71 – Grand Duke Aka – 71
“Wasn’t it great? Two people.”
Rose, who had just finished showering and came out of the bathroom, wrapped a towel around her wet hair and said.
Her white skin was flushed red from the warmth of the shower.
“Yeah, maybe if I had grown up in the right environment and without hindrance, I would have been much stronger.”
In the first place, it must have been possible because Hercules was a powerful demon before.
If it’s the level of Hercules, from birth… … .
Wait, where did you see it a lot?
“Rosé.”
“yes?”
Rosé, who was drying her hair while using magic diligently, turned her head to look at me.
“Did Gallier tell you what the highest rank of Hercules was?”
“yes? What is the highest level you can raise? no… … . It might be rude to ask something like that. I didn’t ask.”
My head starts spinning like crazy. The conversations, situations, and things in the past that have flowed by so far.
It’s still, so far, hypothetical, but if I’m right, everything leads.
Hercules.
There was a high probability that he was an event character like me.
“… Gregory?”
“Ah, sorry. I had something to think about.”
“Hmm~ Sometimes Gregory-sama gets wrinkles between his eyebrows when he thinks deeply about something.”
“… … I mean?”
“yes!”
After answering that, Rosé presses her forehead with her fingers to create wrinkles between her eyebrows.
“Like this!”
[(Attribute: Noble) is activated.]
[Managing facial expressions becomes much easier.]
Oh, I almost laughed.
“Ugh… … . I thought you’d laugh. Eight! Eight!”
Although Rosé kept tightening her fingers and crinkling her forehead, there was nothing for me to laugh about as long as (Attribute: Noble) was activated.
“Hey… … .”
… … Would it be okay if I smiled at least once?
Still, sometimes I had the taste of seeing such a sullen rosé, so I changed my mind about laughing.
Anyway, let’s stroke your hair.
“… … what?”
“Tomorrow will be busy. Get some rest.”
“yes!”
Rosé nodded with a bright face and jumped into the room.
After confirming that Rosé went into the room, I also entered the bathroom to end the day.
“… … this is true Did you smoke while taking a bath?”
In the bathroom, there was a faint scent of steam mixed with rosé cigarette smoke.
“… … Let’s wash in the image space.”
* * *
“… Is everyone gathered?”
The first floor of the annex where the front desk is located. We gathered in one place and were preparing to depart for the Imperial Academy.
“Yes, it seems everyone has gathered.”
And among us, Amel, who plays the role of leader as the most senior member, checks the numbers of all the members and reports them to the instructor. At this, the instructor nodded.
“Okay, then let’s start right away.”
As it is, we started moving toward the administrative building where the main facilities of the Imperial Academy were gathered.
“To let you know before we arrive, we are entering enemy territory. They’re going to ask us all sorts of questions to get us a little bit less ripped off. Never get excited, and it would be better to answer while maintaining your composure.”
As we were walking towards the magistrate, the instructor told us.
And I also agree with her opinion. And since the members are members, I thought everyone would know.
And, we finally arrived at the magistrate.
“… … don’t go in.”
Led by the instructor, Selua Negal, we rushed into the administration building.
Numerous gazes felt around. The Imperial Academy staff who spotted us looked at us and started whispering.
“Yes, Gregory. Something is weighing me down… … !”
“Ignore it. In the end, the winner will be us.”
“… … yes!”
As we boarded the elevator, we thought it was high when we saw it from the outside, but we never imagined that it would be on the 30th floor.
The instructor pressed the 21st floor.
After a brief jolt, the elevator started moving upwards.
“Rosé, keep this in your mouth.”
“… … This?”
“It is a candy that allows you to keep an expressionless face.”
One of the items purchased at [Ghaul’s Shop], ‘Faceless Candy’
In the game, it was just an item made to show the character’s expressionless expression, but this expression was a very popular item among maniacs because it gave off a sell-out feeling.
“The candy is gray… … Something doesn’t look appetizing.”
“I knew that, so I bought it with the banana flavor, so don’t worry.”
“and! banana!”
Rosé puts it in her mouth and rolls the candy around with her tongue.
Rosé’s expression, which had been feeling sweet and happy, began to harden.
“… Something, I want to laugh, but I can’t.”
“The effect is certain.”
“You don’t have to live like this, do you?”
Her voice trembled, but she still asked with an expressionless face. I responded with a sign telling me not to worry.
“At most, it’s an hour per pill, so don’t worry too much.”
“That is fortunate.”
And Priscilla, who was watching us from the side, stared at Rosé in wonder.
“and… … . Rosé’s expressionless expression, it’s because she’s always smiling… … Something different.”
“is that so?”
I too thought so.
The expressionless Rose, the expressionless Rose, had the feeling of a cold elf, and I felt that it had its own charm.
belt ring–
The elevator stopped on the 21st floor.
I could see men in black suits standing behind the slowly opening door.
“The investigator is waiting.”
“Eat inside.”
It seemed they were waiting to guide us.
I headed to the office following the guidance of the staff. Inside, a dark elf with thick dark circles was sitting.
“… … Everyone has worked hard to come a long way.”
The Dark Elves stood up from their seats and bowed their heads toward us.
“My name is Bleiber, the investigator entrusted with the authority for this case.”
Then, the instructor approached and handed over to such a dark elf, Bleiber.
“I am the leader, Selua Negal.”
“Ah, you are the one called the blue beast of the summoner academy. It is an honour.”
“… It’s just an excessive nickname. So, may I ask when the investigation will begin?”
“Ah, yes. Surely there are a total of 4 people involved in the incident? Let’s see. The name… … this is true It’s just unusual people.”
Ver, looking at the folder in his hand, raises his glasses once.
“The princess and the princess of Euglia, a family of warriors, seem to get caught up in things like this easily as they are great people.”
Saying that, Ber looked at us.
Priscilla and Raphael, of course, had indifferent expressions, and Rosé, who would normally be nervous and trembling, also maintained her expression thanks to the ‘expressionless candy’.
The only one laughing was me.
“… Anything that feels good? Where is your name… … Gregory Jones. You are the summoned beast who subdued this situation together with Raphael-sama.”
“Yes, as you said, another demon who has captured a demon. Did you ask me if anything makes me feel good? Of course, there isn’t. No, to be precise, something interesting happened.”
“If you say it’s fun… … .”
“It is not something to talk about here. I think you better turn your attention to it.”
Start with overpowering the baseline.
I had to let him know that we were the top.
As for Priscilla, the princess, it might have been, but we, who were not imperials, had the possibility of being looked down upon by them, so it was an act we did.
“… … I’m sure it is. I’m the curious type, so I’d appreciate your understanding.”
“Don’t understand. So, when are you going to start the investigation?”
“… Let’s get started right away. The Princess and Raphael should go through the white door, and Miss Euglia and Gregory Jones should go through the black door with me.”
The rooms were divided according to the color of Raphael and me. It seemed that they were going to do cross-validation after conducting separate investigations.
“So, shall we go in first?”
“Miss Rose, Mr. Gregory. See you in a little while.”
The two first greeted us by grabbing the doorknob of the white room and then entered the room.
Following this, we also opened the black room and went inside.
The internal structure was simple.
A table and three chairs in the middle of the room. And even the unidentified mirror in the back.
… … That’s a magic mirror.
It seemed that there was another space between the white room and the black room.
“Now, please sit comfortably first.”
“yes.”
“I will.”
Ber recommends us to sit down before he sits down.
At his invitation, we immediately sat down and looked at Ver, who was sitting next to us.
“Then, we will start recording before the investigation.”
Ver took out a stick that appeared to be a tape recorder from his breast pocket and placed it on the table.
“I will record the process of investigating the case related to the summoner academy devil.”
As if to start an investigation, Ver said that into the tape recorder and looked at the two of us.
“Then, first of all, I will ask Miss Euglia. Miss Euglia. You, your pet, Gregory Jones——”
“There are worms.”
──Boom!
Just as Berg was about to ask Rosé a question, I smashed the tape recorder on the table with my fist.
“… … What are you doing?”
Ver, who frowned and glared at me. Blood vessels were swelling in his temples.
“Didn’t you tell me? There were worms.”
“… … Even so. Did you have to destroy the tape recorder? It’s about a worm, and I could have just waved it away.”
“ah! Right. I didn’t even think of it. Now, let me ask you a question.”
I deliberately provoked him with exaggerated gestures.
The guy who looks at me with more ferocious eyes than the first time, maybe it bothers me. Soon after, Berg sighed and stood up from his seat.
“… … I’ll bring another tape recorder. Please wait a moment.”
Bell left those words and went outside.
“Gregory? Why did you break it?”
As Berg leaves, Rosé looks at me and asks. I turned my head at an angle where the magic mirror was invisible to her and put my index finger on my lips.
“Didn’t you tell me? There were worms.”
“… Are you a worm? Well, it could be.”
Rosé shrugged her shoulders and answered, as if she felt something about my actions.
And soon after, Ver brings a new recorder and puts it back on the table.
I leaned back in my chair and put on a relaxed expression.
And Ver, who looked at me carefully, sat down and turned on the tape recorder.
“I will record the process of investigating the case related to the summoner academy devil.”
Saying that, Ber put the recorder down on the table and at the same time—
──Boom!
I broke the tape recorder again.
“No, why again this time——”
“There were bugs.”
Upon hearing my answer, Ber started to tremble.
Yes, be more angry.
Because the real fight starts now.