Chapter 125 – The Play

Clatter, clatter. 

The sound of tidy dishes, and the lively chatter of Yurasia and Stella filled the air.

Ophelia, who had been eating with a face like she’d bitten into something foul, kicked my leg under the table.

Chewing on my meat, I looked up.

Her face said, ‘Why did you bring me here?’

The reason? As a good junior from the same academy, I’m just treating my kind senior to a meal.

Well, there are a few other reasons, but let’s leave it at that for now.

With that meaning, I shot a glance at Ophelia.

I’m not sure what kind of face I made, but Ophelia flinched and stared down at her plate.

“Hm…?”

And seeing our silent exchange, Stella let out a meaningful hum.

At that sound, Yurasia glanced back and forth between me and Ophelia.

“Eliaernes.”

“What.”

“When did you get to know Senior Ophelia?”

Ophelia’s face stiffened at Stella’s question.

Is she worried I’ll say we met at the information guild? What should I do?

I chewed on my meat, thinking it over.

Well, there’s nothing to worry about.

Information guild… sure, it’s a bit cramped, but it’s convenient to have someone to fetch information.

And after all, it’s part of Ophelia’s livelihood.

I’m such a nice junior, even caring about my academy senior’s livelihood.

“This week.”

“…This week? Hmm?”

Stella tilted her head as if trying to recall what happened this week. Maybe she’s trying to remember when I was alone.

Even if I didn’t have any time alone, it wouldn’t matter.

If I say I got close, what could Stella really do?

After tossing out a vague answer, I ignored Ophelia’s anxious stare and continued eating.

And Stella, 

“Okay?”

just accepted it, being her usual simple self.

But Ophelia still couldn’t relax.

“But, Miss.”

Yurasia took up Stella’s question.

“As far as I know, Senior Ophelia’s suspension just ended today… When did you get close?”

I stopped chewing and mulled over Yurasia’s words. Suspension. Suspension? Suspension…?

Wait, suspension? Seriously?

What kind of face am I making? Am I keeping it together? Normally, I would, but this was too shocking. Suspension?

I glanced at Ophelia.

She looked back at me, as if she could barely manage to chew her food.

Even Stella, who’d just gotten over her doubts, stared at me wide-eyed.

Yurasia looked at me, lips smiling but her eyes not.

Pina just enjoyed her meal.

“…Yurasia. How do you know stuff like that?”

“For your safety, Miss, I keep track of all possible variables at the academy.”

“You… work really hard, huh?”

“Of course. I’m your personal knight. So, were you lying?”

Unbelievable.

“No?”

“Really? You got close today?”

“No, we got close before.”

The three of them all tilted their heads in unison, watching me. I don’t know why I’m making up these excuses, but I opened my mouth.

“We met by chance at the dorm and became friends.”

At the word ‘dorm,’ Ophelia’s face lit up.

Stella nodded and went back to eating, and Yurasia, though still suspicious, nodded as if it was plausible.

For a second, I wanted to tease Yurasia for questioning me, but I decided to let it go today.

Now, just training alone is enough to make Yurasia pout every day.

As for Pina, 

Munch, munch. The food was just plain delicious.

—

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Talking informally?”

“This is the academy…!”

“So? Do you want me to treat you with proper senior respect?”

Ophelia started to say something, then hung her head and pleaded softly.

“…Why are you doing this to me…?”

“What did I do?”

“Ha… Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“Yeah. I’m really asking because I don’t know.”

It was late at night.

After eating dinner and dessert, we all went back to the academy and headed to our rooms.

Right before we split up, I whispered to Ophelia to come to my room within thirty minutes.

And now, here she is in my room.

“I mean… If my identity is revealed, my livelihood’s over. But… But! Thanks to Lady Eliaernes, my livelihood almost got cut off!”

“If your livelihood’s at stake, you should watch out for yourself. Why blame me?”

Ophelia shot me a glare as if to say, ‘How can anyone be this shameless?’

Yeah. I get it, I was shameless.

But I’m not wrong, either.

If she’s that scared of being found out, she should just stay hidden underground instead of walking around the academy. She’s the one who came out and got caught.

Nothing to blame on me. Probably.

“…Yes. You’re right, Lady Eliaernes. You’re not at fault at all. Everything you said is correct. Of course.”

“Don’t be sarcastic, just speak nicely. And don’t worry, I’ll pay you plenty for today’s work, so don’t get so prickly.”

“Ugh…”

Grinding her teeth, Ophelia let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders.

“…So, did you call me this time for another job?”

“How did you know I broke through the labyrinth in the underground canal? I didn’t sense you anywhere when I came out.”

Was it because Shadowless came out first?

Aside from Adelia’s gaze, I hadn’t sensed anything. But the Puppet Emperor knew about it.

If that’s the case, then Ophelia, the Puppet Emperor’s disciple, must have known too.

That makes the order of information important.

Did the Puppet Emperor tell Ophelia?

Or did Ophelia tell the Puppet Emperor?

Depending on the answer, how I use Ophelia could change entirely.

But then, 

“…You broke through the labyrinth?”

Ophelia didn’t even know about breaking through the labyrinth…?

“W-wait, wait. Lady Eliaernes, customer. Did I just hear you right? Broke through the labyrinth? You did that? How?”

Ophelia banged her knee on the floor and crawled closer to me on her knees, grabbing my leg and bombarding me with questions.

Is she acting? This could all be an act.

She kept her academy attendance a secret. When I mentioned being at the academy, she even acted surprised.

Was it because we go to the same academy? No.

That face was more like, ‘how can you bring up the academy after all this?’

And, though it’s embarrassing to say, ever since the entrance ceremony, everyone at Karela Academy knew I, Eliaernes Eustetia, had enrolled.

So Ophelia lied to me.

So why tell such an obvious lie that would be exposed so easily?

Did she really think she wouldn’t get caught?

I looked down at Ophelia clinging to my leg. Seeing her eyes shining and her mouth stretched in a happy grin, I got my answer.

“…Hey.”

“Yes?”

“You’re not that smart, are you.”

“No? I’m smart.”

Yeah. Ophelia’s just a bit dim.

She didn’t try to deceive me, she just did.

Of course, she’s talented. She’s bold. She’s got guts.

But she’s a bit short on brains.

Then why did she hide that she goes to the academy? Someone must have told her to.

“You’re the Puppet Emperor’s disciple, right?”

“Gasp.”

See? She can’t even hide her expression.

That gasp, that pulse, those movements, her face. It’s not that she’s pretending, it’s that she can’t hide it.

“H-how… how did you know…?”

Should I tell her?

It wouldn’t matter, but sometimes it’s better to keep things hidden. It’s good to make her think I have ways to find out these things.

“You don’t need to know. So, hmm…”

I paused.

How does the Puppet Emperor collect information?

Puppeteer. Puppeteer.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at Ophelia.

There was nothing unusual around.

I gathered mana and focused on my eyes. It was a simple spell Kaloso had taught me. I recalled it and drew a magic circle in my mind.

Now I could see it.

At least, the Ophelia in front of me was the real body.

But, 

“Are all your limbs real?”

“Huh? As you can see, ”

“Cut the crap. Both legs are prosthetics. Lie again and I’ll rip off your real arms too.”

“Oh my god… How did you… know?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Even the Emperor wouldn’t know this.”

“The Emperor probably doesn’t even know you’re alive, you idiot.”

I clicked my tongue and leaned back in my chair.

Those prosthetics look completely natural, just like human legs.

Whether it’s the joint, or the magic engraved on them… I’d have to strip her down to check, but even without that, I know I have to be careful.

“Your master gave them to you?”

“Yes. The Puppet Emperor made them for me personally.”

“Are they just regular legs?”

“There are all sorts of spells, self-repair, nerve… connections, and all sorts of things. They’re amazing… artifacts. Hehe!”

“No suspicious magic on them?”

“Nothing suspicious. And even if there were, I’d never dare doubt the Puppet Emperor.”

So the Puppet Emperor made those.

And the Puppet Emperor added other magic to them. Probably some kind of surveillance magic.

Didn’t she say she was a disciple?

So, was it to protect her? Who knows.

But if there’s magic on her that even Ophelia doesn’t know about, it’s probably not just for protection.

For now… it’s best not to say anything unnecessary.

Yanking out those prosthetics might be reassuring, but in the end, it would just draw suspicion from the Puppet Emperor.

Still, I got some information.

According to the Flame Empress, the Puppet Emperor has ties to the Cartel. And it feels like the Puppet Emperor is watching Ophelia, too.

Both of those are just guesses, but if I put them together…

It’s possible the Puppet Emperor was the one who told the branch family to cut off information.

Is the branch family backed by the Cartel and the Puppet Emperor? One of the empire’s Six Pillars. A ninth-circle puppeteer on par with an eighth-rank mage. The Cartel, so powerful it basically controls part of the continent.

Now I get why she acted so arrogant.

I snickered and kicked Ophelia off my leg.

“But you managed not to get caught?”

“Not get caught?”

“By Senior Fabiana and Silina.”

“Oh, yes. Of course. When I meet them, I never, under any circumstances, use my real body.”

“But you met me in person.”

“That’s because… Lady Eliaernes… you forced me to meet you!”

“Whatever. So you can pass information inside the academy too?”

Ophelia got up from the floor and returned to her seat, nodding confidently.

“Anywhere except the imperial palace, I can go.”

“Even the Eustetia Duchy?”

“I’ve never tried, and never thought about trying, so I don’t know.”

“Good. Don’t even think about it in the future.”

Muttering that, I leaned forward.

“So, why did you make the play like that?”

I debated whether to probe her or not.

In the end, I decided to go for it.

Why? Isn’t it dangerous? No.

If I act overly cautious, the Puppet Emperor will just think I noticed the surveillance.

Before that happens, it’s smarter to throw off her suspicion a little.

“…Yes?”

Ophelia leaned back as I leaned in.

“The play. Ronan, no, Rozan would never be happy about Irisa’s confession. And what? Luna, no, Rena liked Rozan? Does that even make sense?”

“Uh… no, that’s just, simply, the play… Why are you so angry?”

Ophelia scratched her cheek and forced a bitter smile.

“Ahaha…! You really enjoyed the play, it seems. Hmm… Well, yes, maybe you didn’t like the romance lines. But, it’s just fiction. All from my own head…”

“No. You didn’t write that script.”

“…Excuse me?”

Ophelia’s eyes trembled.

As I suspected. At first, I wasn’t sure, but talking to her without prejudice, it was clear.

Ophelia isn’t the kind of person who could write a script like that.

There’s another author behind it.

“Who wrote it? Don’t lie. Like I said before, if you lie again, I’ll rip off your perfectly good arms, too.”

And that person is probably, 

“…M-my master… gave me advice. Really, just advice! My master didn’t write the whole thing, just advice…!”

“I figured as much.”

The Puppet Emperor.

Of course.

The Puppet Emperor knows about the past from 400 years ago.

How? There’s only one explanation.

The Puppet Emperor made a deal with the demons.