Chapter 52: Formation Of A Three-Person Party

Chapter 52: Formation Of A Three-Person Party

Formation Of A Three-Person Party

About 10 minutes before a chase in broad daylight began.

Bennett was stealthily following the wizard through the crowd. From the way the woman in a suit clung to him with her arms crossed, she seemed to have a substantially close relationship with the wizard. Were they perhaps lovers?

No, it might even be a honey trap. A female agent sent by the Second Prince to seduce the wizard and cooperate with the purge plan. Based on the information so far, this hypothesis seemed the most plausible.

There was definitely supposed to be a Black Wizard who handled Dream Demons. If he could recruit him with a honey trap, then..

Right at that moment, the sound of a tap came from behind.

When Bennett turned around, there she was. The pursuer of that fateful night. It was a female student who had troubled Bennett with her nearly miracle-like tracking ability. He had definitely been wearing a hood that day to cover his face, though. How did she recognize him?

As Bennett heightened his guard to its very limits, she showed him a message written on the whiteboard she was carrying.

[Its a misunderstanding.]

.A misunderstanding?

Scratch scratch.

[One rainy night, I saw two people burying something in a pit. I heard a noise and thought it was a person. Thats why I chased after you. I have no connection to those two.]

Just in case Bennett darted away, Niolle quickly wrote down only the most key sentences to show him. If there was enough time, clearing up the misunderstanding would not be difficult.

Sowhat youre saying is that it wasnt a double-layered trap to track down the person who dug out the Demonic Sword, but a coincidence? You were justbeing nosy?

Nod nod. Niolle nodded vigorously as if to say that was exactly what she wanted to convey. While doing so, she wrote down her name. And then, pointed at herself with her thumbs pointed upwards.

[Niolle.]

Im Bennett.

[Alright, Bennett. Bennetts trying to stop the Second Princes evil plan, right? Please let me help.]

.

It was the opposite. Bennett wanted the Second Princes plan to proceed, causing the Academy to fall into chaos and fear. He hoped for a half-baked success that would cause irreversible damage to both sides.

[If its just me or you alone, then its not certain. But with two of us!]

Sparkle sparkle. Niolles eyes shone brightly with expectation.

Where did this misconception come from? Should he use this or deny it? Bennett averted his gaze, buying some time to organize his thoughts.

How did you know it was me, despite my face being covered?

[175 cm tall, around 70 kg in weight. The physique and the traces left by the footsteps were identical.]

.

So that was the reason he could be pursued despite the speed difference. She had monstrously keen eyes.

Deceptionseemed unlikely. Upon close reflection, there were clumsy aspects about Niolle that didnt fit with being a part of the Second Princes forces. Such as the occasional lapses despite her tracking abilities.

There had always been people willing to risk their lives for a cause or sense of justice. Niolle seemed to belong to such a category. Even if Bennett tried to dissuade her or stepped back, she would likely delve into the case on her own.

If it was just an incompetent female student, she might not be a problem. But she had eyes capable of tracking down even a trained escape artist. She could potentially become a variable.

If she were to obtain decisive clues about the Second Princes Plan.and convey them to the Third Princeit would be an instant Game Over. The Emperor had banned excessive disputes among the Imperial Descendants. Framing someone with a Demonic Sword was far too out of line.

The Emperor would act and the bomb that was supposed to upheave the Academy would be defused before it could even ignite.

However, what if there was interference in the middle? He could pretend to investigate the wizard with her, all while sneaking away clues or betraying her at the critical moment.

Unless he was going to kill off Niolle right here and now, this seemed like the best approach.

Thats right. I also wanted to prevent a bloodbath at the Academy. Im glad to have a companion in my endeavors.

!

Unaware of Bennetts true intentions, Niolle extended her hand with a bright smile. Bennett clicked his tongue inwardly as he shook hands with her. Niolle energetically shook their collapsed hands up and down.

[What is the plan?]

First, well track their movements and see where they frequent. By quietly following without attracting any atten

Bennetts gaze, which had been following the wizard, abruptly turned. Niolle, seeing this, also turned her head. There, a veritable black hole was walking, practically sucking in all gazes and attention.

The Saintess.

??

Since she was a freshman, Niolles mind was thrown into utter disarray by her first sighting of the Saintesss fashion. She looked at Bennett, asking with her gaze if it was correct to call that person a Saintess.

Thats right. You must have heard that the Saintess has enrolled at the Academy. That is her.

.

Even if you look at me like that, I dont have the answers to why she dresses like that either. Wait.Is the Saintess also chasing the wizard?

It was yet another variable. Bennett furrowed his brows at the variable pouring down like rain. Why was the Saintess chasing the wizard too? What on earth did he do.?

[Lets seek her cooperation!]

Wait!

Niolle boldly approached the Saintess. Bennett sighed deeply and followed her because he couldnt particularly find a reason to stop Niolle. Now, it was impossible to predict how this would all unfold.

However, as a Black Wizard, he had to make the best decision with what was given to him. That was what he resolved himself to do.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Lets think positively. By causing a clash between the Order and the Second Princes forces, couldnt he possibly create even greater chaos?

Light Smudging,Texture Disintegration.

The shape of the apples distorted, becoming smudged across a certain fixed range. The ground, teh stall, and even Bennetts skin appeared as a repeating pattern of shiny apple skins. It was dizzying.

Slice-!

Bennett clenched his eyes shut and emitted sword energy, slashing at the spot where the apples had been. The apples were bisected in mid-air.

As the center pivot of the magic was destroyed, the Illusion Magic disappeared.

The distance to the wizard had increased slightly. Bennett gritted his teeth. He could ignore magic that caused pain or illusions of monsters approaching.

But bizarre illusions that evaporated his sense of reality were difficult for even him to endure.

In what way are you viewing the world to use this kind of magic.?!

The wizard just responded with magic.

Repulsion Field,Approaching Wall.

The ground shook, causing the surface to undulate like waves before crashing over Bennett. That was an illusion. He was certain. But he had clearly heard the incantation for Repulsion Field.

A Repulsion Field hidden among the illusions was trying to push Bennett away. There was no time to see through the illusion. Bennett drew his longsword from his waist and speedily swung it dozens of times.

The remnants of mana intertwined, creating a net of sword strikes. Known as Sword Membrane, only those who had reached a certain realm in Mana Manipulation could perform this advanced technique.

The push force created by mana shattered, dispersing along with the illusion.

Thanks to breaking through with Sword Membrane, his speed had barely decreased. The distance to the wizard gradually closed. The wizard turned into a dark alley. As such, Bennett prepared himself to swing his sword at any moment.

The moment a wizard disappeared from view was the most critical to be wary of. After all, he could not possibly predict what magic might come flying his way.

As Bennett tensed and turned into the alley, the wizard stood there, stopped by a dead-end. The woman was nowhere to be seen. An ambush could possibly be conducted. He remained cautious of attacks that could come from behind.

Are you alone now?

The wizard, with his back turned, spoke serenely.

Why is it that youre chasing me? I have not done anythingyet.

The nerve to say that when youve hidden a Demonic Sword. What exactly is your purpose?

My purpose has always been the same. Has always been just one. To create a peaceful world where everyone can play with joy.

Im really, truly curious how you plan to do that by using a Demonic Sword.

Should he probe further? When he glanced at his surroundings, it seemed the Saintess and Niolle werent near. It seemed the right moment to reveal his true intentions. Bennett slowly took a deep breath and spoke.

I am different from the other two. If you give me a fair amount of money, I might cooper

Do you truly think that your beliefsare the correct answer?

What is that supposed to mean?

Challenged by the wizards words full of mystifying meaning, Bennetts voice hardened.

The wizard turned around, revealing black hair and eyes glowing ominously red. He looked like a young man, about the same age or younger than the Academy students.

The wizard spoke softly.

I just wish to tell a verysimple story. About how everything has its other side.

You truly do talk like a wizard. If youre trying to feign indifference, th

You will understand soon. Ill show you when the time comes. And in that moment, youll realize it too.

Whoosh.

Like a candle in the wind, the wizards figure vanished instantly. Bennett blinked. It wasnt a spell like Invisibility or Teleportation. Even when he concentrated and listened, even when he scattered mana around, there was nothing to detect.

Since when was it an illusion? From what point did it start?

Bennett admitted that he had lost track of the wizard and came out of the alley. It seemed Tara and Niolle had similarly failed to catch the wizard, as the former looked frustrated and the latter appeared bewildered.

The wizards enigmatic, indecipherable words stuck stubbornly in a corner of Bennetts mind.

===============================================================

The three formed a kind of team; it was a temporary alliance for the sake of investigating the wizard. Due to Bennetts assertion, they decided not to inform others about this incident until things became clearer. After all, spreading rumors could lead to unintended victims.

They had to be aware of the risk of backlash in a fight entangled with political motives. Saintess Tara and Niolle agreed.

They also put off informing the Third Prince about the situation. After all, he had not arrived at the Academy yet and it would be problematic if they were accused of trying to sow discord between him and the Second Prince.

If that was the case, where and how should they conduct their investigation in order to uncover the answers to their numerous questions and collect decisive evidence? In fact, Saintess Tara had an idea for that.

To catch an ogre, you have to enter the ogres den.

Saintess Tara pointed to a corner of the elective course list hanging prominently in the plaza of the student residential area. Among the elective courses, there was a particularly eye-catching name.

Otherworld Exploration/ Professor : Purple Magic Tower Wizard (Marked anonymously at the request of the individual in question)

It was a course name that was both intuitive and difficult to guess what kind of class it would be. Bennett furrowed his brows.

..Are you suggesting we take that course?

Yep.

[Wouldnt it be dangerous?]

Im the Saintess. Whatever tricks he tries to pull, he cant lay a hand on me easily.

The Saintess crossed her arms and squared her shoulders in pride. Despite her war of nerves with the Order, she was still the Saintess; the fact that she was a symbol that represented the Church of the Goddess would be a sturdy shield.

The three registered for Otherworld Exploration, completely unaware of exactly what experiences awaited them /genesisforsaken