The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knightโs Rampage Through Another World
โThis is unexpectedโฆโ
I returned to my room and muttered to myself as I stared at the magic circles spread out on my desk.
About half of the magic circles had turned a deep, sooty black, as if theyโd been smeared with soot.
All of them were the ones Iโd set up near the entrances to the menโs and womenโs dorms.
What this means isโฆ
โThere might be more than one demonโฆโ
Thatโs what it means.
Of course,
โItโs certainly possible that the demon in question has a boyfriendโฆโ
Thatโs a possibility.
In fact, thatโs the more likely scenario.
Well, not so much a boyfriend as a fiancรฉ, I suppose.
To begin with, many nobles and knights have fiancรฉs even before they enter the academy.
Depending on the family, itโs even possible that a partner is chosen before theyโre even born.
Even I, for that matter, was engaged to Nora before I could even remember.
Well, she and I arenโt engaged anymore, butโฆ thatโs beside the point.
If the demon has a fiancรฉ, she can enter his room as long as she gets permission beforehand.
So, even if the demonโs miasma is detected around the menโs dormitory, it wouldnโt be strange at all.
Butโฆ thatโs just one possibility.
To absolutely crush the โdeathโ ending, I need to anticipate the worst-case scenario.
That means thereโs a possibility that a demon I wasnโt aware of exists in the menโs dormitory as well.
That said, if a demon is hiding in the menโs dormitory, the situation is simple.
After all, since itโs the menโs dormitory, I can set up magic circles anywhere.
First, I need to figure out which floor theyโre on and which room theyโre in.
By narrowing the net like that, the identity of the demon will naturally become clear.
And if that person is in contact with the demon in the girlsโ dorm, I should be able to expose the enemyโs true identity by following the trail.
โActually, this might be an opportunity.โ
I chuckled to myself.
Just wait and see, you demons.
โ
Once the plan is set, all thatโs left is to act.
I decided to set up the additional magic circles Iโd created on the staircases connecting the floors of the menโs dormitory.
If itโs just to detect miasma, it doesnโt have to be as big as the ones Iโve made so far.
I divided a piece of paper into four sections and drew a magic circle on each one.
I stuck them on the underside of the stair railing, in a spot where no one would normally touch them.
I also set them up around the girlsโ dormitory at the same time.
I should be working on identifying them simultaneously on both fronts.
โWellโฆ I guess thatโs it.โ
After setting up the final magic circle in a flower bed near the girlsโ dorm, I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
It always ends up being late-night work, but sneaking around digging up flower beds and moving from shadow to shadow so no one spots me is surprisingly hard work.
And thenโฆ I called out to the presence creeping up behind me.
โHey, come out. Hiding behind the bushes doesnโt workโI can sense you from a mile away.โ
For a moment, I could feel the person hold their breath.
Did they really think I hadnโt noticed them?
After glaring at the bushes for a while, the person behind the presence seemed to give up.
I heard a deep sigh, and a figure emerged from the shadows with a rustling sound.
โHaaโฆ Youโve got instincts like a wild beast.โ
โWho did you call a beast?โ
โI didnโt go that far.โ
There was no way I could have mistaken her.
ใ
Under the moonlight, a slender, beautiful girl with divine silver hair flowing in the breezeโit was Twina.
โWhat the hell are you doing out this late?โ
โThatโs exactly what Iโd like to ask you.โ
She approached me, brought her face so close our noses almost touched, and glared at me intently with one eye half-closed.
โMy room is right above here. I thought I sensed a familiar presence outside, and sure enough, there you were, loitering around. And itโs been like this every day lately, hasnโt it? I was starting to wonder if you were preparing to sneak into my room at night or somethingโฆ I was all fluttery with anticipation, but you didnโt make a move, and to top it all off, you started messing around with the soil in the flower bedโฆ Itโs only natural that I canโt sleep at night because Iโm so curious.โ
โNight is for sleeping right!?โ
That aside, it seems Twina had figured out what I was up to.
I thought Iโd completely concealed my presence, thoughโฆ
โHmphโฆ Youโre giving me that โhow did you notice?โ look, arenโt you?โ
Twina said that with a smirk on her face.
โItโs only natural. You received my โblessing.โ That aura is something I can sense the moment you get close, even through a wall.โ
โIs that how it works?โ
โThatโs exactly how it works.โ
With that, she puffed out her chest even more proudly.
Her smug expression was strangely irritating, but on this point, she had the upper hand.
โSo? What were you doing out this late at night? It doesnโt look like you were preparing for a midnight tryst, though.โ
โAhโฆ Iโll have to answer that after I welcome a little visitor first.โ
Saying that, I tore my gaze away from Twinaโand glared across the path, into the empty darkness beyond.
โYouโre there, arenโt you? Come out.โ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
For a moment, the presence wavered as if startled.
But even so, the source of that presence didnโt come out.
Oh well.
โItโs because you wonโt come out. Donโt complain, okay?โ
As I spoke, I materialized the โSword of Oneโ in my hand.
I flicked my wrist and swiftly hurled it toward the source of the presence.
โWhoa!?โ
A manโs scream, sounding panicked.
Sparks flew with a high-pitched metallic clang, and the figure emerged.
Iโd intended to alter the trajectory so it wouldnโt hit him directly, but heโd apparently deflected it with a weapon or something he was carrying.
โA Night Patrol Knightโฆ right?โ
Twina, having caught a glimpse of the man, wore a puzzled expression.
I might have had the same look on my face.
He was a man clad in knightโs armor from the neck down.
Andโฆ even though this was our first meeting, for some reason, his face looked familiar.
But I couldnโt remember where Iโd seen him before.
If thatโs the case, heโs probably a character from the โmain story.โ
And the fact that I canโt remember means heโs not a major character, at least.
If thatโs so, who is he?
Damn it, I have no idea!
โUgh, this is a pain. โฆI guess my skills have gotten rusty from being away from the front lines for a while.โ
The man muttered under his breath as he stepped out of the shadows and stood before us.
Illuminated by the silver glow of the magic lanterns lining the path, his full figure came into view.
Heโs huge.
He isnโt particularly broad, but heโs nearly two meters tall.
The armor he wore was the same as that of the guards.
I wondered if he might be a knight I hadnโt met yet.
But he was clearly of a different โcaliberโ than the others.
For starters, the guard knights didnโt smell of blood and rust.
โYouโฆ who are you?โ
โWhoโฆ? Hmm. Would you believe me if I said Iโm a newly assigned security officer?โ
He has a smile on his lips, but his gaze is sharp and cold.
For a moment, I feel like Iโm about to be intimidated.
But I hold my ground.
โWhether you believe it or not, youโd make a perfect guard. Your killing intent would scare off any bandits.โ
โHah! How is a killing intent that canโt even scare off a single kid suitable for a guard?โ
The man laughed self-deprecatingly, but that wasnโt the point.
If I move even a step from here, heโll cut me down.
That kind of intensity radiates from him.
โTwina, cancel your materialization and stay behind me.โ
โR-right.โ
I felt Twinaโs presence vanish beside me and shift behind me.
I wanted to at least get her to safety, but that looked unlikely.
If thatโs the case, Iโll just have to be her shield.
A death ending?
Iโll put those thoughts aside for now.
โTo be honest, Iโm against this.โ
The man scratched his head and muttered that as he looked up at the girlsโ dormitory.
โWhat are you talking about?โ
โNoโฆ oh, sorry, thatโs my business. Anyway, I guess Iโll just have to accept it.โ
With that, the man drew his sword.
In the moonlight, the long blade glistened menacingly.
Thatโs when I noticed.
The tip of the sword the man was holding was rounded.
A sword not designed for thrusting, but specialized solely for decapitation.
โThe executionerโs greatsword.
I recognized the group that carried this weapon.
โThe Knights of the Holy Templeโฆ!!โ
Thatโs when it finally clicked.
This guyโs name is Gaston Brezno.
The Second-in-Command of the Kingdomโs Knights of the Holy Temple, led by the โBishop of Slaughter,โ Eliza Lindeu.
Gaston, the โRock-Splitter.โ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆ!โ
He gritted his teeth.
Why was an elite demon slayer like him here?
No, it wouldnโt be strange for him to have been assigned to the Knight Academy as Elizaโs escort.
In any case, he was an incredibly powerful fighter.
โItโs a fine night, Gerald Vader. Itโs a bit early, but letโs have a little fun.โ
With that, Gaston snapped his fingers.
The next moment.
A ringing sound filled my earsโand then all sound around us vanished completely.
If I strained my eyes, I could see a wall of faint light towering up, encircling us and Gaston.
โThis is a barrier spell designed to capture demonsโฆ but itโs also useful for disciplining kids with bad habits.โ
After saying that, Gaston readjusted his sword stance.
Looking closely, I could see a blue vein throbbing on his forehead.
Ah, that โSword of Oneโ I threw earlierโฆ so he really was angry after all.