Chapter 98 - Shadow (21)

Damian approached another nearby black spirit. As it took hesitant steps backward, its ankle was immediately cut off and its head was grabbed by him.

He dismantled the black spirit relentlessly. In a way that thoroughly inflicted pain and torment.

Terrible screams echoed again. It was enough to make one's head throb just listening.

And the more Luna watched this bizarre scene, the more the ominous energy pressing down on her gradually faded.

The black spirits finally tried to flee from Damian. But he had no intention whatsoever of letting them go.

Damian casually picked up the shadow connections on the ground and began pulling them one by one. Though they scraped the ground with all their might as if being dragged to hell, it was useless.

The black spirits that were helplessly pulled in were brutally slaughtered by Damian.

Just what was Damian's true identity that he could overwhelm them so one-sidedly?

Though she couldn't know for certain what ability he possessed, she could clearly tell Silveryn hadn't taken him as a disciple without reason. To Luna, Damian was the most special and strange being after Silveryn.

Luna's body grew lighter and lighter and the curse's shackles gradually faded.

Fear spread among the many thought entities hiding in the forest watching Luna.

Only then could Luna properly understand the meaning of the play.

The thought entities targeting her were the real audience for this play.

It showed an example of what final fate awaited those who wrongly touched certain people.

After about a dozen black spirits were torn apart by Damian, finally only one remained.

Damian brutally dismembered even the last one without being perfunctory. As if to show the circling thought entities a scene they would never forget.

The black spirit's desperate screams continued for a very long time.

After completely dismantling the final one, at last, the sword disappeared from his hand.

Finally, everything was over.

Damian staggered as if dizzy and eventually slumped down leaning against the Guardian Tree.

He caught his breath for a moment and said, "It's nice and quiet now."

The energy pressing down on her completely disappeared. Not only that, but the presence of thought entities lurking around was also cleanly erased.

Whoosh!

When the wind blew, the sound of leaves rustling in the forest could be heard. It was a sound she hadn't perceived for a long time. Senses that had dulled from the world becoming too quiet awakened again.

Luna's legs also gave out and she slumped down in place.

And emotions long suppressed deep in her heart poured out like a flood. Though she didn't want to show it, she couldn't control it.

Luna covered her face and shed tears.

"Yes... it's nice... that it's quiet..."

***

A peaceful evening. Trisha rested her chin on the dining table, staring blankly into space. Liria sat across from her with hands demurely placed on her knees.

The two didn't exchange a single word. An awkward silence continued as they waited for Damian.

As promised, Damian was in the kitchen making Sankrotis-style apple pie.

After a boring and awkward wait, Damian entered carrying steaming apple pie on a tray.

Both their faces brightened simultaneously upon seeing Damian.

Damian placed the apple pie in the center of the table before moving to gather the remaining utensils.

When Liria stood up to help, Damian firmly said, "It's fine, sit down."

When he left his seat again, both their faces lost vitality like before.

And when he returned with plates, forks, and knives, their faces brightened again as if coordinated.

"Sorry for the wait. Let's eat."

Damian cut the pie into eight pieces and placed one piece on Trisha's plate and two pieces on Liria's plate.

Annoyance suddenly showed on Trisha's face which had been full of anticipation.

"Why do I only get one piece?"

"Because Liria worked hard getting the ingredients."

Though it had been Trisha's task, since she knew nothing about how to procure ingredients, it had ultimately fallen to Liria.

Liria cut a piece of apple pie with a satisfied expression and put it in her mouth. Then while chewing she said, "It’s nothing. It’s my job after all...!"

Liria's confident statement subtly irritated Trisha's nerves. But she couldn't challenge it. Trisha really hadn't done anything.

Damian asked Liria, "How does it taste?"

"Mmm! It's so so delicious!"

Trisha stabbed the pie with her fork with slightly puffed cheeks and took a bite. She showed a lukewarm attitude, barely chewing.

As her expression gradually turned sulky, Damian quickly picked up a piece of pie and placed it on Trisha's plate.

"If it's not enough, I'll make more so eat plenty. We have leftover ingredients."

"..."

Though her expression remained gloomy, Trisha's fork movements became slightly faster as if it tasted good. Thanks to the quick emergency treatment, they could avoid her mood worsening further.

Liria paused eating and asked Damian, "Aren't you eating, Master Damian?"

"I'm not hungry."

Damian showed an expression of satisfaction just watching the two of them eat.

Before the conversation could flow with Liria, Trisha cut in first, "Damian, tomorrow is joint class group assignments but you still haven't decided anything?"

Though the joint class was now just a day away, not much was known yet about what it would evaluate and what rewards it would give.

They had only heard rumors that joint class group assignments would be random.

"...I plan to just go with whatever group I'm assigned to."

Though starting from a good position would be possible if grouped with Luna, he hadn't planned for that.

Luna still needed more stability so her participation in joint class was uncertain. Moreover, since her fear of men wasn't completely cured yet, he couldn't thoughtlessly suggest doing group activities requiring camping together. He didn't want to see a situation where she forcefully accepted his proposal despite not wanting to because of receiving help.

For Damian, quietly backing out was best. Since his original goal was becoming a “jester”, he had achieved what he wanted.

"..."

"Did you talk to Cecil?"

"Yeah. But it seems difficult. I talked up your good points to her so much but she has no intention of changing group members. She said even if a spot opens up, Candy would be first, there's no chance for you to join, Damian."

"..."

She had said if a spot opened Damian would definitely join.

However, Damian had no intention of doing group activities while wearing the mask. Trisha agreed with this point. There was a big risk of his identity being discovered during various activities including camping.

Damian hadn't expected anything since there was no chance of a spot opening in the first place. The Cecil that Damian remembered wasn't the type to abandon friends for immediate benefit. If she had been that type, she would have already formed groups with top students of similar academic ability.

They said there would be quite a few occasions to form groups after the joint class too. Damian was also feeling the need for reliable companions to trust and depend on.

Liria carefully asked a question, "Um... I'm curious, is his name really Candy...?"

Trisha spoke as if catching something good, "This is adult talk so children shouldn't butt in!"

At this, Liria glared at Trisha with wide eyes.

Damian placed apple pie on Liria's plate and said soothingly, "Candy is a nickname. A nickname."

Though not engaging in strange power struggles was the first condition for being a teammate, the problem was whether such a person could be found in Eternia where only outstanding people gathered.

***

Magic Department Dean Dunkel sat at his office desk receiving a report from a librarian of the Philaion Grand Library.

"The Nameless Knight Order has agreed to participate in escorting the joint class."

It was decided that the Nameless Knight Order, composed of Masters Class graduates, would stay at Eternia for a while. Though strengthening Eternia's forces was part of it, having to suspend northern activities due to unknown dangers was a major factor.

"That's good."

Most of Eternia's core personnel were dispatched externally, leaving them short-staffed. The joint class practice would be held in vast external areas. They had to deploy security forces to the practice area's outskirts despite already lacking personnel. With the Nameless Knight Order helping, they didn't have to worry about this point.

"Also, the Guardian Tree's condition is improving rapidly."

"Ah, I heard about that too."

The Magic Academy gave the formal academic name “Shadow Spirits” to those things that had parasitized the Guardian Tree and Luna.

They were identified as the culprits that caused the Nameless Knight Order to suspend northern activities.

The strange point was that before proper research could proceed, a certain first-year Masters Class student stepped forward and solved the problem.

"Damian, was it?"

"Yes."

Dunkel's eyes deepened.

Strictly speaking, Silveryn's disciple was Dunkel's grand-disciple. He had always wondered what kind of disciple Silveryn would take. He had vaguely thought she might take in someone with talent as an archmage like himself, but the reality was different.

According to Masters Class reports, Damian was opposite to Silveryn in almost every way. Not only gender, but far from being an archmage, he had almost no talent for magic and spirit arts, and even his personality was completely different.

He had found it strange when he was told Silveryn's disciple was a boy who handled swords, but now it was different. Silveryn's luck and eye for talent were remarkably excellent to the point of being unbelievable in finding something like this somewhere.

He mentally reviewed again the scene where the battle with the Dark Mage had taken place. Corpses, leeches, seas of blood, hills piled with ghoul corpses, wraiths floating in the sky. It was a scene from hell.

That wasn’t something the power of a seventeen-year-old boy could handle. Yet he had survived that hell, defending the line and making the Dark Mage retreat.

Furthermore, he had dealt with the shadow spirits, remnants of the Dark Mage, and liberated the Guardian Tree.

It couldn't be defined simply as an outstanding talent. It was beyond that, unique.