“Tsk....”
The female teacher, who had walked past Whitney toward the magic circle emanating an ominous aura, clicked her tongue with a twisted expression.
“To think a brat like him would stick his nose into our plans again.”
She muttered under her breath, biting her fingernails, her eyes already turning black once more.
‘I spent years hiding in the academy just to blend in... and now, of all tis...’
She was well aware that at the recently held Shadow Union eting, the black mages who had failed the engagent operation had all t grueso ends—except for a rare few.
That was why, having been ordered to find a reasonably talented student before the Prodigy Selection Tournant and turn them into a substitute for the saintess for the demon summoning, she had no choice but to make this plan succeed.
‘...Damn it, white mages are always such a nuisance.’
But the artifact provided by the Tower Lord—one that had been prearranged—and the upper-mid-tier monster she had forced into place for the plan had both been rendered powerless by Whitney in the blink of an eye.
Of course, now that his ability-sealing magic had been lifted, she could reactivate the monster. However, the problem was that the artifact, the plan’s very linchpin, had ended up in Whitney’s hands.
‘Should I try ambushing him to take the artifact back...?’
That thought briefly crossed her mind, but she quickly shook her head to dispel it.
‘No, that would be reckless.’
Pedro, the one who had led the engagent operation, had said that Whitney was the kind of man who could move freely and read his opponent’s every motion, even in the darkness that black mages so favored.
Even if she managed to retrieve the artifact from soone like that, she would still need to pour an enormous amount of black mana into it to activate it again.
And considering she had already imbued Adel’s pendant with a significant amount of black mana under the guise of a possession inspection, there were too many complications to pulling it off in front of a white mage.
‘Thankfully, the black mana leaking from the magic circle is masking my identity, so first I’ll erase the evidence and wait for another chance.’
With that thought, she made a rational decision and took a deep breath in front of the magic circle.
‘There’s still ti. If I can just get another opportunity....’
She silently reached out to erase the formula engraved into the circle.
“You’re trying to erase that?”
“...!?”
A whisper laced with laughter suddenly rang out beside her, and she froze in place.
“Wouldn’t it be less suspicious to just leave it alone?”
For so reason, Whitney, who had stepped out of the maze, was now standing beside her with a sly grin, as if he had laid Adel down sowhere and returned alone.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Well, you see...”
The female teacher, breaking into a cold sweat as she looked at him, feigned ignorance while forcing herself to stay calm. Whitney fell into a mont’s thought.
“Would you mind lending your ear for a second?”
“...Right now?”
“Just for a mont.”
He asked the absurd question with half-lidded eyes, and after a mont of consideration, she reluctantly leaned in—prepared to use black magic at any second.
“...For the Moonshadow.”
Then, as she leaned in, Whitney whispered into her ear with a wicked expression that sent shivers down her spine.
“T-That’s impossible.”
She blinked blankly for a mont, then abruptly stepped back in alarm, mumbling to herself.
“That—That can’t be. If that’s true, then why....”
“What do you an?”
“...Why would you interfere with us?”
Because the words Whitney had whispered were a code known only to black mages—created so they could identify one another.
“There’s no way soone who’s ruined our plans twice could be part of the Shadow Union...”
“Haha. If you just flip your perspective a little, it’s easy to understand.”
It was unthinkable for soone who wasn’t a black mage to know that code. Even if he’d sohow learned it, what were the odds he’d use it right now of all tis?
“...Have you never considered that all the recent events might be part of a much larger plan?”
Still doubtful, she stared at him, but Whitney continued in a calm tone.
“P-Prove it.”
“Proof?”
“Give proof that you’re one of us.”
If Whitney really was on the black mages’ side, there were countless ways to prove it.
The black mages were a secretive group, and had developed elaborate identification systems precisely because they were so wary of infiltrators.
“Hmm...”
“Ha, damn it. So it was a trick after all.”
But when Whitney said nothing and simply let out a quiet sigh, her gaze turned ice-cold. She quickly began channeling black mana into both her hands.
“I don’t know how you learned that code, but now that things have co to this, I can’t let you go.”
And then, suddenly, she turned her gaze to the Headless Knight, who had stood motionless this whole ti with his sword raised at her command.
“Being of the abyss and the dark, fulfill your duty to your contractor.”
She gave the order with a twisted smile.
“....”
“W-What...?”
But the Headless Knight remained still and silent.
“W-Why isn’t it moving...?”
Her face contorted in panic. She cleared her throat, preparing to give the order again.
“B-Being of the abyss and the...!”
“...Being of the abyss and the dark,”
Whitney, who had been silently watching, suddenly repeated her incantation in a calm voice.
“Fulfill your duty to .”
And the mont he finished—
Clank...
The Headless Knight slowly sheathed its sword and then dropped to one knee before Whitney, bowing its head.
“There’s no more definitive proof than this, is there?”
“...Seriously?”
The female teacher rubbed her eyes in disbelief, her expression dazed. At Whitney’s calm voice beside her, she finally managed to stamr out a question.
“Are you really... on our side?”
Whitney responded with his signature smiling eyes and gave a quiet nod.
‘Wait, that actually worked?’
Truth be told, he was just as stunned.
***
To be honest, even I didn’t see this coming.
‘I died in the Embergreen family’s garden before the ga even started in the original story, so there’s no way I would know about this.’
Low-level monsters were one thing, but even a clearly high-level one like that Headless Knight obeying my command?
If this got out, the Holy Order might hunt down with torches in hand.
‘...Once this is over, I really need to look into my abilities more seriously.’
But for now, what mattered was getting through this cursed situation.
“You—what’s your real identity, not your fake cover?”
“I—I’m Rebecca, from the Eastern Division of the Shadow Union.”
Putting on a light smile, I asked the dazed woman a question. She snapped back to attention and stamred out her rank and na.
“R-Right now I’m on an infiltration mission in the academy, so I’ve had very little contact with the Union...”
“Are you the only infiltrator inside the academy?”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“...T-There are a few more. But they’re all servants under my supervision.”
Having uncovered her identity and the movents of the black mages inside the academy so easily, I decided to push a little further.
“Alright then, listen carefully. Miss Rebecca.”
If I could plant a double agent inside the black mages’ ranks, everything ahead would beco so much easier.
“The incident where I approached Lady redia and beca her fiancé.”
“...?”
“The ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) failed engagent operation, and the plan to secretly smuggle out the saintess. Using that situation to deceive the Emperor and be praised as the Empire’s hero who drove off the black mages.”
As I recited the events I’d experienced, the black mage who’d introduced herself as Rebecca looked at , slightly confused.
“Up to and including the current situation where I’ve been appointed a judge for the Prodigy Selection Tournant.”
“...!”
“All of it is just part of my grand plan.”
But just as I finished speaking, her pupils suddenly dilated.
“Then... don’t tell ...”
Monts later, the words I’d been waiting for finally slipped from her lips.
“You’re... our Great—”
“Shh.”
I brought my index finger to her lips to silence her, then flicked my other hand with a soft whisper.
“Shouldn’t you have realized it the mont I started commanding the monsters?”
Right then, the low-tier monsters that had been lying in wait nearby began to crawl toward all at once, writhing grotesquely.
“Ah...”
The female teacher, who had been watching the eerily convincing performance with a dazed expression, suddenly threw her face to the ground in panic as the repulsive creatures began to rub themselves against my leg.
“I-I greet the Great Shadow!”
From the looks of it, the plan to make her mistake for the leader of the black mages had worked perfectly.
“B-But... what about the order I received to find a replacent for the saintess...?”
“Ahaha... that must’ve been a decision made independently by so of the executives.”
If that’s the case, the rest of this would go smoothly. Once soone’s deceived, it’s hard to undo the illusion.
“...I’ll personally bring the saintess to the tournant. So that won’t be necessary.”
“I-I see!”
“But Rebecca... do you know why I’m telling you all these confidential matters right now?”
And with just a little seasoning, such misconceptions could spread like wildfire.
“It’s because I plan to replace the soon-to-be-purged executives... with you.”
“A-Ah...”
“It’s ti to prioritize field agents like you over those pencil-pushers hiding in safe rooms.”
Sure enough, her body began to tremble as she whispered in a tearful voice.
“...I... I thought I’d rot away and be thrown out after this academy mission...”
In both my past and present life, even among black mages, the struggles of field agents were universally valid—it was kind of funny.
“I’ll... I’ll offer my life in loyalty!”
“Ha, good.”
“If you remove your shoes right now, I’ll kiss your feet and swear my oath—”
“No, that’s really not necessary.”
I hastily pulled her away as she tried to climb to my feet to perform a black mage-style vow, then crouched down in front of her and whispered quietly.
“There’s one thing I’d like you to do for .”
“A-Anything. I’ll definitely do it!”
Now that I’d conveniently gained a black mage pawn, it was ti to return the favor for all they’d done up to this point.
“Right now, I want you to attack with black magic.”
“...Huh?”
For example, spreading false information that Whitney had sustained critical injuries in the maze and couldn’t participate as a judge in the Prodigy Selection Tournant.
“It’d be nice if the wound looked pretty serious.”
“...?”
“Oh, but make sure it won’t be life-threatening. I need to stage it right.”
“...Ah! So that’s what this is!”
Man, this was starting to feel way too much like being the mastermind behind the scenes.
***
So ti later, outside the maze at the entrance to the exam site—
“Lady redia, you cannot.”
“...Move.”
Unlike the situation inside, which had been sowhat resolved, the outside was on the verge of an explosion.
“I’m sorry, Lady redia, but no ans no.”
“Are you not hearing what I’m saying?”
“I hear you perfectly. That’s why I’m stopping you.”
Lady redia, who had rushed over with the academy’s magic-specialized faculty after hearing what happened, was now clashing directly with the headmaster and the chairman of the board.
“You want to tear through the barrier by force? The maze has essentially turned into a dungeon. If we make the wrong move, the students inside could be put in danger.”
“You think I’m doing this because I don’t understand that?”
Having her words dismissed for the third ti, redia glared at the headmaster with a face full of murderous intent.
“What’s laughable is that you’re the ones who caused this ss, and now you’re claiming to care about the students’ safety.”
“...I won’t make excuses. We will take full responsibility.”
Still, the headmaster blocking her had his reasons.
“But the magic faculty is working together to dismantle the barrier. If we wait just a bit longer—”
“Didn’t you say that when I first arrived, too?”
“...Please, you know full well the side effects of forcibly destroying a dungeon’s barrier.”
At the headmaster’s desperate plea, nervously stroking his beard, redia’s expression twisted even more fiercely.
“If the circle inside was a normal one, I wouldn’t even be saying this. But we still don’t know what will happen if a black-magic-infested circle goes into overload—”
“My fiancé is a white mage. What are you so worried about?”
Unable to hold back, she snapped. The headmaster swallowed hard, then asked her in a trembling voice:
“...Are you doing this because you’re more concerned about your fiancé than the other students?”
redia stared silently at him, then clenched her trembling right hand with the other and opened her mouth.
“...Then let ask you this instead.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why should I be more worried about students I don’t even know... than my own fiancé?”
Had any gossip columnists been present, it could’ve easily made the next day’s headlines as a romantic quote of the year.
But the terrifying bloodlust she radiated as she spoke—along with the crimson glow beginning to erge in her jewel-like eyes—was enough to crush any such unholy thought.
“...Seems we’ve reached an impasse.”
“Indeed. So I’ll give you one last warning.”
Having failed to reconcile their differences, Lady redia issued a final ultimatum to the headmaster and the faculty.
“If you don’t move out of my way right now, I’ll—”
“...H-Headmaster! Lady redia!”
Fortunately, an assistant suddenly ca running from behind and cut her off.
“The maze is collapsing!”
At that news, redia imdiately stopped paying attention to the headmaster and dashed toward the test site.
“...Ah.”
A faint cry escaped her lips.
Rumble...
As the assistant had said, the maze before her eyes was crumbling without resistance.
Clatter...
After collapsing for a while, the maze turned to ruins. A single rock rolled to a stop at her feet from the aftermath.
“......”
redia stood frozen, her face growing pale—
“That damned maze... it’s such a relief to see it finally fall apart.”
At that mont, a familiar, shaless voice spoke beside her.
“It’s really good to see you again, Lady redia.”
Whitney, supported by the female teacher, was cradling a student in his arms in a princess carry, wearing his trademark sly smile.
“You really do have a knack for getting on people’s nerves.”
“Haha...”
“You can’t even handle a minor situation like that, and you think you’re qualified to be a judge—”
But as she glared coldly at the girl wrapped around Whitney’s waist, her eyes narrowed—and then her voice shifted.
“...What’s that?”
She noticed the torn fabric at his side and the darkened wound underneath. Her eyes widened.
“Oh, this....”
Whitney gave a faint, pale smile and began to explain—but then his body seed to waver.
“There was... a lot going on inside...”
“...!”
“...Ugh.”
He lost his balance and collapsed, groaning in redia’s arms.
“...The dic.”
Her trembling eyes fixated on him, redia touched his face with her shaking right hand and shouted, her voice filled with panic.
“Bring the dic!”
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