76 – Bloody entrance ceremony (11)

Knights, scholars, aristocrats, merchants, and so on, one by one, the big names come up to the podium and recite congratulatory speeches.

But the princess did not go up. She simply delivered a congratulatory speech through a representative.

She didn’t want people’s attention. It was thought that people’s attention should be focused on the newly admitted students.

He was sitting politely, but he guessed that Vivi’s inner thoughts were complicatedly intertwined.

It was almost certain, considering the current situation that had been pushed into Eternia due to his father’s coercion.

She once intensely aspired to enter Eternia.

It was a risky adventure to enter as a student of Eternia as a princess, and the family strongly opposed it for all sorts of reasons.

In addition, a genetic disease held her back, and she completely gave up her mind after forming a bad relationship with a wizard who was in charge of a professorship in Eternia.

Since then, Eternia has become an object of love and hatred for Vivi.

So I could understand Vivi’s heart without even asking.

And looking at the apprentice of a mage with a bad relationship, it was clear that he had deadly poison in his graceful appearance.

Gerald approached Bibi with mixed feelings and reported.

“My lady, the apprentice of the Archmage is not on the list of winners.”

Vivi didn’t even turn her head to Gerald and was lost in thought.

“… Are you sure?”

“I am sure. It is said that the student finished the test in the middle or low rank.”

A small smile spread across Vivi’s lips.

He seemed relieved that the witch’s apprentice would have no glory.

“It’s a different result from that arrogant remark. A disciple who has been thinking hard all his life is like that. It’s a square-up.”

“… .”

“After the entrance ceremony, take me in front of me. I want to see your face at least once.”

It was absolutely not meant to be met for favorable reasons.

Gerald wet his dry lips with his tongue as if embarrassed.

“I… Miss, but that student named Damian… It is considered that you did not attend the entrance ceremony.”

“that is… What are you talking about?”

“I have no motives with which I am acquainted, and no one knows my whereabouts. We have been releasing people to inquire, but there has been no news yet.”

“You mean the freshmen didn’t attend the entrance ceremony?”

“That’s right. miss.”

“It’s the same as being a master or a disciple. I think I know what it is. You may not be proud of yourself. No need to find it. I don’t have a lot of time to pay attention to cowards.”

“All right.”

“And… Give the invitation to the banquet separately to Youngsik of the Varianne family. No matter how Varian I am, I can’t just ignore the Gainax family’s invitation.”

“I have no doubt that Varianne-nim will gladly accept the invitation.”

“If I go back without any income, my father will nag me again. Even if Varianne is being a bit cheeky, I coax her in and bring her over. Varianne is just the man my father would like. A man who proved his worth with his tough and courageous walk.”

“This is a fair statement. Even if you search all over the continent, it will be hard to find a person more courageous than Varianne.”

Bibi Gainax said with a light smile.

“I don’t have a personal crush… I think we should treat such a heroic figure adequately. That way, cowards will see and learn something.”

“… .”

***

During the ceremony, Silverin watched the scene without moving a single step.

Priest Price’s expression was not good. Other priests also began to sweat.

After an hour, the lights in the magic braziers around the podium went out one by one. Another priest hurriedly ran and set fire to it, but it did not last long and was extinguished again.

Soon after, both the light of the Roesenthal Cube and the light of the runes gradually faded like dying fireflies.

Silverin’s eyes shook as he watched this.

It was going strangely.

The reaction of the priests was also strange. It was as if he had never experienced this situation before.

Soon after, all lights finally disappeared and the Great Sanctuary was covered in pitch-black darkness.

The ceremony seemed to be over, but none of the priests moved or said a word.

Unbearable, Silverin forced a fire in the furnace.

And Priest Price’s face was pale.

He opened his mouth as if in a stunned state, and only glanced at the runes in dismay.

Not a single one of the hundreds of thousands of runes lit up.

Sensing a problem, Silverin strode toward Price.

“what.”

“… … .”

When Price didn’t answer, Silverin grabbed him by the collar and shouted.

“What, tell me!”

Price averted his gaze. He was hesitant to tell Silverin.

“I know something is wrong, so tell me what it is!”

“just… Not to the extent of being wrong.”

“say.”

“No runes are reacting. It’s just void. The child’s star is… … not in the world It does not belong to any constellation.”

“What does that mean?”

“… … .”

Silverin opened her axe eye and said.

“I’ll take care of everything, so tell me straight up.”

Price’s face contorted as if it was painful to convey.

“That, that… … . It means being abandoned by God. The child… He is already dead a long time ago.”

And then, the strength in Silverin’s hand, which grabbed him by the collar, was relaxed.

“… what?”

***

“Zverev… Do you know?”

“Sure. You have helped me a lot. And we are still together.”

“… !”

“Greetings, Zverev, who helped you get into your academy.”

As if a black magician were standing on a stage, he turned slightly and gestured. And from there, golden eyes broke through the fog.

At first I thought he was short, but I was mistaken.

was walking on all fours. It was a ghoul, not a human.

Broken and twisted glasses, dingy-colored shirts. The ghoul had traces of its time as a human.

Is that Zverev?

Damian’s heart thumped.

Zverev, Ghoul, Gryphon Potion. It was all related to the black magician. Too many things came rushing in and were not accepted.

“Unfortunately, that potion is not very effective for humans. Not suitable for ghouls.”

A myriad of eye-lights followed on the horizon in the fog.

There were so many of them that I could not bear to count them. It was safe to say that the ghouls had recovered the labyrinth.

The odds of winning were nowhere to be seen.

Everything tells Damian to run away. Necklaces, bracelets, broken potion bottles, Zverev, Elado, Silverin, and now the librarians who have become corpses.

If he ran away with all his might, he might be able to preserve his breath.

But Damian didn’t run away. It couldn’t be.

It was because the memories of Lizawa obsessively came to his mind, and the thorns in his soul held his legs together like stakes.

The nightmare of falling down the cliff engulfed his consciousness as if he had fallen into a swamp.

Damian shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment to get rid of the memory. But to no avail.

Liza reached out to herself as she fell. He died helplessly, and Liza was left alone.

and didn’t keep anything.

Damian caught his breath and looked up at the sky.

Races were gradually narrowing the siege.

If Damian runs away begging for his life, Tricia will eventually be left alone to face Wraiths, ghouls and warlocks.

Remaining as an existence unable to protect anything meant another death for Damian.

So I couldn’t escape.

Damian grabbed the annoyingly ringing necklace and tore it off and tossed it aside.

Then, he untied the potion pouch from his waist and pierced the bottom with a piece of glass.

He squeezed the pouch and poured all the remaining liquid into his mouth.

The glass powder was chewed up, and the pain spread through the tongue and esophagus.

Dealing with Wraith, having a hole in one’s intestines, being sucked in by leeches and having one’s body dried up, having one’s body torn apart by ghouls, all of them were terrifying.

But the rage that seemed to boil even the soul offset all that fear.

The potion began to circulate in Damian’s bloodstream, and his pupils glowed with golden light.

The air currents of the fog that had flowed around him changed. Following the magic pressure that hung around Damian, steam fell like a waterfall and spread low.

The leeches that climbed on his shoes and calves could not stand the strong magic pressure and burst. Then, even the leeches crawling on the floor exploded.

The sword of light resonated with Damian’s soul, screaming louder than ever.

to fight for everything.

As if it was born for this moment.

Damian was not in the labyrinth, but standing on top of the cliff again, facing the ghosts of the past.

“As long as I can breathe… .”

Brilliant brilliance emanated from Damian’s hand, as if he would go blind.

“You won’t get what you want.”