With trembling eyes, Pascal turned his head to look at me.

"...Why... for God's sake, why!!!!"

"Nice to meet you."

"Why are you here!!!!"

"Hmm...?"

Why is he saying that?

It's not like he saw something he shouldn't have.

The reaction of a friend I hadn't seen in a long time was worse than expected, so I scratched my head with an awkward smile.

"Why do you dislike it so much? You should be happy to see me after such a long time."

"Are you following me..."

"...Pardon?"

"Did someone you know die because of me... are you following me for revenge!!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

His paranoia seemed worse than I thought, so I made an awkward expression and said, to correct his mistaken assumption.

"There's nothing to see but the bounty on your head."

"...!!!"

"I am not a person with as much free time as a mantis frolicking in the wild."

"..."

"You should keep your delusions in check..."

Pascal's fists clenched tightly.

"You son of a bitch...!!!!!!!"

Watching him run desperately, stomping on the floor, I smiled slightly and waited with my fists lightly clenched.

"Die..!!!!"

Hanna looked at me with surprised eyes.

Whether it was because he was moving faster than when he was fighting her, I gave a calm smile at Hanna's bewildered gaze.

No matter how much a mantis thrashes about.

-Crack...!!!!

It's just a mantis.

"Keok!!"

The mantis, which took the punch to its face, couldn't handle the shock and was thrown to the floor with a final scream.

"...I was mistaken?"

The mantis, with its fists clenched, let out a scream full of resentment and began to stand up, scratching the stone floor with its fingernails.

"The first meeting, I can let that slide, but..."

Even if its legs, which had gone limp, wouldn't listen.

"Even when you threw me back in prison..."

His anger had not cooled, so he continued to struggle and began to emit killing intent to kill me.

"And even when you threw me in again..!!!"

His killing intent surpassed that of an archbishop, but that was all. As I always say, a mantis is just a mantis.

"You're noisy."

Pascal, who had stood up with all his might, looked at the descending fist once again with empty eyes and was thrown powerlessly to the floor.

His muttering made my heart ache somewhere. I wondered if I had hit his head wrong.

"I... Heuk... I... Heuk..."

"Are you crying?"

"I am a pursuer of art..."

"Noisy..."

"Stop hitting him!!!"

He seems to be broken.

-Swoosh.

The archbishop who had been still begins to move.

I can feel the Archbishop of the Void, who was confronting Mikhail, approaching me with the 'Frost Spear,' which is called a holy relic.

"Stop..."

-Flinch.

"I think it would be better if you did."

With a calm smile, I did not look at the Archbishop of the Void and continued to speak in a low voice.

"I don't think seeing more blood is a very good choice."

"..."

"You may think you have to cut something with a sword you've drawn, but... wouldn't it be better than having your weapon taken and dying?"

The Archbishop of the Void, who heard my words, flinched the tip of his spear that was aimed at me and stopped moving.

He must know the gap between us.

I spoke honestly, without lies.

If you move now, I will take your weapon and kill you.

The archbishop, who heard the words of a typical plunderer, asked me in the trembling voice of prey.

"...Who are you."

"I am a butler. The one and only butler who serves the young lady of the Desmunt family."

"Just a mere butler... why do you possess such great power?"

"I must be lucky."

"Don't be ridiculous... your strength surpasses that of the commander of the imperial knights."

"I'm not that strong. Probably...?"

The Archbishop of the Void gritted his teeth and showed his hostility towards my playful words.

"Are you not afraid?"

He was threatening me, asking if I was not afraid of messing with the heretics.

An interesting question.

A question that he would not dare to ask if he considered the number of heretics I have killed so far.

"Am I not afraid?"

Afraid...

It's true that I'm afraid.

If I wasn't afraid, I wouldn't have hidden my identity and killed heretics.

They were not a group the size of a corner store, and confronting those with powerful strength was not something one could do with ordinary courage.

Still.

"Pfft..."

I didn't want to hear that from someone who had committed such a cute act against the empire, so I suppressed a hollow laugh at the archbishop's arrogant words and replied.

"Aren't you the one who should be afraid?"

I was sneering at him, saying that he was the one who had messed with a corner store.

"The academy belongs to the empire. It is a place of learning where outstanding students are taught and the future of the empire is nurtured."

"..."

"So what have you touched right now?"

"..."

"Did you think that since the empire has been quiet until now, it wouldn't move this time either?"

"..."

"You must have thought that since there is a spy in the empire, that spy would downplay the scale of the incident."

"There is no spy in the empire."

"It's useless to speak so meaningfully. The empire now is different from the empire of last year."

"..."

"The empire is now looking for delicious prey."

I looked at Theo, who was full of killing intent, and gave an awkward smile.

"Because the unstable emperor's heir has continued to make mistakes."

"..."

"A pathetic heir. Failure... failure, and repeating failure again, how can he save face?"

"..."

Theo's expression gradually darkens.

It was as if the shame of not being able to do anything in this attack and only taking care of himself was being conveyed as it was, and I felt like laughter was about to leak out.

'Ricardo....'

It was obvious what he was thinking, but.

"It is a time when both the crown prince and those who aim for the throne must show their firm power by targeting the deliciously ripe prey."

"..."

"A friendly policy? The human rights of heretics? It will be useless this time."

"..."

"Why has the empire left you alone until now? Is it because you have strong power? Or is it because they think they will suffer damage if they wage an all-out war?"

"..."

"The heretics are strong. Numerous archbishops and even an apostle with strength comparable to a sword master. It is clear that if both sides were to engage in an all-out war, they would suffer unimaginable damage."

"..."

"But will they stay quiet this time too?"

"..."

"They will counterattack."

I glanced at Theo, who was glaring at me with eyes full of killing intent, and shrugged.

"Probably."

I'm going to try one bad thing from now on. I wasn't going to use this method, but I've been hit so much that I felt I had to do something.

It's an inhumane method, and if I do this, my conscience will be pricked in many ways, but.

"From now on, I'm going to try something called torture."

I thought that sometimes a time comes when you have to do the things they fear. If a well-fed lion lets them off and they try to climb over it, that's crossing the line.

"With something like torture..."

I said with a wry smile.

"I know very well that they won't talk with something like torture."

"..."

"I'm just throwing them the bait."

I said to Pascal, who was trembling in fear.

"If a rumor spreads in the empire that a criminal full of victims was brutally killed, wouldn't it save face?"

"..."

"Sending him to prison seems too humane."

I drew Caliburn and held it to Pascal's neck and said.

"Since the heretics are carrying out inhumane massacres, shouldn't we sometimes treat them inhumanely to balance the scales?"

He's trembling.

A tremor began in the eyes of the Archbishop of the Void.

"Isn't that right, Mr. Mantis?"

-Plunge.

A scream is heard.

The 'demon sword Caliburn,' which pierced Pascal's wrist, destroying his black magic.

-Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!!

It was echoing mournfully here.

"You will never be able to use black magic again. By the time the pain you have experienced disappears, I will appear again."

"..."

"Whether it's a grave. Or a prison bestowed upon you by the empire's mercy."

"..."

"You will be able to see me again."

I thought I had let him off easy so far.

Pascal is not the only one with an unfortunate past.

"What kind of life have I lived...!!!"

I stepped on his other hand and said calmly.

"I don't want to understand. I don't want to listen to an ugly man's words either."

"..."

"You are a murderer. I am also a murderer, but you are a madman who has crossed the line far too much."

"..."

Whispering softly in the ear of the thrashing Pascal, I said in a gentle voice.

"Mercy ends here."

*

Time passed, and the moment the imperial army was leading Pascal and the Archbishop of the Void away to conclude the incident.

Shartia, who had pushed through the large crowd, let out a sigh of relief that she was saved and clenched her fists.

"What! If you were coming, you should have told me!!"

"..."

"Hahaha!"

I gave an awkward smile and smiled at Shartia.

"I knew you would do well. I was just passing by."

"...You really."

Shartia, who seemed to have a lot to say, smiled regretfully at the call of the imperial army and shook her head.

"Thanks to you, we were able to avoid a big problem."

"The spear..."

"I'll handle it well. If it's mishandled, it could turn into a diplomatic issue."

"Thank you."

I turned my head, erased my smile, and said in a low voice.

'Hans.'

-My god. I have answered your call.

I asked Hans, whose title seemed to have changed strangely.

'The cockatrice nest you mentioned back then. Do you know where it is?'

It was time for a counterattack.

"It's ready, Saint-nim."

-Step.

As I felt the wind of the waning summer, I let out a languid breath and looked at the island before me.

"Is that it?"

A remote island.

An island small enough to be called uninhabited.

"You said it's the territory of the Rubel viscounty."

"Yes, that is correct."

"Viscount Rubel..."

It's just like the novel.

"Interesting."

I thought I'd been quite patient until now.

Whenever the cultist problem arose, I had done what I could within my limits.

If I were to break the 'mold' out of unnecessary meddling, the responsibility would fall solely on me.

I had to consider the growth of the protagonists.

If I gave too much help and slowed the development of the main characters' prowess, the resulting backlash would be unimaginably large. So I could confidently say that I had dealt with the cultists while maintaining a certain degree of moderation.

But what about now?

"What should we do?"

Looking at the small island, I smiled faintly and asked Hans. About what to do with the cultists who continued their repeated invasions.

Incidents happen countless times.

Accordingly, many people are sacrificed, and countless others, who burn their lives for meaningless causes, end up becoming cultists themselves.

Just like the elf, who didn't appear in the original work, became an apostle. To be honest, not many things went according to plan.

I wasn't an omnipotent god, nor a magician capable of mass slaughter, so I was far from being able to solve everything overnight.

Hans, without a hint of hesitation, stated his considered answer.

"Mages try to avoid using magic they can't control."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, if it can't be controlled, it will inevitably create casualties in a real battle. They 'discard' weapons that could harm themselves or their allies, rather than bothering to use them."

"Discard..."

Right.

As I slowly got up from my heavy seat, Hans bowed his head and spoke.

"I will open the way with an initial bombardment."

"Bombardment..."

"I will fire a bombardment spell."

Bombardment.

A single attack could cause many casualties, but it didn't seem like a very good strategy since the enemies in the basement were unlikely to take much damage.

It seemed better to handle it with certainty.

"Bombardment is good, but that would increase the probability of you becoming a target, Hans-nim."

"I misspoke."

"No, it's not that. I'm moving with you this time, so I thought it would be better to go in together."

"Then I will cast a perception-dampening spell."

I waved my hand and said.

"No."

Because I didn't think it was necessary.

"Then..."

I answered Hans's question with a faint smile. That not needing a perception-dampening spell meant that I had no intention of leaving any witnesses.

"I don't plan on leaving a single one alive."

Gripping my sword, I calmly inhaled and moved forward.

"Shall we go then?"

The number of personnel for this raid is three.

"Everything is as God wills."

Me. Hans.

And.

"Moooooon...?"

Tang-tang-i.

*

At the same time, the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace was as precarious as walking on thin ice.

"Chancellor! Has His Majesty still not spoken? Immediately, those people—!"

It was impossible for the nobles to stand by and watch the incident that had occurred at the academy.

Angry gazes poured onto the lone Chancellor, but he remained silently with his lips sealed.

"Chancellor!!"

Finally, the Chancellor, who had been keeping his heavy silence, answered them in an unshaken voice. The Emperor had not yet made a decision.

"His Majesty the Emperor has not yet made a decision."

-Bang!!!

The enraged nobles' eyes glinted as they began to pour out their fear. They were afraid that the ever-expanding territory of the cultists would encroach upon their own lands.

Among them, Marquis Unir, who sided with the 2nd Prince, opened his mouth, his eyes burning.

"What do you intend to do about the academy incident! Won't the unstable atmosphere of the Empire return to normal only after we capture and throw in those who are carrying out indiscriminate massacres!"

"..."

"No matter how much the academy aims for a society run by the students themselves, the current problem cannot be taken lightly."

His own child.

His only grandson.

Many of his bloodline had gone there seeing only the name of a prestigious institution, so Marquis Unir, showing a pessimistic attitude towards the multiple terrorist attacks that had occurred in such a place, began to speak forcefully in order to show the strength of the 2nd Prince on this occasion.

"Such things did not happen when the 2nd Prince was at the academy!"

"..."

"From the moment the 2nd Prince left the academy, numerous incidents began to occur!"

"That's..."

"The incident at last year's ranking tournament! The fire that occurred when Lady Olivia was present, and even the prison atrocity!!"

"..."

"I believe this is not something we can just stand by and watch! For the sake of the Empire's dignity, the 2nd Prince must be reinstated to the academy to restore its honor!"

As Marquis Unir began to raise his voice as if he were about to grab the Chancellor by the collar, 'Marquis Wolfgang,' who had been listening quietly, began to reply in a calm voice.

"I believe the time is not yet right."

"...What did you say, Marquis?"

Wolfgang, who needed time for the Crown Prince to resolve the situation in the west and regain his authority, quickly racked his brain and began to talk about the state of the Empire.

"The Empire is currently engaged in an important matter. We must resolve the issues with the Holy Nation and the Kingdom of Balthazar, where the Empress resides. If we also have to worry about the cultists, the Empire's security will deteriorate."

"Ignoring the problem at our doorstep to cling to and resolve a matter that is 10 years old... I judge that to be an unwise course of action, Marquis."

"One must learn to look at the distant mountains, not just the nearby plains. It is not unheard of for incidents to occur while one is engrossed only in the matter at hand."

"Is that why the Marquis, who knows such things, ruined the situation in the west?"

"Marquis Unir!!!

The conflict with the nobles began to intensify.

The conflict between those who sided with the Crown Prince and those who sided with other royalty was just beginning to flare up.

The nobles, standing before a scale that was tipping to the point of being irretrievable if they made one wrong move, were busy spewing rhetoric to find a blind spot in power rather than thinking about solving the cultist problem.

-Tap.

In the midst of the fierce argument.

-Tap.

The sound of a desk being tapped began to reach their ears.

-Tadok...

The two annoyed nobles stopped their heated debate and, knitting their brows, looked towards the source of the sound.

Their position as Marquis was not one that could be pushed around by other nobles.

"How dare you, in this sacred meeting hall...!!"

Seeing the one who was nonchalantly tapping the desk, the noble shut his mouth and hardened his expression.

"Why do you stop what you were saying, loyal subjects of the Empire."

"..."

"Continue the conversation you were having."

"...N-no, it's nothing."

"Why do you stop talking when you were doing so well?"

"..."

"Marquis Unir, who said there would be no harm if the 2nd Prince were present, did you say that knowing he was expelled from the academy?"

"Th-that's."

"Marquis Wolfgang, have you even heard the testimony that the Crown Prince evacuated under the orders of Imperial Princess Shartia?"

"...I apologize."

The king of the nobles, showing no expression, tapped the desk as if bored and let out a dry sigh.

"Instead of saying that those who deserve a reward should be rewarded, are you wasting this time to argue about who is superior?"

"..."

"What could have happened in my absence that you can afford to waste time like this?"

"..."

"One of the students put their life on the line to stop the cultists' movements."

"..."

"The Imperial Princess, who should have been the first to evacuate, led the evacuation ahead of anyone else, and the healer, who should have been away from the front lines, was the first to rush forward to save people."

Darvav tapped the documents on his desk with his finger and said.

"Are you thoughtless, or are you blind?"

"..."

"There are 312 survivors. Including the academy students, there would be even more. Considering the two captured Archbishops and the remnants, it's a story that could be made into a heroic tale."

He lets out a sigh.

The desire to secure their own rice bowls was so blatantly obvious in these people, who he couldn't tell what filled their heads.

Of course.

He could say such things because his own rice bowl was the most secure.

"Why is there no mention of Histania?"

"..."

"And why is there no talk of torturing the captured cultists to extract information?"

"..."

"Truly."

-Tadok.

"Such loyal subjects."

Darvav let out a sneer and a laugh.

Wolfgang clenched his fists and lowered his head. It was shameful, but there was not a single thing wrong with his words.

Darvav smiled faintly and said.

"At this rate, it wouldn't be so bad if the 3rd Princess became king."

Declaring war on both factions.

*

-Bang!!!

At the same time, in the cultists' hideout.

They were pouring out their resentment over the ruined plan.

"Who in the world interfered with our plan!!!"

"...From what I heard about the capture, it seems self-destruction didn't work."

"...Who in the world!!!"

Gloomy words were exchanged.

They couldn't say anything in the face of the sacrifice of their comrades, who had returned in vain without achieving a single one of their goals.

-Saaaaaaaah...

It was then.

-It's an attack!!!!!

The moment a scream was heard from the upper floors, the surroundings began to be stained with blood.