episode_0052

“There are more companions.”

The man didn’t answer my question and just looked at Ceresria and Sharon standing next to me, and I smiled.

“Because there are many people who are curious about you.”

“It’s a pretty bold reaction to act like this, knowing what my goal is.”

Sharon smiled at his answer.

“I still wanted to catch you, but I didn’t expect you to get caught like this. Why are you targeting me? And what did you do in Tyrk?”

“No matter what question you ask, you probably know that I won’t answer it.”

At the man’s answer, Sharon looked at him and held the staff in her hand.

“I could kill you.”

“If you kill me, I won’t even know what you want.”

At that moment, Sharon bit her lip. Of course, that was correct. This body would not be the original body, and if we broke it, we would no longer have a subject to obtain information from, so no matter how many questions we asked, we could not get the answers we wanted, so we could not kill this man.

“There will be no end to this.”

Ceresria looked at us and opened her mouth, and the man made eye contact with her and carefully spoke.

“You’re the princess of Araelia, I heard a rumor that you entered the academy…but you chose the people around you better than I thought.”

“Because you have an excellent eye for understanding humans. Since you are a half-demon, do you think you cannot understand?”

Then there was silence for a moment, and then I opened my mouth again.

“Have you put a curse on the academy?”

“It’s a question with no reason to answer.”

“There is a rumor that something strange is seen at the academy. There is a strange curtain surrounding the academy, and I don’t know what it is.”

“You believe there is a spy in the academy.”

“Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for you to join the academy.”

He nodded slightly in response to my answer, and at that moment, senior Isabel came inside.

“Is the interrogation going well? It doesn’t seem like things are going that well.”

“You don’t even seem to have any intention of answering. I think talking to the wall would be more beneficial than this.”

At my answer, Isabelle laughed out loud and opened her mouth to us.

“Go back now, I will interrogate Gerard.”

“Gerrard?”

“Oh my, didn’t you know this person’s name? You told me this last time? My name is Gerard. I don’t know if it’s the real name, but.”

At those words, I looked at him blankly trapped in the ice. Gerard, Gerard.

It was a familiar name. When I asked the question, “Where have I heard this name?”, I felt like I was carefully remembering a part of the novel.

‘I am Gerard, the Demon King’s loyal subordinate. From now on, I will kill you with all my might.’

I remembered there was a line like that. However, I couldn’t remember who the person who heard that line was.

But, thinking that the most likely person would probably be Sharon, I cautiously opened my mouth to Gerard.

“Come back later, Gerard.”

“No matter how many times you come, my answer won’t change, and neither will my question.”

“If you want the answer to that question, you have to answer my question.”

Gerard closed his mouth at my words, and I sighed inwardly.

“I actually got nothing.”

“I thought it would be like this, but it was even more vain than I thought.”

When I answered Sharon’s words like that, she laughed and patted my shoulder.

“Aren’t you going to work today?”

“I have to⋯⋯ Well, I think finding the mole is more important now.”

“Still, I have to go to work. At the Academy, the knights and I will look for spies, and the two of us will look for Gerard’s body in Ignolia.”

I sighed at Celestria’s words.

“Is it right to continue doing this? I can’t see a single clue.”

“Professors and seniors are working hard, so we should help them too. And if I wasn’t prepared to this extent, I might be disappointed.”

I scratched my head at her words. Nothing was wrong. I knew that if the spy was alive, my life and Sharon’s lives would continue to be threatened, so I couldn’t stop.

With that in mind, the moment I was about to leave for the school gate to go to work, Sharon opened her mouth.

“Astan.”

“Yes, Sharon.”

“I won’t go to work today.”

“It’s your choice, so I’d like to ask you why.”

“I plan to walk around Ignolia today.”

At those words, I looked at Sharon. I swallowed slowly and nodded, looking at the sharp eyes that seemed to have already made up their minds.

“It might be dangerous.”

“That danger might be a clue.”

Sharon smiled slightly as she looked at me, and I looked at her without saying anything and then cautiously opened my mouth.

“Take Jeremy with you.”

“No, I won’t take Jeremy with me. If it’s me they’re after, then all they want is me alone.”

I nodded slowly.

“I can’t allow that.”

At that moment, Sharon and I looked at Ceresria after hearing her words, and Ceresria made eye contact with us.

“Do you think there would be a fool who would jump into a trap that is so clearly visible?”

“It’s foolish to judge the results without even trying it. And I’m not the one who needs your permission.”

Sharon and Celestria looked at each other, and I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Of course, I think it’s dangerous, but I don’t think that doesn’t mean I won’t try it. But Sharon, you were too sharp just now.”

“⋯⋯ Sorry.”

Sharon bowed her head towards Ceresria, and Ceresria smiled slightly at that sight.

“It’s Sharon’s choice, so I won’t stop her, but I’m not the kind of person who wants my friend to die. If I’m not sure, I can’t agree.”

“I have a tool to call my seniors, and I can protect myself.”

“Ignolia’s mole has not been completely caught yet, and the same goes for the Academy’s mole. If those two attack you, can you survive?”

There was a moment of silence at that question. As we looked at each other in a situation where neither side gave in, I heard a voice in my ear.

“I’ll give you permission.”

I was startled by the voice and looked behind me to see Senior Erika standing there.

“There is no reason to stop him when he says he wants to become bait. Of course, I am overflowing with feelings of wanting to stop him, but I am not a fool who won’t do it even if I stop him.”

“Erica senior.”

“Sharen, I don’t mind being bait, but getting excited and fighting alone without calling your seniors is prohibited, do you understand?”

“I will remember.”

“Okay, then let’s go, Astan, let’s talk for a while.”

“Yes, senior.”

I walked towards Erica-senior, and upon seeing that, Celestria greeted us and walked toward the academy.

“Astan.”

“Yes, senior.”

“I heard you showed a pretty cool side in duel class?”

“I lost.”

“That’s something you can’t help, but the fact that you fought and equaled the famous Witch of Thunder shows that you’re also quite skilled.”

At those words, I scratched the back of my neck. I never thought I would praise you that much. It wasn’t like this when I dueled with Sharon.

“If you compete one more time, can you win?”

“I think we will lose once more. There is a difference in the amount of mana, so unless you suppress it quickly.”

“It’s an area of sense, so it would be good to sharpen it, and I’ve been busy these days, so I couldn’t teach you.”

“I understand.”

“Then go ahead and go to work.”

At those words, I looked at Erica-senior and said.

“A first-year student named Lai said he saw something strange at the academy.”

“Leonard’s younger sister?”

“Yes, there is something strange behind my back, and they say there is something near the academy’s shield.”

“⋯⋯ I can’t really detect anything strange, but I guess I’ll have to ask Isabel.”

“Is there a way to detect it if you can’t even see Isabel?”

“Then I guess I should ask Chloe to make a detection tool.”

The senior then stretched once and looked at me.

“It’s good to go around catching spies, but focus on your studies.”

“Yes, senior.”

“You answer really well.”

I laughed a little at that.

“I would like you to investigate the academy, senior.”

“If that’s a clue to the spy, then there’s something behind your back… Isabel didn’t say anything?”

“Yes, nothing much was said.”

“It must mean that Isabel saw it and overlooked it, or that she didn’t see it.”

“Could it be that you think it’s nothing?”

“She’s not that kind of kid.”

As I entered the tavern along the familiar path, I saw Aunt Toa looking at me with somewhat sharp eyes.

“It’s late, Sharon is not in sight.”

“He said it would be difficult to work today because he had some research to do at the academy.”

“Yes, there have to be days like that. Come quickly and get ready for work.”

“Yep.”

I answered, put on the apron hanging on the counter, and looked around the bar. Considering that there were more customers than before, there might have been a rumor going around that Gerard had been caught. With that in mind, I greeted my colleagues and started wiping down the plates and cups on the counter.

I wondered if Sharon would be okay.

He wasn’t a wizard who would die or lose easily, but it seemed like he wasn’t, as he felt an uneasy feeling coming from a corner of his chest.

It felt like something was going to happen tonight.