***
Beneath the cemetery of the Academy Territory.
The furthest place from the Academic Hall where the fresh cadets reside.
An underground resting place for the dead.
Inside the columbarium, which had become a labyrinth after repeated expansions, two shadows flickered.
"There was definitely an eyewitness account......"
A corridor where broken coffins gaped open in every niche, and a single magical lamp blinked coldly above those mouths.
The soldier holding a torch closely inspected the corridor and spoke to his companion.
"Did you search over there?"
"Is that so?"
The soldier with the torch tilted his head and examined the coffins.
The reason they visited the columbarium was due to an anonymous tip.
It was a report that a mourner who had visited the underground columbarium alone heard people talking there.
"Did a ghoul appear?"
"No. There are some broken coffins, but it looks like penniless mercenaries robbed them. The corpses inside are still there."
"Make a record of which coffins they are. We have to notify the bereaved families."
"Tsk tsk. Mercenaries. No matter how broke they are, why would they want to steal from here?"
The other soldier clicked his tongue as he looked at the coffin exposing the corpse.
Perhaps because the underground was stuffy, that soldier had his helmet tucked under his arm.
The soldier with the torch spoke to that soldier.
"It might not necessarily be mercenaries. There was an incident where Hero Department students robbed it because they were short on allowance."
"Hey, there are still way more grave robbing incidents by mercenaries than by Hero Department students."
"That is true."
The soldier with the torch nodded.
"Then let's handle that tip as a misunderstanding."
"After only searching this much?"
"Then what more should we do? Dig up the ground? Or open up the coffins?"
At the words of the soldier with the torch, the soldier with the helmet tucked under his arm fell into thought for a moment.
Open the coffin → The bereaved families are notified and we end up writing a written apology.
Dig the ground or wall → We end up writing a written apology about it later.
"......No, let's just go."
No matter how much they thought about it, going that far was beyond their authority.
The soldier put the helmet he had tucked under his arm on his head and turned towards the exit leading to the surface.
On their way out, the soldier with the torch spoke.
"By the way, doesn't it feel like a lot of black sorcerers are being arrested within the Academy Territory lately?"
"Ah, that? I heard it's because Black Magic Specialists have appeared."
"Special...... what? Is it like an expert?"
"Yeah."
The helmet-wearing soldier nodded.
"I heard that the students who learned from the professor of Black Magic Defense Arts started tracking black sorcerers since last year. They say the Hero Department students are going around uncovering black sorcerers that even the Security Bureau didn't notice."
"Well now. Does that mean we didn't know those cockroaches were right underfoot until now?"
"Right."
"That's creepy."
"Me too."
The two soldiers murmured to each other like that as they disappeared into the night mist.
And inside the columbarium where the soldiers had left.
Beyond the wall they had passed by.
One of the party members, who had been holding their breath, exhaled and spoke.
"Phew...... What a relief."
It was a sigh that finally burst out only after the torch, separated by a single wall, had moved completely far away.
If even one of the soldiers had any knowledge of earth magic, they might have grasped the unnatural pattern on the wall and noticed the existence of this secret space.
Such a thought crossed the minds of the people inside the room.
However, those present didn't bother bringing up that fact.
Instead, they were too busy barely managing to salvage what little pride they had left.
"......To think we're in this state because of a greenhorn who only holds chalk in a lecture hall."
The man with sore dark circles casting a shadow under his eyes spoke.
As he pushed his back off the wall he had leaned against, dark-blue mold stains spread over the bricks he had touched.
"If only the Elders hadn't stepped away......"
At the words of the man with the dark circles, the woman with red lips snorted.
"Are you still using that expression to show respect for those guys, honey? You have to acknowledge it now. The Elders used us as bait and ran away. You know it too, honey."
"......"
"Or, are you 'pretending' to respect them because you think you'll get out of here someday and be rewarded for your loyalty? Don't tell me you actually think those humans will truly appreciate your sacrifice and teach you more magic?"
"Watch your mouth, Rodeny. Insult The Revered Ones one more time and I will turn you into fertilizer."
"Hmm...... You really do think that way."
The woman with red lips called Rodeny took a step back.
"Otma is so scary, honey Baltazan."
And she clung to the Wolf Beastkin beside her.
However, the Wolf Beastkin's reaction was also incredibly cold.
"Get lost, Bat Woman. Your bloody gamey smell is too disgusting."
Sniff, went the Wolf Beastkin as he glared at her.
His head belonged to a wolf, but his left arm was as thick as a bear's.
At the cold reactions of the two, the woman with red lips turned her gaze to the last person.
"Looord Belgian. They're being too cold to me."
Belgian.
He was a Rank 2 black sorcerer who once operated in the capital of the Empire, and quite a famous mage even within the Round Table of Thirteen.
While an average mage could barely master one magic, Belgian had achieved an accomplishment in two fields, necromancy and plague magic, through self-study.
But now, due to a 'certain' incident, his fame was not what it used to be.
"Rodeny."
"Yes. Lord Belgian."
"Do not overstep your bounds, prostitute."
"......"
At Belgian's sharp rebuke, Rodeny's facial expression turned to the color of earth.
Immediately after, the woman's facial expression twisted.
"You, what did you just say?"
"I told you not to dare act so friendly when you have the lowest Rank here, prostitute."
"......"
A tendon popped out on the woman's forehead.
To the point that it could not be hidden by her thick makeup.
However, she could not dare to retort against Belgian.
The space where they were conversing right now was a cemetery.
For mages who are heavily influenced by their environment, there was no space more advantageous to Belgian than this place.
She also knew very well that the moment she bared her fangs even a little here, the corpses would rise in unison and sever her head from her torso.
Since it was an end she definitely wanted to avoid as a black sorcerer who prioritized her survival above all else, she gave a forced smile and agreed with Belgian's words.
Only after the four people in the room had a brief war of words like that did Belgian, the only Rank 2 in the room, speak.
"It seems the soundproof barrier was insufficient. I will reinforce the barrier a bit more, and from now on, we should pause our conversation for a moment if there are mourners."
"If only you had been on proper guard, a crisis like this wouldn't have even come."
The Wolf Beastkin mocked.
Before Belgian could get angry at this, there was someone who moved first.
"Baltazan. Observe the rule of the Round Table of Thirteen. Show proper respect to your superior."
"Hmph. Do I have to grant the status of a superior to a human who got hit by a divine power bullet and is practically no different from a Rank 1?"
"Even if his magic skill is Rank 1, his enlightenment has not disappeared."
"Otma, do you think this narrow-minded Belgian will teach you magic just because you flatter him like that?"
Otma looked at Belgian for a moment at those words.
But that was only for a moment.
He looked at the Wolf Beastkin again.
"Proper respect must follow a genius, and proper respect must follow someone who has achieved an accomplishment."
"Hmph. So you even grant treatment as a genius to a genius who has lost backing."
Belgian.
There was only one reason why he fell this far.
It was because of the silver bullet embedded in his body several years ago.
The removal of the silver bullet itself was a success.
However, the energy of the divine power that permeated from that silver bullet hindered him from constructing a runic formula.
As a result, his rapid growth had stopped, and it was a reality where he was ignored by Rank 1s despite being a Rank 2.
If there was any comfort, it was that the Round Table of Thirteen, dreaming of the resurrection of the Magic Tower of the 13th Month, still granted him status equivalent to a Rank 2.
When it came to the knowledge they pursued, combat power was a separate domain.
The Dark-circled Black Sorcerer Otma was also merely observing that rule thoroughly.
"Hmph."
Snorting at Otma's pointing out, the Wolf Beastkin shut his mouth again.
If it were the old days, he would have killed that Wolf Beastkin and turned him into an undead.
However, Belgian was barely clinging onto enough skill to do that right now.
He wouldn't lose, but it was obvious that Otma would attack him once he exhausted his stamina killing the Wolf Beastkin.
Because he knew Otma's true nature well, even though he pretended to respect him on the outside.
It was certain, considering he was a black sorcerer with a track record of dealing with his seniors multiple times already.
Belgian let out a deep sigh and suppressed his anger.
And he opened his mouth again.
"We must escape from this place somehow. To do so, we must wait for the time."
"Lord Belgian. Excuse me, but when is that time?"
"Right before the Academy's graduation exam."
When the graduation exam period arrives, the Hero Department students and professors become busy.
As that was the exact period when surveillance was the weakest, it was the best timing to escape in Belgian's eyes.
"When that time comes, the security checkpoint at the exit will also ease up a bit. We will escape the Academy then."
"Tsk. If only Marquis Barlot hadn't been released, there wouldn't have been a need for this."
At the Wolf Beastkin's muttering, Belgian's eyebrow twitched once more.
He wasn't provoked this time.
Instead, it was because he agreed with the Wolf Beastkin's words.
However, he didn't reveal this on the outside.
"Do not hold onto an obsession over past events. An opportunity will surely come someday."
Born as an illegitimate child, he had only waited for the day to take revenge on the nobles who abandoned him.
He endured that humiliation and held on for over ten years.
Could he not endure just a few more years?
"Humiliation is fleeting. To achieve a grand cause, one must be able to endure any insult......"
It was the moment Belgian was admonishing his party.
Knock, knock.
A light knocking sound was heard from the wall of the room they were in.
The party held their breath in unison at the sound.
Just in case, they also turned off the magical lamp that was faintly illuminating the room.
Knock, knock, knock.
At the continuous knocking sound, the Dark-circled Black Sorcerer gave a glance to Belgian.
Asking if he had perhaps made the wall thin.
Belgian realized the meaning and shook his head.
It wasn't a wall thin enough to be discovered just by sound.
Unless it was a person whose ears were abnormally developed, finding this hidden place was practically impossible......
It was the moment he thought that.
"Unnie. Only this wall sounds different."
"Okay."
Within the sensation transmitted through the ghoul placed in the coffin outside.
An ominous conversation was heard.
"It seems the tip was right."
"Senior Jenny. Please cast a buff before we enter."
"Well, it's a blessing, not a buff......"
Along with the sound of a sigh, an unusual energy was felt from beyond the wall.
Belgian immediately raised his magical power and spoke.
"Everyone. Prepare for com—"
But before he could even finish speaking,
Smash!
An axe flew into the room, smashing through the wall.
The flying axe dug into the shoulder of the Wolf Beastkin, who hadn't grasped the situation yet.
"Kuaaagh!!"
Beyond the broken wall.
Beyond the broken wall. Red eyes could be seen through the gap.
The owner of those eyes— Erika spoke.
"Ta-da! Sisters have appeared!"
"Unnie...... Please, it's embarrassing..."
"No, are you really going to use that for the party name, Junior? Seriously?"
Freya and Jenny's interjections followed sequentially.