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Chapter 78: Mask (1)
[Pig’s Flower], a famous restaurant near the Imperial University.
“I’ll kill him!”
Sylvia stared at her fellow debutante, finding how she exploded in rage while ripping the Roahawk apart funny.
“I’ll find him and kill him no matter what!”
She hadn’t found who tore apart her paper yet, and perhaps she would never know. There were so many people nearby at the time.
“Stupid Epherene.”
Turning her head, she glared at Sylvia, bitter tears welling up in her fierce eyes.
“You won’t be able to do anything even if you knew who did it. Your paper won’t revert to its original state.”
“… Did you come to mock me?”
Laughing disdainfully, Sylvia pulled out her own paper, making Epherene envious.
Whoong—
Sylvia’s barrier wrapped around the dining table.
“Assistant Professor Allen told us not to lose this paper, but she didn’t tell us the exam location.”
“… Did you figure something out?”
“No. Not yet.”
How was this paper related to what they had learned so far?
Although it was dodgy, Sylvia believed in Deculein and his lectures.
“If you haven’t figured out anything yet…”
Lightly glancing at her, Epherene hesitantly brought up a proposal.
“D-do you want to team up? We did the group project together anyway. You remember, right?”
“Stupid Epherene.”
“W-what? I’ll be a great help. I’m second only to you, you know.”
She put the piece of Roahawk down, which clearly showed how desperate she was. Nevertheless, Sylvia shook her head.
“You don’t have a paper. I do.”
“… Who doesn’t know that?”
“Perhaps cases like you will be more frequent. We do still have three weeks for the exam. ”
“Sigh… I want to cry.”
She sniffed and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Trying to look pitiful, she wiped tears off her eyes, but Silvia was far too focused on the cloth she took out to notice.
“…”
Sylvia recalled the handkerchief Deculein gave her, which she then used to decorate her panda with.
The pattern it had was the same as the one in Epherene’s hands.
“You.”
Her body moved on its own, hurriedly grabbing Epherene’s wrist, making her flinch.
“W-what?”
“Where did you get this?”
“This h-handkerchief? ”
“Yeah.”
“… That’s a secret.”
Epherene firmly shook her head, but Sylvia, surprisingly, insisted.
“Tell me.”
“Why should I?” Epherene frowned. Why did she care about it? Was it because the handkerchief was too luxurious?
‘Woah, is this a luxury treasure even the Iliade family can’t easily get?’
“If you tell me, I might let you join me in the exam.”
“…”
“I’ll buy you Roahawks during the test period. ”
That made Epherene think.
Her sponsor’s identity was anonymous anyway. It wouldn’t be a betrayal if she just told her that she was ‘sponsored.’
It really wasn’t because of the free Roahawk… Maybe it was, but just a little. However, she had to keep her grades up if she wanted to see her sponsor’s face.
Epherene glanced at Sylvia.
“I didn’t steal it. Do you believe me?”
“If you didn’t, then where did you get it?”
She answered shortly after hesitating a bit.
“… It’s a gift from a sponsor.”
“Sponsor?” Sylvia’s eyebrows scrunched as she clenched her hand hidden under the table.
“Yeah. I received a sponsorship. I didn’t even know I would.”
“You’re sponsored.”
“Yes~ I didn’t even think I could get one. That’s all I know, though. It’s an anonymous sponsorship. I think it would be disrespectful to dig into it… Why did you suddenly ask, though? Did you see this handkerchief somewhere?”
Epherene’s eyes were widening with curiosity, and Sylvia’s eyes narrowed.
“No. It just doesn’t suit you.”
“… Gosh. Anyway, I told you what I know, so we’re doing it together, right?”
“…”
Sylvia cut the meat in front of her without saying anything as she looked into her face intently.
Her expression was as vague as always, revealing nothing that was in her mind. She didn’t even smile.
Her stiff, mask-like face was initially unpleasant to look at, but….
“I’ll accept your silence as your approval, okay?”
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Now, it wasn’t as bad.
Epherene began to cheer up. Sylvia looked at her, seemingly out of spite, as she put a piece of meat into her mouth.
* * * *
Julie held a cup of coffee in a cafe near the tower.
From now to midnight, Deculein had to check a thesis in the lab.
It was a momentary break.
No matter how strong of a gut they had, the Altar wouldn’t commit a kidnapping in the University Tower, and she knew better than to interfere in Professor Deculein’s personal time to study.
“… Time flies so fast.”
Looking at the campus outside the window reminded her of the old days.
If she walked a little further, she’d find the Knights’ Training Center. A bit further than that, and she’d stumble upon the Knights’ Square, and even further, the grand main building of the Imperial Order.
“….”
The Imperial Order, which all knights on the continent regarded as a dream.
She had a history of working in that Hall of Fantasy, but now it was all in the past. She couldn’t go back, and she couldn’t turn time around.
“Julie!”
Her eyes immediately looked in the direction where she heard her name coming from.
“So you were here.”
At the cafe’s entrance, she found Gwen, Raphael, and Syrio, smiling at her as they approached her.
“Did you come to observe the knights’ exams?” Julie asked.
“Huh? Yeah, that too. ”
The encounter made Julie happy, but Gwen scratched the back of her neck, looking apologetic.
“Well, I don’t have much to say. Here. Take it.”
She gave her a letter, the imperial seal on it surprising her.
“Oh! This is about the mission from last time, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but I think you’re on a different task now…”
“It’s fine. This one involves professor Deculein too.”
At Julie’s words, Gwen looked more mysterious.
She rejoiced like a child. Participating in an important mission was also one of the dreams of a true knight, but…
“… Read it.”
“Yep!” She vigorously answered as she opened it, only for its very first sentence to destroy her expectations that had been accumulating.
[Nondisclosure of Secrets Pledge]
“Nondisclosure of Secrets…?”
Julie looked at Gwen as if waiting for an explanation, seemingly unable to understand what it meant.
Her fellow knight sighed.
“Deculein’s condition for his participation is your removal from this task.”
“… What?”
“He’s doing it instead of you. Not with you.”
“…”
She read the letter without saying anything.
Eunuch Jolang’s words were more concise, which basically told her, ‘Deculein is worried about his fiancé, so you’re out. Just don’t tell others about this mission.’
“… Julie?”
She remained silent for quite a long moment, looking as if she didn’t know what to do.
After showing a vivid expression, she gripped the letter in her hand, causing it to crumple.
“… Is this true?”
“Yeah. Deculein’s the worst, isn’t he?” Gwen smiled bitterly.
Instead of listening to her, Julie rolled her tongue in her mouth, her cheeks puffing up one at a time.
It was a habit that came out whenever she was really angry.
“Why—”
“Deculein knows about your injury,” Raphael replied. Looking at him, she found him standing behind Gwen with his arms crossed.
“… My injury?” Julie asked.
Gwen nodded. “Yeah. He knows you haven’t completely recovered yet. That you pretended to be.”
“…”
“They said the Imperial Palace’s basement is filled with mana. With your current state, joining this mission would be like walking into a sea of poison, wouldn’t it?”
She got that injury during a mission. At the time, she almost died, but she had overcome it now.
At least, that was what she had been thinking.
“Deculein eliminated you from teaching the emperor because of that too. It seems he discovered it as soon as he felt your mana. Well, he is the Head Professor, after all.”
Gwen then continued, murmuring, “He told me not to tell you, but what does he know? Screw him~”
“Maybe he knew it would harm your career if the Imperial Palace were to learn of your predicament, so he’s trying to hide it in his own way for you. And without telling you.”
Julie knew that all too well. Due to the nature of her injury, if it got worse, the Guardian Knight position would grow even farther away.
“Deculein has a reputation for disliking Eunuchs, especially Jolang, but he still took the mission in your stead. Well, that was only proper. You were injured because of that bastard in the first place. ”
The relationship between the Yukline family and Eunuchs couldn’t be any worse. They weren’t the only ones. Prestigious, high-ranking families often quarreled and argued with them, but of them all, Freyden and Yukline fought against them the hardest.
“Anyway, this is only until you get better. If we fail the mission, we’ll wait until you get better. That would mean it would be impossible without you.”
“Right~” Syrio interrupted in the back. Gwen glared at him, and he immediately stepped back, grunting. “I can’t even say anything…”
“Yes. Alright. I understand. Now go back. ” When Julie asked them to leave, Gwen and the others hesitated for a moment but followed her wish in the end.
“…”
Left alone, she placed her hand below her collarbone, feeling a clear lump. Just touching it caused her to feel a burning pain. She thought she had overcome it, but it had been slowly reviving in the recent days.
“Did you know about it… this time too?”
Julie thought about Deculein.
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There was a time when she couldn’t estimate the size of her love for him. That huge affection tied her up and weighed down her mind. Its effects on her weren’t much different from violence.
That was how he pushed her.
Now, however, he had definitely changed so clearly it was almost unbelievable.
Of course, others said it was all acting. Reylie, Rockfell, and the rest said she shouldn’t be fooled—
“It’s acting!”
“Oh!”
A loud voice startled her. She trembled, making her look like she was vibrating.
“Or is it?!”
The University Tower chairman smiled at her.
“… Was I talking to myself out loud?”
“No! It’s the mind-reading skill I developed! ‘Of course, others say that he’s acting—’ I just heard that part!”
Julie’s eyes widened.
“T-Th-that’s rude! How dare you read someone’s mind?!”
“Aaaaghh! Why do you have to yell?! I didn’t know it would work either! You scared my baby!”
“… Your baby?”
Only then did Julie notice the leash in her hand, which was attached to a small, fluffy puppy.
“Are you okay, Orme Spartinza Adrienne II?!?!”
—Woof! Woof!
“He said he got scared!”
Julie just looked at the puppy blankly.
“Oh. Okay…”
Panting, it opened its mouth, smiled, and stuck its tongue out.
It looked so cute she thought it’d take away her soul…
The chairman, looking at her, asked, “Hmm. Do you like dogs?”
“Yes? Oh, oh, that, I do… No. No. I’m on a mission.”
“Huhu!”
The chairman laughed and put ‘Orme Spartinza Adrienne II’ on Julie’s knees, causing her to blush in an instant.
When the puppy barked, her stiffened face melted.
However, the next moment, Julie hurriedly released her mana.
“Stop it. I’m serious.”
The chairman used her [Mind Reading] magic to see through her again.
“Gosh. I won’t do it, so buy me a cup of coffee!”
“… Ah~ it feels like the times when I walked through this campus as a student was just yesterday.”
Julie pretended to be distracted. The chairman, fixing her gaze outside the window, ordered a cup of coffee herself.
* * * *
Tick— Tock—
The clock struck midnight, but I was still checking magic in the lab.
“… I’m stuck.”
The idea that Epherene’s father had devised. The research I spent the longest time in this world, resulting in around 3000 pages.
A wall blocked that magic development research.
“….”
I looked at the documents-filled table.
This magic paper filled with formulas, magic circles, operations, and logic was concrete and systematic. However, the biggest problem was that I lacked the enormous talent and mana needed to realize this idea’s “final knot.”
Of course, mana stones’ static mana could serve as supplements to a certain level. However, there was nothing I could do with my lack of talent. It was painful.
This study required talent in all four elements. However, Deculein only had two elements, Earth and Fire.
“Tsk.”
I had [Iron Man], but my head throbbed. Was it because I shot my skull with a revolver three days ago?
“I’m done for today.”
Since there wasn’t much I could do about it right now, I lifted the research data with [Psychokinesis], stored them all in a safe, and came out of the lab.
As I was about to get in the elevator, Allen’s office came into my eyes.
[Assistant Professor Allen]
It was a small room in the corner of the 77th floor. It still had light coming from inside it.
I approached it slowly and knocked on the door.
“Ugh!”
Allen, sleeping on the desk, woke up. She looked tired.
“Ugh. Youstayedtillate, whatbringsyouhere?”
“What?”
“… Youstayed. I mean, it’s… It’s late, professor.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Oh. I thought it wouldn’t be polite to leave first…”
I laughed. Allen scratched her head.
“Let’s leave together, then.”
“Oh, okay! Wait! I’ll bring the journal!” She ran somewhere.
I looked around her office, finding well-organized documents, diaries she had been writing since he became an assistant, student records, syllabuses, report cards, and so on in dustless bookshelves…
It was a neat and orderly room, and the air in here itself seemed clean. It could even be called a systematized “warehouse,” not an assistant office.
… But that wasn’t what I thought was most important.
There weren’t even a bit of Allen’s traces here, the owner of this place. Not even her scent or footprints.
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It wasn’t just here.
In my office and the entire University Tower, her traces were carefully hidden.
Perhaps it was something similar to occupational diseases.
Before leaving, she erased her tracks.
I didn’t know what exactly her job was, though.
“I guess it’s almost over.”
That made me realize.
It wouldn’t be long before Allen’s departure.
“…”
I saw a book on her desk. It was my gift, [Yukline: Understanding Pure Elements – Revised].
It seemed like she was studying hard, but many question marks were on many of its pages. Fortunately, I found them in the second half of the book, not the basic process.
“Professor.”
Allen had returned.
“Please look at this. I made another one! It should be a bit better this time…”
The document she showed me was a list of wizards that wanted to be under my command.
Although it was better than the last time, I still wasn’t satisfied.
Sliding the document in my pocket, I looked at her.
“Allen.”
“Yes?”
“We’re now at the end of the semester. This is an important time for you too.”
This period was valuable and hectic for anyone in the tower. No one would show interest if someone disappeared, so there wouldn’t be a better time to leave.
“Oh, right~ But I’m fine! I’m still overwhelmed with the assistant professor job!” She answered with a smile.
That look was all too familiar to me, but it felt a bit arrogant. How much longer did she intend to hide?
“How many years were you with me?”
“Ever since you became the Head Professor!”
“I see.”
What kind of opportunity had she been aiming for since then?
Did she want to kill me or just observe me?
I didn’t know her purpose, but since she was about to leave, it would mean she had already fulfilled it or was about to.
I wanted to know what she was thinking.
I didn’t see a death variable from Allen, but I knew she could just be hiding it.
Josephine had also deceived my eyes before, after all.
“… Allen.”
I carefully recited her name and put my hands on her shoulder.
“Thank you for everything.”
That short phrase, as if to suggest farewell, caused her eyes to widen.
“… What?”
The moonlight that flowed through the window gave her expression light and dark shades. At that moment, her emotions were revealed.
I saw pure surprise and sudden questions.
Nothing more than that.
… My words were meant to test her. Well, if this were enough to reveal her true intentions, I would’ve caught her from the beginning.
“The other day, I told you that you passed the test.”
“Oh, right!”
Allen placed her hand on top of each other on her chest.
“You told me my sincerity made me pass the test when you gave me the position of assistant professor, but you also said there was still the next phase—”
“If the first phase was ‘sincerity,’ the next is ‘trust.'”
“Trust…”
When she looked like she had fallen deep in her thoughts, I put one hand on her shoulder.
“Allen, you got my faith.”
“H-huh?!”
Her surprise became evident on her puffed cheeks, her hidden emotions surfacing through their redness.
“I can’t let you, whom I trust, be an assistant forever.”
“Does that mean…”
“Starting next semester, I think you can be a professor.”
“…!” Allen’s eyes welled up with tears.
… I didn’t know which part of her was sincere or false, but it was exactly because of that that I put her on my side, adhering to a proverb I once heard before.
‘Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.’
However, if Allen turned out to be my enemy, I would be a bit disappointed, so this wasn’t much different from persuading her not to be.
“So, I hope you trust me as well.”
I wiped her tears with my hand that had a glove on, leaving transparent droplets on the black leather clinging against my skin.
“Remain on this tower.”
Allen’s expression sank slowly.
I didn’t know if that showed her surprise or if it simply revealed what was hidden underneath her facade.
“I will allow it.”
I didn’t even have any way to know that.
Nevertheless, I met her eyes as the moon hid behind the clouds.
“Just stay next to me.”
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A system message covered her face.
[The Villain’s Fate: Death Variable avoided.]