Chapter 80

EP.79 Chapter 79

The first-year students from my group, who had come to eat earlier than the other students, were seen collapsing weakly, blood streaming from their mouths.

The symptoms of the collapsed students, as Sylvia had shouted, were clearly indicative of something.

Magi addiction.

When one is addicted to magi at a certain concentration or higher, the body begins to die, causing one to vomit blood like this.

Although it was the first time I had seen it with my own eyes, I knew about it because I had read it countless times in [The Holy Knights of the Academy].

And I also knew what would happen if those showing such symptoms in the original story did not receive appropriate measures quickly.

A mocking laughter echoed incessantly in my head.

[Ahahaha, ahahahah!]

My heart pounded so hard it felt like it was causing pain in my chest.

I was flustered because such an incident had never occurred in the original story.

[Burn it all!]

My breathing became rapid, as if I was about to vomit.

I was confused because I had never experienced such an emergency.

[We’ll burn everything!]

My hands and feet trembled so much that they could have caused a clatter with the tables and chairs.

Perhaps I was afraid that this had happened because I had changed the fate that was supposed to unfold.

[How I hate this world that has made me like this! So, everything-]

While my thoughts were solidifying in panic, confusion, and fear, I stared blankly at my trembling hands.

Then I saw Mei, who was lying on the seat next to me, in pain.

Thud, a sound rang out.

It was the sound of me hitting my own head.

After doing so, the voice echoing in my head seemed to quiet down a bit.

...Pull yourself together.

Think about what is most frightening and what is most unsettling.

Losing someone precious without doing anything, that’s surely the worst.

I bit my lip to regain my composure and quickly surveyed the surroundings.

The number of fallen children was twelve in total.

Including me, only three people were unharmed.

But there was no need to despair like a fool.

The two remaining people, Yun Siwoo and Sylvia, were those who had led people through the end in the original story, even in more severe magi conditions.

As soon as the situation in my head was sorted out, I gave instructions to Sylvia, who was looking at me in shock after I hit myself with my fist.

“Sylvia! I’m fine, so take care of the kids first! Can you purify the magi?”

The power of the star spirit that Sylvia commands is antithetical to magi.

Therefore, she possesses superior abilities in magi purification compared to other mages who handle purification spells.

Upon hearing my words, Sylvia hurriedly emitted light from her hands and began purifying Mei, who was closest to her, but her expression was not good.

“It’s possible, but not all at once! How long the others can hold on while I purify them...”

The fact that the symptoms were so clearly visible meant that the condition was quite serious.

The children were already rapidly dying, so there was a possibility they wouldn’t last until they were purified.

But there was also a solution.

“Perhaps I can solve that.”

Yun Siwoo pulled out a large sword from the air.

As he closed his eyes and released the sword from his hand, it floated in the air and emitted light.

Instantly, a protective barrier spread around us.

The Holy Sword of Protection, which has the ability to create a barrier, is made of mithril, a metal that only dwarves can handle.

Mithril is lighter and much stronger than other metals, but most importantly, it has the property of suppressing magi, making it a precious metal.

That’s why people inside the barrier created by the Holy Sword of Protection were less affected by the magi.

Having a multi-talented munchkin as a teammate was such a reassuring thing.

“Being inside here won’t improve their condition, but it will prevent it from worsening quickly.”

“...You have all sorts of abilities. But, thanks to you, they will survive. Thank you, Yun Siwoo.”

Upon hearing Yun Siwoo’s words, Sylvia confirmed that the children’s condition, which had been worsening, had stabilized, and she began purifying them with a relieved expression.

Fortunately, because we took quick action, the worst-case scenario seemed unlikely.

Of course, I wouldn’t be of much use staying here, so after confirming that Mei’s condition was improving slightly due to Sylvia’s purification, I ran out of the dining hall.

I informed the teachers of what had happened and sought support from those who could purify magi.

The dining hall began to buzz with the arrival of people.

However, the expressions of those who gathered were all serious.

It was inevitable.

No matter how often the Academy was depicted as a place with lax security, always getting raided in other novels, Aegis Academy had security guards at the entrance.

The security guards, who were responsible for protecting the entrance of an Academy where 95% of the internal members were heroes, were naturally not easy opponents.

Unless most of the available forces were diverted to an external threat, like what happened in the gym, these guards would patrol the entrance regularly from the start of school until the end of the day.

The Academy grounds themselves were enchanted, making teleportation impossible and eliminating any other means of entry or exit.

The identity of everyone entering and exiting was verified by the security guards, maintaining an ironclad security system.

Yet, a magi-based terrorist attack had occurred in broad daylight, which was an impossible event.

And the communication from the security guard was relayed to everyone.

The security guard reported that there had been no record of unregistered outsiders entering the school recently.

People’s expressions hardened even more.

They were all proud of their work.

They believed that their colleagues were also proud of their work.

That’s why the truth was even more painful.

However, as much as they didn’t want to admit it, all the evidence pointed to that.

Just like a line from a manga I had seen before,

The culprit is among us.

Looking out the window, it was pouring rain.

*

The investigation to find the culprit inside began.

Even I, along with Yun Siwoo and Sylvia, who had not collapsed despite eating with the students in the dining hall, were called in as important witnesses and questioned by the teachers.

Though they were called important witnesses, they were essentially suspects.

I thought it was a reasonable situation to be suspicious of, even if I were in their shoes.

Each of us started to explain how we could resist the magi.

Sylvia, who was resting while treating the children, explained while emitting light from her hands.

“I am the successor of Astra. The fact that a star spirit contractor can resist magi is written in the textbooks. Should I still be suspected?”

Frankly, the teachers didn’t seem to suspect Sylvia.

They seemed to think that a successor of a prestigious family, especially one known for using all their might to defeat a witch, wouldn’t use magi for terrorism.

Next, Yun Siwoo, who was questioned, pulled out a Gladius-like sword, the Indomitable Holy Sword, instead of the Holy Sword of Protection that was still floating in the dining hall.

“...This is the Indomitable Holy Sword. It enhances recovery, physical abilities, defense, and resistance to magic, including resistance to magi. It contains mithril.”

Unlike the Holy Sword of Protection, the Indomitable Holy Sword, while not protecting others, grants strong resistance to magi, making it unlikely to be affected by it.

That’s why, in the original story, Yun Siwoo could run around without worrying about magi poisoning, though not 100%.

In any case, the mention of mithril seemed to greatly affect the teachers.

After the dwarves, the only race capable of handling mithril, nearly went extinct along with their city a few hundred years ago, mithril equipment became extremely valuable.

It was my turn after Yun Siwoo finished his explanation.

I had felt that things were getting serious from the moment I was called in.

“How did you resist the magi?”

A particularly fierce-looking homeroom teacher asked me in a terrifying voice.

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“...I don’t know.”

“...You don’t know?”

“Yes... I guess it’s just my constitution...”

The teachers’ eyes turned sharp at my answer.

Honestly, I thought it was an absurd answer.

Even among the Dolos family, known for their physical prowess, few could withstand magi without protection.

But I really didn’t know the reason.

If I had to guess, it might be because of the witch’s heart fragment embedded in my body, but I wasn’t sure and couldn’t say that.

Yun Siwoo and Sylvia, who knew this, seemed even more restless than I was.

My answer must have sounded suspicious, as the teacher asked me with an even more terrifying voice.

“...I see you’re in the Cooking Club.”

“...Yes.”

When those words were spoken, everyone’s eyes widened.

I could feel the suspicious gazes directed at me.

The Cooking Club’s room was the kitchen.

It wouldn’t be strange for them to think I had set something up in the kitchen beforehand.

“...You didn’t do this, did you?”

“I really didn’t.”

Even if I claimed innocence, I doubted anyone would believe me in this situation.

I was thinking it was a bit of a problem when,

“Scarlett didn’t do it!”

“...That’s right, Scarlett isn’t the culprit.”

Sylvia and Yun Siwoo, who had been sitting in the corner, jumped up and shouted.

The teachers’ gazes turned to the two of them.

A strong, intimidating look that suggested their defense wouldn’t work just because of a personal relationship.

But Sylvia spoke calmly, undeterred by the pressure.

“The incident happened during lunchtime. Scarlett has been with me since she arrived at school, so she couldn’t be the culprit.”

“You could have set something up in the kitchen earlier.”

“The Cooking Club only meets on Fridays. And last Friday, she was absent due to illness. The last time she entered the kitchen was two weeks ago, so it’s impossible for her to have tampered with the ingredients so long ago.”

Sylvia defended me logically.

It was a relief.

My testimony, while under suspicion, might not have been credible to the teachers.

Having someone vouch for my whereabouts was much more convincing.

The teacher seemed to find this effective, as his expression softened and he asked me another question.

“I see. I have one last question. What did you do yesterday?”

“...Yesterday?”

“Yes. The ingredients for Monday are brought in on Sunday. I don’t think you tampered with them, but I’m asking just in case. If your statement matches the investigation, you will be cleared of all suspicion.”

Fortunately, it seemed I was being cleared of suspicion.

Just as I was about to recall what had happened yesterday and open my mouth,

Yun Siwoo suddenly spoke, sweating profusely from the tension.

“...There’s no need. I can tell if someone is telling the truth or lying. Scarlett wasn’t lying.”

I was surprised by Yun Siwoo’s sudden statement.

He didn’t want others to know about his ability to detect lies.

He was afraid they might avoid talking to him because of it.

So, I was both grateful and flustered that he was going to such lengths to clear my name.

Just saying what I did on Sunday would have been enough to clear the suspicion.

But the teacher seemed intrigued by Yun Siwoo’s words and asked him a few questions.

“Is that true? Then let me ask you a few questions. I have a beloved daughter. Does that sound true?”

“It’s true.”

“Hmm, that could be a lucky guess. Next question. My favorite genre of novels is romance. Does that sound true?”

“...It’s true.”

Yun Siwoo answered with a subtle expression.

“The answer is correct. This is interesting.”

The people listening had strange expressions when they heard that a man who looked like he could star in a real-life slasher movie and say something like, “This is boring,” actually liked romance novels.

Well, there’s nothing wrong with reading romance novels...

“Last question. My hobbies are embroidery and collecting dolls. Does that sound true?”

“...You’re more feminine than I thought, teacher.”

The room buzzed with whispers at Yun Siwoo’s answer.

...But, personal preferences should be respected.

“Seems like it’s true. Since this ability could be useful in identifying the culprit, would you be willing to cooperate? In return, I’ll clear you and your friends of all suspicion.”

Yun Siwoo nodded, and the teacher sighed.

“Phew, I never thought you were the culprit from the start. But, this is a difficult task. It’s exhausting to have to suspect colleagues and students. How can you think such things about people you trust with your life? Damn.”

The teacher looked genuinely troubled.

I thanked the two who had worked hard to clear my name.

Sylvia laughed, saying that defending was Astra’s specialty.

Yun Siwoo, for some reason, blushed and avoided eye contact.

After thanking the children and turning around, I stiffened my expression.

It was fortunate to be cleared of suspicion, but nothing had been revealed yet, and the case was still a mystery.

I had to catch the culprit.

Before they caused another incident.

Author’s Note

A space like a sealed room, pouring rain outside, and an incident that has occurred.

The answer is one! The culprit is among us!

Did you get tense thinking something big was about to happen? Not yet.

This chapter is to ease the tension a bit by showing Yun Siwoo’s struggle.

We can’t let the teachers find out that he’s having an inappropriate relationship with a classmate.

PS: There are many confirmed cases of COVID-19 in front of my house, and I’m trembling with fear. Please be careful, dear readers!