"Kajan!"
Simon’s eyes welled with emotion. Pushed to the brink, the simple fact that soone knew the truth and believed him unconditionally was a lifeline.
"First, let confirm," Kajan began, his voice low. "The Priest is Professor Francesca, correct?"
Simon snapped back to attention and nodded sharply.
"Yes."
"Understood. I’ll share what I’ve gathered. Her barrier is already affecting the entire first-year campus." Kajan retrieved several detector-like devices from his Subspace. "I tried contacting Lady Nephthys with a communication crystal, but as expected, it was blocked. Once the barrier is fully deployed, we’ll be completely cut off from the outside world."
Kajan’s gaze fixed on Simon again.
"Our opponent is professor-level, and she’s been preparing this for years. Other professors won’t be able to break it easily."
Simon nodded.
"What’s the range?"
"At a minimum, it envelops the entire Kizen first-year campus. Her plan must be to annihilate all nine hundred of us."
The thought alone was horrifying. A terrorist attack that would wipe out the entire first-year class. It was more than just a nurical loss of future talent for the Dark Alliance; it was a catastrophic blow. Kizen’s reputation would be shattered, its absolute authority questioned.
The nobles of the Alliance would be consud by rage, tearing the organization apart as anti-Kizen factions seized power. Neutral parties would flock to Efnel, and a grief-stricken Nephthys might even declare all-out war on the Holy Federation. This could escalate into a continental war. The weight on Simon’s shoulders felt imnse.
"I’ll explain everything," Simon started, but was cut off.
"Simon!"
Kamibarez was rushing down the stairs, with irin and Dick right behind her.
"Kami! Why are you still here?" Simon demanded, alard.
She clasped her hands together, her eyes filled with determination as she stepped forward.
"Do you rember what I told you the morning after we encountered the Priest in the Forbidden Forest?"
Simon flinched.
"I promised to help you, Simon! Please, let ."
"But this is too dangerous—!" Simon argued, his face stern.
"Oh, shut up! You’re really going to leave us out of this?" irin shot back, striding forward, her sky-blue hair whipping around her. "Why would you hide sothing this important from us?"
"Yeah, I have to admit, my pride’s a little wounded," Dick added, strolling up with his hands laced behind his head.
"Dick!"
"You didn’t want to get us involved. We get it," Dick said with a grin. "But what can you do? Kami told us everything, and now we’re dying to get involved."
"Stop wasting ti and spit it out, Simon," irin demanded, getting right in his face. "Who is the Priest, and what are they planning?"
Simon glanced hesitantly at Kajan, who gave a slight nod.
"We were short-handed anyway. With the Priest’s influence spreading through Kizen, everyone here is already involved. Having allies who believe you is a stroke of luck."
"Of course!"
Simon let out a small sigh and quickly recounted everything he had seen. He spoke so frantically that he wasn’t sure they were catching every detail, but he focused on conveying the crucial information.
"Professor Francesca!" Kamibarez whispered, her expression dazed with shock.
irin clicked her tongue.
"I knew it. I always thought there was sothing sinister about that woman."
"Weren’t you the one bawling your eyes out after her speech a few hours ago?" Dick teased.
"Shut your mouth!"
’They actually believe .’
A warmth spread through Simon’s chest. For all its dangers, his ti at Kizen hadn’t been for nothing.
"I’ll add what I know," Kajan interjected. "I’ve been tracking Priests for a long ti, treating every professor and TA as a potential suspect. Naturally, I have a contingency plan for Francesca being the one."
"Oh!"
"And based on Simon’s description, the weapon is almost certainly a curse bomb known as a ‘Desolater’."
"A curse bomb?"
"That’s right," Kajan said, his eyes glinting. "The sa kind that created Deathland."
Everyone gasped. The Priest was planning to detonate that thing in the heart of Kizen? Students would be vaporized, and any survivors would be turned into zombies.
Dick spoke up again.
"How did Francesca get her hands on sothing that dangerous?"
"The Desolater is kept in this building’s basent, in the Secret Hazardous Materials Storage. Only Kizen’s Venomology Professor and Lady Nephthys have access. It’s highly likely she killed Lang precisely so she could beco the Venomology Professor."
It was exactly as Simon had suspected. The others trembled at the chilling truth. All her feigned concern for Lang had been nothing but a monstrous lie.
"Simon," Kajan said, turning to him. "Do you rember the exact locations and number of explosions?"
"Yes," Simon replied, his eyes sharp. "In order, they were at the Mana Bullet Firing Range, the Hall of Magical Technology, the first-year boys’ dormitory, and the Study Hall."
"She spread them out well," Kajan noted grimly, then turned to the others. "You three will have to stop the bombs. This is a life-or-death mission. If you have any reservations, leave now before the barrier goes up..."
"I’ll take the boys’ dormitory," Dick said before he could finish.
"I guess I’ll go to the Hall of Magical Technology. My club mbers are there," irin added.
"I-I’ll go to the Mana Bullet Firing Range!" Kamibarez declared.
Kajan nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes.
"Good. You’re decisive. Disarming the Desolater’s magic circle is beyond your abilities, so use a simpler thod: put the bombs in your Subspace."
"What?"
"I’ve confird that Kizen’s Desolater is activated by an ignition magic circle. Storing it in a personal dinsion like a Subspace will completely nullify the command."
Dick shot Simon a bewildered look, pointing at Kajan as if to say, ’Who is this guy, really?’
Kajan cleared his throat.
"I’m from the Thieves’ Guild."
"Wow, no wonder!"
So that was why he felt so familiar—he was in the sa line of work.
irin smirked.
"Looks like we’ve got the upgraded version right here."
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Dick retorted. "The rchant always wins! The Information Guild sells its intel for money, after all."
"That’s enough chatter. Take these." Kajan distributed glasses identical to the ones Simon had worn. "If the explosions are set for two hours from now, she’s likely already planted the Desolaters, hidden with perception-distorting magic. These glasses will nullify the spell and allow you to see them."
irin put a pair on and grumbled, "I thought this before, but this design is seriously la."
"irin, Kajan is repeating the year."
"They’re beautiful, Mr. Kajan!" she chirped, instantly changing her tune.
"That’s enough. Just call Kajan. We’re short on ti, so move quickly."
"Yes!"
The three of them took their assignnts, agreeing that whoever finished first would head for the Study Hall. Simon and Kajan then descended the basent stairs together.
With the Night of Erebus in full swing, the unlit basent was steeped in a gloomy atmosphere.
"We must avoid engaging Francesca until all the Desolaters are neutralized," Kajan warned, handing Simon a pair of mana-powered night-vision goggles. "If she ignites them, it’ll be a catastrophe. Until your friends secure the bombs, we stick to surveillance."
"Understood."
They navigated the basent and reached their destination: a large, heavily fortified door that looked more like the entrance to a bomb shelter than a room.
"Looks like she’s already inside," Kajan confird, spraying the floor to reveal a set of footprints.
"We don’t have much ti," Simon said, biting his lip. "Waiting here for her to co out is a waste."
"Agreed. I’ll wait here and tail her when she erges. You go to Lang’s lab on the top floor and gather any intel you can, then rendezvous with Pier."
"Right."
Without the power of his Legion, Simon would be of little use in a direct confrontation. eting up with Pier was the priority. Decision made, he sprinted up the stairs, heading for Lang’s fourth-floor laboratory. The door was locked, so he opened a hallway window, extended his Overlord to the wall to create a temporary ledge, and smashed his way through the lab window.
He landed lightly and surveyed the room. For a Kizen professor’s lab, it was surprisingly spartan—just docunts, books, and a bed. It felt more like a private study than a research facility. It seed Lang had been living here before he passed away.
Simon began frantically pulling open drawers.
’Professor Lang was likely being controlled by Francesca.’
He’d heard Lang was perfectly healthy three years ago. His health had only declined sharply in the last two years, which ant Francesca must have been involved.
’If there’s any trace of it left...’
His frantic search ca to a halt. He whipped his head around.
A green sli was oozing out from behind a picture fra. Simon tensed, backing away slowly as he watched it. The sli seed shy, hesitating to fully erge. Then, a hole opened in its center, forming the shape of a mouth and a tongue.
[Prêtre.]
It spoke. The pronunciation was garbled, but it sounded like ‘Priest,’ with an accent from the far eastern Baldwin Kingdom. Simon cleared his throat and replied in the sa accent.
[Francêsca.]
In response, the sli’s mouth gaped open, and it spat out two items: a notebook and Lang’s professor ID card.
Simon pocketed the ID and snatched up the notebook.
’He left this behind?’
It was Lang’s diary.
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