Shiayar's gaze, like that of a hungry wild beast, made the thug feel extremely uncomfortable.
He had come to burn, kill, plunder, and cause destruction. The people in the academy were supposed to be sheep awaiting slaughter.
But the male student before him made him feel as if the tables had turned, as if he were the sheep being targeted by a pack of wolves.
However, no matter what, the other party had recited the tenets of his faith without missing a single word.
Moreover, as he spoke, an uncontrollable excitement and fervor filled his expression.
Such an expression could not be faked; only the most fervent believers would show such passion.
To think that here in St. Roland Academy, an elite institution in the heart of the Empire Capital, he'd actually encounter a supporter of our Ashes Doctrine.
Thinking of this, the thug's expression softened somewhat. "It's truly commendable that you've managed to hear my Lord's teachings, even in a kingdom dominated by heretics."
"That's right! I'm a long-time member of the FFF Inquisition. I've always wished I could burn those couples who flaunt their affection."
Shiayar leaped down from the bed, rubbed his hands together excitedly, and took a few steps closer to the black-robed thug.
"It's just a shame this damned heretical kingdom's Royal Family has always suppressed the Lord's doctrine, forcing me to lie low and pretend to be an atheist."
"But now, everything's changed for the better! We've finally found the organization!"
"Can I join the organization now? We're both supporters of the Lord of Ashes."
Shiayar's enthusiasm made the black-robed thug somewhat uncomfortable.
He awkwardly avoided Shiayar's intense gaze and said in a deep voice, "Joining the Religious Order has extremely strict requirements."
"Only the most devout believers can pass its trials."
"Furthermore, during these trials, if your faith in the Lord wavers even slightly, His black flames will incinerate you to ashes."
"If you're prepared, once our business here is done, I can take you to the Honorable Leader to request the initiation ceremony."
"No problem! Our faith is unshakable. We'll definitely pass the test."
Shiayar readily agreed, then suddenly leaned close to the black-robed thug, lowering his voice, "Speaking of which, is the organization planning something at St. Roland Academy?"
"I've been here for three years. I know the academy's layout like the back of my hand, and I'm familiar with the strength distribution of instructors and students across all grades."
"It would be my greatest honor to use this information to help the Lord fulfill His will."
Hearing Shiayar's words, the black-robed thug furrowed his brow slightly.
Still, the information he mentioned about the terrain and powerful individuals would indeed be a great help to their operation.
In the end, he nodded. "The Lord has issued a divine decree: the Fresta Empire's Royal Family is obstinate and ignorant. They have repeatedly refused our teachings and must be punished."
"That is why the Honorable Leader has led us here."
Shiayar quickly picked up the thread. "Rightly so."
"But this place is adjacent to the Empire Capital. And even discounting the academy's Headmaster and Vice-Headmaster, several Sub-Deans possess the strength of a 4-Ring Beastmaster or higher. Moreover, powerful reinforcements from the Capital could arrive at any moment."
"As powerful as the Honorable Leader is, even he might struggle against so many opponents."
"So, for this operation, the Honorable Leader must be carrying the Lord's holy relic, right...?"
The black-robed thug looked at Shiayar with a touch of surprise, as if he hadn't expected him to deduce so much from so little. "That's right."
"The Honorable Leader carries a phalanx from the Lord's ashen body, dating back to before He ascended the Divine Throne."
"Oh, I see."
Shiayar hung his head, preventing the black-robed thug from seeing his expression. "So... that phalanx the Honorable Leader carries, it must be fire-elemental too, right?"
"Of course."
"My Lord is the embodiment of the most intense heat, the cataclysmic black flame that can incinerate entire realms."
"Even a mere fragment from His incarnation before ascending the Divine Throne would undoubtedly be the most powerful fire in this world..."
The black-robed thug's voice came to an abrupt halt.
He finally realized something was wrong.
For some reason, ever since the beginning, he had felt an inexplicable closeness and trust towards the student before him.
He'd even begun to see him as a trusted fellow member of the Religious Order, answering almost every question without hesitation, whether it was prudent to share such information or not.
But in reality, just moments before, they had clearly been adversaries—a predator and his prey.
He eyed Shiayar with suspicion. A fierce layer of flames began to swirl around the pitch-black scythe in his hand, indicating his Pet Beast was likely a fire-elemental creature.
"You..."
He raised the flaming scythe towards Shiayar, but before the words of accusation could escape his mouth—
The next instant, a dazzling light suddenly flared, illuminating the dim sky.
The silver spear tore through the air.
It split the atmosphere, whipped up a storm, and pierced through everything in its path.
A tenth of a breath later—
CLATTER—
That was the sound of the metal scythe hitting the ground.
The black-robed thug stared, dumbfounded, as the scythe clattered to the ground, its attached flames gradually extinguishing.
This meant the life of the elemental Pet Beast bound to the scythe was rapidly fading.
For a Pet Beast to die without sustaining any physical damage itself—the only explanation was that the Beastmaster contracted to it had already perished.
Only then did the black-robed thug belatedly look down at his own chest and see the gaping hole where his heart should have been.
He collapsed, stiff as a board, his eyes wide open in death.
This black-robed thug was an elite within the Ashes Cult; otherwise, he wouldn't have been chosen by the cult leader for this assault on St. Roland Academy.
With the strength of Peak 2-Ring, he would have been among the top echelons even among the students of St. Roland Academy. This strength was further bolstered by years of bloody slaughter following the Religious Order.
Facing these academy 'flowers'—sheltered in a greenhouse and almost devoid of real combat experience—he should have been able to slaughter them at will.
And the black-robed thug didn't actually die from underestimating his opponent or being slow to react. He maintained a combat-ready state with his Pet Beast attached from start to finish.
Yet, he had been killed instantly, dying with his eyes open.
"I was just saying we hadn't squeezed all the value out of him yet—"
"I was just thinking of using Moon Reading to infiltrate their ranks, Ennie. You really didn't need to be so decisive."
Shiayar looked at the corpse before him and shook his head with regret.
"Such a shame. Next time, remember to break their limbs but leave them breathing."
Next to Shiayar, Enola was wiping the blood off her silver spear with a tissue.
The school uniform she had on originally had disappeared without a trace, replaced by a silver-white skirt armor. Still as cold and fair as ever, her face remained expressionless beneath the knight's helmet.
"He raised his blade to you."
Her reply was still devoid of emotion.
Shiayar understood her subtext perfectly. It was essentially: 'I heard you, and I understand the reasoning, but don't expect me to hold back next time.'
"Well, can't be helped then."
Shiayar shrugged his shoulders.
He knew the stubborn nature of his childhood friend. Once she set her mind on something, not even ten pureblood giant dragons could pull her back, so he never held much hope for his own persuasion from the beginning.
"Rest in peace, brother."
Shiayar knelt, gently closing the wide, unseeing eyes of the black-robed thug's corpse.
"I really did want to spare you."
"But who told you to go and touch my tigress at home's reverse scale?"