With one week left until the promotion exam, Simon threw himself into his training. Whenever his jet-black ran dry, he would visit the home of his Defense Against Divinity professor, Parahan. The plants and the barrier around the property absorbed the divinity in the atmosphere, preventing it from escaping, which made it the perfect place to train without worrying about prying eyes.
"Akalion! Wake up!"
At Simon’s command, the small teddy bear was enveloped in a divine aura, transforming into a brawny, monstrous beast. Simon activated one of the divine magic circles drawn on its body.
"Go!"
Kicking up a cloud of dust, Akalion charged forward and leaped high into the air. Simon focused on the magic circle, and the divinity flowing from it shot out to wrap around Akalion’s forepaw.
’Crash!’
The devastating strike shattered a large boulder.
"Good job!" Simon beamed. Akalion roared toward the sky like thunder.
He couldn’t neglect his white magic, either. He was training diligently as an aspiring Divine Beast Studies student.
’Meow! Rawr!’
The kittens, who had been watching, threw a few punches with their stubby front paws before tumbling over. The sight made Simon laugh out loud.
"Haha! Did you want to copy him?"
Simon lifted Whitey and Blacky. Their size hadn’t changed in months, but their horns had grown just enough to be visible above their fur. They were divine beasts, after all.
"When will you two grow into proper divine beasts and help me?"
Simon infused the kittens with divinity and tossed them lightly into the air. As they floated up, they were engulfed in a dazzling light, their forms seeming to distort for a moment.
They returned to their original shapes and landed softly on the ground.
’Meowwww!’
’That was fun! Do it again!’
The kittens hopped around, whining for Simon to use his divinity on them again. He obliged, and they came trotting back for more. He did it again, and they came running back once more.
"A-Alright, that’s enough. I’m tired."
With both his jet-black and divinity completely depleted, he collapsed onto the grass. Whitey immediately climbed onto his head and ruffled his hair, while Blacky hid in the shade beneath his legs, scratching at his uniform with its tiny claws. The fatigue from preparing for the final exams made a nap feel desperately needed.
Simon turned his head. "Come back, Akalion."
As he retrieved Akalion’s divinity, the muscular bear’s body deflated like a balloon, shrinking back into a small teddy bear.
The moment they saw the shrunken Akalion, the kittens’ eyes lit up as if on cue, and they pounced.
"Sorry," Simon murmured to the toy. "Just play with them for a little while."
Akalion let out a resentful cry as it fled from its tiny tormentors.
All first-year Kizen students began special training for the promotion exam. After finals, all classes were shortened. Professors boldly skipped lectures and textbook material, instead providing crash courses in practical skills that could be used in a dungeon.
Meanwhile, in Byulya’s lab...
"Slicker, I never thought you’d come looking for me."
The lab, once as messy as a pigsty, was now impeccably clean. The trash was sorted and tied, and every surface was wiped free of dust and stains. In the middle of it all stood Dick, dressed in a maid’s uniform, wiping sweat from his brow with a grin.
"Well, I’ll be."
Byulya chuckled as she walked over and plopped down in her now-clean chair. Dick scurried after her, presenting a bottle of liquor in an antique ceramic jar. He even uncorked it and poured her a glass.
"What’s this?" she asked, intrigued.
"Just try it, Professor," Dick said confidently.
Byulya tilted her head, then raised the glass and took a sip.
Her eyes widened in surprise before she quickly drained the glass. Without pausing, she grabbed the bottle and drank the rest of it straight down.
"Oof!" she exhaled, a gruff sound of satisfaction, and laughed heartily. For a moment, a wistful memory flickered across her face as she closed her eyes. "Slicker. Where did you get this?"
Dick beamed. "I heard from Professor Hongfeng that the Marlat tribe of the plains enjoys a special horse milk liquor!"
"...You little brat."
On Roc Island, so far from the plains where her people lived, finding this was like plucking a star from the sky. She wiped her mouth. "What do you want?"
Instantly, Dick bowed, rubbing his palms together obsequiously. "Haha! I didn’t do it for a reward. I just have something I’d like to ask you about!"
"Spit it out!"
"My specialty is information warfare. I excel at finding an opponent’s weakness and exploiting it. But dungeons can have unknown monsters that don’t exist on the continent, right?"
"That’s right."
"What’s the best approach when you have no prior information?"
"Pure strength." Byulya’s cheeks were flushed from the alcohol as she bared her jagged teeth. "That’s when you have no choice but to rely on your own raw power."
"I’m a bit weak in that area."
Byulya stood, slinging her coat over her shoulder and gesturing with her hand. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow me."
A smile spread across Dick’s lips. "Yes, Professor!"
"I’m starting, Kami!"
"Ready, Meirin!"
Meirin swung her arms, and a vast ice storm unfolded, filling the space before her. It surged forward like the gaping maw of an ice lion.
‘Frost Nova’
Enhanced by Meirin’s unique magic circle modifications, a shower of razor-sharp ice shards rained down on Kamibarez along with the storm.
Kamibarez retreated, shaping her left hand like a gun and firing a rapid succession of blood bullets. Their power was reduced, but the recoil was stable, allowing her to accurately shoot down the incoming shards.
She then stopped, spun on her heel, and activated the completed magic circle on her right palm.
’‘Ursula Original – Blood Storm’’
’Gooooo!’
A tornado of blood surged forward and collided with the ice storm. Droplets of blood and shards of ice scattered in every direction.
While this fierce battle unfolded...
"Woooow!"
Several hundred meters away, in the window of a building, a girl with silver hair watched, her palms and face pressed against the glass. "Everyone’s fighting so well! Go! Go!"
Watching the girl with a blank expression, Kajan habitually scratched the scar over his eye. "It’s been a while since you’ve returned to Kizen, Lady Nephthys."
"Yup!" Nephthys chirped, hopping away from the window and onto the sofa. "I’ve been really busy lately!"
"I heard the Holy Federation’s provocations at the border are escalating."
"It’s still manageable. How’s school life for you, Kajan? Is it fun?"
Kajan let out a deep sigh, the strength leaving his finger as he scratched his scar. "I want to focus on my mission, but just keeping up with the school’s assignments is overwhelming."
"Wowee!"
"It’s not ‘wowee,’ ma’am. How about creating an environment where I can concentrate on my mission?"
Nephthys shook her head. "No can do! If I did that, the faculty would all find out who my spy is!"
They fell silent.
"You know you can’t be held back again, right? You have to get promoted to the second year this time. That’s your mission."
Kajan let out a weary sigh. Nephthys just smiled, her face a mask of innocence.
"More importantly," she said, her tone shifting.
Kajan presented a document. "If the Ruler of the Dark Alliance has time to meet with a mere agent, then please take a look at this."
"What is it?"
"It’s the investigation Simon requested. He suspects Professor Walter, Silage’s replacement."
Nephthys blinked, then took the document and began to read. "Walter? Headquarters said they vetted him thoroughly, even using a mental curse."
"Do you trust their work?"
"Not a chance! ’Hehe!" As she read, she tilted her head. "Hmm? Is this really a file of suspicions? Hematopoietic injection, no issues. Handwriting analysis, no issues. It’s all stuff like that."
"It’s not a file of suspicions. It’s all the data related to Professor Walter."
"Tsk, they’re the ones who verified him in the first place," Nephthys muttered, tossing the document down. "Then what’s your reason for suspecting Walter?"
"I was investigating a related suspect: Count Caron. He went missing in a storm while crossing the sea by ship."
"Uh-huh. And?"
"The deeper I dug into his death, the more suspicious points emerged. Purchases not recorded in the family ledger. Traces of the family warehouse being lent to an outsider. Evidence of operating a monster farm to collect hearts, despite not being a necromancer. Testimonies from servants about unidentified fiends visiting the mansion. And his wife’s testimony that a week before the storm, he had been terrified, saying, ‘I’m going to die. I’m going to die soon.’"
Kajan paused. "But these are just traces, not records, and testimonies, not evidence. They don’t carry much weight. Connecting it to Professor Walter is a stretch."
"I agree." Nephthys swung her short legs back and forth. "You know all this, so why are you bringing it up to me?"
"Please grant me investigation authority."
"Hmm. You know this evidence is nowhere near enough to investigate a Kizen professor, right?"
"Unofficial authority will suffice."
"If that’s all you need, then fine." Nephthys rested her chin on her hand and nodded. "If you feel something is off, it would be good to resolve it now. Go ahead. You have good instincts."
At those words, Kajan bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you."
The next day, Kajan quietly summoned one of Walter’s teaching assistants—the newest one.
"Wh-What is it, student?" the TA asked, looking flustered. Even for a Kizen student, a first-year ordering a TA around was the height of arrogance.
"I need your cooperation."
"...Excuse me?"
A vein throbbed at her temple. ’I swear, I’m quitting this job one day.’ She was sick of putting up with these discourteous noble brats. But years of experience had taught her to maintain a professional smile. "Student, if you have a question, please come to the department office and go through the proper channels..."
"This isn’t a matter for proper channels." Kajan rummaged in his coat and held up a memo pad note as proudly as a warrant. It was covered in childish doodles of flowers, trees, and clouds.
"H-Hey, this joke has gone too far," the TA said, her face flushing as her lips trembled.
Kajan silently pointed to the bottom of the page.
’All faculty and staff are to cooperate with Kajan Edvalt’s investigation! -Nephthys-’
And there it was: Nephthys’s signature. The TA, who had been about to lose her temper, froze. She looked, and looked again. The childish drawing, contrasted with the serene, powerful penmanship below it. She then noticed the jet-black imbued in the signature—an eerie, overwhelming presence that was unmistakably the Principal’s. Her face went white as a sheet.
"Wh-Whatever you command, sir!" she stammered, terrified.
Having secured her cooperation, Kajan explained the plan, which was brutally simple.
"You just need to get Professor Walter’s signature with this quill."
Kajan opened a black case, revealing a quill made from a crow’s feather.
"...What is this?"
"It looks ordinary, but it’s an artifact. It has one effect," Kajan continued, his voice grave. "It forces the user to write only their own name, under any circumstances."
To demonstrate, he had her hold the quill and write something. She tried to write down what she wanted for dinner, but what appeared on the paper was her own name: ‘Amirette Mashany’.
"Wow...! That’s amazing."
"Now, for the plan. Principal Nephthys has mobilized Kizen headquarters to bury Walter in work. He’s in his lab right now, swamped. You will go in and get his signature while he’s distracted. If he writes ‘Walter Han,’ he’s innocent. But if another name appears, it means he’s using a false identity to infiltrate Kizen, and we can launch an official investigation." Kajan’s goal was simple: get enough evidence to trigger an official inquiry. Of course, if the name ‘Judas’ appeared, it would confirm Simon’s darkest suspicions.
"Is Professor Walter the type to pay close attention to his signature?"
"N-No. He just scribbles it without looking."
"Excellent. If any problems arise, say this." Kajan thought for a moment. "The code word is ‘wine’."
"Understood."
The TA took the document and the quill and headed for Walter’s lab. She was following orders, but she couldn’t help but wonder why they were investigating Walter in secret.
’Well, if this proves his innocence, then it doesn’t matter.’
Even that Kajan person didn’t seem to have high hopes. What could they possibly learn from a signature? Her heart a little lighter, she stood before Walter’s lab.
She could hear coughing from inside. Walter hadn’t been well recently.
"Professor Walter, it’s me, the junior TA. May I come in?"
"Ah, come in. ’Cough!"
She opened the door to find Walter buried under a mountain of documents, frantically scribbling his signature on each one, just as Kajan had said.
"What is it? I’m a little busy..."
"I’m so sorry to bother you! It’s the accounting ledger from last quarter. It won’t be valid without your signature."
She placed the document on a clipboard along with the quill and slid it across the desk. Walter glanced at the title and, without suspicion, signed the last page with the pen she’d given him.
"Here you go."
Fallen leaf-colored hair, intellectual glasses, and that kind smile he offered even when buried in work. It was a face she never tired of seeing. Cheeks flushed, she accepted the file.
"Thank you, Professor!"
She was about to leave with a skip in her step when he called out.
"Teaching Assistant Amirette Mashany."
She turned. Walter was giving her a devastatingly handsome smile.
"Thank you for your hard work today."
"Oh, thank you!"
’Yes! He called me by my name!’
She felt like she could fly. Walter gave her one last smile before returning to his work, the sound of his quill scratching against paper filling the room.
’Investigating such an upstanding person? Are they just picking on him because he’s new?’ she grumbled to herself, lifting the signed document from the clipboard. It was her duty to check that everything was in order. As she slowly flipped through the pages, a strange question surfaced.
’When did Professor Walter learn my full name?’
The TAs had only briefly stated their names during the first meeting. After that, she was just "the junior." Did he just have a good memory?
An ominous premonition crept over her, sudden and inexplicable. Her hand trembled as it turned the page. The paper felt as fragile as her own life.
She reached the final page. As it turned, only the first syllable was visible.
—Si
She couldn’t make it out yet.
—la
The page opened further, revealing the second.
It was then that she finally realized.
Something was terribly wrong.
Kajan’s voice echoed in her mind.
’—It’s a quill that forces the user to write only their own name, under any circumstances.’
At last, the page turned completely.
The signature Walter had written was now clear.
It read:
—Silage Visabar.
It was a nightmare. Goosebumps erupted over her entire body. Her blood ran cold. She let out a silent scream.
’P-P-Professor Walter... is Professor Silage?’
Like a broken doll, her head creaked around.
Walter, who had been frantically working, was now staring straight at her, his eyes utterly chilling.
The breath caught in her throat.
"Is something wrong, Assistant Amirette?" he asked, his cold expression melting into a placid smile.
’Get out. I have to get out of here right now.’
"N-N-No! It’s nothing, Professor! I’ll be on my way...!"
She spun around to flee, but just as she turned...
’Drip.’
A drop of blood fell onto the document in her hand.
’Drip. Drip.’
The stain spread, turning the paper crimson. She was bleeding. Blood dripped from her nose. Tears of blood streamed from her eyes. Blood flowed from her ears.
"You were always like this," a voice said—one she had never heard from Walter, yet one that was chillingly familiar.
"Excessively curious. Get some rest."
Her consciousness sank into an endless darkness.

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