Chapter 196
Simon and his teammates woke up in the morning and, without even a bite of bread, were buried in their vacation homework.
Keyzen's assignments had to be answered in thesis format with personal opinions, or were multiple choice questions with varying values for each option, so even looking at someone else's work was of little help.
Still, thanks to Maelyn's active assistance, Simon and Kamibarez could just barely see the end of it, but the real problem was Dick.
"...Um, Lady Maelyn?"
Dick stammered, and at some point, the way he addressed Maelyn had changed.
"What, you damned commoner."
Maelyn wasn't any different. Arms crossed, she watched Dick's problem-solving with a cold expression.
"Let's, as humans, at least eat something first."
"You messed up your assignments like this because you're human? You beast-like bastard."
"Ghhk."
He had too many sins to argue back.
Their relationship had completely flipped since the theater.
Simon, thinking he needed to finish his own homework quickly and help Dick, was writing out his Darkness Dynamics assignment: creating a new magic circle.
"Ah."
As he wrote, the ink started to fade. When he lifted the quill to check, the ink was gone, and the nib was tattered from overuse. The inkwell was completely empty, too.
Simon cautiously turned his head. Maelyn was sitting with her legs crossed, glaring fiercely at Dick.
"M-Maelyn?"
"Yeah?"
Perhaps it was because the vacation homework seemed nearly finished, Maelyn's voice sounded a little gentler when she spoke to Simon.
Encouraged by that, Simon opened his mouth.
"Can I run out to buy a new quill and some ink? I'll grab something to eat on the way back too."
At the mention of food, Dick, still buried in his assignments, subtly gave a thumbs up.
Maelyn sighed.
"I'm the team leader, not your mom, okay? You don't need my permission for stuff like that, just go."
"I'll go too!"
Next to him, Kamibarez raised her hand high.
This time, Dick mouthed silently, 'You're leaving me alone with this monster?!' while casting her a desperate look, but she was too busy watching Maelyn to notice.
"...Hmm, Kami's in a bit of a gray area. You think you can finish everything today?"
"Yes! I promise!"
With Maelyn's permission, the two left the clock tower and stepped out into the city of Langerstine.
"Whew, I can finally breathe again."
Simon took a deep breath, and Kamibarez gave a small smile.
"Maelyn was really scary."
Simon nodded in agreement.
"Still, she's using her time for us. I feel kind of bad. Let's buy stuff she likes on the way back."
"Okay!"
Simon walked through the streets of Langerstine with Kamibarez at his side.
He always thought this city was a confusing maze. Enter one alley and you'd find four more branching off, with signposts scattered all over the place.
"Should we go to Camellord first?"
"We're getting quills and food, so wouldn't the shopping district be better than Camellord?"
"Oh, that's a better idea."
Simon recalled the way and adjusted the course.
As they walked the maze-like streets of Langerstine, Simon couldn't help but notice how peculiar the layout of the buildings was.
A single house would be tightly attached to the next, almost like extensions of each other. Some houses used the neighboring wall as their own, or even built into other people's yards with no sense of order.
It looked like a bunch of kids had stacked blocks in a chaotic house-building contest.
"Did you know? One of the Dresden Kingdom's Top 10 Mysteries is the rent in Langerstine."
Kamibarez's comment made Simon burst into laughter.
"Yeah. I bet it's crazy expensive. Maybe all these houses are crammed together because land here is so pricey?"
"Nope! There's a reason the architecture is like this. A long time ago, a dragon that lived in the mountains burned down the entire city with its breath! Back then, the kingdom's administration was a mess, and instead of land, private property and real estate were measured by house size. After Langerstine was reduced to ruins and land surveys fell apart, people just started building houses big and wide however they wanted! That caught on like wildfire and led to a competition..."
"So that's how this cityscape came to be! That's fascinating. How do you know all this?"
Kamibarez's eyes curled like crescent moons.
"My teacher told me."
"Oh, the one who taught you Haematology magic during break?"
"Yep!"
The two wandered around the city, half sightseeing as they searched for a place selling quills.
But unlike the two of them, the local residents of Langerstine seemed uneasy. Everyone looked serious and was murmuring among themselves.
'Something must be going on.'
"Breaking news! Breaking news!"
A newspaper vendor was shouting while waving papers. Well-dressed gentlemen were seen buying newspapers with money in hand.
"Kami, hang on a second."
Simon ran over and bought a copy of the paper.
He unfolded it carefully, and on the front page was a grotesque photo of a corpse.
"..."
As Simon returned to Kamibarez, he skimmed through the article in detail.
The paper reported that murders had been occurring since a week ago, and there were rising concerns about rats and insects suddenly infesting the city. It seemed like this general anxiety among the residents was tied to these incidents.
'This must be the mission Kajan got assigned to.'
"Simon~"
Kamibarez approached him with a bright smile.
"What are you reading so seriously?"
"The local Langerstine paper. Someone died."
"R-Really?"
As she came closer to read over his shoulder, Simon discreetly covered the photo with his hand.
"?"
She looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
"Ah, uh. It's just... the body's really grotesque, so I covered it. Was that unnecessary?"
"Ah!"
She jumped slightly and took a step back.
"Th-that was close. If I'd seen something gross like that, it'd haunt my dreams... Thanks, Simon!"
"It's nothing."
As Simon folded the paper and tucked it into his subspace, she smiled softly.
'Simon really is kind.'
"Looks like something strange is happening in the city."
Simon gave her a simple summary.
"The victims weren't killed by injuries or known diseases. They died from sudden, unidentified illnesses. According to necromancers who major in Toxicology, it wasn't poisoning either."
"Th-that's pretty scary."
Thwack!
A sudden shriek from the side startled Kamibarez, and she jumped straight into Simon's arms.
'Whoa, what the—?!'
Simon was genuinely surprised too. He steadied his thumping chest and turned to see an old woman with a distorted face, one eye rolled up, glaring at them while leaning on a crutch.
"What's so scary about it?! It's righteous judgment! The Spirit of Sickness has descended upon us!"
"...Spirit of Sickness?"
"The dishonest shall all die when the plague comes! Gahahaha!"
Swish, swish.
Just then, a man with a haggard face was sweeping in front of a tavern across the street. He yawned and spoke.
"Tourists, huh? Just ignore that old hag. She's known around here for spewing nonsense, famous in Langerstine, really."
"..."
"And this incident isn't anything like some 'Spirit of Sickness'. Five people dying in Langerstine? What's the big deal? In this city, ten people die a day just from gang disputes."
"Th-then what is it?"
As Simon showed interest, the man smiled with satisfaction.
"Curious, huh? Don't be shocked! This is a political scheme by those kingdom-supporting bastards trying to grab attention! They're using this to draw the public's eyes and push shady policies through, did they think I wouldn't notice?"
The man sweeping the ground shouted, "Not a chance, you bastards!" and the white-eyed old woman began muttering some bizarre incantation.
"Let's go, Kami."
Simon quietly said as he guided Kamibarez.
"They're just weirdos, ignore them."
"...Ah, okay."
That was the problem with stepping into back alleys.
The two made their way toward a slightly broader avenue.
Finally, the space around them opened up, and they could hear the lively chatter of many tourists. It was strange how just a block or two away, the atmosphere could shift so drastically.
'Big cities really aren't for me.'
As Simon gave a bitter smile, Kamibarez pointed at a signpost.
"Simon, I see Hampton Road!"
Hampton Road was the heart of Langerstine, a massive shopping district and a street of youth and energy.
The two followed the sign and moved on.
"Found it!"
Before even reaching Hampton Road, they spotted the quill shop they'd been searching for.
"Should we buy new quills there? If we go all the way to the central area, it'll probably be more expensive."
"Sounds good."
The two were walking with light steps when it happened.
The jingle of a bell rang as two men stepped out from the shop.
Simon froze. More annoying than the Spirit of Sickness or anti-kingdom plots, someone he absolutely didn't want to see was stepping outside.
'Why the hell do I have to run into him here?'
Knowing his fiery personality, a fight was guaranteed if they met.
Not wanting any unnecessary conflict, Simon turned his back as naturally as he could.
"Kami, hold on."
"Yes?"
He gently took her wrist and casually started walking toward a nearby alley.
"W-what's going on? What's—"
"Simon Follentia."
His steps stopped cold. He'd barely glanced back and turned away, and the guy had still noticed.
Simon sighed quietly and turned to face him.
"Hector."
Hector Moore, also a 1st-year student in Class A, was approaching with one of his gang's male followers.
The corner of Hector's mouth curled up.
From the creepy chuckle leaking through his teeth, Simon immediately knew this was bad.
It wasn't the school term right now, and they weren't on Roke Mountain or Keyzen's campus. There were no faculty around to stop conflicts between students.
"I figured you might be in Langerstine, but to run into you just like this!"
Thud!
Hector stomped his right foot hard and clenched his fist, aiming it toward Simon.
"I've waited all break for this moment! I challenge you, Simon Follentia!!"
"Kami."
Simon spoke just loud enough for her to hear.
"Let's run."
"Huh?"
And without another word, he picked Kamibarez up in his arms, summoned Darkness to his feet, and launched himself.
Tadat! Tat!
Vwoooooom!
In an instant, Simon dashed dozens of meters, stepped off a rooftop, and shot into the sky.
Kamibarez's startled scream rang out, and people in the street began pointing and murmuring as the scenery flew past behind them.
'That guy isn't someone you can reason with.'
Maybe it was because they hadn't seen each other in a while, but Hector's aggression was boiling over. Explaining how "fighting is wrong" would be a complete waste of breath. With a mad dog like him, avoiding was the only answer.
"S-Simon!"
At that moment, Kamibarez, still in his arms, reached out.
"Above us!"
"!"
Simon whipped his head around, Hector was descending from above, wearing wings of a Corpse Dragon, aiming an elbow strike at him mid-air.
Simon quickly raised one arm to block.
TU-KWAAAANG!!
Simon crashed down into a street, smashing through a shanty house and landing hard.
"Ghk!"
He groaned from the impact, embedded in the cratered ground. Thanks to the Keyzen uniform, he wasn't injured, but his whole body ached from the shock.
"A-are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Hector landed lightly and walked toward him.
"Get up, Simon Follentia."
He spoke in a domineering tone.
"This is your chance, face me properly."
Kamibarez sprang up and spread her arms out. Hector's eyebrow twitched.
"Move."
"Are you out of your mind? Attacking someone out of nowhere like that!"
Though her legs trembled in fear before the giant Hector, she raised her voice even more.
"Keyzen students are obligated to maintain their dignity, even off campus! You're nothing but a thug!"
Hector responded with a cold face.
"I don't repeat myself. I've got no interest in nobodies. Move."
"If you're that eager to fight Simon—"
She placed her palm over her abdomen, and with a click!, a sound rang out.
Kuuuuuuuuu!
Her eyes turned crimson, and the wings on her back expanded. As she bit into her thumb, the blood that spurted spun fiercely around her body.
"Then face me first!"
"...Kami?"
Her entire aura changed, like she was a different person. Simon, having shaken off the shock and propped himself up, wore a stunned expression.
"What the—who are you?"
Hector was just as surprised. His smirk twisted further.
"You've gotten pretty interesting since I last saw you."