Chapter 105: False Evidence

The citizens of Gergrain’s capital stood on the sidewalk and waited for the luxurious carriage to pass before continuing on their way. They were confused. Why was their king’s royal carriage circling the city for no reason, and so slowly at that?

The only answer they could come up with was that he was simply taking a look around the city in his free time.

“What do you want?” Lina said, turning towards Kaimon, who sat opposite her. “This better be worth the time I’m wasting instead of looking for a sword.”

Kaimon placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head slightly. “My apologies if it was a little too sudden.”

Lina studied him. Is it his personality, the way he treats children, or sweet talk to win my favor?

Lina, a girl who could read people like open books, saw all three blended together in Kaimon’s eyes.

What does he want from me?

“You’re aware of the incident that happened a few days ago, the murder of Lockwane and the others, correct?” Kaimon’s voice was deep.

“Yes.”

So it’s about this?

“Where were Crimvane’s guests that night?”

Lina’s eyes sharpened. She glanced to Kaimon’s left, where a knight sat with a sword in hand, then back at Kaimon. “After the gathering, we came to the castle and went to our rooms.”

Kaimon slid his eyes towards the knight. Did she sense what’s happening?

“If it’s not a problem,” he said with a smile, “could I know if you met anyone on the way?”

“Your butler was with us the whole time.” Lina forced a smile. “Why don’t you go ask him? Or do you not trust your servants very much?”

Kaimon sighed and shook his head lightly. “Though I trust them fully, they’re not omniscient gods who can see through everyone’s tricks.” Looking up at the ceiling, he stroked his beard softly. “Then let me put it this way, Lina Ravel: after you entered your rooms, the butler never came inside, I assume?”

Lina’s expression was unreadable. “...Correct.”

“Then, if you don’t mind, could I know what you were doing inside your rooms?”

She snorted. “I really do mind, actually. But I can assure you that Elina and I didn’t leave our rooms.”

“Is that so…?” Kaimon extended a hand towards the knight. “But after some deeper investigation, we found something highly suspicious about Crimvane.”

The knight respectfully placed a handful of papers into Kaimon’s hand, and Kaimon passed them to Lina. Wearing a confused face, Lina opened the documents. At the sight of the writing, her body went still.

“As you can see, the report states that after the Lantern Gravers traced the essence of death, the trail led them to Crimvane’s King, your brother.” Kaimon stared at the girl intensely. “If you confess your deeds right now, I will personally handle this matter and prevent a war. If not, I will give this information to the kingdoms whose rulers were murdered, dragging Crimvane into a war with multiple kingdoms.”

The carriage fell silent, save for the creak of its turning wheels. Kaimon waited for a response, watching Lina, who was looking down at the papers in her hands.

“Hey, old man, are you fucking with me?” Lina looked up, her eyes intense, a wide, manic smile on her face. “You take me for a kid who’ll get scared by this shit?” She flung the papers to the ground. “Making up false info and threatening the kingdom just to scare me?”

What is with that expression? It feels kind of familiar… Kaimon was reminded of a white-haired woman. I really expected this to work… but it seems this child isn’t easy to handle either.

“You’ve been asking me questions over and over. So now, let me ask you something:” She extended a hand towards him. “Would you believe me if I said that I killed all of them?”

Kaimon scanned the girl, who made no attempt to hide her true strength. And sure enough, just like most students in the academy, she wasn’t even an Augmented Lifeform yet.

“...No,” he muttered.

The smile vanished from her face as she stared dead into Kaimon’s eyes. “Then why are you asking me questions if you won’t trust my words in the first place?”

The knight moved in an instant, and his sword streaked towards her neck, the steel whistling through the air before halting a hair’s breadth from her skin. Without so much as flinching, Lina looked down at the blade.

“Because this is not a negotiation or a request, Miss Ravel,” Kaimon stated.

The smile returned to the girl’s face, a battle-crazed, manic one with wide eyes, and she looked back at Kaimon.

“You sure you want to do this? I have no problem killing both of you right here, but can you say the same?”

Kaimon replied in a calm voice, “How arrogant of you to say that when you’re only a Vital Lifeform.” He raised a hand to his knight, signaling him to withdraw the blade. “But conflict won’t be necessary today.”

She’s right… We can’t afford to anger those two like Rellion did.

At another signal from him, the carriage came to a halt. “Thank you for your time. You may continue your work now.”

Lina folded her arms and leaned back against the seat, snorting. “I’m not leaving.”

Kaimon looked at her in confusion. “Pardon?”

“Take me to the castle. I don’t wanna walk.”

Kaimon’s knight, at a loss, looked to Kaimon. Kaimon exhaled in defeat and said, “Let’s head to the castle first, and then the academy.”

***

After the Alchemy period had ended, Lucion walked back to his classroom, hurrying more than usual to avoid Neiscris. Just as he turned onto the path that led to his classroom doors, his gaze landed on Adrian, standing at the crossroad.

Adrian caught one of Lucion’s sleeves and pulled him off to the side of the hall.

“Adrian?”

Adrian looked at him, his face determined. “Hey, you know, I’ve been noticing…”

“Noticing?” Lucion repeated.

He smiled and said in a low voice, “If you have something that’s bothering you, you can always share it with me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

To Lucion, the words came out of nowhere, spoken by a ‘class buddy’ he only hung around with out of boredom. He fell silent, trying to process both the sudden statement and the word ‘friend.’

After being cooped up in that dark room for so long, interacting only with his stream viewers, he had found what he called a companion in this magical world—or rather, inside that pocket dimension. But in the end, she had turned out to be a stranger he could no longer trust.

So would a second one be any better?

Yes, it would.

Lucion smirked confidently and extended a hand towards Adrian. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you after school today.”

Adrian stared at the hand in confusion, not knowing what to do with it. Hesitantly, he reached out with his other hand and clasped Lucion’s.

“I-is this how it’s done?” he muttered, adjusting his glasses. Pulling his hand away, he said, “I’ve noticed you stare at that green-haired girl every time you see her.” He raised a brow. “Are you two perhaps in a relationship?”

Lucion looked sideways, wearing an awkward smile. “...I think it’s the opposite.”

“Really?” Adrian laughed, though not out of amusement, but in defeat. “I guess people like us will never get girlfriends, huh?”

“I guess so?”

…

“Lucion…” Holding his spoon frozen mid-air, Adrian muttered in bewilderment. “How did it come to this?”

Lucion looked sideways again, wearing the same awkward smile. “...It just happened.”

It was interval, and they had come to the cafeteria to sit at their usual table and enjoy their lunch. But today was a little different.

Lucion and Adrian sat the way they always did, on opposite sides of the table, facing each other, but Neiscris had taken the seat beside Lucion, and Emmy the seat beside Adrian.

“We’ll never get girlfriends,” my ass! He looked at Neiscris, who was simply staring at Lucion. Look at how close she is to you! He glanced sideways at Emmy, a faint blush crossing his face. Also, isn’t she that girl? At least she’s normal…

“Why? You don’t like me being here?” Neiscris glared at Adrian.

“N-no, no! I didn’t mean that!” Adrian waved his hands frantically, terrified.

Lucion silently looked at Neiscris. On the way back from Alchemy class, Emmy asked to eat with us, saying she had no one else to eat with, and when she heard that, Neiscris invited herself along too.

Emmy was eating her pancake without looking at anyone, but Neiscris’s words made her glance up on instinct. In doing so, her gaze caught Lucion’s face, a crumb of his sandwich clinging near his mouth.

“Hey, Lucion,” she called out, pointing a finger towards him. “There’s some food by your mouth.”

“Mmm?” Lucion tapped his face but couldn’t find it. “Where?”

“It’s here—” Emmy leaned forward over the table and stretched her hand towards his face, her fingers meaning to brush it away herself.

Neiscris’s amber eyes widened, her pupils shrinking in rage. Before Emmy’s finger could touch him, Neiscris seized Emmy’s hand. Emmy let out a pained sound and looked at her, only to be met with a furious stare.

“W-what are you doi—it hurts!” Emmy hissed in pain.

Lucion couldn’t see it from where he sat, but Adrian saw that expression clearly, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Lucion, who had only seen Neiscris grab Emmy’s hand and hadn’t noticed its strength, turned to her. “Neiscris?”

She immediately let go of Emmy’s hand and looked at Lucion with a fond smile. Turning back to Emmy, she took the girl’s hand again, gently this time, her face full of worry.

“My apologies, I didn’t think you would be this delicate.” She looked at Emmy with the same smile. “It doesn’t hurt much, right?”

Emmy pulled her hand back and muttered, “N-no… I’m fine.”

Lucion stared at the two in confusion, then looked to Adrian for an answer, but was met only with a terrified face.

Did I miss something? he wondered.

…

On the way back from the cafeteria to their next activity, magic spell casting training, Lucion gazed down at the students below from the third floor. 

Anxiety crept across his face as he watched them. Now I have to meet ‘him’.

***

Edel stood in the middle of one of the academy’s private rooms. In front of him, lying on a couch, was Noa, and sitting atop his torso with her legs crossed was Vionette, her gaze fixed on Edel.

“Good job finishing my request,” she said, smiling.

Edel replied flatly, “Thank you.”

Activating [Reserve], Vionette drew two magical books from the pocket dimension and tossed them to Edel, followed by two high-level Aether recovery potions.

Staring at the items, he asked, “...What is this?”

“Think of them as… a token of appreciation for a job well done.” She replied playfully. “Those specifically will help you get a little closer to that moon elf, so use them wisely.”

“Why? We didn’t agree to anything more.”

Noa turned his face towards Edel, wearing a deadpan expression. “Bro, just take it if it’s free. Got no common sense?”

“Well…” He eyed the items uncertainly. “Alright, then. The interval should be nearly over by now. I’ll be taking my leave.”

After he left, Vionette shifted atop Noa and lay down on him, resting her face on his chest as her legs slid down alongside his. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her from tumbling off.

“We need to do something, Blackie.”

Noa tilted his head to look at her. “Do what?”

“There was a good plan, but that shit takes too long.” Looking up at him, she smiled. “So, we’re gonna change the plan and get rid of one of the professors.”

Noa patted her head and pressed her face into his chest, making her close her eyes. “Bad girl.”

Hearing the words, she smiled.

Then she recalled what Edel had said earlier: “Professor Castil said that we gather Aether inside our body to one point, and through a chant, turn that Aether into matter of any element.”

“Man…” she muttered, her voice muffled against his shirt. “What the hell are these idiots teaching these kids? They don’t even understand the power system properly and still call themselves professors.”