Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 68
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Reincarnated as a Legendary Talent Genius of a Noble Family Episode 68
35. The Heretic of the Theology Department (2)
Priscilla Neriel.
A fellow resident of Danter Hall 9th Floor.
From our first meeting, she introduced herself as ‘the child abandoned by the Neriel family,’ and she’s currently a 4th-year Theology student—
“I’m in a bit of a bad mood right now. I had a big fight.”
She wasn’t in her right mind after fighting with her lover.
Maybe it was with the person she was meeting when she got caught sneaking out during roll call last time?
We met Priscilla, who was making a sad expression like a tragic heroine, in Danter Hall Garden.
“I thought the Theology Department couldn’t date or marry…”
“Shh. There must be circumstances we don’t know about.”
Ernest and Leila whispered to each other.
Priscilla, regardless, was muttering something with an extremely sad expression.
By the way, I wonder if we’ll even be able to have a proper conversation.
“Why did you fight?”
“I thought I could overcome even love with a mage.”
“Ah.”
Priscilla’s romantic partner seems to be a Magic Department student.
“Why is magic like that? Why does it reject divine power? Why does it even interfere with love…?”
“What kind of problem is there?”
“Well, when we kiss, it feels like electricity is flowing… I can endure our lips touching, but after that…”
“…I think you can stop explaining now.”
So the conclusion is that problems arose with physical intimacy and they had a big fight.
“Anyway, so, phew. Suddenly asking a favor?”
“Yeah. I felt like I could only ask a Theology Department student.”
“I’ll tell you in advance, baptism is difficult. Even though my divine power is quite outstanding, if I give it to just anyone, the effect weakens.”
Baptism.
A kind of blessing that only those with divine power can perform.
When you baptize an object or person, they become able to temporarily hold divine power. In the case of objects, they often permanently hold divine power, which is called a ‘sacred relic.’
Of course, that’s only possible when the divine power is truly of high caliber.
“I want to know about how to deal with undead.”
“Undead? Are you guys going on some kind of pilgrimage or something?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Something like that. Though we’re not believers.”
“Aren’t you all freshmen? Why are freshmen these days so fearless? Do you think undead are like something from books that always move slowly and break when you poke them?”
Priscilla was almost horrified.
“If you’re really thinking of facing undead, it won’t work with your strength.”
“We’ll know that when we see.”
I got to the main point.
“We’re going to enter Saint Aimar’s Hall.”
“…You guys are really crazy? Even our Theology Department doesn’t go there. Well, seniors in the old days went there for courage tests, but after one of them became undead, now just going near there is grounds for disciplinary action!”
At the mention of becoming undead if caught, Leila and Ernest were startled.
“I-if you’re caught, you become undead?”
“My goodness.”
Priscilla tilted her head as if asking didn’t they know.
“If you die to undead, you become undead. The necromancy that undead possess seeps into the corpse. Isn’t that obvious?”
Maybe I should have visited the library beforehand.
“So it’s better not to go. In any way. But why do you want to go there?”
“There’s something I need to look into.”
“…Phew. I don’t care whether you guys go or not, but do you really have to go?”
“You said you don’t care?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Priscilla eventually nodded her head.
“There are two ways to deal with undead. Deal with them individually, or destroy the core.”
“What about the first method?”
“Divine power must absolutely be involved. That’s the only way to eliminate them individually. Otherwise, because of the core I mentioned second, they keep regenerating. So the second method of removing the core is the most convenient and effective way.”
“You mentioned the second method because it’s difficult, right?”
“Worthy of a 9th floor resident. Yes. That’s right. Undead instinctively protect their cores. Because they sustain them.
Now we’re getting to the main point.
“If you smash that core, the undead disappears. Right there, immediately. But can you guys do what even the Theology Department can’t dare attempt? And in the first place, just approaching means definite disciplinary action, disciplinary action. Breaking undead skulls only to have our own heads broken?”
Look at that word choice.
Is she really from the Theology Department?
Still, well, we just need to not get caught.
The treasure hunt is more important.
Who would have known it would be there of all places, but still, what can we do.
“Then will you help us a bit?”
“What kind of bullsh… I mean, what kind of nonsense is that?”
Priscilla let out deep sighs.
“Do you think that makes any sense? I’m from the Theology Department…”
“If you help us, I’ll let you sneak out. Absolutely without getting caught.”
“…”
For reference, Priscilla previously got thoroughly scolded by the dormitory council after getting caught going out during roll call.
I know she hasn’t dared to try since then.
So she’ll probably take the bait.
“R-really…?”
“Yeah. You know me, right? I didn’t get caught before.”
I didn’t get caught thanks to the ‘Illusion Generator Mk.1.’
Big Sister has currently completed development of the improved ‘Illusion Generator Mk.1-1,’ so I could let her borrow that for a while.
“…”
Priscilla has a deeply conflicted expression.
Then she asked me.
“What do I need to do? Should I help smash undead heads? I’ve smashed undead skulls quite often, you know. If there was a test for that, I would have gotten an A?”
Her eyes begin burning with determination.
She’s hooked.
“It’s simple. Just give us baptism. We’ll handle the rest ourselves.”
“How exactly will you handle the rest?”
“We’re planning to enter the underground tomb.”
Priscilla looked at us with an even more intense gaze than before.
In the midst of this, Leila stopped me.
“Dane, don’t you think we need to reconsider our thoughts at this point?”
At those words, Ernest and I reacted simultaneously.
“Why?”
Leila looked back and forth between Ernest and me in confusion.
“Why, you ask. Isn’t it obvious?”
“It doesn’t seem like a big deal.
“Don’t you want to explore?”
Leila looked at the two people with sparkling eyes and shook her head as if giving up.
“Right… I was wrong to ask…”
I casually threw some bait to Leila as well.
“It’s probably a good opportunity.”
“A good opportunity?”
“Yeah. A chance to gain real combat experience. You don’t have any real combat experience yet, right Leila?”
“…”
Leila gulped.
In fact, where would a 14-year-old have the chance to gain real combat experience?
She did win the Dantercup, but strictly speaking, that was ‘sparring.’
Therefore, real combat experience fighting for one’s life, especially against undead, would be an excellent opportunity to improve Leila’s skills.
“For reference, the difference between experiencing real combat and not is enormous. The Duke has also roamed battlefields, so he must have already told you a lot about what I mean, right?”
Leila eventually nodded.
“Alright.”
Unlike before, her eyes were filled with anticipation.
“I’m so excited!”
The guy crazy about exploration doesn’t seem nervous at all.
“But how did you really do it back then? I mean, who could have known those crazy bastards from the student council would strengthen surveillance! Dane, you must! You absolutely must!”
And Priscilla seemed to have completely lost her mind at the mention of being able to sneak out.
As for Dane here…
‘Saint Aimar’s Hall.’
He was looking forward to what would come from the treasure map he got as a prize for dagger throwing.
What kind of treasure would it be?
Perhaps another ancient magic power concentrate?
Or something he couldn’t even imagine?
Anything would be good.
‘I really made the right choice coming to the Academy.’
With this, the club’s first activity was decided.
With all four people having their own respective goals.
And it would be undead extermination, no less.
The plan is as follows.
First, carefully approach Saint Aimar’s Hall.
Getting caught would be a disaster, but ‘fortunately’ the method of detecting intruders was exactly the same as the dormitory.
“This fellow will take care of it.”
And I had received Karnas’s help when I secretly returned to the dormitory, so I took the opportunity to introduce him.
“…Is that perhaps a summoned beast?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah.”
Priscilla doesn’t seem to know much about summoned beasts. So she seemed to perceive him as just a summoned beast I had just called forth.
“Kyuruk!”
“Oh my, you’re cute.”
Well, it’ll all be revealed later anyway, but there’s no need to create unnecessary trouble now.
“Priscilla, you just need to give us baptism afterward.”
“Alright. What’s next?”
“We break through. All the way inside.”
After receiving divine power through baptism, we would quickly eliminate undead while advancing forward to remove the core.
“…Why is it so simple and crude?”
“It’s not exactly like that.”
I looked at Ernest, and Ernest immediately began explaining.
“Saint Aimar’s Hall has a total of three entrances. Considering the core’s location, the shortest distance would be here, through the south entrance, but that would probably increase the chances of having to fight more undead. The other two entrances aren’t much different, but at least here. If we go through the east entrance, the situation will be a bit better.”
Ernest had already completed his structural analysis of Saint Aimar’s Hall. Very much like the Exploration Department.
“Ooh.”
Priscilla also showed interest at this point, and I then looked at Leila.
“Leila will escort you two. She’s Double-class and can handle mana to some extent, so as long as she receives baptism properly, there should be no problem.”
Leila sighed.
“My first real combat being against undead.”
“Why? When else would you gain this kind of experience?”
“I imagined riding a horse and roaming battlefields!”
So is she hoping for a war to break out?
Of course that couldn’t be the case, so it must be a romantic fantasy. A fantasy.
But there are always reasons why fantasies remain fantasies.
“Still, you’ll be grateful later.”
“How very grateful I’ll be. Ugh. How am I supposed to maintain my sword after cutting down undead?”
And lastly, me.
“I’ll take the front.”
“Wait, Dane. Weren’t you a mage?”
“That’s right.”
“Then how are you going to receive divine power?”
Mana and divine power are opposing forces, but if it’s ordinary mana, that is, if you use a ‘core’ like warriors do, it doesn’t matter much.
But if you use ‘circles’ like mages do, the story is different.
“From the moment mana containing divine power flows into your circles, it becomes dangerous. Your blood vessels will probably all split and you’ll bleed profusely, turning into complete chunks of meat.”
How brutal, how brutal.
And this girl is dating a mage?
“It’s fine.”
“Fine? What’s fine…?”
“I don’t need to receive baptism.”
“Huh?”
I explained to Priscilla, who looked bewildered.
“I don’t think it’s really necessary.”
“You’re going to face undead without divine power?”
“I looked it up and apparently if you smash their heads, resurrection becomes difficult?”
“Well, that’s true, but… ordinary levels won’t work, will they?”
Leila answered that.
“Senior, he’s not at an ordinary level.”
“Ah. Autonomous Department.”
Priscilla still couldn’t hide her doubts.
“But even so, it’s a bit…”
“If it comes to it, I’ll just run away.”
I’m also planning to escape at an appropriate time if things don’t work out.
Running away or showing your back isn’t shameful. What’s more shameful is dying and not being able to finish what you need to do.
“After removing the core, we go down to the underground tomb.”
“Easy to say. No, I really… Phew. Fine. Safety, you absolutely guarantee it, right? If it doesn’t work out, whether we get caught or not, I’m abandoning you all at the entrance and running!”
“Sure.”
Honestly, even I think it’s a somewhat ridiculous plan.
Ernest being crazy about exploration is one thing, but from Leila and Priscilla’s perspective, it’s an absolutely impossible plan.
But I’m here.
Anyway, the plan was set, and we decided to meet at night. Since there was no dormitory roll call that day, gathering itself wasn’t a problem.
The only issue was how to get there, but Ernest solved that.
“Here, through the alley.”
Ernest led the way, guiding us only through places with few people.
From the alley to behind buildings, from behind buildings to rooftops. Over rooftops to walls, even perfectly deceiving the Academy’s disciplinary committee.
I could do it too. But I probably couldn’t do it as perfectly as Ernest. It would be impossible without memorizing the entire Academy structure.
“How do you know all this?”
Leila and Priscilla seemed to have their mouths agape the entire time we followed him.
“Well, I’m from the Exploration Department.”
Ernest showed another aspect befitting the Exploration Department.
“But why have you been sprinkling that stuff on the path?”
“Um, for tracking prevention and misdirection? If we succeed in our exploration, we’ll definitely destroy the core, and then everyone will know Saint Aimar Hall has changed, but we can’t let them find out we did it.”
“Ah.”
“And when exploring, you get a lot of competitors too. Originally it’s also for interference!”
What a clever fellow.
I also learned tracking prevention and misdirection from Mother’s assassination arts lessons, but Ernest seemed to be completely specialized in this area.
Anyway, thanks to him we arrived safely, and now Karnas and I stepped forward.
“Here.”
Finding the weakest and most unstable point in the mana flow, I immediately asked Karnas.
“Like before, you know?”
“Kyreuk!”
Whoooosh!
And the moment Karnas’s fire touched it, the mana barrier blocking our way instantly melted away, creating a gap large enough for people to pass through.
“…What did I just see?”
“Dane. That’s really cool.”
“Summoners are amazing…?”
As Leila, Ernest, and Priscilla expressed their admiration in turn—
We finally passed through the barrier safely and…
“It’s really eerie.”
We came face to face with Saint Aimar’s Hall, which looked like it would spawn hordes of ghosts.
Our position was also exquisite, with the moon hanging at the tip of the hall’s clock tower as we looked up.
“Grooooan…”
Then came an ominous sound.
It was from inside the hall.
As expected.
Undead.
“…Whatever. I don’t care. We’ve come this far.”
I heard Leila’s determination.
“Damn… I must be crazy… This is a place even the professor told us not to go…”
I also heard Priscilla’s muttering, unbecoming of the Theology Department.
The other guys are one thing, but Priscilla faces even greater risk.
But the power of love made Priscilla move.
“I will definitely uncover this secret.”
Here’s one guy crazy about adventure.
“Let’s go.”
And finally me, who planned all this crazy stuff.
The four of us finally began to move forward.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————