TGSA 67

Chapter 67

Now It’s a Preemptive Strike (4)

The Black Heaven Sect had long been a destabilizing religious organization within imperial society.

They were often linked to various criminal organizations and had committed countless atrocities.

Despite this, they had never been fully eradicated because their structure was like a network of cells, making complete eradication extremely difficult.

Even now, several noble families were trying to locate the sect leaders, the “Archbishops,” but with little success.

“This time, our target for the purge is a lower-tier branch of the Black Heaven Sect.”

I gathered Serine, Chloe, Schmitz, and Viola to explain our mission.

“In villages surrounding the small city of Filchester, abductions have been occurring frequently. It seems to be the work of sect members, but the family overseeing Filchester doesn’t have the capability to root them out. That’s why the academy was asked for assistance.”

“Excuse me.”

Viola raised her hand, expressing her concern.

“What do the sect members intend to do by kidnapping people? There’s no way they’re trafficking slaves in this day and age.”

“There are two possibilities.”

I raised a finger as I spoke.

“One is to send them to the sect’s hidden base, the ‘Headquarters,’ which is impossible to locate otherwise, and raise them as fighters for the sect. Most cases of child abduction fall into this category.”

“…!”

Everyone’s expression stiffened.

“However, the abductees this time are of various ages. That’s probably not the case here.”

“Then….”

“The other reason the sect kidnaps people is to produce the spiritual elixir they use, called ‘Soma.’”

“…!”

Magical power, by nature, accumulates over decades as one absorbs the energy of nature.

To gain magical power quickly, like we do, a specially prepared elixir is necessary.

“Graduates from our academy obtain power through elixirs, but sect members take Soma. Unlike the elixir, however… living beings are essential when making Soma.”

“L-Living beings…?”

“Other animals work, but… humans are the most effective.”

“…!”

Viola’s face turned pale.

Being from the northern regions where sect activity was rare, she likely hadn’t paid much attention to the sect’s practices.

“So all the kidnapped people are being sacrificed to make Soma?”

“That’s highly probable.”

“Good heavens…!”

Viola looked angry.

Such a reaction was rare for her.

“They usually operate in areas with weak security. Filchester’s surrounding villages, where the incidents occurred, were under the weakened control of the local ruling family.”

“That’s why the academy’s assistance is necessary,” Serine said with a serious expression.

“But Ernas… can we handle this with our current strength? We have two lower-level graduates and three novices.”

“Moreover, there’s too little information. Investigating where they’re hiding will take quite some time,” Chloe added.

They were right. Five non-expert students trying to locate and eliminate the sect’s hideout wasn’t realistic.

“Don’t worry.”

I spoke calmly.

“It’s not impossible.”

Finding their hideout.

Destroying them.

These were things I could do.

We headed for Filchester.

Of course, we weren’t wearing academy uniforms.

We were disguised, so we looked like ordinary young people.

“Oh, I want that!”

“Viola, we’re not here to play.”

Viola’s eyes lit up at the street vendor’s snacks, and Schmitz frowned.

“It’s fine to act like we’re just out for fun. It helps with the disguise.”

“I-I see…”

“Hehe, then I’ll buy it.”

With permission, Viola dashed to the vendor, and Schmitz followed hesitantly.

Perhaps Schmitz secretly wanted some too.

“Do you two want some?”

I asked Serine and Chloe nearby, and Serine made an awkward face.

“No, I’m not used to eating on the street.”

“What about the field rations during outdoor practice?”

“That’s different.”

Typical of a refined noble girl. Buying street snacks seemed unimaginable.

“Then Serine, shall we leave you here and go grab some snacks ourselves? Honestly, I’m more interested in the candy over there.”

At that moment, Chloe smiled and wrapped her arm around mine.

Seeing this, Serine narrowed her eyes.

“C-Chloe, what are you doing?”

“We’re disguising ourselves as a normal young couple.”

“There’s no need for that! You shouldn’t be touching me either, step away!”

Serine tugged me from the opposite side, and Chloe pulled me back, clearly teasing her.

‘Such a mischievous one,’ I thought, letting them continue.

No one would suspect we were academy students on a mission as we noisily walked through the market.

‘Now then…’

I let their bickering fade into the background and focused.

I drew a small amount of mana from my Mana Heart and released it into the surroundings.

I was using Atilion Mana Detection.

“…”

The silently spreading mana extended in all directions.

Anyone with a Mana Heart could be detected this way.

Serine and Chloe were beside me, Schmitz and Viola a little further away, and…

‘Found it.’

Mana was detected from a back alley.

Someone with a significant amount of mana was walking down the alley.

“I want to check that way.”

“That way? Looks pretty dark.”

“Wait a moment. Where are you trying to go?”

I led Serine and Chloe toward the entertainment district filled with taverns.

Schmitz and Viola followed behind us.

“Hmm, you like this kind of atmosphere, don’t you? Surprisingly decadent,” Chloe murmured.

But her sharp eyes were scanning the area.

She noticed I had deliberately come this way.

‘The mana… it’s gone.’

The continuous signal suddenly stopped.

This meant the person had gone underground.

I couldn’t track them any further with my current skill.

“Hmm, this isn’t a place we should be lingering. If my fiancé back home knew…”

Ignoring Schmitz, who looked flustered by the district’s atmosphere, I walked forward naturally, pretending to browse, while confirming the location where the mana had disappeared.

‘This is it.’

The person had entered a tavern that hadn’t opened yet.

Its exterior matched the novel’s description exactly, so there was no doubt.

‘No graduate would just happen to enter here.’

The person was a combat priest of the Black Heaven Sect.

And this was… undoubtedly the Filchester branch of the sect described in the novel.

“Then… let’s move somewhere quiet.”

We moved naturally while I spoke to those following.

“We’ll hold a strategy meeting first, then make our move.”

“….”

Everyone nodded silently, understanding my meaning.

That night.

We disguised ourselves again and headed to the tavern we had scouted earlier.

Posing as customers, we entered, and a sword fight was happening on the stage in the center.

Drunken spectators of various ages were cheering loudly from nearby tables.

The music was so loud it hurt my ears.

“I heard about this during the day, but it’s even more appalling in person,” Serine whispered, frowning.

Such a decadent environment would be hard for her to accept.

“Sir, please have a seat and order…”

A neat waiter approached to guide us.

I ignored him and handed over a note I had kept in my pocket.

“…!”

The waiter’s expression changed upon reading it.

“P-please follow me this way.”

He led us inside.

Opening a door behind the stage revealed a separate room.

“If you wait here, he will come shortly.”

“….”

I said nothing and sat on the sofa.

As instructed, Serine sat on my side, and Chloe, Schmitz, and Viola remained standing.

Soon, a neatly dressed man appeared, accompanied by subordinates.

“Apologies, I’ve been busy…”

He bowed and sat opposite me.

“I am responsible for this place. You came from there…?”

“There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

I stared at him.

“Yes, we came from the Headquarters. So summon the true person in charge.”

“…!”

The Headquarters.

Even sect members didn’t know its exact location.

Mentioning it caused tension to ripple through the room.

“The person in charge here should be Castarion, not you.”

“C-Castarion is… busy with important matters and can’t come here.”

“Important matters?”

“Making Soma.”

“….”

Making Soma.

That meant the kidnapped people were being sacrificed right now.

“Even at this hour?”

“Making Soma is noisy. So when the tavern is lively…”

He tried to explain, pointing outside, but I felt no need to listen further.

“Chloe.”

“Yes.”

At my short call, Chloe set down her large shoulder bag.

Inside, she drew… a sword.

“What are you doing…?”

The man blinked, not understanding, as Chloe unleashed the Yusburg Sword Technique.

“Ugh…!”

The Yusburg Sword Technique strikes swiftly and accurately at the opponent’s weak point.

For someone seeing it for the first time, it’s nearly impossible to counter—a deadly western sword style.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

The man collapsed, spitting blood from his neck, while his subordinates scrambled.

Too late.

Schmitz had also drawn his sword from his bag and was performing the Hartmann Rapid Sword Technique.

“Arrgh…!”

Schmitz, now nearly at the lower graduate level, struck with such speed that the lower-level sect members couldn’t resist at all.

“Viola, block the entrance.”

“Yes, leave it to me!”

I asked Viola to block the entrance to the outside and took my sword from Chloe.

“Sorry, we need to change plans. I thought we could handle this quietly.”

“Can’t be helped. They seem to be making Soma underground.”

We had planned to lure the high-ranking priest Castarion out, but if he was sacrificing people underground, we needed to go first.

“Serine, we’ll take the lead.”

“Yes, understood.”

With swords drawn, Serine and I moved through the passage the men had appeared from.

Sect members, realizing the situation, tried to stop us, but Serine swung her sword without hesitation.

‘That’s the Partisan Judgement Sword Technique.’

Serine had mastered this as a Graduate-class technique in the Valentiano class.

Unlike her former Bastion Knight Sword technique, this Graduate-only style maximized her combat power.

“Let’s push forward while they’re still in confusion.”

“Yes…!”

Leading Serine and the others, I descended the stairs.

Tonight, the Filchester branch of the Black Heaven Sect… would be annihilated by academy students.