Chapter 36-40: I'm the Saintess's Younger Sister

Chapter 36: Detective games (2)

Infiltration was the act of sneaking in while avoiding the gaze of others.

The fewer people involved, the more stealthy and swift the operation could be, and the lower the chance of being detected.

But…

“…What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I… that, that is…”

Lucia stammered in response to my question, while the others watched.

Two more people lay unconscious on the ground.

…What were they doing here?

Late at night, under the moonlight.

I was heading to the garden where Stella was attacked.

I needed to see the scene myself to fill in the missing pieces.

The problem was…

“A barrier.”

The path to the garden was blocked by a translucent wall.

It seemed to be a barrier to preserve the scene and prevent access.

“This is a bit troublesome.”

If they had stationed guards, I could at least try to slip past them.

But a barrier like this left me with no options.

“Trying to break it would only complicate things.”

Barriers like this usually triggered an alarm or sent a signal to someone when damaged.

Besides, I doubted a student like me could even break a barrier erected by a professor.

“Then…”

Four, no, five?

It would be better to deal with them first.

I vanished the moment I finished my thought.

They had hidden themselves quite well, but it wasn't enough to fool my senses.

They were skilled, but not experienced.

I didn’t know their intentions, but it would be better to subdue them and ask questions later.

‘W-what? Where did she go?’

I could hear their confused voices as they lost track of me.

Let’s see… the strongest one was the man in the center?

Judging by his magic power and voice, he probably was.

There was something unsettling about this situation, but I could address that after subduing them.

Grab

I leaped from the branch behind them and slammed my foot down on the girl on the far right.

I controlled my strength, so she wouldn’t die, but she collapsed as if she had fainted.

“Who…!”

As soon as my foot landed, I spun around and delivered a back kick to the person who was about to speak.

The person I just kicked flew back and crashed into a tree before falling to the ground. Three left.

‘They’re quite quick…’

They had already drawn their weapons and aimed them at me.

It took me about five seconds to take down the two who were caught off guard.

In other words, they reacted in five seconds.

‘I was hoping to take out at least three…’

I tried to attack the one closest to me, but they had already distanced themselves, so I failed.

‘Normally, that would have been the end of it… This is troublesome.’

I was currently concealing my true abilities.

Furthermore, I couldn't kill them since we were within the Academy.

I was fighting with two major handicaps.

“Who are you, and why are you following me?”

“Who are y… Wait, Aria?”

As soon as she spoke, the familiar golden light of holy power illuminated the surroundings.

So that was the unsettling feeling…

“…What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I… that, that is…”

The mysterious stalker, no, Lucia, started stammering in response to my question.

Alicia and Leon stared at her.

“Ugh…”

Elena and Lena were groaning on the ground.

My head started to hurt. I pressed my hand against my forehead and asked again.

“I. Asked. What. You. Are. Doing. Here?”

“Well…”

Lucia’s gaze darted around, unable to find a place to settle.

Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

“I followed you because I was worried!”

“Huh?”

Worried? Who was worried about whom…

“You didn’t come back during class! You were wandering around without saying a word to u… Mmmph?!”

“Shhh.”

I covered Lucia’s mouth and pulled her away.

I had a lot of questions for her, but I had to postpone them due to the approaching presence.

“Hide, and take those two with you. Quickly.”

Leon and Alicia seemed to understand and each grabbed one of the unconscious girls.

I also hid behind a tree, still covering Lucia’s mouth.

A moment later, footsteps approached.

A woman’s voice echoed through the air.

“Hmm~ I could have sworn there was someone here.”

“…!”

Had she noticed us already?

I was late in sensing her due to the conversation, but I didn’t expect her to notice us so quickly.

“Where are you?”

She slowly approached.

The moment Leon moved, trying to hide deeper in the shadows of the tree…

Rustle

“Found you.”

The woman swung her sword towards the source of the sound.

Her sword cut through the tree where they were hiding and clashed with Leon’s holy sword.

He was thrown backward by the force of the impact.

“Oh my? What an unexpected guest.”

A woman with short purple hair and eyes.

Judging by her neat suit, she was probably a professor.

Probably one of the extras I didn't remember.

“So, what brings you here?”

“…”

Leon remained silent in response to her question.

The woman’s purple eyes fixed on him.

“Would you really hide while your comrade is captured? Heroes of the Hero’s party?”

Had we been discovered already?

There was no point in hiding anymore.

I released Lucia and stepped out from behind the tree.

“So I’ll ask again. What are you doing here?”

“…I wanted to see the scene of the incident.”

“The scene of the incident…? Aria, what…”

“So it was you? The one who’s a suspect.”

The woman smiled, as if amused.

“So. Can I go now?”

“Hmm… well…”

She put a hand to her chin, as if pondering my question.

If she alerted the other professors, things would get very complicated.

After a brief pause, she finally spoke.

“Fine. I’ll let you go.”

“…What?”

With those words, she took something out of her pocket.

She fiddled with it for a moment. Judging by the voice coming from it, it seemed to be a communication device.

{What is it, Assistant Professor Melena? Is there a problem?}

“Could you deactivate the barrier for a moment? I think something’s amiss.”

{What? Shouldn’t we call the other professors…?}

“It’s fine. I can handle it myself.”

{Understood.}

The other person ended the call, and the barrier flickered and disappeared.

She gestured towards the path beyond the barrier.

“What are you waiting for? Go.”

“…Why are you helping us?”

“I don’t know about others, but the person involved has the right, don't they?”

I wasn’t sure if I could trust her, but I had no other choice.

“I can’t keep it open for long, so hurry.”

“Thank you.”

We walked past her.

“…”

“…”

By the lake.

The scenery was as beautiful as yesterday, but…

“…”

I silently scanned the surroundings.

Leon and Alicia were tending to the unconscious elf sisters, so only Lucia was with me.

If I remembered correctly, this was where Stella and I were yesterday.

“So, when are you going to tell us?”

“…Tell you what?”

“About the incident! What do you mean by ‘the person involved’?”

She heard it after all.

I had hoped she wouldn't notice, but it was impossible to hide it now that we were here.

I had no choice but to tell them what happened today.

“So… Stella was attacked, and you’re a suspect in that case, Aria?”

“Well, yes.”

Lucia’s voice trembled as she asked.

I didn't look at her, continuing to examine the scene.

“Why are you so calm?!”

“What else should I be?”

“What do you mean…”

“I asked what would change if I wasn’t calm.”

Now that I was a prime suspect, there was no point in wasting my energy on emotions.

I’d be lucky if I didn't give them any more ammunition against me.

“It’s better to find even a single clue right now.”

“But…”

“So please don’t interrupt. We don’t have much time left.”

Lucia fell silent at my words.

“…kay.”

What?

“Why?! Why can you be so calm in this situation?!”

Her muttering grew louder, until she finally shouted at me as if she couldn't hold it in any longer.

“They said your life might be in danger! You could die!”

“…”

“Aren’t you afraid of dying?!”

From my perspective, I was calm because I knew I wouldn’t die, but she seemed to have interpreted it differently.

Wasn't I afraid of dying?

Well…

“Not really.”

“…What?”

“Not really.”

I had wanted to end my life for a long time.

No.

I tried several times, but someone always healed me, leaving my wrists clean without a single scar.

Well, I probably wouldn't die even if this went wrong.

“Just who are you…?”

“So…”

Don’t (interrupt) me (anymore).

““…””

Neither of us spoke after that.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 37: Backworld (1)

After the investigation ended.

We returned the way we came and found the purple-haired professor waiting for us.

“Did you find anything new?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“That’s too bad.”

As I told her, I continued investigating after the conversation with Lucia, but…

Despite searching for even the smallest trace, I found nothing.

“Same here. It must be true then.”

“Thank you for your help.”

“Well, curiosity can get the better of you when you're young.”

She shrugged, as if telling me not to worry about it.

“…Situation clear. You can reactivate the barrier.”

{Did you find anything?}

“Nothing. It seems I was mistaken.”

She rummaged through her pocket again and made a call. The barrier reappeared behind us.

“Then you should go now. Don’t wander off and get caught by another professor.”

“Alright.”

With those words, she left. We turned and headed back to the dormitory.

“So, Aria, what are you going to do now?”

“I’m not sure…”

I had a few ideas, like investigating people around the Academy or tailing other professors.

But…

“Nothing concrete yet.”

They were all based on suspicion or carried significant risks.

“Then…”

“Since tomorrow is the weekend, I think I’ll have to investigate outside the Academy.”

“What?”

The Academy, being a boarding school, allowed students to leave on weekends with permission.

They were especially lenient with high-achieving students, so I should be able to get permission easily.

“Aren’t you a suspect, Aria?”

“It’s to prove my innocence, so they won’t stop me.”

The three-day grace period meant I had three days to prove my innocence.

I had to use every method possible.

“Then we’ll go with…”

“No. I have to do this alone.”

The place I was going to visit was practically a den of demons.

Furthermore, being seen with the Hero’s party would only draw unnecessary attention.

“…Alright. Be careful, Aria.”

With those words, Lucia returned to her room.

As soon as morning came, I headed to Professor Glesia’s room.

“So you want a leave permit?”

“As I said.”

Glesia looked at the document in front of her.

It was a leave permit application.

“As you know, you are currently…”

“A prime suspect. I know.”

“Then wouldn’t leaving only make you look more suspicious?”

I expected this.

But I couldn’t back down now, with a chance to find a clue right in front of me.

“Didn’t you say you trusted me?”

“…”

“I’ll make sure to resolve this. So please, trust me.”

Our gazes met in the air.

Her blue eyes stared at me for a long time before…

“…Sigh, alright.”

“Thank you.”

She finally relented with a sigh.

She reached for the document and signed her name.

“Aria, you’re my student now that I’ve taken responsibility for you.”

“I know.”

I knew what kind of person she was in the original story, her thoughts, and her values.

“So I’ll trust you.”

I even knew she would eventually give me permission.

After meeting with Glesia, I finally arrived in the city.

It was best to conceal my identity, so I kept my robe pulled low over my face.

“I didn’t expect to come here like this.”

A long alley stretched out before me.

It looked like an ordinary alley, but it was actually the entrance to one of the most dangerous places in the Empire.

The so-called ‘Underworld.’

Also known as the Empire’s shadow, it was a place where shady businesses thrived.

There was no law enforcement, and might made right.

It was a nation within a nation, home to major organizations like the Black Market and illegal auction houses, as well as countless other criminal organizations.

‘Even the Empire can't touch this place so easily.’

Interfering with the Underworld, which was sensitive to government intervention, could easily destabilize the entire nation.

Unless it involved royalty or one of the Five Great Families, the Empire wouldn't readily intervene, even if nobles went missing there.

“This way.”

A man approached me.

I was wary at first, but I lowered my weapon after recognizing his face.

“It’s been a while, Aria-nim.”

“Fluver… was it? It hasn’t been that long.”

The man called Fluver smiled and replied.

“Haha, well, the flow of time is relative.”

What, was he a philosopher now?

“If you’re done with the nonsense, please lead the way.”

“Understood. This way.”

He stopped smiling and entered the alley.

As I followed him, he stopped as if he’d remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, you should be careful here.”

“Me?”

“I’m not worried about your combat abilities, but…”

Before he could finish, several men approached us.

Armed with weapons, they quickly surrounded us.

“Hey, you. New here?”

The others who recognized Fluver earlier remained silent.

Were these guys clueless? Or were they new recruits?

“What should we do?”

“Meaning?”

“If you allow it, I’ll take care of them.”

“…Get rid of them.”

Fluver nodded at my words and gestured somewhere.

“Are you ignoring us? Get them, men…!”

The man turned to his side…

Thud Thud Thud

…only to see heads falling to the ground, detached from their bodies.

By the time he realized what had happened, he was the only one left.

“Assassins?”

“Yes. They’re called Shadows, an assassination team we trained.”

‘Quite useful.’

As we were talking, someone approached us.

He bowed his head before speaking.

“How should we deal with him? He seems to be the leader, so we kept him alive.”

“What do you think, Aria-nim?”

“Hmm…”

The man looked like a common thug.

Even if I interrogated him, I wouldn’t get any useful information.

“Get rid of him.”

“Take care of him.”

“P-please, spare me…”

The man’s head fell to the ground. The Shadows carried away the bodies.

In an instant, nothing but faint bloodstains remained on the street.

“Then, shall we continue?”

Fluver continued leading the way, as if nothing had happened, despite having just witnessed the deaths of fifteen people.

Well, I wasn’t much different from them at this point.

After walking for a while, Fluver entered a building.

The woman at the desk tried to greet him, but…

“Welcome. We…”

“Skip the greetings and lead the way.”

“Understood.”

She immediately led us inside.

She operated something, and a doorway that looked like a wall opened, revealing an elevator leading down.

“That woman. She’s human?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t this a demon branch?”

“Well, some humans are worse than demons.”

I couldn’t sense any demonic energy from her.

She wasn't an ordinary person, then.

“What is this place?”

“Officially, it’s just another illegal organization.”

“And what about the lower levels?”

“Many things. Weapon and magic tool trafficking, capital transfer to demon branches across the continent, slave trade, and so on…”

The elevator reached the bottom before he could finish.

The doors opened, revealing a vast space like a hangar.

Unlike the upper levels, most of the people here were demons.

Ignoring the surrounding noise, Fluver turned to me.

He took off his hat like a gentleman and bowed deeply.

“Welcome, Zeroth Legion Commander Lucifer-nim.”

“To the largest human-world branch of the demons…”

…Pandemonium.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 38: Backworld (2)

After the introduction, Fluver led me to his office.

As expected, having a private office like this suggested he held a considerably high position within the organization.

Pandemonium.

It had all sorts of grandiose titles attached to it, but simply put, it was a network of demons hidden within the human world.

“You know why I’m here, right?”

“Of course.”

In other words, this was the perfect place to obtain the information I needed.

“Did you plant a spy in the Academy? You’re faster than I expected.”

I expected them to be quick, but I didn’t think they’d hear about it in half a day.

“It was a coincidence.”

“A coincidence?”

“It happened to overlap with the information we were tracking.”

“Tracking… Who?”

I assumed Stella’s attacker was an assassin.

A high-ranking one at that. It wasn’t something you could anticipate and track in advance.

Normal - Elite - Expert - Master - Grand Master.

The strength of each class was divided into five levels.

Normals and Elites were relatively easy to find.

But from Expert and above, the difficulty increased exponentially, making them hard to track.

Master assassins numbered less than ten in the entire continent.

That's why I was puzzled by Fluver’s words.

“There’s been recent activity from the Black Market and White Blood.”

“What?”

Those two organizations were active at this point in time?

I didn’t remember this happening.

But why?

“The Black Market and White Blood…”

“They’re two of the three major organizations in the Underworld, along with us.”

“Why are they active?”

“I’ve prepared the information.”

Fluver handed me a document.

I took it, opened the thick cover, and found organized documents inside.

===============

Name: (Unknown), Codename: F

Age: (Unknown)

Gender: Female (Presumed)

Hometown: (Unknown)

Residence: (Unknown)

Affiliation: White Blood

Occupation: Master Assassin

Weapon: (Unknown)

Remarks: An assassin belonging to White Blood, a major organization in the Underworld.

Known as F within the organization.

Presumed to have a connection with the organization’s leader. Recently dispatched somewhere, according to intel.

Known for her disguise skills.

===============

“F…”

Everything except her codename, affiliation, and occupation was unknown.

Even her gender was just a guess.

“You’ve done a lot of research.”

“It’s essential.”

It might have sounded sarcastic, but it really was a lot of information.

Unlike other classes, where higher ranks were more well-known, assassins became more secretive as they climbed the ranks.

Considering that knowing the existence of a Master assassin or above was considered an accomplishment, this showed just how extensive Pandemonium’s information network was.

“So, why are they active?”

“The Black Market has been lying low recently.”

“…Lying low?”

“They’ve reduced their external activities.”

There were usually two reasons for this.

“Either there’s been an internal change, or… they’re hiding from a predator.”

“A predator…”

Could it be…

‘Don’t bother me again.’

‘Is that… all?’

‘Yes, that’s all.’

…Me?

‘If you send anyone else, I won’t just give a warning like today. I’ll bury the Black Market.’

“Sigh…”

“Is something wrong?”

“No. Continue.”

I thought I had ended things quietly, but it seemed to have backfired.

If I had let it go, they probably would have continued to pursue me.

It was something that was bound to happen sooner or later. But I still couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

“Anyway, we believe she’s the one behind the recent incident at the Academy.”

“…This is troublesome.”

F, the Master Assassin.

She was known as Face among the players.

However, she wasn't supposed to appear until much later in the story.

I could handle her in terms of combat ability, but the real problem was…

“Disguise… Do you have any idea who she might be impersonating?”

“I apologize. We haven’t been able to determine that yet.”

Her specialty, disguise.

She could perfectly replicate the appearance of anyone she chose.

“Tsk… That’s all you have for now?”

“If you give us a little more time, we’ll look into it…”

“I wish I could, but I don’t have time.”

Two of the three days Professor Lian gave me had already passed.

I had until tomorrow evening, at most.

After that, the noble faction would likely make their move, restricting my actions.

“If you’d like, we can prepare a new identity for you…”

“Let’s save that for later.”

“Understood.”

Even with a new identity, the entrance ceremony was already over.

I would have to wait until next year to enter the Academy.

By then, the Hero’s party would be second-years, significantly reducing my options for approaching them.

“I need information on the professors at the Academy.”

“How much information?”

“Their background, acquaintances… and their approximate combat abilities.”

“Understood.”

The first step in any investigation was to narrow down the suspects.

“You can exclude those with a significant difference in combat ability, like Lian and Glesia.”

“I understand. You’re looking for someone whose appearance would be easy to replicate, right?”

Disguise only changed the outward appearance.

It couldn't replicate someone’s combat abilities or skills.

“That’s right. And limit the weapon to swords or daggers.”

“Yes.”

“How long will it take?”

“Since the scope has been narrowed down considerably, it should take about three hours.”

“Please.”

So I had about three hours to kill.

I didn't have anything specific to do, but I was bored.

“If you’re bored, would you like a tour of the organization?”

“Hmm… That sounds good.”

Fluver seemed to have read my mind.

I accepted his offer, thinking it was better than just sitting around.

“So, what does Pandemonium mainly do?”

It was one of the largest organizations in the Underworld.

They probably weren’t running a legitimate business.

“As I mentioned before, we do almost anything that makes money.”

“For example?”

“Trafficking rare materials and weapons, illegal magic tool trade, and so on.”

“And?”

“And the slave trade… Ah, there they are.”

Fluver pointed in one direction.

Several people were chained there, restraints on their necks, hands, and feet.

Most of the slaves sat with resigned expressions.

But most meant there were exceptions.

“Do you know who I am?!”

A woman stood up and shouted.

Judging by her luxurious clothes, she seemed to be from a wealthy or noble family.

“She’s resisting again! Take her away!”

“Let go of me! Let me go!”

It didn’t seem to make much of a difference, though.

“Is it alright to sell a woman from a wealthy family as a slave?”

“This is the Underworld. As long as we don’t touch anyone from a Duke’s family or higher, even the Empire can’t easily interfere.”

“What about her?”

“If I remember correctly, she’s the daughter of a Count.”

A Count wasn't a low rank, but it seemed manageable for them.

“What usually happens in these cases?”

“Sometimes we return them to their families for a high price, but in most cases…”

“You sell them. And make sure they can’t be traced.”

“…No comment.”

Fluver didn’t deny it.

“Where are they sold?”

“Probably to auction houses in the Underworld. Or to demons.”

“Demons?”

“Succubi, usually.”

Succubi…

Come to think of it, Lilith had said something similar before.

‘Aria, have you ever thought about joining our Seventh Legion?’

‘As I said before, I refuse.’

‘But we have a lot of kids your age in the Seventh Legion.’

I wondered what she meant by “kids my age” at first, but I learned the truth from Bathory later.

‘More accurately, kids who were human.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The Seventh Legion is the home of the succubi. Do you really think there are ordinary humans there?’

‘Ah…’

I never brought up that topic again after that.

“Anyway, the reason is…”

“It’s okay.”

“…What?”

“I think I understand.”

I didn't really want to know.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 39: Detective games (3)

"Sigh..."

"…"

Inside one of the Academy rooms.

More accurately, only two people were present within the room allocated to Glesia.

"…"

One, obviously, was Glesia, the room's owner.

And the other…

"…Professor Glesia."

"Yes, Professor Lian."

"Did I hear correctly?"

Lian Anderson, the Academy's second-in-command, swordsmanship professor, and assistant to the headmaster.

Unlike his usual relaxed demeanor, his expression was quite serious.

"It's as I said."

"Even so, to let her outside…"

The cause of his concern was Aria's outing.

Given her current situation, permission should have been denied, but…

"And you, Professor Glesia, granted it."

"…"

"You do realize this could backfire, right?"

"Yes."

Thanks to Glesia's permission, Aria was currently outside the Academy.

Trusting Aria as her student was fine. Lian himself didn't believe she was the culprit.

However, she was currently a suspect.

If this fact became known before the culprit was caught, even the minimal protection they could offer would become difficult.

Worse, it could be used against them.

"This could implicate you as well, Professor Glesia."

"I know."

"Sigh…"

Lian clutched his head, looking troubled, while Glesia observed him.

Silence fell between them once more.

"How far has the investigation progressed?"

"Not much. We've confirmed a high-ranking assassin is the culprit, but…"

Given the nature of their profession, assassins excelled at concealing their identities.

Even with the Academy's renowned experts, information remained scarce.

"Did Aria say she was going to investigate?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where she went?"

"…No."

"We can only hope she returns soon."

If she ran, the Academy would be in a more difficult position.

However, Glesia's expression lacked any anxiety.

"…You don't seem worried."

"She's my student, and I trust her."

"Sigh…"

Their conversation ended there.

"Is this all the information you have?"

"Yes. This is everyone among our known professors who matches the criteria you described."

"Three…"

A number both large and small.

I began reviewing the profiles Fluver handed me, detailing the professors' personal information.

"Hm?"

"Is something wrong…?"

A particular photo caught my attention.

"Ah, it's nothing."

The photo depicted a woman with violet eyes and short hair.

It was the professor I encountered in the forest the previous day.

"If I had more time, I could have been more certain…"

"That won't be necessary."

I seemed to have found her.

"Yes?"

"Fluver, do you read novels?"

"What…? I do, but…"

Fluver answered, puzzled by my question.

I smirked.

"Then you must have read mystery novels."

"I have."

"There's a sort of rule in mystery novels."

Well, it wasn't really a rule.

More like a superstition, a guideline people created.

"The first person you meet is the culprit."

"Excuse me?"

"Anyway, this information should be enough."

He looked confused, but it wasn't my concern.

I rose from my seat, Fluver following behind.

‘If there's one thing I haven't mentioned…’

In mystery novels, the first encounter being the culprit was a trope.

However, the protagonist's surroundings becoming the center of a storm of incidents was a universal constant.

So, whether I wanted it or not, I had to be involved this time.

At the center of this storm.

The next morning, back at the Academy.

Lucia, Alicia, Leon, Elena, and I gathered at a cafe.

"So, are you going to tell us now?"

"I was planning to, even without your impatience."

Lucia questioned me expectantly. I'd postponed the explanation until the next day due to the late hour, so she must have been waiting.

"I've more or less figured out who the culprit is."

"What? But how…?"

"The source of my information is a secret, so please don't ask."

Alicia's eyes widened in surprise, but I brushed her off with a vague excuse about the information being sensitive.

I couldn't reveal it to Glesia or Lian either, as it would put me in a difficult position.

"So, who is it?"

"Please take a look at this photo."

Leon, seemingly sensing my reluctance, changed the subject.

I handed him the photo.

Violet eyes and short hair.

The professor's photo.

"This person is…!"

"We met in the forest recently."

"But why?"

Because of you. You.

…I couldn't say that to him.

"Based on various circumstances, she was the most likely suspect."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"It's simple."

Once a suspect was identified, the next step was obvious.

"Find evidence."

"Evidence…"

"Well, we'll have to visit her residence first."

The Academy provided personal residences for its professors.

While called residences, they were essentially houses with attached land.

"Do you think there will be evidence there?"

"The information I've gathered suggests the culprit is a master of disguise."

"How did you…?"

"Regardless, while they might be able to sneak in, to move around disguised as someone else, they would have to hide the original somewhere."

That's why I'd excluded powerful individuals like Glesia from the suspect list.

It would be difficult for an assassin, weaker than those of the same rank, to take down someone like Glesia.

"Are you suggesting the professor's residence is where they're hidden?"

"It's the most likely location at present."

"Sigh… So, what do we need to do?"

This was the crucial part.

"Since we don't know the opponent's strength for sure, having as much power as possible is advantageous."

"If someone like Stella from Class A was targeted…"

This was just a superficial reason.

A Master-level individual could handle the situation alone while concealing their identity. The real reason I wanted the Hero and the others was for a smokescreen.

A Class A student being attacked, and a classmate solving the case? That would inevitably draw attention.

However, if the Hero and his party solved the case where a Class A student was attacked, it would create a sense of narrative coherence and become an achievement.

That's what being the Hero, the protagonist, meant.

This was the perfect smokescreen.

"So, when are we moving?"

When…

Two days had already passed, leaving me with tomorrow afternoon at best.

Therefore…

"Since we're talking about it, we'll go now."

"What?"

"We're out of time."

"Did everyone bring their weapons?"

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Chapter 40: Detective games (3)

"Aria."

"Yes?"

"What's the plan?"

We stood before Professor Melena's residence.

Melena, the violet-haired assistant professor I mentioned earlier.

Her full name was Melena Ashley.

"It's a weekend morning, so she's probably resting at home, right?"

Leon questioned me. His concern was valid.

Gathering evidence would be impossible if she were present.

"That's nothing to worry about."

"What?"

"Do you know what an assistant professor does, Leon?"

"Uh… They assist the professor during classes…"

"That's not wrong."

Melena was an assistant professor in the Practical Combat Department.

In other words…

"An assistant professor's job is to handle the professors' backlogged work."

"What?"

Like a graduate student in my previous life.

Although Melena's workload likely wasn't excessive, given her role in Practical Combat, tasks like the reconnaissance I'd witnessed in the forest fell under her purview.

"So, she's probably working right now."

"Is, is that so?"

"Let's go in."

"W, wait…!"

Lucia grabbed my hand as I reached for the doorknob.

"We don't have a key. How do you plan on getting in?"

"Now that you mention it… Aria, do you have a key?"

"Of course not."

Why would I have a key to a professor's residence? The professor herself would have it. Did they think I'd stolen it?

"So, what do we do?"

‘Sigh… This is why I tried to open it discreetly…’

I didn't have Melena's key.

However, using my shadow manipulation ability, opening a physically locked door was trivial.

I couldn't reveal that to them, so I'd intended to open it as if it were unlocked…

Now, I had to play it brazenly.

"I have my ways."

"What? Your ways?"

"Could you let go of my wrist, please?"

Lucia released my hand. I placed my palm over the keyhole, enveloping the doorknob.

I tried turning it, but it was locked, naturally.

"So, what's your met…?"

"Could you be quiet for a moment? This requires concentration."

Did they think I was going to rip the doorknob off?

Of course not. What did they take me for?

"…"

A shadow emerged between my palm and the doorknob, seeping into the keyhole, gradually taking the shape of a key inside.

My hand concealed it from the Hero's party behind me.

A moment later…

Click

The doorknob turned with a faint click.

I turned around and gestured towards the open doorway.

"Shall we?"

"…"

The Hero's party, except Alicia, followed me inside.

"How did you do that?"

"A trade secret. I can't reveal it."

Alicia, who'd remained behind, questioned me, but I wouldn't tell her.

Clap

"Let's split up and search."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't think there's anything dangerous inside."

If there were, they would've emerged to stop us by now.

The house seemed unoccupied.

"How should we divide?"

That was a good question.

‘This is tricky.’

Lucia and Elena were Leon's heroines.

Alicia was Lucia's bodyguard, unlikely to separate from her.

I couldn't wander alone; they wouldn't allow it.

"I'll go with Aria."

"What?"

As I pondered, Lucia spoke up, unexpectedly.

We divided into two teams: Leon and Elena, and Lucia, Alicia, and me.

After the other two disappeared around the corner, I asked Lucia,

"Why did you offer to come with me?"

"Is that… not allowed…?"

"No, I'm just curious."

She seemed flustered by my question.

I'd asked purely out of curiosity.

"T-There's no other meaning! I'm just more comfortable with you…"

"I see."

"Huh?"

I turned and walked away.

I heard Lucia's flustered footsteps behind me but didn't stop.

"Is that all?"

"Is there anything else to ask?"

"Well… no… but…"

"Then let's hurry. We don't have much time."

This side seemed empty. Perhaps the other side?

"…I can't just say I wanted to be with you…"

I didn't hear Lucia's muttered words as I walked down the hallway.

"Aria! Come here for a second!"

"Hm? Did you find something?"

"Maybe?"

Leon's voice called out as we searched the house.

The three of us headed towards the source of the sound.

"Can you open this?"

"This is…"

Leon and Elena stood before a closed door.

"All the other doors are open, but this one's locked."

"I see."

As Leon said, the doorknob wouldn't turn.

I inserted a shadow into the keyhole, unlocking the door as before.

"Is this… a basement?"

A wooden staircase leading downwards was revealed.

We were on the first floor, so it was likely the basement.

"Let's…"

"Aria?"

The wooden planks creaked slightly underfoot but held firm.

Despite the unkempt state of the old staircase, it appeared someone had used it recently; there was no dust.

"Really?"

I extended my magic, sensing a faint presence deep within the basement.

It was weak, like that of a dying person.

"Let's go."

"W-Wait! Shouldn't someone stay behind and keep watch?"

Elena stopped me as I started down the stairs.

It wasn't a bad idea, but…

"What if there's danger down there?"

"Ah."

"Or if the enemy returns? Could you handle them alone?"

"Th-That's true…"

Unable to refute my points, Elena followed.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, revealing a wide corridor.

"What is this place?"

"Probably part of the original structure. It doesn't look maintained, though."

Mold covered the ceiling and floor, and the walls were cracked everywhere.

The basement was in a sorry state.

"It would be difficult to escape if it collapsed."

"D-Don't say such unsettling things!"

Around three meters of earth lay above us.

If the walls gave way, tons of earth and stone would bury us.

"I think we're here."

We reached the end of the corridor, where a single door stood.

"What's this?"

"We'll find out when we go in."

I turned the doorknob. The door, slightly aged, opened without resistance.

Momentarily surprised it wasn't locked, we were stunned by the sight within.

"That person is…?"

A single bed sat in the center of the small room.

Lying on it, looking pale but unmistakably recognizable, was Assistant Professor Melena.

"Is she asleep?"

"It seems similar to Stella's case."

Melena didn't react to our presence.

She appeared peacefully asleep.

"If Professor Melena is here…"

"It seems our assumption was correct."

This meant only one thing.

"The current Assistant Professor Melena isn't the real one."

"Oh? You figured it out?"

A voice responded from behind us.

Clang

I drew my sword as the voice spoke, but a heavy impact sent me stumbling backward.

"Aria!"

"You blocked that?"

"That was… dangerous…"

Lucia's panicked voice and another's impressed tone.

If my suspicions were correct…

"You're the one who attacked Stella."

"You've already figured that out?"

So, she was F.

A tingling sensation lingered in my sword hand.

If I hadn't reacted, at least one of us would have been incapacitated.

"Could you stop staring blankly? I can't fight while protecting you."

"Are you suggesting you can fight me if the others weren't here?"

Even for a strong Academy student, fighting her was reckless.

Winning was impossible.

"I didn't detect any traps…"

"It's not a trap, but a simple device. It signals me when someone opens the door."

"So that's why it was so fast… Was the entrance itself a trap?"

"Correct. It was quite a run from the Academy, wasn't it?"

Anyway…

"I can't let you leave, for secrecy's sake."

"…Tch!"

She blocked the only exit.

The room's layout prevented her, an assassin, from getting behind us, but we were trapped nonetheless.

"So, end of discussion…"

She took a stance.

In a flash, she vanished and reappeared before me.

"Die!"

Boom

Our swords clashed, a resounding boom echoing through the room, shaking the unstable basement.

Until this moment, we'd all forgotten…

Crack

…that this basement was far more dilapidated than we'd thought.

"What's…?"

"… this rundown place…!"

Cracks spread wider than before, reaching the ceiling and engulfing the room.

Dirt began to fall from above.

"Oh no…! Luci…!"

Rumble

Before Leon could finish his desperate cry, a cascade of earth erupted into the basement, accompanied by the sound of collapsing debris.

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