Chapter A Needle Hidden in a Sack (1)

Episode 18. A Needle Hidden in a Sack (1)
I sat up in the hospital bed and straightened my clothes.
According to Leviya, the three who had been in the artificial rift were already back at the dormitory, resting.
She handed me a subspace bag.
“Go back to the dormitory and get some rest too. Proper classes will start tomorrow.”
As I reached out to grab the bag, she quickly pulled it back.
“And try not to recklessly use your Stigma like today.”
“I could have died if I didn’t use it, though?”
“I’m telling you to learn the basics properly first before you use it. You might know dark magic, but when it comes to holy magic, you’re still a beginner. If you lose control and your Stigma gets exposed, it’ll be hard for even me to cover for you, you know?”
“I’m not sure I can promise that…”
“That’s what I thought.”
Leviya’s mouth twisted slightly.
“Still, do your best. You’re the only one who can use a Stigma.”
The Stigma was a classified secret even within the Holy Empire.
While I could learn holy magic inside Sancternim, no one would be able to teach me the proper usage of a Stigma.
There simply wasn’t anyone qualified to instruct me.
She sighed heavily.
“It’s a shame you’re the only one with a Stigma.”
________________________________________
After receiving the subspace bag from Leviya, I left the hospital and walked toward the dormitory.
Night had already fallen, but the streets weren’t dark thanks to the magic stone lamps glowing a dull yellow.
“I’m the only one with a Stigma, huh…”
I chuckled to myself as I mulled over Leviya’s words.
It’s not something to be that troubled about, though.
Because I know Yulia also bears a Stigma.
‘If the Stigma is engraved again after you regress… please come find me. I’ll teach you how to use it.’
That part was fine.
‘But a dark mage like me showing up in the Holy Empire? Yeah, that’ll go over real well, right? You won’t even remember what happened between us.’
‘W-Well, you’ll just have to handle it somehow!’
‘So irresponsible.’
“So irresponsible,” I muttered, recalling my last conversation with Yulia right before regression.
It had been a desperate situation, sure, but it left a complicated mess behind.
Could I really ask the Yulia of this timeline to teach me how to handle a Stigma?
To even bring it up, I’d have to explain why I have a Stigma and how I know she has one.
Would someone believe that from a stranger they just met yesterday?
No. For now, I needed to focus on getting closer to her.
Besides, knowing her personality, there was no way she was resting quietly in the dormitory.
‘There she is.’
Along the path to the dorm, benches were spaced at regular intervals.
On one of them sat a very familiar-looking woman.
Rustle… rustle…
She tucked her hair behind her ear while flipping through a file, suggesting she’d been sitting there a long time.
“Oh.”
Sensing my approach, Yulia looked up, confirmed it was me, and stood up while holding the file.
“You’re here. I was waiting for you.”
Under the streetlamp, her amber eyes shimmered as she smiled at me.
She really was treating me very differently than she did when I was a dark mage.
“I heard you were resting at the dorm.”
“I thought I should at least thank you properly today, no matter what.”
“That so?”
She approached and bowed her head respectfully.
“As a member of the same Holy Order as Violet, I offer my sincere thanks. Because of you, my friend avoided serious injury.”
…Yeah. That’s the kind of person she is.
It’s not just her skill — even at her young age, she had that upright character that made her worthy of inheriting the Stigma.
Of course she’d wait here just to express gratitude.
Right now, to her, I wasn’t a dark mage to be shunned — I was someone to be thanked.
“Not many people can make such a judgment call on the spot. You should be proud of yourself.”
With her gentle face and serene smile, she looked like a model holy knight.
“And… I’m sorry for knocking you out. It was really the only option I had.”
“Well, it pissed me off a bit. But since you apologized, it’s fine. There wasn’t much else you could’ve done.”
Yulia seemed surprised by how calmly I responded, as if she expected me to be angrier.
“Um… is something wrong?”
“No, nothing.”
My attitude must have seemed distant, but what could I do?
When she’s being this earnest, it just highlights the huge gap from how she treated me last time around.
Still, it’s way better than open hostility.
‘Hmm…’
I quietly pondered.
How should I deal with this “mask-wearing” Yulia?
Getting close to her was the best move for now.
But I knew the truth.
She was wearing a mask.
A mask born from the pressure of being the one to inherit the Stigma passed down through generations in the Holy Empire.
It wasn’t really my place to interfere.
One way or another, she would end up killing the “Demon of Scorched Calamity” in the end.
Still…
‘Why… why did we fight at all?’
I hated seeing that devastated look on her face right before regression.
If I treated her the same way I did last time, I’d just be a heartless bastard, wouldn’t I?
Fine. We were comrades once, after all.
I’d swallow my pride and be as gentlemanly as possible.
“You said you’re sorry, right? Then… can I ask you for a favor?”
Her face brightened immediately.
“Of course. If there’s anything I can do in return, I’ll gladly help.”
“Today, when we fought the mid-tier monsters, my ‘Light Refraction Technique’ went out of control, right? Do you know what went wrong?”
As far as I knew, ‘Light Refraction Technique’ was a low-grade holy magic spell.
It used the same magical formation as ‘Mana Refraction Technique,’ but for some reason, I couldn’t control it properly.
Clearly, I had overlooked something.
“Yes, I do know. Actually, I was planning to bring it up myself, but I didn’t expect you to ask first.”
Since it was late now, she suggested reviewing the issue after classes tomorrow.
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
“Of course.”
We exchanged polite smiles.
Things were going really well.
I could safely say I’d achieved my goal of getting closer to Yulia.
Hmm… maybe I should push a little further?
As I searched for another topic, I pointed to the file she was holding.
“What’s that? You were reading it the whole time.”
“Oh, this? It’s nothing serious…”
She opened the file and showed me the first page.
There was a passport-style photo of a man.
“…Huh?”
The second I saw the photo, I froze.
Jet-black hair.
Sharp eyes.
Blood-red irises.
Uh… yeah. That’s me.
“It’s information about ‘Aaron Bayonel’ and his incidents. Provided by the Holy Order.”
I glanced over the text.
It was a detailed report… about me.
“Aha…”
I darted a glance at Yulia’s expression.
The more she talked about Aaron Bayonel, the colder her eyes grew.
Shit. I think I just poked a hornet’s nest.
I shamelessly played dumb.
“Ahem, Aaron Bayonel, wasn’t he… a noble from one of the Four Great Houses, like Lloyd Desmond?”
“Yes. He’s a notorious criminal wanted even in his homeland, the Dark Empire.”
Wow. “Notorious criminal.” What a colorful choice of words.
“I read through his behavioral reports — he acted like a complete savage. He was even verbally abusive to other dark mage cadets. Someone like that definitely didn’t flee the Dark Empire with good intentions.”
“Did he really do something that bad?”
“Even if not, his abilities alone make him dangerous. According to the Holy Order, he can use all three types of dark magic.”
“Sorry, but I don’t know much about dark magic. Is that such a big deal?”
“Absolutely. Plus, the fact that he escaped the Dark Empire alone and disappeared proves he’s extremely capable.”
Well… thanks for the compliment, I guess.
“So basically, he’s really strong.”
“Yes. And if that was all, I wouldn’t be this concerned.”
“Huh?”
She took a step closer, looking up at me.
“Do you know when Aaron disappeared? Right after crossing the border between the Dark Empire and Sancternim. His trail vanishes completely after that.”
…So they’ve figured out that much already.
Not surprising. Word about my bounty would have reached the Holy Empire.
At least now I understood why Yulia had this file.
The Holy Order must have warned her.
There’s a chance Aaron Bayonel is hiding somewhere in Sancternim.
“He could have passed through and gone elsewhere, but… there’s a real possibility he’s still here.”
She clenched the file tightly.
“What a despicable man. Hiding his identity as a dark mage and sneaking into a place filled with students.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Sorry, but… the despicable man’s right in front of you.
Is this what they mean by “the darkest place is right under the lamp”?
“Sigh… I ended up rambling. It’s just such a serious matter.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong.
Judging from the information, anyone would conclude I was dangerous.
And honestly, in the previous timeline, they wouldn’t have been wrong.
After finishing her story about Aaron Bayonel, Yulia’s expression softened again.
“You should be careful too. If Aaron Bayonel is still hiding in Sancternim, he wouldn’t look kindly upon users of holy power like us.”
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“See you tomorrow.”
I watched her walk away and let out a deep sigh.
So… I’m already flagged as a high-risk individual by the Holy Empire.
I kind of expected it, but hearing it directly from Yulia hit differently.
“Damn karma.”
I was already sick of Aaron Bayonel’s infamy growing in real time.
________________________________________
After parting ways with me, Yulia murmured to herself.
“What a strange person…”
She recalled the ‘Light Refraction Technique’ Damon had used.
Few even within the Holy Order could manifest such a massive light construct.
“How could he refine so much holy energy right from the start?”
He didn’t have a Stigma like her, after all.
But there was one word that could explain it.
Talent.
Overwhelming, innate talent for wielding holy power.
If there was a flaw, it was his unpredictable and rough personality.
“Alright.”
She nodded firmly.
Tomorrow after class, she would properly test his ability.
If his talent was as extraordinary as it seemed…
she might even consider recruiting him into the Holy Order.