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The terrified cadet was taken aback by our sudden appearance. In the midst of running away in sheer panic, encountering people jumping out from the bushes would certainly make him think they were the enemies.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he got so caught up that in his excitement he stabbed someone with his blind sword, letting out a scream in the process. Thankfully, our Royal Knights seemed to have retained the cadets’ sanity with the emblems emblazoned on their armor, preventing them from causing a ruckus like an overexcited goblin swinging a club in all directions.

As the familiar Headmaster and Epheana stepped forward to interrogate them, we managed to learn how things were unfolding in this valley.

“…We were all gathered here resting when we were ambushed. A few supervisors and professors suddenly began stabbing others.”

“And then what happened?”

“After that… strange people appeared. An old man in a black robe… he swallowed a person whole.”

“I’d like to hear more about this ‘swallowed whole’ part.”

“Something that looked like magic wrapped around him, and then a bizarre beast appeared and swallowed a person.”

The old man swallowing a person was described even more grotesquely than I had imagined.

His lips quivered as if he couldn’t shake the memory from his mind, meaning that was indeed what happened.

‘They must have prepared quite a feast for the demon. This won’t end well.’

The shamans would expect their offerings to draw down crumbs from the demon. The five demons I knew were the kind of monsters that wouldn’t even bat an eye at normal sacrifices. Yet, if they were ever interested in something, it would completely flip someone’s fortune within their social circles.

That keyword “beast” was also similar to how the Demon of Gluttony looked, and hearing of such monsters appearing to devour lives was something I had never encountered before. This meant the shaman that cadet had encountered must have had some significant power.

Even more so…

“There are still others who haven’t managed to escape yet. Unlike the knights, the priests have almost no combat capabilities…”

In the chaos beginning with the ambush, those with weaker bodies, such as the priests, were bound to become the victims amidst the fleeing crowd.

“I wonder what happened to the professors and Evan too?”

Particularly, mentioning the Marquis’s young heir amongst so many cadets and supervisors was nothing short of the worst-case scenario.

If the Marquis’s heir were to die in a place like this, it would spell significant trouble for the Academy, and the Headmaster’s expression twisted like that of a demon.

“Two will stay with the cadets; the rest of us must head there immediately.”

Now that the destination and the existence of the enemy were established, there was no need to hesitate in our steps.

As I advanced, absorbing the swiftly changing background, I began to feel a sickening energy prickling at my skin.

They had reported that those creatures had commenced their actions while we were resting. In this small clearing amidst the dense forest, there were bloodstains and toppled trees everywhere.

In the midst of it, Shione pointed at a spot on the ground stained with blood.

“This way. There’s a strong presence of mana here.”

Along with the intense mana, there was a trail of blood leading onwards.

Oddly imprinted footprints of various sizes littered the ground, and atop that, numerous bloody steps were headed in one direction.

Under the Headmaster’s protection, we cautiously pushed forward, suppressing our presence to locate another cadet in danger.

‘A frail boy with black hair.’

After entering the Count’s estate, he was one of the first young heirs I had spotted during my visit to the first territory.

Many cadets, including Evan Feiosha, were surrounded by enemies.

‘There are too many people to save. If I charge in recklessly, most of their lives are bound to be lost.’

Leaning against a wooden column, I saw Evan catching his breath. Apologies to him for being the most injured one here, but it seemed the Headmaster and everyone else had thoughts similar to mine regarding that.

The fortunate thing was that our side’s wizard had hidden their essence properly, allowing us not to be detected right away, and it didn’t seem they were planning to kill Evan immediately.

So, while we were waiting for the right moment to strike, we soon laid our eyes upon a shocking scene.

“Feiosha is a bit too much for me to digest, but I’ll make do with these priests here and then scram. So, how about you help me, Yelin?”

“Why should I help you?”

“Come on, you confirmed that the mana spread in the mountain, and you’re still acting resistant. We’re now in the same boat, aren’t we?”

“Well… ”

“Quit dawdling and restrain this man. It’s the only way you can keep him alive.”

The old man’s hands were gathering divine energy.

“Ray, am I seeing things here?”

It was a shocking act, seeing what appeared to be a cultist’s shaman openly using divine power against everything we understood thus far.

Divine power and magic are opposing forces.

The fact that such energies could exist together was a strong shock for everyone involved.

“Looks like Evan’s body is healing. No doubt about it, seems like genuine divine power.”

“…A cultist using divine power? Ray, have you seen this before?”

“No, not at all.”

I shook my head firmly.

Who could wield the divine power that only those selected by the gods could awaken if they were a traitor?

It was just as absurd as the scenario I had never witnessed before, neither before my death nor even at this very moment.

‘Did the Demon of Gluttony possess this kind of power?’

Given the situation, it seemed he was performing actions that would ordinarily be impossible for a normal shaman, likely through abilities granted by the demon itself.

Thinking back to when I encountered him in the dungeon, not a single demon or demonic creature approached. If the Demon of Gluttony was handling divine power trying to consume them, none would particularly want to serve him.

Even the words the World Tree once told me echoed in my mind.

‘The World Tree warned me not to trust angels.’

Not trusting the angels, which meant questioning the religions rooted in the continent, would surely provoke a rabid reaction from any faithful devotee.

There was no need for the World Tree to give explanations.

Seeing that shaman with the wretched mana, clearly it hinted at the peculiarities held by the Demon of Gluttony. Perhaps even secrets regarding the religion were hidden within it.

“Yelin professor and I will handle that shaman. Epheana, please manage the other cadets.”

What mattered now was the safety of the cadets.

Moreover, we couldn’t allow such a peculiar creature freely roaming around.

“My lady, please employ magic.”

“Leave it to me.”

As Shione’s arrowhead gathered potent energy, all attention focused on her.

She was the signal for the onset of battle.

With the atmosphere suddenly turning tense.

“At least he’ll be alive. Did you see my skills? As I mentioned before, becoming a priest wouldn’t be such a bad option, would it?”

“Let’s put the chatter aside and focus on moving the heir. We’re short on time.”

“Right, let’s feed him this first—”

The old man rummaged through his robes while Yelin was left helpless on the ground.

As they opened a gap between them, Shione’s hand released the bowstring.

Bang—!

In the blink of an eye. As Shione’s arrow raced toward Yelin, any magic aiding the concealment of our presence fizzled out.

“Ugh…!”

Yelin’s right arm was pierced by the arrow as he hastily dodged. Furthermore, it lodged itself into the wooden column Sion was leaning against, immediately immobilizing her right hand. The magic Shione released exploded outward.

“Yelin, quit acting like you’re in pain and pull out the arrow! You didn’t become a professor of the academy for nothing.”

At the same time, Epheana and the Headmaster unleashed a barrage of magic.

As Epheana and the royal members rushed to hastily assist the fallen cadets, the shaman had to face the Headmaster’s spells directly, raising his mana in protest.

“This peculiar energy… well, if things go well, I might even get to savor Shianella too.”

The result of forcibly raising mana by Shione’s magic made the shaman bleed from the backlash as he completed his spell. A massive beast’s head broke through the shaman’s magical circle and instantly devoured the Headmaster’s magic.

At the moment the Headmaster’s attack came to naught, the old man started healing himself with mischievous laughter, utilizing the divine power.

“Old hag’s got a nasty temperament, firing off magic like that. Isn’t that a bit embarrassing for you? Especially for a noble of the kingdom?”

“Where’s the shame in putting a traitor of the kingdom to death?”

Even with that response, the madman merely chuckled.

“Well, I suppose I’ll be returning what I was given.”

A blinding flash filled my sight, ringing alarm bells as I recognized the danger surging towards us.

‘What in the world…!’

The magic meant to strike down the old man now came flying toward us.

 

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