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Following Orna’s guidance, I arrived at a scene that was nothing short of chaotic.

The knight, who appeared to be Sion’s bodyguard, was burning his life fighting against three enemies all at once. Meanwhile, Sion was surrounded by two dark-robed bastards who seemed to have gone mad with bloodlust. In fact, had I arrived just a moment later, she would have had a hole in her head.

“I knew it would be like this…!”

What kind of vacation is this?

Isn’t the world already falling apart, overtaken by demons? It’s strange to hope for a peaceful holiday in a place that’s slowly decaying into the nightmare I had witnessed.

I swiftly shot an arrow, piercing the head of the bastard aiming for Sion.

‘That was a close call.’

I would have never even gotten to hear my future brother-in-law call me “big brother” if things had gone south.

Moreover, my status window always prioritized the people of the Count’s House above all. If Sion were to tragically perish, just imagining how Shione would react gave me chills. And with the uncertainty of what the future might hold, I firmly gripped my sword.

“Orna, help that knight over there.”

It must be tough taking on three adversaries alone.

However, there was still an enemy clinging to Sion. They were wrestling fiercely with each other, making it tricky for me to shoot arrows without hitting her.

I decided it would be better to secure Sion and then assist the knight.

‘One coming from the left.’

One of the attackers aiming for the knight was now charging straight at me.

I attempted to cut through him easily, but unexpectedly, the bastard had astonishing agility.

His body had just barely managed to dodge the swift slash I had drawn diagonally from the upper left to the lower right, and now he was launching his own attack toward me.

“…You’re the one who was with that girl.”

The voice of the bastard hiding his identity under a ragged robe was incredibly grating.

That girl, of course, meant Shione. The peeping tom who had been secretly spying on Shione and me must have some connection with these bastards.

“How did you manage to track us down? The guards and passersby must have had their eyes and ears covered by the priest.”

Yet I had no satisfactory answer to the bastard’s question.

I simply gathered mana and prepared to counterattack.

During that brief moment, as he approached, we clashed swords and engaged in a sword fight.

‘One is enough to let go. I’ll kill him in this match.’

Whoosh─!

Thanks to my earlier preparations, I was now rapidly casting magic. I sent a sharp, refined gust of wind toward his stomach.

“What…!”

The look of shock on the enemy’s face peeked through his makeshift cloak.

Even while saying that, he quickly twisted his body to minimize the damage, reacting to my attack at near point-blank range.

‘He’s trying to avoid that?’

I couldn’t help but be astonished.

He didn’t seem to be a demon with heightened senses or a talented knight.

‘…There’s a reason why knights struggle against these non-demonic enemies.’

Quick footwork, rapid situational judgment, and even without being a crazed cultist, he was launching a fierce assault.

They were undoubtedly difficult opponents to contend with.

However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t win.

Whoosh─!

As my sword flared and made contact with his wound, it was only natural that his balance was disrupted.

I tilted my sword, pressing down until it pierced through his neck.

“Ugh…”

Leaving behind the dying gasp of pain, I checked on Sion, and the situation was growing dire.

Despite being penetrated by a sword in the abdomen, somehow, he managed to hold Sion’s hand, preventing her sword from being drawn out, while choking her with the other.

I delayed retrieving my sword and instead drew an arrow, aiming for his back.

Thwunk!

The sharp arrowhead was the perfect weapon to tear through flesh.

As the bastard was impaled by the arrow, I kicked him off Sion, and finally, she gasped for breath, pale as a ghost.

“Sion, are you alright?”

“I’m… okay. But we need to help the guard over there…!”

Fortunately, though she was coughing and wheezing, it seemed she didn’t have any serious injuries.

Following her lead, we helped the remaining guards clear out the remaining foes.

‘Who would have thought the last one would possess demonic energy?’

The bastard was obsessively fixated on Sion’s bodyguard. Unlike the others, he undoubtedly had demonic energy. Among all those here, he would have the most useful information.

Thus, only one enemy remained. Moreover, even if I subdued those possessing demonic energy, they wouldn’t flail about too much. After ensuring they were barely alive and securing them to prevent any chance of self-infliction, the situation finally came to a close.

“Good job, Orna.”

“Meow─”

Orna flitted about proudly, acting as if it was nothing. I sent our Cotton Puff back to the spirit realm so he could get some rest.

Afterward, it was time to wrap up the aftermath of this incident. While Sion treated the guards, I began examining the unique traits of the attackers. Starting with the ones I had dealt with earlier, finally…

“Ugh…! Ugh…”

“Hey, hold still.”

“Ugh…”

Even the demon that needed a direct hit to quiet down.

Having concluded my investigation, I found a small insight.

‘They all have markings on their bodies.’

Notably, the symbol representing the Demon of Gluttony was etched into the napes of their necks.

I could even identify differences between those possessing demonic energy and those who didn’t. The ones who hadn’t awakened their energy bore only a skull symbol, while those who had transformed had images of gnashing teeth above the skull.

‘If this group is set up to differentiate like this, there’s likely a significant number of them.’

Considering they even had their own way of operating, it seemed they had firmly established themselves around here.

And in the Academy of all places. I couldn’t help but wonder what gave them the confidence to pick this spot.

‘The Demon of Gluttony indeed grows stronger when it devours those with exceptional talents.’

On the other hand, the Academy could look like a veritable feast of fresh talent for depraved cultists.

While I was lost in thought, Sion, whose guards had been treated, spoke up.

“Thank you for the help, Deputy Commander. If it weren’t for you, I would surely have… died at the hands of those wicked bastards. I will never forget this favor.”

“As a knight of the Count’s House, it was simply my duty.”

“…I never expected you to come so close after becoming involved with the investigator.”

Sion’s face was filled with worry.

After I received a blow to the head from him, I glanced down at the collapsed demon.

“Those cultists targeted me. The investigator I sought is also one of their targets, so what should I do?”

As Sion spoke, my status window reacted.

It indicated that the previous quest had been completed, and as if waiting for that very moment, a new quest appeared.

The details of which were not surprising.

“Eliminate the Cultists.”

A quest to wipe out zealots who devour others with gluttonous fervor. Just eliminating the cultists was a sufficiently achievable task, especially with overwhelming rewards.

“Weaken the Demon of Gluttony.”

It was a mission that could not be taken lightly.

Besides—

‘Sion has been targeted by the cultists.’

They had dared to lay hands on my future brother-in-law studying at the Academy.

The groundwork had already been laid for us to wipe them out. Moreover, we had reached a point where another faction needed to intervene without us having to take action as we had before.

“I think it would be wise to bring this matter to light at the Academy.”

“Bring it to light?”

“The fact that these bastards are running rampant within the Academy cannot be overlooked. In reality, five students have gone missing, and when an investigator was attacked, there was no proactive response from the Academy.”

Instead of emphasizing the decline of security and potential dangers, they had simply dispatched an investigator to quietly solve and cover up the situation.

“While it may be speculation, this hush-hush manner could raise suspicions of a certain connection between the cultists and some insiders at the Academy.”

The Academy, which always prioritized the aspiring talents that gathered there, shouldn’t allow this to happen.

“What’s more, the cultists have even attacked you, the esteemed Lady Sion of the Count’s House. Do you think the Academy would allow them to continue behaving this way, much less act so brazenly, if its security were as remarkable as it claims?”

The peons had claimed their shaman had covered the eyes and ears of everyone around them.

Still, this is the Academy, after all. It doesn’t make sense for mere trivial magic to infiltrate those who walk among its ranks.

This place is also where members of the royal family come to study both scholarly and martial arts.

“Furthermore, having captured a demon, the Academy must respond decisively.”

Numerous competent knights and wizards abound in the Academy, after all.

“If Sion, Shione, and I assert our claims against this demon—”

If there are so many talented individuals, then eliminating this level of cultists should be an easy task.

“The Academy will undoubtedly have no choice but to heed our demands.”

It’s a matter involving a demon.

When it comes to demons, who could possibly ignore the words of someone who has already risen as the kingdom’s foremost hero? Ignoring the request of our renowned Duke would never be a choice anyone could afford to make.

Let alone I could use Ainel’s connections to inform everyone at the Academy from various angles.

“Lady Sion, what do you think of this plan?”

“…Well, allowing a simple criminal organization is one thing, but to have such despicable individuals within the Academy is utterly unacceptable.”

Sion nodded calmly and agreed.

“We must protest strongly, just as Lord Ray said.”

The plan to turn the Academy upside down and eliminate the cultists was set in motion.

*

Once the series of events concluded, after informing the relevant parties about the preservation of the crime scene and various testimonies, I regained my freedom.

‘They mentioned I might be summoned later or questioned again.’

That’s for another day. Before they could summon or question me, Sion seemed quite keen to confront the Academy. For a while, the Academy would surely resonate with bustling commotion.

Moreover, by now, Shione must have completed her magical training. I prepared to convey to Shione what had just occurred, tidying myself as I headed to her quarters. As soon as I opened the door, Shione popped up like a meerkat and stared at me.

“Ray, where have you been? I went to your quarters after practice, but you weren’t there… I was worried because you didn’t come back for so long.”

“Were you waiting in front of my room?”

“I was lonely and all alone.”

Shione’s face wore the wistful expression of a tragic heroine from a drama.

She immediately rushed over and hugged me.

“So what did you do while you were gone?”

“I went to save my future brother-in-law who was fighting against someone he’s never seen before.”

“Brother-in-law?”

She seemed puzzled by the unfamiliar term.

Looking up at me, Shione tilted her head, her expression shifting to that of surprise.

“…Sion?”

“Yes. Who else could it be but Sion Shianella?”

It seemed she had quite a few things to say about that brother-in-law thing.

For now, she was focusing on the fact that I had rescued Sion.

“Our Sion, no matter how cold and prickly he is, wouldn’t just start a fight with anyone… He’s a priest, after all.”

“Remember what we talked about at the dining hall this afternoon?”

“Of course—ah, you don’t mean…?”

Shione’s expression grew colder by the second.

“…Ray, could you tell me more details?”

Shione too, seemed ready to turn the Academy upside down.

 

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