SRS 63

During the break after second period, Yohan ran into a problem while heading to the Herbology classroom to prepare for the next class.

“The hallway to the classroom’s blocked?”

At his question, Suhyeok, who had stopped him on the stairs to explain the situation, shook his head in disbelief.

“Yes. It’s completely covered in some weird black sticky stuff. It doesn’t burn, and you can’t cut it either. Melek tried to force his way through, and the thing swallowed him. It looked dangerous, so everyone decided to stay away from the hallway…”

“…So Melek’s the problem again.”

Yohan sighed and massaged his forehead. For a place called Fantasiademia, nothing about it ever was fantastic, it was just maddening.

“Let’s go take a look. I’ll understand better if I see it myself.”

“If you say so. Just don’t get too close. And don’t jump in trying to save him.”

“I won’t.”

Yohan usually tried to help anyone who asked for it, but when it came to Melek, he always hesitated. Even if he saved him, the student would just get himself in trouble again the next time.

At this point, even hearing Melek’s name alone was enough to make Yohan think, ‘What, he did something again?’

Yohan took a deep breath and climbed the stairs toward the hallway leading to the Herbology room, then stopped. As Suhyeok had said, a massive black sticky mass spread across the corridor, sealing it completely like a curtain.

He couldn’t go any farther. The lower part of the black barrier looked swollen, which meant Melek was probably trapped inside.

“He really got swallowed.”

The thing obviously looked dangerous, why had he tried to run at it barehanded? Melek’s absurd courage always left Yohan amazed. No wonder he’d ended up as Hegel’s errand boy. It was as if Melek spent every waking moment proving that point.

No one doubted it, so why did he work so hard to prove it?

“What do you want to do?”

“For now… since class starts soon, let’s wait for the professor to arrive.”

Yohan checked his watch and decided. There were only about five minutes left before class began, so Professor Will would be here any minute.

If the professor came, he’d surely be able to rescue Melek.

Suhyeok nodded as Yohan decided to believe in the professor and wait.

“Alright. Everyone! Yohan says we’re waiting for the professor! Don’t do anything reckless and just hold on!”

He passed Yohan’s decision to the others.

“What? Yohan said to wait? Then it must really be dangerous.”

“Hey, hey! Don’t go near it! Yohan’s not helping this time!”

“Move back! If you get caught, no one’s coming for you!”

“……”

Hearing their reactions, Yohan made a strange face. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it felt like his friends were pushing the cleanup of every disaster onto him.

Wiggle

At that moment, the convex corner within the black barrier moved faintly. It was evidence that Melek was still alive.

Relieved, Yohan waited until, one minute before class, he caught sight of Professor Will coming up the stairs and hurried over to explain.

“There’s a sticky black thing blocking the hall?”

The elf professor, hearing the news for the first time, climbed the stairs to check.

“For reference, Melek has been eaten.”

“Hmm…”

The professor stroked his chin, deep in thought. Yohan furrowed his brows and stepped back a little. When the professor reacted like that, it was never a good sign.

“Hmm… hmmm… mmm…”

The elf professor repeatedly hummed. Then he snapped his fingers and smiled kindly.

“Ah! I don’t know what kind of creature this is either. It probably crossed over from another dimension.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Since Fantasiademia exists near a dimensional gate, phenomena like this happen once in a while. Alright, we’ll report the unknown creature to the headmaster , and… looks like today’s classroom is closed. I was planning a herb-matching test today anyway, so we can just do it behind the mountain.”

Professor Will pulled a notebook from his robe, tore out a page, scribbled something, and threw it into the air. The page folded itself into the shape of a bird and flew off through the window.

It must have been heading to the headmaster.

That was the professor’s final action.

He didn’t try to remove the sticky mess, didn’t clean up the goo covering the floor, and didn’t even attempt to save Melek. He simply gave up on the classroom and began heading toward the mountain.

“Professor? Melek is still trapped in there.”

Suhyeok spoke up for him. The professor blinked slowly, then even more slowly looked at the students.

“So what?”

“……”

The tone made it sound like, ‘Why are you telling me that?’ and even Suhyeok fell silent, unsure how to respond. The elf adjusted his glasses and smiled gently.

“A student of Fantasiademia should take responsibility for their own carelessness. I’m sure Melek’s in there reflecting on his actions. Now, shall we go have our class?”

“……”

The atmosphere turned cold and silent, but Professor Will walked away as if nothing had happened. Yohan exchanged looks with his friends.

Let’s never mess with Professor Will.

Their eyes alone agreed on it as they looked back. Their poor, fragile moth Melek was still wriggling inside the black barrier, his outline just barely visible through it.

As the mass began to struggle more violently, seemingly begging to be saved, Yohan looked at it and thought there was nothing he could do when even the professor had walked away. He turned to leave, then stopped in place.

“…Ah.”

Yohan covered his face with one hand and let out a short, defeated sigh.

“Yohan, don’t tell me you’re…”

Suhyeok gave him a look of disbelief. Yohan felt unfairly accused for his own nature, then smiled awkwardly.

“Go on ahead. If the professor asks where I am… tell him the headmaster called for me.”

It wasn’t even a lie. He really was planning to meet the headmaster after this. He’d made up his mind, he needed to file a proper complaint at least once.

“Will you be alright?”

“Yes.”

“…I’m sorry. I want to help, but if I get caught too, I won’t be able to explain it.”

“It’s fine.”

Yohan reassured his apologetic friend, and gently pushed his back to send him along to the others. Suhyeok looked reluctant but eventually stepped away.

“Be careful.”

“Yes.”

Nodding at the warning, Yohan saw him off and then turned back toward the huge black mass covering the corridor.

Squirm, squirm.

The black bulge that was probably Melek moved again. Apparently, he was very happy that at least one person had stayed behind.

“…Melek. When I save you, please stop getting into trouble.”

Yohan muttered in frustration, then closed his eyes and tried to focus.

He had no idea how to deal with it, but since it was a black mass, maybe divine power would work. He decided to test it carefully within his limits.

Flash!

Light flowed from his body, and the black slime recoiled ever so slightly. That was all, but it was enough to confirm that it was weak against divine power. Convinced, Yohan focused even more intensely and shaped his divine power into a cutting blade.

Just like when he fought the golems, he gave the energy a defined form and sent it away from his body.

“…I didn’t think this morning’s class would come in handy right away.”

In this school, learning everything you could was always the smart move. Yohan silently thanked Mikael, then used his divine power to slash the black slime.

Swoosh.

The sticky mass split apart, and Melek’s terrified face appeared for a brief moment. His pupils shrank in fear as he spotted Yohan and opened his mouth to speak.

But the slime stretched and sealed itself back up, repairing the cut.

“Ah.”

Yohan sighed and swung his divine power again.

Once wasn’t enough. He had to cut multiple times, quickly and precise.

As he focused and attacked again, the slime suddenly reacted. It must have recognized him as an enemy, because the black forms clinging to the walls shot toward him.

Startled, Yohan jumped back, but the attacks didn’t stop. The pieces slammed into the floor and bounced right back at him. Dozens of them moved the same way, forcing Yohan to shield himself with divine power. The moment he did, the blade-like control of his energy broke apart and scattered.

“Ugh.”

In an instant, his back was blocked as more of the black blobs formed a wall behind him. He was trapped. There was no way out now, so the only choice left was to destroy the creature completely. Gritting his teeth, Yohan unleashed a massive surge of divine power.

“Yohan?”

From above the hallway, where the slime hadn’t reached, a window opened. Mikael stepped through it.

“Mikael? What are you doing here?”

Yohan stared at him, startled. The white-haired student descended from the window and landed beside him.

“The headmaster sent me.”

“……”

Yohan froze in disbelief.

So the professor had reported the appearance of an unknown creature to the headmaster, and instead of coming himself, the headmaster had sent… a first-year assistant?

“Wow…”

Yohan couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief. He had no idea why someone like that was called a holy being.