75. Witch Hunt (6)
Knock Knock.
“Captain of the guard. Report.”
A neatly dressed woman entered through the door of the office given to the head of the guard, corrected her glasses, and approached the man sitting in front of the desk in the office. She looked up at the woman with a tired face. To be precise, it was the documents buried in the woman’s arms.
“That’s fast.”
“Because I moved the entire 1st and 2nd platoons.”
“How did it go? Tell me.”
“They ran away as if someone gave them information.”
“Huh.”
From noble mtl dot com.
Captain Gilbert let out a sigh and shook his head.
“A gang escaped after learning the information about the surprise attack by the guards?”
“The leech gang, isn’t it? It is the most powerful gang in the city.”
“Still, it’s just a gang. They are not capable enough to notice the surprise attack by the guards and run away.”
Deep wrinkles were drawn on Gilbert’s forehead. He said the world had been going crazy since the end of last year. Wouldn’t the ship the saintess was riding on be wrecked, the monsters would suddenly become violent and attack randomly, and even cultists who had been silent for decades would pop up, so it was death for the few guards.
I had to deal with the security of the city and the security of the academy with about 300 people. Even so, the special investigation team members are suffering from overwork to the point of rejecting vacation requests. The 3rd Platoon Leader is uncooperative, while the 2nd Platoon Leader Serena takes over the city reconnaissance mission and returns with a dissatisfied face.
The 1st and 4th platoons, which had gathered elites, were also in a situation where complaints might run rampant before long.
“I am going crazy. But you can’t blindly accept people.”
“…But you should get a little bit.”
“I can’t accept someone who is openly a mess.”
“…That’s right.”
“Are there any good gemstones among the students?”
“Among the freshmen, Elina looked promising. But…”
The secretary was speechless. She was a name that even the captain of the guard knew. The girl who inherited the blood of the first dean of the Knights Faculty of Calon Academy was famous for her excellent swordsmanship and sincere personality. Even the captain of the guard couldn’t help but feel sorry for the fact that the talented person she had foretold had died in an unfortunate accident.
“What about the other students?”
“Catherine from the Faculty of Magic, Viola from the Faculty of Alchemy, and Leon from the Faculty of Knights were pretty decent. I have done the story. I don’t know yet if the students will accept it or not.”
“Three people. Outside?”
“Since the situation is outside, it seems difficult to recruit outside personnel.”
“…Why did I say I would be the captain of the guard?”
To the sighing voices that filled the room, the secretary answered in a dry voice.
“Isn’t that the reason ‘I’m going to rip and fix this rotten guard!’?”
“Is there any magic to change the time? I want to put a punch in my face from five years ago.”
“If I had a person with such abilities, I would have brought him with my head down.”
“…My head hurts. Let’s stop talking about this and move on to other issues. I heard that traces of ominous magic were found in the classroom near the cafeteria. Has the case been investigated?”
“The 3rd platoon commander took it away.”
“…That guy?”
3Rd platoon leader. Cain.
He was the most troublesome guy for the captain of the guard. A man in charge of the 3rd platoon as the second son of the Leibniz family, a prestigious family in the empire. He didn’t get along very well because he had given him the position of captain of the guard. The guards were on the side of supporting the captain of the guard, but it was difficult to dismiss the 3rd platoon leader because the Leibniz family’s sponsorship was so huge.
For him, who came from a Korean-American family, it was too much for him just to keep the 3rd platoon commander in check.
“Ha. Why is that bastard screaming? I’m going to continue stealing my salary somewhere in the corner…”
“And there was a conflict with the saintess’ escort knight.”
“A mad dog? Or is that… bloody guy?”
“The latter.”
The captain of the guard recalled an article he had seen from afar. Big physique. Muscular body. Scars and burn marks all over his face. If the face was fine, it might have been a face that belonged to the side of the standard, but it was only a family to the end.
“I heard he was an oddball.”
“There are rumors that he got more than 20 licenses in just a few days. It is said that the guilds scrambled and made a fuss to scout.”
“…Does that make sense?”
“Rumors are really exaggerated, aren’t they?”
No one believed the rumors about the new man who became the saintess’s escort knight. He was a man who got all kinds of guild licenses in a matter of days. Couldn’t that be possible?
“Hmm… First of all, it’s not our responsibility, so let’s move on. It’s awkward to touch the saintess’s side, so tell the troublemakers not to collide with them.”
“…The 3rd platoon leader has already collided.”
“What? That bastard has another accident… After. Why did you crash?”
“That is…”
———————–
“Where does this lead?”
“This is the classroom.”
After grasping the structure of the main building in advance and confirming that there is no basement, I immediately took action.
Shoveling. An underground passage leading from the Dawning Hall to the main building. The academy’s grounds are wider than a normal village, so it’s crazy to open a road with such labor, but still
“How do you know where the classroom is located?”
“It’s a persimmon.”
I didn’t dig a tunnel for a day or two. At one time, there was a time when I dug a tunnel to the point of seriously contemplating whether I was a human or a mole. First of all, neither bear cubs nor snake cubs entered the tunnel. And no one would have imagined that I would dig a tunnel and sneak my way from the Gardens of the Dawning to the Academy.
“Production.”
Use skills to compact the ground and create passages. It’s crazy to do this crazy job alone, but I have skills and milia.
…Milia is in charge of lighting.
Still, the presence of Milia, who was constantly chattering and lighting up in the back, was quite helpful. Because at least she wasn’t lonely. If they arrive anyway, it will be Millia’s turn from then on. Now I have to continue working while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere in my own way.
“I didn’t know that even John could do something like this! Hi-Hi…”
“Is it fun?”
“Yes! It’s heart pounding. Is this why people are joking?”
“…Well, that’s right.”
Pranks are fun. Even more so, a prank that can thoroughly f*ck the guy who hates it.
No one can stop me!
“Don’t stop me!”
…Was it out of your mouth?
I looked back at Millia, who playfully followed me, sighed, and started shoveling again.
One hundred times? A thousand times?
My shoveling was over after an infinite number of shoveling had been done. I felt a sense of pride when I saw a passage that was so neat that it was hard to believe that it was a passage dug with a shovel.
My uninhabited island has 10 years of experience.
“Are you finished?”
“Yes. This is the main building.”
“Really?”
Milia opened her eyes wide and looked up at her ceiling. Her face reflected in her lamp is cute like a puppy. I gently stroked Milia’s head as she approached me, then put her other hand on the wall.
Close your eyes.
The more complicated the structure, the more clear images are needed.
All you need is stairs.
Secret passage.
Measure the appropriate size. It shouldn’t be too big, and it shouldn’t be too small either. Wide enough for one person to pass through.
It took 5 minutes to capture the image.
If you make a mistake, you will be in great trouble.
“…Manufactured.”
A secret passageway that can only be seen in movies slowly appears. Because it has a large and complex structure, it was not possible to make it as quickly as a column that has been made thousands of times. If I hadn’t had the experience of making a shelter, I wouldn’t have dared to do that.
“Awesome!”
“Shh.”
“Oh.”
Milia quickly covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, looked at me, and smiled. She’s trying to cover it up with a laugh, shameless. I put the balm lightly on Milia’s forehead and said.
“I look around the classroom quietly. There will be a guard on patrol at night, so turn the lights down, and when you hear a sound, head back through the secret passage. If you understand, give her a nod.”
Nod.
“Then let’s go.”
I quietly stepped on the stairs.
———
“…It’s hard to see…”
As Millia said, the classroom was too dark. I also lit my own lamp, but the darkness is the same. Still, if the light was too bright, the guards might spot it, so it was unavoidable.
So we searched all over the classroom with duck steps for 30 minutes.
My calves felt like they would burst because it was a lecture hall with an oblique structure that became higher as the back seats went higher, but since I decided to do this job, I had to endure this much. I licked the classroom floor, trying to find clues.
…Nothing.
In this case, the answer is to recall at least a little bit of knowledge from the original work.
Because there were a few questions that came to mind.
First of all, why did an ominous object fall into this classroom?
It was for show off in the original work, but is it for show off here too? And why is the missing person here?
Let’s recall the original story.
The missing persons are all in the Faculty of Magic or the Faculty of Theology.
From noble mtl dot com.
The last places to be found are mostly classrooms and places that are out of sight of people.
Go to a deserted place by yourself and catch me.
Enticing… D.
What is the best way to entice students?
“…Milia.”
“Huh? Why?”
“If it were you, how would you call someone?”
“Uh… I don’t know. Friend? Could I talk to you? A letter or something?”
Word-to-word transmission is at risk of getting caught, so it’s out of the question…
A letter…D.
A love letter?
I don’t know if there is a possibility.
Let’s leave the possibility open.
“Milia. First…”
It was then.
“John…”
Footsteps.
Regular footsteps. I saw two people overlapping their voices.
Are they security guards?
I quietly took Millia and hid under the desk in the classroom. Of course, it was far from the secret passage, so I couldn’t enter the secret passage. I’m glad you closed it beforehand.
We turned off the light and waited for the sound to pass. It says no entry, so I don’t bother patrolling…
“What are you doing here? 3Rd platoon commander…”
“Hey, hey. Lets think. A classroom that the 3rd platoon leader personally blocked? Doesn’t it smell like something?”
“Senior Tom. If I get caught doing this, it won’t end with a pay cut.”
The sound of footsteps approaches. A yellow light shone near our desk.
“But isn’t it a bit spooky?”
“Hey man, what if the guards are scared of night patrol? Our guards are the guards of Calon Academy who can even beat ghosts.”
If you’re going to say something pointless, can you turn it off?
“Look closely to see if you find anything.”
“There’s no way the 3rd Platoon Commander would have left something to get caught on, right? Just leave…”
Kung.
Millia?
“Who are you! Come out right now!”
I looked at Millia. Milia was crying as she brushed off the insects that had climbed onto her lap.
Unlucky.
“Isn’t it a ghost, senior?”
“Where are the ghosts in the world man!”
The sound of footsteps approaches. There is no time. As for Milia, it gets very difficult if I get caught anyway.
I looked at the trembling Milia.
There is a way to divert attention…
Ah.
I tapped Millia’s knee, turned her gaze to me, and tapped my neck. You probably don’t understand what it means, but at least you can communicate.
I pulled out Milia’s hair.
“John… ?”
Milia whispers in a small voice barely audible in her ear. I also whispered her mouth into her ear of Milia’s.
“Let’s make a ghost story.”
I rolled her Millia’s head right over her onto the steps next to her desk.
Not long after, the screams of the awkward man shook the lecture room.