The Academy’s Barbarian

Chapter 71: You Are a Prophet (5)

The body of Quinth was split in half; the two halves of his body crumbled as if collapsing, spilling out slimy intestines and bodily fluids. Numerous eyeballs that had been hanging around his neck also rolled on the ground.

Plop! Thud!

The Magic Eyes scattered like beads; among them was a Magic Eye that could see up to 5 seconds into the future, but Ulan turned away, seemingly uninterested.

'That makes six in total.'

With that, he had killed every single one of the Abyss Worshippers Noah had mentioned.

Nevertheless, Ulan couldn't afford to be complacent. He used Search, just in case there were any more enemies. But fortunately there was no sign of them, so he finally relaxed his guard.

After wiping the blood and flesh off his axe, Ulan headed straight for Dilia.

Dilia lay slumped over Bai Lang's body. She was silent, without even a twitch.

"Has she lost consciousness?"

Perhaps it was because the tension was released with a sense of relief. And there was also the reason for the magic shock.

Fortunately, her breathing and pulse were normal, so Ulan sighed in relief.

"I suppose it can't be helped."

He soon grabbed Dilia by her waist; then he hoisted her onto his shoulder. She was small and light so it wasn't much of a struggle.

"Okay, then......."

What to do now? With the Abyss Worshippers gone, it was safe to say that all threats were eliminated.

Should he return to the academy as it is? Or should he find Professor Stella and join other students?

Just as he was contemplating his options, a sudden sound shattered his thoughts.

Squelching! Chewing!

It was the sound of the white wolf. It was frantically picking at something.

What on earth was it eating? Out of curiosity, Ulan glanced at it, and at that moment, he wrinkled his forehead. He suddenly realized what it was eating.

It was devouring eyeballs. Specifically, the magical eyes that Quinth had carried around his neck.

Or, more accurately, it was absorbing the power and mana from the eyes, spitting out the eyeballs.

"Is that good?"

[Grrrling!]

The white wolf seemed to laugh as if to say yes.

After a short time passed, the white wolf, who had finished its own meal, suddenly perked up its pointed ears. Then, as if melting into Ulan's shadow, it disappeared.

At the same time, Ulan sensed a familiar presence from a distance and soon, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Ulan!"

It was Professor Stella, with green hair and yellow eyes.

Coming through the bushes, she widened her eyes as if surprised. It was because she spotted Dilia, who was leaning on Ulan's shoulder.

"Di, Dilia is?! Is she okay? Is she hurt a lot?!"

"She just lost consciousness."

"Really? Oh, thank goodness," Stella was genuinely relieved. However, the sense of relief did not last long, "More than that, this is not the time! We have to hurry to the academy and request support."

"Suddenly, what's the matter?"

"What? Didn't you hear from Dilia?"

"About what?"

"All the monsters and illusions that appeared in the forest were because the Abyss Worshipers attacked..."

Stella's desperate tone continued but soon she clamped her mouth shut. She had to. Only now did she witness the scene unfolding behind Ulan's shoulders.

"......!"

A battlefield filled with blood and corpses.

Mages, presumably Abyss worshippers, had either lost their heads or been split into halves.

As she stared at the scene in disbelief, Ulan spoke, "There are no more Abyss Worshippers."

The answer that somehow sounded eerie. However, it also sounded like an answer that signaled that all threats had disappeared.

That was the last time she heard that calm voice.

With that simple voice as the last, the hellish night came to an end.

* * * * *

The next day, after dawn broke

the Practical Hunt exam was immediately canceled.

At the same time, Arsene Academy, upon receiving Stella's report, was thrown into chaos. Of course they would be. The sudden attack by the Abyss Worshippers, and the revelation that their purpose was to kidnap the students.

A team was dispatched for an investigation to determine the truth, and soon the toll from the night was calculated; there were a total of five casualties.

All of them were agents of the Special Operations Unit who had been assigned to escort the students.

Fortunately, there were no casualties among the students. Most of them had lost consciousness and were trapped on the outskirts of the forest.

Perhaps because of that? The publicized version of the incident was that the students were safe because the Special Operations Unit risked their lives to confront the Abyssal Cultists.

This, of course, was not the truth.

The real hero who faced off against the Abyss Worshippers was none other than Ulan. However, the Military Studies department, which received the first report, deliberately concealed the truth.

The reason was simple.

It would be inconvenient in many ways if Ulan's true strength was revealed. Fortunately, there were few witnesses, so it was not difficult to fabricate a lie.

After finishing the false announcement, Military Studies Department Dean, Berge Erkazan, sighed with a troubled look on his face, "Huuu."

It was because he felt uneasy.

Even if it was for the good of the Empire and the military, it was an undeniable fact that he had taken away Ulan's credit.

That's why he sighed over and over again.

At that time, a middle-aged knight with blue hair who was guarding Berge spoke up, "Don't take it too hard, my Lord."

"......Sir Seoric."

"Please understand when the day comes for Ulan to be with the Empire, he will surely understand. This incident was for a great cause."

Seoric al-Ghorfant

One of the Five Swords of the Empire.

Berge responded to Seoric's comfort with a hesitant expression, not showing his discomfort, "I wish it were so......"

"It will be," Seoric said with a smile.

Was it because of his comfort? The troubled emotions that were seen on Berge's face disappeared quite a bit.

After a moment, Berge looked at Seric; as if remembering something he'd forgotten, "......You, by the way."

"Yes, please."

"Don't you have to go back to the front?"

After his duel with Ulan last month, unlike Count Deorg, who returned to his territory, Seoric still remained at the academy; with the pretext of taking a break a little longer since he had come so close to the capital.

On the other hand, Seoric burst out laughing at Berge's words, "The West front will be fine without me."

"You say the same thing as Lord Istan."

Anyway, Masters are all the same; every single one of them was a battle-crazed bastard.

As he looked at Seoric as if he was fed up, this time Seoric spoke to him first, "My Lord."

"......Why are you calling me?"

"Is the Ulan subversion operation still in progress?"

The moment he said the word subversion, Seoric's eyes became fierce.

"You cannot hide the dagger in my pocket forever. I think it would be wise to put it into the arms of the Empire as soon as possible, even if momentarily..."

"Huuu, I wish I could do it myself," Berge sighed; as if to vent his frustration, "But you know, the military doesn't have the resources right now, especially now that His Majesty Shartrand has made his decision."

"He said it would be this fall, right?"

"Yes, just in time for the start of the second semester," Berger nodded.

At the same time, Seoric's face hardened, "There will be a bloody storm in the imperial court."

"What's new? It happens every time an empire changes hands."

Unlike Seoric's serious expression, Berge broke into a full-blown laugh; a dry laugh, devoid of the slightest trace of emotion.

After a moment, Berge casually turned the conversation elsewhere, "Rather, if you're idle enough to stay here, I'd like you to share my troubles."

"What kind of trouble?"

"About a reward for Ulan."

"A reward?"

Seoric's eyes widened a bit; as if hearing an unexpected answer.

"In a way, this incident can be seen as a loss for the special forces, right? So, once this situation is resolved, I intend to give an appropriate reward."

It was a gesture of consideration for Ulan. it was an intention to alleviate the uncomfortable feelings. Upon hearing this, Seoric responded as if asking why he was stating the obvious, "Why don't you ask Ulan directly?"

"What? Directly?"

"Yes, by doing that, you can find out if he has any wishes or personal purpose he's pursuing."

That was it.

At this point, Berge blinked. He understood what Seoric was trying to convey.

"Well then, if I find out his purpose..."

"You can use it as material for future subversion."

Theoric smiled faintly. So did Bergo. Not a bad plan, he thought.

When their laughter subsided, Seoric pursed his lips again, "If you don't mind, leave it to me."

"Hmm? To you?"

"Yes, I've been thinking about something," Seric's eyes sparkled; as if he had thought of a clever plan.

* * * * *

The evening of the official announcement from the Military Studies department, Ulan went to the cafeteria with Noah.

It was to thank Noah for warning him of the threat with her prophecy. He also wanted to tell her about what happened in the forest.

How long had it been?

"This is what happened in the forest."

The long story ended; everything from the attack by the six Abyss Worshippers to the illusions. Noah, meanwhile, pursed her lips nervously, "T-then the Abyss Worshippers......."

"I killed them all," Ulan replied in a nonchalant tone and Noah swallowed hard.

It was understandable.

From what had been briefly mentioned in the original story, all six Abyss Worshippers had been advanced-level mages or better.

'But he said he killed them all?'

That too, without a scratch?

Noah looked at Ulan in disbelief but she breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Well, at least theyre safe.

Thanks to Ulan's intervention, Dilia's death spiral had been avoided. Now, until the Trial of a Warrior, there were no death points for Dilia.

Just as she was about to rejoice in this realization

"Ulan!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out; a pale blonde girl came running, panting. It was Ibella Elearde.

She approached with a worried expression, as if she had heard some news. Then, she immediately looked at Ulan's body from head to toe and asked, "A-are you okay?! Is there anywhere you're hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Really? Ah, thank goodness."

Ibella was genuinely relieved.

After taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she told them the reason she had come running, "I just happened to hear an announcement from the military studies department. I heard that the Abyss Worshippers had attacked the northern forests......."

That's how she had come to find Ulan.

As she was explaining the circumstances, Noah laughed as if she didn't understand why she was worried, "There was nothing to worry about, Ulan is a master."

"That's true, but when I heard it, I didn't think about it. Anyway, I'm so glad you're safe," Ibella smiled brightly.

Ulan smiled back, too. He could hear the genuine concern in her response.

As the conversation was coming to an end, Noah suddenly noticed something, "Huh? But what's that?"

"Oh, those are the letters from my mom."

Ibella poured out the letters she had been carrying in her arms onto the table; a considerable amount. There were over ten of them. After a moment, she leaned forward, "There's also a letter from ...... the Count." She said in a small voice, like a crawl. It was a somewhat bashful reaction.

But just as quickly, Ibella pulled out a letter and handed it to Ulan, "Here, take this."

After taking the letter in a daze, Ulan tilted his head, "Why are you giving me this?"

"Because it's for Ulan."

"To me?"

He looked at the envelope in disbelief. Sure enough. It had Ulan's name on it. The letter's sender was Istan el Deorg.

One of the Five Swords of the Empire, and the father of Ibella, who had to Ulan in a duel last month.

Why would he send a letter to Ulan? Suddenly, his curiosity was piqued.

"Can I read it?"

"Sure, go ahead."

As soon as she said yes, Ulan tore open the envelope. And when he took out the letter inside, his expression hardened; it was quite thick.

He thought maybe the Count used a thick-quality letter paper, but his guess was wrong. There were just seven sheets of ordinary letter paper inside.

Gulp!

Unintentionally swallowing dryly, Ulan briefly glanced at the letter before promptly folding it. The tiny size of the letter paper was the reason; it was densely filled with minuscule characters.

As soon as he saw up to this point...

Swoosh!

Ulan slid the letter back into the envelope.

Ibella looked at it in disbelief and asked, "Huh? You're not going to read it?"

"I'll read it later, slowly."

To read it all would take at least a week, maybe more.

As he pocketed the letter...

Ding! Dong!

the clock tower in the square chimed, signaling the end of all scheduled lectures for the day. Simultaneously, it marked 6 o'clock in the evening.

And the moment he heard it, Ulan rose from his seat.

"If you'll excuse me."

"Huh? You're leaving already?" Ibella asked, surprised; with a hint of regret.

Of course, it was natural. She'd just met Ulan, and she wanted to talk to him a bit more.

"Is there something you need to do?"

"I need to stop by the hospital."

"Oh, you're going to see Dilia?"

As Noah said, Dilia was currently hospitalized in the Military Studies department's general ward.

The diagnosis was that she would be there for at least a week, due to shock and mana exhaustion caused by excessive use of mana.

But that wasn't the reason for Ulan's visit.

"No, they want me to come in for an examination."

"What? Examination?"

"What examination? I thought you said you weren't hurt."

Noah and Ibella asked in surprise.

Facing the two girls, Ulan explained the examination he would undergo.

Unknowing Abyss Worshippers are madmen who practice forbidden magic with tainted mana. Therefore, there was a possibility that he may have been affected by the tainted mana, so he received a call to undergo a thorough examination.

On the other hand, after Ulan's explanation was over, the two girls had an understanding expression.

"Hmm, if that's the reason, there's nothing I can do."

"Goodbye, Ulan."

Ibella waved wistfully.

As they parted ways, Ulan turned.

Toward the general ward of the Military Studies department.

(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )

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