"Now... what should I do?"

After bidding farewell to Cid, who went to escort Sherry, I surveyed the room. Every corner was stained with blood, looking like a complete crime scene.

There was one reason I stayed here—to evacuate Glen and Marco, who had received last-minute treatment just in time.

"Nu, are you here?"

"Yes, I'm here."

As I called out to the empty space, a woman jumped in through the window that Cid and I had entered. She had her brown hair tied up in a bun and wore glasses, giving her the appearance of a quiet schoolgirl. However, her true identity was a new force in Shadow Garden, a reliable ally.

"Did you call for me, Takumi (Light)-sama?"

"Yeah, I have a small favor to ask. Is that alright?"

"Of course. That's why I've been waiting."

New lightly smiled at my words. She's a beautiful woman. No one would ever think she excels at torture.

"I want to move the two people lying there outside. Can you help me?"

"...Understood."

"Huh? What's wrong? Do you know them?"

As New looked at Glen and Marco, her expression tightened. If I asked if they knew each other, it seemed my guess was correct.

"...Marco Granger. He was my fiancé."

"Huh, really?"

"Yes. It was before I became 'possessed by a demon.'"

Oops, I called the wrong person. I unintentionally provoked Laura by mentioning it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Oh, please raise your head! There's no need for Takumi (Light)-sama to apologize!"

"Ask someone else. New, just keep waiting."

"No, please let me help. That's the role assigned to me right now, and it's the reason I'm alive."

My kids are still so serious. I have no intention of denying their way of being or trying to correct it, but I'm still not used to it. It just reminds me that the Church is a piece of shit.

"Alright, I understand. I'm counting on you."

"Yes! Leave it to me!"

I hesitated about having Marco carried, but it would also be difficult to ask someone to carry Glen. I didn't consider New enough, but she ended up taking care of Marco, who was the lighter one.

Since it would be difficult to move at high speed while carrying a big man, I unleashed more magical power than necessary to counterbalance the amount absorbed. It boosted my physical strength, and I carried Glen.

"...There's no sign of enemies."

"Yes, no problem."

Having eliminated several black-clad individuals from behind during the journey, we reached the vicinity of the gate without being detected by the enemy. From outside, I could hear many voices. It seemed Princess Alexia had called the knights properly.

"New, I'm counting on you."

"Yes."

As explained during the journey, New took action. She channeled magic through the stone to her face. Just like torture, this was New's area of expertise—'disguise.'

"I-I'm sorry. Takumi (Light)-sama. It seems... it's falling apart after all."

Apparently, due to magical interference, New couldn't control the stone properly. The shape of her face was unstable, almost returning to a liquid state. Creating a face requires delicate work, and it seems a considerable amount of magical power is required.

"I'm sorry, New. Let me touch it for a moment."

"Huh? T-Takumi (Light)-sama...!"

I know it's unpleasant to have someone touch your face, but please bear with it for a little while. I placed my hand on the stone attached to New's face and injected a slightly excessive amount of magic. With this much magical power, even if it's absorbed, it should be able to maintain the form for a few minutes.

There was no magical interference when I was with Princess Alexia. That means the effect is limited to the school grounds. After leaving the gate, it's just a matter of minutes.

"This should be enough... New?"

"Ah, no, thank you... Takumi (Light)-sama..."

"Good, you've become my... face... quite well. Impressive."

I had New disguise herself as me. This way, she would be protected by the Crimson Knights as my substitute. I changed her into men's clothing and adjusted her physique using the stone to match mine. Now everything is ready.

"I'll leave Marco to you. Once you're outside, you don't need to speak. Just pretend to collapse and deceive them."

Even with the disguise, New couldn't change her voice. If she collapsed, they would likely think she had exhausted her strength to save Glen and Marco.

"Understood. Leave it to me."

"I trust you. Let's go... Hnng."

Clearing my throat, I shouted towards the employer who would be outside.

"──Princess Iris! Can you hear me?"

My voice, strained as if squeezing it out, barely reached beyond the gate. Since I started working with Cid, I've developed some acting skills. I'm not as good as that idiot, though.

"That voice is Takumi-kun! Are you safe?"

"Glen and Marco, who are with me, are in critical condition! I will use the remaining strength to throw Glen towards you! Please gather people and catch him!!"

"I understand! Anytime, go ahead!!"

"Here I go!! ...Oraa!!"

As I declared, I threw Glen over the gate at a height that could be crossed. It's not the treatment you'd give to someone on the brink of death, but it's an emergency situation, so I hope they'll forgive me.

"I caught him!"

Alright, it worked. It seems like everything went well.

"New, I'm counting on you from now on."

"Understood. Takumi (Light)-sama."

I'm grateful that New is here. Since Princess Alexia witnessed my entry into the academy, we need to take this precaution to act together with Cid.

"Princess Iris! I will also bring Marco with me!"

"I understand! We have preparations for treatment!"

"...Go."

Nodding at my quiet voice, New carried Marco and jumped onto the top of the gate. We successfully escaped from the academy.

"Takumi-kun! I'm glad you're safe... Takumi-kun? Bring Glen and Marco to the infirmary! Takumi-kun, your consciousness isn't stable either! Hurry!!"

(Alright, as planned. I'm sorry, New. Take your time and rest now.)

My heart pounding, I pressed my ear against the wall, but it seemed the plan went smoothly. Now I am a free man. As long as my face is not seen, I won't be recognized as "Takumi Gavin" no matter where I am or what I do. Even if I become "Takumi (Light)," it won't be a problem.

(Now, should I go back?)

Having successfully released the constraints that held me, I returned to the academy, forcefully detecting Cid's magic.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

"...That was quite a spectacle, Cid."

"Oh, Takumi. Welcome back~"

Having dealt with the members of the "Cult" while tracking Cid's magic, I ended up in the Vice Principal's room. If I remember correctly, the Vice Principal should be Ruslan Burnet, Sherry's father.

Seeing Cid slumped on the couch in a state of exhaustion, I couldn't help but express my disbelief as I approached him.

"What's with those guys outside? Are they some sort of teru teru bozu?"

I mean, we were both dealing with the members of the "Cult," but hanging corpses is a bit much. It was the first time I've seen teru teru bozu look so terrifying.

"Sherry was completely defenseless. It was tough guarding her."

"You've worked hard. You've gone through quite a hassle."

"It's fine. It seems she's definitely the main character this time. The only problem is that there's no partner character. Sherry alone can't handle it."

Well, there's no such thing as that.

As I sighed at Cid, who was as carefree as ever, a small, cute scream came from the floor.

"Eh! W-Who is it...?"

Showing a frightened expression, Sherry had been engrossed in a thick book. It seemed she hadn't even noticed that I had entered the room, let alone heard the conversation between Cid and me.

I see, it's going to be difficult to guard her. I hope she didn't wear those annoying sticky slippers at her feet and run away.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Takumi Gavin, a member of the Crimson Knights. I have taken over as Sherry's guard."

"Ah... But I just..."

"Don't worry. Glen and Marco are alive. From now on, I will protect you in their place."

At times like this, it's troublesome not to have met face to face. I hadn't joined the guild when I asked Sherry to analyze the magic artifact.

"Um, Cid-kun..."

"It's alright. Takumi is also my best friend."

"Ah, I see! Nice to meet you! Please be my friend too!"

"Well, I said best friend... Well, being friends is fine."

"Yay! I did it! Cid-kun! I made another friend!"

"Yeah, that's right. I'm glad."

What's with this atmosphere? It's so relaxed. I guess birds of a feather flock together. Sherry seems to be quite eccentric as well. She's somewhat similar to me in the sense that our pace gets disrupted.

"So, what are you doing now?"

"R-Right! Currently, a certain artifact's effect is activated throughout the academy."

"You mean it's about the magic interference?"

"Yes, exactly."

Truly, she's said to have the best intellect in the country. Even though she seems absent-minded, she seems to be doing what she needs to do.

"The name of the artifact in use is... 'Greed's Eye.'"

"I've never heard of it."

"Me neither."

Well, there's no way we would know.

"'Greed's Eye' can absorb magic from magic knights and magical entities within its range, temporarily storing it."

"I see. So, I wasn't mistaken in sensing that I was being absorbed."

"But those guys in black were still using magic, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

I didn't pay much attention to it because I killed them before they could use magic, but now that I think about it, it's strange. They were within the range of the artifact, after all.

"It can also imprint the wavelength of the magic it doesn't want to absorb into the user's memory. Otherwise, it would absorb the user's own magic as well."

"I see, I get it."

Concise and easy to understand explanation. She has a cute face and voice, too. If Sherry were to open a cram school or something, she would likely become popular.

"It's interesting, huh? So, it absorbs any magic that it hasn't been taught?"

"I'm not sure... I don't think it can absorb extremely subtle magic that can't be detected or overwhelmingly powerful magic that exceeds its capacity. Well, normal humans can't use that kind of magic anyway."

"Yeah... Takumi."

"...That's right, Cid."

If I leave it to Cid, not just "Greed's Eye," but the entire academy will be blown away, so if it comes to that, I'll have to explode it. No, but if I explode it, wouldn't that be dangerous too? I don't know.

"The troublesome thing about 'Greed's Eye' is that once it accumulates magic, it releases it all at once. Like a bomb, once it's released, this academy will disappear without a trace."

Yeah, let's not go for brute force. It would be unthinkable to blow up the Magic Knight Academy.

"...Considering the potential danger, my father entrusted the 'Greed's Eye' to the country for management... And yet."

"It was stolen. There was another one, perhaps?"

"Well, it doesn't matter to think about it now. If the enemy's aim is to absorb magic, then the 'Greed's Eye' is placed in..."

"The 'Great Hall,' where all the students are gathered."

...I can't quite understand it. If their goal was to blow up the academy, it's too elaborate. There's no reason to intentionally detonate the 'Greed's Eye.'

"Sherry, do you have a plan of action?"

"Yes! It's this!"

Sherry extended her small hand, with a silver accessory-like object resting on her palm.

"What's this?"

"It's the control device for the 'Greed's Eye.' Through analysis, I found out that the original purpose of the 'Greed's Eye' was to use this artifact to store magic for an extended period."

"Long-term storage?"

"It means we can stop the release of magic. It's amazing! If this performance can be put into practical use, it will contribute to the advancement of various existing technologies..."

"So, this is the trump card to solve the current incident?"

"Umm... Y-Yes."

I'm sorry. We were having such a pleasant conversation.

I'll listen to that story properly another time on some occasion.

"We have a plan. We'll use the control device to seal the power of the 'Greed's Eye.' After releasing the magic interference, we'll eliminate the enemies."

"I'm sorry! The analysis isn't complete yet..."

"No, I was the one in a rush. Is there anything we can help with?"

"Well... Actually, I left the necessary tools for adjusting the control device in the research lab..."

They were suddenly attacked, so it's understandable. I'm grateful to Glen and Marco for protecting Sherry.

"Understood. Cid and I will retrieve them."

"Eh? Cid too...?"

Ah, I see. Sherry thinks of Cid as just an ordinary student. I gave Cid a knowing look and urged him to come up with a good excuse.

"It's fine. I wanted to go to the lab anyway. As a bonus."

"...Cid."

I feel like Sherry's cheeks are turning red, but did that guy Cid also set a flag with Sherry? It's their freedom to like whoever they want, but I think it's best for this guy to refrain from it. That goes for Princess Alexia too.

"Cid, put a magic thread on Sherry."

"Sure. Can you give me your hand?"

"Yes, umm..."

A finely processed magic thread attached to Sherry's hand by Cid. With this, if danger approaches Sherry, we can immediately rush to her aid.

Ideally, it would be safer for one person to stay in the room and guard her, but due to the circumstances of being part of the Shadow Garden, we have to take this approach.

"There doesn't seem to be any enemy activity nearby, but please quietly continue your work as a precaution. If it becomes dangerous, please shout, and we will hear you. Let's go, Cid."

"Alright."

Running down the hallway stained with red by Cid and me, we headed to Sherry's research lab together.

"You really wanted to go to the lab, didn't you?"

"Hahaha, you caught me?"

He's really an unflappable guy.

"What's this?"

"This is 'Powdered Sea Dragon Bone.' What we need is 'Powdered Land Dragon Bone.' Hey, Cid, could you get that 'Mithril Forceps' over there?"

"This one? Okay."

"Thanks."

The two of us squatted down and rummaged through Sherry's research lab. It's cramped since we're searching inside a small shelf, and our shoulders keep bumping into each other, which is annoying.

"Here, 'Ashen Magic Stone.' That should be everything."

"Alright, let's go back then."

"Wait a moment... 'Omega'? Is that you?"

Time seemed to have passed unnoticed, and when I called out, a woman clad in a black suit silently infiltrated the room through the window, which was bathed in orange sunset light.

"Yes, Takumi, sir."

An elf with black hair and tanned skin, an Omega of the Numbers, the fifth seat of the Seven Shadows and directly under Epsilon. She's known for her exceptional abilities.

It's about time she came for a situation report, and it seems my prediction was right since Cid and I were the only ones left.

"Sorry for being late."

"No need to apologize. I asked New for another favor, so thanks for coming, Omega."

"N-No need for such kind words...!"

Omega has a strong and assertive personality, but her delighted expression is quite charming for her age. I once suggested that she should grow out her hair, but she immediately refused.

"...I'll report. Currently, Shadow Garden is lurking around the academy, ready for action. If Shadow-sama and Takumi-sama give any orders, we can move at any time."

Gamma was in charge of overall command. They're really prepared.

"There's no movement from the 'Cult.' Utilizing their advantage of being able to use magic, they have established a defensive position. They're probably planning to fortify themselves."

"Do you know the movements of the knights outside?"

"Yes. The only ones who seem to be useful in terms of military strength are Princess Iris and the reinforcements' squad leader. They seem to be quarreling over the command and won't be of much help."

Oh, you said it, Omega. One of the characteristics of our group is that they have a strong personality when it comes to others.

I feel sorry for Princess Iris and the others, but we'll handle the resolution of the incident ourselves. We'll leave the aftermath to the Crimson Knights.

"Understood. Thank you, Omega. Until further instructions, please remain on standby."

"Understood. By the way, what's in the box that Shadow-sama has?"

"Oh, this is..."

"I'm adjusting an artifact."

I was about to briefly explain, but Cid, who had been silent until now, eagerly replied.

I tried to add some clarification, but it was too late as I saw Omega's surprised expression.

"An artifact?! To have such knowledge..."

As expected, Omega's sparkling eyes were directed towards Cid. No, he doesn't have that kind of knowledge. He can't even tell the difference between sea dragon and land dragon materials.

"The current magic interference is caused by an artifact called 'Greed's Eye.' This artifact is in the stage of developing an artifact that can nullify its effects."

(Sherry said that.)

"It requires the highest level of knowledge...?"

"Yeah, I think so. It should be completed by evening."

(Sherry said that.)

Amazing. He talks about it as if it's his own. It's not even a matter of being vague.

"Well, we'll make preparations to move accordingly."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. Let's go back, Takumi."

"...Yeah, Omega, thank you."

"Huh! Excuse me!"

And so, the misunderstanding continues to escalate.

I don't have time to stop it, and I don't feel like correcting it either. This flowing misunderstanding, if it were a comedy, would make for a great material. Well, Cid himself is like a joke, so it's fine. It's a waste of energy to worry about it.

"...Haah. Did you listen to the conversation, Cid?"

"Yeah. It sounds interesting."

He probably won't remember much in a few minutes. He's not stupid, but he's completely indifferent to things that don't interest him. It's rare to have someone this dumb even though he's not lacking in intelligence.

"Hidden powerhouse♪ A gallant entrance♪"

"You should stub your little toe or get a jammed finger."

"Isn't that too harsh all of a sudden?"

You're the harsh one, idiot.

__________________________________________________________

------[People Involved in the Incident]------

1-  Cid Kagenou

Can't contain the excitement in the situation where the academy is occupied by Terroris.

2-  Takumi Gavin

The deputy leader who accumulates sarcasm towards the excited leader. Caught between the positions of Shadow Garden and Crimson Knights, but it's his own fault.

3- Sherry Barnett

A good girl who works hard to help her father. Happy to have made a second friend.

4- The mastermind behind the incident

Frustrated that Rex, the sock-wearing rebellious player, who was sent to retrieve the artifact, hasn't returned.

In the anime, his true identity was easily revealed to the viewers, piercing through the voice changer.