Book 1 Chapter 714

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The armored knight ran at full speed.

"Hey! I told you to stop? Huh, not stopping there?!"

Leo shouted, chasing after the armored knight.

Chelsea followed Leo with a bewildered expression.

She had been in a panic from fear just a moment ago, but now she wasn't afraid at all.

Because Leo was there?

'Well, that's true.'

More than that, she was so dumbfounded that her fear completely disappeared.

The armored knight, whom she thought was a ghost, was busy running away as soon as he made eye contact with Leo.

Leo chased after the armored knight, watching him.

The situation had completely reversed from a moment ago.

'In front of Leo oppa, there are no ghosts or anything.'

It was only natural, considering Leo, who had experienced death, wouldn't be particularly scared of the dead.

Meanwhile.

Leo quickly closed the distance with the fleeing armored knight.

The moment Leo's hand was about to grab the armored knight.

Hwaak-!

"……!"

The armored knight leaped directly towards the hallway wall.

Leo stopped in his tracks, watching the armored knight disappear through the wall.

"Whoa?!"

Chelsea, lost in thought, almost lost her balance and fell.

Leo caught Chelsea.

"Thanks, Leo oppa."

Chelsea thanked him, embraced by Leo.

Leo didn't reply and just stared at the wall while holding Chelsea.

Chelsea looked up at Leo and said.

"Leo oppa. You're not thinking of breaking the wall, are you?"

"Wouldn't it be possible to chase while breaking it?"

"Even if you're student council president, it'll be a big problem! Professor Halind won't let it slide!"

Property damage was a much more serious offense than most school rule violations.

Leo chuckled at the terrified Chelsea.

"Just kidding."

'It didn't feel like a joke.'

Chelsea, freed from Leo's embrace and standing on the floor, put her hands on her hips.

"By the way, what was that thing?"

"It was probably a spirit."

"A spirit?"

Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Do spirits normally threaten people like that? And if it's a spirit, why did it run away?"

Seeing Chelsea's confused expression, Leo scratched his head.

"I think I might have summoned it."

"Huh? You, Leo oppa?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

"I was using spirit magic. But I couldn't control it properly."

Leo told Chelsea about what happened last night.

Chelsea was flustered after hearing the whole story.

"I don't know much about spirit magic, but is it possible to summon an unknown spirit when soul summoning fails?"

"It's because of Rysina's power."

"Ah……"

Chelsea looked convinced.

"It might not be just one armored knight that was summoned."

The power of a great hero is immense.

Therefore, it's impossible to know the extent of the repercussions of uncontrolled power.

At Leo's words, Chelsea crossed her arms and pondered.

"So far, I haven't heard any ghost rumors except for that armored knight…"

Kiiiaaaaaaak-!

At that moment, a piercing scream echoed from the end of the hallway.

At the scream, Leo and Chelsea exchanged glances.

It was a voice they both knew.

"Iliana."

"It's Iliana."

***

"What in the world is thatttttttttttt!"

"Why are you asking me that!"

Iliana, holding a butterfly net, was running at breakneck speed.

Her speed, specialized for speed, was incredibly fast.

And holding onto Iliana's hair was none other than Kirian.

"Hey! You're heavy! Let go now!"

"How heavy can I be!"

Iliana yanked Kirian, who was dangling from her hair.

"Ouch! What are you doing!"

"Here! Be my bait!"

And without hesitation, she tried to throw him towards the end of the hallway.

Kirian clung to Iliana's fingers with all his might.

"Let go! Shouldn't at least one of us survive!"

Iliana shook her hand furiously to shake off Kirian, who showed no signs of letting go.

Crunch!

"Aaack! You bit me?! Do you think I won't bite back?!"

It was when Iliana was about to bite Kirian.

"Why are you running away?"

Iliana and Kirian felt their blood run cold at the voice from behind.

Iliana, who had learned magic.

And Kirian, called one of the three mythical beasts.

They couldn't grasp what the being before them was.

The only thought that lingered in their minds was 'ghost'.

It was understandable, as they felt no aura, magic, or spiritual energy from this being.

If it were an illusion created by magic, or a spirit summoned by a spirit summoner, they should have felt some contractual power, but none was felt at all.

'Kyle-nim. Kyle-nim. Kyle-nim. Kyle-nim. Please save this lamb in distress! Kyle-nim! Kyle-nim!'

Iliana, frozen by the red cloak that appeared right next to her, desperately called out the name Kyle in her mind.

After all, the club she founded was Kyleism.

She had no god to believe in, so she desperately called out Kyle's name.

At that moment.

"Um… How's my face? Am I pretty? Or ugly?"

The woman in the crimson cloak asked.

Red cloak.

Iliana and Kirian, seeing the thick, red liquid dripping from the end of the cloak, easily guessed that the cloak was dyed with blood.

Crucially.

'Kiiiaaaaaaak!'

'Ughhhhhhh!'

The swordsman and the fairy screamed internally as they saw the wizard's neck, cleanly sliced with visible cross-sections.

There was no face above the wizard's neck.

Therefore, they couldn't judge whether she was pretty or ugly.

However, they couldn't say that to the woman.

If they did, she would undoubtedly try to slice them with the scythe in her hand.

"Y-yes, pretty! Very pretty!"

"Mm-hmm! The prettiest human I've ever seen!"

As Iliana said this, giving a thumbs-up with both hands, Kirian agreed.

"Is that so! I'm pretty!"

The female wizard was genuinely happy.

'Ho? Could this actually be exorcised?'

Iliana marveled internally.

Swish-

"…Um, why are you holding that up?"

"I'll make you pretty too."

As they watched her say this in a cheerful voice, Iliana and Kirian froze.

A moment later.

"Kiiiaaaaaaak!"

"Aaaack!"

The two screamed in unison and bolted.

"Kyahahahaha!"

The red cloak chased them, cackling like a witch and wildly swinging her scythe.

It was then.

"C-class representative!"

"Leo!"

Iliana ran towards Leo, who appeared at the end of the hallway.

Thump-!

"A ghost! A headless ghost!"

Iliana clung to Leo, babbling incoherently.

Leo patted Iliana's head and looked at the red cloak.

When Leo's red eyes turned towards her, the red cloak froze.

Then, soon.

Slyoop-!

"Ah! It ran away again this time!"

Chelsea looked surprised as the red cloak disappeared through the floor.

"Huuuuuuung! Class rep! I was scared!"

"Leo!"

Iliana, her legs weakened, collapsed on the floor and sobbed, grabbing Leo's pant leg.

Leo comforted Iliana and clicked his tongue.

"They run away as soon as they see me."

"They?"

Iliana, having calmed down somewhat and sniffling, tilted her head. Chelsea said.

"You heard the rumors about the armored knight ghost, right?"

"Yeah. Did you two see it?"

"Yeah. But it ran away as soon as it saw Leo oppa."

At those words, Iliana's eyes widened, and she looked up at Leo with a sparkling face.

"As expected, the Great Demon King!"

Iliana got up.

"Class rep. Let's make talismans out of your hair and sell them! Talismans that drive away ghosts! It'll surely be a big hit!"

Chelsea sighed deeply, watching Iliana.

"That's not a ghost."

"Huh? If it's not a ghost, what is it?"

"It's a spirit."

"A spirit?"

Iliana looked blank.

A moment later.

After hearing the whole story, Iliana wore a disgruntled expression.

"Wait. So the cause of all this commotion is entirely your fault?"

"It's not Leo oppa's fault."

"Why not! You summoned an evil spirit!"

"I told you, it's a spirit."

"Spirits attack students?"

At Iliana's point, Chelsea hesitated.

"Well, it was an unstable summoning. Attacking indiscriminately might be my fault."

"See! It's your fault!"

Iliana said with a triumphant expression, and Chelsea pouted.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble."

"Hmph! Is an apology enough? Why do we have laws? You need to compensate me!"

"Compensation?"

"Yeah! Don't you have good things? Like stamps, for example?"

Iliana, who had received a deduction stamp before and was still being bullied by her classmates and seniors in the Knight Department, had a stronger desire for a point-earning stamp than other students.

Leo smiled at Iliana's words.

"For your information, the student council president also patrols at night. The authority is the same as the dormitory professors."

Upon hearing that, Iliana fell silent, then chuckled. "Hehehe. Just kidding, I was joking."

"Can I hit you?"

Chelsea asked seriously, looking at Iliana, who was acting cute.

Iliana, with a serious expression, said.

"Anyway, aren't you trying to capture those spirits? I'll help too."

Ahem! Iliana puffed out her chest with a smile, her eyes sparkling.

"All the top students from class 5 are gathered! Ghost disturbances will be resolved in an instant!"

"Leo oppa, let's leave her behind."

"I agree. She tried to abandon me earlier."

Kirian, with a grumpy expression, said as he sat on Chelsea's head at Chelsea's merciless words.

"Don't be too harsh. Iliana will be a big help in a chase."

"That's our class representative! So kind!"

Iliana tried to hug Leo.

Chelsea, who got between them, pushed Iliana's face away.

"Get off."

After the commotion, Chelsea had a puzzled expression.

"By the way, the professor on duty isn't coming. I would have thought they'd come for this much commotion."

"It's Professor Mel. I spoke to him nicely."

"Ah."

Chelsea nodded.

"As expected, the Dragon Lord is accommodating to someone like you, class representative."

"You'll get in trouble if you call Professor Mel that."

"Eh, he can't hear me."

Chelsea said with a look of exasperation at Iliana shrugging her shoulders.

"He can probably hear you."

"Oops?"

Iliana gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

"Chelsea. You said the portraits of the graduates were looking at you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go there first."

***

Click- click-

Deep night.

Chloe was walking through the library.

'Another scream.'

Chloe tilted her head at the distant scream.

Screaming like that after leaving the dormitory during curfew.

She had no fear.

Thinking so, Chloe arrived at a spot in the library.

Chloe's reason for coming to the library during curfew, avoiding the eyes of students and professors, was simple.

She had discovered a secret within the dormitory.

The library, frequently visited by students.

However, there were no students as passionately pursuing knowledge as Chloe.

Chloe loved reading many books, not just grimoires.

Because she enjoyed encountering new knowledge.

So tonight, she was choosing books in the library.

But.

'I never thought the secret key would be inside that book.'

Thinking that far, Chloe stood in front of the bookshelf where she had found the book earlier.

She pulled out the book and opened it.

Pararararak-

As she opened the bookshelf halfway, a page with a drawing of a small keyhole unfolded.

Chloe took out a small key from her pocket, which was under the book she found, and brought it to the keyhole.

Then…

Clack-!

The key entered the keyhole in the book.

Click-!

As she turned the key, a sound of a lock opening echoed, and a door appeared before her.

Chloe, looking around, entered through the door.

A moment later.

Chloe's eyes widened at the sight that unfolded before her.

Beyond the door was a small space.

And in the center of that space.

A desk and two chairs were placed.

And on that desk was.

"Chess?"

A chessboard and chess pieces.