Chapter 434 - The Reaper Is the Guardian of the Maidens
The feared ambush during transit turned out to be nothing more than foolish overthinking—Saint Emeralda Girls' Academy’s delegation arrived safely at their destination.
Behind them, the twilight skyline of Solonton rose in quiet elegance, while before them loomed the imposing figure of the hotel. Its high-end glass façade reflected the setting sun, making the entire structure appear as if it were glowing from within.
As noble-born students murmured in quiet admiration, we slowly approached the lavish entrance.
“Well, compared to the Kikyo Society’s ultra-luxurious Epic Junebel Hotel & Resorts, this isn’t anything special.”
A needless mutter, born from petty rivalry, meant for no one’s ears. After all, it was just a muttered thought.
Still, I was exhausted. We’d set out at dawn, made several stops, and only arrived by evening. We’d be staying here tonight and again tomorrow night, hosted by the hotel arranged by the organizers.
Starting tomorrow morning, we’d hold exchange meetings and practice matches at Solonton Royal Academy. The following day, we’d visit the Royal Academy once more. We’d begin our return journey in the evening and arrive back in Beltoria by the next morning. A two-night stay, remaining here until the evening of the third day.
It was quite a demanding schedule, but apparently unavoidable—squeezed into weekdays as it was, balancing it with academic duties left no room for leniency.
I couldn’t help but think staying one more night wouldn’t hurt, but lodging and escort logistics probably made that impossible.
“After moving to your assigned rooms, you’ll have free time until dinner. Under no circumstances should you leave the hotel premises.”
“And after dinner, we’ll proceed with night training as scheduled. We’ve reserved the grand hall in the East Wing, so make sure to arrive on time!”
In the vast lobby, the club president and vice president issued instructions to the assembled members. I stood idly, half-dazed, watching the scene—when a signal came through the earring communicator at my ear.
“This is Heidi. Anastasia Union has issued a warning—there’s suspicious activity. Seems they have local contacts here in Solonton; the intel came from that source.”
So much for a peaceful arrival. Of course, it turned out this way. This is how it always is wherever I go. Those who get dragged in will just have to accept it.
But now it’s getting interesting. If there’s no trouble, I end up bored anyway. Suppressing a smirk, I quietly responded.
“Suspicious activity, huh? Any specifics?”
“Nothing concrete yet. Anastasia Union’s contact is still investigating, so I’d like to wait for their results.”
“Got it. Talk later, then.”
Just as the club members began shuffling toward their rooms, I approached the club president, who was supervising from the rear.
“Hermira, can I leave things to you from here?”
“That’s fine, but do you have some business, sensei?”
“Nothing important. Just thought I’d step out for a bit. If anything happens, contact the escorts or reach me directly via comms. You have your equipment, right?”
“…Is something wrong?”
Again, worrying over nothing. No need to feel uneasy—I brushed it off with a casual tone.
“No? Just taking a breather. Even you ladies should remember how to have fun, shouldn’t you?”
“S-such things are acceptable? But for a supervising teacher to go out for leisure…”
“No rigid rules today. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to use the communicator.”
It’s convenient being seen as a loose-cannon instructor—no one finds it strange.
Whether Hermira truly believed me or not, I couldn’t say. But she wore the resigned expression of someone who had no choice but to comply.
“Will you be returning late?”
“Hmm, hard to say. I don’t plan on going wild, so probably not too late.”
We walked together behind the last of the students, then parted ways at the entrance to the rooms.
The students would focus on club activities. And I—was entering my time for behind-the-scenes work.
Once inside my room, I quickly inspected the interior and facilities, unpacked, and changed clothes.
I stood before the mirror, checking my appearance. My modest outfit was swapped for a flashy gaucho shirt and knee-length shorts. My tightly tied hair was let down, flowing loosely. I switched my oval sunglasses for teardrop-shaped ones, then added a few accessories.
In just a few minutes, my entire demeanor had transformed so drastically I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.
Now dressed like a typical tourist, I slipped outside, careful to avoid being seen by the students to prevent unnecessary questions.
By habit, I couldn’t move without first assessing the surroundings. I walked the perimeter of the hotel like a casual stroll, visually scanning pathways, buildings, anything suspicious, and checking for loiterers.
I kept moving until night fully fell, grabbing a quick meal from a street vendor.
Finally, I broke into the rooftop of a tall building and, combining magic sense with observation, surveyed the city broadly. By this hour, the glow of the entertainment district stood out starkly. No matter the country, no matter the city—places like this never changed. That sameness somehow eased the slight alienation I felt in a foreign land.
Overall, it was a decent town. Peaceful, yet developed. Culturally, it wasn’t much different from Beltoria—probably because of the proximity. You could easily mistake it for a provincial city of Beltoria. It wasn’t offensive, but neither was it remarkable. A little more local flavor in the cuisine would’ve been nice.
“Yukari-san.”
Heidi’s voice came from behind, nearly without warning. As an Intelligence Bureau operative, her stealth was second nature—her magic and presence naturally muted, blending into the night like a shadow. A flawless display of infiltration. Still, I’d sensed her approach long before she spoke. For some reason, that fact pleased me.
“How did it go?”
I glanced back over my shoulder with just a single word, then returned my gaze to the city lights.
“The suspicious activity… seems they’ve decided not to act after all.”
“Gave up before even trying? Maybe Anastasia Union’s reputation did the trick.”
“Likely. Given their lack of real strength, it was a reasonable decision.”
“Just for the record—what idiot are we talking about?”
A mere gang of thugs, not even worthy of being called a syndicate. Somehow they heard about Saint Emeralda Girls’ Academy students and thought of making a move—only to get warned off by local underground groups. Basically told not to cause unnecessary trouble. No significant backing, either.”
Saint Emeralda’s students were all daughters of the wealthy and powerful. It wasn’t unusual for such information to spread—especially among schools on exchange programs.
To a reckless fool, it might’ve seemed like ducks arriving with scallions on their backs. Approach some naïve young lady, intimidate her a little, squeeze out some cash—maybe even find leverage if they played it right.
Some idiot might’ve even dreamed of striking it rich through sheer luck.
Or perhaps—just perhaps—one of those brats caught the eye of some lowlife who fell head over heels at first sight… No, that’s pushing it.
In any case, the local organization, fearing retaliation from Anastasia Union, had silenced the thugs.
“Hmph. So nothing’s happening after all.”
“Incidentally, we’ve identified the gang members. What should we do?”
To my bored reply, Heidi delivered a delightful follow-up. I couldn’t help but let my lips curl.
“Outstanding. You understand me perfectly.”
“Of course. The fact that it was only attempted—excuses like ‘no harm done’ won’t fly.”
“Exactly. It’s not about whether they acted or not. The intent itself is enough.”
“Then allow me to lead the way. It’s nearby—just a few minutes.”
I followed her shadow as she leapt lightly onto the adjacent rooftop, then began moving at high speed.
A few minutes later, we arrived at a modest, run-down house facing a deserted alley.
The small dwelling looked old and grimy, its narrow front yard completely overgrown. No sign of cleaning or maintenance. To the side of the gate was a garage, housing two battered vehicles.
Apparently no money for security—no alarm systems or magical wards detectable.
“…Seven of them. It’s still early, yet they’re all holed up inside. Not very thug-like.”
“This is their hideout, apparently. They usually bring women here, drink, do drugs, make noise. When bored, they hit on people. When broke, they turn to theft or mugging. That kind of group.”
“The more I hear, the more pathetic they sound.”
Dealing with such trash feels beneath me. Still—I’ll do it.
“Like I said, there’s supposedly an organization backing them—some local group pulling strings. But thugs like these are just pawns, at best.”
“Exactly. Having pawns willing to sacrifice themselves isn’t a bad thing in a pinch. They’re treated as disposable, nothing more. Anyway, no need to be careful with scum like this.”
“Agreed. We can enter through the garage—the door’s back here.”
Heidi, ever sharp, had already found a door at the rear of the garage. Moving silently through the dark, she swiftly unlocked it.
“Hey, Heidi. Even if they’re just nameless grunts, shouldn’t you avoid showing your face?”
“No need to worry.”
As she spoke, she pulled on a Skull Mask. The black mask bore a grim reaper-like skull, its design even more terrifying in the darkness. Anyone attacked by this skull would carry the trauma for life.
“I’ve got one for you too.”
“Prepared as always. I’ll take it.”
I could’ve managed with just sunglasses, but if there’s a mask, might as well use it. Two Skull Mask attackers would be far more intimidating.
I removed my teardrop sunglasses and put on the mask. My Magic Eye of Thorns was now exposed, but in the dark, no one would notice the difference between my eyes.
No one nearby.
With masked identities, we could afford to go all out.
We abandoned the idea of a quiet infiltration—this called for a full assault.
I let Heidi handle the garage entrance and charged in from the front.
I pushed open the unlocked gate and stood before the front door, smiling beneath my mask.
Yes. This is it. A proper raid. Makes me feel alive.
“Absolutely thrilling.”
Acting on impulse, I delivered a powerful front kick—the signal to Heidi.
The door’s hinges tore apart, the warped slab flying inward.
With light, eager steps, I strode into the house and smashed the hallway lights as my opening move.
Our thoughts aligned. Almost simultaneously, I sensed Heidi using magic to destroy multiple light sources and magical devices in different locations.
Such precision and magical skill was almost overkill for a raid on such pathetic trash. But her meticulousness—so unlike my rough approach—was typical of an Intelligence Bureau operative.
The interior was filthy, strewn with empty bottles and garbage. I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose. At least the mask helped dull the stench.
Still. Assessing my own state calmly, I didn’t feel quite right. Maybe I was too full of energy—harder to hold back than I’d thought.
Committing murder during a club field trip would be a bit too much, even for me.
To avoid accidents, I decided to restrain myself—no bare hands, no magic. Instead, I’d use broken bottles as weapons. I picked one up in each hand.
“What—what the hell?!”
“Hey, go check it out!”
“Don’t be lazy—you go!”
“Just turn the damn lights on already!”
“Shut up, all of you!”
Unless they were completely drunk or high, they’d notice the destruction. After kicking in the front door and smashing the lights, of course they’d panic.
I ignored their shouts, moving down the hall to the room where they’d gathered. Before I could act, the door opened.
In the darkness—lacking even the glow of a basic light spell—the thug spotted me standing before him.
The interior wasn’t pitch black—the faint light from outside windows offered some visibility. The man froze, breath catching, as he registered the skull mask before him.
An unknown skull-faced figure—clearly an enemy, no need to think.
To freeze up like that? Unforgivable for any warrior. But these thugs only targeted the weak in groups—of course they’d react pathetically.
Ganging up to pick on the weak might be a sound survival strategy. But the whole act was just sad. Ugly all around. Even from my perspective as a villain, there wasn’t a single redeeming quality.
It’s fine to play tough. It’s fine to play evil. But at least put in some effort. Show a shred of backbone.
They were so utterly embarrassing, I felt ashamed just watching. This is why people like us get looked down on—because trash like this gets to strut around.
I swung the bottle down in anger.
A powerful blow to the crown of the head. It had the force to kill—but the bottle’s low durability softened the impact. Just as I’d expected. No need for clumsy restraint.
The instant I confirmed the hit, I smashed the second bottle across his face.
I ignored the grunt as he collapsed with a pitiful scream, picked up another bottle from the floor, and stepped into the room through the open door.
As I lightly kicked the fallen body aside, I saw that Heidi, entering from another route, had already captured the thugs’ attention.
For some reason, Heidi had conjured a dim light spell behind her—a faint red glow, deeply unsettling.
Dressed entirely in black aside from the Skull Mask, she held large knives in both hands.
Anyone would be transfixed if this figure suddenly appeared. Their drunken stupor would vanish in an instant.
The more I looked, the more absurd it became—so ridiculous I had to desperately suppress laughter.
My violent impulse had completely vanished. Better to stand back and enjoy Heidi’s performance.
“—I am the Guardian of the Maidens.”
A low, raspy voice echoed through the room.
It was unmistakably Heidi’s voice—but it sounded nothing like a woman’s. She must’ve used a voice-distorting magical device.
But seriously—what was she saying? Guardian of the Maidens?
Paralyzed by overwhelming magical pressure, the thugs could not speak, their eyes locked on the reaper before them.
They must’ve felt that blinking would mean death.
The reaper advanced calmly, then—effortlessly—flashed a knife sideways. The thug didn’t react at all, simply receiving the cut.
It wasn’t deep. The vicious blade merely grazed the forehead. Without sparing them a glance, the reaper moved on, repeating the same motion on each thug in turn. The cold, mechanical repetition only deepened the horror.
I decided to help a little. I used a shard of glass to carve a horizontal line across the forehead of a thug lying unconscious at my feet. Now they all matched.
“—Saint Emeralda Girls’ Academy. Do not touch the maidens of the garden. Do not look at them. Do not even think of them.”
The raspy, oppressive voice issued a warning laced with authority.
No denials would be accepted. No “we didn’t do anything” excuses. This was a one-sided declaration.
Then, the reaper slowly raised the blood-dripping knife and dragged it across their own throat in a slow, deliberate motion.
This time, we’d let them off with a warning. But if they moved again, there would be no mercy. The message was clear.
Understanding a brief glance from Heidi, I quietly slipped out of the room. The moment I left, I sensed her spreading a weak poison inside.
Inhaling it would put them out for about two days. Even with recovery potions, they’d suffer until then. Perfect medicine for fools.
Ah—this was fun. It was a bit ridiculous, sure, but for scaring some brats, it was more than enough.
We regrouped outside the house. Since it was still early, we decided to grab a drink.
Yeah. I could’ve just beaten up some dumb thugs and called it a day. But this turned out to be quite an enjoyable evening.
This is a side route.
Yukari, chaperone of a club field trip, abandoned her students to wander off—and then gleefully launched a violent raid. Truly, she is free.