I'll Smash Everything with Passive Skills-Chapter 74: 0. Trap (1)

The old man was a person of considerable power.

The enemies of the Cult that he had just killed easily numbered in the dozens.

The problem was that even for an old man, using force against a student in the heart of the academy was certainly not an easy choice.

"He commanded us. This place could very well become our grave."

The old man's voice was like metal scraping against metal. All the combatants of the Demon Cult surrounding him looked around with tense eyes.

"Oh, the Demon Cult!"

"Those damn bastards are at it again inside the academy!"

No one showed even a hint of a friendly reaction, even as a joke.

The fact that the person they were targeting, Veris, was an enemy of the Cult was merely a suspicion, so the morale of the combatants was pitifully low.

This operation had to be executed swiftly.

"This is so indistinguishable from the academy that it could be a branch of the Demon Cult."

"Heh heh."

The old man let out a low chuckle at the sight of a student who still maintained his composure.

The student had blue hair resembling the color of the sky and red eyes. He was a strikingly handsome young man, looking almost eerie in his well-fitting white uniform.

The old man knew very well who he was. Recently, Veris von Vitelbach had been identified as a significant threat, as # Nоvеlight # the Cult's alert level had risen sharply due to his actions.

"How relaxed you are. This will be your grave."

The old man had now approached the still-standing Yunafint and whispered softly.

It was only natural for Veris to scoff at the sight.

"You're talking big."

"You have quite the sharp tongue."

"I tend to choose whom I respect."

Veris grinned, revealing his white teeth. Seeing that made the old man feel an inexplicable surge of anger, prompting him to speak to Yunafint, who was beside him.

"Apostle Yunafint, now show your strength. To that insolent brat!"

"...."

The old man's shout was filled with murderous intent. Yet, for some reason, Yunafint merely gazed silently at Veris.

"An apostle?"

The old man exclaimed in disbelief at Yunafint's blank expression.

He already knew that her power was anything but ordinary.

She had been summoned as a hunting dog of the Holy Kingdom, and that request had been accepted...

"Unfortunately, my abilities won't work on that person."

Yunafint's powerless voice caused the old man's face to turn ashen in an instant.

He had boldly led the combatants lying in wait at the academy, and now he was hearing this!

The old man hurriedly looked around.

This was a plaza situated between the alleys of the commercial district.

Due to the cramped environment, there weren't many people, but as the saying goes, a word without legs can travel a thousand miles.

That was precisely what he was worried about.

Right now, the space was filled with the Cult's combatants, but it wouldn't be long before the academy's actual power, the faculty, would arrive.

"This is a disaster."

The basis for the old man's open actions had now become a card he could no longer play.

It was quite painful that Yunafint, who specialized in clean operations, had become a card that could not be used.

Having moved their forces so openly, most of the academy's leadership would surely be aware of their information.

"How could this happen!"

This was a power base that had been painstakingly built.

It was true that it felt regrettable to pour so much effort into taking down a single student.

"We must kill that brat. He will undoubtedly become a significant threat later on!"

Given the circumstances, the most likely person to obstruct their plans was Veris.

Thus, the old man's desire to eliminate Veris was immense.

"We have the numerical advantage. So let's deal with him quickly and leave..."

──Boom! Splash!

"Veris!"

"...we must leave...."

The old man's eyes widened in shock.

The reason was simple. From the alley, two women appeared, sending half a dozen Demon Cultists flying into the air.

"Arwen, this place is dangerous."

"I belong by Veris's side."

"You've made our pact seem trivial. Enjoying yourself alone."

"...."

The old man gaped at the sight of the two women who had walked over to stand beside Veris.

He recognized them.

One was an elf renowned as a promising student of the academy, and the other was the infamous adversary of the Demon Cult, Grand Duchess Evangeline.

Though it was the first time the old man had faced the Grand Duchess directly, he had heard that she was notorious for her strong hatred of the Cult.

It was clear that they would block his path in this situation.

"Am I going to have to move myself?"

The old man's face hardened with cold resolve as he reached into his robe.

He intended to draw out his main technique, a dagger infused with dark mana.

"Those fools who called for a hunting dog do not realize that it is to avoid blood on my hands."

─ Vroom!

The small dagger that emerged into the world emitted a gloomy sound.

At first glance, it seemed like a trivial dagger. However, the mana contained within it was anything but ordinary.

"Stronger than I expected."

Veris's assessment, while calmly observing the scene, was straightforward.

The old man seemed to be of a level comparable to the upper echelons of the Demon Cult that Evangeline had mentioned.

Despite his ordinary appearance, it seemed that his power was anything but ordinary, as the strength contained in the dagger was greater than anticipated.

"How strong is he?"

At Arwen's question, her face tense with anxiety, Veris pondered for a moment before answering. "About 5 Gunther levels."

"...a formidable opponent."

"Indeed. A threat by Arwen's standards."

"I will surpass him someday."

"That's commendable."

"Ha."

The old man was at a loss for words at the casual conversation between the two young people evaluating themselves.

The power he possessed was strong.

Even Grand Duchess Evangeline of Gallia, one of the continent's strongest, would have to concede before him.

"Do you dare to converse in front of me?"

The old man glared with eyes filled with murderous intent, a look he had never experienced in his lifetime.

Seeing the bloodshot eyes, it was clear that he was genuinely angry, not merely engaging in pre-battle deception.

"...too pathetic, isn't it?"

Veris could not hide his sense of disillusionment at the sight.

It was true that the mana he possessed and the level of power he felt were extraordinary.

However, to be so easily provoked compared to the power he held—what else could that be but pathetic?

──Boom! Crash!

The group of Demon Cultists led by the old man and the group of academy students gathered around Veris were on the verge of clashing when another loud explosion echoed.

"Damn it."

Suppressing his anger, the old man knew well what the noise signified and ultimately cursed.

The scale of the sound was larger than expected. That meant the academy's faculty...

Swish!

"Ha ha! The swordsmanship genius of Vera Academy and Veris's brother, Gunther von Haruen, is right here!"

"That's embarrassing, so stop it."

"...and my sister, who adores her brother, is here too!"

Smack!

As Gunther, who had just been hit on the back, groaned, the old man could not hide his astonishment.

Again.

Just like Arwen and Grand Duchess Evangeline, another strong figure had appeared.

Of course, compared to the old man, they were of a lesser level, but...

"Brother, leave it to me."

"I'll protect Veris. ...because we're betrothed."

The sight of the two people now standing side by side with Veris left the old man feeling utterly defeated.

He knew they had won in the mid-evaluation. But why were such famous individuals drawn to that mere brat?

"This situation is not good. Second Seat."

"Umm...."

The old man felt a sense of dread rising within him.

No, it might be his arrogance that he had initially attempted to kill Veris so openly within the academy.

"I'll go first."

"You?"

"I'll behead him."

At the confident voice of his reliable subordinate, the old man nodded.

Time was of the essence. The apostle who had agreed to support them also seemed to be in a non-normal state, so there was no time to hesitate if they were to act.

"Go, show your strength, show the will of the Cult."

The old man's voice, having retracted the mana contained in the dagger. His subordinate grasped a long spear and began to charge forward.

Thud thud thud!

The sight of the brave believer was so reliable that a satisfied smile appeared on the old man's face.

Now that he thought about it, he had almost fallen for that young brat's provocation, which was unworthy of his reputation.

"I've seen this scene somewhere."

"Where?"

"Well, I've definitely experienced something like this many times."

While still not grasping the situation, the old man thought as he watched the students chattering behind him.

If his subordinate took the lead, he would immediately plan to strike from behind...

Rustle!

─ Slash!

"What?"

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The sight of his fallen subordinate, split in two, entered his view.

"Pathetic."

"Wh-what is that guy's true identity?"

The one drenched in the blood of the Demon Cultist looked like a demon that had crawled up from hell, not an academy student.

It was a simple slash.

With that one strike, he had beheaded one of the Cult's believers, and he slowly turned his head to gaze at the old man.

"...!"

He received nothing but a cold stare.

For some reason, the old man felt a shiver run down his spine at that gaze.

Yes, it was like a small animal standing before a bird of prey.

"Thank you."

"...what?"

"For buying me time as I intended."

"What do you mean?"

Veris's voice was almost a whisper, filled with meaning that the old man could not comprehend.

─── Thud thud thud!

But soon, with the sound of shouting, the old man recalled that something had gone terribly wrong.

"I've already shown enough power to the people. Of course, there are some fools like you among them, but I don't have the time to worry about each one."

"...."

The more they spoke, the stranger the feeling became. It felt as if it was Veris who had set the trap, not them.

"Now what I need is a name."

At Veris's smile, revealing his white teeth, the old man trembled.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A flag filled with radiant light.

A golden armor designed to prevent the intrusion of cold blades from head to toe.

"Who dares to cause a disturbance in the sacred territory of the Vera Empire!"

Since the scene was in a plaza-like area between alleys, they did not mount their horses, but the pressure and weight they carried were anything but ordinary.

"Veris!"

Now Maria, who had completely dropped the formalities, was the first to wave her hand cheerfully.

The symbol of the imperial family.

Noble knights who only obey the emperor's command.

A member of the imperial royal guard had appeared, accompanied by the imperial family.