It seems you want to talk to ,” I said cautiously, testing her.
Felia nodded.
“That’s right. I’m simply curious about what kind of person you are. You could say it’s personal curiosity.”
Ah, so she’s open to conversation.
“Is there sothing you want to ask ? How about this: we take turns answering each other’s questions.”
This situation was an anomaly far removed from the norm.
In the absence of any other information, it seed wise to gather intel from Felia.
If she tried anything suspicious, I could just kill her, regardless of the scenario.
“Q&A, with ?”
She scoffed, locking eyes with .
‘Felia, the obsessed,’ had the ability to read mories.
She probably found it amusing that I suggested such a thing, but that wouldn’t last long.
If I recalled correctly, those with ntal resistance traits were immune to her powers.
And I possessed the trait, ‘Noble Blood Ember.’
“Uh…”
As expected, Felia’s eyes twitched.
I smirked slightly, finding her reaction laughable.
“If you don’t want to, forget it.”
I threw out the words with a biting tone, and Felia huffed in frustration.
***
The seventh-floor hallway was quickly cleared.
Thanks to Aslay’s brute strength, all the undead had been reduced to mush.
With a mont to breathe, Ricks followed the wraith dressed as a chef and said,
“I guess there’s a clue here.”
The chef wraith entered the food storage room.
As it stepped inside, the wraith spoke in a ghostly, buzzing voice,
“In the old days, I used to hum and ponder what to cook here, always thinking of ho. Oh, how I miss it. Frostheart was so far from my holand.”
Aslay squinted his eyes at the long-winded explanation.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Make it short.”
“Ahem, anyway, I often thought of my beloved wife, whom I left behind. I used to send money ho, but I’m sure she was sad without .”
The wraith glanced wistfully at Ricks and the others.
“So, here’s your riddle. Guess the na of my beloved wife, and that’s the puzzle I’m giving you.”
Ricks tilted his head and asked,
“If we solve the riddle, do we get a clue?”
“Of course, just take a look at that supply shelf. My lover’s na is oddly enough the sa as one of the ingredients.”
The wraith pointed to the shelves filled with rows of items, so many that it seed impossible to go through each one individually.
Ricks gulped and stared at the wraith.
But the wraith scratched its head.
“Well, actually, Lady Felia told to co up with this riddle, but I’m not really good at these things… I’m not sure if you’ll enjoy it.”
“There are too many ingredients here. How are we supposed to figure out the na?”
Ricks grumbled, and the wraith grinned.
“All right, I’ll give you another hint. I’m a chef from the western region of Velta. It’s famous for its spices, and the sunlight there is just perfect for growing crops. Wherever you go, you’ll find the fresh scent of…”
Though the wraith claid it was a hint, it only seed to make things more confusing.
It might have been a cheap trick to stall for ti.
As Ricks was about to vent his frustration, Aslay asked,
“Ricks, can’t you just use magic to get rid of this annoying thing?”
“…Shall I give it a try?”
Just as Ricks was about to wave his staff, Limberton spoke up casually,
“Rosemary?”
He held up a sprig of green rosemary in his hand, though no one noticed when he had grabbed it.
The wraith’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Limberton scratched his head and repeated,
“I said rosemary… Is that the correct answer?”
“But how? I haven’t even given you all the hints yet.”
“You said you were from the west, right? I rember reading an essay by a famous Casanova from the west. There was a line that stuck with : ‘She was a woman whose scent matched the na Rosemary.’”
Ricks, impressed, said, “I guess even those kinds of books can be helpful.”
“Well, the sweet words aside, it was actually about an affair.”
Limberton propped his chin with his hand, as if trying to recall sothing, and mumbled,
“What was it… Rosemary… Rosemary… Ah, I think it was Rosemary Eldrus.”
The mont Limberton ntioned the last na, the wraith reacted in shock.
“Rosemary Eldrus? Did you say Eldrus?”
The wraith’s expression was one of betrayal and shock, as if it had lost all composure. Limberton cautiously asked,
“…Wait, is your last na Eldrus?”
A few seconds later, the wraith sadly dissolved into bubbles, making a sound that seed full of sorrow.
Pop pop.
Limberton watched its final monts with a look of pity.
“I guess I was right after all…”
Ricks and Aslay also solemnly watched the wraith pass on in silence.
Ricks, Limberton, and Aslay then proceeded toward the left staircase. There weren’t many undead along the way, only a few that they encountered.
Crash!
Aslay quickly took care of them, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance to the ninth-floor stairs.
In front of them was a blue barrier blocking the way.
“It’s blocked here, huh? Limberton, can you hand that tal plate we found earlier?”
Limberton passed him the tal plate, and Ricks held it up to the barrier.
Shhhh—
The barrier dissipated, and they stepped into the ninth-floor hallway.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps and a woman’s scream echoed through the corridor.
“Kyaaaah!”
At the end of the hallway, a woman was running toward them, her face pale with fear.
Limberton narrowed his eyes and said,
“That’s… Senior Brandel from the second-year Adele Hall. She’s from the Magic Division.”
Ricks seed perplexed.
“Huh, that’s impressive, but it’s kind of creepy how you know these things sotis.”
“Well, I’ve been holding back because of what Hersel said recently, but this is who I really am. Didn’t you know?”
“I guess, but… never mind. We don’t have ti for this right now. We need to help her.”
Ricks imdiately ran toward the senior, and Aslay followed behind him. anwhile, Limberton swiftly prepared his bow.
Sothing unknown had peeked its head out from the classroom door.
‘What is that? Sothing looks off.’
With only its upper body visible, it was hard to make out exactly what it was. Judging by the color, it didn’t seem to be undead, but it wasn’t quite human either—its shape was too amorphous.
Just as Limberton was about to classify it as a monster, he hesitated because its face looked human, making it difficult to shoot.
As he examined it more closely, Limberton’s eyes widened.
“Arsys…”
That face—it was unmistakably Arsys, an executive of Lethe.
“What? They are already here? Damn, I haven’t even had any fun yet.”
As Arsys fully erged into the hallway, Ricks gasped in shock.
“What the… what is that…?”
Arsys’s lower body resembled that of a snake. A massive snake, at that, with an imnse thickness and length.
“How do I look? After taking the drug that Luon gave , I ended up like this. But it’s no big deal—the effects will wear off eventually, and I’ll be back to normal.”
Arsys grinned and slithered his tail back into the classroom.
“Well, since it’s all a ga, I’ll play along. Now, let’s see…”
As he pulled his tail back out, a man’s corpse, neck twisted and lifeless, dangled from it.
“How should I kill you?”
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