69-Episode 35: This is a fool



 The deeper one went into the dungeon, the more the number of undead monsters increased.

 Zombies, of course, but also skeletons with only bones, mummies with full body bandages, or ghosts that were only spirit bodies, and so on.

''Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray.''

 I will purify all of them with light.

 When ordinary demons die, their corpses are left behind, so the more you defeat them, the more grotesque the scene becomes.
 However, all the undead that are cleansed by light magic become ashes, so apart from the fact that they are covered in ashes, the marks are clean.

 So it's fun to clean them up.
 It's similar to that pleasant feeling of dirt getting cleaner and cleaner.

 I went deeper and deeper in search of more dirt.

'Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray.'
Mr. Arrell!
Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray.
Mr. Arrell! Mr. Arrell! Mr. Arrell!
'Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray, Holy Ray... hmm?'

 I turned around, suddenly realizing that my name was being called.

 The examiner, a maple, was catching up with me, gasping for breath.
 Apparently I was moving too fast and had opened the distance a bit.

''Um ... you're really a beginner, right?''
Yeah?
''........I think even a professional purifier would have a hard time firing a series of shots that fast......''
Is that so?
...Now, don't you think you're going to run out of magic as usual?
There's still room for more, huh?

 Maybe he's worried about the return trip, but he's not down ten percent yet.
 I think I could go deeper.
 With that in mind, I tried to walk out again.

That's enough!

 For some reason, they stopped me.

''I've seen enough of what you're capable of, Arel-san, so let's go back.
Hm. Is that enough? I think we've only purified the lower level undead yet.
'.........No, no, I killed a few intermediate undead on the way, but.......ghouls, mammies.......'
'Was it? I didn't notice that.
''In any case, as long as we can purify the lower level undead, we'll pass the test...''

 The maple looked around as he said

"........we've come a long way....... It's the first time I've dived this far down too.......Please be careful as some nasty undead may appear.

 Then he asks a little anxiously.

'By the way, do you remember the way back...?
No problem. This way.
That's very helpful. Even though I'm blind, I can still keep track of my surroundings, but it's difficult to distinguish between north, south, east and west, so I often lose track of where I am.

 We headed back the way we came.
 Maybe it's because I've purged all of them, but I hardly encountered any undead.

'Skeletons, huh?'

 But then a skeleton stood in our path.

''You're a skeleton and you're wearing clothes?

 The skeleton was clad in cloak-like rags.
 He has a staff in his hand.

 The skeletons we've encountered so far have attacked us without a second thought as soon as they saw us, but for some reason they stood there and came with a gaze (though without eyes) as if they were observing us.
 It doesn't seem to be a mere skeleton.

''Huh! This strong and evil magic power........well, it couldn't be that.......that's a senior undead wai--

 The maple was about to say something, but before he could, the skeleton clattered and snapped its jaws.

"How rare it is to see a living person.

 Hmm? I just thought I heard a voice, didn't I?
 And not from the ears, but directly in the back of my head, resonating..........well, it's just my imagination.

 Whatever it is, let's purify it as soon as possible.

"I am the--
"Holy Ray.
"...aaaaah!

 What? Did you hear him scream this time?

'How dare you attack me before I can tell you my name! It's only logical to wait for the right moment! Don't you know anything about that, you young man?

 This skeleton, it seems to be different from an ordinary skeleton after all.
 Even if it was bathed in the cleansing light, only a small portion of its bones melted.

 How about this one?

''Hmph. You can't defeat me with that level of magic.
"Holy Cross.
"Yaaaaaahhhh!

 A cross-shaped light assaults the skeleton.

"I, myself, am a fool...

 This time he disappeared as ashes.

''Um ... Mr. Arel?''

 The maple tree calls out to me in a cursory manner.
 I turn around.

What's going on?
''Now, I think it was a senior undead wight, based on its magical power...''
'Advanced? It certainly didn't look like a normal skeleton, but it was intermediate at best, right?
...I see.

 Kaede nodded vaguely for some reason.

''By the way, did you know that Holy Cross is a high-ranking light magic that can only be used by gifted and well-trained exorcists?
You're kidding me. It's not so hard to be a Holy Ray, is it?
''If that's what you perceive, that's fine with me I don't care what you do anymore...''

 He was mumbling in a whisper, with some resigned look on his face.





 Then we returned to the ground safely.
 A few days later, we were notified that we had been accepted.
 We've now been promoted to the second grade at all the academies.