Mid-December.
Starting today, the academy will have a week-long festival before entering the vacation period.
To call it a festival was far from the truth for me.
Most of the students involved in club activities were busy preparing for festival-related experiences, booths, exhibitions, and such. As someone who didn't belong to any group, I could only watch from the sidelines.
Not only the Department of Magic but also the Department of Knights were making various preparations. As a result, whenever I played as a character from the Department of Knights, there were always events or incidents happening.
'The place where the terrorism occurs this time is the small stadium, the year-end event tournament.'
Laurent Academy had originally hosted two tournaments: the official spring tournament and the year-end event tournament.
However, the year-end tournament disappeared after the terrorism incident.
'At least from the moment I started playing the game, there was no year-end tournament.'
I knew that the event, which had been held every year, had been abolished after the terrorism incident.
The difference between the spring tournament and the year-end tournament was that the spring tournament had a strong sense of real competition that reflected actual performance, while the year-end tournament was a traditional-like event where only graduating students participated.
Since it was an event tournament, participation was open only to the graduating class.
Generally, students from the Department of Knights occupied the majority, and like rain during a drought, students from the Department of Magic participated.
"Mom! Look at that!"
"Wow, it's really amazing. Should we go and see?"
During the festival period, the place was bustling with people, including prospective freshmen, students' families, and those who simply admired the academy.
I maneuvered through the crowd and finally arrived at my intended destination.
The building was the small stadium where the event tournament took place.
Unlike the large stadium in the Department of Knights, it was slightly smaller in scale, but the year-end event tournament always took place here.
"Hey, there are quite a few participants from the Department of Magic this year."
"Yeah, it's nice to have more things to see."
Passing by people engaged in conversation, I entered the building. I could see the area where the tournament was taking place and a pathway leading to snack vendors and the spectator seats.
'I can freely enter.'
Since civilians were allowed to enter, there were personnel positioned throughout the area to prevent accidents, but it seemed meaningless.
The academy was confident that there were no significant threats that could attack Laurent Academy, even though they were attacked not too long ago.
'Damn bastards.'
The Empire had grown arrogant.
Their arrogance had reached an irreversible point.
'This is why they're gathering sins.'
To open the world of gods and become gods themselves.
That was the only thought that came to my mind.
First, I decided to find Carlos Alvin or Dianne Alvin.
It was difficult to determine the exact time of the terrorism since the festival period lasted for a week.
If I stayed close to Carlos, I could somehow prevent it.
That's when it happened.
As I emerged into the spectator seats, I stumbled upon a clue I had never thought of before.
'Hazel?'
Hazel, who had escaped from Boloric, stood in the spectator seats, looking around.
Around him, there were others who appeared to be students from the Department of Knights, happily chatting with him, but he seemed oblivious to them.
The perpetrator of this terrorism was a fanatic of the Zepar sect.
There had to be a connection to his presence here.
I approached him directly.
"Hazel, are you alright?"
Suddenly, everyone present turned their attention towards me.
And Hazel, with a slightly stiff expression, acknowledged my greeting.
"Adrias, my fellow student. Long time no see. Luckily, I managed to escape the Dark Mage's trap unharmed."
Escape.
From the fugitive.
In the eyes of the public, he was simply classified as missing after being targeted by the Dark Mage, but only I knew the truth.
As Hazel pretended to recognize me, the other students from the Department of Knights around us played along, saying, "Ah, the mage who defeated that Dark Mage!" None of them showed any suspicion towards Hazel.
"I'm really glad you're okay. How are you feeling?"
"Yes, as you can see, I'm fine. I've been recuperating for the past few months."
After saying that, he quickly excused himself, mentioning that he had something else to attend to.
The students from the Department of Knights bid him farewell with regret.
'The future has changed.'
I couldn't be sure yet, but if it weren't for the Boloric incident, Hazel would have become the villain that the first playable character would fight against.
If he got involved in the terrorism, the original future would cease to exist.
I cautiously followed behind Hazel as I saw him heading somewhere.
He moved while carefully scanning his surroundings, as if expecting someone to follow him, but he seemed inexperienced in noticing my pursuit.
Hazel arrived at a place not far from the small stadium, a shop dedicated to the festival.
However, it was a remote location, and there weren't many people around. The sign read 'Swordsmanship Discussion,' but no one paid it any attention.
'The Zepar fanatics must not have Hazel as the only presence within the academy.'
Could it be the hideout of the fanatics?
Curious, I entered the shop, and one of the students inside greeted me warmly.
"Welcome. We are a shop that discusses swordsmanship."
Discussing swordsmanship within the grounds of the Department of Magic.
They seemed reluctant to openly receive guests.
But the bigger issue was that Hazel, who had entered before me, was nowhere to be seen.
'Is there another exit within the shop?'
I wanted to explore the interior of the shop, but the person in front of me obstructed my way.
Could this person also be a fanatic?
One of the frightening aspects of the Zepar sect was that their fanatics were not easily recognizable.
It was a hidden problem, not visibly apparent even in the game.
That's why there would be many fanatics that couldn't be exposed in the game.
After contemplating for a moment, I asked, "A student came in here just now. Where did he go?"
"What do you mean? No one came in," they replied.
From the subtle reaction of the person in front of me, I could confirm that they were lying.
I immediately released mana around my body and shot it forward.
Perhaps due to the unexpected reaction and speed, they simply stared blankly before their chin collided with the hilt of my sword, causing them to faint.
I hid the unconscious person in a place where they wouldn't be easily seen and searched the surroundings.
That's when I discovered a passageway leading underground from the interior.
'I should handle this quietly on my own.'
I couldn't use dark magic.
During the festival period, they would have placed alert spells all around to prevent any accidents.
Summoning Nickel and Timur would surely alert them to the occurrence of dark magic.
But the individuals to be cautious of within the Zepar sect were only the higher-ups.
There was no need for someone as important as a high-ranking figure to be present. Thus, I could still proceed without resorting to dark magic.
As I descended underground, I noticed a long tunnel that seemed to have been magically carved out.
'Does it connect to the small stadium?'
Were they planning to explode and attack from below?
I couldn't know how the actual terrorism would unfold, but at least this seemed to be their intention.
As I ventured further inside, I began to sense faint traces of activity.
The tunnel was straight, offering no cover, and eventually, I caught sight of two figures who appeared to be fanatics from a distance.
"Who's there?"
"How did you get in here?"
No use in questioning and answering.
I immediately surged forward, striking them with my sword.
But they were not to be underestimated and easily blocked my attacks.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Aren't you a magician?"
Perhaps they didn't expect me to wield a sword, considering I was wearing robes.
But what could they do? I was indeed a real magician.
"Grease."
Caught off guard by an unexpected spell, the opponent slipped and fell towards me.
"You crazy!"
The remaining person witnessed their comrade's death and started to flee further inside.
But I wouldn't let them escape.
I erected an earth shield in front of them, blocking their path, and threw a rock sphere as I charged forward.
The opponent tried to block the rock sphere and surpass the earth shield, but it was too late for them, as I had already caught up.
Thud!
"Argh!"
I sliced their back lengthwise and stomped on their body as they fell to the ground.
"Zepar sect, huh?"
"You, you bastard! Who the hell are you?"
They needed some education.
I immediately pierced their shoulder with my sword.
"Aggh!"
"Answer my question. Are you from the Zepar sect?"
"Yes! Yes, I am!"
"What's the purpose of this tunnel?"
"I don't know, you son of a bitch!"
Phwoosh.
I killed the screaming opponent and wiped the blood off my sword.
As long as it was certain that they were from the Zepar sect, there was no need to know their exact purpose.
I just had to stop them.
"It might have been loud enough to attract attention, but it's better this way."
It was time to disrupt the enemies' operation.
.
.
.
.
Vivianne Velocan headed straight towards the Department of Magic as soon as the day of the festival dawned.
She had been contemplating whether to go and see Adrias several times, but she finally decided to gather the courage under the pretext of the festival.
'It's natural to hang out together at a festival
Thinking positively, she wandered the streets alone, searching for Adrias.
If they were fortunate enough to meet, it would be fate. If not, there was nothing she could do.
While wandering around, she noticed the small stadium.
One of the most popular events at the festival was undoubtedly the year-end tournament held there.
Moreover, the fact that the small stadium was located in the Department of Magic increased the chances of Adrias being there.
She immediately entered the small stadium and looked around, and finally, she spotted Adrias.
'But... that person...'
The man talking to Adrias looked familiar.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Hazel, who was reported missing after the incident in Boloric.
'So, he's alive.'
Although she had finally found Adrias, she couldn't easily approach him.
She had no idea what expression to make when facing him or what to say.
Just thinking about standing in front of him made her face flush.
While she was pondering alone, Hazel left his spot, and Adrias secretly followed him.
'What are they up to?'
She didn't know what they had been talking about or why Adrias was secretly following Hazel, but she felt that she should also follow them cautiously.
Although they were quite far ahead, and she didn't know what was going on, the two gradually headed towards an isolated area.
Then, she saw Hazel enter a certain shop, and Adrias followed suit after a short wait.
There was a suspicious atmosphere, but Vivianne didn't particularly mind.
Instead, her heart raced, thinking that there might be something she could do to help Adrias.
'I need to repay the favor.'
Lost in her own imagination, she suddenly realized that quite some time had passed and hurriedly entered the shop, feeling startled.
Feeling something off in the empty shop, she carefully looked around and discovered a passage leading underground.
"Adrias!"
Feeling that Adrias might be in a dangerous situation in her imagination, she became anxious.
Could he have been kidnapped? Was he being tortured inside?
Various thoughts raced through Vivianne's mind, and she quickly descended into the underground.
As she descended, she saw a long tunnel, and she followed it without hesitation.
Then, she sensed someone fighting in a space that looked like a small hideout in the distance.
Thud!
"Adrias!"
.
.
.
.
The underground tunnel was deeper than anticipated.
Finally, the tunnel ended, and a hideout came into view.
In the hideout, not only Hazel but also six fanatics of the Zepar Cult were busy installing something on the walls.
They were so focused on their tasks that they didn't even hear the sounds of the fight outside.
I targeted the unsuspecting enemies and immediately unleashed a Rock Sphere.
Splat! Thud!
"Someone has intruded!"
Only after one of them died and the others hurriedly rushed towards me did they realize that something was amiss. But I swung my sword without hesitation.
Even the students from the Knight Department displayed sharp swordsmanship.
They were undoubtedly more skilled than me when it came to swordplay.
However, I had the advantage of my combat talent.
Slash!
"Argh!"
One of them screamed as his wrist was severed, and the other was impaled through the throat, unable to utter a sound before dying.
And then, there was Hazel, who had been a tiresome presence, ultimately receiving a stab in the abdomen.
"You... who are you..."
As expected, the fanatics were no match for me unless they were higher-ranking officials.
As long as it wasn't an officer, I could handle them all...
Swish.
My combat talent sensed vitality and sent me a warning.
But before my body could react, the attack from the enemy coming towards me was fast and powerful.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Blood dripped from my mouth.
It felt like my ribs were broken, and my organs were damaged.
Their overwhelming speed and strength left me unable to react.
As I lay on the ground, struggling, a man who seemed to be one of the higher-ranking officials of the Zepar Cult approached me with a smile.
'Pahyat!'
I never expected Pahyat, who was known for his exceptional combat skills among the Zepar Cult's officers, to be here.
This was an unexpected turn of events.
He was undoubtedly a character that only appeared in the later stages of the game's scenario.
"Oh, how delightful. You're just my type, little rat. I think I'll have some fun with you."
Of all the officers in the Zepar Cult, it had to be Pahyat.
Although he couldn't match the power of Aura Masters, he was stronger than Ivy Claire.
He was a formidable opponent that even my hidden cards, Nickel and Timur, couldn't handle.
As he approached me step by step, I prepared to summon the undead to buy myself some time.
But suddenly, someone appeared before me, blocking my path.
"Oh, my. Who are you? Are you also one of those rats that came with that little bastard?"
"..."
Vivianne?
How did she manage to come all the way here?
She stood in front of Pahyat, not responding and only holding her sword.
I was grateful that she was protecting me, but Vivianne couldn't become Pahyat's opponent.
'For now, I've bought some time.'
I needed to use this time to come up with a solution.
'If I detonate the bombs they've set up...'
Surely, many people would die.
Moreover, Vivianne would be in danger as well.
But to survive, I needed to provoke an all-out battle...
"I will protect Adrias."
Lost in thought, Vivianne began to swing her sword at the enemy before I could make a decision.
Showing a much faster speed and superior swordsmanship than I anticipated, Vivianne engaged in an intense battle with Pahyat.
Clang! Swish!
At first glance, it seemed like an even match, but Pahyat's smile hinted at something ominous.
And as always, my ominous predictions turned out to be correct.
Boom!
"Ugh!"
Vivianne, who had delivered a powerful kick, was thrown far away.
Soon, Pahyat began to approach Vivianne, grabbing her by the hair with his muscular arm.
"I've always disliked pretty girls like you."
Then, he showed signs of trying to kill Vivianne.
I calmed my mind and realized that it was time to make a decision.
'Thanks to Vivian, I've bought time to organize my thoughts. The best course of action I can take here is...'
It was obvious that Vivianne had followed me here.
I couldn't let her die.
"Vivianne."
Looking at her bloodied face, I saw the face of the young Vivianne who had suffered abuse overlapping with hers.
Then, the memories of the month we spent together in the bond came rushing back.
I couldn't bear the thought of someone, especially Vivianne, dying to protect me.
I would rather burn everything...
['Original Sin' responds to the host's call.]
[Do you want to use the special ability 'Sloth'?]