NOVPUBNight had fallen completely.
I moved deep into the forest—well beyond the reach of students’ eyes or feet.
It was in this forest that the Black Dawn members who stole the <Philosopher’s Stone> were now hiding.
Murmur... murmur...
I could make out the guards of Seorn gathered near the forest entrance, trailing the culprits. But they weren’t entering—they stood watch outside the perimeter.
I slipped past a loosely guarded spot with ease.
None of them noticed my presence, cloaked in shadow.
As expected of Seorn... even within its boundaries, forests like these still exist.
There are three major forests within Seorn’s grounds.
First, the ‘Forest of Secrets’—where no living creatures reside.
Second, the ‘Forest of Silence’—known for terrifying and bizarre supernatural phenomena.
And third, the ‘Forest of Illusions’—brimming with overwhelming vitality and inhabited by spirits and other mysterious forces.
Each of them is considered a danger zone rated Class 2 to 3, and all are off-limits.
The very fact that places like this exist within an academy’s grounds is surprising—but the fact they’re simply left as-is is even more so.
I know better than to judge this world by 21st-century Earth’s standards of safety... but still, it’s baffling sometimes.
Even though I’ve adapted well enough to living here, I can’t help but feel that jarring disconnect with my past life from time to time.
At any rate, three restricted forests within Seorn.
The one the thieves escaped into was the Forest of Silence.
A forest filled with dangerous beasts and powerful lingering resentments.
If I remember right, before Seorn was built, this land was once a cemetery.
And the corpses and death that accumulated there over time, combined with Seorn’s magical resonance, gave birth to a place of twisted supernatural phenomena.
A warped forest was the result.
Enter it, and you risk being lured away by vengeful spirits—or worse, possessed by resentful thoughts and forcibly transformed.
A place like that is fatal for anyone with weak magic or mental strength.
Hence the name—the Forest of Silence.
Because once you go in, you disappear without a sound or trace.
They’ve really just left a place like this standing, huh.
Of course, Seorn has made attempts to deal with it in the past.
I’d heard at least one past Headmaster had pushed hard to destroy the Forest of Silence due to its extreme danger.
And yet the forest remains. Why?
Because every attempt to remove it ended in failure.
They say that if you cut the trees down, they grow back overnight.
Some of those who tried reportedly went insane—or became hollow shells of themselves.
Even powerful mages suffered nervous breakdowns and recurring nightmares.
And as for burning it? The forest seems to resist flames altogether, as if it possesses a will of its own.
In the end, each Headmaster had to abandon their efforts. All they could do was declare the forest off-limits.
Thankfully, the Forest of Silence has a clear border. So long as you don’t cross it, nothing happens.
You can look at it from beyond the boundary all you want.
Just don’t step in.
The problem is, this time, they did step in.
Even if the rumors are exaggerated, the danger is still real. Are they that confident? Or were they forced into it with no other choice?
I let out a long breath and paused.
I’d already been walking through the Forest of Silence for quite a while.
Strange insect chirps. The howls of unidentified beasts.
Even the sound of someone sobbing.
[Die. Die. Die.]
[Heheheh. I hate you. I despise you.]
[Save me. Someone, get me out of here.]
Voices echoed through my mind, but they didn’t bother me. I’ve dealt with far worse.
At this point, it was safe to deactivate the magic.
I released <Ater Nocturnus> and swallowed another mana pill.
They must be nearby.
Pale wraiths drifted through the air, circling me like moths.
But they didn’t dare approach me, nor could they cause harm.
If anything, they gave me one glance and let out strange screams before fleeing.
I ignored them and resumed tracking the Black Dawn’s traces.
Found it.
Footprints pressed into the damp soil.
Roughly five individuals.
Fewer than I expected. I was told there were at least ten.
The rest must’ve been caught by the pursuit squad—or were lost during the escape.
Which means these five who made it this far are likely the most skilled of the group.
I followed the trail deeper into the forest.
No light penetrated through the dense trees, and night mist clouded the air, making it nearly impossible to maintain direction.
But it didn’t matter to me.
With unwavering steps, I tracked the footprints farther in.
The pursuers stationed outside are still holding at the entrance. But once enough reinforcements gather, they’ll probably charge in.
Which means I had to finish this before then.
Not as Ludger Cherish, the professor—
But as [John Doe], First Order of the Black Dawn.
Murmur... murmur...
After walking for some time, I heard voices through the fog.
I stopped at once and stifled my presence.
These weren’t whispers of spirits or lingering thoughts.
They were voices.
I had finally reached my destination.
“Huff... Demires, sir. What do we do now?”
“There’s a pursuit team outside the forest.”
“That’s right. And this place—it’s draining our mental strength just by existing. If this keeps up, we won’t last.”
“Shut up!”
Demires, who had been silently listening, suddenly exploded.
“I have a plan! So stop your whining and follow orders!”
“......”
The Third Order members clammed up at the near-threatening outburst.
But their unease couldn’t be erased with words.
One of their own had already lost his mind after failing to withstand the forest’s magical pressure.
They hadn’t had the strength to help him, so they left him behind in the middle of the forest—and they didn’t even want to imagine what had happened to him.
Damn it. If the pursuit squad comes in, we’re all dead anyway.
They all had the same thought.
They had followed Demires out of trust in his status as Second Order.
But in hindsight, that had been the first mistake.
Demires hadn’t even reported to the First Order before starting this.
Instead, he had declared he’d take full responsibility.
There are two First Orders currently in Seorn right now...
Even for a Second Order, can this really be cleaned up?
I can’t even see a way out for myself right now...
No one spoke—but their eyes darted around in silent panic.
Truthfully, Demires was just as shaken.
Stealing the Relic had been fine. But beyond that, he hadn’t really thought it through.
Damn it! It’s supposed to be the <Philosopher’s Stone>! But it’s useless!
Demires looked down at the stone in his hand, about the size of a fist.
It was this artifact that had made him so confident in launching the operation.
Even wrapped in cloth, it radiated a mysterious power just from being held.
But that was all.
Though it certainly exuded immense energy, it hadn’t granted any wishes or done anything miraculous.
I started this whole damn mess counting on this stone!
Demires stood on the edge of a cliff, metaphorically speaking.
His plan had been to use the stone to gain power and ascend to a higher position.
That was why he hadn’t told the First Order.
Damn it... how do I even use this thing?
The energy from the stone was undoubtedly real.
But it didn’t blend with the mana he used—it existed as something entirely separate.
Like water and oil, refusing to mix.
As a result, he had no idea how to harness it.
Even when he pleaded in his heart—begged the stone to grant him power—there was no answer.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Even when he stroked the stone or tried to pour mana into it, there was no response.
At this point, it was nothing more than a beautifully radiant, high-grade mana stone—nothing more, nothing less.
Rustle.
Suddenly, the sound of someone stepping on grass.
Startled, the Black Dawn members tensed, their bodies coiling as they turned toward the source of the noise.
“Who’s there?!”
Just as Demires stepped forward and shouted, a figure emerged from the darkness—clad in all black.
An enemy?
Everyone instinctively raised their staves and weapons, ready to strike.
But then—
“Are these all of you?”
The sharp voice, laced with irritation, made the Black Dawn members flinch involuntarily.
It was a reflex.
They didn’t understand why at first, but as the tension settled into their bones, they realized who the man before them was.
“You managed to get this far without being caught. I suppose that’s to be expected of Black Dawn members.”
“Y-you’re...!”
Demires, his eyes adjusting to the dark, recognized the man’s face—and his expression froze.
“F-First Order... John Doe!”
“Gasp—i-it’s really him!”
The rest of the members recognized Ludger too, and their faces turned deathly pale as they dropped to their knees.
Even Demires clenched his jaw and bowed his head.
Their precise, immediate reaction earned a small nod of satisfaction from Ludger.
Demires slowly raised his head and struggled to speak.
“J-John Doe, sir... may I ask why you’ve come here...?”
“Second Order, Demires.”
“Yes, First Order, sir!”
“Why do you think I’m here?”
“......”
At that question, Demires could only clamp his mouth shut.
Why is he here? Why ask me that? Is he testing me?
Could it be...
He knows everything?
There was only one reason a First Order—who had taken up a false identity as a professor—would come all the way out here in person.
To hold those who acted without orders accountable.
Demires’s mind whirred into overdrive.
This was one of only seven First Orders in the Black Dawn Society.
He hadn’t earned that rank through connections or luck. No—he must’ve had the skill and power to back it.
And the codename “John Doe” was infamous for a reason.
Even among the Black Dawn, he was known for his ruthless personality. If something annoyed him, he would kill without hesitation—even fellow members.
He was a symbol of fear to those in the lower ranks.
The fact that Zero Order has never reprimanded him for such actions... that means he has the power to keep his place without question.
And now that First Order was standing here—judging him.
What should he do?
Fall to his knees {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} and beg forgiveness?
Would that be enough to live?
Wait... how had John Doe even made it this far with pursuers surrounding the forest?
Demires’s thoughts spiraled into chaos.
“You’re thinking too much.”
“Gh...!”
Ludger’s voice pierced straight through him, like an icy blade reading his mind.
Demires’s thoughts went blank.
There was no point scheming anymore. He had been exposed.
Hands trembling, he raised the stone in both palms—his last hope—and offered it up to Ludger.
The most optimal words his instincts could produce tumbled out of his mouth:
“T-this is the <Philosopher’s Stone>, a Relic.”
“I see.”
“I-I offer it to you, First Order, sir.”
He didn’t offer any pathetic excuses about how he’d done all this to obtain it.
He merely presented it like a tribute, a precious offering for the superior standing before him.
It was humiliating.
A part of him screamed that it would be better to fight back right now.
But Demires held back.
“......”
Ludger said nothing.
The other members could only dry their lips in silence as the long, heavy seconds ticked by like years.
Then, without a word, Ludger acted.
He reached out and took the <Philosopher’s Stone> from Demires’s hands.
“...Understood.”
That single word loosened the tension that had choked everyone present.
They relaxed, their bodies sagging with relief—
Which is why none of them reacted to what came next.
“And farewell.”
“...Huh? What do you—”
Squelch!
The shadows on the ground trembled—then erupted.
Barbed tendrils shot out, piercing every person standing there.
Demires stared in disbelief, eyes wide, locked on Ludger.
His lips moved noiselessly, trying to ask why?
But Ludger said nothing.
He merely gazed down at him with a cold, emotionless stare.
Thud.
The bodies collapsed to the ground, run through at their vitals.
Ludger had never intended to let any of them live.
If even one of them escaped or was interrogated, his position would be compromised.
Better to silence them forever—here, in the Forest of Silence.
So this is the <Philosopher’s Stone>...
Ludger unwrapped the cloth and revealed the stone.
A deep emerald green gem gleamed in the moonlight.
Ludger’s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening ever so slightly.
This isn’t... a Relic.
