Late at night when everyone was asleep, atop the Academy’s main building.
Under a pitch-black sky where not a speck of moonlight could be seen, Rudell overlooked the scenery of the Royal Road.
A whoosh of cold wind brushed by, causing his robe to flutter with a swish.
“Whooo…”
As he gazed at the view of the Royal Road for quite some time, a low sigh escaped from Rudell’s lips.
Although he had enrolled in the Academy, he had no great interest in studying or grades.
His only concern was to root out the Church of the Eaters of Death within the Academy.
“…”
It was no surprise that the Church had infiltrated the Academy.
If his suspicions were correct, the Church’s influence had already taken deep root in the Academy by this point.
Naturally, capturing all of them would not be as easy as it sounded.
“Umm…”
Last winter, if he could just eliminate them all like he did with the agents of the Church when they came to the Duchy, that would be great, but the situations then and now were too different.
Unlike those he could quietly deal with, the Church within the Academy already functioned as a masked force.
In such circumstances, rashly provoking them would certainly lead them to corner Rudell using the strength of their influence.
Even if he won the battle, it wouldn’t necessarily mean he would win the war.
Rudell himself felt the need to approach this matter cautiously.
“If I can’t go in, I’ll have to break it from the outside…”
Even to preserve the forces that would participate in the final battle in the future, the Church’s influence within the Academy needed to be maintained with minimal losses.
To achieve that, slowly weakening the Church’s power to land a decisive blow was the ideal approach.
The first thing he needed to do was to nibble away at the Church’s power within the Academy.
“…”
Even if the Church was deeply rooted within the Academy, they would have difficulty moving freely in a place under the Kingdom’s surveillance.
This meant that there were supporters outside the Academy, and that was exactly what Rudell should target.
“First, I guess I’ll handle that side.”
With his plan sorted out, Rudell cautiously pulled up his mask and turned his head.
And what caught his eye was a place that appeared to have significantly less light compared to other parts of the Royal Road…
The slum known as the back alley of the old Royal Road.
“Then… shall we begin.”
As Rudell sighed at the sight of the gaping hole-like slum, he seemed to dissolve into the shadows.
Moments later, only the whoosh of the wind remained where Rudell had been.
*
Back alley.
Despite its pitiful name, it was a place that had existed since the early days of the Kingdom’s founding.
When the Kingdom had just gained independence from the Empire, it had essentially served as the center of the Kingdom.
However, as the Kingdom began to develop, the center gradually moved to more advantageous outer regions, causing the back alley to start its path of decline.
The poor, fallen nobles, illegal immigrants, criminals…
All sorts of people began to gather for various purposes in the back alley, transforming it into a lawless zone where public authority’s influence diminished.
And that meant there was no place better than the back alley to handle something secretive.
…
In some dark corner of the back alley where not even a step ahead could be seen, a man was walking.
Covered in a hood and cloak, his detailed appearance was indistinguishable, but he moved through the winding alley like it was his living room, passing by numerous vagrants and beggars.
As he continued along the dark alley for a while…
Turning a corner, the man slowly came to a stop.
What blocked his path was a dead-end.
All he could see around were trash cans overflowing with garbage, old buildings with crumbling windows, the dim candlelight leaking from them, and rats scurrying about.
One might think he took a wrong turn, but the man’s eyes held no trace of confusion.
Instead, he cautiously began to survey the surroundings, as if this was indeed his destination.
After a while, confirming that no one was nearby, the man slowly approached a wall nearby.
It was an ordinary wall, but he squinted his eyes and carefully inspected it…
Before long, he noticed a brick that protruded slightly, barely visible unless closely examined.
Gently reaching out, the man’s fingers brushed against the brick, causing it to vibrate lightly with a clack.
Clack, clack, clack.
After a moment, accompanied by the sound of scraping stone, the wall began to sink inward, revealing a passage large enough for an adult man to enter.
A deep darkness echoed like an abyss, opening its gaping maw.
Without a hint of hesitation, the man moved into the passage.
Following the flickering light in the distance as his guiding star, he walked through the passage for a moment…
He reached the end and stopped.
What unfolded before his eyes was a small, dark space.
In this space, decorated like a small temple, there were several people dressed similarly to the man, and among them flickered an ominous black flame.
“You’re late…”
“The guards have been more active lately, it’s hard to move recklessly.”
He replied to them, who spoke with reproach, while making his way closer.
“Could it be the dogs of the false gods caught our scent?”
“Perhaps.”
Of course, it could be said that not much would change even if that were true.
This place was fundamentally a location where public authority’s reach barely extended.
Unless they caused a special incident, it was unlikely they would attract attention.
“Then let’s depend on each other this time too. The day to reap the fruits isn’t far off.”
With those words, one of the men handed a small pouch to the others.
The recipients of the pouch checked its contents, treating the items inside as precious treasures, placing them into their own pouches.
“Do not fear, for death is but another beginning for us. Eventually, we shall return to Him and become one.”
“Death is fair.”
Just as their ominous little prayer concluded, and they recited their final verse…
“Do not fear… such a fitting line.”
“Wh-who’s there!?”
With the voice of a still-young boy echoing from within the darkness, their faces froze in shock as they looked around.
However, no matter how they surveyed the area, all they could see were the shadows cast by the flickering flames.
Yet they understood.
Not only were they here, but someone else was as well.
And then. In that very moment…
Gah!?
“Wh-who are you!?”
The shadowy spikes that erupted from beneath them penetrated the body of one among them without warning.
Starting to spill red blood from a corpse that couldn’t even scream…
Gah!?
“Ah!?”
Gaaah!?
Following that, the shadowy spikes began to pierce their bodies one after another.
In an instant, without even the ability to resist, they collapsed to the ground as cold corpses, and the blood flowing from their bodies stained the floor.
Moments later, as their breaths faded, a boy emerged from the undulating shadows.
The green eyes shimmering beneath the hood cautiously began to survey the surroundings.
“Huuf…”
After a short sigh, Rudell lifted his hood and regarded the fallen figures.
The individuals he had just dealt with were merely a tiny fraction of the numerous minions.
Surely, there were many more lurking in the darkness, poised to engulf the Kingdom.
“Still… this is a good start.”
Muttering to himself, Rudell got to his feet and began to move.
As blood spread across the ground, making a splash beneath his feet, he bent down to pick up a pouch that lay abandoned.
As the blood oozed from the pouch with a drip, Rudell lightly shook it off and opened it to check the contents.
Inside were small beads glimmering with ominous light.
“Tsk…”
Seeing that, Rudell frowned and dropped the pouch, which slowly sank into his shadow.
That would be enough for today.
“Shall I head back?”
With that thought, Rudell snapped his fingers toward the air.
Simultaneously, tiny sparks that appeared from nowhere spread around him…
Fwoosh!!
As Rudell’s figure vanished into the shadows, the sparks burst into flames, beginning to engulf the surroundings.
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