A cool night breeze blew in. It was after a thunderstorm had drenched the island.

Upon arriving at the dorm, I washed up. Then, after slightly covering the lamp on the desk to dim the light, I took out a silver dagger from the magic pouch. It was the Blade of Frost Flowers.

I scanned the magic circle engraved on the blade. As Hilde had said, this dagger was not something I could handle easily.

Because it was the key to the ritual that summoned all the combat forces of Düpfendorf.

This dagger was imbued with their will to make me their king.

Düpfendorf. An ice kingdom founded on the harsh land where blizzards rage incessantly. I knew that nation-destroying ice magic beasts, which I had only seen in the settings book, called that place home.

To use the Dagger of Frost Flowers meant to take on the troops of Düpfendorf and those nation-destroying ice magic beasts. First off, the amount of mana consumed in summoning them would be tremendous. In other words, I had to be as strong as the primordial ice sovereign.

As of now, I wouldn't be able to use it unless my unique skill [Hunter] was activated.

Suddenly, many thoughts covered my mind.

My memories from the first round were blurry. I couldn't know if I had received Düpfendorf's help then.

But, all that matters is who I am now.

The obvious fact was that I now had more forces at my disposal. In this journey to confront the Evil God, such an army was invaluable.

What came to mind next was Alice Carroll. I still couldn't read her inner thoughts. But... doubts remained.

“Choker…”

It was visible every time we met. The marks on the choker Alice always wore around her neck were gradually increasing.

At first, it wasn’t noticeable unless one looked at it closely, but as the day of our destined battle approached, the frequency worsened. Just earlier, in the coastal cave, she came close enough for me to fully take in everything I needed to see.

Since I couldn't see Alice's choker in detail in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, it was a fact I hadn't realized before.

Initially, I thought it was because Alice was mentally unwell.

Whether it was during「Act 9, Alice Subjugation」in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, or during the Trial of Frost, Alice showed a psychopathic side. I thought that might be her true nature. It was not without reason that there were rumors on forums about Alice being a regressor. The setting where one went mad from repeated regression was quite common.

Moreover, in the game, Phantom Cat Cheshire remarked that Alice's heart was pitch black. Being her familiar, it would naturally know its master best, and yet, Cheshire faithfully believed in and followed Alice’s ambition for world destruction.

Everything pointed to Alice’s true nature being evil…

Thus, it wasn't strange to assume that she scratched her choker due to mental defects and anxiety.

I had thought the image Alice showed me was all an act.

But is that correct?

In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Amy Holloway used the spell [Heart Color Discernment] on White and became skeptical about the true darkness of her heart.

That made the player feel anxious that White might be abnormal, but it later turned out to be a clue indicating the demon, The Abyss.

What if Alice is similar?

The dramatic psychological change Alice showed during the Alice Subjugation…

…Was it really her revealing her true self?

Unfortunately, I had no way of confirming if that was true or not.

The image of Alice from earlier just didn't leave my mind.

I looked out the window. The capricious night wind kept brushing against my skin.

The clouds cleared, and a faintly shining moon appeared. Though obscured by dark clouds at times, the moon just kept orbiting in the same place every day.

When that obvious fact suddenly came to mind, I thought of something that had to be done.

Ssshk.

I sheathed the Blade of Frost Flowers again. Calming my emotions, I quietly looked at the dagger.

Now, what I needed was resolve.

* * *

Seed Spreading Day.

It was a special day mentioned in the scripture of the Helize church, known as the day when the Lord Manhalla scattered the seeds of blessing to promise humans a prosperous life.

On this day, it was customary for the Helize Church to offer prayers of thanks to the Lord Manhalla.

Perhaps because of the downpour last night, the sky was clearer than ever.

Before long, the sky had turned navy blue.

The Märchen Academy plaza was filled with faculty and students in uniform. Around the plaza, the academy's combat forces and the imperial knights were on guard.

On the stage with an altar, the priests and members of the Helize church were conducting a religious ceremony.

During this, a few faculty members were muttering under their breath.

“Why us too…”

“It's the Headmistress order.”

“Exactly, why would she make such an order.”

Since the academy administration needed to continue uninterrupted, including on Seed Spreading Day, it wasn’t out of the ordinary to only leave essential personnel in Bartos Hall, regardless of the event.

They were to perform their roles and offer prayers personally. Only students were obligated to attend this event in its entirety.

However, for some reason, Headmistress Elena Woodline had ordered all staff, except for a few security personnel, to attend the event in advance.

This event would take at least 2 hours. Only the current night shift workers, who had to brace for a backlog of work due to the 2-hour administrative gap, could understandably harbor grievances.

Meanwhile, Princess Snow White, standing among the students, was harboring doubts.

Senior Isaac is missing…

Isaac was nowhere to be seen.

Despite the large number of students, they were organized by faculty and year, so she only needed to check the area for the second-year students in the Magic Department. Sneakily glancing around, but she only ended up making some unrelated male students blush. There was no sign of Isaac anywhere.

There were several attempts on her life by her mother.

These were not moments she simply endured indifferently. The sharpness forged by her survival instinct played a significant role.

And that peculiar sensation was stirring the same unease at this current moment.

It was because of events that day.

─ White, could you lend me that watch?

After mentoring ended earlier in the day, she had lent Isaac the platinum pocket watch. It was a small watch she had received as a gift from her mother.

The abnormal phenomenon occurring in the watch was getting worse, and now the entire face was on the verge of turning pitch black. Isaac had said he had a guess about the phenomenon and wanted to borrow the watch for just one day to analyze the definitive cause.

It was a watch with special significance. She regarded it as her mother's only gift unrelated to the assassination attempts. Therefore, she preferred it if it didn’t pass through anyone else's hands, but if Isaac could discover the cause of the anomaly, White thought she could manage the rest and repair it, so she decided it would be okay to entrust the watch to him for a day.

But…

From time to time, Isaac had casually mentioned he was investigating the cause of the phenomenon appearing in the watch.

He claimed it was out of interest in the intriguing phenomenon, but was that really the reason?

She thought back to Isaac during the joint practical evaluation.

Isaac had momentarily hardened his expression upon seeing White's watch. White had pretended not to notice, but it seemed he knew something.

Why did you make that expression, Senior Isaac?

Isaac was a senior known for his deep consideration and vast knowledge; he was a reliable ally who always looked out for White’s wellbeing.

Therefore, White felt a strong sense of unease at that time.

The timing was perfect, as Isaac, a model student, was absent from an event that all students were required to attend.

If there was a mechanism in that watch capable of killing, and the darkening of the dial pitch black was a sign of its activation?

What if it turned out that the watch was a sort of assassination device made by magic?

Perhaps Isaac already knew what the abnormal phenomenon occurring in the watch was?

Perhaps he spared White the knowledge, certain that something unspeakable was about to happen?

Could it be that the demonic spirit of her mother, who had already lost her life, extended to even the academy?

No, it couldn’t be… It can’t be.

Let’s not entertain such fantasies.

It mustn’t be so. White fervently hoped it was just her misconception.

Eventually, the event reached its final stage.

Followers, centered around Saintess Bianca Anturaze, reached the front of the altar. Wearing a pure white veil and holy garments, the saintly robe that enveloped Bianca's entire body gave off an impression of purity and mystery, like untrodden snow.

As Bianca knelt in front of the altar, everyone bowed their heads and clasped their hands.

Silence pervaded.

Lord Manhalla, your humble servant offers a prayer.

Bianca began to pray on behalf of everyone. Her voice spread through the loudspeakers.

In the past, you entrusted the future to us.

Headmistress Elena Woodline looked out the window from the top floor of Orphin Hall, the Magic Department's lecture building, with a tense expression.

Her eyes stayed fixed on Bartos Hall, a palace-like building and the hub of academic administration.

In that room, Hegel Tower Master Aria Lilias sipped tea while sitting on a sofa.

You have sown the seeds of blessing in this land, promising us a life of abundance.

A powerful barrier began to unfold along the outer walls of Bartos Hall.

Injured security personnel hurried out of the building. They were following Headmistress Elena's prior instructions to prioritize escape and avoid combat should any incident occur.

They reported to the Headmistress as messengers.

“A traitor has emerged! Student Council President, Alice Carroll! Alice Carroll!! That student is the culprit! We need backup immediately!”

A traitor has appeared.

Headmistress Elena Woodline narrowed her eyes.

Our prosperity was solely due to the divine grace of the Lord.

Somewhere in the academy, the Trump Paladins moved in unison, leading their troops.

Following the orders of Alice Carroll, they took their positions throughout the academy.

We follow the Lord and give thanks.

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky began to swirl around Bartos Hall. Beneath them, a dark violet magical circle traced its path.

Subsequently, a translucent golden barrier, constructed of time magic, unfolded atop Bartos Hall.

Allow us to praise you eternally...

GUUUUUUUUUU!!!

The prayer Saintess Bianca was chanting was swallowed by a ground-shaking roar.

Bianca stopped praying. No one questioned the sudden cessation of her prayer.

Everyone's gaze turned towards Bartos Hall, right after a sinister mana had descended upon the academy.

A monster's head emerged from the magic circle in the sky. As the creature pulled its entire body out of the circle, the figure of a massive dragon became visible.

“What is that?”

“A dragon…?”

Sharp reptilian claws.

Large wings enveloped in reddish purple fire mana.

Sturdy-looking scales.

An 8-star black dragon magic beast, the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock, roared as its four eyes gleamed.

[GRAAAAAAHH!!]

People in the plaza held their breath and froze at the sight.

The imperial knights, initially stunned by its overwhelming presence, quickly drew their swords, ready for combat.

Fear spread throughout the plaza.

While everyone was attending the Seed Spreading Day event, someone had taken over Bartos Hall. It was clear to everyone in the plaza that their intentions were malicious.

A terrorist attack had unfolded at the academy.

At that moment.

Chalang!

KWAAAAANG!!

[GRAAAAGH!!]

A brilliantly shining starlight explosion enveloped the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock.

Soon after, a female student wearing a witch's hat appeared around the dragon, surrounded by a swarm of stars, as if she had anticipated this very situation.

It was Dorothy Heartnova.

Dorothy unfolded a rainbow-colored magic circle and emitted several rays of starlight. The beams attempted to break the golden barrier deployed on the rooftop of Bartos Hall but dissipated as soon as they touched it as if they were completely blocked.

It didn't even feel like they were being blocked; it seemed as though the attack was completely shut down at its source.

“It’s not breaking through…!”

Dorothy, with her witch's hat firmly on, surveyed the rooftop of Bartos Hall. She could see a huge golden magic circle filling the rooftop beyond the translucent barrier, and Alice Carroll standing in the middle of it.

It seemed as if she was praying to a god. As if it was not the time to be concerned about Dorothy, Alice took out a peculiar pocket watch, which floated in mid-air and emitted a golden mana.

After that, an otherworldly monolith slowly took shape.

A forbidden magic that defied truth. A cornerstone for invoking a 9-star time-acceleration spell, [Obelisk of Eternity].

“You’ve finally shown your true nature, Alice!!”

A smile spread across Dorothy's lips.

So, that’s the Phantasmal Clock.

The Phantasmal Clock was an object found and kept by Alice’s minion in another world, and destroying it was Isaac's primary goal.

Isaac had said during the strategy meeting that there was a great risk of not even getting a look at the clock if they attacked when Alice hadn't taken out the Phantasmal Clock. It would have been futile.

This meant that from the moment Alice took out the Phantasmal Clock…

…Dorothy was free to strike down the “villain” Alice however she saw fit.

However, Isaac had entrusted Dorothy with the role of keeping the academy safe while restraining the Nightmare Dragon. She wanted to quickly defeat the giant dragon and move on to take down Alice.

Dorothy continuously deployed rainbow-colored magic circles.

Whooooosh!

KUUUUUH!

Struck by the starlight beam, the Nightmare Dragon, in agony, retaliated by spewing a broad expanse of reddish-purple flames.

To protect the academy, Dorothy deployed a large starlight barrier to block the flames.

[Meowww!]

Then, from behind Dorothy, a chubby purple cat familiar, Phantom Cat Cheshire, appeared.

Dorothy turned her head back and stared blankly at the Phantom Cat. The Phantom Cat smiled creepily, its grin split ear to ear.

[Hello, Dorothy.]

“Hello, fatty.”

[I wish you wouldn’t interfere.]

“Nihihi, what nonsense are you spouting?”

It was just as Isaac had said. Facing the Nightmare Dragon might mean dealing with someone like Phantom Cat Cheshire.

Regardless, the task at hand remained unchanged.

With her gaze fixed on the Phantom Cat, Dorothy extended her arm towards the Nightmare Dragon. Gradually, her hand grasped at the empty air.

A swarm of stars mercilessly swirled around the Nightmare Dragon. At the same time, with a crashing sound, gravity intensified from every direction and attempted to crush the Nightmare Dragon.

Had it been an ordinary creature, it would have instantly crumpled like a crushed can, but the sturdy-bodied Nightmare Dragon fiercely roared and resisted.

Beneath Dorothy's witch hat, from the shadowed corners of her eyes,

Mysterious-colored pupils gleamed with an inner light.

“Somebody’s going to die today.”

With a smile, Dorothy glared at Cheshire.

"Sir Isaac, the enemies have dispersed."

I was hiding, holding my breath with Kaya Astrea, at a location some distance away from Bartos Hall.

Since the Phantom Cat Cheshire had cast detection magic in the area in advance, we couldn’t stay close to Bartos Hall and decided to move with minimal personnel just in case.

So, we were secretly hiding in a spot untouched by the Phantom Cat Cheshire’s detection magic, biding our time.

Since the academy's combat forces and the Imperial knights were bound to converge, the Trump Paladins and their troops intended to defend Bartos Hall.

In the game, depending on which route one took toward Bartos Hall, you’d face different mid-bosses. However, we had no intention of wasting time on such foes.

I looked up at the sky. As expected, Phantom Cat Cheshire had begun to engage Dorothy alongside the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock.

Dorothy was a formidable opponent. Even a powerful familiar like the Nightmare Dragon wouldn’t be enough to stop Dorothy, so Alice had the Phantom Cat join in as well.

With Chesire focused on its own fight, I activated [Clairvoyance] to survey Bartos Hall. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

In the Alice Subjugation of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Alice killed all the staff remaining in Bartos Hall because they were in the way. After that, Alice showed a dramatic change, becoming a psychopath who enjoyed killing.

To prevent such a shitty scenario, I had asked Aria Lilias, the Hegel Tower Master, to ensure Bartos Hall was emptied during the Seed Spreading Day event.

She relayed my request to the academy's Headmistress, Elena Woodline, as a request from the Nameless Hero.

Thanks to her, all the staff remaining in Bartos Hall attended the Seed Spreading Day event and avoided death.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Sir Isaac."

Kaya and I began to move together.

The destination was Bartos Hall, the palace-like building at the center of Märchen Academy, now occupied by Alice.

[Status] Name: Isaac Lv: 124 Gender: Male Year: 2 Title: Skilled Second Year Mana: 49850/49900 – Mana Recovery Speed (A)