As Epherene's eyes on him widened, Gindalf chuckled and stroked his beard.
Pendant.
She didn't know what it meant, but all that mattered was the fact that Deculein was carrying her 'childhood picture' and even asked for it to be restored since it had become too worn out.
"Hahaha."
'I mean, why the hell would he do that?'
No matter how hard she thought about it, she just couldn't reach a definite answer.
Could it be that Gindalf was lying to her?
"This is fun."
If so, then it didn't make any sense.
He acted like a pervert just now, but this old man was a powerful, wise, and well-known etheric wizard.
'Why would such a famous person lie to me like that? What would he gain from it?'
"…"
Amid her wonderment, Epherene recalled the kindness Deculein had been showing so far.
Saving her from disciplinary punishment, permitting them to open a club, judging and treating them fairly, etc.
She thought it was just part of the guilt he felt due to her father's death, but…
Her mind quickly plunged into chaos.
"Um, by pendant, do you—"
"Your interview ends here. As a precaution, don't tell Deculein what I said. I don't want to be hated again at this age. Just so we're clear, this is a warning, not a request, okay?"
Gindalf smiled.
Staring at him, she swallowed hard.
"… If you could tell me just one more thing."
"Ten thousand Elnes."
"What?"
"That's how much it'd cost you. Deculein was willing to pay fifty thousand Elnes."
"50,000 Elnes… Is it possible for me to pay 100 Elnes? I'm still a student—"
*****
Slam—!
The door to the interview room closed shut in front of her.
After being kicked out in the middle of a bargain, Epherene found Carixel walking, who seemed to have just finished Deculein's interview.
She stared blankly at him for a moment before running to him quickly.
"Mr. Carixel! Mr. Carixel!"
"Oh, yes. Why?"
"Did you do well in your interview? What was it like?"
"Ahaha… That's… I don't know."
"…?"
When she tilted her head in confusion, he gave a more concrete answer while scratching his temple.
"I gave up."
"… Huh?"
"Passing the first exam alone already promotes us to Solda… I don't really need more than that."
"Oh… That's true. I guess you want to see your children as soon as you can, huh?"
Epherene thought his original purpose was only to reach the Solda rank from the very beginning anyway.
Carixel nodded.
"… Hahaha. You're right. I always miss them."
"Well, let's at least meet again when we return to the continent later. I know of an amazingly delicious restaurant. Do you know what Roahawks are?"
It was a shame since she planned on seeing the test through the end with them, but she at least made a good friend thanks to this event.
"Roahawks… Okay. That sounds good."
"You'll like it!"
Epherene walked down the hallway with him to see him off.
In the hall, both the wizards that passed the interview, like Reylie and Dozmura, and those who didn't were seated, their expressions clearly differentiating them apart.
There was also a towering tent in its corner, which she thought probably belonged to Sylvia. Feeling her fatigue caused by the trials she had to face, she grew envious of her three primary colors.
"Epherene."
"Yes?"
She directed her gaze at him once more. Clutching the exit's doorknob, he smiled broadly at her.
"Stay healthy. It was short-lived, but it was fun meeting one of the pillars of the future."
"Pillar of the future…?"
Rumble—!
An earthquake occurred.
Epherene looked up at the ceiling in surprise.
Boom—! Boom—!
Subsequent vibrations followed, causing the tremors to surge. The adventurers remained calm, having accustomed themselves to unexpected situations, but the wizards grew quite agitated.
Supervisor Mimic reassured them.
"At ease, everyone. Everything's alright."
Just then, Deculein came out of his interview room, the examinees' stares immediately falling on him. With only two people to test, he had plenty of free time left.
Sylvia, having already dismantled her tent, looked at him as he headed for the exit.
The same went for Epherene, who was looking for a certain pendant on his body. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it or any other visible accessory, but that was within her expectations. Considering his personality, he wouldn't openly display it.
Deculein stopped in front of her, who then looked up at him and swallowed hard.
"Step aside." He ordered.
"… Oh. Okay."
As she and Carixel moved out of his way immediately, Mimic spoke to him.
"Please figure out what's going on. I'll follow you later."
He left without even replying, while Epherene could only stare intently at his back as he rushed to the scene.
"I… I still haven't been interviewed." Mayho said, her voice filled with sadness and anxiety, then pouted.
She seemed to have been looking forward to meeting him.
"Oh, wait a minute. It'll be over soon. Everyone, please wait inside!"
Supervisor Mimic went back to the hall, and Epherene shifted her gaze to the open exit.
"Whew…."
Taking a deep breath, she sneaked out the door and walked up the stairs to chase after Deculein, who had just left.
*****
… I, the security officer of the Solda test, was flying.
It wasn't a metaphor. I was literally soaring through the skies. Climbing on a platform attached to six pieces of wood steel, I traveled through the air.
This new technique was much faster than [Iron Man]'s running speed.
"Are they the ones from yesterday?"
—I don't know. I can't see anything even with this magic glass.
Louina communicated with me through the crystal ball.
—Damn it… It's too dark.
The ones I chased yesterday evening disappeared at some point. I couldn't locate them even with my wood steels' resonance and vibrations.
—Can you wait a little? I'm going too. I'll be there as soon as I can.
While she was making unnecessary remarks, I arrived at the scene, dawning upon me a tragic situation so bizarre it made me speechless.
Hanging up, I stood still and looked at the grotesque scenery that formed before my irises.
The flowing fluid found its way to where I stood, touching the heel of my shoes.
… It was thick, red blood.
A foul, iron-scented smell permeated all over the area.
Chopped flesh and torn intestines.
Brain juices gurgled from a severed skull.
"…"
I was stunned.
Hundreds of torn human fragments had been piled on top of each other, forming a mountain of corpses. Moreover, upon checking their state with [Psychokinesis], I found many Named among them.
One of them was Drumman, the acting leader of the Altar. He had been brutally mutilated in a way that depicted his fierce resistance before his fall.
"This is amazing."
I had no idea who did this.
It took them less than a minute after the 'earthquake' hit. How did they slaughter so many people— no, an entire unit, in under 60 seconds?
Some of the victims had been neatly divided, almost as if they measured where to cut, while others looked like they were dismembered at random and without much thought.
I didn't know if it was magic or an attribute.
All that mattered to me was the thought that they seemed to have cut through space itself.
"… I've seen it before."
Skin cut along with space.
Recalling a scene that remained vivid in my memory, I finally realized it.
This was similar to the mysterious phenomenon that sliced through Veron's wrist before.
Rustle—
I sensed someone moving behind the bushes.
"… You."
Turning around to face the intruder, I found Epherene, whose cheeks were inflated like a hamster.
*****
"Oh, um…."
Epherene looked at the mount of corpses behind Deculein, whose cold yet intense gaze had landed on her.
"Don't move."
Before she could take a hesitant step closer, he had already stopped her.
The moonlight streamed down his sharp jawline and nose, a deep yet elegant shadow dividing his face and making him look like a masked ghost.
"You'll get stained with blood."
"… What?"
He was more than fearsome enough standing in front of the corpses, but his cold voice today, for some reason…
It felt a little different.
She stared blankly at him.
"Debutante Epherene! What are you doing here?! Go back now!"
Louina finally arrived on a horse, albeit a bit late. Epherene staggered back but didn't take her eyes off Deculein.
Wheeeeng!
Almost at the same time, the knights dispatched to handle this emergency appeared in the sky of Training Island, each riding a light plane.
They came intending to protect the area from intruders, but…
"What is this?!"
When they arrived, they found nothing but hundreds of human fragments scattered across the road.
All that was left for them to do was dispose of the bodies.
Deculein shrugged.
"Let me be clear. I didn't do this."
"What? Oh, okay…"
They nodded, but no one seemed to believe it.
He scanned their faces, but he didn't find Julie, who said she was coming, among their ranks.
"Julie will be a little late. She got lost on the way."
"… I see."
He nodded. She had a bad sense of direction, after all, which served as her penalty trait.
*****
Amid a wasteland scorched by the blazing sun.
Yeriel, the Yukline Family's vice-leader, and Deculein's sister, arrived at the [Rohalak Concentration Camp] with people from the Imperial Palace.
"Gosh…"
Its vast expanse made her feel admiration for it.
"He built it pretty big."
As she murmured sarcastically, the eunuch by her side smiled.
"Yes, that's right. Its capacity is more than a million."
"A million… More importantly, when is it going to start imprisoning Demon Bloods?"
A million. Rohalak could support more than that in terms of area, but the problem was its environment, which prevented supply from being readily available.
Even if it only accommodated 100,000 individuals, multiple deaths by starvation would still occur. They couldn't even farm in this wasteland.
"They have several associations in the shadows." The eunuch replied.
"Are you going to put their leaders here?"
"No. such high-ranking beasts would be given the death penalty. Only their subordinates will be kept alive here, including the undeclared ones."
Yeriel put her hand on her waist out of sheer frustration.
"I mean, how can we tell if they actually belong to that clan and are just undeclared? What if the records are wrong and we imprison someone who isn't one of them?"
"Ah, that's when Her Majesty will demonstrate her infinite wisdom. She has several relevant documents, and among them is a list of Demon Bloods the provinces had acquainted. Oh, did you know their birth process is pretty devilish as well? They're born piled up in a red box."
"…"
Yeriel shook her head.
This eunuch didn't get her point at all.
He answered that the Emperor had older records when what she asked was what they would do if the logs were wrong.
"Anyway, we've also identified the location of the temple where they serve."
"Are you saying you'll mess with their religion?"
"Religion? Hardly. It's heresy. That's why the paladins of the cathedral will be the ones handling this matter."
Yeriel nodded.
From her position, she had no choice anyway. It was the will of the Emperor and the imperial family, and Deculein himself stepped up to do this on his own.
She only had to think of utilizing that labor force. Whether there were 100,000 or 1 million Demon Bloods, just letting them starve to death would be a waste for all parties involved.
"Oh, right. Lord Betan recently praised the Ritaily Soup he ate at Light and Salt."
"I didn't really like it."
"Ah, is that so…"
"Well, if you want, I can make a reservation for you."
"Oh! If so, only us four— huh?!"
The eunuch's eyes widened, finding a predatory arachnid the size of a finger rustling and approaching them.
Although small in size, Rohalak scorpions were famous for their venom that could kill even knights.
"Be careful! Be careful— Aaaaah!"
He trembled, and Yeriel glanced at him.
"What are you so scared of? How have you gotten this far while fearing such a small being?"
"Oh. Um, I'm sorry, but that scorpion is…"
"Shh. It'll get scared. If it gets scared, it'll jump. Be quiet."
She stretched a finger to it, astonishing him. When it slowly climbed like a gentle sheep onto her thin finger, his surprise grew even more.
"… Isn't that a Rohalak scorpion?"
"That's right. We're at Rohalak, so it's a Rohalak scorpion."
"B-Be careful. It has a terrific venom."
"Shh."
Yeriel spoke to the scorpion, asking why it moved here.
The scorpion replied that there was a village nearby.
"There seems to be a village nearby."
"Whoa…"
As the eunuch admired her ability, she smiled mischievously and stretched out her finger that carried the scorpion.
"Hey~"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh—!"
"…"
"Aaaaah! Please, stoooop—!"
Having had enough fun, Yeriel, still chuckling, talked to her little friend again.
"You shouldn't stay here. Find a safer place with your friends and family."
"Your talent remains very strange, Yeriel, even though this isn't my first time witnessing it."
As soon as she saw the newly arrived eunuch, she frowned.
"It's nice to see you again. It's been seven years, hasn't it? You've grown up a lot."
Jolang.
He was with an escort knight.
"Hmph. A eunuch accompanied by an escort. So there are knights in the Imperial Palace that serve eunuchs instead of Her Majesty now?"
"There is no such distinction. We are all working for Her Majesty."
In response to his reply, she disdainfully laughed.
"Coming directly to us despite how fastidious you are… You're nervous, aren't you? Is it because of the rumor about Her Majesty holding the Head Professor dearly?"
The power structure of an empire usually depended on the character and legitimacy of its Emperor.
Crebaim, the previous Emperor, pursued harmony between the religious and imperial powers, while a third power, known as the 'eunuchs,' lurked behind them all. They clung to both the religious and imperial factions like bats, devouring both sides.
"Of course not. We are but a shadow of Her Majesty."
Since Crebaim had immense legitimacy, the eunuchs couldn't go wild under his rule. The same couldn't be said for Emperor Sophien's reign, however, since she had already had a bad reputation before she ascended to the throne and was infamous for her indolence and boredom.
The eunuchs grew confident that they could gain more power than their predecessors, but their expectations couldn't be any farther from what actually happened.
Sophien, despite her laziness, pushed her policy with tremendous intensity, and in the process, the person who gained the most trust was Deculein, not an official or a eunuch.
"I just came to deliver information to you."
"Information?"
"Yes. Count Yukline has passed on his rule over your family's territory, hasn't he?"
Jolang brought up the conclusion he inferred from the Yukline siblings' relationship and their estate's development.
Yeriel answered calmly.
"His rule? I'm just the lord's representative."
"Sure. Even so, Yeriel…" His voice turned into a whisper. "It would be better not to trust the Count."
"Pffft."
He spoke as if he knew something she didn't, but she only smirked, disallowing herself from falling for their kind's manipulative tricks.
"Aren't you curious about what Count Yukline 'really' thinks of you?"
"…"
Regardless, he persisted, causing her expression to harden.
'What does he really think of me?'
She pretended not to care, but that question had always lurked in the corner of her heart.
"I'll bring you evidence soon."
Jolang lowered his head and smiled as she stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"If you're done talking, just eat some Rotaily soup and piss off."
Turning around, she got into her car, deciding not to give him any more time of her day.
Still smiling and staring at her back, he asked the knight beside him, "Rugen. Where's that item that Zukaken promised?"
"It's already ready."
"What about its content?"
"It's a recording of Count Yukline mentioning information regarding Yeriel in the past. It seems Deculein didn't manage his personnel properly when he turned his back to the underworld. It caused no fatal damage, but one of his men got caught, resulting in the obtainment of said item."
Jolang nodded.
"Bring it to me as soon as possible. I don't care about its price."
The prestigious Yukline family, which allowed Yeriel's practical ability and Deculein's external reputation to harmonize, had always been a thorn in his existence.
Having entered the worst situation possible for their faction, where even the Emperor favored Deculein, Jolang found no other solution but to create a rift between the siblings. Recently, he finally found a way to do just that.
"I wonder how long will that young lady be able to keep acting so rudely against me…"
He left out a fox-like chuckle as he watched Yeriel's vehicle disappear in the distance.
*****
…The four-day Solda Promotion Test reached a successful finish.
The Altar forces invaded in the middle of it, but due to Professor Deculein's devious and brutal retaliation— which he denied was his doing— the event managed to end peacefully.
After Sylvia, Reylie, Dozmura, Mayho, Epherene, and 40 others passed the third and final test, they returned to the Yukline Auditorium and attended the Solda Badge Award Ceremony.
"… Solda Epherene! Congratulations on your promotion!"
Chairman Adrienne handed over the Solda certificate and badge.
"Yep!"
Tier 3 Solda Badge.
Epherene proudly took it. With this, it would be easier for her to climb up to Kendall and Regello, the two ranks above Solda.
"Solda Sylvia! Congratulations on your promotion!"
"Yes."
The two came down and returned to their seats with their badge, certificate, and robe in their arms.
"Thank you, Epherene~ I passed thanks to the Roahawk meat you gave me back then~" Mayho, sitting next to her, smiled.
She laughed softly. "Don't worry about it. It was delicious, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was very tasty!"
"Haha. When you come to the Empire later, let's eat it together again~ You can treat me then."
While they chatted, she found Deculein sitting in the VIP seat above the auditorium. Gindalf and Rose Rio were next to him.
"…?"
At that moment, Gindalf, giving her a knowing glance, spoke to Deculein. Frowning, he soon took out a necklace from his briefcase.
"… Oh!"
Right before her eyes was the pendant the old wizard was talking about.
For a moment, Epherene held her breath.
*****
"… What went wrong with it?"
I took the pendant out of my briefcase and showed it to Gindalf after he said he might have made a little error in its restoration and wanted to take a look at it to confirm.
"Hmm…"
After looking at it for a while, he shook his head.
"I must've been mistaken. It's done perfectly. I really should stop doubting myself." He then laughed heartily.
I stored it back in my briefcase, finding his reaction bothersome.
"By the way, Professor Deculein. If I were to ask who the child in the photo is, would you tell me?" He asked.
"What are you talking about, old man? Let me in on it too!"
Unable to contain her curiosity, Rose Rio intervened. Gindalf frowned and pushed her away.
"Hey. Kids aren't supposed to eavesdrop when adults are talking."
"Gosh. That's so rude."
Paying no attention to them, I focused on the event apathetically.
However, I couldn't help but notice his gaze alternating between a certain wizard sitting in the auditorium and me. After a while, he chuckled.
"Hahaha. This is fun, isn't it, Deculein? Another semester is about to start, so don't hesitate to ask any requests you have for me. I'll do one for free."
I found his laugh annoying. I didn't know why, but it gave me a similar feeling to whenever I spoke with the chairman.
"Solda Reylie! Congratulations on your promotion!"
The award ceremony was slowly drawing to a close.
The ones who attended this event were Mayho, Epherene, Sylvia, and… she wasn't currently here, but I was convinced now.
Veron's case from a long time ago.
The massacre that took place two days ago.
It was all… Allen's doing.
It had to be.
"Good work, everyone! You did an amazing job~!"
Everyone applauded simultaneously after the chairman's exclamation, including me.
At that moment, however, I sensed an extremely dark gaze staring right at me.
Annoyed, I turned around.
Epherene.
She turned away in surprise, but she had her hands clenched into fists, which I found strange.
I shook my head.
She was probably up to something impudent now that she was a Solda.