Chapter: 495
A week ago. Lucy used her History Check skill to figure out the plans being executed by the Followers of the Void.
At that time, Lucy couldn’t exactly determine what was happening due to the interference of the Evil God.
However, she was able to discover where the events were taking place.
The fact that there were bizarre symbols inscribed in the History Check meant that the Evil God’s followers were rampaging in that very place.
If it’s possible to find out what was happening where, then it’s not hard to guess what was going on there.
Based on her speculations, Lucy formulated several plans, most of which were entrusted to others rather than herself.
Now, three individuals—Karl, Erin, and Lina—were given a task.
They were to destroy the golems that were being prepared for the Academy’s Dungeon.
“It’s strange. Why is there so little interference?”
Karl, running outside with Erin in his arms, expressed his doubts at the eerily quiet scene.
The Followers of the Void had set up a grand plan to seize the entire Academy. Yet, they were running out in the open without any disturbances.
Karl thought maybe they had set a trap up ahead to intercept them, expecting countless people to come rushing in to hinder their plans.
“Don’t worry. They’re only dealing with outside interference for now.”
Lina reassured him.
Having scattered small fog foxes here and there, she noticed the external forces, including the Followers of the Void and priests from the Jushin Church, fiercely competing to seize the growing hole in the barrier.
“As the Void’s power takes over the barrier, the followers’ strength is increasing, but the external forces are growing too. For now, we don’t need to worry about their interventions.”
The balance between them was gradually tilting towards the Followers of the Void.
Even if reinforcements came from the outside, the number of those who could actually fight remained small. There wasn’t any dramatic change.
On the other hand, those who lent their strength to the Void were steadily growing stronger over time, so it was only natural for the scales to tip.
“We just need to do our job properly.”
“Understood.”
As soon as the party stepped into the Dungeon Studies building, Lina frowned. It was filled with the Void’s energy.
While they could determine truth and lies by spreading smoke, it would take some time.
“Knight, please head right.”
“…Right?”
“Yes. That way feels less disgusting.”
Karl hesitated at Erin’s confident assertion, but not Lina. Knowing whose favor she had, she grinned and moved that way.
“Did Lucy predict this kind of situation?”
She had wondered why she had insisted on bringing her maid, but now she saw the reason.
“Lina?”
“You foolish knight. Follow the words of the girl you’re carrying. That’s also your master’s design.”
“…Understood. Lady Erin, please continue to guide us.”
“Yes!”
Erin’s direction was correct. She constantly found the right answers in a place where distinguishing truth from falsehood was impossible.
Just like Prete, who broke through the forest saturated with the Evil God’s power in the past.
When they reached their destination, they were met by several Followers of the Void and a swarm of golems behind them.
“Here to stop our plans?”
The leader of the Followers of the Void stood before the three and smiled.
“If you were going to stop us, you should have come sooner. It’s already too late now. Trash.”
No sooner had he spoken than the power of the Void infused the golems. What had been mere metallic forms began to grow human skin one by one.
The power of the Void was granting them human forms.
As Karl watched the despairing scene, he put Erin down and drew his sword from his waist.
His pure white aura stained the surrounding darkness.
“Lina, please take care of Erin.”
“Don’t worry. If anything happens to her, Lucy won’t acknowledge me anymore.”
“Haha. I think it’ll be worse than that.”
Seeing the laid-back conversation between them, the Leader of the Followers of the Void scowled.
“Have you lost your mind? Can’t you see what stands before you?”
“Don’t worry, I can see it. I have eyes, you know.”
“But…”
“I simply didn’t feel the need to be tense.”
As Karl chuckled lightly, the Leader of the Followers of the Void gritted his teeth and commanded the golems to eliminate the obstruction in front of them.
The golems, eroded by the Evil God’s power, obeyed without a moment’s hesitation.
They charged forward, even if it meant sacrificing their lives to remove the obstruction.
However, their charge yielded no real results.
Before they could even touch the obstruction, the blade swung by the obstruction cut the golems in half.
“Pathetically weak.”
As Karl’s amused laughter grew deeper, cold sweat trickled down the backs of the Followers of the Void.
Even though he was evaluated as a promising candidate in Allen’s Knights and possessed such talent, he had been diligent in doing his utmost to protect his lady and stand by her side, letting his Single Strike shine.
*
Phew. Thank goodness. Looks like Karl arrived on time. I was nervously wondering if some variable occurred since Luca was so full of himself, but it turned out he was just late.
“Hey♡ Hey♡ Hurry up and talk more♡”
“…”
“Didn’t you say the golems would kill people?♡ But those flimsy golems are getting wrecked?♡”
Hiding my anxiety behind a forced grin, I laughed at the bewildered faces of those around me.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t catch onto your sloppy plans?♡ Hahaha♡ You’re severely lacking in reality♡ So damn pathetic♡”
Sharp gazes from Luca and the Followers of the Void pierced me, but I confidently puffed my chest.
It wasn’t that I was confident enough to overwhelm all of them.
Rather, it was the opposite.
I was flaunting bravado, thinking they wouldn’t charge in as long as it seemed like something was waiting behind.
“Turns out the bugs crawling on the ground for months were just bugs, huh?♡ Like puppets dancing in a girl’s palm♡”
While most of my plans were coming to fruition, that didn’t mean the situation was entirely good.
The problem was Arthur. That perverted idiot, now a sleeping underground prince, hadn’t woken up, causing the very foundation of my plans to unravel.
“Why the grim face?♡ You should be thrilled to be crawling in the palm of a cute girl like me♡”
Damn it. I figured I’d keep dragging things out for as long as possible, but he still hadn’t woken up.
If he remained in sleep until the magic circle was completely taken over, the situation would get messy.
I’d need to intervene myself!
“Ah~♡ Are you disappointed you can’t crawl up my arm?♡ Hehehe♡ You damn filthy perverts♡”
If I did that, even if everything turned out okay, it would still follow Luca’s intent.
I had to see him smiling brightly as he ascended to divinity!
In fact, this was a relatively fortunate case. In the worst-case scenario, there could be a lot of bloodshed. My negligence could end up costing lives.
“Want me to show you?♡ Want to climb up with your gaze?♡”
I needed to drag things out longer. As long as Arthur remained asleep, I had to stall for time.
“You seem to want to buy time, Lady Allen.”
Luca interrupted my provocation with his voice.
“Something doesn’t seem to be going well for you?”
“It’s you who’s not going well,♡ isn’t it?♡ You’re so useless your plans are falling apart!♡”
“Ah, I admit that.”
A smile crept onto the face of Luca, who had been scowling just a moment ago.
“Yes, it’s true that the many things I prepared aren’t progressing as I had hoped.”
His tone was laced with confidence.
“You’re a much more remarkable person than I had thought.”
…Why the sudden change?
Why is he suddenly so willing to admit it?
Could it be?
“However, even so, the foundation of this plan is still progressing properly, isn’t it?”
As Luca raised his lips into a smile, darkness descended upon the corridor.
It wasn’t the darkness conjured by Adri, but the darkness created by the Evil God’s power.
*
“Sword Saint! Clear a path for us! And Phoebe…!”
Yuden admired as Joy provided strength with her voice.
Wow, Lady Partlan’s command is pretty impressive.
What kind of education does the Ducal Family provide that a child who isn’t even an adult can command like that?
Back when I was that age, I could only charge like a beast.
Having worked with many people, Yuden found Joy’s command to be polished.
As a result, the three of them swiftly reached their goal despite the relentless interference from the Followers of the Void.
The place where the Great Wizard Erginius left behind the magic circle.
It was a location densely populated with Evil God’s followers, where the power of the Void was most potent.
And the central figure of all these plans.
The Apostle of the Void was in the chamber.
“It’s been a while, Sword Saint. How many years has it been since we last met?”
“Don’t act like you know me, you trash.”
A few years ago, Yuden had encountered a foe he almost missed during the Evil God eradication and openly showed his displeasure.
“Aha. But we do have a connection.”
“Shut it. You’re doomed anyway—what connection could we have?”
“No. Sword Saint, we will have a connection. The Saintess behind you as well as the young lady of the Partlan family will also have one. Our bond will stretch over long ages.”
A smile shone through the robe worn by the Apostle of the Void.
“The Void God will make it so.”
The magic circle existing behind him had already turned pitch black.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.