Damn Academy

249 – Shadow City (8)

And once again, the sound of human voices began to echo through the sewers.

It’s starting again.

The sewers, a network of narrow passages, carried even the faintest sounds far and wide.

“…Sharpen your knives. Like new…”

“456 crowns… Bargain…”

“Move aside… Carriage…”

Is there another passage connected to the surface nearby?

In this place filled with darkness, gas, and filth, human voices no longer felt human.

Dragging feet caked in slime, she moved through the dark corridor.

Unintentionally, the light emanating from Priscilla grew stronger, as if issuing a stern warning to me. Could Priscilla sense what lay ahead?

A crossroads split into four paths appeared.

Listening closely, the sound came from the left passage.

A faint light seeped through the left path. Perhaps the sounds of the surface had trickled down here too.

But Priscilla’s reaction was unusual. This trembling was undoubtedly a strong ‘warning’ to me.

Advancing down the left passage, a dead-end wall came into view.

Every nerve in my body tensed. A man stood there.

“…?”

In a filthy tunic stained with muck and slime. Disheveled hair. He craned his neck upwards as if he had fallen into a well, gazing at the surface. And from the vertical passage above, light and noise from the surface poured in.

Unaware of my presence, the man looked up and muttered to himself.

“Roxy went… to the party. The carriage is passing by… Who took my money…”

Listening carefully, his words were without context. Eerily out of place.

The man’s body swayed like a reed in the wind, twisting and turning.

“Excuse me.”

I cautiously called out to him. Then, the man lowered his head and slowly lifted his body towards me.

“…Ah.”

The man’s features were muddled like dough. This was certainly not a human form.

Soon after, his face began to undulate. The color of his hair changed to brown in an instant. And then, it took on the exact shape of my face.

“Damn it.”

And then the being began to mimic my words.

“Damn it.”

The creature started to approach me, splashing through rotten water.

I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. Its mouth opened wide like a wyvern’s, dripping black liquid from its sharp, saw-like teeth.

As the creature drew near, it lunged at me recklessly like a ghoul. I did not receive it but instead thrust Priscilla into its heart. The movement was not threatening, as it lacked intelligence.

Squelch!

A squishy texture transmitted to my fingertips.

“Kiaaak! Kiaaak!”

Like a skewered insect, the creature did not give up, flailing its arms and thrusting its snout at me. It seemed like an insect moving on instinct, not caring even if it was cut in half. Was this creature heartless? It clicked its jaws, aiming for my face.

I kicked the creature’s abdomen and simultaneously withdrew my sword.

The sticky creature fell to the ground, but immediately got up and lunged at me again.

This time, I plunged my sword into the center of its face.

Squelch!

A firm sensation transmitted to my fingertips.

The flailing arms dropped, and soon after, the body slumped.

I withdrew my sword.

My mind was momentarily in a lull, unable to organize the influx of information. I had never seen nor faced such a demon before. I had only heard of such beings through someone else’s words.

There was only one kind of demon that imitated and mimicked humans: a doppelganger. Even now, I found it hard to accept the situation, so I poked the freshly killed corpse with the tip of my sword.

Could I be hallucinating from poison gas? Sadly, my mind was all too clear.

And as my accumulated questions were resolved, a strong sense of unease overcame me. I was certain that the demon at my feet was the calamity that would lead Claridium to ruin.

All those numerous missing cases. If I assumed that Claridium had been eroded by the doppelganger, everything fit perfectly.

Priscilla flickered with a faint light. Had Priscilla been overreacting since I came to this city because it sensed the doppelganger?

I wasn’t given much time to organize my thoughts.

The noises made while fighting the doppelganger spread throughout the sewers, eliciting responses from other beings like the howling of wolves.

“Kyaaak!”

“Kwak! Kwaaak!”

Splashing footsteps echoed noisily through the corridors. It seemed that the creatures, having caught the scent of prey, were beginning to move in earnest.

It was impossible to guess how many there were. This place was connected in all directions; an encounter was inevitable wherever one went.

I looked at the doppelganger’s corpse. The face, identical to mine, remained, pierced through the brow. I took a griffin potion from my pocket, drank it, and put on a mask. I had never received detailed instructions on how to counter a doppelganger. All I remembered was that I had to cover my face. Could I move this body to the surface? If I showed the citizens that a doppelganger was lurking underground, perhaps they would actively oppose it.

The footsteps approached faster than expected. I realized that it didn’t have to be this body.

I unfolded the map to check the exit. Going back the way I came would take too long. A closer intermediate escape was in a deeper intake station.

Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed.

Rumble!

From above, a sound like a giant wheel rolling could be heard. I looked up at the passage connected to the surface.

The sky had turned a dense gray, growling as if it would pour rain at any moment. It was the worst-case scenario. If I hesitated here, I might end up drowned along with the doppelgangers.

I touched the wall. It was too smooth to climb, and as if intentionally, it was covered in a slime mucilage, leaving no way up.

Without hesitation, I began to head towards the direction of the emergency exit.

***

In a shaded area behind the Eternia Dormitory’s Marigold Hall, two boys loitered.

One of them, Aaron, a second-year student at the Magic Department, was nervously smoothing out his clothes with trembling hands. His friend Tatum looked at him with disdain.

“So, Cecil asked to meet here?”

“Yeah, that Cecil. The very same!”

“Why all the fuss?”

“Hey, how do I look?”

“Like an idiot. As always.”

“Ah, come on, seriously, how do I look?”

Tatum frowned and sized up his friend.

Aaron’s face wasn’t bad enough to be considered ugly. He had a decent appearance that, with a bit of grooming, could pass for a country noble’s son. But it was far from enough to achieve the desired result.

“Forget about appealing with your looks. Do you know the kind of people drooling over her? Was it Ron, that flashy senior who even offered Cecil a pearl from the Philkris Peninsula, exclusive to that region, in hopes of winning her favor? And Senior Hilarus is always bombarding her with gifts. Who else was there…”

“If you’re going to be bitter, just go. I’ve been approaching her with gifts too. I just ended up like all the other seniors.”

“Get a grip on reality, man. She’s just using you.”

“I know. She asked because she knows my uncle is from the Claridium Magic Society. There’s been talk about her and some guy named Damian having a falling out. If not now, when else will I get a chance? Who knows? Maybe this time, she’ll realize the value of a man’s steadfast loyalty.”

At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from the opposite alley, cutting off their conversation.

Aaron immediately intuited who the owner of the footsteps was and swallowed hard.

From the shadowed crossroads, a girl emerged. It was Cecil Fontar herself.

Her long, flowing brown hair, even without excessive adornment, was dazzling, and her modest attire did not need to reveal skin to captivate the gaze with her sensual presence.

Tatum, who had merely accompanied her as a spectator, was momentarily disconcerted. Rumors had painted Cecil as coarse and direct, but the Cecil he saw up close was unexpectedly different. She was just an endlessly delicate and lovely young lady, her cheeks a soft pink and her face still covered with downy white fuzz.

Cecil stopped three steps away and looked at Tatum.

“Who invited him?”

Aaron hurriedly explained.

“He’s a friend who helped with my research. He’s tight-lipped, so don’t worry.”

“…Alright, whatever. But what about the thing I asked for?”

“The ‘most dangerous research conducted in Claridium,’ right? Investigating such themes… that’s what I enjoy. You’re doing it for an assignment, aren’t you? It would have been fun to research together. Ha-ha. Ahem, we might have different standards of danger, so I brought a lot of materials. Here.”

He handed a stack of documents to Cecil. She took them and immediately began to read.

“The Children of Shadow?”

“That was the project the top sorcerers of Claridium were obsessed with. Their goal was to create beings superior to Eternia’s Planters but inferior to humans. Beings with an infinite labor force and military power akin to humans.”

“It sounds no different from the usual homunculus research?”

“It may seem similar to the lofty research of sorcerers. But if you read closely, you’ll see it’s a bit different. This is more concrete and systematic. Instead of creating something entirely new, they combined beings with intelligence similar to humans. They used everything from vampires to higher spirits, sirens, doppelgangers, and even crows in their experiments.”

“…Is the source of this information reliable?”

“Of course. Because our uncle was also involved in the early stages of this project.”

“Is your uncle still in Claridium?”

“No, he washed his hands of it in the early stages and returned to the empire. He kept in touch with the researchers he worked with, but after the project was upgraded to the top security level R, access to information was cut off, and all news stopped two years ago. This material is also two years old.”

“It sounds incredibly dangerous. What happens if the test subjects escape?”

“Well, I’m not sure what kind of creatures are there, but the likelihood is low. If it’s at the R level, they’re locked away in a deep underground place unknown to anyone, and if there’s a problem, they immediately respond with a powerful top-tier permanent barrier so strong that even the researchers can’t escape.”

“But what if something happens and they do escape?”

“That would require… Regalonian-style top-tier barrier formations can only be cracked by a very powerful physical force capable of blowing up a city. If there’s an explosion, the city would… you know what I mean?”

“…Hmm, that’s an interesting story. I’ll read it in detail. Thanks!”

Cecil said in a lively voice, tucked the documents under her arm, and swiftly turned around.

Aaron then called out to her urgently.

“Ah! Wait.”

Cecil turned back around as if she had forgotten something.

“Huh? Oh right, I almost forgot. Here’s your fee.”

She belatedly handed over a heavy-looking pouch.

Aaron hesitated for a moment as he looked at the coin purse.

“Um, Cecil.”

“What is it. Spit it out.”

As Cecil urged him, he became even more withdrawn.

“I, I don’t need this money…”

“…?”

“That… Would you like to have dinner with me? My parents really want to see you. Just a simple meal together, um…”

Cecil’s expression changed meaningfully. It was hard to tell if he was pleased or not. His face was almost expressionless, but not quite; it was a subtle in-between.

A suffocating silence followed.

“…Why should I?”

Cecil’s retort was with an innocent, childlike expression. Tatum, watching from a few steps behind, knew it was feigned innocence. Like a child who could step on a bug without any remorse.

Stunned by the unexpected response, Aaron’s mouth opened and closed several times in silence. Then, gathering his wits, he began to explain.

“Ah, um, that, I’ll explain in detail. So, I don’t need to take this money…”

Tatum hurried over and covered his friend’s mouth with his hand. It was a necessary action to protect his friend’s fragile spirit.

Then Tatum spoke on his behalf.

“Uh, he says he understands.”

Only then did the corners of Cecil’s mouth slightly lift.

“You have a good friend, don’t you? Oh, you said you didn’t need this money? That’s what you said. I was going to pay a fair price.”

“…”

“Thanks for the information. Goodbye!”

Although he bid farewell cheerfully, his departure was as swift as avoiding filth.

Only after Cecil had gone did Tatum remove his hand from his friend’s mouth.

“Hey, why did he leave so soon? Weren’t you going to ask something?”

“No, if a girl reacts like that to a proposal in the future, just let her go. And you, did you really get that material by asking your uncle?”

“As if. I stole it from the Rigveda residence. If I get caught, I could really die.”

“I knew something was off. It’s not ordinary material, and she knows it… To just take it like that, she’s really like a venomous snake, isn’t she?”

“I’m fine. If it helps Cecil…”

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know. But Cecil is the kind of woman who could get away with murder. It’s not my eyes that are strange. There aren’t many men who wouldn’t fall for her if she really set her mind to it. I guarantee it.”

“…”

Tatum did not outright deny it either.

The lingering scent from Cecil’s body was still faintly drifting across the bridge of his nose.

***

Beyond the dark corridor, a black creature stomps through the viscous matter, charging towards me. Its momentum is like that of a wild horse. Was the Doppler always such an aggressive creature? It charges without regard for front or back, like a bee provoked by the hive.

I pierce through the head of the charging Doppler, then step over the dead body to move forward. Another entity awaits behind it.

The creature faces me head-on, wriggling its body as it morphs into a different form.

“I will impose a fine for violation of the carriage occupancy law.”

In just a few seconds, the dark creature had become a Guardian patrolling the city. It was almost laughable.

I advance first, thrusting Priscilla into the Doppler. Breaking my vague prediction of piercing its chest, the Doppler’s waist bends backward grotesquely to evade. Then, unexpectedly, an arm bursts out from its abdomen, slashing across my chest.

“…!”

I hastily retreat. I almost let out a curse unwittingly.

Looking at the wound, it stings slightly but, fortunately, it’s not deep.

Having taken on a human form, I had subconsciously expected it to fight like a human. That was my oversight.

I charge immediately, with the intent to dismember, and begin slicing off the extremities of the Doppler’s body.

The loud noise, or perhaps something else, causes the roar of the Dopplers tracking me from front and back to echo.

Ignoring this, I press on, and a vast underground water intake appears. Dark bricks form the channels, with high ceilings, and in the center, a circular reservoir is visible. From the pipes above, greenish water mixed with slime mucus cascades down like a waterfall.

The ground where a person could stand was barely a handspan wide. A slip here would mean falling directly into the reservoir.

I press against the wall and pull out the map again to check the location of the emergency exit. The map clearly shows a ladder, but I can’t see one with my eyes. Wondering if I took a wrong turn, I start to hear the footsteps of the Doppler from the passage I came through.

I hurriedly put away the map and turn around. The black form of the Doppler is charging at a terrifying speed.

Standing on less than a handspan of ground, I raise my sword to face the Doppler.

“Ah.”

The one charging at me is not alone. Only then do I sense my mistake.

The Doppler bursts out of the passage and throws itself at me recklessly.

Swoosh!

I manage to slice one, but the ones following charge at me with such momentum that they slam into my torso.

A strong impact is delivered to my abdomen and left thigh.

“Cough!”

And then, the Doppler grabs my collar and attempts to drag me down into the depths of the reservoir, whose depth is unknown. With nothing nearby to grab onto, I can’t resist and am pulled down.

Splash!

Rumble, crash!

Bubbles frothed from the mouth of the doppelganger.

In the swirling waves, I resisted the doppelganger. They clung to my body and stretched, and I could feel their sharp fangs at my temples. The doppelganger mistook my mask for my actual face and gnawed at it violently.

Unable to open my eyes, I thrust Priscilla into what I assumed was the doppelganger’s abdomen. Soon after, the creature’s body was torn apart by the turbulent water.

Once freed, I finally began to swim. However, an irresistible current formed through a hole below, slowly pulling me down. I flailed my arms in desperation.

Then, my fingertips brushed against a solid iron rod. Focusing all my senses, I gripped the rod tightly, resisting the pull of the water. I draped my arms over the iron rod, and then another rod touched my forehead. A series of connected structures led upwards. It was a ladder. Without hesitation, I began to climb.

“Puhah!”

I emerged above the water, rinsed my eyes, and scanned for other doppelgangers. I thought I hadn’t left the reservoir, but I was mistaken. I was hanging in a narrow passage I had never seen before. A wire mesh blocked the ladder above, and below, a fierce current rushed through. I had been drawn into a different passage by the flow.

A light tap on the wire mesh with my hand, and it gave way. I pushed it aside and climbed up.

An acrid smell of unknown chemicals stung my nose. In the spacious underground area, rusted distillers and shattered flasks lay scattered, and moldy books were left abandoned. It seemed I had climbed up through a sewer pipe into a discarded laboratory.

Thick iron cages were strewn about, their locks undone, and unknown animal fur was matted together.

It appeared to be a fairly large laboratory. The most striking feature was a densely filled magic circle on one wall. Dizziness struck me as I looked at the magic circle. I leaned against the wall for a moment to catch my breath. What kind of research was conducted here?

I picked up a document that lay at my feet.

[On the doppelganger’s mimicry of swordsmanship…]

[The correlation between doppelganger’s language proficiency and magical understanding…]

[Report on the doppelganger’s adaptation to social circles…]

My head grew hot. All the stories were about doppelgangers.

Staggering, I approached the magic circle. The closer I got, the more intense the nausea became. And Priscilla, clenched in my hand, quivered as if an earthquake had struck.

“Ugh!”

Five steps from the magic circle, I couldn’t hold back the nausea any longer and vomited. Something was behind the wall. Without sound or trace, but I could feel it. The insane pressure… was murderous intent.

Hunger, rage, and a ferocious appetite merged into an enormous mass, left abandoned behind this magic circle. It was a horrific sensation I had never felt before. Unable to bear it any longer, I climbed the stairs connected to the side, eager to escape this place. At the top of the stairs, a firmly closed iron door blocked my way.

Beyond the narrow gap of the door, I faintly heard… the sweet sound of a violin.

***

Kwang!

As I shattered the iron door with my magic sword, a chorus of screams tore through the air.

The inch-thick iron door, despite being grazed by the sword’s energy, crumpled like paper and tumbled away.

As I stepped out, women in elegant dresses looked at me with terror-stricken faces.

The feel of the plush carpet. The chandeliers adorned with dozens of candles. The subtle scent of flowers.

It was as if a ruffian had suddenly intruded into a ballroom at the height of its revelry.

Drenched in filth, masked, and armed, I understood their reactions.

“Summon the Guardian, call for the Guardian!”

“A madman has intruded!”

Right below the social club was the Doppler Institute. Perhaps this social club was also part of the laboratory.

I grabbed the collar of a man who had collapsed nearby, his legs giving out, and hoisted him up.

“Where is this place?”

“Eh, eh?”

The man was trembling with fear, unable to do anything but shiver. I threw him aside and walked towards the exit. The terrified crowd parted along the path I moved through.

Someone was frantically calling for security, but no one appeared to stop me.

“Someone call for people!”

“Where the heck are the Guardians doing?”

“The Vintera in the courtyard is causing a commotion, everyone’s gone there!”

Causing a scene at the party was the least of my concerns. The only thought in my head was that I needed to find the art club members as soon as possible.

I flung open the double doors and stepped outside. The sky was pouring down as if it were about to collapse. The visibility was hazy, like a fog made of mist.

As I descended the front steps, I paused at the sight of a silhouette floating in mid-air. Wondering if it was a mirage, I closed and opened my eyes. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept away the mist.

And then, I froze at the sight of an object I had never anticipated.

Below the hill, densely packed buildings spread out. And among them, a familiar temple and spire jutted out conspicuously.

And precariously placed atop that long spire was a sky galleon.

The prow of the sky galleon, preserved just as it was from the accident, was facing this way.