Chapter 26 – Doppelgänger (2)

I’ve been thinking: the powerful in this world tend to erase painful histories too easily.

Usually, when a hero party defeats the Demon King, their tales become legendary, shared among the people. Nova and I might be from regions outside Pennheim or Monark, with no chance to step into the limelight, but it was different for the others.

Grand Mage Terra, White Knight Wiblet, and Saint Eris—shouldn’t they have statues erected and festivals celebrated on their birthdays?

Yet, nowhere in Farencia could one find a historical account of their deeds, not even a 1/10 scale figurine.

Sure, forgetting the scars of war has its benefits, but the problem is that this affects public education too.

How long would a student learning magic in Apas Hall survive if dropped into the outskirts of Heljeb?

I’d give them about five hours.

By then, no matter how lucky, they’d encounter a monster or demon at least once. If not, they’d starve and eat anything, dying painfully as their esophagus rots.

At Farencia Academy, there are hardly any classes about Heljeb, especially regarding demons.

I can understand why.

How many tower-affiliated professors truly understand Heljeb?

Even though the Great War ended only a decade ago, 99% of those who experienced it likely never advanced more than three steps beyond the front lines in the Lavierre Mountains.

Within Farencia, probably only Lehel could speak about that hellish land with any authority.

That’s why I wanted to teach the students everything I knew about Heljeb, given the chance.

Someday, when their lives are in danger, this knowledge could be useful.

These are things they can’t learn elsewhere, no matter how hard they try.

I’m not being a nagging elder.

“But what should I teach?”

Distinguishing between poisonous and medicinal herbs is too mundane.

Should I teach them how to effectively kill demonic minions like the Witch of the Black Night or the Necromancer of Baragal?

But that would mean finding those creatures…

Ah, right.

There was a perfect teaching aid in the basement.

Something not too dangerous but annoying if it catches you off guard, and if handled poorly, could topple a nation—a mid-level anomaly between monsters and demons.

“Let’s see… where did I put it?”

I opened the basement door for the first time in a while and went inside.

A heavy box placed on a shelf.

Crack!

I tore off the thick padlock with my hand, and a musty smell wafted up.

“Here it is.”

Inside were small glass bottles, slightly smaller than typical potion bottles, carefully stored to avoid breaking.

I took out about ten of them and placed the box back on the shelf.

In the clear bottles, floating gently, were the larvae of doppelgängers, resembling withered fingers in a state of suspended animation.

“These will do nicely.”

What I wanted to teach the students was how to identify doppelgängers.

Probably, only a handful of people familiar with the demonic realm knew about this.

Consider it a small gift to the next generation.

I’m sure the freshmen will love it.

***

Opposite the beautifully landscaped Bayou Hall was a small artificial pond in a charming garden.

There, Erzebert introduced Sir Everett, her escort who had accompanied her to the academy, to fulfill her promise to Carl.

“Carl, this is Sir Everett. He’s a member of Pennheim’s strongest knights, the Hook’s Claw.”

“Everett Windgard. Pleased to meet you.”

“K-Carl Isola. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Carl gulped nervously at the sight of Everett.

As expected of a woman chosen to be the royal escort, her formal demeanor and precise movements were the first things that stood out.

The Hook’s Claw Knights, from the White Knight Commander Wiblet to the newest recruits, were a unit specialized in team combat, mastering <Formation Flight>, <Silent Casting>, and <Mass Magic>.

They were the watchdogs of the frontier, still fighting for humanity on the front lines of Heljeb.

Meeting one of their members in person sent chills down Carl’s spine.

“Sir Everett will personally train you for two hours a day. She can’t neglect her duty to protect me, so the timing will be flexible. Is that alright?”

“Yes, Your Highness! It’s a tremendous honor!”

“Oh, please. You two chat a bit more. I’ll take a walk around the garden.”

Erzebert stood up with a gentle smile.

Everett tried to stand up as well, but Erzebert stopped her.

“I won’t go far, don’t worry.”

“But, Princess…”

“Phi is with me, so I’ll know immediately if there’s danger. Right, Phi?”

“Phi—”

Reluctantly nodding, Everett watched as Erzebert walked away, feeling a little lighter.

Even as royalty, did she really need to be escorted everywhere within the academy?

Erzebert wanted to live freely like Phi, flying in the sky, and sometimes she escaped Everett’s watchful eyes.

While strolling through the garden, she spotted a familiar silhouette.

“Miss Adela?”

“Oh, hello?”

Adela, the second daughter of the Rochear family, dragged her beautiful turquoise hair along the ground.

She was picking flowers from a deer-shaped topiary, meticulously pruned by the gardener, Jean Pierre Baturne Grenouille, and sucking the nectar inside.

She even had one tucked into her hair.

The term “flower girl” naturally came to Erzebert’s mind, but she bit her tongue to ignore it.

“Would you like some, Princess?”

Adela offered the purple azalea she had been sucking on with trembling hands like a hummingbird.

Without hesitation, Erzebert shook her head.

“No, thank you.”

“Alright.”

Adela sighed in relief.

Once, Erzebert had suspected that Adela might be pretending to be stupid.

She thought that since Adela had entered Farencia Academy, professors or other students might try to manipulate her to target Rochear’s unique magic.

But now, seeing her like this, it seemed like a foolish suspicion.

Adela Silvesta. Even without a flower in her hair, her mind was already a flower garden.

Just as Erzebert was about to ignore her and move on, she noticed the bruises on Adela’s neck.

“Wait, Miss Adela.”

“Yes?”

“Come here. What’s with these bruises?”

“I-I tripped while walking.”

No way.

What kind of acrobatic walking could bruise your neck and chest?

These were not simple injuries; they were clear signs of assault.

Erzebert thought she couldn’t overlook this.

Regardless of Adela’s noble family, just as a friend.

“Who did this? Tell me.”

“I-I don’t know!”

“Don’t say you don’t know! I am the princess of Pennheim. No matter who harmed you or why, I will make sure they never lay a hand on you again.”

“……”

Adela clammed up completely, frustrating Erzebert.

Meanwhile, Everett and Carl finished their conversation and were heading towards them.

“Come with me. What class do you have next?”

“Uhm… Professor Vincent’s class, but right now…”

“Perfect. Let’s go submit an absence form and report this to the guards.”

All criminal acts within the academy were first investigated by the student council.

However, due to the complex relationships between families, investigations took a long time, and responses were tepid.

Moreover, with the student council dismissed after the recent store incident, it was unclear when they would start investigating and apprehend the culprit.

So, it was better to report directly to the guards.

The guards, responsible for the academy’s security, were a kind of armed force, assigned to Viscount Ruhillen’s territory.

The royal family couldn’t station their troops in another noble’s domain.

If Viscount Ruhillen cooperated a bit, they could quickly identify and expel the culprit from Farencia.

Dragging the unwilling Adela, Erzebert headed to the classroom to get the professor’s permission to skip the class.

But the classroom was empty.

“Huh? Where is everyone?”

“Let go of me!”

“Ow! Why are you biting me?”

“Phi—!”

Holding her bitten hand, Erzebert noticed writing on the blackboard at the front of the classroom.

[Due to Professor Vincent’s absence, today’s 1 PM class will be replaced by a special lecture from a guest instructor. – Farencia Academy Administration]

[Everyone, head to the field.]

***

When the four of them arrived at the small clearing behind the school, the other students were already there, squinting against the midday sun and grumbling.

— What class is this?

— I don’t know. Why are we here?

— Looks like they’re making us do physical training. If you’re not joining the knights, you can skip this.

— Where’s Professor Vincent?

— He got caught in an explosion at the salon and fell out the window. Oh, here they come…

Ansen stood with an annoyed expression, tapping his foot.

Erzebert held onto Adela’s hand tightly, waiting for the guest instructor to arrive.

When they saw who appeared, she was shocked.

“Louis…?”

Dressed in his usual shabby clothes, the only difference was a worn-out backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Ah, teacher~”

Adela broke free and ran towards him first.

Erzebert followed, speaking to Louis.

“Are you the one giving the lecture?”

“Well, it seems that way.”

“I’m sorry, but Adela and I won’t be able to attend.”

“Really?”

At Louis’s question, Adela shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

Erzebert carefully turned Adela around to hide her injuries from the other students’ view and showed the bruises on her neck to Louis.

“Something must have happened to Miss Adela. We’re going to report this to the guards.”

“……”

“Louis?”

The moment his gaze fell on Adela’s bare skin, Erzebert felt a chilling fear in Louis’s voice.

Shing!

Her body jerked back as Everett, who had half-drawn her sword, hurriedly pulled Erzebert back.

“Princess!”

Even Everett seemed surprised by her instinctive reaction.

Regardless, Louis looked up at the gathered students.

For some reason, those who had been complaining about the heat a moment ago were now silent, staring at the ground.

“Well, then…”

Louis took out a small bottle from his bag and spoke.

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin the class.”