---

After the main building of the Divine Faculty collapsed, the cleanup was swiftly underway.

Despite the central part being entirely demolished, it seems that there were almost no injuries or fatalities. A rescue team, deployed ahead of us, must have worked hard.

Still, losing one of the Royal Academy’s iconic buildings is no small matter. But after all, neither Shione nor I are affiliated with the Academy.

We focused on checking on Sion, who was receiving treatment in a small tent.

‘Although it seems Shione looks more hurt than the injured people themselves.’

As the priests continued their healing, Shione made her worry abundantly clear, causing Sion to feel the pressure.

But then again, it must be because they’re family.

Sion had to endure the worried gaze pouring from Shione’s sparkling eyes until the priests finished their treatment.

“How’s your body, Sion? Are you feeling any worse?”

“Princess Shione, that’s the fourth time you’ve asked that.”

“…But as an older sister, I can worry a little, can’t I? After all, the blood on Ray’s clothes is yours.”

“That’s true. Sion, are you feeling any better?”

“…I’m getting tired of my sister asking the same thing repeatedly, and now even Sir Ray?”

Eventually, Sion let out a small sigh and began to rotate her droopy left arm to show how she was feeling.

“It’s a bit creaky, but… it’s good enough. I have Divine Power, so I should recover soon.”

Certainly, her complexion and breathing had stabilized, and seeing her jump in place like that, her body seemed almost fully recovered.

As soon as she regained her vigor, she seemed to remember something and exclaimed.

“Anyway, this isn’t the time to be sitting around. We need to inform everyone about what we overheard inside the building.”

Information Sion had extracted about the enemies.

Indeed, the cultists I was tightly shadowing kept popping up like cockroaches were merely a measure of distraction for the Divine Faculty.

Not to mention, whether the information they leaked could be false or not could wait. It wouldn’t hurt to make some preparations in alignment with this.

Just as I turned to check if Epheana or the Headmaster’s appointed officer was nearby, the entrance of the small tent opened, and two figures entered.

“No need to head out; we’re here now.”

Epheana and Kelvine, who had been directing operations.

As the two came directly, the priests who had just been treating Sion discreetly slipped away from the tent.

Again, it was time to ask about Sion’s condition. Now seeming accustomed, he replied fluently, and finally, the real talk began.

“Cadet Sion, we heard some news outside regarding cadet activities. Could you tell us a bit more in detail?”

Kelvine’s question was enough to prompt Sion into sharing what he had heard.

“The Divine Faculty is merely a cover, so all we need to do is stall for time… The important part is the joint training, so just buy some time to finish the remaining preparations and break out. That’s what I heard. In the end, we were caught hiding and ended up in this mess.”

“…The Battle Priest I just met said the same thing as Cadet Sion. Moreover—”

Kelvine habitually interlaced his fingers and tilted his head slightly.

“Epheana also heard the same from that Yelin. The Divine Faculty was indeed just a distraction.”

Despite that being meant as a distraction, it was quite the elaborate building that had crumbled down. But that was something the ignorant and overly aggressive cultists typically did, so it was easy to overlook.

That Epheana had heard a similar thing from Yelin directly meant there was a reason behind it.

It’s true that Yelin, as a wizard, typically operated by either kidnapping or killing to acquire offerings, unlike the usual lot that created diversions without throwing spells left and right.

“We need to inform the Headmaster as soon as possible. And… I have something to ask Princess Shione separately.”

“Are you speaking to me?”

“I’ll take care of it from here.”

The conversation baton passed on from Kelvine to Epheana.

Seemingly ready, Epheana melted her organized thoughts into words and shot them out.

“What we faced on the second floor could be labeled as a bomb. What I saw from Yelin was something that allows an ordinary person to control magic without any side effects.”

It was a thing I could already guess.

The potion the cult used aimed at assassinating the princess. And the one we encountered today created a half-baked demon.

But the issue was that what Epheana mentioned was not the side-effect-riddled item we faced, but rather a proper demon-producing device.

‘Moreover, Epheana mentioned the conflicting powers merged without clashing.’

Additionally, the fact that mana and magic did not contradict but blended together meant that a creature could potentially be born, capable of utilizing both mana and magic to their fullest.

Epheana cautiously asked Shione.

“I hope your magic will be utilized in the Academy’s crisis.”

Wishing for Shione to join the forthcoming battle properly.

And simultaneously, a status window appeared, seemingly waiting for this exact moment.

‘The fact that it appears now means….’

The status window represents a mechanism granting quests at crucial junctures, delivering rewards based on altered futures.

「Rescue the Cadets」

In this situation, not only targeting the cultists but also gathering ample information; the emergence of this quest indicates one single thing.

That the conversation Sion heard from the cultists was true, and rescuing the cadets there would create an even more diverse future.

For this reason, I had no choice but to read the status window thoroughly.

Moreover, I couldn’t take my eyes off the rewards for this quest.

[Delay the Beginning of the Catastrophe in the Northern Kingdom]

‘…What on Earth is this?’

They’re mentioning cataclysms; how could I simply overlook this?

*

Into the mountain valley, the dusty blonde woman stepped into a small chamber untouched by human feet.

As she stepped into the murky water, the sound echoed as individuals hidden within began to reveal themselves slowly.

Among those figures, the gaze of the golden-haired wizard Yelin turned towards a wrinkled old man. Upon meeting Yelin’s eyes, the old man responded with a sly grin.

“I never thought you’d return with a scar on your face. It seems there were some monsters left behind in the Divine Faculty that should have been empty.”

As the old man spoke, leaning on his staff, he gestured inward with his finger.

Deeper in where torches were hung.

A place filled with damp air, where the old man and Yelin moved towards.

“I had quite the trouble when Epheana stormed the Divine Faculty. She tried to stall us however she could, and left me with this scar. Thanks to that, I wasted a precious potion.”

Yelin touched her cheek as if displeased, flinching at the reminder of the scar. The old man asked.

“Was it an enjoyable experience? We could treat you for it, though. Without any wounds.”

“…I’m sorry, but that won’t work on me, considering that you’ve used the same line to turn some innocent girl into a demon before.”

“Oh dear, have I been found out? However, if you’re as wounded as you’ve come this way, becoming a demon would ease your mobility, don’t you think?”

Yelin clicked her tongue, and the elder laughed heartily in a thick voice.

“I reckon it’s time to move on with our plans. I assume everything went well according to plan?”

“Of course. Thanks to that, we had enough time to prepare for the finale.”

Delving deeper into the chamber, they discovered a small room.

An artificially enlarged space filled with supports to prevent collapse, with various books and weaponry scattered about.

As the old man entered the room expertly, Yelin, displaying a displeased expression, followed behind.

“However, it seems we’ve encountered a troublesome issue.”

“Another nuisance we have to handle?”

“A foolish shaman girl got caught by the Academy’s headmaster. If that crazy girl starts casting spells without restraint, we won’t be able to hold out.”

“…”

“Because of that, I believe we may need to advance our plans a bit. By tomorrow evening at the latest, we ought to wrap things up here and head back north.”

The old man spread open a map lying on the floor.

The map depicted the Northern Kingdom, filled with numerous markers. Yelin too looked at the map for the first time with the old man.

“The north provides plenty of hiding spots, and considering the timing of their first harvest, it might be better to steer in this direction.”

He pointed to the very northernmost part where his hastily scribbled notes and various drawings gathered.

Yet another grin grew on the old man as if he found something amusing, watching Yelin struggle to decipher the atrociously scrawled words.

Her face momentarily shifted from a crafty look to a chilling smile.

“Since you, too, wanted to swiftly see the creature of the dragon, this works out well for you. Doesn’t it?”

 

---