episode_0010
by fnovelpiaChloe lay in bed with a pounding heart.
The lights in the dormitory go out, and the headmistress can be heard walking around. Elin sighs and approaches Chloe, who is lying on her stomach with her hands folded neatly.
“Chloe. Are you really going today?”
“, I have to go. It looks fun.”
Chloe and Elin had just been told by the president of the Occult Research Club, a club they had recently joined. He had told them that they would be doing some courage training tonight in an abandoned lecture room in the Academy’s annex, and that if they were interested, they should come see them.
As a student of the Faculty of Magic with a strong desire to explore, Chloe, who usually took a keen interest in various mysterious phenomena, was drawn to the offer that she couldn’t refuse.
Because of this, if it were a normal day, I would have fallen asleep after chatting with Elin, but today, I was lying in bed, fully prepared, with my eyes wide open.
Elin wiggled her eyebrows and shook her head as she looked at Chloe’s eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“If you get caught, you really won’t get away with it.”
“Who was the professor on duty today?”
“Professor Antonelli and Professor Esther.”
“Ugh… .”
Professor Lucio Antonelli, the theology professor for Class 1-A. Chloe absentmindedly recalled the face of the young, decadent professor.
The response that Professor Antonelli had shown the primordial flower on the first day of class was like a tidal wave to the students of Class 1-A. The students of the Faculty of Magic, which Chloe belonged to, began to immerse themselves in theology classes with their eyes lit up, and it was not uncommon for heated debates to break out about the primordial flower that had been shown that day.
In fact, one student who saw the primordial flower presented by Professor Antonelli at the time was so entranced that he took out a notebook and drew a part of the structure of the primordial flower on the spot, and secretly sold it to students for money. The price was not cheap, to be sure.
In fact, the primordial flower he showed was not originally that great. The primordial flower was a method frequently used by priests when they wanted to raise their rank or prove their faith. It was not something that was easy to see, but it was not a rare sight that you would see once in your lifetime.
However, the original flower he presented was on a different level. A deep golden color that was soft and warm, yet naturally filled the heart with piety. That color illuminated the entire lecture room.
Moreover, unlike what other priests had displayed, the structure of the divine power that formed the primordial flower he created was extremely complex and dense, and at the same time clear and distinct.
That’s why it came as a shock. It was an opportunity for the students of the Faculty of Magic to closely observe the structure of the primordial flower, a miracle of God created by the gathering of high-density divine power.
Although Professor Antonelli has continued to teach only theoretical and boring classes since then, he is a professor who left a deep impression on the promising students of Class A with just one class.
And, another evaluation of Professor Antonelli is… .
“That, that scary Professor Antonelli… ?”
Aside from his ability to use high-purity divine powers in a sophisticated manner, he has an extremely cold and indifferent personality. To put it bluntly, some students who saw him as a person who was a stickler for principles to the point of being considered a bit extreme were turned away from him.
A professor who is scary in everyday life, and even scarier when he gets angry. That was the prevailing opinion of Professor Antonelli.
Chloe’s frightened eyes shook dangerously. Elin nodded and asked desperately.
“Professor Antonelli is on duty. Are you really going?”
“That, that.”
“You saw what happened to Miss Adelheid during your first class. This might not end with a penalty.”
“Ugh… .”
Chloe, who had been thinking about it for a moment, clenched her fists and stood up.
“I’ll go anyway!”
“Oh my… I knew it. If you stop me, it’ll be even more ridiculous.”
“Elin! You’re going too!”
Hearing that, Elin made a dumbfounded expression. Then, after looking around for a moment, she naturally sank into the blanket.
“Drrr… .”
“Ouch…! Seriously! You’re in the Occult Research Club too! Let’s go together…!”
“Cool… . Hey, what…! Hey! What are you doing!”
“Profit…! If you don’t go, I’ll take you even if I have to hug you…!”
“Ah, I get it! I’m going! Go! Put this down! Gyaargh?!”
Late at night, while the headmaster was patrolling, two figures sneaked out of the dormitory.
* * * * *
“… So. Is that the answer?”
I pretended to look stern. I didn’t want to be hated by the protagonist of this novel, but I couldn’t help it because breaking curfew was considered a serious matter even at the Academy.
“Yes, yes… . Then, our manager told us to loosen up our bodies with a scary story… .”
“Manager?”
“He’s the head of our occult research department. Over there.”
I looked at where Elin was pointing. It was a gloomy-looking boy with thick glasses and dark shadows around his eyes. I looked at the color of his tie.
“Red tie… . You’re a sophomore. What’s your name? What department are you in?”
“Daniel, I’m from the Department of Witchcraft.”
“Okay, Daniel. What about this one?”
Next to Daniel sat a second-grade girl who was also quite calm. Unlike the other kids who were surprised when I came in, I liked how she remained calm from the beginning to the end.
If it weren’t for the makeup that reminded me of gothic lolita fashion, such as the black lipstick on her lips, she still looked at me with a calm expression.
“Vivien de Balueger. 2nd year. Combat department.”
“Um… . Balueger student.”
“Vivian is okay, Professor.”
The gothic loli girl sitting in front of me, Vivian, was unusual in many ways. From the fact that she spoke informally to the professor without hesitation to her heavy gothic loli makeup.
And then, Laura, who had been peeking out from behind me and listening to Vivian and I talking, shouted in surprise.
“Bar, Balueger? Are you talking about Count Balueger?”
“Yeah. Right. Who are you?”
“… This is Laura von Adelheid.”
“You are the daughter of the Duke of Adelheid. Nice to meet you.”
I don’t know if it was because she was my senior or because the Countess Balueger had a foothold in politics, but Laura von Adelheid, who had always been overbearing, became quite humble.
Anyway, I looked at the four students with a stern face. Daniel and Chloe were sitting on their knees, sweating profusely, and Ellin was standing in the corner of the classroom, looking at the wall with her arms raised. Anyway, you’re quick-witted.
“Student Elin. Stop it and come here.”
“… Yep.”
“Put your arms down.”
With Elin kneeling next to Chloe, the troublemakers of the Occult Research Club were left sitting side by side in front of me.
“It is good that you are doing extracurricular activities. The Academy actively encourages extracurricular activities, so I would like to guarantee the most freedom in extracurricular activities in accordance with the Academy’s policy.”
“Then, then… .”
A glimmer of hope appeared in Daniel’s eyes, but it was nowhere near enough.
“However, it is absolutely not recommended to break curfew and reduce sleep time. Isn’t that just common sense?”
“… … .”
The three students, except Vivian, remained silent, looking at the floor. I knew that they were not reflecting but were observing the stripes on the floor out of embarrassment and guilt, but I didn’t bother to point it out.
“I will report this matter to the dormitory supervisor. Direct disciplinary action will be taken later.”
A look of relief appeared on the three of their faces. Perhaps it was because the punishment was lighter than they had expected.
If you want to give a strong punishment, you can, but if the protagonist receives a severe punishment from the academy… Honestly, I’m not sure if that will have a good effect. That’s why I was a little cautious.
“Haa… . So, student Daniel.”
“Yes, yes, Professor.”
Daniel’s black eyes turned to me with great tension. I asked Daniel if he had ever seen the red-eyed, blood-covered figure that Laura had witnessed.
“Uh… What is that?”
Daniel didn’t seem to know. I explained to him as briefly as I could what had happened to us so far.
Then, Vivian started looking at me with sparkling eyes for some reason, but… Daniel’s answer was important first.
Daniel thought deeply for a moment, then shook his head.
“I haven’t seen such a monster. Hmm… Chloe and Elin probably haven’t seen anything like that either.”
“That’s right. If I saw it, I’m sure I’d faint in a second.”
Chloe clenched her fists and spoke resolutely. Of course, the Academy had screamed at her to leave the classroom just a moment ago. Chloe, who looked so scared, wouldn’t be able to keep her wits about her when she encountered it.
I looked at Laura with slightly sunken eyes. Laura, who felt a sting at the sight of me, waved her hands in embarrassment.
“That’s not a lie! I really saw it!”
“… I didn’t say anything.”
“Profit…! This cowardly…!”
I sighed as I turned away from Laura, whose face had instantly turned bright red. Was I really hallucinating?
But if it was a problem that Chloe, the main character, ended up getting involved in this incident, it would be a problem. Given the nature of the novel, where something is bound to happen when the main character gets involved, there must have been something going on… .
At that moment, Vivian, who had been sitting quietly, began to speak while pulling on the hem of my trousers.
“Professor Antonelli. I have something to say.”
“Huh?”
Everyone’s eyes were on Vivian. Vivian’s face turned slightly red.
“… Don’t stare at me so intently. It’s embarrassing.”
“Student Vivian. What do you want to say?”
“That monster with bright red eyes. I think I know it.”
“That story, a little more in detail.”
I looked at Vivian with serious eyes. Vivian bit her lip for a moment, then parted her lips.
“Actually, the reason we gathered here this time is to find something in the annex.”
“thing?”
Then, Daniel suddenly clapped his hands and jumped up.
“… Ah! No way, that… ?!”
“Does anything come to mind? Daniel Student.”
“Actually, that monster or something… . I had a vague idea of what it looked like. Thanks to Vivian, I remembered. Haha… . Why did I forget this?”
“Student Daniel. First, calm down and talk in detail.”
Daniel sat down in his seat, gasping. Then he picked up one of the candles on the floor and held it under his chin. Then he opened his mouth in a low voice.
“The reason our Occult Research Department came to the Academy on such a late night is… . Ah, hot!”
“… Let’s put down the candles.”
Daniel’s story continued, after a moment of gloomy silence.
“Actually, we’re here to find something. A bloody finger that was supposedly found somewhere in the Academy Annex.”
“Bloody fingers…?”
It was a somewhat dangerous choice of words. If he were the Inquisitor of the Holy Land, he would suspect heresy or devil worship.
When I frowned slightly, everyone there turned pale as if they had read my thoughts.
“That, that, that’s not it! Probably! Professor! I swear I really, really don’t know what that thing is!”
“Calm down. I am not an Inquisitor.”
“Whew… . Okay, let’s continue.”
Daniel took a deep breath and continued his story.
The night at the academy deepens.
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