Chapter 55: Night Before The Storm (1)

“No. 47 reports the mission results.”

As the man muttered that, black particles gathered and the figure of a seated man appeared. He, leaning his chin on the armrest with a languid expression, asked in a gentle voice.

“…The result?”

“I melted the area where the fake Stigmata ‘Rampaging Flame’ given to Marcus was engraved. Even if the principal returns, it won’t be possible to restore it.”

“I see…”

“Ah, and there was one unusual thing.”

“Unusual thing?”

The assassin called No. 47 recalled the memory of the first basement floor.

He is at least as strong as a member of the Imperial Knights. With the fake Stigmata, he is confident that he can handle assassins from most organizations without difficulty.

Even the fake Stigmata he received was a top-tier ability limited to one-on-one combat.

However, the opponent he met on the first basement floor easily avoided his abilities. He deflected all the shurikens that flew as if he could see through the darkness.

Honestly, even when he pierced the guy’s abdomen, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was strange.

Even though it was an injury that couldn’t be saved unless a high-ranking priest came, his instincts were screaming to run away.

There’s no evidence, but he felt like he was deliberately hit. Yet, he hesitated to speak out, thinking, who would deliberately die?

After thinking for a moment, No. 47 recounted what happened on the first basement floor and asked, just in case.

“Was there another operative dispatched to the morgue besides me?”

“Hmm, I haven’t been informed of anything? It doesn’t seem like the ‘Paladins’ ordered it. Well… it doesn’t matter since he’s dead anyway.”

The man said that and nodded. A strange sound of bones clashing was heard from beyond the cloak and hood.

“Any other unusual things?”

“The level of the guards was higher than expected. Perhaps they expected our intervention.”

“That… is within expectations. That fool was chosen because he would die like that anyway.”

“Because of him, it seems that the academy teachers are starting to notice the fake Stigmata. At this rate, it will be difficult to touch the barrier stone, is that okay?”

“Hmm…”

The man tapped the armrest and fell into thought. The white bone fragments clashed with the armrest, creating a strange harmony.

After staring blankly at the screen for about 3 minutes, the man snapped his fingers. Thump. With a bone-like sound, a skeleton hand popped out of the ground.

At the same time, No. 47’s head hit the floor with a thud.

“Ugh?!”

“Since when, did a hound become able to question its master…?”

The killing intent felt beyond the screen is thick.

No. 47, who was raised through harsh torture and mental modification, felt the fear of death at an instinctive level. He quickly bowed his head deeper and urgently opened his mouth.

“Cough, I’m sorry, Master!”

Thump!

With a heavy sound, my vision flashed for a moment. The skeleton hand slammed his head into the ground once again. However, No. 47 just kept apologizing.

“To dare to doubt the work of the Dark Cult, cough, I’m sorry, kof, I am…!”

“Huu…”

No. 47 was released from the skeleton hand after he slammed his head on the ground about four more times. Blood was flowing from his forehead.

His head was dizzy as if he would collapse at any moment, but he maintained his posture.

In the Dark Cult, which operates on a strict top-down basis, if you relax your posture before your superior tells you to rest, you’ll get more trouble.

The elite assassin, he is a first-class believer of the cult. He was one of the main forces of the cult and a subordinate of a man with the title of Crusader.

Looking at No. 47, who was trembling in pain, the man slowly opened his mouth.

“Didn’t I tell you…? This time, our goal is not to dismantle the academy barrier. That can be done even 10 years later. I think I definitely said that…? No. 47, is my memory strange?”

“No! You definitely said that!”

“But… why is No. 47 asking this question? Are you saying my words are not like words?”

“N, no! I just forgot…”

“So, you’re saying you can forget my words?”

Crack…

With an eerie bone sound, five bone hands rose around No. 47. No. 47’s mind went blank.

It’s the ultimate in absurdity, where you’ll be berated no matter what you answer. He had never even heard of such an order. The necromancer just wants to torment him.

Thinking that, he closed his eyes tightly at the upcoming pain, but-

“Be careful from now on.”

The man said that and put his hand back into the ground. He, who seemed to be in a better mood for some reason, adjusted his posture and said.

“Our goal is not something as grand as breaking the barrier stone. It is to bring back the experimental subject who escaped 8 years ago, during the chaos after the Great Purge, when the inside of the cult was in turmoil.

That is the order given by the Paladin. Got it?”

“Yes! I understand!”

Satisfied with the loud answer, he smiled and asked one last time.

“How is the preparation for tomorrow’s invasion of the academy going?”

“It’s going smoothly. The academy side will think that we are aiming for the barrier stone.

Besides, because the existence of the fake Stigmata was discovered, they will probably set the expected time of invasion to the midterm exam.”

“That uncivilized noble is helping us… You can go now. No. 47”

The man said that and disappeared beyond the screen.

Only No. 47 was left lying still in the barn, and only silence filled the inside for a while.

“Ugh…”

The one who woke me up, who was reading a book without thinking, was Elissa’s cute gesture. When the afternoon sunset tickled Elissa’s eyelids, Elissa twisted her body.

“Just a little, more…”

The girl, who always showed a neat and restrained gesture, was quite cute, clinging to my arms and acting spoiled.

I briefly closed the book I was reading. I gathered Elissa’s water-colored hair, which was dozing off, neatly arranged it, and moved it to the right.

I wiped the drool flowing from between her parted lips with a handkerchief and carefully adjusted Elissa’s posture so that she wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

And I was about to carefully pull my hand away, but Elissa’s fair hand snatched my wrist.

“Ugh?!”

“Mmm…don’t go…”

There was another charm in the spoiled act with a neat appearance, different from that of Regina. If Regina’s charm is cuteness that you want to protect… Elissa’s is that you feel a gap moe because you recall her usual appearance.

Startled and frozen, my arm was tightly hugged by Elissa. I, who has almost no resistance to women, froze at the unintended pure affection offensive.

What gave the decisive blow to my shaking heart was Elissa’s drowsy voice, caught between dream and reality.

“Ugh… Sian…?”

“Uh, yes?!”

“Please turn off the lights…”

Elissa’s girlish voice tickled my voice pleasantly. Elissa, who hugged my arm with a truly pure gesture and was engaging in affection, came to her senses a little later.

“Ugh… Sian…?”

Muttering in a drawn-out voice, Elissa’s eyelids twitched. Beautiful sapphire-colored eyes that hold the sea are slightly revealed between the soft eyelids.

Like a newborn chick, Elissa’s eyes, soaked in sleep, look around. The unfocused eyes finally turned to me.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Did I… sleep?”

“Yes. You were sleeping well.”

I said that and stroked Elissa’s hair. Elissa, who gradually began to regain her sense of reality with my touch, finally realized what kind of posture she was in.

A hazy gaze turned to the window where the sunset was flowing, and then startled, it turned to the clock. The minute hand pointing to 12 and the hour hand forming a straight line.

Students are starting to pack up and go in. As the library cleanup time begins, sweet classical music tickles the ears.

The soundproofing barrier that had been placed on the library was released, and a murmuring sound echoed through the hall. Numerous students got up all at once, and various sharp noises were heard.

“Six o’clock, ah…?”

When her sense of reality fully returned, Elissa’s body, which had been languidly relaxed, flinched. Elissa’s cheeks turned red, and her jewel-like eyes shake.

“H, how long did I sleep…?”

“About two hours? I was going to wake you up, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I felt a little sorry to touch you.”

I put the book I was reading aside and supported Elissa, who was in a daze from the aftereffects of too deep sleep.

The girl, who leaned on me with a languid gesture, barely raised her body. It was time to wake up and go back.

“Still, Elissa sleeping soundly was very cute. The way you snuggled up to me and talked in your sleep was also really lovely… I should say.”

“Ugh?!”

Looking at Elissa, who was making cute moaning sounds, I felt that our relationship had definitely become closer than the first day.

The fact that a girl like Elissa, who is restrained in her emotions, shows these colorful reactions means that Elissa has opened her heart to me.