Ch.188188 – Unspeakable Secret

<188 – You’ll Regret It>

Students attending the Imperial Magic Theory Basics and Understanding lecture gathered at the closed old campus.

“Is it true? That Professor Layve will give us special training?”

“Since he’s helping us secretly, bypassing school rules, and sent a message magic telling us to come quietly without telling anyone, it must be true.”

“Right. He even arranged a class competition with those frontier students to give us points. Who else would look after us this much besides Professor Layve?”

Professor Layve, considered the worst professor by frontier students but the best by imperial students.

Cold to frontier kids but warm to imperial ones—the students accepted his benevolence without question.

“Ugh, it’s cold. When is the professor coming?”

“This is a waste of time… I’m sleepy. I want to go back.”

Bewilderment spread across the face of a student who was about to leave the empty lecture hall in the old campus.

“Ah! It’s cold!”

“What’s wrong?”

“The door is extremely cold. I thought my hand would stick to it.”

“What… are we trapped?”

“I get it. This must be the professor’s test.”

“Hmm. That would make sense at this academy.”

“Alright, let’s blast the door with magic.”

“No, don’t! Did you forget the message magic?”

Troubled expressions appeared on the students’ faces.

[I will provide special training for additional points in the Imperial Magic Theory Basics and Understanding lecture. Gather at the designated location after curfew.]

[If anyone discovers you, you cannot avoid penalties for violating school rules, so be extremely careful.]

They knew from their seniors.

How painfully costly academy demerits could be.

Conversely, how many points additional credit could be exchanged for by students at risk of failing.

Just a little.

Just hold out a little longer.

Whether tempted by points or afraid of demerits.

Missing the timing to cause a commotion and ask for help, they realized something was seriously wrong as the cold intensified.

“Professor, this is beyond our abilities.”

“The magical power is too strong for us to melt the door’s ice property.”

“Please let us out now. Please?”

Crack.

The door vibrated.

The students’ expressions brightened.

The professor must be opening it now.

Students gathered at the door, eager to leave as soon as possible.

But something was wrong with the door’s condition.

Crack.

The ice door’s state was closer to “breaking” than “opening.”

By the time they realized what this meant, it was already too late.

BANG!

Ice door fragments, shattered into thousands of pieces, violently shot out and pierced the students’ bodies.

* * *

“That wasn’t my doing.”

“What? We thought it was your test, so we kept quiet until the end!”

Professor Layve stared at the student with an incredulous expression, then realized that even a first-year might make such a mistake at this academy.

“Whatever the reason, keeping quiet was a wise decision. If it became known that you were injured while going to a crime scene for improper purposes, you would have received demerits.”

At the point where multiple students gathered to gain unfair advantages, their conduct evaluation scores would have plummeted.

They were lucky to avoid demerits by keeping quiet.

“Come in.”

“What are they saying?”

“The students were injured by accident while training for the class competition.”

“My goodness. Causing an accident in a restricted area during curfew without calling an instructor—these students will receive a mountain of fines.”

“I bear some responsibility for this incident. If I had recognized their enthusiasm and arranged proper training facilities with supervising instructors in advance, this accident could have been prevented. I’ll pay the point penalties with my own points.”

“Professor Layve, you are truly a rare man of integrity. You are the living conscience of the Empire.”

The students’ eyes also reflected respect and admiration.

“Then I’ll leave their treatment to you.”

“Leave it to me.”

The students kept quiet for the wrong reasons, but it was wise regardless.

‘Message magic. Rapid freezing magic. Both types of evidence have cleanly evaporated.’

Visiting the scene directly and examining where the door had been, he became more certain.

The steel door the students mentioned wasn’t there.

It wasn’t a case of freezing an existing door.

The door itself had never existed in the first place.

This clearly suggested the students had been deliberately trapped, yet the exploded ice door had disappeared without leaving even a trace of moisture.

‘He must be confident.’

He’s implying that he knows the “rapid freezing” technique I use, while ensuring no evidence remains even if discovered.

Returning my own methods against me in a bolder way, inflicting critical injuries on many people and even threatening my reputation with meticulous planning.

‘Oknodie… is this your answer to my revenge?’

Ddidda who got involved without knowing anything, and Isabelle who was fortunate enough to share the pain.

These two students are in a different category from Oknodie.

This incident revealed it.

The magic used was <Temperature Conversion> magic.

The specialization used was <Rapid>.

Additional formulas included <Timed Explosion>, <Volatility>.

The resulting magic cast was 4th circle <Timed Explosive Ice>.

And it was realized with an enormous amount of mana, creating freezing power exceeding even his own as a professor.

Definitely not a first-year’s mana capacity.

Definitely not a first-year’s magical knowledge level.

Even more definitely not a first-year’s mana control technique.

Everything far surpassed first-year level.

-A real assassin, unlike you, can make open threats without getting caught.

As if saying this, Oknodie had involved numerous students yet left no evidence.

His fist clenched.

A harsh cold rose from his knuckles.

Hiss.

Professor Layve emitted a bitter cold that could freeze reptiles to death.

His eyes sank deeper and colder.

‘Fine. Next time I’ll target you directly, not those around you. You won’t be able to act so impudent then.’

* * *

Irene looked glumly at the hero who had come to find her with great dignity.

“Hello. Are you Irene, the Northern Archduchess?”

“…What about it?”

“Surprised by my sudden visit? Sorry. I came to ask for your advice.”

Hero Ishtar, with her fresh and confident smile.

She displayed the reason why heroes are called heroes, flaunting her sense of justice as bold as her personality, intimidating passing female students.

Irene also became conscious of her own relatively modest assets and shrank back slightly.

I don’t want to stand close to her.

Whether aware of this feeling or not, the hero stepped forward and tried to grasp her hand.

A fierce cold wave rose from the hand that lightly brushed her off.

“Don’t touch me. That’s not proper etiquette toward a frost mage.”

“Oh, if that made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry! I just really wanted to make a good impression because I have something to ask of you.”

Frost mages have the ability to unconsciously freeze anything that approaches them.

Carelessly making contact can cause unwanted accidents for both the person touching and the frost mage themselves, so taking defensive action is natural, but…

‘I felt resistance.’

The hero deflected the freezing magic into the air before it even touched the back of her hand.

Like someone with a license to approach anyone without reservation, the hero doesn’t hesitate even with physical contact with mages.

She was a woman whose chest and attitude were equally and annoyingly confident.

“Actually, I heard that students were collectively hit by freezing magic and ended up in the medical wing. It’s estimated to be at least 3rd circle magic, and when it comes to freezing magic experts in our class, there’s no one better than you, Irene.”

Irene deliberately suppressed her dislike.

Joint class valedictorian.

A skilled practitioner standing apart from factional disputes.

Owner of an almost irritating level of confidence.

She put those thoughts aside for now.

The impoverished North.

If she wanted the hero’s help someday, she needed to make a good impression now.

Human relationships begin with concessions from the person in need.

“Alright. I’ll help you. But only as much as I can. And I’ll stop immediately if it interferes with my assignments or exams.”

“That’s more than enough.”

The hero is one entrusted with a mission.

Though tasked with eliminating the greatest threat of the era, fulfilling this mission requires support from many people.

The equipment needed to slice off the Demon King’s head doesn’t come cheap.

Securing wealthy sponsors is essential.

And securing such sponsors requires proving one’s qualities as a hero.

-Is this guy going to take the money and run?

-We gave him expensive gear to defeat the Demon King, but he got robbed by a common bandit?

To avoid such ridiculous situations, sponsors request subjugation missions to verify skills, and heroes themselves prove their qualifications.

And these qualifications include demonstrating trustworthiness toward sponsors, responsibility as a hero, and positive influence.

‘A genuine hero chosen by the gods is indeed different from those fake heroes out there.’

Unlike heroes chosen by gods, self-proclaimed heroes may imitate a hero’s tasks but rarely imitate their positive influence.

Because it doesn’t pay, doesn’t help their career, and the risk to life isn’t worth the compensation.

This case is no different.

The hero received no compensation from anyone.

Yet she worries about the injured students and seeks helpers to find the culprit on her own.

Even Irene’s frozen heart softened a little.

“Judging from the damage, the explosive power of the ice door was considerable. However, the explosion path wasn’t directed above the neck. It was a meticulously calculated performance.”

Irene conducted a thorough scene investigation.

“The additional formula used here is <Path Restriction>. Balancing power and non-lethality is quite contradictory and requires considerable effort.”

“Does that mean the culprit is highly skilled in freezing magic?”

“I’m certain they received high-level specialized education for an extended period. With insufficient skill, the power would normally decrease due to path restriction. Or there would have been fatalities despite the path restriction.”

“What kind of facility provides such education?”

“Regular mages of the Blue Tower. Academy instructor level or higher. If a student, they would have to be an upperclassman close to graduation.”

“…Why would such a person target first-years?”

“I wouldn’t know. But given the absence of fatalities, this can be seen as a ‘warning.'”

Hero Ishtar gained a hint from Irene’s assessment.

“All the injured students were attending Professor Layve’s <Imperial Magic Theory Basics and Understanding> lecture. And… the only lecture where these students might have made enemies is the <Basics and Understanding of Mana Usage> lecture, which has a class competition scheduled.”

“That’s convenient. We found it quickly. Then I’ll withdraw from this matter.”

As Irene was about to cleanly wash her hands of the affair, the hero’s words continued from behind.

“Oknodie is also among the students taking that lecture.”

“…!”

“Aren’t you concerned?”

Irene’s thoughts became complicated.

Could that child really have done this?

And if so, what would she do about it?

“If it was that child’s doing?”

“They couldn’t be a candidate for an ally. And…”

“And?”

“They must be held accountable.”

The hero’s blade began to point at Oknodie.

Now Irene had to make a choice.

Should she help the hero?

Should she tip off Oknodie about this?

Or should she close her ears, remain silent, and draw a line saying it’s none of her business?

-Your palm is red again. Look at your palm. My magic causes frostbite more easily the closer you are.

-Aren’t you going to scold me?

-Haven’t you already been taught a lesson with your whole body? That you shouldn’t approach a frost mage carelessly.

Suddenly, she recalled Oknodie’s bold action from Professor Platton’s previous lecture, clinging to her back while she was using her full power.

A distance that normal people couldn’t approach due to the unbearable cold, and even if possible, they would fear freezing to death from the unconsciously emitted magical wind.

Oknodie had clung at close range, breaking through multiple layers of detection measures placed to prevent safety accidents.

Despite such boldness.

Looking cautious like a child being scolded.

‘With that child’s resistance to cold…’

Perhaps Oknodie really is the culprit.

What should she do about that child…

Suddenly she found herself weighing the hero against Oknodie.

And realized.

The talent that could help the barren North in the future.

It didn’t necessarily have to be the hero.

If she could gain the help of Oknodie, who was as strong as the hero, she might not need the hero at all.

“…I don’t think it’s Oknodie’s doing.”

Her decision was almost instinctual.

She had chosen unconsciously.

That Oknodie would be more helpful than the hero.

A more trustworthy existence.

No, perhaps an existence she wanted to trust.

“Why are you lying? When you thought it might be them.”

“…!”

And now the hero had noticed this fact.

“That’s disappointing. I thought we could be friends.”

“…”

“Thank you for your help. In return, let me give you one piece of advice.”

A threatening glint flickered in the hero’s golden eyes.

“I’d like you to stay away from that child.”

“What if. What if.”

“Yes?”

“I say I can’t do that?”

The hero smiled slightly and said:

“You’ll regret it.”