At Nephthys’s announcement, the closing ceremony erupted into a chaotic murmur. The crowd was in an uproar.
’Lady Nephthys...!’
Watching from backstage, Simon’s face went white.
[Kuhuhuhu! That woman has set off another grand explosion!]
Pier’s clone was chuckling, but Simon couldn’t bring himself to laugh. His gaze swept over the crowd. He saw shock, fear, and morbid curiosity. And he saw rage.
"To think the Legion of Betrayal still existed!"
"We must find them and destroy them at once!"
Some of the more hot-tempered spectators were already calling for blood. In contrast, the Kizen students, who hadn’t directly experienced the infamous incident, looked on with bewilderment at the agitated crowd.
"Quiet," Nephthys commanded.
The uproar instantly subsided.
"The manager, Pier, has already chosen an unidentified individual as his contractor. The 7th Legion has returned, and its Legion Commander has been active in the shadows of the Dark Alliance." She held up a document. "Not just this Dark Festival terror incident, but also the Saintess incident from last year."
At the mention of the Saintess incident, everyone’s eyes widened.
"In addition to that, the Blood Cult, the Union, and even Magnus, who attacked Pentamonium. He has been fighting numerous enemies of the Dark Alliance using his own unique information network."
Faced with this unexpected turn, the crowd fell silent, hanging on her every word.
"The lives he has saved are countless, and he has asked for no reward. Therefore, as the head of the Dark Alliance, I declare." She looked up from the document and raised her hand. "From this moment on, in the name of Nephthys Archbold, I am lifting the Dark Alliance’s Red Wanted Order on the 7th Legion."
The reporters went wild, activating their memorial crystals and snapping the shutters of their mana cameras. This was the dawn of a new era.
"7th Legion Commander," Nephthys called out, her eyes scanning the crowd. "You must be here, right?"
The spectators flinched, glancing nervously at their neighbors.
"I want dialogue, not war. Show yourself."
A dreadful silence fell over the tens of thousands gathered in the square. Behind the stage, Simon was trembling, biting his lip so hard he could taste blood. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
’What should I do? Is she really calling me? Is now the right time to reveal myself? She said it could take years... isn’t this too sudden?’
’I am...!’
Just then, Nephthys’s soft voice whispered in his ear.
[If you hesitate.]
It was a voice only he could hear. She had turned her head to look backstage, her eyes meeting his directly.
[Stay right where you are.]
At her words, Simon froze. Beads of sweat dripped from his bangs, hitting the floor.
"As I thought." Nephthys faced the crowd again. "You’re not likely to come out. I understand. You can’t trust us yet..."
"Lady Nephthys!"
A man from the crowd vaulted onto the stage. Security rushed to restrain him, but Nephthys stopped them with a raised hand.
"Who are you?"
"I am Corino, from Ballot in the Dresden Kingdom!" he declared, shaking off the guards and dropping to one knee.
Nephthys smiled benevolently.
"Yes, my dear Corino. What is it you wish to say?"
"Please, withdraw your order to lift the Red Wanted Order on the 7th Legion!" he pleaded, his eyes bloodshot as he pounded his chest. "I lost my wife to the blades of that horrendous Legion of Betrayal!"
Nephthys listened without a word.
"My daughter and I were left with nothing but deep scars! That despicable legion must be erased from this world without a trace! They betrayed the Alliance! They slaughtered their comrades, men they had fought alongside for years, all for the sake of the Priests!" Tears streamed down his face. "It’s the one principle that has existed since the beginning of the Dark Alliance! Other sins may be forgiven, but the sin of betrayal never disappears!"
Shouts of agreement erupted from the crowd.
"I lost a friend!"
"My hometown was burned to the ground!"
"Complete annihilation for the Legion of Betrayal!"
Simon felt his breath catch in his throat. He had been too naive.
’—If you hesitate. Stay right where you are.’
Nephthys had known this would happen.
"My dear Corino," Nephthys said softly. "Is your daughter on this island?"
"Yes, she came with me to the Dark Festival..."
"How ironic." A strange smile touched her lips. "I am sorry you lost your wife to the 7th Legion. But today, your life and your daughter’s were saved by them."
"What... what do you mean?!"
"Listen, everyone. The reality-distorting fanatic who infiltrated Roc Island was not dealt with by us, but by the Legion Commander and his allies. If not for the 7th Legion, Roc Island would have sunk into the sea by now." She paced the stage. "My dear people, to a necromancer, the undead are but tools. A tool is without sin; one must judge the person who wields it. A knife can be a tool for killing, but in the hands of a doctor, it saves lives. In the hands of a chef, it feeds people."
Speaking with an uncharacteristic elegance, she stopped and spread her arms.
"The Holy Federation grows endlessly stronger, their mysteries reach the heavens, and their blind faith becomes more tenacious by the day. We must face the reality that a single fanatic put all of Roc Island in peril." She clenched her small fist. "It is said that Priests await the ’Day of Judgment’, while necromancers handle ’dead corpses’, forever looking to the past. If we remain bound by the past, we will be left behind. And it is not only the Holy Federation; third powers like the Blood Cult also exist. We must become stronger than ever, and we need more powerful individuals than ever before. To the 7th Legion Commander, I say this." She lowered her hand, her tone shifting back to her usual casualness. "I hope we can talk soon!"
At that, the elders of the Dark Alliance, seated in the back, shot to their feet.
"To speak of such an important matter in a place like this! What is your intention, Chancellor!"
"We received no report on this!"
"But," Nephthys placed a hand on her cheek and blinked cutely. "I’m a little past the point of needing to report every little thing to you, don’t you think?"
"L-Lady Nephthys!"
"There is one more thing we cannot overlook!" another tall elder exclaimed, striding forward with his staff. "You said all of Roc Island was in danger because of that fanatic. This is an invasion by the Holy Federation, a grave provocation!" he shrieked. "They must be made to pay the price in blood! We must wage a war of retribution!"
"That’s right!"
"Kill the holy bastards!"
"Desecrate the bodies of the fanatics!"
Voices of agreement echoed through the stands, but Nephthys remained unfazed, a playful smile on her face.
"Hehe, it feels like just yesterday you were a fresh-faced boy building sandcastles with me and confessing your love with a wildflower, Robert."
The old man’s face flushed with bewilderment.
"W-What are you saying!"
"Now you’ve got a double chin and a potbelly, and you’re full of nothing but wrinkles and greed. Don’t speak of war so lightly." She turned her back with a twirl. "If you’re thinking of playing war games—sending young people off to die to recapture the glory of the Dark Alliance while you sit back and receive reports—I’ll personally put you in armor and stick you on the very front lines."
The old man’s wrinkled face turned a deeper shade of red. Nephthys trotted back to face the crowd.
"The details will be announced later, but this fanatic’s attack was a separate incident from the Holy Federation. In fact, an unnamable figure from their side made a significant contribution to finding and defeating the fanatic."
The crowd fell into utter chaos at the news that a Priest had helped. The confusion was amplified by the fact that Nephthys was not one to lie in public.
"It means there are still ’people we can talk to’ over there. As long as dialogue exists and reason suppresses madness, there will be no war. But it is a fact that the Holy Federation and our enemies are growing stronger, and it is a stark reality that the Dark Alliance will be in danger the moment the balance of power is broken." She stretched out her arm. "The only thing that can protect us is power. The past is irrelevant. If something is useful, I will take it. Even if it is..." The corners of her mouth turned up. "...the Legion of Betrayal."
Nephthys’s speech turned the Dark Alliance upside down. Every newspaper made it their top story, and the papers were out in less than a day.
[The Legion of Betrayal Has Returned!]
[Who is the Veiled 7th Legion Commander?]
The reaction was polarized. Though Nephthys had lifted the Alliance-wide Red Wanted Order, the Dresden and Shahed Kingdoms—two of the four great kingdoms directly harmed by the original incident—were in extreme opposition. They went so far as to issue their own wanted orders, separate from the Alliance’s directive.
Taking advantage of the turmoil, the weakened anti-Kizen factions rose up, arguing that the Alliance, led by a senile Nephthys who had forgotten the past, should be abandoned.
Even among the general populace, opinions were split. Many believed the horrendous sin of betrayal could never be erased and that the 7th Legion should be destroyed on sight. Others agreed with Nephthys: the undead were tools, and it wasn’t too late to judge the user. The fact that public opinion was even split fifty-fifty was a testament to the time and money Nephthys had spent fostering a more moderate view before her announcement.
The Kizen students, who hadn’t directly experienced the incident, were more favorable. Steeped in the school’s meritocratic culture, many felt that as long as the Legion Commander fought well and killed Priests, the sin of betrayal was irrelevant.
Of course...
"I can’t forgive them."
"It’s the Legion of Betrayal, isn’t it?"
For students whose parents had been direct victims, the 7th Legion Commander was an enemy, and they gritted their teeth. Hector was among them; the Moore family had also suffered losses.
"What’s with the class president’s face?"
"Must be because of the Legion Commander thing. Best stay out of his way."
Listening to the students muttering, Simon stared into space with a haggard expression.
’...I’m glad I didn’t go out there.’
It wasn’t just Hector. Several students he knew, some he even considered friends, were muttering about killing the 7th Legion Commander.
[It seems the world is not yet ready for you to reveal yourself,] Pier said.
’No, it isn’t.’
Even though he wasn’t personally responsible, Simon was prepared to bear the burden. If his father hadn’t saved his mother, he wouldn’t have been born. He wouldn’t wield both Jet-Black and divinity, nor would he have met people like Lethe and Israphel.
As Simon was lost in thought, a strange rumor began circulating among the third-years.
"It’s definitely Aizel! He must be the Legion Commander!"
"Of course! It makes sense if it’s Aizel!"
"So that’s why he’s coming back late! Aizel is the complete necromancer."
’What is this now?’ Simon listened to the seniors with a dumbfounded expression.
"Hahahaha!" Will, the discipline captain, was in a particularly good mood. "So there was a reason he kept blabbering about catching up to Phantasus! This must have been his secret mission!" He looked at Simon and raised an eyebrow. "Aizel will be back soon! Do you think you can handle the Legion Commander? Hahahaha!"
"...Uh, um." Simon could only offer a weak laugh.
"Hey, guys!" Eshe’s shout came from outside. "Don’t just stand around, give me a hand!"
Simon turned to see her moving large logs with her summons.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting ready for the after-party!" she said with a wink. "And what’s a party at night without a bonfire?"
Large logs were being stacked in the center of the courtyard. It looked to be a grand affair; huge prawns the size of a man’s forearm were laid out, and oak barrels of wine were being rolled in.
"We have regular classes tomorrow! Let’s make the last night of the festival count!"
"You got it!" Other students excitedly rushed out to help.
Simon willingly rolled up his sleeves and headed into the yard.

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