Escape (1)

Episode 8 Escape (1)
After packing the items I purchased today into my bag, I made my way back to Necropia’s dormitory.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Lloyd was standing in front of my room.
Before I could ask anything, he spoke first.
“I heard you were seen talking with Instructor Dave and some girl at a nearby store?”
“When did you see that?”
“I didn’t. Another cadet in town mentioned it.”
“…?”
That’s strange. While everyone in the Dark Empire knows of Lienna’s existence, not many know what she actually looks like—especially not cadets.
Meeting a girl around the same age shouldn’t have caused much of a stir. So why is it being talked about like this?
Noticing the confusion on my face, Lloyd looked a little awkward and averted his gaze.
“There’s a rumor going around that Instructor Dave set you up on a blind date with a relative.”
This is getting ridiculous.
“How did something like that even start?”
“Well, whether you’re a wizard or a dark mage, there’s no harm in networking with talented individuals. You know that.”
“It’s not totally incomprehensible, but…”
People my age are bound to be sensitive to this kind of gossip, but this feels blown way out of proportion.
“I heard that in the end, you got rejected after chatting for a bit, and the instructor followed her to cheer her up, then came back sulking over a drink.”
Yeah, right.
“Hah, who was the bastard who said that? I want to see his face.”
“It’s not true anyway, so what does it matter? You can’t blame the cadets—they have no idea what Lady Lienna looks like.”
“…You figured it out, didn’t you?”
“I’ve seen her a few times while staying at the Desmond estate.”
Well, no point hiding it then. He clearly knows.
It was more of a demand than a suggestion which is both sad and funny.
“Yeah. Baroness Lienna asked me to be her apprentice.”
“Ha! I figured as much. There’s no way someone like her would let a guy who’s reached the Triple-Class level at our age slip by.”
Lloyd laughed heartily and patted me on the shoulder.
“As a fellow member of one of the Four Great Houses, I congratulate you. She’s someone who can rein in your attitude while helping you master dark magic.”
This guy got thoroughly beaten by me just yesterday and still talks like this.
Even after returning in time, he’s just as diligent as ever.
“After the graduation ceremony, we probably won’t see each other much. I’m planning to apply to Sancternim Academy.”
“Won’t the Desmond family oppose that?”
“They’ll object, but I intend to push forward anyway. If I study at Sancternim and later win battles against powerful monsters and demons, I’ll raise my family’s honor even more.”
His pure dedication is honestly chilling.
No wonder he ended up entering Sancternim with me in the previous timeline.
As I passed Lloyd and opened my door, he added casually:
“See you at graduation tomorrow.”
Like hell you will.
I’m bailing tonight.
________________________________________
Later that night.
Clack. Clack.
As the sharp wind whistled through the window crack, I carefully packed my things.
Imperial coins, clothes, preserved food, and other daily necessities…
I wasn’t too worried about the load. The bag is a spatial bag, one that drastically reduces the weight and volume of its contents.
An expensive gift from the Bayonel family.
Didn’t expect I’d use it for running away.
I changed clothes and put on a pair of leather gloves.
Slide—
I slung the bag over my shoulder and opened the window, only for snowflakes to whip into the room.
The snow that started in the evening had thickened, blurring the view.
“Going this far is a bit…”
But I have no choice.
If I stay under that old hag Lienna’s watch, it’s only a matter of time before she discovers I bear the Stigma.
And if the existence of my Stigma is exposed, no one will care that I’m from one of the Four Great Houses—I’ll be branded a test subject and dissected in the Dark Empire’s labs.
“So, it’s Sancternim in the end.”
A place that belongs to neither the Holy Empire nor the Dark Empire.
Ruled by an outlier species, a Blue Dragon Hatchling, who serves as the Academy’s headmaster.
If there’s any place that’ll take me in now, it’s Sancternim.
“…Let’s go.”
With that, I kicked off from the windowsill.
________________________________________
Necropia is bordered on three sides by forest, save for the road leading to town.
With no clear paths and rough terrain, moving through the coniferous forest is the best way to stay out of sight.
…or so I thought.
{Where are you heading, Cadet Aaron?}
I hadn’t gone far into the woods when I heard Instructor Dave’s voice from above.
Startled, I looked up to see a small skeletal bat fluttering its wings as it watched me.
Bonrivet.
Instructor Dave’s voice came from Bonrivet’s mouth.
An undead familiar—one of Dave’s summons.
Through Bonrivet’s eyes, he saw me crossing the woods.
“I was just out for a walk.”
{You’re really using that excuse?}
“Jeez, then why bother asking?”
Caught in a forest this vast and empty. There’s only one explanation.
{Lady Lienna gave orders. She suspected you might try to escape tonight, so she told me to keep a close watch around Necropia.}
F***. That old hag would absolutely think of that.
As a dark mage contracted to a high-ranking demon, she’d be concerned about my mental state after making such a contract at a young age. That’s probably why she issued such an order.
Tch. What a pain.
{It’s not too late. Return now.}
“Screw off.”
{Has the demon already taken control of you? Get a grip!}
He seems to think my irritation is a sign I’ve been possessed.
{I don’t know what power the demon gave you, but a high-ranking one is far too much for you to handle. You could be under its influence without realizing it.}
It’s not a high-ranking demon, you idiot.
Looks like he thinks I’m running away because I don’t want to lose my demonic power.
If only you’d shut up and let me leave quietly.
{If you won’t change your mind, I have no choice.}
Crunch… Crunch…
The sound of footsteps on snow echoed all around me.
Dozens of them.
{I’ve already summoned undead across this entire forest.}
Grrr…
Snarls filled the air as shapes rose from the snow.
Glinting fangs. Dull, silver-gray hide. Tattered flesh and bone peeking through their skin.
“…Undead Wolves.”
More than ten I could see.
But Dave likely summoned several times that number.
AWOOOO!
Their unified howls filled the forest with a violet shimmer—a chilling wave that shivered through the trees.
The Curse of Delirium.
A type of dark magic curse cast only by Necropia’s instructors to prevent unauthorized forest intrusions.
Once the curse activates, it robs you of direction and traps you in a looping path.
{Since you’ve supposedly contracted a high-ranking demon, I figured this much preparation was necessary.}
Waver—
Suddenly dizzy, I pressed a hand to my forehead.
My vision swam.
{No matter what you do, you won’t escape this forest.}
Despite the powerful curse, the undead wolves prowled steadily, unaffected.
As expected from a veteran of the Argen Great Rift.
Even their movement patterns were unpredictable.
“Heh… Lienna really went this far to stop me?”
{She just wants to keep you from falling to demonic possession.}
“What a waste of concern.”
A really pointless one.
It’s not the demon. It’s the Stigma.
Well… Since you misunderstood me, I’ll make the most of it.
I stirred the mana condensed in my heart, refining it into a curse.
The target: my right arm.
Crack!
The contact of the curse made the glove on my right hand heat up.
Though hidden beneath the glove, divine power from the Stigma was already radiating out.
In less than a second, the heat traveled from my hand up to my head.
And with it, the dizziness vanished.
My vision sharpened.
‘Yup, Stigma’s effect confirmed.’
I came here despite knowing about the Curse of Delirium—because I could purify it.
Curses are purified with divine power.
Which means the curse barely affects me thanks to the Stigma.
Though I can’t fully use the Stigma yet, it’s enough to escape this place.
While maintaining the curse on my right arm, I spread it to both legs.
Crack!
{Cadet Aaron?}
“You underestimated me, Instructor Dave.”
Eight undead wolves snarled and lunged at me.
But I was already prepared.
“If you really wanted to stop me…”
I charged power into my transformed legs.
“…Lienna should’ve come herself.”
Bang!
With explosive speed, I burst out of the wolves’ encirclement and bolted.
________________________________________
Instructor Dave watched through Bonrivet, his expression darkening.
“He’s reinforcing that much of his body with mana?”
Aaron had wrapped mana around his right arm and both legs.
To manipulate that wide a range at a cadet level? Terrifying talent.
‘But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t escape this forest.’
Even if he tries to leave, the Curse of Delirium will trap him in loops.
Plus, over a hundred undead wolves are scattered through the forest.
Through Bonrivet, I’ve already commanded all of them to intercept him.
‘At this rate, the undead will capture him before I even get there.’
But just seconds later—
“…What?”
Dave’s brow furrowed.
As their summoner, he’s linked to all the undead wolves via mana.
Meaning he can track their locations—and condition.
Snap.
One wolf.
Crack!
Three.
Crack-crack-crack!
Five. Ten?
The connections were breaking fast—too fast.
Which only happens when a summon is completely destroyed by an attack.
But how?
‘He’s taking down undead this quickly?’
Undead aren’t easily killed.
And yet Aaron was cutting them down rapidly, maintaining a straight path forward.
Even though he was suffering from The Curse of Delirium.
‘He can still defeat the undead wolves this quickly and not even get lost?’
This is beyond what a cadet can accomplish.
Even with advanced dark magic, this is absurd without the help of—
‘What kind of demon did you contract with, Aaron…?’
Dave shivered slightly.
But then, something odd caught his eye.
Aaron wasn’t heading out of the forest.
He was going deeper in.
‘Why is he heading deeper…?’
He’s not searching for something, is he?
“…Don’t tell me.”
Realizing something, Dave clicked his tongue.
If his guess was right, Aaron had long since secured a mean of escape from Necropia.