Chapter 37: Battle of Academy (4)

 

"Busy, so busy."

 

Finden Ai grumbled next to me while carrying an ax on her shoulder. Despite her complaints, the corners of her mouth were drawn into a smile.

 

At first, I thought she liked the ax, but after hearing her words, I realized it wasn't just that.

 

"The souls are easier to handle than I thought."

 

“… It's because they didn’t wake up because they wanted to.”

 

Finden Ai, who had stopped walking at my words, turned her head slightly, her large crimson eyes looking at me curiously.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"If they had truly woken up because they wanted to and had desires, it wouldn't have ended so easily."

 

"...Explain it in a way that's easy to understand."

 

Finden Ai got annoyed for no reason. I didn't need to explain everything to her, but since we had a bit of distance left to our destination, I continued speaking to organize my thoughts as we moved forward.

 

"When I first arrived at the Academy three months ago, I had many doubts while relieving the resentment of the souls and keeping the evil spirits in check."

 

"Hmm."

 

"Among them, the biggest question was why the evil spirits that should have been dormant woke up and possessed such strong power."

 

It wasn’t enough to take someone’s life, but it was enough to intervene in reality.

 

This issue applied not only to the residents of Setima but also to the evil spirits within the Academy, filled with malice and enmity.

 

Finden Ai made a strange expression.

 

"Is it not possible? They could simply be evil spirits with strong grudges."

 

Although such cases are extremely rare, they do exist.

 

For example, the case of the widow I met on the carriage to Robern was an exceptional one, where she had such deep grudges that she could harm the living.

 

Of course, that was because she had projected Illuania, who was pregnant at the time, onto herself, which temporarily amplified her resentment.

 

Anyway…

 

"That is absolutely impossible."

 

"Impossible?"

 

"Yes, I can't explain it to you in detail, but I'm certain of it."

 

Because it wasn't like this in the original game. Even if there were ghost stories in the Academy, they were just side episodes and not significant.

 

But looking at the current situation, it has already gone too far. It was not a side episode but a main episode-level crisis.

 

"Um, isn’t it because of master's presence?"

 

Finden Ai started speculating, but I shook my head.

 

“At that time, I was an inexperienced novice who hadn't learned necromancy. So, even if I had come, it wouldn't have had any effect on the spirits.”

 

Finden Ai, who was trying to find an answer in her own way, tilted her head and pondered, but in the end, she surrendered.

 

"You’re not asking me to find the culprit, are you? According to master, there is someone who awakened the souls in the Academy and gave power to the evil spirits, right?"

 

"Yes, that's right."

 

The girl with black hair…

 

In other words, the angel of Setima only awakened and gained power through that separate person.

 

She couldn't accomplish anything alone.

 

In the end, she was just a manifestation created by the hopes of the people of Setima.

 

Just like Marks, who created the legendary monster - the Ingyolchung - through countless blood and corpses, the true identity of the girl called angel was the entity that was created by gathering the wishes of the people of Setima.

 

And there was someone who had given her power.

 

"So, you're telling me this because you found out who it is?"

 

Finden Ai, who confidently spoke her thoughts, smirked.

 

Yes, swinging an ax suits her better than using her head.

 

"Yes, I found out."

 

I didn't even know until we arrived in Robern.

 

The incident itself had already gone beyond common sense.

 

But I found out.

 

More precisely, the culprit revealed themselves to me directly.

 

"But now is not the time to pursue that. First, we need to resolve the incident and then hear the reasons."

 

"Okay."

 

The place we arrived at was the women's dormitory. As we climbed the stairs and reached the second floor, there was a large man with his head split in half waving his hand in the air in the middle of the hallway.

 

[Here you are.]

 

It looked as if he was embracing people.

 

As soon as Finden Ai saw him, she furrowed her brow.

 

"This is the second floor of the women's dormitory, where all the girls are in coma."

 

"He is the one who put them in that state."

 

"Hmm, what kind of evil spirit is he?"

 

He was somewhat pitiable. It wasn't his intention, but his actions ended up being no different from a wicked act.

 

"He was a man who ran an orphanage in Setima. He probably remained exactly as he was, trying to protect the children until the moment he died, embracing them."

 

It was the same as the sword I held in my hand.

 

Just like Musah was trying to guard the main entrance on the first floor subconsciously, that spirit also believed that he was protecting them, but in reality, he ended up trapping the students in those dreams.

 

"You've been carrying a burden for too long, and you've become too immersed in it."

 

I gently extended my sword, but the aura blades never appeared. Musah, in his sword form, trembled, not wanting to harm him.

 

He wanted me to know that he had no ill intentions.

 

"It's a different story from the kids in the gym. Whether it was intentional or not, it was the evil spirit that put numerous female students in that state."

 

[.......]

 

"If you won't do it, then I will."

 

As I raised my mana and enveloped it in blue flames, Musah finally fired a sword strike and cut down the evil spirit.

 

[Here you are.]

 

The fragmented soul sprawled on the floor and fell. I calmly reached out my hand in front of it.

 

"Release the children."

 

[Here you...]

 

"It's okay to sleep. I will take your place."

 

The soul then turned into a cluster of light and disappeared. Like others, it entered a state of rest.

 

From some rooms, I heard the sound of children falling off their beds.

 

They had just woken up from endless dreams, so it would take some time for them to regain their senses.

 

"Finden Ai, take the children and go outside to join the others. There may be children who can't move on their own."

 

"What about master?"

 

"I've extinguished all urgent fires."

 

I tightened my grip on the sword. I had resolved most of the incidents that occurred even before the barrier was completely formed.

 

But if time had continued to drag on, it could have been really dangerous.

 

"Now I'm going to resolve the barrier."

 

"...Are you sure you'll be fine alone?"

 

When I turned to look at Finden Ai, who seemed concerned about me, she answered while taking a cigarette out of her pocket and putting it in her mouth.

 

"It's the first payday in a week."

 

"Heh."

 

Zwoof!

 

The cigarette in Finden Ai's mouth ignited as it came into contact with the flame I created. She quickly took it out of her mouth, stomped on it with her foot to put out the fire, and glared at me.

 

"Oh, for f*ck's sake! It was to support!"

 

"No smoking in front of me. Did you forget that already after not seeing me for so long?"

 

"Ah, shit! Forget it, go away! Even if you die, I won't save you."

 

Ignoring the grumbling Finden Ai, I once again headed towards the main building of the Academy.

 

The night had become too long.

 

In order to face tomorrow with a little less fatigue, it was necessary to end it at this point.

 

* * *

 

I felt that the wind on the rooftop was stronger than before.

 

If my memory serves me right, the last time I came up here was when I had a brief coffee break with Erica Bright.

 

[You came?]

 

Just like back then, there was a girl waiting for me on the rooftop this time as well.

 

[It's been a while.]

 

The girl with black hair waved her hand towards me with a smile.

 

I nodded and calmly stood in front of her.

 

"Why did you cause such a commotion?"

 

[...]

 

"Didn't you tell me before I left? That you’ll prepare for their rest."

 

[Right.]

 

The reason I believed that the residents of Setima would find peace even if I left the Academy was because of this girl.

 

She was the hope of Setima.

 

[When you were gone, I thought about it carefully.]

 

As the girl slowly raised her hand, a small spirit popped out like a will-o'-the-wisp.

 

It soon began to grow and transformed into the form of a haggard girl.

 

The haggard girl assumed a posture reminiscent of the crucifixion known to be nailed to the cross.

 

But what supported and bound her was the girl's braided hair.

 

The girl's hair, entwined like a vine, tightly encircled the haggard girl's emaciated body.

 

[Is it really okay for the residents of Setima to close their eyes?]

 

"..."

 

[People who were mercilessly killed for no reason, yet cried out the name of God, not seeking revenge but salvation…]

 

"..."

 

[People who didn't even utter thoughts of revenge to follow the path of the goddess who didn't help them even after their deaths...]

 

"..."

 

[People who, even while being tortured, shed tears and pleaded for forgiveness for the kingdom's soldiers.]

 

The girl's hair began to extend further. The haggard girl held in her trembling hand gave off a sinister and threatening aura.

 

[Was it just ignorance?]

 

"Even if that's true, it's already over."

 

[...you've always been like this.]

 

As if angered by the fact that I didn't take her side, the girl’s hair squirmed and squeezed the ground so hard that cracks began to appear on the floor.

 

[You've always prioritized living.]

 

"..."

[Even after listening to our voices, being able to see our faces, talking and being together with us! Why can’t you understand us!]

 

Through her almost rebellious outcry, I felt her intense hostility trying to push me away.

 

[Even if the whole world doesn't understand our souls, shouldn't you, at least, stand on our side?]

 

“There is a natural order in everything.”

 

I raised my hand and forcibly endured her enmity as I replied.

 

“I have been fighting for you.”

 

There were times when I protected the souls of Setima who were being tormented by other spirits.

 

"I listened to your stories."

 

Originally, there were more souls of Setima than this, but for three months before my dismissal, I put each of them to rest.

 

"I deeply empathized with you."

 

Typically, when people die, they often take the form they had when they died.

 

The grotesque appearance of the souls of Setima indicated the amount of suffering they endured before dying.

 

"But because I genuinely empathize with you, I have to draw a clear line."

 

[...!]

 

Determined blue flames blossomed around me.

 

The lingering spirits of Setima, who couldn't leave yet and had a sense of responsibility, joined me to help.

 

"Even if it sounds cruel, it can't be helped. The dead should remain dead. Don't cross the boundary of living."

 

[You...!]

 

"The people of Setima were foolish? They didn't seek revenge because of their ignorance? Yes, that could be true."

 

In reality, most people would probably think they were foolish.

 

After all, how can one offer blessings for the person who caused harm to oneself?

 

But...

 

"Even so, it's not for us to judge what's right or wrong in that."

 

[...Don't be ridiculous.]

 

"I don't make judgments. I merely listen to what the spirits want."

 

[Don't spout nonsense!]

 

"You, in the name of happiness for Setima, have come to this point: You twisted, distorted, and perverted their wishes. It's all your doing."

 

Girl…

 

So, if we have to define it, the reason that entity known as an angel moved was for the sake of the nameless girl who wished for the happiness of the people of Setima.

 

But the angel twisted and distorted that wish:

 

To achieve happiness, she decided she must inflict the same amount of suffering.

 

To protect, she thought she must show her power to the Academy.

 

It was truly sad. If I had been with them, Angel wouldn't have been this corrupted.

 

Although it's regrettable because we once cooperated for the sake of the souls of Setima…

 

"But now, you are an evil spirit."

 

I clenched my fist and approached her.

 

"So, I must exorcize you."