Chapter 24 Aerora’s Reverse Scale
Shaya’s gaze, akin to that of a famished beast, made the thug feel incredibly uneasy all over.
He was the one who came to pillage and destroy, and the students at the academy should have been lambs to the slaughter.
But in front of him, this male student gave him the distinct feeling of being the prey, as if he were a sheep targeted by a wolf pack.
However, no matter what.
At least the other party’s recounting of his faith’s doctrine was flawless.
And when he spoke, his expression was filled with an uncontrollable excitement and fervor.
Such an expression was not fake; only the most fanatical believer would be like this.
He hadn’t expected to encounter a supporter of his Ash doctrine in Saint Roland Academy, such an elite institution in the Imperial Capital.
Thinking this, the thug’s expression softened a bit. “In a country ruled by heretics, it is truly precious that you can still hear my Master’s teachings.”
“Of course! I’ve been a member of the ‘FFF Group’ for ages. Whenever I see those sickeningly sweet couples showing affection, I just want to burn them all.”
Shaya leaped from the bed, rubbing his hands together with excitement, and took a few steps closer to the black-robed thug.
“It’s just a pity that this damnable heretic empire’s Royal Family has always suppressed my Master’s teachings, which is why I’ve had to lay low, pretending to be an atheist.”
“But now it’s great, we’ve finally found our organization!”
“Can I join the organization now? Both of us are supporters of the Lord of Ashes.”
Shaya’s enthusiasm made the black-robed thug a little uncomfortable.
He awkwardly avoided Shaya’s fervent gaze and said in a deep voice, “The requirements to join the Order are extremely strict.”
“Among the trials, only the most devout believers can pass.”
“Moreover, during the assessment, if your faith in my Master wavers even slightly, you will be burned to ashes by my Master’s Blackflame.”
“If you are prepared, then after we are done here, I can bring you to the Patriarch to apply for the propagation ritual.”
“No problem. Our faith is firm, and we will definitely pass the test.”
Shaya readily agreed, then suddenly leaned close to the black-robed thug and lowered his voice, “Speaking of which, is the organization planning some action within Saint Roland Academy?”
“I’ve been here for three years, so I’m intimately familiar with the academy’s layout, as well as the strength distribution of the instructors and students in each year. If I can use this information to help my Master fulfill His will, it would be the highest honor for me.”
Listening to Shaya’s words, the black-robed thug frowned slightly.
But considering the information about the terrain and powerful individuals that the other party mentioned, it could indeed be of great help to their actions.
Finally, he nodded. “My Master has descended a divine oracle: the Freista Empire’s Royal Family is obstinate and has repeatedly refused propagation, thus they must be punished.”
“The Patriarch leads us precisely for this purpose.”
Shaya quickly chimed in, “It should be so.”
“However, this place is adjacent to the Imperial Capital, and even not counting the academy’s principal and vice-principal, several of the deans possess the strength of a Four Rings Beast Master or higher. The Imperial Capital itself can summon powerful reinforcements at any time.”
“No matter how powerful the Patriarch is, he might be outnumbered.”
“So, this time, to ensure my Master’s divine oracle can be fulfilled, the Patriarch should have brought a sacred relic with him…”
The black-robed thug glanced at Shaya with some surprise, seemingly not expecting him to deduce so much information from just a few words. “That is indeed the case.”
“The Patriarch carries a finger bone from my Master’s Ash body, from before He ascended to the divine throne.”
“Oh, I see.”
Shaya lowered his head, preventing the black-robed thug from seeing his expression. “Then… that finger bone the Patriarch carries should also be of the Fire attribute, right?”
“Of course.”
“My Master is the hottest in this world, the symbol of the world-ending Blackflame capable of incinerating planes.”
“Even a mere remnant of His Incarnation before ascending to godhood must be the most powerful Fire in existence…”
The black-robed thug’s words came to an abrupt halt.
He finally realized something was wrong.
For some reason, from the moment they started talking, he had developed an inexplicable sense of closeness and trust towards this student.
He had even treated him as a trustworthy fellow disciple within the Order, answering almost every question, spilling out both what he should and shouldn’t have.
But in reality, the two of them had previously been in an adversarial relationship, one as a thug and the other as a victim.
He looked at Shaya suspiciously, and flames began to swirl around the pitch-black scythe in his hand, indicating that his familiar was likely some kind of fire-elemental creature.
“You…”
He raised the flaming scythe towards Shaya, but before he could utter his question—
In the next instant.
A dazzling light flashed, illuminating the dim yellow sky.
A silver spear broke through the air.
It tore through the atmosphere, stirred up a storm, and pierced through everything that stood in its way.
A tenth of a breath later—
*Clink*—
That was the sound of a metal sickle hitting the ground.
The black-robed thug stared blankly at the sickle that had fallen to the ground, the flames attached to it gradually dissipating.
This indicated that the elemental familiar attached to the sickle was rapidly losing its life.
And for a familiar to die without its contracted Beast Tamer being harmed—
The only possibility was that the Beast Tamer who had contracted it was already dead.
The black-robed thug looked down belatedly, then saw the gaping hole in his chest.
He fell straight to the ground, his eyes wide open.
The black-robed thug was considered an elite within the Ash Cult; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been chosen by the Patriarch to participate in this attack on Saint Roland Academy.
His strength, at the peak of Second Ring, made him one of the top-tier students in Saint Roland Academy. Coupled with years of battle experience in the cult, he should have easily mowed down the academy’s students, who were like flowers nurtured in a greenhouse with almost no practical combat experience.
And the black-robed thug hadn’t actually died due to underestimating his opponent or being careless; he had maintained a state of familiar infusion throughout the encounter.
Yet, he was still instantly killed, dying with his eyes wide open.
“I was just thinking his value hadn’t been fully exploited yet—”
“I was planning to use Tsukuyomi to infiltrate their group. Little Ai, you really didn’t need to act so decisively.”
Shaya looked at the corpse in front of him and shook his head with regret.
“What a shame. Next time, remember to break their limbs and leave them alive.”
Beside Shaya, Aerora was wiping bloodstains from her silver spear with a tissue.
Her original academy uniform had disappeared at some point, replaced by silver-white plate armor. The cute face beneath the knight’s helmet remained as clear and cold as ever.
“He drew his weapon against you.”
Her answer was still devoid of emotion.
Shaya understood the underlying meaning: basically, “I heard everything you said, and I understand the reasoning, but no promises for next time.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do.”
Shaya shrugged.
He knew his childhood friend’s stubbornness; once she set her mind on something, even ten Pureblood Dragons couldn’t change it. Thus, he hadn’t held much hope of convincing her from the start.
“Rest in peace, brother.”
Shaya crouched down and gently closed the unseeing eyes of the black-robed thug’s corpse.
“Honestly, I did want to spare your life.”
“But who told you to touch my tigress’s reverse scale?”
