Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance Chapter 98

The special students who left Verotanis are back at the Academy.

 

“So the second semester is canceled after all.”

 

Eileen looked at the seat beside her with a heavy face as she realized the news that had finally been confirmed the night before. The bed where Jessie would normally have returned and unpacked her things was empty.

 

So far, the non-Contra areas had been adequately defended, but there was no doubt that the frequency and danger rating of demons was slowly rising.

 

‘The demon may return.’

 

People were reluctant to go out, and the temples were crowded with people seeking salvation. Even in the special classes, only a handful of people had gotten off.

 

Eileen, wrapped in a cardigan, made her way down to the dining hall, her face expressionless. Normally, the cafeteria was separated by grade level, but since the start of school had been temporarily postponed, there was only one.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Yeah, good morning.”

 

Eileen picked up her fork as she casually sat down at the table with Cordelia, Felix, and Lucian.

 

“Salmon for some reason.”

 

“I think the dressing is good.”

 

As they ate their meal with casual conversation, Laquerta strode up to their table, looking annoyed. A small piece of salmon rose and fell from his plate as he slammed it down violently.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Eileen asked, and Laquerta clenched his teeth in frustration.

 

“I got a letter from Lua.”

 

“And?”

 

“…said she’s going to marry Andrew, even if it means raising money!”

 

“What?”

 

There was a moment of silence.

 

“Pfft, sorry. Mmm. That sucks.”

 

Eileen slumped over the table with a stifled laugh, and Andrew, relieved to be free of the special needs students, headed to the Fort estate to check on Moa and Lua on behalf of Laquerta.

 

“Andrew’s a good talker, so he must have gotten through to them.”

 

Eileen chuckled at the obviousness of the story, then stopped.

 

“Well, they seem to be getting along. Don’t worry about it, they’re kids.”

 

Eileen remembered the daycare kids. Tommy used to have his own wedding with Eileen or Anne when he could.

 

“I hope they’re all doing well. The orphanage is still intact.”

 

Still, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy being so close to a lake that had once been haunted. Eileen had suggested several times before she joined Verotanis that they use the profits from the botanical garden to move the nursery, but Gail had been reluctant to leave the home of the foster parents who had raised her.

 

They’ve set up a makeshift security system and a bunch of crystal stones, but Eileen is frustrated that she can’t go there herself.

 

Cordelia, who had finished her salmon, asked, “How’s Andrew doing?”

 

“Well, he seems to be doing well so far, though he’ll probably have to return to his home estate next month.”

 

“Aha.”

 

The conversation was brief, but Laquerta’s heart was heavy.

 

“I wish I could have been in the special class with you.”

 

Andrew didn’t want to go home. He didn’t say why, but he was reluctant to return home, preferring to stay in Verotanis where he had no role. Laquerta wanted to visit him in person, but he couldn’t make it happen.

 

His extracurricular activities were busy, and he wasn’t sure if his family would approve of him having an aquatic friend.

 

“Don’t play with that animal!”

 

When he was very young, some kids would approach him without prejudice, but they were soon swayed by their own families’ reactions and denied Laquerta. Andrew knew he wouldn’t, but it wasn’t an easy decision to make when he thought his closeness might be used against him.

 

“Maybe we can meet later.”

 

Eileen’s words made Laquerta lookup. She shrugged and smiled.

 

“You never know when school might start.”

 

“Right.”

 

Laquerta nodded slowly. He didn’t know when the long night would end, but no night lasted forever, and that was true even in relationships.

 

“Well, if you don’t like it, I’ll take Andrew and run away with him.”

 

Her shoulders slumped, Laquerta chewed vigorously on his salmon. Eileen watched his cheeks move, supple with relief, and thought.

 

‘Thank goodness. You’ve washed your hair.’

 

 

***

 

 

It was a dark, upscale tavern. It was the middle of the night, but the dimly lit tavern was thick with cigarette smoke.

 

“Mr. Ian, you have a visitor.”

 

A man in a black suit asked politely from the black wooden door, which was open a crack, but there was no answer from inside the unlit room.

 

“Mr. Ian?”

 

Still silent, the man hesitated for a moment, then pulled the door open a crack, revealing a large room with at least twenty men and women lying on the floor. All had their eyes closed and their mouths open, as if in a deep sleep.

 

“The scent of sleep.”

 

The man covered his mouth with his sleeve. The sweet smell of sleep incense was overpowering.

 

“Mr. Ian.”

 

“Oh?”

 

The man called out again, and a figure slid out of the only couch in the room. Curly platinum hair. An angelic face.

 

Ian Roperson, the Empress’s late great-nephew and head of House Roperson, looked up.

 

“Ian? Oh, it’s me.”

 

“You’ve been on so many drugs, you don’t even know your own name.”

 

The man opened his mouth again, hiding his true intentions.

 

“I apologize for barging in. You have a visitor, and he says he was sent by the Marquis of Eldium…”

 

“The Marquis of Eldium?!”

 

Before the man could finish his sentence, Ian jumped to his feet, grinning broadly. Dressed in a white velvet shirt and white pants, he glowed an alien white in the dark interior.

 

Ian strode briskly to the door. A haphazard group of people kicked this way and that at his insensitive feet, but no one groaned or made a face.

 

“Finally!”

 

The excited stranger pushed past Ian and started to leave the room, but stopped short.

 

“By the way. What was your name again?”

 

“What? Rook.”

 

“Yeah, Rook. I told you not to come in, but you broke my word.”

 

“Well, it was the Marquis of Eldium who sent me.”

 

“Shhh. You still broke my word, didn’t you? Ah! Don’t be so shaky. I have good news for you, and I don’t mean to offend you.”

 

Ian slowly walked over to Rook, who was still shaking violently, unable to make eye contact with the strangely white man, and cupped his cheek affectionately.

 

“Rook, look into my eyes.”

 

Rook sucked in a deep breath into the icy hand and slowly made eye contact with Ian. His eyes widened in unease. Ian’s eyes were inverted, white and black.

 

“Eup!”

 

The man twisted, but Ian’s slender frame didn’t budge. It only strengthened the hand that held him, and soon the light went out of the man’s eyes. Pushing him back into the room, Ian grinned as the light returned to his eyes.

 

“I told you I wasn’t going to be angry. If I was, I’d kill you. This is a small punishment.”

 

A punishment that you’ll never wake up from and have nightmares about until you die.

 

Squinting, Ian spied the man’s nightmare and grinned in a daze.

 

“Alas, sweetheart, that’s your nightmare. How colorful the nightmares of men are. I never tire of them.”

 

As he savored the nightmares of the dozens of people who filled the room, someone called out to him.

 

“Ian.”

 

“It’s you! Yes, whatever you say, Lord Urzar?”

 

“You must call me Marquis of Eldium now.”

 

“That’s tiresome, the humans here can’t hear anything anyway.”

 

A woman with black bangs that fell to just above her eyes sighed at Ian’s attitude.

 

“Did you just sigh at me?!”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You want to die!!?”

 

Ignoring Ian’s exasperation, the woman stormed in and scanned the room.

 

“Looks like this is enough people.”

 

“For what?”

 

“The next preparations for the darkness.”

 

At her words, Ian’s grin widened to the limit.

 

“There you are, finally, ahahaha. I’ll forgive you this time.”

 

Ian asked, his mirth still evident on his face.

 

“So, where are we going to follow the Contras?”