Lunchtime
Having finished his meal faster than usual, Simon stopped by the L-class classroom before the next class began.
"Not here."
Among the students in the L-class, there was no one Simon was looking for.
The building for the next class was quite a distance away, and he worried that if he lingered too long, he might miss it.
"Hmm, should I come back tomorrow?"
As he paced nervously in front of the classroom, someone approached him.
It was a pretty girl with a pink ribbon in her hair, hugging a textbook to her chest.
"Excuse me. Sorry to bother you for a moment."
"Uh?"
The girl blinked and stopped walking.
"There's a girl named Lorraine in your L-class, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Lorraine is in our class. Why?"
Simon carefully took out an envelope from his pocket.
"I was hoping you could deliver this to Lorraine."
"......?!"
The girl stood frozen, her mouth agape as if the stop button had been pressed.
Then suddenly, she screamed, "Kyaaaaa!"
'Why are you screaming?!'
Simon jumped and looked around.
Fortunately, there weren't many people nearby, so it didn't attract too much attention.
"Right! I remember now!"
Excited, she stood on her tiptoes and scrutinized Simon's face.
"You were the representative for the new students, the special case number one, right?"
"......."
"That's right, isn't it? Kyaaaaa! How amazing! Elite students really stick together!"
She snatched the letter from Simon's hand.
"Okay! I promise! I'll deliver this to Lorraine with my life on the line!"
"...... You don't need to put your life on the line."
She flashed a mischievous smile.
"This might be a silly question, but you can't let Lorraine know who you are, right?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Really? Is it okay to reveal it?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Simon suddenly felt a wave of unease wash over him.
"Ah, no. That's not good. Just deliver the letter without saying anything else!"
"Hahaha! Got it! I thought you were bold, but you're actually a shy one, huh?"
She playfully slapped Simon's arm and laughed like a refined lady.
Her reaction suggested she found the whole situation incredibly amusing.
"...... You."
Simon narrowed his eyes.
"You're not getting any strange ideas, are you?"
"Of course not!"
She replied, but why was she winking? Suddenly, Simon felt very uneasy about this letter messenger, but he also realized that class was about to start soon.
He would be late if he ran to the other building.
"...... Then, please take good care of that letter."
"Leave it to me!"
As Simon turned away with a nervous heart, the girl dashed into the classroom at an incredible speed.
"Kyaaaaa! Guys! Guys! Guess what I just got outside?"
Simon sighed and rubbed his forehead.
After all the classes for the day ended, Simon found himself alone at the campus café.
'This is my first time here.'
As he turned the doorknob and opened the café door, a bell chimed.
Upon entering, he was taken aback by the number of people inside.
Students filled the large and small tables, chatting noisily.
Those seated against the wall were deeply engrossed in their studies, flipping through textbooks with one hand while taking notes with the other, sipping coffee through straws in their mouths.
It was impressive how they maintained their focus despite the bustling surroundings.
'......
Incredible.
During exam periods, there are even more people than this?'
As Simon found a suitable empty seat and began to look around, the atmosphere suddenly changed.
The chatter grew louder.
From the door of the café, a girl with jet-black hair entered.
"Wow......!"
"Isn't that her?"
She had an aura that set her apart from the other students.
With a haughty stride, otherworldly red eyes, and a cold, expressionless face, it felt almost impossible to approach her.
Lorraine Archbold.
The only daughter of Nephthys, the witch of death who ruled half the world, after 300 years.
As the famous figure appeared, the crowd surged to catch a glimpse of her.
Lorraine sighed softly and lifted her eyelids.
"Are you here to gawk?"
With that one sentence, students within a radius of several meters vanished completely.
Those sitting far away couldn't even meet her gaze and bowed their heads deeply.
In an instant, the area became eerily quiet as she walked with a click of her heels.
"......"
Her steps halted right in front of Simon.
He swallowed hard, feeling an overwhelming tension.
'Why does this feel so unfamiliar?'
They had shopped together, eaten together, and he thought they had become friends.
Yet, seeing her in her school uniform after a long time made her seem so distant.
"O-oh, long time no see. Haha......."
"......"
He mustered the courage to speak, but Lorraine remained as cold and expressionless as ever.
Just as Simon was wondering if he had made a mistake, her eyes slowly curved into crescent shapes, and a smile appeared on her lips.
"Hello? Simon."
It was the smile he knew so well.
The two of them took their ordered coffees and headed up to the third floor of the café.
The café owner, looking quite tense, personally took their order.
When Lorraine requested a quiet place, he immediately opened the previously closed third floor for them.
Thanks to that, they could sit in a spacious spot by the window.
A gentle breeze blew in, making the atmosphere pleasant.
"It's been a while since we saw each other at Langostine."
Lorraine brushed her hair, which resembled the night sky.
Simon, still tense, forced a stiff smile and nodded.
"Y-you look surprisingly good in your school uniform."
"Uh?"
She glanced down at her uniform and then fixed Simon with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I look older?"
Simon’s face turned red as he waved his hands in denial.
"That's not what I meant!"
"Then what do you mean?"
'Why is it so hard to explain?'
Simon sighed inwardly.
"It was just hard to imagine you in a school uniform when we met at Langostine!"
"Why was it hard to imagine? Do I look old?"
'That's not it!'
Why did talking to Lorraine always make him trip over his words? From Simon's perspective, the aura Lorraine had when she confronted the gang was truly that of a professional necromancer.
Now, seeing her sitting in the same uniform as him felt a bit strange.
'But why is it so difficult to explain this?'
Simon sighed again in his mind.
"I'm just joking."
She sipped her coffee through a straw and winked.
Realizing he had been teased, Simon forced a bitter smile.
"Well then."
Lowering her eyelids, Lorraine slowly crossed her legs and spoke.
"Why did you want to meet?"
The atmosphere shifted.
This was it.
This unapproachable, mature vibe.
Simon sensed it was time to get to the point.
After checking once more to see if anyone was around, he spoke in a serious tone.
"...... There’s a traitor within Kizen."
Simon calmly began to recount his story.
He spoke of how he had been chased by the guardians and lost his way in the forbidden forest, witnessing a priest praying at a cross in that place.
Of course, he omitted the part about escaping with Pier's help, instead saying that he had been in danger but was saved at the right moment by the guardians.
"......"
After listening to his story, Lorraine fell into deep thought with a serious expression.
"Simon. This might be hard to believe, but I......."
"Believe it."
She lifted her head.
"More importantly, can you describe the cross you saw in detail?"
"...... Uh, um. As far as I remember, there was a woman sculpted on the largest cross in the center. A naked woman surrounded by vines?"
"That’s certain."
Lorraine's red eyes sparkled.
"That’s the goddess Deva. The only god that the priests of Ephel believe in."
The Holy University of Ephel, directly under the Pope.
It stands in opposition to Kizen, which trains necromancers, and here they train priests.
Within the Holy Federation, it holds a status and power comparable to Kizen.
The 'Saints,' regarded as the top power, are exclusively chosen from female students of Ephel, monopolizing all authority.
Kizen and Ephel.
Which is stronger? Which students are superior?
Such questions have long been a topic of discussion among the people of the continent.
"...... How dare."
Crash!
The glass Lorraine was holding shattered in her grip, spilling coffee everywhere.
"How dare a priest like that enter Kizen?"
Her expression was genuinely furious.
Even though Simon knew the killing intent emanating from her wasn't directed at him, he couldn't help but feel tense.
"...... Simon."
"Yes?"
"Is there anyone else who knows about this?"
"Only me and Kamibarez, who went to the forbidden forest with me. Just the two of us."
She nodded.
"Thank you for the tip. I’ll report it to my mother right away."
Simon had a reason for keeping this information a secret.
The professors at Kizen were also suspects in this incident.
Only Nephthys should know so that investigations could proceed from multiple angles.
"Let’s go, Simon!"
Lorraine suddenly stood up.
"Uh, where to?"
"To the forbidden forest. There might be some clues left at the site where you saw the priest."
Simon's eyes widened.
"...... Right now?"
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
Late in the evening, Simon rode a 'skeleton horse' for the first time in his life.
This one skeleton horse was worth the price of a house, and it was clear why it was so expensive.
The skeleton horse was not only faster than a regular horse, but it also didn't tire and provided a comfortable ride.
"You ride surprisingly well. Have you ever learned horseback riding?"
Lorraine asked as she rode alongside him on her skeleton horse.
"Just a little back in my hometown."
In truth, Simon and the skeleton horse were in perfect sync, regardless of any horseback riding skills.
Most importantly, the skeleton horse followed Simon's commands well.
Whenever Simon reached out his hand, the skeleton horse would nuzzle against him affectionately.
"This way, Lorraine."
"Okay."
Since he had been through this path once, it was easy to find his way.
They leaped over the valley where he had crossed with Kamibarez and ventured deep into the forest.
"We're close."
"Thanks for guiding me. From here, let's go on foot."
The two of them dismounted from their skeleton horses.
As Lorraine opened a spatial pocket in the air, the skeleton horses jumped inside and disappeared.
Simon smacked his lips.
'I wanted to ride more.'
Now he had two items on his bucket list that he wanted to splurge on once he earned some money.
The first was a skeleton made from demon bones, and the second was a skeleton horse.
Now, the two of them walked through the forbidden forest, keeping their presence hidden.
Simon thought the forest path was much clearer than when he first came with Kamibarez.
They soon arrived at the spot where he had encountered the priest without getting lost.
"Is this it?"
"Yes, I’m sure."
The two of them began their search with serious expressions.
'......
The traces are gone.'
This was definitely the place where he had seen the priest.
But the altar, decorations, cross, and even the signs of the struggle between Pier and the priest had all completely vanished.
As if nothing had ever happened.
Simon felt as if he were possessed by a ghost.
"What do you think, Lorraine?"
"......"
She knelt down and began to sweep her palm over the grass.
Soon, she shook her head.
"There's an unusually complete lack of any traces."
"...... Ugh."
"Still, it’s clear that they erased their traces."
Standing up, she crossed her arms.
"Simon, based on your story, that person is quite powerful. Both in combat ability and in the ability to hide traces over a wide area. Most shockingly, they managed to enter Kizen while claiming to serve a god with a core embedded in their body. They believe that the core is a power that denies the gods."
"But if they open the core, the priest's 'holiness' won't work, right?"
Lorraine nodded.
"I don't fully understand the principles, but according to their logic, the pitch-blackness is the power of a cursed demon, and holiness comes from the faith in the gods. Regardless of what it is, it's true that the two powers clash."
She turned her back.
"This situation is serious. We need to return to Kizen. I feel like I need to see my mother right away."