国产午夜亚洲精品AⅤ

Chapter 251

I understood that the first-year students had been taken to the main headquarters for protection against any reprisals from their seniors and were living there temporarily.

Both seniors and juniors were likely being investigated, so the seniors would still be living in the Orbis Class dormitory building.

If Oscar had submitted his withdrawal letter, I might have to go into the imperial palace, Emperatos, to find him. Whether I would be allowed to enter or not was another matter, but I was confident that Oscar hadn’t withdrawn, and that he wouldn’t be punished either.

Judging by what I had seen of his behavior, he wasn’t the type to have directly laid a hand on any of his juniors.

Instead of direct bullying, he intimidated them indirectly and spoke in a roundabout way, so the idea that he would participate in active rebellion was unlikely. That was especially true for someone living in disfavor with the imperial family.

I left the Royal Class dormitory as stealthily as if on a secret mission.

There were plenty who would stop me if they knew what I was up to. Still, I had to clean up my own mess.

In reality, however, I wasn’t going alone.

As I moved, Sarkegar, in sparrow form, fluttered about and perched nearby to keep an eye on me.

If things got critical, Sarkegar would intervene. I didn’t know how I’d explain it if that happened, but for the moment, he was my insurance policy.

No matter the situation, it was better than dying.

Oscar killing me in the middle of the Temple would cost his own head as well, so he wouldn’t try anything extreme.

Even though I had visited the Orbis Class just once, the class was now shut down.

I might as well have been some kind of harbinger of disaster. Honestly, being the Demon King, it kind of fit.

There wasn’t a single person in the Orbis Class who would view me favorably.

Was it even right to go there? I might end up getting stabbed by someone other than Oscar.

I needed to stay on high alert.

***

The Orbis Class dormitory was designated as a restricted area. Just like the Royal Class dormitory, it wasn’t a place anyone could wander into.

Because of the additional restrictions, though, it meant that guards were stationed at the entrance 24/7, and I couldn’t easily gain access.

I occasionally saw people leaving the dormitory with their packed bags. These were probably the seniors who had submitted their withdrawal letters and had been asked to leave the Temple.

None of them looked particularly happy.

However, their expressions were strangely resolute. Instead of simply being upset, it seemed as if they had braced themselves for something.

The grim faces of the upper-year Orbis Class students felt somewhat eerie.

Sarkegar, in sparrow form, kept watch over me from nearby.

“This area is restricted,” said the guard at the entrance, indicating for me to step back.

I pointed toward the dormitory.

“I’m not trying to enter; I just want to meet someone. I have something to discuss.”

Fortunately, the guard wasn’t entirely inflexible. He asked me whom I wanted to meet.

When I mentioned Oscar de Gradias, he nodded and sent another guard into the dormitory.

After a long wait, I finally saw a blond youth walking through the hall toward the entrance.

“What business do you have with me?”

As expected, he hadn’t withdrawn.

***

Oscar de Gradias seemed more surprised than upset that I had come to see him.

Did that mean he wasn’t connected to the assassination attempt?

I asked if we could talk, and he and I sat on a bench in a quiet area near the dormitory. It seemed the Orbis Class students weren’t forbidden from going out of the dorms altogether.

Sarkegar perched on a nearby tree branch, watching over me.

Though he appeared to be a cute little sparrow, he could turn into a dragon when angry. It was reassuring indeed.

Contrary to my worries, Oscar didn’t seem hostile toward me, but given his sly nature, I couldn’t let my guard down.

“Amusing, isn’t it? Just because of one fight you had, the venerable Orbis Class was shut down.”

I paused for a moment. “I find it hard to find it amusing.”

“Really? I find it quite entertaining,” Oscar said with a chuckle.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he seemed outwardly amused.

His attitude during the disciplinary committee had been odd as well. He hadn’t tried to defend himself, nor had he blamed me. Though he had been momentarily taken aback by Lilka Aaron’s bombshell revelation, he seemed to find the situation amusing.

Even now, he didn’t seem to bear any particular ill will towards me. Was he just good at hiding his emotions? There was no personal reason for him to like me.

“Are you afraid of retaliation?”

Even though I hadn’t said anything, he had accurately guessed why I had come.

“To be honest, yes.”

“That’s a foolish concern. Sure, after the last incident, most of the Orbis Class students dislike you, and countless others probably do as well, but what good would it do them to harm you? They’d only get in trouble for harming a classmate of the prince and princess.”

Why was he being so kind and explaining all this?

I had come with the mindset that we might end up in another fight, but my feelings were getting increasingly confused.

“Don’t assume everyone in the world is as emotional as you.”

That was true, and I couldn’t deny it, nor did I want to.

Messing with me carried too much risk, so no one was willing to make trouble with me directly...

‘But there are definitely some emotional people out there! Someone tried not only to harm me, but Ellen as well!’

“Well, I don’t particularly care, but as long as people have any sense, I don’t think they’ll mess with you. What could they possibly gain from bothering a student from a special class? Sure, there might be some individuals who’d have a go at you personally, so just be careful if you meet any Orbis Class seniors on Main Street. That’s all, I guess?”

Oscar grinned, patting my shoulder. “So just relax and focus on your classes.”

Why did he seem so pleased? Did he have no residual emotions towards me?

He stared at me intently for a moment. “Hmm. Never mind. You can go.”

What was he trying to gauge? But Oscar said nothing more.

He stood up first, indicating that the conversation was over.

My initial fears had not come to pass, and I hadn’t learned anything substantial from our conversation.

It felt like I had been seeing ghosts. If my eyes hadn’t deceived me, Oscar truly seemed to have no ill feelings toward me. In fact, he even seemed grateful.

After Oscar left, a sparrow perched on my shoulder.

“This feels off.”

Cheep!

The sparrow chirped loudly in agreement.

“Oscar, the Orbis Class students, all of it. This is seriously weird.”

Something felt wrong.

Something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

It was clear that people wanted to kill me because of the Orbis Class incident, but Oscar was trying to reassure me that such a thing wouldn’t happen.

Of course, there was always a possibility he was lying, perhaps trying to make me let my guard down before striking.

The idea that an assassination attempt on me wouldn’t happen, that it was purely a risk with no reward...

That was a valid point. The logic made sense.

But Oscar’s jovial attitude struck me as incredibly odd.

The termination of the Orbis Class was not the only thing afoot. Something else suspicious and unsettling seemed to be happening in real-time.

What was behind the assassination attempt on me? Was it just a grudge borne by an individual?

It felt like, instead of being resolved, the matter had grown more complex.

One thing was clear: Oscar was hiding something.

That much was evident.

“Find out what’s going on.”

—Yes, Your Highness.

“Ah! You startled me!”

I couldn’t help but be shocked when the sparrow suddenly spoke.

***

There exists a demon race known as the doppelgangers. They were widely known through countless horror stories and legends, and many humans were familiar with the tales about them.

Doppelgangers were inherently few in number and did not originate from the Dark Land, which was why they are often found in the human world.

They were demons that could transform into someone else and masquerade as that person.

Doppelgangers were portrayed as either malevolent or mischievous beings in various stories.

A doppelganger was a being who could transform into another person, while a dreadfiend had the ability to freely alter their physical form.

Hence, dreadfiends were a superior version of doppelgangers.

For someone like Sarkegar, a member of the dreadfiend race, eavesdropping on someone’s conversation was the easiest of tasks.

Although transforming into something the size of a mosquito was impossible, he could change into something as small as a cockroach. And cockroaches could hide just about anywhere.

Sarkegar didn’t usually prefer transforming into something so small because of the issue of survivability—if he were to die in that form, he would actually die.

Sarkegar’s two best skills were eavesdropping and uncovering secrets.

Secrets were never truly kept—they were always shared with a confidant.

By disguising himself as one of those confidants, he can easily extract information. However, such a method was quite risky, because it created the memory of having a conversation with someone.

For the time being, Sarkegar chose the easiest option.

Sarkegar had already managed to infiltrate the Temple, which was surrounded by numerous barriers. Sneaking into the Orbis Class dormitory, with only guards stationed at the entrance, was simple.

Slipping through door cracks, squirming inside closets, hiding under furniture... There were many hiding places and methods of entry.

Sarkegar entered the dormitory in bird form and trailed Oscar de Gradias. When Oscar opened the door to his private room, Sarkegar transformed into a small cockroach and slipped in, hiding behind the closet.

Even if he were discovered, it would likely only raise hygiene concerns; no one would suspect a cockroach of being a spy.

While there were many ways to counter and prevent magical eavesdropping or being spied on by familiars, Sarkegar was a living being.

When he became a cockroach, he truly was a cockroach, albeit one with the soul and intellect of a dreadfiend.

Such transformation abilities were similar to extreme-level polymorphing magic.

In this form, the only thing that could stop Sarkegar was insecticide.

The only places Sarkegar couldn’t infiltrate were a few palaces within the imperial compound, Emperatos, where security had been maximized and powerful barriers put in place since the kidnapping incident. Those places were so secure that not even a single bug could enter.

One such place was the Princess’s Palace, where Charlotte de Gradias resided.

Fortunately, the Orbis Class dormitory, despite being well-maintained, was not liberally sprayed with insecticide because a bug problem was non-existent.

Sarkegar patiently waited in Oscar de Gradias’s private room.

He had canceled all his appointments as Count Argon Pontius, as serving his master was his top priority.

Sarkegar, in cockroach form, scurried up the wall and perched atop the wardrobe to survey the entire room.

Several suitcases seemed to be already packed. Although Oscar hadn’t submitted a withdrawal letter, he had probably prepared his belongings in case he was reassigned to another class.

The room had no special items, since its inhabitant was already prepared for imminent departure. All of Oscar’s books and belongings seemed to have been packed away already.

Oscar sat at his desk. From Sarkegar’s vantage point, he couldn’t see Oscar’s expression.

He wasn’t writing or doing anything. He was just sitting there, arms crossed, appearing deep in thought.

He sat there quietly for quite a while, since there was no reason for him to talk to himself.

Sarkegar adjusted his position to get a view of Oscar’s expression. If a cockroach suddenly appeared, it was bound to be swatted, so he moved carefully to avoid detection.

Oscar was wearing a smile.

What could be so amusing that he would be smiling all the while while thinking about it?

Knock, Knock.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Oscar stood up to answer it.

“Oscar, a letter has arrived.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

A single letter, delivered by a servant.

Oscar opened the letter and began reading. Sarkegar repositioned himself yet again, enhancing his vision to read the contents of the letter from a distance.

[This is a response to your previous inquiry regarding the theory of magical algebra.]

[We have reviewed the theory in question and found it to be effective. However, we anticipate that several prerequisite conditions need to be met to properly formalize it into theory...]

The letter was filled with technical details that Sarkegar couldn’t understand. Was it a response from some research institution to a question, or a new theory proposed by Oscar?

Sarkegar scanned the contents of the letter.

Although it was filled with incomprehensible jargon, Sarkegar realized the content itself wasn’t the important part.

What would cause someone to smile over an academic letter filled with technical terminology?

The contents of the letter could not account for Oscar’s near-euphoric expression.

He was practically beaming with delight, which did not align at all with what the letter was saying.

This led Sarkegar to an undeniable conclusion.

The letter had to be coded. Although he did not know the specifics, he was sure that Oscar was exchanging coded letters with someone.

Indeed, he could see that Oscar was reacting to something entirely different than what the letter was saying on the surface.

This was already a significant discovery.

Next, Sarkegar examined the envelope.

[Sender - The Empire’s Second Magical Theory Research Center]

He now knew where to go next.

Infiltration and information gathering...

Sarkegar excelled in this area more than anyone.

***

Sarkegar came to me with what he had discovered first.

“So, it seems he’s exchanging coded letters with someone?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Then it wasn’t just a feeling I had—Oscar had genuinely been in high spirits.

Encrypted letters, students’ withdrawals, the dissolution of the Orbis Class... These opened the door to so many possibilities. At this stage, though, everything was conjecture; there were no firm conclusions to be drawn.

Could it really be that Oscar had no connection to the plot to assassinate me?

I was becoming increasingly certain that there was no far-reaching plot to assassinate me.

It seemed that Oscar’s dealings were entirely unrelated to my situation.

I needed to look into this further, but the immediate priority was to find out who was trying to kill me.

The most likely suspects were the patrons or seniors of the Orbis Class, the power brokers among them, and of course, Oscar de Gradias. But everything about him, from the sense I got to his attitude, suggested he might not be involved.

All these actors were somehow very well organized. They had banded together and planned the collective boycott.

The Orbis Class was undoubtedly organized, but their primary concern wasn’t me.

So what was the scribe trying to convey with its advice?

I had taken the risk to meet Oscar, and while I didn’t get any concrete information, I did find out that Oscar wasn’t concerned with me at all.

After mentally eliminating numerous potential suspects, I moved on to the next candidate.

There was one particular person that kept coming to mind.

If the Orbis Class was organized, then this person, who could absolutely not belong to any organization, stood out. Even if they belonged, it would be a disguise.

Among those who had personal grudges against me, this was one who might actually attempt to kill me. But I still didn’t know for certain if it was this person.

The potential suspect I had already identified for later action was known to me.

A named character, but one I had forgotten. I had to make a frustrating search through the faculty roster until I finally remembered this name.

“There’s an alchemist named Aaron Mede among the Temple’s instructors.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He was one of the dedicated alchemy instructors at the Temple, and an alchemist, but he wasn’t part of the Orbis Class.

“Investigate him. Report back immediately if you find anything.”

He was also the one who had utilized dark magic to enhance Ender Wilton.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

In actuality, he was a mage affiliated with a Magic Society known as the Black Order, and would be furious about the closure of the Orbis Class, which was where he conducted his experiments.

It was highly possible that it wasn’t him. If it wasn’t, I’d just move on to the next suspect.

After all, I had Sarkegar.

Sarkegar didn’t ask why I had singled out that particular person. He just did as he was told.

A true loyalist...

How wonderful.

***

That night, inside the Spring Palace, within the Princess’s bedchamber in the imperial compound, Emperatos...

The imperial family had been in a state of emergency for some time.

Few knew the exact circumstances, but many could feel the tension within the royal household, and it wasn’t because of the Orbis Class issue.

While the Temple was one of the empire’s most critical undertakings, it was still just an enterprise.

The imperial family was plagued by internal issues.

There were those who took pleasure in these troubles, but ultimately, the imperial family had no bandwidth to concern itself with external affairs.

“Your Highness, it’s time for bed now.”

At Dyrus’s words, Charlotte, seated in her rocking chair, flashed a bitter smile.

“... I know it’s pointless, but I just can’t sleep.”

Dyrus was not the only one present. Sabioleen Tana, the leader of the First Imperial Knight Order, Shanapell, was there as well.

“Your condition might improve if you conserve your strength,” Sabioleen Tana said.

Despite Sabioleen Tana’s words, Charlotte remained in her rocking chair, silently rocking back and forth.

In the dead of night, the palace that housed the princess’s bedroom was empty except for the two of them. Within the deserted Spring Palace, Charlotte sat vacantly in her chair.

“What about the compensation? How has that been handled?”

A pause.

“It’s better if you don’t worry about that...”

Charlotte looked at Sabioleen Tana. “The compensation. I asked how it was handled.”

“... We made sure it’s sufficient, Your Highness.”

“Sufficient, you say...” Charlotte muttered weakly, covering her face with both hands. “How much money is considered sufficient to compensate for the life of someone irreplaceable? Can money truly compensate for such a thing?”

“Your Highness...”

At Dyrus’s words, Charlotte uncovered her face.

The princess’s right pupil was completely blackened.

“It’s ridiculous that I’m saying this even though I was the one who killed her.”

Dyrus shook his head firmly at Charlotte’s somber tone.

“It was not you who killed her, Your Highness,” Dyrus said.

“If it wasn’t me, then who was it? With my hands, my power, I killed a maidservant who had served in my palace for such a long time. If it wasn’t me, then who?”

This time, Sabioleen Tana spoke up.

“Your Highness, you lost consciousness, and something evil temporarily took over. That’s why you don’t remember what happened. It couldn’t have been you who did it. This will get better soon.”

Despite Sabioleen Tana’s concern and her hopeful assurances, Charlotte’s somber expression showed no signs of lifting.

‘It will get better.’

In the face of a situation that only seemed to worsen, how could anyone believe it would get better?

Things had gotten so bad that there were even times when something unknown would take over her consciousness.

“By imperial decree, I am here to guard against any possible scenario, Your Highness. Nothing will happen anymore.”

Sabioleen Tana was in the Spring Palace by the emperor’s command.

Charlotte focused her mind, slowly pushing back the power that had invaded her right eye. But even this was becoming difficult.

Charlotte looked at Tana, her voice soft.

“Captain Tana, you don’t need to tell such obvious lies.”

“...”

“You’re here to deal with me if necessary, aren’t you?”

“Your Highness! Such a thing would never happen. I would take my own life before that!”

Seeing Sabioleen Tana’s face turn pale, Charlotte gave a sorrowful smile.

“I’m not accusing you of anything, Captain Tana,” Charlotte murmured softly as she closed her eyes. “I’m asking you to promise me that when the time comes, you won’t hesitate.”

“...”

“Can you promise me that you won’t hesitate?”

After a moment of silence, Sabioleen Tana replied, “I cannot promise that. Never.”

“...”

With a sorrowful smile, Charlotte let herself be cradled by the rocking chair.

The sudden bouts of sleepwalking had begun after the end of the second semester’s group mission.

When she’d found herself standing barefoot in the mansion’s hallway in the middle of the night, Charlotte had initially thought she was dreaming.

It was only after seeing Reinhart’s face that she realized it wasn’t a dream, and that she had been moving in her sleep.

Charlotte had hoped it was just sleepwalking, but by the time she decided not to stay at the dormitory anymore, she knew it was more than just simple sleepwalking.

Even after knowing it wasn’t that, she still wanted to believe it was.

Now, though, she knew it was something far more serious.

The events that had occurred and the things that had happened to her made it clear that this was not just a simple ailment.

Still, as long as she didn’t sleep, it was okay.

Being possessed by whatever this thing was used to happen only when she slept, but now, it was happening at random moments even when she was awake.

Every time she felt that the end was near, someone’s face would flash before her eyes.

Sometimes it was one person’s face, and other times it was another’s.

Those two people...

Charlotte was saddened by the fact that she couldn’t talk about this situation with either of them.

“The night scares me,” Charlotte murmured weakly to herself.