Chapter 33: The Necromancer of North Whedon

Amidst the giggles of the chirping girl, the screams of the spirits merged, intensifying the atmosphere of terror.

"Hey, ex-fiancée. What do you think of this? It's like magic, isn't it?"

After exhaling smoke for one final time, Finden Ai, who had discarded her cigarette butt on the floor and crushed it with a sigh, asked.

Just moments ago, Erica had lost her composure due to overwhelming emotions, but now, as if drenched in cold water, her head cleared, and she regained her calmness.

"While it resembles magical barriers, it's neither a four-elemental barrier nor a higher-level spell."

Swallowing her bitter emotions, Erica added.

"It seems to be some kind of dark magic."

"Dark magic?"

Gideon's voice turned sharp in confusion, and he stared at the girl.

Still standing at the entrance, she continued to sway her body from side to side, enjoying herself as if dancing to a rhythm.

"So now even the spirits are resorting to magic?"

In response to Gideon's words, the girl, with a smile on her face, approached Erica.

[But is that all? I've prepared quite diligently. Could you explain my efforts in more detail, perhaps?]

"...I have no knowledge whatsoever about dark magic."

[Really? I see.]

The disappointed girl seemed to be upset that her efforts weren't acknowledged.

However, even if Erica were to ask other mages, she would receive the same reaction.

After all, the regulations regarding dark magic in the Griffin Kingdom were incredibly strict. Occasionally, underground merchants sold related books, but only those in the know were aware of them.

Moreover, ordinary mages loathed dark magic to the extreme, so they didn't want to get close to it.

[This is a very unique magic. It is a new type of barrier that breaks the boundary between the dead and the living.]

"Breaks the boundary?"

[Yes, from now on, some rather enjoyable things will happen.]

Erica hurriedly tried to grab the girl, but she had already disappeared.

Suppressing her frustration, Erica swept her hand through the empty space where the girl had been.

"That doesn't seem to be the problem right now."

Finden Ai shrugged her shoulders and pointed outside the railing. There, enormous insects were pouring out and rushing toward the three of them.

[Kraaaah!]

"Sigh Ai-san, losing your weapon is a big problem."

Since Finden Ai had lost her axe in the battle against the one-armed warrior, she had no choice but to continue fighting barehanded.

"Worthless pests."

Gideon drew his flaming sword, biting his lips until blood flowed.

"So, breaking the boundary between life and death means this?"

Realizing that she could now directly strike the spirits, Erica began manifesting her golden magic, preparing to respond.

* * *

No matter how chaotic the academy had been, the lectures continue to proceed. That is the only part where you can directly feel that the academy is still fulfilling its purpose.

But now, even that was being invaded by evil spirits.

As the sky darkened and the lights went out, the students who were attending the lecture became confused.

The professors also tried desperately to calm the students down, but they were finding it difficult to dispel the fear creeping in due to the recent incidents; like sounds resembling a baby's cry coming from the faculty dormitory.

"Calm down."

At that moment, a black-haired female student stood up, emitting a white light.

The concentration of mana itself was extraordinary. Even in just a brief moment, perceptive individuals recognized that she possessed considerable magical talent.

Aria Rias, a first-year student.

Despite being from a commoner background, she was recognized for her exceptional talent and was admitted to the prestigious Robern Academy as the top student.

"Let's stay calm. If we get caught up in the confusion here, we'll be the only ones harmed."

Her words were highly rational. Therefore, some of the students who regained their composure nodded in agreement.

"You're right."

Among them, Eleanor, the youngest daughter of the Griffin Kingdom's king, calmly continued the conversation.

"If we panic here, we'll only end up as the spectacle the enemies desire."

Princess Eleanor used the word 'enemies' clearly, awakening a sense of urgency. 

The students, too, began to follow Princess Eleanor’s words with calmness.

"We need to assess the situation first. We should scout outside."

Since the windows in the classroom were painted with black ink, making it impossible to see anything, it was necessary to go outside the classroom for the time being.

"What do you think, Professor?"

Eleanor subtly shifted the responsibility to the professor, who was conducting the lecture.

The professor nodded abruptly, realizing his position.

"Yes, yes. That's what we should do. I'll go outside to check and come back. Please wait a moment."

It was not without fear, but the professor, who couldn't overcome the pressure from the trembling students and Princess Eleanor, went outside.

Only then did the students feel that the situation was changing, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Eleanor approached Aria naturally. She sat next to her and softly asked.

"You're quite calm… You're Aria, the top student of this year's admission, right?"

"Yes, that's correct, Your Highness."

"We're classmates. There's no need to be overly formal."

"Then..."

"Just call me Eleanor. Feel free."

"Okay, Eleanor."

Huh?

Whether it was ignorance or bravery, Aria spoke without hesitation. But it was enough to pique Eleanor’s interest.

"Can you tell me what you think about the current situation?"

Eleanor asked, tapping the desk like she was taking an exam. Aria furrowed her brow for a moment, then calmly expressed her thoughts.

"It's probably the misdeeds of the spirits that were causing havoc in the academy. Besides that, I can't think of anything else."

"Hmm, I see. But this is the first time I've heard that spirits can use magic in this way."

"That's the same for me… However-"

Aria approached the window and brushed away the darkness with her hand, whispering to herself. At that moment, Eleanor’s next words resounded in her ears, breaking her thought process.

"It's probably a type of dark magic. It must have cost a lot of mana. I wonder if they extracted mana from missing people."

“Aren’t you quite sure…?”

Aria raised her head and asked Eleanor, who scratched the back of her head awkwardly and smiled.

“Haa, I was curious about how the academy would sort out the commotion, so I paid special attention. I couldn't simply stay still like that.”

Eleanor planned to report this incident to the royal family, revealing the incompetence and the true state of the Robern Academy, and completely uprooting the academy from the ground.

‘Yup, it’s not because I'm a princess or anything... Hmm, I wonder where the escorts are.’

They would have been caught up in the barrier as well, but Eleanor was confident that the highly skilled escorts would come to rescue her soon.

"You can't stay still…?"

Aria asked Eleanor regretfully, who was absentmindedly twirling her golden hair.

It had not been much time, but since she liked Aria's attitude, Eleanor threw her words like a prophet.

"Wouldn’t the academy be closed anyway? Even though it's a renowned academy, this is not an ordinary incident."

Eleanor could easily transfer to another academy or invite instructors directly from the royal family, so she didn’t find it too big of a loss.

‘I wonder if there was a need to learn in the first place.’

It wasn't just because she was a member of the royal family. Eleanor was also a prodigy in the divine arts, even surpassing the royal court magicians.

And Aria, who surpassed even her in academic performance, was quite intriguing to her.

‘A very interesting girl.’

The moment she smiled, thinking that even if Robern perishes, they will meet again later-

"Don't."

-A fierce pressure engulfed Eleanor’s whole body.

It was a force that couldn't be felt easily, not even from her father, the highest authority in the country, or the absolute powerhouses like the head of the knights or the grand magician.

"What...?"

With a hoarse voice, Eleanor looked at Aria with bewildered eyes.

Aria's black pupils had suddenly clouded over, and she was emanating a dense aura toward Eleanor.

"Don't do it. This academy will eventually regain its original prestige."

"What...?"

Bang!

"Kyaah!"

"They're here! They're here!"

"What about the professor? What happened to the professor?!"

"Run for now!"

"Nonsense! Let's fight! Where can we run?!"

Before Eleanor could barely open her mouth, the classroom door shattered, and corporeal spirits poured in.

Amidst the chaos and confusion, students either fled or fought.

Eleanor and Aria looked at each other as if they were the only two people in this place.

Drawing mana calmly, Eleanor gathered strength in her body and finally uttered a word.

"Do you think this situation can be salvaged?"

At her words, Aria turned her gaze to the window once again.

"Yes, it's possible."

The place was still filled with pitch-black darkness. Like cracks forming on a shell, suddenly faint crevices began to appear within the darkness.

"Because..."

The heavy and sticky air gave the illusion of escaping outward through the cracks.

The situation was rapidly changing.

The evil spirits that had been rushing instinctively turned their heads and gazed out of the window.

Some of the spirits seemed tormented as if encountering their arch-nemesis, while others growled and began to flee, cursing that they would die at any moment.

The barrier created by the spirits had not yet disappeared.

Their forces remained strong, and Robern was still caught in their merciless grasp.

However, there was a small crack.

And through that crack, a person entered, stepping on the light that poured in.

Perhaps there had been an accident on the way, as the edge of his coat was slightly singed, and there were burn marks here and there.

Nevertheless, he maintained a neat and cold appearance, and his determined steps showed no hint of hesitation.

His calm eyes encompassed the whole Robern academy.

Just that alone silenced the eerie screams of the spirits and caused the beings who had forgotten fear to falter.

The wind shifted abruptly.

The spring breeze that entered through the crack gently embraced him with a sense of relief.

The only lantern illuminating Robern… The Necromancer of North Whedon, Deus Verdi, had finally arrived.

"You've come."

Aria reached out softly towards him beyond the window, accompanied by a tender smile.

"My hero."

--- End of The Chapter --

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