Chapter 29: Dripping with Honey

Bisus, discharged from the infirmary, threw on his coat, said goodbye to Sofia, and stepped outside.

Jenice walked beside him.

“‘See you in swordsmanship class, Bisus,’” Jenice mimicked Sofia’s tone. “That girl’s eyes were practically dripping with honey. Smitten, huh?”

“Oh, come on, smitten? She’s just grateful I saved her.”

“…Hmph.”

Jenice snorted.

“Some friend went chasing a beast alone, making me worry and rush to find him, only to see him cozying up to a girl in the infirmary.”

“I said I’m sorry… I won’t go off alone like that again.”

“You always say that.”

They walked in silence for a moment.

“By the way…” Bisus broke the quiet.

“Yeah?”

“Are you interested in Sofia?”

“…What?”

Jenice turned to him, incredulous.

“No, I mean, you’re not usually like this, but you keep talking about her. If you’re interested, I could introduce you. I just made friends with her, but—ow!”

Jenice stomped hard on his foot.

“Hmph. Typical.”

She strode ahead, leaving Bisus behind.

“W-Wait, Jenice!”

Ugh, this clueless idiot.

Bisus sighed inwardly.

Talking about introducing a girl to someone cross dressing as a guy? He deserves that stomp.

Unaware that, if he didn’t know Jenice was a girl, he’d have acted the same way.

Nor did he realize Jenice’s reaction wasn’t just about her gender.

Boom

“…Hm?”

As he moved to catch up with Jenice, Bisus paused, sensing an odd energy.

“This feeling…”

He followed the strange aura, veering off the path into the bushes and a dark, wooded area.

It was late, and the dense trees were shrouded in darkness.

Rustle

Pushing through the undergrowth, Bisus halted at the sound of voices.

“Hey, you pig! I told you to be careful with this!”

“Ugh… sorry…”

Peeking through the bushes, Bisus saw two academy students carrying a moderately sized box.

One was a sharp-eyed, ill-tempered boy; the other, a slow, clumsy-looking one.

What’s going on here?

Two students transporting something in a secluded area late at night was far from normal.

More than that, the strange energy he’d sensed was emanating from the box.

As a member of the academy’s disciplinary team, Bisus stayed put.

Let’s see what’s happening.

“If we complete this delivery, we’ll be recognized as full-fledged members of the Demon King’s army. No more living as pathetic academy rejects!”

The Demon King’s army?

“Marbly… free…”

“Yeah, our lives are set now!”

“Marbly… happy…”

A year ago, the Demon King’s army, an otherworldly force, declared war on the continent, confirming the existence of the mythical demon realm and plunging the world into a state of emergency.

With ambitions to conquer the continent, they’d swiftly overrun a kingdom bordering their invasion point, displaying overwhelming might.

Some humans, enticed by their power, betrayed humanity to join them.

These traitors caused significant damage, and anyone who sided with the demons was branded a demon collaborator and executed on principle.

Demon collaborators? Here in the academy? This is bigger than I thought.

What he’d assumed was a minor student infraction now tensed him up.

Jenice is gonna chew me out again.

Rustle rustle

The two students moved slowly through the bushes, carrying the box.

Bisus, masking his presence, trailed them quietly.

“Phew… this is heavy. Let’s rest here.”

“Marbly… rest…”

They set the box down and collapsed onto the ground.

“This thing’s heavy.”

The sharp-eyed student wiped his sweat, glancing at the box.

“Our job’s just to deliver it, but… wanna take a peek at what’s inside?”

“Marbly… okay…”

Delivery? Are they smuggling something from the academy to the demons outside?

Lichten Academy’s grounds were protected by a special barrier created by past headmasters and maintained by the current headmaster, Archmage Beatrice.

Demons couldn’t infiltrate normally, so they resorted to using demonic energy to create beasts within.

The beast Bisus had fought earlier was likely one such creation.

“Let’s see…”

The students carefully opened the box.

“…A sword?”

“Sword…”

Over their shoulders, Bisus saw an old, worn sword inside.

“Thought it’d be some grand treasure since they told us to steal it from deep inside the academy’s archives… but it’s kinda shabby.”

The students couldn’t hide their disappointment.

Stolen from the academy archives?

The academy, a cradle for the continent’s heroes, housed countless guarded treasures.

This sword was likely one of them.

For the demons to manipulate students into stealing it, it must be significant.

If so, I can’t let them take it out of the academy.

As a disciplinary member, I won’t allow it.

Bisus crouched, preparing to subdue them and seize the item.

First, slam the left guy’s head down… alright, got it.

Watching for his moment, Bisus sprang from the bushes as the students’ attention wavered.

Thud

“What the—!”

He grabbed the sharp-eyed student’s head and slammed it down.

“Urk!”

The student collapsed, unconscious.

Bisus then lunged at the slower one.

“U-Uh!”

Despite his size, the student couldn’t stop Bisus, who darted behind and struck his neck.

Thump

Both students lay unconscious on the grass.

“Phew. That went smoothly.”

Jenice shouldn’t have much to complain about this time.

Tap tap

Brushing off his hands, Bisus turned to the sword.

The strange energy that had drawn him here was radiating from it.

“A sword the demons want? Some legendary holy blade?”

It looks too shabby for a holy sword.

Drawn by an inexplicable pull, Bisus reached for it.

As his hand neared the blade—

Boom

A grotesque sound accompanied a crushing pressure that pinned his body.

“What—!”

A small portal opened, and something pitch-black emerged.

“Hm?”

A demon! How’s one inside the academy?!

Its black skin and thick demonic aura marked it as a high-ranking demon.

Move, damn it!

The pressure paralyzed him.

“You’re… different. You’re not the one I contracted with.”

The demon scanned him.

“I see. I’ve been had. This is troublesome.”

Hum

A black orb formed in the demon’s hand.

Crack

The orb shattered, and simultaneously, the two unconscious students’ bodies crumpled like paper.

“Was going to dispose of them anyway, so no big loss.”

They vanished.

“Hm…”

The demon eyed Bisus.

“Just one, then. Makes things simple.”

Another orb of demonic energy formed.

“Die.”

The demon fired a magic projectile at him.

I’m dead!

Boom

Bisus barely rolled away, dodging it.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

Freed from the paralyzing pressure, he gasped for air.

Where he’d stood moments ago was now a massive crater from the projectile’s force.

“You dodged?”

More demonic energy gathered in the demon’s hand.

“You’d have died painlessly if you stayed put.”

I can’t win like this!

Calling for help was impossible, he’d be dead before anyone arrived.

His eyes fell on the old sword.

The demons went to such lengths planting collaborators, sneaking in a high-ranking demon to steal this from the academy. Maybe…!

“Die.”

Another projectile shot toward him.

“Guh!”

Bisus dove forward, his fingers brushing the sword.

Vrrrr

The blade trembled.

“No way!”

The demon’s shocked cry rang out as a blinding light engulfed everything.