Chapter 38
“Addy! Come here!”
“Yes? …Ah!”
Whoosh-
As soon as I entered the office, I took Addy straight to my training hall using Spatial Movement.
The conclusion of the Inter-Academy Tournament hadn’t gone exactly as I wanted, but I still had a tangible trophy to show for it.
Something definitely worth boasting about.
At the very least, flaunting this should help improve my mood.
“What’s going on all of a sudden… Eh?”
“Hehe. So, what do you think? This is the trophy I gained this time.”
“A… trophy?”
Addy stared in shock at Greenie, standing still and glowing with green light.
Seeing her reaction filled me with a sense of pride.
“His name is Greenie.”
Click-clack-
Greenie seemed to understand me, stamping his front hoof when I called his name.
He’d been so rebellious before, but now he was much tamer.
“What… exactly is this?”
“What do you mean ‘this’? He’s our Greenie. Isn’t it obvious? He’s a horse.”
“No, I mean, this…”
Addy gaped at Greenie, speechless.
Greenie, sensing her gaze, raised his head high as if to flaunt his presence.
He’s surprisingly smart when you look closely.
Sigh.
Showing him off does make me feel a bit better.
Now, Addy began walking in a circle around Greenie, inspecting him closely.
By now, I should have been celebrating a clean quest completion and earning skills befitting the Mage Class.
Instead, the unexpected appearance of the Undead had completely derailed my plans.
Of course, it wasn’t all bad—I got Greenie out of it.
Click-clack. Click-clack.
As Addy circled him, Greenie began stomping anxiously.
“Whoa, easy. It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“What… exactly is this thing? Is it an Undead, by chance?”
“Yup. He’s the horse the Death Knight rode.”
“…”
Addy finally shifted her gaze from Greenie to me, her expression loaded with unspoken words.
I’m used to this look from her.
It’s the silent question: What trouble did you cause this time?
“Oh, no, this time I didn’t steal anything. It’s self-defense. Completely justified.”
“…An Undead, huh.”
“You know anything about them?”
“I have basic knowledge. They’re known to be summoned by black mages. They haven’t appeared on the continent in years, though.”
“Oh? Then take a look at these.”
Whoosh. Thud.
“What now… Where on earth have you been, sir?”
Addy grimaced as I pulled several headless ghoul corpses out of Subspace Storage.
I hadn’t noticed in the dark Dungeon, but they did look pretty grotesque in the light.
“The Undead attacked the Inter-Academy Tournament today.”
“What???”
Addy’s expression matched the shock she felt upon seeing Greenie earlier.
“It wasn’t a big deal. Though it did make our first-place finish a bit precarious.”
“W-Wait, the Undead attacked the Academy?”
“Yeah. No wonder the trial felt so difficult. The map you gave me didn’t quite match the test structure, and it turns out it wasn’t the Academy’s doing at all.”
“…”
Addy alternated between staring at the ghoul corpses, Greenie, and me before pressing a hand to her forehead.
“Undead, huh. It’s definitely surprising. I’ve never seen anything like this, even after combing through countless Dungeons.”
“That’s because they’re not supposed to be visible… What exactly happened?”
“I told you—it wasn’t a big deal.”
“That’s hard to believe. First, we need to head back immediately.”
“Why?”
“We need to assess the situation. The appearance of the Undead at the Academy is not a minor issue. It’s a matter that could draw global attention, beyond just the Empire.”
“This too?”
Suddenly, unpleasant memories resurfaced, and my expression twisted.
The Dragon Heart Heist, the event that first exposed the Black Shadow Corps to the world.
I remembered how the whole world had been abuzz when we stole the Dragon Heart from the O’Neill Kingdom.
I knew it was a valuable resource, but I hadn’t expected it to cause such an uproar.
The excessive attention afterward had made life difficult for a while.
“Ugh. If this draws attention like that time, it’ll be a real pain.”
“Regardless, we need to return to the office immediately.”
“Yes, yes.”
Confirming the seriousness of Addy’s expression, I quickly grabbed her hand and transported us back to the office.
Could the appearance of the Undead really be such a significant issue?
***
***
“I believe we need to contact every possible authority immediately. The appearance of the Undead is a global issue. There’s a chance similar incidents might occur elsewhere.”
“Hmm. Professor Amilion, calm yourself first.”
“This isn’t just any issue—it’s the appearance of the Undead! If the Church learns about it, the High Priests might rush here at any moment!”
“Yes, I know. And that’s precisely the problem.”
“What do you mean…!”
Amilion could barely form words, utterly shocked by the vice principal’s response.
She hadn’t understood his calm attitude and instructions when the Undead appeared yesterday, and she couldn’t comprehend it now either.
“This incident happened in our Empire—more specifically, within our Academy. It’s only logical for us to conduct an internal investigation first. You know as well as I do that if the Church gets involved, we’ll have no say in the matter. Worse, it could escalate into a confrontation between the Empire and the Church.”
“But wasn’t the footage broadcasted live? Professors, students, everyone saw it. It’s only a matter of time before the Church finds out—!”
“Exactly. Everyone saw what happened in the Dungeon that was ‘custom-designed’ by our Academy.”
“…Pardon?”
Vice Principal Randgar continued without changing his expression.
“Didn’t everyone see the ‘custom-designed’ Dungeon with its ‘custom-designed’ monsters and traps?”
Amilion instantly grasped the implication.
He was suggesting they pretend the Undead’s appearance during the tournament had been prearranged as part of the test.
“That’s… not true, though…”
“But only the professors know that, don’t they?”
“…”
Amilion felt as though she had been struck.
He wasn’t wrong.
Only the professors knew that the Undead’s appearance hadn’t been planned.
If the professors stayed silent, the Undead’s emergence could be framed as part of the Academy’s carefully prepared test.
“How could you…”
“I’m not suggesting we hide the Undead’s appearance. I’m saying it’s not time for the Church to know yet. I’ve already reported the matter directly to the Headmaster yesterday. The Empire’s government is aware of the situation as well.”
“…”
Amilion found herself speechless.
The vice principal’s reasoning made sense, yet it was hard to accept.
The implications of the Undead’s appearance were profound.
Their emergence meant that black magic had been used, and that meant black mages had reappeared on the continent.
“The Empire will thoroughly investigate the matter. If we find anything suspicious, it will be shared globally. At that point, the Church will be informed as well.”
“…”
“Wouldn’t it be more fitting for the Empire to handle its own issues? Just as criminals who commit crimes within the Empire are apprehended and punished here.”
Randgar spoke with practiced logic, as if he had prepared his arguments in advance.
Even as Amilion searched for ways to refute him, she found none.
“So, let’s wrap up this tournament on a positive note. After all, something historic has happened. A first-year student took first place.”
When Amilion didn’t respond, Randgar continued speaking.
“Even Professor Cassis mentioned it yesterday. The students don’t want the tournament to end unresolved. Especially the first-year students under your supervision—they strongly argued to see it through to the end.”
Randgar didn’t give Amilion a chance to interrupt, his words laced with a subtle smile.
“So, we’ve decided to officially announce the tournament results, with the first-years as the winners. It’s a historic event—the first time in Academy history that first-year students have taken first place in the Inter-Academy Tournament. And they’re your students, no less.”
“Sigh…”
Amilion couldn’t help but sigh at the vice principal’s words.
It was clear Randgar had already planned everything.
Barely a day—less than 12 hours—had passed since the incident, yet he had already prepared a comprehensive response.
Though she didn’t like it, she had to admit he wasn’t the vice principal for nothing.
“Haha. I’ll take that as your agreement. The tournament results will be posted as a notice today.”
“So soon?”
“Soon? It’s overdue, if anything. The results should’ve been announced yesterday. Didn’t everyone see it? The first-years were the first to reach the finish line. Delaying the announcement would only invite suspicion and complaints.”
Amilion realized her words would no longer have any effect.
Decisions were being made and implemented regardless of her input.
“Oh, one more thing.”
“…Yes?”
“I’d like you to arrange a meeting with that student, Ryu Yeong. He exceeded expectations this time. Haha. After seeing his performance in the Dungeon yesterday, I’d like to speak with him directly.”
“…Understood.”
Though there wasn’t a single thing she agreed with, Amilion had no choice but to nod in acknowledgment.
—
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