Suddenly, not all students were able to escape to the auditorium with ease due to the unexpected turn of events.
Look at the two girls clinging tightly behind me, unable to move.
Maria, the princess of the B-Class who is known for her hidden strength, and Delia, the daughter of a duke, apparently missed their chance to evacuate due to the swarm of black-clad figures pouring out of the dormitory building.
Thanks to that, they ended up meeting Veris and joining her, but whether to call this a stroke of luck or misfortune is debatable.
"Thank you so much! You have no idea how scared I was."
"...It wasn't intentional."
"Still! There are so many strange people outside, and we can't use magic. I was really at my wit's end!"
"Ma, Mari. Lower your voice."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Maria stuck out her tongue and giggled.
Seeing her innocent demeanor, Veris was taken aback.
It seemed that this girl had no intention of revealing her identity as a princess; she was still acting like a country noblewoman from a rural area of the Gallia Kingdom.
With her brown hair and freckled face, she looked quite ordinary. However, Veris thought this was not her true appearance.
This was one of the heartlands of the Empire, the Academy.
If she had truly intended to hide her identity, she would have made sure that no one could recognize her.
'What a waste of experience points.'
Veris felt a twinge of regret about being stuck with these two girls.
Just think about it. An experience point event was happening, and suddenly being dragged around like this was hardly satisfying.
But he couldn't just leave the two of them in a desolate place, so he had no choice but to swallow his tears and give up on the experience points.
"By the way, aren't you scared of them, Veris?"
"Excuse me?"
"Thanks to this barrier, we can't use mana right now. I was just curious how you were wandering around the dormitory so casually."
"I'm trying to minimize my use of mana."
…She really talks a lot. Veris thought as he finally lifted his gaze to the sky wrapped in the blue walls.
If the barrier he knew was correct, there was a high possibility that a barrier stone was functioning somewhere.
That meant the fundamental way to resolve this situation was to either destroy the barrier stone or find and eliminate the mage who cast this barrier.
But searching for an invisible barrier stone to destroy within such a vast barrier was not as easy as it sounded. So what Veris had to do was simple.
First, find the one who disturbed his nap.
And he was also worried about the acquaintances of that person who had been missing since earlier.
'They won't go down easily.'
The rumors about the new students' level being extraordinary were not just baseless gossip. If they united their strength, they wouldn't fall easily to any ordinary enemy.
Clap, clap.
Just as Veris was lost in thought, applause suddenly echoed from a distance.
"Th-there's someone!"
The dormitory was eerily silent, unlike usual. The sound of applause in the middle of it did not bode well.
"Excellent!"
A middle-aged man with long red hair was slowly walking toward them from afar. He wore two swords at his waist, one on each side, and his attire seemed far from that of an academy staff member.
The man approached them without a care.
Seeing the peaceful demeanor of this outsider, Delia and Maria hid behind Veris with wary eyes, and ultimately, Veris had no choice but to face him.
"It's commendable to bravely lead your companions in this situation. You'll serve as a role model for the other students."
"...Who are you?"
"They call me a madman, or a ghost."
"..."
"But my favorite term is 'Sword Demon.' I am the Sword Demon, Lorraine."
─Swoosh.
With a clear sound, two swords were drawn from their sheaths.
The implication was simple. The middle-aged man before Veris, along with Maria and Delia, had no intention of letting them go unharmed.
"It's a breach of contract, but my blood is boiling, and I can't just sit still. Why is someone like you among these kids? It's truly baffling."
With a chilling smile, the Sword Demon took a stance. Maria and Delia could only tremble in fear at his ominous aura.
Sword Demon Lorraine.
Even a villager living in the mountains would have heard of that name; he was a famous swordsman.
The fact that he was targeting them within the academy was hard for the two to believe, and they stared at him blankly.
─Swoosh!
"Maria, Delia. Step back!"
The Sword Demon closed the distance in an instant, swinging his two swords. Veris shouted at the two.
Blocking the attack was not difficult. However, since the two were struggling to use mana, they could have been injured if they got caught up in the fight.
Despite the lack of formalities, it seemed Delia and Maria had the sense to quickly create some distance.
─Boom!
A tremendous pressure filled the area.
Even though swords clashed, the shockwave hitting the space was anything but light.
Startled by the clash, Maria stared blankly at Veris's back and muttered.
"How do you know my name...?"
She acknowledged that the man was handsome enough to make her eyes widen in curiosity.
But contrary to her expectations that a B-Class student would have limited abilities, what he was showing now was far from ordinary.
The Sword Demon swung his sword.
The twin swords, soaked in blood over a long time, flew toward Veris with a sinister sharpness.
But what left Maria in a daze was Veris's strength in blocking the attack.
Even though the old iron sword provided by the academy contained not a drop of mana, she was still managing to fend off the famous Sword Demon. Who could explain this disparity?
"Remarkable! Truly remarkable!"
It seemed that not only the girls were astonished; the Sword Demon looked at Veris with pure admiration.
He was aware of the power of this barrier. Although he claimed not to be using mana, his twin swords were certainly not something an ordinary academy student could withstand.
Knowing that reality, how could the Sword Demon not be surprised to see a monster breaking through the walls of common sense right before his eyes?
─Clang! Crash!
In the blink of an eye, dozens of exchanges took place. Even though both were not using mana, their movements were astonishing enough to send chills down one's spine just by watching.
"Amazing, incredible..."
"Ma, Mari. Shouldn't we call for help?"
But whether she was aware of Maria's sentiments or not, Delia, trembling, only tugged at her sleeve.
Just the fact that the Sword Demon was trying to kill them sent her heart racing with fear.
Fortunately, it seemed he wasn't targeting them at that moment, so wouldn't it be better to run away or call for support?
However, contrary to Delia's wishes, Maria shook her head vigorously. Her eyes, seemingly intoxicated, were still blankly following Veris's back.
"Ha ha ha! This is delightful, truly delightful!"
The Sword Demon swung his twin swords with a bright smile that seemed out of place.
Just facing him would make most people wet themselves and flee. But here was an academy student who was making him feel entertained, and the Sword Demon thought there was no luck greater than this.
However, the sudden voice interrupted the battle momentarily.
"Sir!"
"Hmm?"
All eyes turned to the man who barged in, and he was someone Veris recognized.
Professor Theon, the Mana Studies professor. Why was he here?
"There's a problem. An unidentified enemy is disrupting our plans!"
"What?"
"The situation could cause our plans to fall apart. We desperately need help."
At Theon's explanation, the Sword Demon narrowed his eyes.
Though he didn't like the way Theon spoke, he was exceptional at handling matters. The fact that he was in such a hurry meant that their plans had gone awry.
Though he felt a surge of killing intent toward Theon for interrupting his amusement, he was also someone who could discern the gravity of the situation.
For the sake of his own desires, cooperation was not an option but a necessity. The Sword Demon realized he had to end this fight.
"What a pity."
As the Sword Demon muttered softly, Veris finally felt like he was grasping the situation.
The barrier enveloping the entire dormitory. The professor who appeared in the dormitory on the weekend. The black-clad figures threatening the students. The Sword Demon leading them.
Finally, the puzzle pieces in her mind began to fit together. She could now understand what the energy emitted by the black-clad figure she encountered earlier meant.
"You're followers of demons, aren't you? And Professor Theon, you are the source of this barrier."
At Veris's sudden words, both Theon and the Sword Demon blinked in surprise, looking at her.
Having remained silent until now, Theon had thought of Veris as nothing more than a third-rate extra. But his tone was anything but casual.
"Both of you... how annoying."
The fact that he was playing with his toys was something Theon could see with his own eyes.
But seeing Veris insult him to his face and grasp an important fact made his irritation surge.
"Sir, may I take care of this?"
"Such a temper. He's stronger than I expected. Do as you wish."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Without a moment's hesitation, Theon swung his staff.
Mana, after all, is an absolute power that can make the impossible possible. The staff filled with mana was aimed at Veris.
─Whoosh!
[TL: If you can't wait on updates and want to read more, please support me to read the whole novel here: https://buymeacoffee.com/mythictranslations.]