“Dad-!”
Kail looked at Star Tail hugging me, making a lisp sound. To think it considers me its dad, out of the blue, a fully-grown child appeared.
If Yuri were to find out about this, what would happen? Kail himself found it absurd, but wouldn’t she also find it quite ridiculous?
What’s more, a sudden child appeared to his fiancée. And not just any child, a baby dragon that couldn’t be thrown away.
‘……I’ll have to cheer her up later.’
Thinking it would be quite a tough task, Kail sighed and lifted Star Tail. The creature, which could fly in the sky, seemed to enjoy being lifted by Kail so much that it burst into laughter with a “Kyahaha.”
“Dad- higher!”
“Am I your dad? Do I really have to do everything for you?”
Grumbling, Kail still lifted Star Tail high. He even filled it with Aura and flung it several meters through the air.
Arthur watched this scene with a rather worried look from the side, but Kail didn’t particularly worry. There was no chance of accidentally dropping it, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
After all, despite its appearance, isn’t it a dragon? It was unimaginable for its body, which couldn’t be scratched even by an Aura Blade, to get hurt from falling just a few meters.
‘Yeah, might as well grow quickly.’
Hadn’t it already crazily devoured his heart? Kail hoped that this Meteor Dragon would grow wildly and become helpful to him.
There were still many people on this continent who could become Kail’s enemies. Apart from great evils like Holy Weapons, Forgotten Rulers, or the Evil God Cult, there were plenty.
For Kail to face all those people alone would be overwhelming. Kail needed companions. Strong and reliable ones that he didn’t need to worry about.
“Star Tail.”
“Yes!”
“Eat lots of food and grow fast. Got it?”
“I got it!”
“That’s right, good.”
If only you could do that, treating you like a daughter wouldn’t be too difficult. Thinking so, Kail continued to play with Star Tail.
* * *
The Academy’s interrogation room.
This place, where blood and screams usually never ceased when someone entered, somehow maintained a very gentle atmosphere today.
It wasn’t because the Academy had suddenly become enlightened about human rights and started treating victims leniently. It was simply because the captured individual had been talking too much.
“Our base of the Forgotten Rulers is─.”
“The group’s purpose is the resurrection of dragons long extinct─.”
“Oh, the hierarchy and organization chart of our members are like this─.”
He was speaking so readily that the interrogators even suspected it might be a scam. However, the sorcerers’ magic and the interrogators’ experience revealed that what he was saying was true.
Thanks to that, Jinyan Jing went from being an invader assaulting the Academy to becoming a whistleblower exposing an evil secret organization. Normally, the treatment of whistleblowers isn’t good, but it’s different when they’re exposing the enemy.
However, unfortunately, that kind treatment didn’t last long.
“─Jinyan Jing. I am disappointed in you.”
“Oh, Headmaster. What peculiar words you speak. Disappointed? Hmm—how strange. Is my information wrong? That shouldn’t be the case.”
“It’s not that. The fact that you know how to create dragons and hid it displeases me.”
At those words, Jinyan Jing’s lenses sparkled. The mask that countless Academy sorcerers and technicians couldn’t remove. From behind that mask, fierce eyes glared.
“I never hid anything, Headmaster. Please speak clearly.”
“You not mentioning it means you intentionally concealed that information, doesn’t it?”
“I’ve been dragged here and spilling the information you wanted without a moment’s rest. No one asked me whether I knew how to create dragons. Surely, you aren’t suggesting that my silence on a question I never heard amounts to concealment?”
“Isn’t it your choice to deliberately withhold such important information?”
“Deliberately? Are you saying I should have judged what information is important to you and spoken accordingly?”
The two exchanged fiery gazes. If Jinyan Jing hadn’t been a captive, the headmaster probably would have unleashed magic immediately.
It was a situation on the brink. Jinyan Jing chuckled and trembled.
“─Anyway, since you’ve asked the question, I must answer. Yes, correct. The dragons that appeared at the Academy were created by me.”
“How did you create them?”
“In the organization’s secret warehouse, there are remains of dragons that died long ago. I used those.”
“Are you saying anyone can make the potion if they have that?”
“I can’t give a definite answer. If there’s another genius like me, maybe they could. Perhaps.”
“Tell us the method.”
“Sorry, but I can’t tell you that. Ah—please don’t glare at me like that. It’s not that I’m keeping the method secret; it requires subtle adjustments and techniques that can’t be explained in words—so I can’t tell you.”
Jinyan Jing asked the headmaster if sorcerers weren’t similar. Indeed, in the world of mystery, there are senses that can’t be explained in words.
Things that can’t be taught just by explaining them—senses only possessed by true geniuses. If the method relied on such a sense, it was understandable that Jinyan Jing couldn’t explain it.
But feeling quite regretful, the headmaster continued to question Jinyan Jing.
“Can’t you make more here?”
“If I have the materials, I can make more. But do you have those materials?”
“No, we don’t. ……I apologize for barging in like this. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
“─Headmaster. Are you leaving just like that?”
“Why? Do you need something?”
“If you leave just like that, I’ll truly be disappointed in you. I’ll think the Academy’s headmaster is only at this level.”
Not understanding Jinyan Jing’s words, the headmaster began pondering if he missed something. Soon, he realized there were hints in the words Jinyan Jing had said.
“……You, in your opinion—what’s the most important piece of information we need to know?”
“─Correct answer, Headmaster.”
Jinyan Jing’s eyes sparkled.
They shone like the eyes of an alchemist who had just discovered the truth.
* * *
─Unforgivable, unforgivable!
─I only believed in the Evil God……!
─You believe in a false god! The only truth in this world is the Evil God!
Nationwide, continent-wide, worldwide.
From every corner, the screams of the Evil God Cult’s followers echoed.
These were the last words of dying believers.
‘Ah, ah-.’
The Apostle of Greed, the Plunderer, began to despair upon hearing the screams of believers sent by the Evil God.
No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much effort he put in—he couldn’t stop the believers from dying.
Even while he breathed, ate, or slept, believers were dying. The only thing he could do to stop it was one thing.
『■Her』
The oracle of the Evil God pointed to someone in the Academy. An unknown girl. A villain who helped create tools to identify and kill believers of the Evil God Cult.
The Plunderer, having arrived at the Academy, crossed the bridge divided by barriers and headed towards the inner part of the Academy.
“Hey—stop right there, who are you?”
The Academy’s main gate. Despite being guarded by barriers, the guards stopped the Plunderer crossing the bridge and checked the visitor list.
There were no visitors scheduled to visit the Academy today. No returning students or invited professors either.
Judging by the clothes, the person didn’t look like an Academy student. Suspicious character. Seeing this suspicious person enter the Academy, the guard cautiously placed a hand on their sword and approached the Plunderer.
“─Kim Sera, are you here?”
“Are you a visitor? We’re not accepting visitors at this time, please come back later-.”
“I see she’s inside. You’re trying so hard to hide her.”
“What? What do you mean-.”
The next moment, the head of the guard in front of the Plunderer exploded. Another guard watching from the distant guard post didn’t even see what he did.
But it was undeniable that he was the criminal who caused the incident. The guard immediately activated a magical device, and emergency sirens began blaring throughout the Academy.
─Wheeeeeeeeen-!
─Intruder at the main gate. Intruder alert.
─All students please evacuate immediately.
Seeing the warning sirens installed after several terrorist attacks and intrusions, the Plunderer thought the job would end easily.
“So they gather in one place, huh?”
After swiftly killing the guard inside the guard post, the Plunderer spread his magic power across the entire Academy.
Then, he moved towards the place where the most people gathered. With the simple thought that if he killed everyone there, he would surely find his target among them.
