Chapter 49: The Black Wizard, The Investigator, and The Saintess

Chapter 49: The Black Wizard, The Investigator, and The Saintess

The Black Wizard, The Investigator, and The Saintess

Niolle was frozen as she looked down into the pit. Judging by the condition of the soil, it seemed to have been dug up recently. After all, the blood smeared in the pit had not yet clotted. There had been someone here just moments ago.

Did the person in the pit miraculously regain consciousness and dig their way out from the inside? Or did someone dig the ground to rescue the person?

.

There were faint footsteps that remained.

Footsteps heading east, towards the student residential area. It hadnt rained today and the wind was calm. The trajectory of someone who had left this place in a hurry was clearly drawn. If Niolle decided to, she could chase after them.

There were many reasons not to go, though.

It wasnt like someone she knew was involved nor was it certain and above all, it was likely dangerous. As such, it wasnt something that had to be done or was necessary. A veritable mountain of reasons, indeed.

There was only one reason to follow. Because it seemed like someone was in danger.

It was meddling. She already knew what kind of end meddling in any affair brought, having seen it with her own two eyes. The Lestman Viscounty fell into ruins after extending undue kindness to others, after all.

So, lets stop meddling in suspicious incidents that occurred at night and leave it to someone else. Niolle repeated this to herself, thinking and trying to shake off any lingering regrets.

Step.

After taking a step, Niolle let out a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a babble. Her toes were pointing towards someones footsteps. A clear posture that indicated she would follow.

Aheuheu.

Right, where else could her parents blood possibly go? She would obviously live as she was born. As her parents daughter.

Born into a family poorer than city merchants, having never consumed a single elixir, she had not yet achieved Fill.

Though she had steadily learned the cultivation technique passed down by her household, she had not yet achieved Tuning.

However, it was different in the case of Breakthrough. When it came to sensing the flow, she prided herself on having eyes that were second to none. While blinking, she could see countless traces invisible to others, sharply clear.

The target was about 175cm tall, weighed around 70kg, and was right-handed.

The suspicious person in her imagination had fled, retracing their footsteps. Driven by her sense of justice, Niolle began her pursuit.

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While wrapped in a black hood, Bennett stopped running through the alleyways of the student residential area. And then, he laid down on the ground, pressing his ear to the surface.

Light footsteps. They were getting closer. The decision was precisely towards Bennett.

..Tracking?

Was it the presence he had felt when fleeing? He thought he had escaped by erasing his tracks, but it seemed he had been caught. Bennetts skills in fleeing, honed over many years as a Black Wizard, were top-notch. It would be impossible for someone with mediocre skills to find his trail.

Therefore, the one who had followed him was a skilled tracker.

Who could it be?

Did that wizard attach someone to monitor the sword? Or was it the wizard himself who had hidden the Demonic Sword? Perhaps it was another Black Wizard. But in any case, no matter the circumstance, shaking off the pursuit was the right thing to do. Expectations should always be pessimistic and the worst-case scenario should always be considered.

Wrapping his body in mana, he kicked off the ground. Bennetts body shot out like the wind. His plan was to first distance himself and hide.

To make tracking difficult, he jumped over walls of deserted roads, stepped on tree branches, and used Delayed Fall Magic to fly through the air for a moment. All while scattering his tracks as he moved. It was a masterclass of fleeing.

However, the pursuer was a step ahead. A league above skill-wise.

The pursuer was definitely slower. When he accelerated explosively, they couldnt keep up with Bennetts speed. Yet, after a short time, he could invariably hear the approaching footsteps again.

He was definitely faster. But if he was still being caught up to, it meant the pursuer was completely predicting and tracking Bennetts movements.

Tch..Are they watching from the sky or something?!

Looking up at the narrow sky blocked by the alleys, there were no familiars in sight. If he had spotted any suspicious bats flying around, he would have intercepted them long ago.

As Bennett tried to escape the pursuit, his movements suddenly stopped. He realized there was only one way left to run. A building of the Church of the Goddess was in front of him.

He quickly scanned the map of the vicinity in his mind. And then, he came to a conclusion. If he bypassed the building of the Church of the Goddess, he would be caught.

Was it a coincidence or was it the trackers strategy?

It seemed certain that the pursuer was on the side of the Purple Tower Wizardthat is, the faction hiding the Demonic Sword. Otherwise, there would be no reason to follow so secretly and persistently.

!!!

The pursuer, startled and flustered, took a step forward, reaching out her arm. Bennett grabbed a laundry rack placed on the balcony and threw it towards the pursuer, scattering the clothes to block the view.

Bennett jumped down from the balcony and ran off.

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Niolle reflexively knocked away the flying laundry rack and brushed off the fluttering panties from the air. And then, she stopped. It was a sudden brain freeze from the overflow of information.

What exactly did I just hear?

Niolle was dumbfounded. Before anything, fortunately, what was buried in the pit was not a person but a Demonic Sword. The suspicious person who had dug up the ground was not a murderer but a thief. It was a minor misunderstanding.

This incident was not about someone being buried alive and killed.

Rather, it was about a case where several people might burn to death due to collateral damage in the future.

Niolles expression was filled with worry and concern. She felt like crying a little. Sure, she was meddling. But wasnt it a bit too much to get involved in the ruthless competition between the Second and Third Princes because of just that? It was a matter that could easily vaporize the neck of a mere fallen noble.

But stillTo think of framing someone using a Demonic Sword..

After hearing the news of the Second Prince pacifying the underworld, she thought they were now looking after the Empires citizens even in those dark places. Now, it seemed not out of goodwill but perhaps to cultivate something akin to an assassination squad.

Huuuuh.

Lets calm down.

It was said that even if captured by a goblin tribe, one could survive if they kept their wits. Perhaps this too could pass without much incident. Once back, she would have to consult with Selv..

Whos out there?

!!!

A womans voice came from behind the thick curtains of the balcony door. Niolle glanced at the Demonic Sword on the ground, then at the sky, before bolting. The Church of the Goddess would take care of the Demonic Sword properly.

She ran away frantically. After running for a while, she sat down against the wall of the female dormitory building, catching her breath. It was only then did she realize.

.

Her right hand was still clutching the panties tightly. She had grabbed them when knocking away the laundry rack, and in the heat of the moment, she had forgotten to drop them.

Unfolding them revealed risqu underwear that could only be worn when tied to the sides.

She had become the Panty Thief of the Academy.!!

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Whats all this commotion in the middle of the night?

Startled awake by the clattering noise coming from beyond the balcony, Saintess Tara groggily furrowed her brows and opened the balcony door.

What in the world.

The Saintess blinked.

She rubbed her eyes, thinking she wasnt fully awake yet, but the shitfest remained exactly the same.

Deciding she should just outright wash her face, she went downstairs to the 1st floor, scooped a bucket of water from the well, splashed herself with cold water, wrung out her wet bangs, and even brewed and drank a cup of tea on a whim.

And then, she returned to the balcony.

The laundry rack was overturned, clothes finished washing were scattered on the ground, and for some reason. A long sword laid neatly placed. The sword had Seal Magic on it, so she tried releasing it.

-Are you my new Mas.

Artifact Seal of the Brilliant Three Rings

It was a Demonic Sword.

When examining the crime scene thoroughly, she noticed one piece of underwear was missing.

To summarize comprehensively, someone had sneaked into a church building belonging to the Church of the Goddess, knocked over the Saintesss laundry, and taken a pair of panties, leaving a Demonic Sword as a gift in exchange.

Seriously, what in the world is this?

She was so bewildered that she wasnt even /genesisforsaken