Chapter 92 – Elder

000

The sun pouring out its warm rays slowly moves upward beyond the horizon.

The temperature is still on the low side, and it is early morning when it starts to get warm.

Dew on the leaves falls to the ground, moistening the soil.

The shadows of the roadside trees gradually lengthen and begin to divide the boundary between light and darkness.

Cleon runs lightly down the residential streets of a time when many people are still asleep.

Then, she moves forward, matching her feet with Sasha who follows Cleon beside him.

It was a leisurely pace for Cleon, but Sasha wiped the sweat from her forehead with one hand.

Her sunset-colored hair her, tied in a ponytail, swayed with each step she took.

Of course, her running her alone won’t make her tired or sweaty like this.

Close-combat training with Cleon in an empty lot within the jogging course was the source of the slight fatigue she felt.

It was shortly after coming to her academy that she spoke of wanting to receive close combat lessons from her Cleon her.

Thanks to the change that appeared due to the hunter’s imprint, Sasha, who was able to move more wildly and agile like an animal than before, was able to win thanks to the dagger she wielded with the determination to throw herself in the decisive battle with her own people.

A hunter’s main weapon is usually a long-range weapon such as a bow or crossbow, but in dungeons with narrow terrain, close combat is often forced.

Therefore, Cleon also actively agreed that her Sasha her was trying to learn something new from her, and he was teaching her close combat techniques her using her dagger that he knew her.

It was a wooden dagger that was used for training, and it was a light object that ended up being a bit painful even if you hit it with a swing.

However, the one hanging from Sasha’s waist was broken in the middle of her and the upper part of the blade was missing.

During training, Cleon accidentally broke it due to mismanagement of his strength her.

She was a Cleon who looked after her moderately but had no intention of doing anything, and Sasha also said that she was training, but she ran into Cleon with all her might.

By that much, it must mean that her desire to be strong is great for her.

Seeing her desperately digging for Cleon, who was two or three heads taller than her, she unknowingly took her back and gave her strength a little stronger.

“Sorry. Sasha, I’ll prepare another dagger.”

Cleon talks to her quietly.

Of course, the dagger itself was not that special, and it was something that could be easily obtained at the junk shop in the academy.

Only, she recalled the visibly delighted she received the dagger she had prepared.

“Ah… Hehe. It’s okay, Mr. Cleon. It’s a dagger for training, so it can’t be helped that it breaks.”

But Sasha smiles shyly, as if she’s okay, and she replies.

When Cleon felt sorry for him, Sasha himself seemed to feel sorry for him.

The ears of the feline beast poking out above her head her twitched.

Could it be a side effect if it is an unexpected side effect of the beast’s ears and tail?

Even if her feelings were not spoken through these, they were somewhat visible.

Sasha knows that too, so she usually tries to keep her tail and ears as quiet as possible.

She shows herself as she is, at least in front of her peers her, including Cleon and her family her.

After that, it’s a trivial topic that doesn’t matter much. Questions about life at the academy, what you learned in class, and more.

She was born into a tribe in the mountains and has spent most of her life as a hunter, but Sasha seems to be enjoying the special time of her school life in her.

Cleon smiles as if he is happy.

The jogging, which seemed long and short, came to an end, and the two slowly entered the mansion, where it was time for Cuon to prepare breakfast and Lila to drink tea on the sofa rubbing her eyes.

“Ah. There’s something in the mailbox.”

Sasha checks the mailbox containing the letter without skipping it, and she takes out the envelope that was inside.

The pure white envelope was sealed with wax using a runic crest he had never seen before.

Neither the sender’s name nor the recipient’s name was written, but most letters of this kind were meant to be addressed to Laila, the owner of the mansion.

Cleon took the envelope from Sasha and went inside the mansion and headed straight for the living room.

Then, as expected, Lyla was there, leaning against the back of her bed, fighting her desire for sleep with an undead monster voice like ‘Uh uh uh…’.

“What else did you do to sleep late yesterday?”

Lila opens her eyes at the sound of Cleon’s voice coming from behind. When her face is still facing upwards, Cleon’s hands her appear from the outside to the inside of her field of vision her.

“Ah… Cleon, Sasha. Good morning. There’s a formula that came to my mind right before I went to bed, so I’m trying to prove it… “

Receiving the envelope that was in her hand her at her her Cleon her, Layla examines her sentence her while rubbing her eyes with one hand.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to build up your stamina too? Do you want to go out with me in the morning?”

“You’re training for close combat, right… ? Plus, flying magic is convenient when moving.”

Cleon smiles bitterly at Layla’s answer to her.

However, Sasha clenched her fists as if she had imagined her fighting in close quarters.

“I think she’ll be awesome when Ms. Lyla can fight with her staff her!”

“Ah… There are definitely wizards who wield a staff and fight directly.”

Lila narrows her eyes and seems to remember something of her own, then she breaks the seal on the letter and checks its contents.

Her expression was still sleepy, but her eyes her moved quickly and read everything from top to bottom.

The next moment, blue flames erupt from her hand her, burning her letter her.

“…Wow!?”

Sasha is startedled by the sight, but Cleon and Layla remain silent as they watch the paper turning to ashes.

“Gwa, are you okay? Letter, I’m riding.”

“It’s okay because I burned it. It was a useless letter.”

Lila stood up from her seat, stretching her as if she had just woken up.

The ashes from her hand and the pieces of the burned letter were tossed into the fireplace.

“Ah. I’ll think about jogging along. Quon’s cooking is delicious, so I think I’ll have to worry about my weight soon.”

Lila shrugs her shoulders and she strokes Sasha’s head.

To be precise, she was touching the ear of the beast above her head.

I’m not trying to play a joke, but I wonder if I can find a clue to a solution by touching it this way. And she periodically touched Sasha’s ears and tail her.

Although, according to her claims of her, it was.

Then, all of a sudden, Layla’s gaze descends to the broken dagger hanging from Sasha’s waist her.

“Oh. This is broken.”

“Ah. I made a mistake.”

When Cleon answered, she said, ‘Huh…’ And Layla looked at her dagger for a moment intriguedly.

“Then, should I get a new one?”

“It will be like that. If you go to the free market, you can easily get it.”

Sasha nods her head too.

But Lila looked at the two for a moment.

“Wait here a minute.”

After saying that, she climbed the stairs and headed for her own room.

Cleon and Sasha both looked at each other and had no idea what she was trying to do.

Moments later, Layla came down with a long box in her hand.

There was no special decoration on her case, and her sense of magic her was not very great.

“I waited.”

Layla says so and she opens her case in front of the two of them.

Inside, a dagger similar in length to the one Sasha used for combat or training was placed on top of a soft cushion.

Above all, the engraved carvings and decorations are gorgeous, so it looks like a dagger for decoration rather than for combat.

“Use this.”

Layla laughs and talks, but Cleon responds with a stiff face for a moment.

“Isn’t this a real sword?”

The handle was gold, decorated like butterfly wings, and the body was made of silver metal, so it was sharp enough to cut through people.

Then Layla smiles and talks as if Cleon’s reaction was as expected.

“Whoops. It looks like that, but it’s not true. This is a magic tool.”

“A magic tool?”

Laila nods her head at Sasha’s question, then pulls her dagger out of her case.

Then, with all her might, she slammed it down at her own other arm.

“La-Layla-san!?`

Sasha, whose expression becomes on the verge of screaming as she watches it.

However, Layla’s arm was unscathed, and the knife stopped against her arm.

“Did you see it? It looks like a real sword, but it’s actually a magic tool developed so that children can play with it without getting hurt. Don’t you think it fits?”

“What happened…”

Cleon looked at the dagger with a little wonder.

“It’s something I got half-forced from the magic tools department in the past. I helped out a little bit. Of course, I was paid separately. I heard it’s the latest popular product…”

“What is the product name?”

“DX (Deluxe) Butterfly’s Dagger – Titania”

“It’s grand.”

As if agreeing with Cleon’s words, Lyla nodded her head and handed the dagger to Sasha.

Sasha examines her dagger, her eyes twinkling, then presses the button in the shape of a small jewel on the lower part of her handle.

[Butterfly’s Dagger – Titania! The dagger of the fairy protects the forest of spirits!]

He was started by the sudden sound of someone’s voice coming from the dagger.

“This…”

“Somehow, it seems like a replica of a dagger from a famous novel. They said that they recorded a few lines from it. It’s really useless, right?”

However, as if Sasha was curious, if she pressed the button underneath her a few times, a different line would come out each time.

“Well. I think he liked it.”

“Thank you, Layla! I will use it carefully!”

“Sasha~! Can you help me?”

Then, Quon’s voice came from the kitchen.

Sasha answered energetically and ran towards it.

“…”

“…In the name of God I cast this, for you are guiltless.”

While Cleon was silently watching Sasha, Lila suddenly opened her mouth.

It was a phrase I had never heard before.

“It was written in that letter earlier. It was sent to me by the Senate.”

“Is it a password for something?”

Lyla nods her head at Cleon’s words.

As she said that, an illusion made of magic floated in the air.

What you see is a ‘huge white building’.

“This is the coffin of the Monad. This is where the Council of Twelve resides. There are guardian golems at the entrance to prevent unauthorized visitors.”

“… Here, the 12 elders…”

The actual rulers of the academy, and those in power most deeply involved in corruption and darkness here.

“I think they’re asking them to come back when things are sorted out. They’ll let you in if you tell them the password just now.”

“…I see. But, why are you giving me the password?”

Cleon asks Layla, and Layla sighs and places her hand on her forehead her.

“If something happens to me, and Cleon needs to find the Council of Elders, then write this passphrase.”

“…What is it?”

At Lyla’s meaningful words, Cleon asked with a slightly hardened face.

“What’s the matter? It’s something wrong with my personal life. It’s like I’m missing.”

“It won’t happen.”

“I hope so.”

Saying that, Lila wraps her arms around Cleon’s waist and brings her into his arms her.

“…I’ll trust Cleon.”

“…”

It had been about two weeks since Elesia’s group of adventurers, including Cleon, had moved to the academy.

001

“It’s not enough to ignore our calls, are you leaking secrets to the man you’re having an affair with?”

Time returns to the present, and the inside of the monad’s coffin looks like it will hurt your eyes from the intense light.

The 12 elders are either angry or disappointed with Layla. And he was also feeling anger at Cleon’s words in her.

Cleon still waits for the old people to calm down with a relaxed expression.

Although they have grown in size with power and might, their essence is intellectuals like the rest of the academy.

It was their habit and habit to dig up and look at the subject with curiosity or question.

Eventually, one by one, it becomes quiet, and Cleon once again feels the eyes flying towards him from the 24 pupils.

The voice of the old man, who seemed representative, rang once again in the space.

“What is the reason you came to us while hating and despising us so much, Dark Demon’s Magic Swordsman?”

“I want to ask about a certain place. Those of you who have been in the academy for the longest will know.”

At Cleon’s words, each of the elders muttered as if thinking about something, and then the old man’s voice rang once again.

“Why do you think we will answer your question?”

In that voice, along with an attitude that seemed to look down on Cleon, there was also a feeling of resentment towards him.

If it wasn’t for you guys-

The sentence ” will be up to the end of the neck.

That, Cleon could guess without difficulty.

“It’s because me and my comrades are the only humans who can deal with black combat.”

At Cleon’s answer, the elders shut up all at once.

‘Black Engagement’.

A week ago, much had changed within the realm of the Demiurge that was spread out in this academy.

However, the story of this monad coffin is a little different.

The inside of this monad’s coffin was an independent and isolated space, as if it were completely cut off from the outside.

Strictly speaking, this place meant that it was treated like ‘outside’ of the academy.

Since this was also Cleon, who had been explained to some extent by Lyla, it was possible to know that they were not brainwashed by Demiurge.

However. If they go outside the coffin of monad, they will enter the sphere of influence of brainwashing without exception.

Therefore, they were left with no choice but to keep their eyes open, sane, and watch their academy twist to the will of the Black War.

“Is it the factor of Demiurge…”

The old man’s voice rang once more. Still the other elders remained silent.

“Only me and my comrades can keep their original memories and minds from being brainwashed. Who but us can stop them?”

“… Arrogant. As expected, the lineage of the dark horse clan can’t be helped.”

Silence falls between Cleon and the old man.

There was a long silence that Cleon felt as if the temperature was slowly rising due to the reflected light that hit his whole body.

Eventually, it was the council of elders who spoke first.

“Which place do you want to know about?”

At the old man’s voice, Cleon raised the corner of his mouth.

Then, he told the elders what he had received from Aruru.

A black space where no light enters, where there are stone slabs that emit red, blue, and green light.

After hearing all of this, the elders started talking among themselves.

I couldn’t understand what they were talking about on this side at all, whether it was because it was beyond the veil or it was magic.

It was reported that he was visibly flustered.

“Where did you get it…”

“That doesn’t matter. Answer me if you know.”

“Kuh… Cheeky bastard…”

At Cleon’s attitude of asking him to say whatever he likes, the old man sighed, but eventually answered.

“The catacombs.”

Catacombs – underground tombs. As a term also referred to as the tomb of the ancients, the academy has established a public opinion that discovering the catacombs = the beginning of innovation in existing technology.

There must be numerous ancient artifacts buried with the bodies of ancient people, so even receiving such recognition was undeniable.

However, Cleon recalled that the great sage Sophia had said before that such perception itself was the selfish gaze of modern people.

“Is there a catacombs under the academy?”

“To be exact, the academy is on top of the catacombs.”

From there, the old man of the Senate was to tell Cleon about the Academy’s catacombs.

Originally, the academy was the ownership of the catacombs and ancient artifacts discovered underground in the area by 12 scholars.

It was an academic institution established to protect from the kingdoms and empires that stretched the borders to the vicinity of this land at the time.

It was fleshed out and became a huge academy city as it is now.

In particular, the place where the ‘three slabs’ are located is called the cursed room.

It was caused by the fact that 3 of the 12 scholars lost their lives due to mysterious powers after setting foot there.

It was to tell Cleon that it was closed now.

“Is there a black battle there… Where is the exact location of the cursed room?”

“…Before that, please answer one of our questions.”

At Cleon’s urging, the elders of the council question him.

“You mean you can win? To the Black Zion. Of course, I fully understood that only you can fight the Black Zion. It’s a pity.”

In a way, it might have been a reasonable question.

No matter how much Cleon was immune to brainwashing as a factor of Demiurge, the power of the Black War was unknown, and Rail was strong enough.

If even the Cleons are defeated, all factors will be taken away by them, and a complete alteration of the world will occur.

Cleon is silent for a moment, then answers the old man of the council.

“Of course we can win. We will not lose to the one who couldn’t change reality and turned reality itself into his own garden. Those who try to change the world have already defeated a great guy.”

“…Is it a cut-off coefficient?”

Of course, Layla was active there, and many special conditions overlapped.

However, Cleon is confident.

He already knew how Rail had made this world.

So he could be sure that he would not lose to him.

Beyond the veil, the eyes of the old man and Cleon meet.

After a bit of silence, the old man opens his mouth and tells Cleon about the location of the Cursed Room in the Catacombs.

-Once again, silence fell.

“Kuh… Haha, kuhhahaha!!`

After hearing the answer, Cleon couldn’t help but raise his voice.

002

“Ugh… I can’t believe I forgot to prepare…”

Lyla’s mansion in the middle of the day with no one around.

Innis should have been following Lila’s directions her by now to her classes her in the Department of Magic.

Sasha had left things she needed for her practice session at her mansion her in the middle of her class, so she hurried back to her house to get them.

After diligently rummaging through her box her, where she puts her room’s equipment, she finds a case without any decorations.

“Uh… This?`

Sasha forgets that she has to hurry, so she opens the box and she takes out what’s inside.

It was an ornately decorated dagger.