215 – Host (12)
I couldn’t move for a while. Cecil had a knack for cleverly digging into the gaps in the heart.
When I returned after a while, the number of members had reduced to half. This was because the entire instrumental music department had left.
Lilith saw me and ran towards me, flapping the hem of her skirt. Then he stood close in front of me, looked at his face, and said.
“Damian… Are you sick?”
“Why?”
“My cheeks seem a little red.”
“… ….”
Did my face heat up without me even realizing it?
“Are you okay? What happened? Cecil, what is he….”
“It’s nothing. “Have you heard about Favela?”
“Oh, Mr. Favela is resting at the investigation team’s temporary camp. “Once the investigation is over, we’ll go and join them.”
Soon after, my senior Tami approached me.
“Damian, you’ve worked really hard. “Let’s wrap things up at this point and return.”
“Now, we will compile the information and make a report….”
Then Tami shook her head.
“You guys have worked hard so far, so leave it to me. I’m incredibly fast at writing. “I will write a report, so you can rest well when you return.”
Lilith asked a question about returning.
“I haven’t revealed everything yet. Should I just go?”
“Yes. This is the conclusion I came to after discussing it with Damian yesterday. It’s uncomfortable, but if you look at the village, it’s dangerous in one way or another… “I think it’s the right decision to just return.”
Lilith had a regretful expression on her face, but she reluctantly agreed.
“… Yes.”
“Then let’s go back to the carriage.”
All members trudge to the carriage parked at the entrance to the village. While I was watching this, something tapped my back.
When I turn around, I see the top of my head with blonde hair. Luna must have been weak, so she rested her forehead against mine.
“Luna.”
It is rare for Luna to naturally try to make physical contact first. Am I gradually getting used to my body now? That must be a good sign.
“Damian….”
“Yes.”
Luna weakly lifts her head and looks at me.
“Me too… When I get back to camp, I’ll rejoin the theater club….”
“Okay.”
It would be difficult to leave the theater club members who are fine and accompany me. He gets a lot of glares from the art club members, and Fabella soon joins him, so it’s appropriate to say goodbye at this point.
“Thank you so much for taking care of me all this time.”
“Yes, but can you explain what you mean by me hanging?”
“I don’t know… “I will.”
In her haste, Luna brushed off her request and walked past me, heading straight for her carriage.
***
The investigation team camp was located in an empty lot about 20 minutes away from Marbas Village. Marbas village was the best location for camping, but it was now a crematorium and could no longer be used.
There were more people staying than expected. At best guess, it seemed like five or six groups had gathered. There were theater club members who were hostile to us. And dance club members were also included.
When the theater club members discovered us, they just looked at us and quietly left, but did not show any signs of hostility.
However, the dance club occasionally watched us from a distance.
Despite the glare from her art department, Luna politely thanked her and joined the theater department.
And then we found a favela squatting under a blanket in the corner of the camp.
“I’ve been waiting for you all day.”
Favela, finally reunited, smiles helplessly.
She said she seemed to have no friends and she was alone there the whole time.
There are no injuries and the clothes are fine. All of those gathered at the camp were dressed somewhat shabby due to being homeless for several days. The favela is in noticeably good condition.
“Please return now, Senpai.”
When she revealed her plan to return to Eternia, Fabella was disappointed.
“Really? There is some information I found out….”
I shook my head.
“It’s ominous.”
Then, all the eyes of the students at the camp were focused on the sky. Soon they all started muttering in unison.
We also shifted our gaze to the sky.
There, something as pitch black as migratory birds filled the sky.
The objects flew into the camp at high speed.
It’s a stitch.
A scroll is given to each student staying at the camp.
“Official document?”
“Do you see what happened?”
The first-year students looked confused after receiving this scroll, unable to understand the situation, but the more experienced second-year students quickly began to take action as if they had been trained.
“Everyone gather! “The investigative mission ends here!”
“Guys! “Pack your bags!”
“Return! “Return to Eternia!”
All five or six groups immediately began to pack up their belongings to return to Eternia.
While looking around, not knowing what the situation was, Fabella spoke.
“This is an emergency official document. “Eternia sets its own mission difficulty level and leaves it to the students. If there is an error in the level, we send an official letter like this.”
I opened the scroll and checked its contents.
There was a message written telling you to stop what you were doing and return to Eternia immediately.
“Then what happens?”
“I don’t send things like this for one or two grade errors. If you can solve it with numbers, you can solve it somehow by adding cooperation points. The return order is… “It means that there is a risk that we cannot handle even if we all work together.”
“….”
“It means we could all die. “I see you were right.”
Tami and Sierra, seniors in the art club, ran towards us and shouted.
“It’s a return order. “It was exactly what you thought!”
“How did you know? “Our newbie has a good feel?”
Rather than being surprised by the order to return, the members of the art department seemed surprised by my judgment as they vaguely sensed this.
But I couldn’t be too proud.
Actually, what I felt was close to a sense of defeat.
If I was truly aware of the threat, I should have at least taken care of my people and returned. That was the right decision.
But I let go of Cecil and Luna who were accompanying me. Cecil’s confession relieved the tension for a moment.
“Hurry up and get ready. If I don’t come, don’t wait and leave. “I will move separately.”
“Huh? Where!”
I left the preparations for my return to my seniors and hurried around the camp. Looking at the theater department, Luna is preparing to return with her members. However, even if you look throughout the camp, you cannot see Cecil even if you wash your eyes and look for her.
Cecile said she was saying goodbye to the instrumental music club and continuing her research with her friends. First, I went to the instrumental music club members at the camp and asked about Cecil’s whereabouts.
Hubert said as he packed up his luggage.
“Huh? “Did we split up because I was moving with his friends?”
“Is there a place you expect to go?”
“Because he understood what the Gaelic group was muttering in Northern. I think it’s because of that. Hidden rewards. “He says he owes you a lot, so he has to do it.”
It was only then that I realized that sending Cecil was a fatal mistake. The heart begins to beat rapidly. I just hope that this ominous premonition remains only my delusion.
“Who is your companion?”
“There were Naias and a few others. They also lost contact with each other after they left, according to the dance department. I think he cut off contact on purpose. “Can’t be traced.”
In that case, there was no use inquiring at the camp.
“Do you know the location of the Gale group?”
Then Hubert’s eyes changed seriously.
“No, that’s not a good idea.”
He seemed to have figured out my plan.
“You won’t have any problems.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. Do you want to get beaten up in a group? Are you sane? There’s no need to rush. “The official letter has also been sent to Cecil, so please wait for now.”
“Just tell me where it is.”
***
Theater club leader Rilke pretended to pack up his luggage, then returned to his original position and spoke to Luna.
“Now, since all the boys are gone, tell me.”
“That’s… Difficult.”
“What’s the deal?”
“Just…” “We are friends.”
“Just friends? “Handsome and pretty men and women hang out together, so is it possible to just be friends?”
“….”
“Some people are more than friends, but others are just friends.”
“We are good friends.”
“It seemed like Damian would save his friend even if he was dragged to hell.”
“That’s… that’s right. And mainly Damian… “It feels like he’s clinging to me.”
Luna’s face got hot and she turned away from Rilke and fiddled with her hands as if she was doing something.
“How can it be that he threatens me and says he won’t leave me alone, but he takes care of you so kindly and throws himself to save me? I’m so sad that I’m going to live with this.”
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Rilke spoke jokingly, but there was a hint of sincerity in it.
Luna also felt this and became restless.
“Chin, if you become friends, you will be nice to me…” .”
“Say clearly. Are you just friends or something more?”
“We are friends….”
“Really? “Then it’s okay for me to seduce him?”
“… ….”
“Ugh, how can I catch you when you’re so obnoxious? Okay, I’m going to go to Wiesel, the town of handsome men, and look for a lonely-looking man.”
Then, an unfamiliar person hurriedly ran into the theater department’s tent.
It was Victor from the dance department. He asked Rilke breathlessly.
“Sir, have you seen Cecil and Naias?”
“Huh? “Didn’t Cecil hang out with the kids in the art club?”
“No. “I haven’t been able to contact them since we split up, so I’m looking for them now.”
“Aside from them, there are quite a few kids who have left the camp, so if we wait, won’t they come back?”
“Yes, but…” “Just in case, could I borrow a little bit of Luna’s power?”
Using spirits, which are invisible watchdogs, the military could not be envied when it came to searching for missing people. But Rilke shook his head.
“No. No, I can’t. “Luna is depleted of her magical power because of yesterday’s fight, so she can’t use magic.”
‘Magic depletion’, a side effect that occurs when magic power is used to its limit, requires a recovery period of as little as three to four days or as long as a week. During that period, you had to be very careful because if you use your magical power excessively, your vitality will be depleted.
Victor put his hands on his waist and sighed, probably feeling frustrated.
“Oh, I understand. “If you hear any news, please let me know.”
Victor immediately ran to the other side.
Rilke said as he watched Victor walking away.
“It looks like something is going on. Right?”
“….”
Luna stopped what she was doing for a moment and was lost in her thoughts, staring into space.
“… Luna?”
“Oh, I have a place to visit for a while.”
“Wait, where are you going? “We have to return right away!”
“It’s okay if you leave me behind… !”
Luna rushed out without explanation.
The place she arrived with her long blonde hair flying was right in front of the art department’s carriage getting ready to leave.
The art club members who saw Luna glared at her.
Luna paid no heed to the question and asked the question clearly.
“Damian… “Is Damian there?”
Sierra said, looking down disapprovingly from inside her carriage.
“Damian decided to return separately from us, perhaps to help pick up the stragglers.”
“… “Where did you go?”
Soon after, Fabella leaned over and stuck out her face, looking at Luna and saying.
She spoke in a soft voice, but the content was thorny.
“If you’re going to follow Damian around, I don’t want to tell you much. “Because you are no more helpful than us now.”
“…I’m just looking for my friend.”
Favela said with a grin.
“You act like I’m your only friend… Am I mistaken?”
Fabella’s words unexpectedly struck Luna’s heart. Having nothing to say, she lowered her head.
“…… “I’ll go.”
***
“Hey, can you see the cave?”
Hubert could tell without having to point.
A huge cave. And that long passage amplified the sound like a trumpet, spreading the noisy sound far away.
From inside the cave, a flickering torch and the shadows of the men reflected in it extend.
“Gale’s gang.”
They were holding a banquet regardless of the official letter from Eternia.
He was closer to a bandit than a student.
“Do you know why all the special forces gathered together and set up camp next to Marbas Village?”
“….”
“Because I don’t know what that Gale gang will do. “They are people who have no laws or rules.”
“I had expected it.”
“If we get any closer, the guards will notice, so what are we going to do now?”
Gale raided the instrumental music department, and then Cecil stole the information. Cecil will act first before Gale can get the reward. It seems like Cecil has been caught in a trap.
Anyway, if you want to know Cecil’s location at the moment, the fastest way is to ask Gale.
Of course, I will not teach you obediently. And I also have no intention of gently backing down.
I asked Hubert.
“Are you a bit loud-mouthed?”
“What? “What does that mean?”
“Do you have a heavy mouth?”
“It’s rather heavy, except for the part about Queen Cecil’s love life.”
“How much.”
“What? “Why are you asking that now?”
“Is it heavy enough to hang all my memories from Eternia?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll tell you properly. Our family knows the location of the Dwarven Empire. “Unlike people on the ground, we have permission to enter.”
“… So?”
“Despite all the cajoling and threats from the Empire, the position of the Dwarf Empire has never been lost. “Nothing but a heart of steel and a tongue as heavy as lead can embrace the glory of the Dwarven Empire.”
I left Hubert and got up first. Then he pulled out a wooden sword from his waist.
Then Hubert’s eyes widened and he called me out.
“Hey, are you crazy? I was wondering if there was a trick, but you just rushed in? Even Shion can’t beat Gale’s style. Know? Even more so….”
Immediately, he took out a mask from his pocket and fixed it on his face. My hair slowly started to turn dark red.
“How much more so when you….”
After seeing my appearance, Hubert’s mouth slowly opened like a person drunk on drugs.
“If you don’t want to get involved, wait here.”
“Uh, well, if it’s the famous perverted mask… The story is different. Oh my god.”