Even After Reincarnation, I'm Going to the Academy

Chapter 10

『 Translator – Divinity 』

Meanwhile, Reinhardt, who had been kidnapped, finally regained consciousness.

'Where...'

He clutched his head, which was dizzy from exposure to magical power, and looked around.

Old and worn-out or collapsed building walls, a gaping hole in the ceiling, vines tangled everywhere...

It didn't seem like it had collapsed from something; rather, it was simply a ruin that had been left unattended for a long time.

Clatter, clatter!

And that wasn't all.

Beyond the collapsed building walls, skeletons were roaming around.

'I-is this hell?'

Reinhardt's mental state crumbled rapidly.

Clatter, clatter!

At the sound of approaching bones colliding with each other, he hurriedly closed his eyes.

A skeleton, presumably the one that had captured Reinhardt, was approaching him, wielding a white bone as a weapon.

'I-I'm screwed...'

Reinhardt gulped.

Although he had gone to capture the dark mage, he hadn't been worried because he had knights and a priest escorting him.

But that was a wrong choice.

'I should have stayed put when they told me to...!'

Clank, clank!

The skeleton approached Reinhardt, making a noise by clashing its bones.

Reinhardt squeezed his eyes shut.

Clank, clank?

The skeleton, examining him from all angles, tilted its head in confusion.

《It seems like he just woke up?》

It poked him with the bone it was holding like a sword, but he didn't budge.

Even if he hadn't woken up yet, there should be at least a slight movement!

The glow in the skeleton's eyes wavered.

Clank, clank!

The skeleton shouted urgently.

《He's dead!》

《What?》

《Everyone come here and take a look! I poked him, but he's not moving!》

Although it wasn't audible in human language, the skeletons had their own way of communicating.

Led by the skeleton that had called out in an unknown way, other skeletons surrounded Reinhardt.

Clank, clank, clank, clank!

Reinhardt was inwardly terrified by the intensified sound of bones.

His tightly closed eyes trembled.

The skeletons tilted their skulls, trying to determine whether Reinhardt was truly alive or not.

《Is he really alive?》

《I don't know! Master summoned us too weakly!》

In the midst of their serious discussion, a skeleton with a pink, flower-shaped hair tie on its skull stepped forward.

《Everyone, get out of the way! You idiots! Don't you have brains?》

《Neither do you!》

《I have a virtual brain! I'm on a different level than you guys! I'll check if he's alive or dead!》

《Why should we trust a childish skeleton with a pink, flower-shaped hair tie?》

The skeleton's objection was ignored.

It was more important to make a contribution and receive more power from the master than to pay attention to such a guy.

He raised his bony arm, which had a pink ribbon tied around it.

《We'll know if we poke him! Master will heal him if he gets hurt!》

《What? What if he dies!》

《Humans don't die from being poked in the leg! You know that!》

《That's true! Alright! Let's poke him!》

Reinhardt couldn't understand the skeletons' conversation, but he grasped the general atmosphere.

'S-Save me...!'

They might kill him!

He hurriedly opened his eyes and shouted,

"S-Stop!"

《What?》

《This guy, he declared "stop"!》

《Tsk. We have to stop when it was getting fun…》

'D-Did it work?'

He had memorized the phrase since it was trending among young people these days, but he never thought it would actually work.

《...Did you think that would work!》

《This bastard! He dared to trick us!》

《Let's just hit him a few times! He won't die!》

It didn't work!

Instead, he had only provoked the skeletons.

As the enraged skeletons each grabbed and raised their weapons, Reinhardt's face turned pale.

"S-Save me! A-anyone! I'll give you as much money as you want...!"

《Money?》

《No way! I've been tormented by money my whole life!》

《Let's kill him! Let's kill him and make him one of us!》

Just before the skeletons' vengeful bony hands could reach Reinhardt,

Thwack!

Something flew in and swept the skeletons away.

Broken bones scattered into the air.

"...Huh?"

Reinhardt stared blankly at the lonely pelvis bone left behind after the upper body had been blown away.

'What flew in...?'

He turned his head slightly and saw a large tree embedded in the building wall, which, though old, had been intact.

This flew in...?

Thud!

Someone jumped over the building wall and entered.

Eugene. With twigs and leaves clinging to his priestly robes, he asked Reinhardt with a slightly flushed face,

"That just now. Was it true?"

"?"

"About giving any amount of money. Was it true?"

"O-Of course! Please save me!"

"Alright."

He grinned and raised the weapon in his hand.

The red jewel embedded in the jet-black blade emitted light.

《You bastard! Don't interfere with our revenge!》

《This guy! He reeks of God!》

《Kill him! Kill him!》

"What are you saying?"

Eugene, unable to understand the skeletons' words, frowned at them as they rattled noisily.

The skeletons swarmed towards him.

Crimson divine power started to rise from Eugene's body.

"But why are you wearing a pink flower hairpin on your head?"

《I'll kill you!! Uwaaa! I'll kill you!》

The sword, coated with crimson divine power, swung towards the skeletons.

"As expected of Priest-nim! I knew you would save me!"

Reinhardt racked his brains while Eugene was dealing with the skeletons.

If he persuaded him now, while he was busy, could he reduce the cost a little?

Crunch!

"But, to give you as much as you want is a bit too..."

Crack!

Skeletons shattered.

Crack!

Crush!

"......"

It was exactly as he said. Every time the sword swung, bones were smashed, and skulls went flying.

A one-sided massacre!

And his expression was one of pure joy.

'Th-This crazy...!'

Was he someone who enjoyed massacres?!

Of course not. Eugene was just smiling because these guys looked like money-dropping mobs every time he caught one.

"...I won't go back on my word! I'll give you as much as you want!"

Crack!

Eugene, who had just crushed the last skeleton's skull with his bare hands, wiped the sweat trickling down his chin with the back of his hand.

Then he turned his gaze to Reinhardt.

"What did you say?"

"Haha! I didn't say anything!"

"Is that so?"

Did he not hear anything?

That was a relief. If he had heard him changing his words...

"If you suddenly change your words, I was going to throw you to the skeletons."

...He almost became friends with the skeletons.

Reinhardt wiped the cold sweat and nodded.

"Haha, I would never do that!"

"Really? Anyway, there are knights behind you. Stick with them. And sprinkle some holy water on yourself, just in case."

Splash!

He sprinkled holy water over Reinhardt's head. At least the skeletons wouldn't be able to approach easily.

"Baron Reinhardt is here!"

"Baron!!"

Knights and servants rushed in and supported Reinhardt.

Finally relieved, Reinhardt spoke with a better complexion.

"Protect me first!! If this happens again, I'll punish you when we return!!"

"He always has to say something like that."

"Priest! Are you alright?"

Niphella, who couldn't follow because Eugene had rushed ahead, finally found him and walked over.

Eugene nodded at Niphella's words.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"These bone fragments... it seems there was a group of skeletons. Did you eliminate them, Priest?"

"Yes, I defeated them alone."

"But why are there bone fragments left? If you killed them by using divine power, they should have completely disappeared..."

'...They die just from being exposed to divine power?'

Eugene hurriedly changed the subject.

"Anyway, did you encounter any problems on your way here?"

"No. But the fact that there was a group of skeletons here means that they must have stayed here for a while."

Niphella squatted on the ground and took something out of his robe, examining it.

Was it an artifact?

Eugene left him be and took out the shadow he had shoved in his pocket.

"Hey."

«Y-Yes?»

"Where is he? That guy. Is this the right place?"

The reason Eugene had rushed here was not only because of Reinhardt's cry, but also because the shadow had told him that this was the place.

«This is the place, but...»

"Answer me properly. Should I just dunk you in holy water?"

«H-Hic...»

The shadow trembled and looked around.

Just then, Niphella shouted urgently to Eugene.

"Priest! Above!"

"Above?"

Eugene looked up, and a giant spider hanging from a web was looking down at him.

Its eight eyes rolled around, looking at him, the nobles, and the knights.

'It looks incredibly creepy. It kind of resembles the spiders on Earth...'

«Th-That guy! He's the dark mage's summon! An Arcane that lives in the Demon World...!»

"What is it? Is it strong?"

«It's a 7th-grade monster...!»

"So how strong is that? Stronger than a goblin?"

«Of course! It's at least twice as strong! We're doomed! The fact that it's here means this is already his territory...!»

Kishish.

The spider made an unknown sound and rubbed its front legs together.

"...What is that?"

"An Arcane... a 7th-grade large monster. It's dangerous."

The knights, also noticing it, gripped their swords with hardened expressions.

Eugene, looking at the spider, suddenly gripped his sword tightly.

'But why is its name similar to Arcana's?'

It's a bit annoying.

'Can I kill it?'

Eugene tightly gripped his sword and assessed the difference in strength between himself and the spider.

The result?

'More than enough.'

There was no reason to be nervous.

He would jump up and slash the spider with his sword in one swift motion. Just in case, he would protect himself with divine power to avoid getting hurt.

Eugene channeled power into his legs. Just as crimson divine power was about to envelop him—

Clap, clap, clap!

The sound of applause echoed.

"?"

He withdrew his divine power and looked towards the source of the sound.

Niphella aimed his staff in the direction of the clapping, shouting,

"Who's there!"

"Excellent, truly excellent. This sacrifice is magnificent! Both in quality and quantity. With this, I can achieve my goal!"

Black robe, gloomy eyes, emaciated arms that didn't seem human, a staff with a goat's head.

With his eyes blazing with blue fire, he raised both hands.

"Come forth! You foolish imbeciles!"

"Dark Mage Rohan!"

Niphella roared and pointed his staff at him.

"By order of the Imperial Family and the Temple, you are under arrest."

'Wasn't he a professor?'

Eugene nudged the knight next to him and looked at him questioningly. The knight whispered,

"Professors act as intermediaries between the Imperial Family and the Temple, sometimes serving as continental police."

Aha.

Eugene nodded and looked at the dark mage.

Unafraid despite facing the police, he even let out an exclamation.

"Oh... You managed to survive in the forest despite being isolated, Professor. Did that young priest beside you save you?"

"Shut up! Rohan, you have nowhere to run now. Surrender!"

"What do I gain from surrendering? Death? Ha! I sold my soul to the devil to defy even death! Do you think I'll lose this precious life to the likes of you?!"

Flap!

Rohan flapped his robe and leaped backward.

Rumble!

The ground split open, and a giant skeleton emerged.

Climbing onto the skeleton's palm, he grinned and swung his staff as if conducting an orchestra.

"It is you who have nowhere to retreat! You will be my splendid sacrifices!"

"Sacrifices?"

"Yes!"

Rohan, perhaps because he had no friends to confide in, spoke of his goal in an excited voice.

"By offering you, I will obtain the power of the God of War in this forest!"

What? Whose power?

Eugene turned his creaking neck and glared at him.

"Hey."

"Ahahahaha! I will become a god! Unlike the incompetent God of War, buried in the past, I will create myths and...!"

Crack!

The ground beneath him caved in.

Intense divine power, surging in response to Eugene's anger, enveloped him.

The sword in his hand, as if sensing Eugene's fury, emitted a fiercer ring than ever before.

Light emanated from the red jewel, and Eugene's divine power grew denser.

"What did you say?"

How dare you try to steal whose power?

Who's incompetent?

"No, forget it. Don't answer."

"Why ask if you don't want an answer..."

"You're just going to die here."

Bang!

He exploded with divine power beneath his feet and charged forward.