Chapter 202: Traitors (3)
Yurina stared blankly at Iris and Laneige, her eyes hollow as though her soul had slipped out. “T-that’s impossible. Then, I’m the only one who hasn’t kissed Dale?”
Her lifeless gaze slowly turned toward me. The emptiness in her eyes gradually filled with simmering anger. “Dale, you...!”
Yurina seized me by the collar with shocking force. Even in her male form, her hands were beautiful and delicate, hardly what one would expect from a swordsman. But the strength inside them was enough to crush steel with her bare fingers.
Yurina shouted, “H-how? How could you do this to me?”
Hearing the commotion, the surrounding cadets turned their attention toward us.
“L-look over there.”
“That’s Yuren Helios, and that gray-haired guy... Who is he?”
“You know, that last-place cadet in the third year who intentionally keeps his grades low.”
“Oh right. I think his name was Dale?”
Whispers began spreading among the cadets.
“I heard he’s been disciplined more than three times.”
“What? Holy! How big a disaster do you have to cause for that?”
“They say if he doesn’t like you, he’ll beat you up even if you’re a senior.”
“Didn’t you hear that rumor? That he burned down the dorm just because the neighbors were too noisy?”
“Wow, isn’t that just plain insane?”
“Anyway, avoid eye contact. I heard he’s actually as strong as Yuren Helios.”
I felt wronged. What the hell! Why are the rumors making me sound like some deranged lunatic? All I actually did was get suspended five times, accidentally burn down a dorm building, and beat up a senior so badly they ended up in the infirmary. Hmm, I guess...
Now that I thought about it, the rumors weren’t exactly unfounded. But the real issue wasn’t the nonsense gossip; it was Yurina, who was practically steaming as though her head might explode.
She bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood, her shoulders trembling. “I-I trusted you, Dale! H-how could you!”
It seemed the shock that even Laneige had kissed me, on top of Iris, was overwhelming her. Her outburst made the observing cadets’ eyes sparkle with curiosity. They excitedly discussed it among themselves.
“What’s this? A lovers’ quarrel?”
“Are Yuren and Dale fighting over the Saintess?”
“O-or maybe... Maybe the two of them?”
“Come on, two guys? Seriously?”
“Oh honey! You’re so naive. It’s an age of diversity! Two men can totally, well, as long as they’re careful!”
“What does careful even mean? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
“If they were dating, would Yuren be the top or Dale?”
“Please shut up.”
This was spiraling into chaos.
I said, “Yuren. Look, calm down—”
Before I could finish, she replied, “Calm down? Are you seriously asking me to CALM down right now?”
I was trying to figure out how to calm her when my Hero Watch vibrated at the perfect moment. I glanced down. It was a call from Professor Baldwin.
“Sorry, Professor Baldwin is calling,” I said.
Groaning, Yurina released my collar with a look that said, “We’re not done.”
I sighed in relief and infused mana into the watch.
Professor Baldwin’s voice came through the hologram. “Dale. Come to my office immediately.”
“Did something happen?” I asked.
“I’ll explain when you get here.”
She rarely contacted me like this unless it was something serious. Her voice was heavy, unlike her usual light tone when she wanted to spend private time together with me.
I turned to the others. “Professor Baldwin says she needs to talk urgently. I’ll head to her office.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“C-can I come with you?” Laneige asked.
“I don’t think that’s possible.”
“O-Okay. Got it.”
I was about to leave when Professor Baldwin added, “Ah, right. Bring Yuren as well.”
“Sorry?”
She wanted both of us? I turned to Yurina with a confused look. She shook her head too, just as baffled as me.
I said, “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I understand. We actually happened to be eating lunch together.”
“Good. I’ll explain more when you get here.”
***
We arrived at Professor Baldwin’s office. After knocking lightly and entering it, we found her frowning over a stack of documents.
She looked up. “You’re here.”
“Yes. But what happened? Why call both of us?” I asked.
She clicked her tongue and set the documents down on the table. “A troublesome issue has come up. Demons were sighted recently in Valhalla City.”
“Hmm.”
Demons in Valhalla City were a problematic sight, yes, but hardly unusual.
“That’s nothing new, Professor,” I replied.
Valhalla City was massive. Numerous demons hid there all the time. Even the subordinates of the Archbishop of Dreams and Fantasies were hiding in the slums. The idea of Valhalla City being safe was something only clueless citizens believed.
Professor Baldwin nodded. “Yes. Everyone knows demons are already lurking in significant numbers.”
She continued with a quiet, serious tone, “But. The demons spotted this time are... different.”
“Different? How so?”
“They were wearing suspicious animal masks and moving in a highly organized manner.”
The moment she said suspicious animal masks, the story Laneige told me flashed through my mind. She was ambushed by a hero wearing a wolf mask. Of course, the one who attacked Laneige wasn’t a demon; it was a hero. But if demons and heroes were working together, it wouldn’t be strange that this mysterious masked organization included both demons and heroes.
I looked at the professor, “So, you’re asking me to head into Valhalla City and hunt down these demons?”
Professor Baldwin nodded. “That’s right.”
She continued, “This request comes directly from Headmaster Ryu. He specifically named you for the job.”
“The headmaster did?”
Headmaster Ryu had personally chosen me? He wanted a mere cadet to infiltrate and root out a demon organization hiding in Valhalla City? No sane person would think that was a reasonable task.
Professor Baldwin explained, “I don’t know how he found out, but... Headmaster Ryu seems to understand, at least to some extent, just how strong you are.”
“How much does he know exactly?” I asked.
“After speaking with him, I think he doesn’t know much. He has no idea about your Blessing of Resurrection, nor about the Primordial Flame.” Professor Baldwin’s tone dropped, heavy. “He does know that your ability surpasses that of most high-ranking heroes.”
“And he doesn’t know how?” I asked.
“It’s not like you’ve tried very hard to hide your strength.”
“Well, that’s true.”
I had tried to keep a few trump cards hidden, like the Blessing of Resurrection, Blazing Fire, and Cataclysmic Flame, but I never bothered concealing my basic capabilities. If I wanted to hide, I wouldn’t have beaten down a Seven Stars Knight or taken first place in the final evaluations, though that score was later nullified thanks to disciplinary issues. Anyway, Headmaster Ryu had more than enough clues to deduce my combat ability.
“But even so, asking a cadet to handle this?” I asked.
Professor Baldwin sighed, rubbing her forehead. “There’s a reason. Although we hate to admit it, sensitive information about the academy, faculty, and top-performing cadets alike, has already spread widely among the demons.”
“That means the moment anyone leaves campus, they’re flagged as a priority target?”
“Exactly. No matter how they disguise themselves, the demons somehow recognize them.”
Laneige was attacked almost instantly after leaving the city. They had tracked her the moment she stepped outside the academy, even faster than the academy did, despite her submitting a letter of withdrawal. This meant that an information network was already deeply embedded throughout Valhalla City.
“This situation is worse than I thought,” I muttered.
Professor Baldwin nodded. “That’s why you were called. The demons likely know little, or nothing, about you.”
“But Jackal recognized me.”
“He recognized your face, nothing more. He didn’t know your true strength.”
“That’s... fair.”
“And after investigating, we found that the only individuals who triggered immediate demon response were faculty or top-ranking cadets.”
“So, because I’m ranked at the bottom, they won’t pay attention to me?”
“Precisely.”
That was fair. Inside the academy, I was infamous. But to outsiders, I was just the idiot who ranked dead last in the hero rankings.
I turned to look at Yurina, who had been silently standing off to the side, and asked. “Then why bring Yurina into this?”
“Well, two people investigating is more efficient than one, isn’t it? Besides, both of you can handle mid-level demons easily,” explained the professor.
“But you said top-ranking cadets were off-limits.”
Professor Baldwin smiled as she shifted her gaze to Yurina. “Correct. Yuren Helios can’t be sent. But Yurina Helios, the demons know nothing about her.”
I sighed. “Hah!”
“Dale and Yurina, the two of you will go into Valhalla City and investigate the demons’ suspicious movements. Consider it an undercover mission.”
“Undercover, huh.”
“Well, it’s not a bad chance to enjoy a date together, is it?” Professor Baldwin added.
Yurina’s eyes sparkled like starbursts. “D-date?”
Professor Baldwin nodded calmly. “Rather than looking stiff and serious, blending in as a normal couple will help lower the demons’ guard.”
Yurina asked, “If we’re acting like a normal couple, does that mean kissing in public is allowed?”
“Most couples don’t do that in public, do they?” replied the professor.
“No! I just saw someone doing that in the central plaza today!”
Professor Baldwin clicked her tongue and shook her head in disbelief. “Really? Is that so? Honestly, kids these days.”
