Book 1 Chapter 714

714.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The armored knight ran at full sprint.

"Hey! I told you to stop, didn't I? Huh, aren't you going to stop there?!"

Leo shouted, following behind such an armored knight.

Chelsea followed Leo, making an exasperated expression.

A little while ago, she had been in a panic due to fear, but now she wasn't scared at all.

Because Leo was there?

'That's true, but.'

More than that, it was so absurd that all her fear vanished.

The armored knight, whom she thought was a ghost, was busy running away as soon as his eyes met Leo's.

Leo chased after the armored knight.

The situation had completely reversed from a moment ago.

'In front of Leo oppa, there's no such thing as a ghost or anything.'

Indeed, it was somewhat natural that a deceased entity wasn't very scary to Leo, who had experienced death.

Meanwhile.

Leo quickly closed the distance with the fleeing armored knight.

The moment the armored knight was about to be caught by Leo's hand.

*Whoosh-!*

"……!"

The armored knight plunged straight into the corridor wall.

Leo stood rooted to the spot, watching the armored knight disappear through the wall.

"Whoa?!"

Chelsea, lost in thought, immediately lost her balance and nearly fell.

Leo caught Chelsea.

"Thanks, Leo oppa."

Chelsea, held in Leo's arms, expressed her gratitude.

Leo, not answering her, merely stared intently 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?"

"Couldn't I just break through it and chase after?"

"No matter if you're the student council president, that would be a huge problem! Professor Harlind won't let it slide!"

Vandalism is a serious offense, incomparable to ordinary school rule violations.

Leo chuckled, looking at the terrified Chelsea.

"It's a joke."

'Doesn't sound like a joke.'

Chelsea, stepping out of Leo's embrace and standing on the floor, put her hand on her hip.

"By the way, what exactly was that?"

"Probably a spirit."

"A spirit?"

Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Do spirits usually go around threatening people like that? And if it's a spirit, why did it run away?"

Leo scratched his head, looking at Chelsea's perplexed expression.

"It seems I might have summoned it."

"Huh? You, Leo oppa?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

"I used spirit magic. But it wasn't properly controlled."

Leo told Chelsea what had happened last night.

Chelsea, having heard the whole story, was flustered.

"I don't know much about spirit magic, but is it possible for an unknown spirit to be summoned when a summoning ritual fails?"

"It's Lysinath's power."

"Ah……"

Chelsea made an expression of understanding.

"Perhaps the summoned spirit wasn't just that one armored knight from before."

The power of a great hero is immense.

As such, it's impossible to know how much havoc uncontrolled power could wreak.

At Leo's words, Chelsea crossed her arms and went "Hmm-!" as she fell into thought.

"For now, besides that armored knight, I haven't heard any rumors about ghosts……"

*SCREEEEEEEEEAM-!*

Just then, a piercing scream came from the other end of the corridor.

At the scream, Leo and Chelsea looked at each other.

It was a voice they knew.

"That's Illyana."

"It's Illyana."

***

"What in the world is thaaaat?!"

"Why are you asking me that?!"

Illyana, holding a butterfly net in her hand, was running at insane speed.

As someone specialized in speed, her speed was incredibly fast.

And clinging to Illyana's hair was none other than Kiruan.

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

"How heavy can I be?!"

Illyana tore Kiruan, who was dangling from her hair, off.

"Ack! What are you doing?!"

"Hah! Become bait!"

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

Kiruan clung to Illyana's finger with all his might.

"Let go! At least one person has to survive!"

Illyana shook her hand vigorously to dislodge Kiruan, who showed no sign of letting go.

*Chomp!*

"Aaack! Did it bite me?! You think I can't bite back?!"

It was just as Illyana was about to bite Kiruan.

"Why are you running away?"

At the voice from behind, Illyana and Kiruan felt their blood instantly run cold.

Even Illyana, who had mastered magic.

Even Kiruan, known as one of the three great mythical beasts.

They couldn't get a grasp of what the entity in front of them was.

The only thought swirling in their minds was "ghost."

And no wonder, as from this being, no aura, magic power, or spiritual power.

Nothing at all could be felt.

If it were an illusion created by magic, or a spirit summoned by a spirit medium, then the power of a contract should be felt, but nothing of the sort was felt at all.

'Lord Kyle. Lord Kyle. Lord Kyle. Lord Kyle. Please save this lamb in distress! Lord Kyle! Lord Kyle!'

Illyana, frozen stiff by the red cloak that appeared right next to her, inwardly cried out the name Kyle.

After all, the club she created was the Kyle Cult.

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

Just then.

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

The woman in the crimson cloak asked.

The red cloak.

Illyana and Kiruan, seeing the thick, red liquid dripping from the hem of the cloak, could easily guess that what stained the cloak was blood.

Crucially.

'SCREEEEEEAM!'

'AAAAAAH!'

The magic swordsman and the fairy inwardly screamed, seeing the neatly severed neck of the magician, with its cross-section visible.

There was no face above the magician's neck.

Thus, they couldn't evaluate whether it was pretty or ugly.

But they couldn't tell this woman that.

If they did, she would clearly try to slice them up with the scythe in her hand right away.

"Ye-Yes, you're pretty! Very pretty!"

"Uh-huh! You're the prettiest human I've ever seen!"

As Illyana gave a thumbs-up with both hands, Kiruan also agreed.

"I see! I'm pretty!"

The magician woman was genuinely pleased.

'Hoo? Could this perhaps be an exorcism?'

As Illyana marveled inwardly.

*Swoosh-*

"…Um, why are you lifting that?"

"I'll make you pretty too."

Illyana and Kiruan froze, looking at him speaking in a bright voice.

A moment later.

"SCREEEEEEEEEAM!"

"AAAAAAH!"

The two of them screamed simultaneously and ran.

"Kya hahahahahaha!"

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

It was then.

"Cl-Class President!"

"LEOOOOO!"

Illyana charged towards Leo, who appeared at the other end of the corridor.

*Thud-!*

"A ghost! A headless ghost!"

Illyana babbled incoherently, clinging to Leo.

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

As Leo's red eyes turned towards it, the red cloak froze solid.

Then, shortly after.

*Whoosh-!*

"Ah! It ran away again this time!"

Chelsea made a flustered expression, watching the red cloak disappear through the floor.

"Waaahhhhh! Class Presideeeent! I was scared!"

"LEOOOOO!"

Illyana, her legs giving out, collapsed to the floor and sobbed, tugging at Leo's trouser leg.

Leo clicked his tongue, comforting Illyana.

"These things always run away when they see me."

"These things?"

When Illyana, somewhat composed, sniffled and tilted her head, Chelsea spoke.

"You heard the rumor about the armored knight ghost, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Did you and the Class President see it?"

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

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

"Y-You're truly the Great Demon King!"

Illyana stood up.

"Class President. Let's make talismans out of your hair and sell them! Talismans that ward off ghosts! They'll definitely be a huge hit!"

Chelsea sighed deeply, looking at such an Illyana.

"That's not a ghost."

"Huh? If not a ghost, then what is it?"

"It's a spirit."

"A spirit?"

Illyana made a blank expression.

A moment later.

Illyana, having heard the full story, made a reluctant expression.

"No. So, the source of all this commotion is entirely because of the Class President?"

"It's not because of Leo oppa."

"Why not?! He summoned an evil spirit!"

"I told you it's a spirit!"

"Spirits attack students?"

At Illyana's point, Chelsea hesitated.

"Well, since it was an unstable summoning. Attacking random people might be my fault."

"See! It's the Class President's fault!"

Illyana put on a triumphant expression, and Chelsea pouted.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble."

"Hmph! If 'I'm sorry' was enough, why would there be laws? You have to compensate me!"

"Compensation?"

"Yeah! Something good, you know? Like a stamp?"

Illyana had previously received a demerit stamp and was still being harassed by her fellow students and seniors in the knight department because of it.

As such, Illyana's greed for a merit stamp was stronger than other students'.

At Illyana's words, Leo smiled faintly.

"For your information, the student council president also patrols at night. With the same authority as the dorm professors."

Illyana, hearing those words, fell silent, then giggled "ehehehehe" and said.

"Aww~ Illyana was just kidding."

"Can I hit her?"

Chelsea asked seriously, looking at the cutesy Illyana.

Illyana, her face serious, replied.

"Anyway, Class President, you're trying to catch those spirits, right? I'll help too."

"Ahem!" Illyana, smiling and patting her chest with a *thump!*, her eyes sparkling.

"Class 5 top students assemble! A ghost commotion like this will be solved in an instant!"

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

"I second that. She tried to abandon me earlier."

At Chelsea's merciless words, Kiruan climbed onto Chelsea's head, sat down, and pouted.

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

"As expected of the Class President! So kind!"

Illyana tried to hug Leo.

Chelsea, stepping between the two, pushed Illyana's face away.

"Get away."

After a brief commotion, Chelsea made a puzzled expression.

"By the way, the professor on duty isn't coming. I'd think they'd surely come with this much commotion."

"It's Professor Mel. I've already spoken to her."

"Ah."

Chelsea nodded.

"As expected of the Class President, even the Dragon Lord grants favors."

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

"Nah, she's not listening anyway."

Chelsea looked at Illyana shrugging her shoulders and said with a pathetic expression.

"She's probably listening."

"Oop?"

Illyana gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

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

"Yeah."

"Let's go there first."

***

*Click-clack- click-clack-*

Deep night.

Chloe was walking through the library.

'Another scream.'

At the scream coming from afar, Chloe tilted her head.

To escape the dorms during curfew and scream like that.

How fearless.

Thinking that, Chloe reached a certain spot in the library.

The reason Chloe came to the library during curfew, avoiding the eyes of students and professors, was simple. It was because she had discovered a secret within the dormitory.

The library, where students often frequent.

But no student explores knowledge as passionately as Chloe.

Chloe loved reading many books, not just grimoires.

Because she enjoyed encountering new knowledge.

So, that evening too, she was choosing a book in the library.

But.

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

Chloe, having thought that far, stood in front of the bookshelf where the book she had found earlier was located.

And she pulled out the book and opened it.

*Rustle-rustle-rustle-*

As she opened the book to about the middle, a page with a small keyhole drawing unfolded.

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

Then…

*Click-!*

The key entered the keyhole in the book.

*Click-!*

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

Chloe surveyed her surroundings and entered through the door.

A moment later.

Chloe's eyes widened at the sight 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.