Simon and Kajan moved to a more secluded location—a narrow, dark alley, deserted and unfrequented. Kajan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed. Simon's thoughts were a tangle.
'For Kajan to show up here...'
From the Saintess incident to the Blood Cult affair, Kajan had been involved in investigating every major case at the school. Nephthys's trust in him was absolute, which meant this matter was likely just as dangerous.
"A case? What's going on?" Simon asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"...There's no concrete evidence yet," Kajan said, slowly opening his eyes. His characteristically sharp gaze seemed even more honed today. "But after mobilizing the information guilds and looking into it, I'm now fairly certain."
"Please, tell me. I'll do anything I can to help."
"Thank you."
At Kajan's reply, Simon felt his heart swell a little. Until now, whenever he had offered to help, Kajan had always drawn a firm line, saying he was just a regular student who should enjoy his school life. But this time, Kajan had sought him out.
'I'm finally being acknowledged as a capable asset.' The thought sent a pleasant tingle through him.
"It's about the incident," Kajan finally began. "We've received intelligence that a fanatic from the Holy Federation has infiltrated the Dark Festival."
The hair on Simon's arms stood on end. "A fanatic?"
"Yes. And a Class 1 threat, at that."
In the era of peace following the war, the greatest source of terror for the residents of the Dark Alliance was the fanatics who crossed over from the Holy Federation. They were unpredictable terrorists. They would disguise themselves as ordinary citizens, then set off explosions in public squares, burn down towns, and commit all sorts of senseless murders and other gruesome, unspeakable acts.
They left only tragedy in their wake. It was said that a motiveless murder was the most frightening, and the residents couldn't begin to understand the actions of the fanatics. They committed countless acts of destruction while repeating only the words, "It is the will of the Goddess."
Although such attacks had recently decreased, the fear of fanatics was still deeply rooted in the Dark Alliance.
And now, one of those very fanatics...
'...is somewhere on this island?'
Simon's expression grew grim. He had only walked around the festival briefly, but it was crowded everywhere. If an explosive or destructive magic using divinity were to detonate in one of the stadiums, the result would be a horrific catastrophe.
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened," Kajan continued, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "All sorts of people drift in during the Dark Festival. But they were always caught in Kizen's net before they could do anything, or they only caused minor damage."
"That's a relief to hear."
"But this year is different. This year is truly dangerous." Kajan gritted his teeth. "We're dealing with a Class 1 Threat, an individual who is exceptionally skilled at hiding their presence. It's impossible to even guess at the chaos they could unleash."
"A Class 1 Threat? Just how dangerous is that?"
Kajan looked Simon straight in the eye.
"She's on par with a Saintess."
"The same classification as one of the seven Saintesses of the Holy Federation you might encounter on a battlefield. That should be explanation enough."
Remembering the 'Saintess Incident', Simon felt a cold dread snake down his spine.
"If someone like that were to commit an act of terror here, in the heart of Roc Island—the very core of the Dark Alliance—and during the Dark Festival..."
"Exactly."
Kajan heaved a heavy sigh.
"It means war."
War. The weight of that single word made Simon's throat clench.
"Then we can't just stand by!" he shouted, bolting out of the alley. "We have to stop the Dark Festival immediately! If a fanatic from the Holy Federation has infiltrated Kizen, the festival is the last thing we should be worried about!"
"As I said," Kajan shook his head, "there's no concrete proof that this fanatic is on Roc Island. Right now, all we have are circumstances and suspicion."
Simon froze.
"Kizen headquarters will push forward with the festival unless the issue is of a considerable magnitude. It was already postponed for a year because of the Saintess Incident. If they cancel it again over another issue with the Holy Federation, Kizen's reputation will plummet."
"...I see your point."
"Suspicion alone isn't enough. We need definitive proof."
Simon's hands clenched into tight fists.
"The best-case scenario is we catch the fanatic. The next best is we uncover their identity, find evidence, and shut down the Dark Festival."
"Right."
Kajan pointed toward the back of the alley.
"I'll share the rest of the information we've gathered. Let's talk on the move."
As Student Council President, Simon couldn't remain detached from this incident. In fact, the entire purpose of his position was to prevent situations exactly like this. He nodded, his resolve hardening.
The carriage rattled along the stone path.
Simon and Kajan rode inside, the interior inscribed with various security magic circles, including one for soundproofing. The driver wasn't an ordinary civilian but a necromancer agent, just like Kajan.
With a soft 'click', Kajan unlocked the pitch-black briefcase on his lap and pulled out a black envelope.
Simon recognized it immediately. It was the same type of Class 1 confidential document that headquarters had given him before his dispatch to the Ivory Tower.
This meant the threat was on the same level of severity as Tower Master Bermude's plot against Kizen.
"Read it, Simon," Kajan said, holding out the envelope.
Simon took it carefully with both hands.
"Needless to say, leaking this to any outside party is forbidden."
"Understood."
"That includes the Student Council, the professors, the Crows, and even Kizen headquarters."
"Th-That many people?"
Kajan closed his eyes, his expression weary.
"It's a drawback of the Dark Alliance's system. We never know who might be a spy."
Simon pointed to himself, a bewildered look on his face.
"Then why are you showing me information that even the professors can't access...?"
"Orders from Lady Nephthys," Kajan replied nonchalantly. "She has judged you to be a trustworthy ally."
"Oh...!"
Deeply moved, Simon quickly broke the seal on the document. He was determined to live up to the faith Nephthys and Kajan had placed in him.
'<The contents of this document are prohibited from being leaked to any third party.>'
'<Class 1 Threat – Ever Kire>'
'There it is.'
Simon flipped to the next page.
A photograph of her. It was black and white, but the image alone was terrifying enough to make his heart seize. A woman with a blank expression stared out from the page, her hollow eyes seeming to pierce right through him.
'...This is the fanatic from the Holy Federation.'
He turned to the next page.
'- Ever Kire. No information regarding birthplace.'
'- Age 7: First Divinity aptitude test. Result: Incompatible.'
'- By Age 10: All three Divinity aptitude tests resulted in 'Incompatible'.'
'- Age 16: Manifested Divinity at an unusually late age.'
'- Age 16: Passed the nineteen Trials and the Gate of Divinity in a single attempt. Examiner's comment: A truly transcendent mental fortitude and faith.'
'- Age 17: Enrolled in Efnel.'
Simon's mouth fell open.
'She's from Efnel!'
He flipped the page and saw a picture of her wearing the pure white Efnel uniform—an outfit he recognized instantly because Lethe wore it so often.
She looked nothing like the terrifying woman from the first photograph. She was just an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl, the kind you could see anywhere. The picture must have been taken right after she enrolled; she was smiling and flashing a peace sign with her friends, a congratulatory wreath hanging between them.
'What on earth happened to her?' Simon wondered as he turned to the next page.
'- Age 17: Innate Ability discovered during entrance examination. Joined the Innate Ability class at Efnel.'
'- Age 17: Efnel professors report it as a type of Innate Ability never before discovered.'
'An Innate Ability user.'
Simon tapped his finger on the page as if making a checkmark, his gaze dropping to the next line.
'- Age 17: Midterm exam grades in the upper-middle range. Shows strength in Spiritual Studies and Divine Mechanics.'
'- Age 17: Appears to have some difficulty adjusting to school life and classes. Constantly mutters strange things, claiming to have seen the Goddess or an angel. Friends testified that her behavior was creepy.'
'- Age 17: Shows an abnormally obsessive attachment to doctrine. Becomes agitated in class, refuting the professor's teachings as incorrect. Protests tearfully, claiming the Goddess did not speak in such a way.'
'- Age 17: Serves food to the Innate Ability class students during the Harvest Festival. Apologizes to the students, saying she had been too sensitive. The students accept her apology and eat.'
The carriage came to a clattering halt.
"We've arrived!"
Just as he was getting absorbed in the file, the driver shouted.
"Review the rest later," Kajan said, quickly opening the door and jumping out. "We're at the scene."
"Ah, right."
Simon tucked the black document into his bag, stored it safely in his subspace, and then hurried out after Kajan.
"Over here."
It was a stall near the beach. The surrounding stalls were deserted, with only one person remaining. The owner was busily preparing something.
"Excuse me," Kajan said abruptly as he approached.
"Oh, welcome," the stall owner replied.
At a signal from Kajan, Simon glanced at the menu.
"Could we have two green teas?"
"Oho, sure, sure."
The owner stooped down to prepare the drinks. Simon tilted his head. It just looked like an ordinary stall.
"Ah, welcome. When did you get here?" the owner asked, looking up.
"We just arrived."
"Right, right. What can I get for you?"
"Two green teas..."
"Right."
He bent down, then shot straight back up.
"Ah, welcome."
'Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.'
He kept stammering the same greeting, over and over, as if his body had malfunctioned.
A chill crept up Simon's spine, and he took a step back.
"This is..."
"Yes."
Kajan's expression grew cold.
"It seems the fanatic passed through here."
What could possibly happen to a person to make them act like this?
Simon stood there blankly for a moment.
"Come to think of it, you said the fanatic has an Innate Ability, right?"
"I did."
"I rushed out while reading the report, so I didn't get to check. What kind of ability is it?"
Kajan shook his head.
"It's a long story. Neither the Dark Alliance nor the Holy Federation has been able to define the power she possesses."
"...What?"
Simon quickly pulled the document from his subspace again and read the last part.
'- Age 17: Serves food to the Innate Ability class students during the Harvest Festival. Apologizes to the students, saying she had been too sensitive. The students accept her apology and eat.'
'- Age 17: The next day, the Innate Ability class students come to their senses to find themselves slicing up and eating the raw rabbits from the breeding pen with steak knives. They faint from shock. Ever Kire claims it is a Harvest Festival tradition.'
'- Age 17: Three classmates, unable to overcome the mental trauma, drop out of school.'
He had a sinking feeling he had just gotten himself involved in something incredibly dangerous.

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