episode_0089
by fnovelpia– Tick.
Time goes by.
The first ticking was my time alive.
– Tick.
The second ticking is their time that has disappeared.
– Tick.
And then the third tick.
“… It’s time.”
My time, now dead, no longer in this world.
Cesar Lee stood up from his seat, wearing a dark navy blue uniform.
As soon as he stood up, the people lined up around him started to move. There were about twenty men with strong physiques.
Like Cesar, they were all dressed in mechanic’s uniforms. Their faces were half-hidden by their low-cut mechanic’s caps.
Cesar hated the comfort he got from wearing his hat. He hated the fact that he now had to worry about what other people thought of him because of his now hideous appearance.
Cesar put on his hat and walked away. One of those following him asked.
“Are you finally going?”
“Yeah. Did you prepare properly?”
“Of course. I already figured out the location.”
What time, where, and what to do. All the information was collected and gathered. It was a repair shop established for this moment, and they were the ones who ran only for this moment.
“3 years… .”
It took a long time.
Just for this day, they learned to maintain machinery for the first time in their lives.
For this day, they have been living in complete hiding, wearing the masks of mechanics.
For this day, we signed a contract with the Chaldea Imperial Academy and a streetlight maintenance business, and for this day, we built trust with a certain tavern located in the island.
And finally, today has come.
“Cesar. What are you going to do with your friend?”
“Friend?”
At his colleague’s question, Cesar tilted his head. Who are you talking about, friend?
“Why? He’s a priest friend who’s a professor at the academy. Aren’t we pretty close? Last time, he made a fuss about meeting me.”
“…Lucio.”
Lucio Antonelli. Cesar thought of his face. As his colleague had said, it might be dangerous to do something without giving him any warning.
but….
“… Leave it alone.”
“What?”
“Leave it alone. I’ll take care of it.”
If you give him a hint, he will probably make a mistake. Cesar’s decision was quick.
“Anyway, I had no intention of doing it without making any sacrifices.”
A sword of revenge that has been sharpened for three years to get revenge on those who took everything away from him.
And, the few connections made on the battlefield. If he had to choose between these two… Cesar would choose the former without hesitation.
“… Lucio. It was your choice not to join us.”
Like other wishes, I won’t chase after them.
But it’s up to you to deal with it. Just don’t get in the way. That’s what Cesar was desperately hoping for.
– Crunch!
The garage door opened. A faint light began to push away the darkness of the dark garage. Cesar pulled his hat down lower.
Four cars were parked outside the garage. Seeing this, Cesar asked his colleague standing next to him.
“Is this it?”
“Yeah. I prepared them in advance. Four in total.”
“Did you put the stuff away?”
“Of course. I put it in the trunk. I intentionally divided it into tool bags so that it wouldn’t be noticeable and I could carry it easily.”
“Okay. Let’s move as planned. Split up as promised. Two taverns, two academies. ”
There was no escape vehicle. Cesar had no intention of simply surrendering himself to the passage of time.
‘It ends here.’
Those who are driven by anger and hatred are ultimately ruined, and that is what is good for the world. Cesar and his twenty companions truly thought so.
“Get on board. I repeat, just do as planned.”
Cesar got into the car, reminding himself of the ‘plan’ they had all come up with together. His eyes turned to his wristwatch.
At eight o’clock in the morning, there was nothing wrong with Cesar’s plan.
“Let’s go.”
Inside the car, which began to move slowly, Cesar quietly closed his eyes. All sorts of noises began to fade away.
– Tick.
Fourth tick.
It is a time of a future shattered into pieces.
* * * * *
I looked at Chief Curvein. Chief Curvein’s dark eyes were also directed at me.
“Professor?”
“… Oh, yes. Could you say that again?”
“I asked if there had been any suspicious sightings within the Academy recently.”
Suspicious Person. Inside the Academy.
I don’t know exactly what she means by this so-called ‘suspicious person’.
But what I’m really worried about is…
– It appears that an agent from the intelligence agency who was close to Adelheid committed arson.
The words left by Cesar. The fact that an agent from the intelligence agency who was emotionally close to Adelheid set fire to the building.
And, the way Cesar looked indignant when he realized that fact. The way he said he would take revenge on Adelheid. I remember that.
It is worrying. Caesar’s seething anger might have invaded the territory of the intelligence agency.
And, it’s scary.
Duke Adelheid may have already noticed Cesar’s existence and his plan, and may be using the Intelligence Service to wipe out Cesar’s colleagues.
All sorts of doubts came to my mind. If the being they were chasing was indeed Cesar, should I tell them that I had spoken to him?
Cesar, who seeks personal revenge against the Duke of Adelheid. Should I let him know that he is going to do it?
If possible, I would have preferred to remain silent. Because I understood better than anyone else why Cesar wanted revenge and why he resented Duke Adelheid.
I am aware that Cesar may murder Duke Adelheid.
However, Duke Adelheid being murdered… .
– Professor Antonelli. How was it?
Suddenly, Laura’s face came to mind. I slowly opened my closed eyes.
Laura von Adelheid. If Duke Adelheid were to die, she would probably be the one who would be the saddest.
And, one of the students I have to protect no matter what.
I woke up from my thoughts. Chief Kerbein was still looking at me. In his dark eyes, suspicion was slowly beginning to form. I had to answer.
“I didn’t see any suspicious people.”
“… … .”
The gaze of Chief Curvein looking at me became deeper.
The eyes of the Captain of the Curves staring at me. I didn’t back down from those cold eyes. Instead, I faced her gaze with confidence.
How long did it take for this snowball fight to continue like that?
“… I see.”
Chief Kerbane raised the white flag. I nodded, sighing in relief.
“Yes, I really haven’t seen it.”
“Hmm… .”
“Has a suspicious person intruded into the Academy? If you could give me a brief description or personal information, I will… .”
“Imperial Defense Forces Army Reserve Sergeant, Cesar Lee.”
I kept my mouth shut. Chief Curvein continued speaking.
“Born in Cordova, a small city near the island. His date of birth is September 23, 1892 in the Imperial Calendar. He served as the leader of the 3rd platoon of the 1st company of the 660th Magic Engineer Infantry Battalion under the 101st Ground Defense Brigade. He founded the radical and violent retired soldier group ‘War Soldiers’ Association’ immediately after the end of the war. There is evidence that he planned to illegally occupy the island’s square and hold a violent protest.”
“… … .”
“3 years ago, a fire broke out in the War Soldiers’ Association office, making it impossible to confirm life or death. The fire department, which had difficulty identifying the bodies at the time of the fire, concluded that they were dead, and the cause of the fire was unknown.”
Chief Kerbain’s words continued without pause. Even as she recited all the information related to Cesar, I had no choice but to listen to her story in silence.
“This is information collected by the former Director of Federal Intelligence. After cross-checking, it was determined that there was no incorrect information.”
“… Is that so?”
“But, there is some additional information that I found out.”
Countess Kerbein now began to look at me as if she was going to kill me with just her gaze. Seeing that eerie yet inanimate gaze, I desperately tried to maintain my composure and looked into her eyes.
“There were a few people he had been particularly close with since his military days. Among them was your name. Professor Lucio Antonelli.”
“That…what does it matter?”
“You asked about the suspicious person. So, I’ll give you the answer. Professor Antonelli.”
I swallowed dryly, trying not to show my sweat. My hands were covered with sweat, so I clenched my fists to try to cover it up.
In this oppressive atmosphere, Chief Curbane opened his mouth.
“Cesar Lee. I have information that he is still alive.”
“… … .”
“And, there are also circumstances where he is planning to kill someone.”
Is it because he doesn’t know exactly what Cesar is aiming for that he didn’t tell him about his plans for Duke Adelheid? Or is it because he really doesn’t know that he said that?
At least, I think it was closer to the latter. They still don’t know much about Cesar. That’s when I thought so.
“We suspect that Caesar’s target is Duke Adelheid.”
My prediction was shattered as soon as it was made. I opened my mouth, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“Why is that?”
“In the past, Duke Adelheid was brought before a court martial. There were two young men who made a fuss in the courtroom after hearing Duke Adelheid’s speech.”
“That, that… .”
“Cesar Lee, and… . You. Professor Antonelli.”
I knew it.
Chief Curbane already knew who Cesar had a grudge against, and that I was the one who had acted with him.
“The motive for the riot is clear. You can find out by looking through the Defense Ministry’s data a little.”
“… … .”
“Cesar Lee served in the 101st Ground Defense Brigade commanded by the Duke of Adelheid. Due to the Duke of Adelheid’s operations… .”
“… Stop, stop it.”
“Should I stop?”
“If you do that… . Thank you.”
Chief Curvein nodded and distanced himself. As Chief Curvein, who had been pressuring me by coming right up to my nose, disappeared, a refreshing breeze blew in and I felt my insides clear up.
Chief Curbane said, taking out a second cigarette.
“Well, our intelligence department is not considering Professor Antonelli as a potential suspect. Looking at Professor Antonelli’s past actions, there is no evidence that he has any connection to Cesar Lee.”
“How much do you know… .”
“Professor Antonelli. The Imperial Federal Intelligence Service knows everything.”
Chief Curbane stopped talking and lit a cigarette. Thanks to him, I was able to catch my breath for a moment.
“Our eyes and ears are everywhere, and there is no way out except death. Just know this.”
“… I will keep that in mind.”
“But as I said… . We don’t think that the professor had any particular relationship with Cesar Lee. However, cooperation and indifference are somewhat different in nature.”
Chief Kerbein, who had exhaled cigarette smoke, looked at me again. Those dark, dark eyes. Those gloomy eyes that seemed to see through everything.
“Professor Antonelli. Just in case, I’m asking… Have you met Cesar Lee recently?”
“… … .”
“Yes?”
I didn’t say anything. No, it would be more correct to say that I couldn’t.
It is clear that the Federal Intelligence Service is trying to capture Cesar. However, if you ask me if that makes him my enemy… . That is not the case.
They knew everything about Cesar, from the time he was born until now, and every step he took in his life.
They even found out that he survived the fire right after. If I were to lie in front of Chief Kerbane, who leads the information department…
So, should I tell him that I met Cesar? If it’s just ‘I met him’, wouldn’t it be okay to tell him?
Or should I keep my mouth shut? Should I keep my mouth shut and let my suspicions grow even more?
I don’t know. I really don’t know. I had no intention of betraying Cesar, I had no desire to see him become the embodiment of wrath, and I had no intention of letting Cesar suffer another ‘accident’.
In that case, wouldn’t it be safer for the Information Department to arrest Cesar first?
What on earth should I do…?
“Professor, please tell me. Have you ever met?”
“… I, am.”
“It’s okay. If you speak slowly… .”
And then, it happened.
– Kuuung—!
The ground was vibrating, and the noise carried by the rustling air interrupted our conversation.
Chief Curvein and I turned our heads almost simultaneously. I turned my head reflexively after hearing a familiar sound, and Chief Curvein picked up on the sound with his sensitive nerves.
And then I saw.
“What… .”
“… … .”
Two plumes of black smoke rising from somewhere in the vast island.
And the red flames rising from underneath.
Right now, at this moment, it was a fierce flame burning hotter than anything else.
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