Damn Academy

257 – In the Embrace of the Master (5)

The Empire’s swift ship was entering the port of Claridium. The Empire’s reinforcements had arrived.

The knights who had come out to greet them in advance raised their banners higher. They had reached their limit in tracking Demian and had been eagerly awaiting reinforcements.

“It’s the first time I’ve been so glad to see wizards.”

The ship docked at the port, and the sailors connected the deck and the land with planks, but the wizard they had been waiting for did not disembark.

A moment of silence followed. Not even the sound of footsteps could be heard from the deck.

“Is it really the Empire’s ship?”

“Yes, it is certain.”

“Didn’t they send an empty ship?”

“Well, it might be a supply ship.”

No one disembarked from the ship even after several minutes had passed.

Unable to bear it any longer, he stood on tiptoe and looked up at the sailor who was furling the sail on the middle deck and asked,

“Is there no one inside?”

The sailor, who had been looking down at the knights from the railing and then turning back, said,

“Uh… you should come up and see for yourself. It seems the wizards are busy with something right now.”

“So, it seems there really are wizards on board. Now I understand. There’s a saying that appointments with wizards are always two hours late.”

The knight next to him slapped his forehead.

“Seeing how lazy they are, they must really be wizards.”

One of the knights gestured for his companions to follow and climbed onto the ship.

As soon as they stepped onto the deck, they were met by a group of wizards.

“…?”

The wizards, clad in robes, were huddled together, silently gazing at the sky of Claridium. They seemed unaware that they had reached their destination.

The knights who had come to greet them also looked up at the sky, but there was nothing unusual, just the same dark clouds as yesterday.

“We have come under the orders of Lord Regilion to escort the wizards. But… is there a problem?”

Only then did the wizards lower their heads and glance at them.

Then, without showing any further interest, they raised their chins back to the sky.

Their rude attitude subtly ignited a sense of anger.

“Is there a problem with the sky? Can’t you use magic if it rains?”

Then a middle-aged female wizard raised her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence.

“No.”

“Is there something dangerous?”

“We don’t know if it’s dangerous or not.”

“People are dying. Is there anything more important than that? That’s why you’re here. Join the unit quickly.”

“…Yes. But it seems there is a more important issue.”

“What?”

“What the hell is that thing? Damn it, why are you all standing around like idiots? Say something!”

“…We don’t know. It’s the first time we’ve seen it too.”

“It’s just the same damn dark cloud!”

In a situation where every second counted, the wizards stood with dumbfounded expressions, making him feel like his chest would burst. The wizards shook their heads in denial.

“We’re not looking at a dark cloud.”

*

Thanks to the support of the Empire, Claridium had managed to assemble an elite force. Naturally, Regilion became the one in charge.

Regilion spread out a map of the city of Claridium on his desk and stared at it with wide eyes.

He was calculating Demian’s behavior patterns and looking for the next likely place of appearance.

Since the last sighting, Demian had appeared several more times, committing massacres and then disappearing. Although sometimes during the day, it was mostly at night, avoiding open areas where encirclement was easy, and appearing in densely built areas to commit indiscriminate killings before escaping before the encirclement could be established.

Regilion moved with a torch, looking up at the rooftops. The crossbow ambush team on the roof nodded as if there were no problems. In the alleys, there were wizards, spirit soldiers, and knights seasoned in monster hunting, all waiting. It was an excessive force for just one boy. They stayed up all night with the determination to kill Demian for the murdered citizens and comrades.

Although the newly joined spirit soldiers didn’t seem to be in the best condition, they appeared to be ready for immediate deployment.

And their wait wasn’t long.

“aaargh-“

In the middle of the night, a tearing scream echoed through the city, breaking the silence. Every soldier looked up with faces that said the inevitable had come.

Soon after, a soldier came running and shouted.

“Commander, the fugitive has appeared!”

“Location?”

“Near the Marianne Ferry Inn, fleeing towards the Guardian Assembly Hall!”

Most of the troops could reach the location within ten minutes. There were also troops ambushed at the Guardian Assembly Hall. It was a perfect opportunity, as if Damian had crawled into the enemy’s stronghold on his own. Regillion drew his sword and swung his arm, shouting as if he had been waiting.

“Move! Move!”

The knights who had been waiting began to run through the narrow alley. There were so many of them that the tiles on the road cracked.

Having devised a meticulous plan with those who were also skilled in hunting beasts, the chances of missing this time were extremely low.

It was an overwhelming difference in power that they could not possibly lose. They had an overwhelming numerical advantage, and even if there was a magic sword, its power would eventually be exhausted. Even if he tried to escape, he would not be able to evade the tracking skills of the spirit master, who could even catch the sound of a mouse’s squeak. Everyone, including Regillion, was filled with confidence.

Regillion hurriedly followed behind the vanguard that was running out.

Tracking Damian was not difficult. The screams of the soldiers he slaughtered were enough.

Arriving in front of the Guardian Assembly Hall, the courtyard, large enough to park two carriages, was already littered with corpses from Damian’s slaughter. It looked like a child had played with toys and thrown them around in boredom.

Damian, who was standing on the corpses, slowly turned to look at them.

A dozen knights charged at Damian. A fierce battle ensued.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Kill him! He’s alone!”

“Die! Die!”

Damian’s figure was obscured by the knights’ backs. The knights’ vigorous shouts and rough swordplay quickly came and went.

Occasionally, the sound of flesh being pierced could be heard, but it was impossible to tell who was being hit.

“Argh!”

“There’s only one opponent! Never back down!”

But the battle did not go as expected. The knights fell one by one, and gradually, Damian’s figure began to emerge.

Regilion did not miss the opportunity and continued his orders.

“To the rooftop, now!”

While the soldiers sacrificed themselves to tie up Damian’s feet, the crossbowmen began to climb the building attached to the Guardian’s assembly hall in perfect order.

“Enter the barrier!”

With his command, the large shield-bearers entered. They blocked all the alleys and systematically tightened the three sides except for the side facing the assembly hall where Damian had his back.

The number of knights engaging in close combat with Damian began to decrease rapidly.

Watching from about fifty steps away, Regilion muttered a curse. He pressed his eyes shut and opened them again to make sure he was seeing correctly. He had assumed Damian was subdued by the magic sword, but the magic sword at his waist had not even been drawn, and he was holding a sword taken from an imperial knight. Despite being attacked by dozens, Damian had withstood it all.

“…This is not good.”

Muttering so, Regilion shouted to his subordinates.

“Enter the barrier!”

The shield-bearers began to close in on Damian from all sides like a wall. Meanwhile, the magicians in the blind spots began to chant spells.

The shield-bearers were to buy time until the magicians in the rear finished their chants. If they could hold out for just that brief moment, Damian would be hit by a magical bombardment and turned to ashes.

As if waiting for this moment, Damian placed his hand on the scabbard at his waist. The magic sword was already emitting a blue light from within the scabbard.

“It’s the magic sword!”

“Duck!”

Immediately, he drew the sword and swung it wide. A blinding shockwave erupted.

The shield-bearers were struck by frost and tumbled like they were swept away by a wave. The explosion caused by the magic sword was far more powerful than expected. The imperial shield formation, said to withstand even a beast horde, was turned white with frost and utterly devastated. Even Regilion, positioned at the rear, was caught in the explosion and fell.

Damian, with slow movements, grabbed and pulled out a shield-bearer lying nearby.

As the movement to take the hostage became apparent, Regilion’s heart grew urgent.

He couldn’t even fully rise to his feet before he directed his gaze to the rooftop of the adjacent building.

“Crossbowmen! Fire immediately!”

But the crossbows aimed from the rooftop did not fire a single shot. The crossbowmen were writhing as if something had happened to them.

“What are you doing!”

Regilion, in his urgency, snatched a crossbow from a soldier guarding the commander and aimed it at Damian. He pulled the trigger, but it was as stiff as a rock and wouldn’t budge.

It was only then that Regilion checked the state of the crossbow and was horrified.

Sssss-

Before his eyes, the crossbow was freezing over with white frost, spreading like mold.

Regilion threw the crossbow aside and looked around. The wizards were lying on the ground, engrossed in chanting spells, and the shield-bearers were barely holding their frozen bodies upright, confronting Damian. Regilion’s eyes turned to the spirit summoners in the rear. The spirit summoners were in a state of panic, holding their heads and doing nothing but staring blankly.

Damian began to ascend the steps to the entrance of the Guardian Assembly Hall, dragging the hostage by the neck.

Regilion, his heart racing, ran straight to the spirit summoner and grabbed him by the collar.

“Summon the spirits! Now!”

All the strategies they had prepared were thwarted, and there was no alternative to subduing Damian other than the spirits.

But the response was shocking.

“The spirits… the spirits are not responding. They are terrified. I don’t know why either….”

“What, what, what is this….”

Regilion’s face turned red with frustration as he shook the collar.

Meanwhile, the shield-bearers were closing in on Damian, pressing him.

“Surround him!”

They were close enough to reach him in five or six steps, but none dared to step forward towards Demian. The explosion had etched fear into their minds.

Even as they pressed in from three sides, Demian showed no signs of urgency. He grabbed the hostage by the neck and began to slowly ascend the stairs, one step at a time.

“Release the hostage immediately!”

Demian’s eyes did not waver in the slightest. He then, as if to show off, cut off the hostage’s arms with his sword. The arms rolled down the stairs lifelessly, causing the soldiers to gasp in horror.

Blood spurted like a fountain, flowing down the stairs. The knights’ boots were soaked in blood. The knight taken hostage twisted his body, screaming in agony.

Demian did not stop there. Each time the enemy took a step forward, he retreated. And then he began to dismember the hostage. After the arms, he cut off the feet, knees, and thighs in order, then stabbed the abdomen and twisted the sword viciously. He inflicted the worst pain possible in the fleeting moments the hostage was still alive. The ferocity broke the spirit of the veteran knights.

The hostage let out sounds that didn’t seem human, overwhelmed by pain. The sound was so loud that it made the listeners’ ears ring.

“Kiak! Kiaak! Kiaaak!”

“Everyone, get down!”

At that moment, five wizards who had finished their incantations rushed forward and extended their palms towards Demian. Flames burst from their palms, hitting Demian directly.

Fwooosh-

The flames from the wizards concentrated on one point, soon forming a massive fire tornado that shot up to the sky. The heat alone seemed enough to cook flesh, and the onslaught continued for nearly a minute without stopping.

Everyone watched the flames with tense eyes.

There was no sign of resistance or movement within the flames. Confirming it was over, the wizards dispelled their magic and slowly lowered their trembling arms. The blazing flames gradually subsided.

Regilion pushed aside the shield-bearers and approached the assembly hall building. On the stairs lay a single charred corpse with severed limbs, but there was no sign of Demian’s body. As always, he had vanished again.

“He’s gone, damn it! This is driving me crazy.”

Regilion shouted at the top of his lungs.

“He can’t have gone far, start searching immediately! Now!”

He yelled at the soldiers, but none dared to move. Only when Regilion shouted again did they slowly begin to move.

Regilion remembered the time when he had set out on the hatchling extermination expedition. The scales of the creature they had underestimated as a mere hatchling deflected all swords and arrows, and it indiscriminately spewed magic, devastating the extermination squad. Compared to that time, the current situation was no better.

*

Damian slipped into a narrow alleyway, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. He let the artifact touch his bare skin so it could absorb magic again. Then, he threw off his battle-damaged clothes and took out the new ones he had prepared in advance, changing into them.

“Chirp!”

Ppiakki sat gently on the clothes he had discarded, and soon, flames began to blaze on that spot. He had to leave as few traces as possible.

Soon, the sound of heavily armored soldiers moving beyond the alley grew closer.

Clang- Clang-

As Damian exited the alley, he dropped the magic sword, still in its sheath, into the sewer. Then, he put on the mask of the Masters Class.

His brown hair instantly turned a dark red. He hurriedly picked up an empty wine bottle that was rolling on the street. Leaning against one wall, he slumped down like a vagrant. Moments later, a group of knights came rushing around the corner, shouting in front of Damian.

“Search around the assembly hall! He couldn’t have gone far!”

“Move! Move!”

The imperial knights didn’t even glance at him. After they left, Damian stood up again. Then, he leisurely walked away in the opposite direction.

*

The Empire’s Supreme Commander, Balzatar, spread out all the urgent reports that had flown in from Claridium on the table for easy viewing.

There lay Damian’s skills, appearance, and various miscellaneous records.

Several unique records caught his interest. The relationship with the Principality of Yulicia, the magic sword, and peculiarities that couldn’t be seen in a boy of his age. Among them, the one that stood out the most was the brief record stating ‘the first disciple personally taken in by Silverine.’

“So this madman was that guy.”

Silverine had no one she was particularly attached to, to a pathological degree. She had no family, was wealthy, possessed both beauty and magical power, but was arrogant and violent, and had extremely few people she interacted with. Even those interactions were limited to official matters. She was like a dragon curled up in its lair.

The Empire had poured resources and manpower into recruiting Silverine for a long time but had achieved no significant results. Not only the Empire but all the countries on the continent had failed to recruit her. The lure of wealth and honor offered by the royal family had no effect.

The news that such Silverine had taken in a disciple caused a great stir in the Empire’s leadership and the magical community.

When rumors spread that the disciple had no talent for magic, they quickly died down, but the change in the great witch’s unpredictable mind was quite interesting to the ambitious.

The very existence of a disciple could be Silberen’s only weakness.

All kinds of powerful figures were eyeing Demian and waiting for an opportunity, but in the end, it was the Empire that got the first move. The Claridium incident gave them a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put shackles on Demian.

The commander-in-chief, as always, rested his hand on his temple and leaned on the armrest, lost in thought.

The operations officer standing in front of him could only swallow his saliva, crushed by the heavy atmosphere.

After a moment of silence, the commander-in-chief spoke.

“Dispatch the Imperial Execution Squad to Eternia. Seize the materials that will uncover Silberen and her disciple. Including all of her magical research materials.”

The operations officer’s eyes widened at the word “execution squad.” Entry to Eternia was only possible for a small number of troops after strict internal review. Moreover, seizing research materials could lead to significant conflict with Eternia.

“I doubt Eternia will accept this willingly.”

“There is a treaty, so they will have to accept it. We have complied with Eternia’s demands so far, now it’s their turn to respond to ours.”

He was referring to the extradition treaty between the Empire and Eternia. It was created because serious criminals operated across borders. So far, the Empire had transferred anyone who harmed Eternia, regardless of their status or origin. Now, the situation was reversed, and it was Eternia’s turn to comply with the Empire’s demands.

Demian’s crime was clear. The casualties were countless, and the evidence was solid. Silberen’s involvement was also suspected. Eternia, to which they belonged, could not escape responsibility.

“Since there is a possibility that the witch is involved, search her residence as well. There’s no need to ask for consent. It’s just returning what she always demanded. Bring back every single hair.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yes, Commander.”

He tapped the armrest with his fingers for a moment, then finally pointed to the floor with his finger.

“I want the madman of Claridium brought here. I don’t care if he has no limbs or if his flesh is melting. As long as he’s still breathing.”