Chapter 33: Katakomb Part 1

Only after sending away the three unwelcome guests did I finally get my one-on-one meeting with Captain Raymond.

It had barely been half a day since the doppelgänger’s capture, yet it already felt like two whole days had passed.

Like me, Captain Raymond seemed exhausted, resting his forehead on his interlaced fingers.

“Phew… I didn’t expect hearing the full story of this incident would be so draining.”

“Hah, tell me about it.”

I laughed hollowly, clearing my mind.

At the very least, this knight in front of me was someone I could communicate with.

That was a relief.

Captain Raymond was a reasonable man.

“Though delayed for various reasons, I’ll now begin the interrogation. I have several questions for you. You may answer or refuse—that’s your right. However, silence may negatively impact your judgment, so I urge you to consider carefully.”

“Understood.”

“First, did you know the doppelgänger’s true identity? If so, please explain how you became aware of it.”

I had known a doppelgänger had infiltrated the Academy.

But I had no idea it was disguised as Professor Philderim.

If Sherthia hadn’t whispered ‘This bastard’s the doppelgänger’ in my ear, I’d have never figured it out.

In the end, it was thanks to my master—but I couldn’t just say that outright.

My conscience prickled at the thought of lying right from the start.

“I’ve worked diligently as Wellton’s graveyard keeper for over four years. Naturally, I became familiar with the professors serving here. But a few months ago, I started noticing something off about Professor Philderim.”

“Doppelgängers replicate their targets’ memories and habits. Yet you still noticed?”

“No matter how perfect the copy, at its core, it’s still a demon. I grew suspicious when I saw him constantly scanning his surroundings when alone. Eventually, I became convinced he wasn’t the real Philderim.”

The lies flowed smoothly, even though I’d barely opened my mouth.

Still, I maintained eye contact with Captain Raymond, laying out my fabricated account as if it were the truth.

Not like anyone could verify it anyway.

Even if the doppelgänger denied everything, who’d believe a demon’s word?

All I had to do was ensure my story held up without contradictions.

“Were you aware of the plan to summon a demon army into the Academy using portal flowers?”

“I didn’t know about the portal flowers, but I often saw the doppelgänger frequenting the dueling arena. I was certain he was scheming something there.”

“So that’s why you prepared explosive magic in the arena—to blow up both the doppelgänger and his plans if necessary.”

“Exactly.”

“Next, why didn’t you report Professor Philderim’s strange behavior to anyone else?”

“As I said earlier, while I suspected the doppelgänger’s malice, I didn’t know the details of his plan. If my accusations had forced him to accelerate his scheme, it could’ve led to catastrophe.”

Even if I could’ve weathered the crisis, countless lives might’ve been lost.

“Whether as a graveyard keeper or a temporary professor, I’m part of Wellton. I couldn’t stand by while my students and colleagues faced grave harm—or worse, death.”

“But if things had gone wrong, the consequences could’ve been far worse.”

“That wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have allowed a catastrophe to unfold.”

This time, it was true that the demons walked right into my trap, making the resolution easy.

But even if the doppelgänger had planted the portal flowers elsewhere, it wouldn’t have mattered.

I’d have hunted down every last demon and burned the flowers to ash.

The three years I’d endured as the disciples’ instructor weren’t for nothing—I was confident I could prove that.

“Remarkable pride, self-sacrificial thinking, and bold action. Truly the model of a hero.”

“Who knows? Maybe I’m just arrogant.”

“Not arrogance—justified confidence. You’ve convinced me that a single word from you could’ve saved everyone.”

For the first time during the interrogation, Captain Raymond’s lips curled slightly.

A subtle change, but it instantly softened the rigid atmosphere.

It seemed I’d earned his approval, and I relaxed.

“This concludes the interrogation. Thank you for your full cooperation.”

“What will my judgment be?”

“Innocent. We found no evidence of collusion with the doppelgänger. If anything, we can’t punish the hero who thwarted the demons’ plans.”

“I appreciate your leniency, but are you sure you have the authority to decide that?”

“For cases involving the Order of Judgment, the verdict falls to me as its captain. This authority was granted by His Majesty himself, so you needn’t worry.”

***

As the knight captain guarding the Emperor, Raymond enjoyed his favor—and the privileges that came with it.

He could’ve killed an innocent man in broad daylight and been pardoned.

Of course, Captain Raymond wasn’t the type to commit atrocities, which was why he wielded such power.

“Now I can return to the Academy with peace of mind.”

Captain Raymond was as invaluable an ally as the Magic Tower.

“Building good connections often leads to rare opportunities that are hard to come by.

Since this was our first meeting, I didn’t expect much—just enough to establish a basic acquaintance before leaving.

‘Professor Tao, could you wait a moment?’

If he hadn’t called me back, I would’ve been lost in thought.

‘What is it? Is there something still unresolved?’

‘No, the case has been closed as not guilty. What I’m about to say has nothing to do with the investigation.’

Raymond, the division leader, pushed his chair back and reached under his desk.

He pulled out a drawer and began rummaging through it.

‘Huh? Could it be…?’

A similar situation suddenly came to mind.

This was an event that occurred after Luke earned the knights’ trust by solving a case related to their order.

I knew there were additional conditions—not just trust, but also one’s character and skills had to meet certain standards.

Through the interrogation, he must have assessed my character, and my achievements already proved my capabilities.

I’d assumed I needed to build more trust, so this was unexpected.

“Actually, up until 15 years ago, I was a student at Wellton Academy.”

“Oh? You were a student at Wellton too?”

“I left after receiving an offer to join the knights before graduation, so not many know I was ever a student there. But yes, I’m a Wellton alumnus.”

“Well, given your exceptional skills, it’s no surprise you were at Wellton. You must have been a guaranteed elite, then?”

“Embarrassingly, I was never called an elite at Wellton. My true potential only emerged after joining the knights.”

“Ah, my apologies! I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“It’s fine. Even if I didn’t blossom at the academy, I made many good memories, so I don’t feel bitter about it.”

Raymond smiled warmly, though a hint of melancholy lingered.

Clearly, he had fond memories, but some regrets remained—enough to keep his smile from reaching his eyes.

One of those regrets was the bone key he now held out to me.

“What’s this?”

“Have you ever heard rumors about a massive hidden cemetery beneath Wellton Academy?”

“No, this is my first time hearing of it. To think there’s another cemetery besides the one I manage…”

“Of course, I knew.”

“An ancient underground cemetery, a dungeon, a treasure trove of lost magic and artifacts! But I didn’t so much as blink, playing the role of someone clueless.”

“It existed long before the academy was built, so it’s no surprise you wouldn’t know.”

“Wait—they built the academy on top of an underground cemetery?”

“I’m not sure of the reasoning. But the cemetery exists, and this key opens the founder’s gate leading to it.”

Raymond’s gaze was firm as he handed me the bone key.

Hehe! To think I’d gain access to the underground cemetery in less than a year!

If he weren’t a man, I might’ve hugged him out of sheer joy.

But I couldn’t let my guard down yet.

To truly make the key mine, I had to keep up the act.

“If the underground cemetery is full of treasures, are you sure you should be giving me such a valuable key?”

“That key symbolizes my regret. I was lucky to obtain it, but I kept delaying because I lacked the courage to enter. Now, I have the courage but no time. Passing it to you feels right.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to entrust it to someone like the chairman…?”

“I’ll be satisfied if you put it to good use.”

“…Understood. If that’s your wish, I’ll accept it gratefully.”

I carefully tucked the bone key into my coat pocket.

And just like that, I’d snatched another opportunity meant for Luke.

Not that the Luke of this world would miss it.

‘Now, let’s go loot!’

The thought of stripping the ancient tombs bare—down to the last pair of underwear—filled me with excitement.”