Ch.44Organizing (3)

“Huk, huaaang…!”

Lezia was crying so loudly that the entire hospital room seemed to shake.

Like a small child who had lost her parents.

Her sobbing was so heartbreaking that even Selena, who had been waiting outside, rushed in.

It was pure chaos.

Bang-!

“What happened suddenly? Did someone scream…!”

“W-wait a moment, commoner! Don’t cling to me while crying! Your face is covered in tears and snot…”

“Huk, L-Lady…!”

“Kyaaaak!!”

“Huhu… what a mess.”

The chaotic scene continued.

Perhaps because her memories from the laboratory were so intense, the girl couldn’t calm down easily.

It was only much later that Lezia finally stopped crying.

“…sniff.”

The girl sat on the hospital bed, swallowing her tears.

A faint trembling lingered in her green eyes.

Though she seemed much calmer than before, signs of anxiety were still visible.

Her hesitant red lips asked a question.

“S-so… you’re saying that n-nobody died?”

“That’s correct, Miss Lezia.”

“How many times do I have to tell you before you understand?”

We calmly gave our answers.

Since we couldn’t tell her the original story, we made up a suitable explanation with some embellishment.

Basically, that we survived due to good luck.

“The monster suddenly r-ran away?”

“Yes! After you collapsed, it suddenly disappeared through the ceiling it had broken through!”

“B-but, w-why…?”

“H-how would I know! If you’re curious, ask the monster directly!!”

“Hee, heeek! I-I-I-I’m sorry…!”

It was a 100% pure lie without a shred of conscience.

Though she seemed puzzled at times, we managed to get through it thanks to Ameila’s forceful attitude.

I suppose it was good that we coordinated our story beforehand.

I just added my bit casually.

“I was lucky too. I barely managed to avoid the spot where the monster fell.”

“Y-Young Master… t-truly, it seems God was watching over us.”

“I agree.”

“Th-thank goodness…”

I was worried she might not believe us, but our protagonist accepted everything so readily that my concern seemed foolish.

Just how pure does one have to be to react like this?

-Ding!

[The target’s emotions are changing.]

(Anxiety, Despair -> Relief)

[Lie has been slightly restored.]

[Current remaining output: 36.4%]

Thanks to that, my lie ability recovered nicely.

As we exchanged a few more words, Lezia suddenly rose from the hospital bed.

Her legs wobbled unsteadily.

“Young Master. Lady.”

“Miss Lezia? You should still be resting…”

Whoosh-!

Before I could finish expressing my concern, warmth enveloped me.

The pilot embraced both the snake and the vain one with her timidly outstretched arms as we sat side by side.

A lukewarm hug colored the two people.

“Hmm?”

“C-commoner…?”

While we were raising question marks at her sudden action, faint sobbing echoed around us.

Lezia clung to us as if all tension had left her body.

“Sniff… you’re alive, really, th-thank goodness.”

“……”

“……”

It was an especially pitiful murmur.

The nightmarish scene in the laboratory.

Perhaps it was the realization that she had completely escaped from that moment.

The girl buried her face in the warm embrace, holding the two people tightly.

How fragile she was.

-Am I perhaps dead too?

-What should I do! Poor Young Master, sniff, Lady…!

Despite being born with such a delicate temperament, she never stopped worrying about others.

It was a moment that showed how pure-hearted the girl was.

Perhaps these aspects are what make me fond of the protagonist.

I smiled gently and accepted the sobbing pilot.

“You did well, Miss Lezia.”

Ameila was the same.

The girl’s restless hands couldn’t bring herself to push away the pink creature.

She simply awkwardly patted her back.

“O-okay… p-please stop crying now.”

“L-Lady…”

Though it was a clumsy gesture, it was a heartwarming scene to witness.

The relationship between the two, which had been completely strained in the original work, seemed to be heading in a better direction, even if just a little.

I couldn’t erase the smile that had crept onto my face.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing at all. I just thought that both of you looked especially beautiful today.”

“…Such words won’t work on me.”

“How disappointing.”

Ameila turned her eyes away primly.

And so, we remained embracing each other until Lezia’s crying stopped.

***

A little while later.

“Huhu, Miss Lezia.”

“……”

“I didn’t know you liked us this much.”

“……”

“Crying your eyes out while clinging to us like a child… how adorable, I must say.”

“……”

Lezia couldn’t give any response.

The girl kept her head bowed low. Her pale face had turned bright red with embarrassment.

The groans escaping from her shame were truly exquisite.

“You… stop teasing her. Are you trying to make her cry again?”

“That would be fun too.”

“……”

“Then we could just embrace her again, couldn’t we?”

“…You’re the worst.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

My teasing knows no bounds.

Following my own principle, I performed a tap dance of smiles for the protagonist.

***

We underwent another physical examination.

Although the doctor had already confirmed there was nothing wrong, it was due to Selena’s insistence, saying we should be careful.

I suppose that’s what makes a teacher a teacher, despite appearing indifferent.

With her students’ well-being at stake, she was being quite zealous.

Internal injuries, external injuries, curses, imprints, magic.

Only after completing these five detailed examinations were we able to process our discharge.

By then, half a day had already passed.

“I’m glad all three of you are safe.”

Of course, leaving the infirmary didn’t mean it was over.

We had to be investigated as both victims of this incident and the closest witnesses.

“I truly have nothing to say about the accident that occurred yesterday. It was my oversight for not noticing it beforehand.”

Selena apologized with a bow.

Sitting side by side on the sofa, we stared at her with awkward expressions.

After always seeing her either stiff as a board or drunk, it was strange to see her so formal.

Her red eyes were shrouded in darkness.

“Let’s hear your excuse, at least.”

“The black magic used in this incident was a completely new form of infiltration technique that deviated from conventional methods.”

“You’re saying it was a technique that even the academy had never dealt with before.”

“That’s correct.”

“Hmm.”

This was content that appeared in the original work as well.

The cultists who had shown no movement for the past few years.

The world thought they had been annihilated during the “Great Purge” period, but they had simply been building their strength in unseen places.

To fulfill their desires.

“It seemed meticulously prepared. Even experts in the field had trouble with it.”

“I heard it would take at least a week to interpret the new black magic… how were you able to come find us within 2 hours?”

“Well, we are Gallimar.”

It was a clear answer.

Gallimar.

An educational institution where only those considered the best on the continent gathered.

Heroes who had been active during the Great Purge, former royal knights commanders, tower elders, church cardinals… an academy created by the convergence of numerous geniuses.

They were fundamentally different from those tree bastards whose roots were in blood and slaughter.

Although they experienced an unexpected accident, they managed to resolve it quickly.

Their response to this would surely be definitive from now on.

‘There was also an internal traitor who leaked information… in many ways, this accident might have been unavoidable.’

If someone had to take responsibility, it would be Selena.

As the supervisor of the exam, she would likely receive the greatest blame as an example.

The professor who supervised in the original work was dismissed, so at the very least, she would lose her position as head professor.

Of course, since there was no serious damage and she was the direct disciple of the headmaster, she would be somewhat exempt, but it seemed unavoidable that she would be demoted to a regular professor.

Is this the hardship of being an employee?

“……”

Suddenly, I felt sorry for the bottle of alcohol she was holding.

Unable to bear the bitterness of life, the woman gulped down the alcohol.

Her purple hair became disheveled.

“Phew… I’m ashamed to face all of you who were caught up in this incident. The academy is also preparing compensation for the damage. The headmaster will provide more details later.”

“I understand.”

The formal introduction was over.

“Now, let’s move on to the main point. I’d like to hear the accounts of those involved in this incident.”

“I’ll speak.”

“Judas Snakus. Please tell us in detail from beginning to end…”

What followed was a thorough investigation.

Perhaps because they were wary of cultists who had reappeared after several years, various questions came in.

I told the story I had fabricated beforehand, just as I had told Lezia.

“That’s what happened.”

“……”

Perhaps because of the many holes in the content?

Selena wore a perplexed expression.

Of course, she didn’t press or push me.

When I said my memory was hazy because I was terrified, she simply nodded as if she understood.

It would be strange to press the matter anyway.

In this incident, we were in the position of advantage.

Even if they searched the laboratory, I had manipulated most of the evidence, so the academy had no choice but to believe our testimony.

I smiled as the situation unfolded according to my wishes.

“…I understand for now. Let’s end the investigation here.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Ah, one last thing.”

Selena stopped us as if she had remembered something.

“Please return home early. The atmosphere at the academy isn’t very good right now.”

“Did something happen?”

“While you were in that basement… there was another incident at the academy.”

The explanation continued quietly.

“Several intruders appeared in the shopping district.”

“The shopping district… that’s not far from the dormitory building.”

“The method was the same, teleport hijacking. It seems they intended to divert attention from the midterm exam kidnapping.”

“What happened then?”

“The situation was resolved in 6 minutes due to the quick intervention of the professors. We succeeded in killing 28 of the 30 intruders on the spot, but the rest escaped immediately using teleport.”

“Were there any casualties…?”

“None reported so far.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Well, there might be hidden victims, so we can’t be sure.”

Selena rubbed her brow as if she had a headache.

After taking a deep breath, the woman brushed back her purple hair and spoke.

“Anyway, it would be best to be careful, just in case.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Well, this seems like good news anyway.

I slowly rose from my seat.

This seemed like a decent conclusion.

Although it was about time for the next episode to begin… I just wanted to rest for now.

‘Come to think of it.’

She might be waiting.

Since I hadn’t returned to the dormitory for two days in a row, she might be worried.

Of course, I know it’s a baseless fantasy.

“Huhu.”

When I get back, I’ll have to pet her tail a lot.

I took quiet steps toward the dormitory, mulling over thoughts of the fox.

I didn’t know then.

“……”

An empty dormitory.

Not a trace of presence could be felt in the space where only silence had settled.

The unusually cold air that lingered colored my cheeks.

The shopping basket was nowhere to be seen.

The fox was nowhere to be seen.

The current time was 11 PM. If she had gone shopping, she should have returned long ago.

The shopping district usually only operates until evening.

-Several intruders appeared in the shopping district.

-The shopping district… that’s not far from the dormitory building.

-Were there any casualties…?

-None reported so far.

-That’s a relief.

-Well, there might be hidden victims, so we can’t be sure.

It was surely no coincidence that our previous conversation flashed through my mind.

After being lost in thought for a moment in the sinking darkness, I let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha.”

Baob.

These bastards.