After almost a day of traveling by train, Simon was used to looking out the train window while resting his chin on his hand.
Over time, the barren and boring brown expanse of land also began to change. Every now and then, the amount of greenery increased, trees and bushes grew abundantly.
"When people think of neutral areas, they think of wastelands or empty deserts!"
Seiwirr explained smugly, stroking his bangs.
"That's just a stereotype. In fact, there are many areas that have not experienced desert!"
Seiwirr explains that the closer you get to the center, the more desert you'll see. But the closer you get to the outskirts, the more forest you'll see.
In other words, Group 7 and Seiwirr were heading to the outskirts.
And during the almost day-long train journey, Simon had to listen to hundreds of Seiwirr's accomplishments.
Rick was captivated by Seiwirr's heroic tales and quickly became a loyal fan, and Meilyn tried her best to follow along so she could ensure good grades. Camibarez just nodded with a smile.
After some time…
"Here."
They had arrived at their destination. This place called 'Khelso' looked like half city and half forest.
The city seemed to be a center of innovation, its stone buildings clearly made by master masons. Simon was surprised at how much could be done with the exact same material.
But despite the development, the plants here seem to have found their way in. Leaves and roots poke through the tiles and bricks, and some large vines curl around the entire building.
The people living in this city seem to have given up on getting rid of the endlessly growing plants.
"Ughh, my butt feels flat!"
Rick grumbled as he got off the train. The rest of the group followed him, all in desperate need of a good stretch.
Everyone's bodies were stiff after being squeezed into such a small space.
"Now, agent, may I have your attention?"
Seiwirr caught everyone's attention and said in a serious tone,
"The Saint Candidate is in this city."
That one sentence was enough to immediately bring everyone back to the reality of their mission. The four of them nodded in understanding immediately.
"If we were a little late, there might already be a priest lurking in this city. But don't worry too much."
Seiwirr brushed his bangs back and showed his bright teeth in a smile.
"I, Seiwirr, will stop any light spell that may be directed at us!"
"You are very reliable, Agent Seiwirr!"
"You focus on exploring and finding the target. No matter what happens, you must not attack the priests or attack them first."
"Okay!"
"Then, let's start the mission."
Seiwirr took the lead, giving the entire group a thumbs up.
"This is a mission that puts the future of our Land of Darkness at stake!"
"Yeah!"
Rick cheered, throwing his hands in the air.
"…The future of our Land of Darkness, huh?"
Meilyn muttered.
Anyway, the mission began. Seiwirr leaned against the wall of a building and walked as silently as a mouse.
After positioning himself in the shade, he stuck his head out to check for anyone watching and motioned for them to follow him. The four of them followed him quickly.
Clang!
Back in an alley, near another wall, he slowly opened the lid of a trash can.
"Please be careful. There might be a trap set by the priest."
Meilyn looked stunned.
"In the trash?"
Seiwirr moves in an overly elaborate manner, picking up trash or discarded clothing on the ground and opening every cover he can.
Rick, who claims to be his eager assistant, does the same behind his back.
"I'll check the facts."
Sitting on her knees and picking up the moldy food with her fingertips, Meilyn said,
"Isn't securing the Saint candidate a priority? We shouldn't waste time on this nonsense. We should get straight to our destination and—"
"I found one."
When Seiwirr opened the lid of the trash can, there was indeed a pure white magic circle of light drawn on it.
"What? Actually? In the trash?"
As Meilyn approached in surprise, Seiwirr shouted,
"Be careful!"
Suddenly, a divine bullet shot out of the magic circle with an explosion.
"Wow!"
As he stumbled backwards, Seiwirr jumped in front of him like in an action movie, forming a defensive magic circle to block him.
"Please be careful."
Seiwirr said.
The god bullet did not dissipate when it hit the defensive magic circle, wriggling as if it were alive.
"It seems to be a light spell with ego. There may be a High Priest among the enemies."
Seiwirr opened his hands.
Let me seal it.
Sssshhhhhh!
A pitch-black jade arm shot out from the new magic circle he created, grabbing the raw divinity and dragging it into the magic circle. Then, it disappeared with a crack .
Agent Meilyn, are you okay?
He said while extending his hand to help Meilyn stand back up.
He nodded, took her hand and stood up.
"I-I'm sorry."
"It's okay, everyone can make mistakes. But please follow my instructions carefully in the future."
Seiwirr and Rick moved forward again. Camibarez and Simon approached Meilyn.
"Are you okay, Meilyn?"
"Ah, yes."
He laughed shyly.
"He seems like a great person…?"
"He was the one Kizen chose to be our mentor, so he has to be our mentor!"
As the two girls talked, Simon looked gloomy.
'I couldn't react at all.'
To be precise, he couldn't even feel the divinity flying past him before reacting.
'…I think my sense of divinity has increased with my class from Professor Farahann.'
Simon continued with a little self-doubt.
Meanwhile, Seiwirr was moving in circles.
He would turn down another alley, claiming to have found signs of a priest, or point to a passerby and say that the person might be a priest, and then take a longer detour.
Then, they find their destination. A house with a girl who is a strong candidate to become the next Saintess of Purification.
"From here, we have to break through from the front."
Seiwirr decided with the firmness of a commander about to go to war.
"The priests will definitely launch an attack. I will be in charge of offense and defense, so you guys keep your eyes on the target and move towards it. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"A powerful light spell might fly, so get as low as you can, cover your head, and run. Then…"
Run!
Seiwirr ran out of the alley.
* * *
* * *
"Run!"
Rick leads, followed by Meilyn, Camibarez, and Simon.
The streets were completely empty, and it was just a straight line leading to the girl's house.
"Hmm? What? Isn't this very easy?"
Once Rick decided to open his mouth…
Kabooooooooom!
The attack had indeed begun. A dazzling flash of light filled the sky, and projectiles made of divinity began to bombard the ground indiscriminately.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Gasp!"
The group members covered their heads and ran. Divine projectiles rained down one after another like shooting stars falling to the ground.
"Impossible!"
And then, Seiwirr began his counterattack. He suddenly appeared in front of them, his long sleeves flapping in the turbulent wind.
"I won't let you hurt my junior!"
Seiwirr's movements are truly extraordinary.
He appeared beside the frightened students running in panic, conjuring a pitch-black shield to block the god's shell. Then, less than a step later, he formed another magic circle that blew away a group of priests approaching from the alley with a mere wave of his hand.
"Keep running!"
The ground rose like a wall to block the divine bombardment.
However, the priests were not done yet. An 'Exorcism' formed in the sky, but with a wave of Seiwirr's hand, it shattered and scattered into nothingness.
"Woah, woah! This is crazy! I bet Agent Seiwirr is at least as strong as the professor in Kizen!"
Rick was so happy that the corners of his mouth were almost torn. Meilyn and Camibarez were just busy running with their heads down.
Simon, who ran back to check, blinked.
'This is clearly an extremely dangerous situation, so why am I not the least bit nervous?'
It got to the point where he wondered if he had lost his mind. He just observed the whole situation indifferently.
It looked like he was taking a walk around the neighborhood, not on a battlefield.
"Here!"
Rick ran in and pulled the doorknob.
"Locked!"
"Move aside, commoner!"
Meilyn activated a magic circle that formed on her palm, freezing part of the door. Then, she destroyed it with a kick.
The four of them immediately stormed into the house.
"I-It doesn't seem like there's anyone around?"
It was a very old and rundown house. The four of them scattered and searched, but the place was empty.
Then, they heard Seiwirr's voice through the window.
"Hahaha! Run, run! Run as fast as you can! I, the greatest necromancer in Vengeance, Seiwirr is here! Observe my prowess!"
He shouted the charade as he walked leisurely into the house.
Where is the target?
"I don't think he's here."
It took Seiwirr half a second to process what he said, but once he did, he looked genuinely confused for the first time since they met.
N-Not here? That's impossible.
Rick quickly said,
"He must have been kidnapped by the priests! There's no doubt about it! There were so many of them attacking earlier!"
"…"
But Seiwirr was lost in thought, seemingly too shocked to answer.
"Agent Seiwirr?"
"Ah, mm! It's nothing."
Seiwirr said, waking up from his stupor.
"I will chase after the escaped priests, so please ask the people nearby for information on where the girl went."
Meilyn took a step forward.
"Agent? Given the circumstances, it's clear he was kidnapped by the priests. Shouldn't we all go after them?"
"Of course n—! Ahem… I can chase after the Priests on my own, so please follow my instructions here."
Seiwirr then ran back out the door.
The four of them were left alone.
'Hmm.'
Simon glanced outside. Surprisingly, the city was peaceful after the fierce battle.
"Ughh, that doesn't make sense to me, but mentor's orders are absolute, so…"
Meilyn crossed her arms.
"Following what he said, let's split up and investigate."
"Okay! What was that girl's name?"
"Sasha."
The three of them split up to gather information.
"Simon?"
Camibarez, who was about to leave the house, looked back. Simon waved his hand with a smile.
"I will search this house further."
"Ah, okay!"
Camibarez leaves, and Simon casually investigates the house.
(Kuhehehehe! This is ridiculous!)
He heard Pier's voice in his head.
(Don't you have a feeling that this Seiwirr person is a clown?)
'I have a feeling, but I don't have any solid proof yet.'
There was something else on Simon's mind at the moment.
He recalled Seiwirr's face filled with panic and frustration when he heard the news of the girl's disappearance.
'Whatever it is, I think the mission we're on is real. Let's focus first.'
(Kuhehehehehehe! I guess we can save the fancy cake for later!)
For now, finding the future Saint is the top priority. Simon searches the house for clues.
'Leaves?'
There are lots of leaves, feathers, and branches inside the house. But that's indoors….
Simon also found some tattered clothes, a teddy bear with one eye missing… The house itself was old and could not withstand the wind.
He could get some information.
The girl who lives in this house is poor.
He lives alone without parents. But there are signs that other people are coming and going.
Looking around, Simon went into the house's storage room. The door is locked.
"Sir, counting on you."
Cut!
The tentacle blade destroyed the door, and Simon stepped inside.
"…!"
Simon's face turned pale.
(What's wrong, kid?)
Simon opened a sack that seemed to have been left in the corner. Syringes and strange bottles were visible inside.
'What really happened in this house?'
"Simon!"
At that moment, Camibarez's voice was heard.
When Simon came out into the living room, he pressed himself against the window and said,
"Come here for a moment! Meilyn has found an important clue!"