Vine

Even if you’re an imperial princess who unified the continent. It was a rule to live in the dormitory at Transcendence Academy.

However, Bella, with her outstanding wisdom, became the top student in the Department of Magic, and in order to study magic, she obtained a personal laboratory. She left the dormitory and lived there alone.

As befitting her status as a princess, the so-so laboratory was expanded with expansion magic, transforming it into a place displaying all sorts of magical tools.

Rosalyn, who stepped into Bella’s laboratory for the first time, widened her big eyes even more, observing the place with an interested gaze here and there.

Sitting on a gleaming golden chair, whether it was ornately carved gold plating or solid gold. Bella waved her staff and presented a cup filled with warm tea.

Since the prices of everything in the room were mostly beyond Rosalyn’s wildest dreams as a commoner, Rosalyn unconsciously hunched her shoulders and held the cup of tea with both hands.

Bella placed a report she had brought from somewhere onto the table.

“This is information about Ross that my escort knight obtained from the information guild and the imperial investigation team.”

At Bella’s nod, Rosalyn picked up one of the reports in front of her and read it.

It contained information about where Ross was born, what his relationship with his brother was like, his life so far, and the reputations of people around him.

“Ross lived his whole life feeling inferior to his brother, Roel. He even initially refused the special admission offer that Roel requested from the headmaster as a reward for becoming the top freshman, a proposal that would change his life, because of his inferiority complex.”

At Bella’s words, Rosalyn bit her lip. For a commoner, entering Transcendence Academy meant a flowery path unfolding in their life.

Just graduating from the academy made it not difficult for a commoner to find a job in the capital. Of course, entering the academy was really difficult and required luck.

Special admission was admission based on the headmaster’s discretion without an exam. Did Ross really reject such a perfect opportunity because he was blinded by his inferiority complex?

“Ross lived in the shadow his whole life, obscured by Roel shining beside him. Ross, who wanted to escape the shadow and distanced himself from his brother, suddenly created a reason and headed to Destin Village with his brother.”

Bella, after taking a sip of tea, said.

“That village wasn’t a special place. It was a village you could easily find anywhere. What connects the village and Ross is that when he left home three days before entering the academy. For some reason, Ross deviated from the path to the academy and arrived at Destin Village.”

Bella, who was shuffling through the reports on the table, handed over one report.

“This is the content investigated by the imperial investigation team.”

Rosalyn, receiving it, checked the contents of the report.

It said that he arrived at Destin Village in the morning, the day before the academy’s entrance ceremony, slept at an inn, and headed to the mountain late at night with a torch.

“There was an orc raid centered around Moonlight Mountain. And the place Ross headed to was Moonlight Mountain. Isn’t it strange? Ross, who left three days ago, was late for the entrance ceremony. Even if he came on foot, he would have had enough time to arrive in the capital. Ross deviated from the route and arrived at Destin Village. He headed to Moonlight Mountain and was late. What do you think is the reason for that?”

Bella tapped the table with her finger.

Tok, tok, tok.

At the regular sound, Rosalyn organized her complicated thoughts.

Certainly, as Bella said, Ross’s actions were strange. It was the entrance ceremony of Transcendence Academy, no less. Being late for that was something that couldn’t happen in her common sense, and she couldn’t understand why he deviated from the path to the capital and arrived at Destin Village.

“There’s only one thing that makes sense.”

Looking at Rosalyn, who was contemplating, Bella whispered in a sinister voice.

“It was to make contact with the black magician who was on Moonlight Mountain.”

At those words, Rosalyn swallowed hard.

“That makes all the pieces fit.”

Looking at Bella, who was speaking with certainty, Rosalyn, who was fiddling with the cup of tea, tried to think of a rebuttal.

“It could just be a coincidence, right? He didn’t deviate from the path that much, and he might have arrived there to take a short break.”

“Then what’s the reason for heading to Moonlight Mountain, not the academy, late at night?”

Bella, lightly dismissing Rosalyn’s rebuttal, leaned her upper body over the table as if asking for an answer.

“How are you going to explain that?”

At Bella’s words, Rosalyn lowered her gaze and looked at the report again, quickly rebutting after seeing one sentence.

“H-here, it says that he asked the innkeeper which mountain the herbalists go to. He went to get herbs….”

“Collecting herbs late at night, with a torch. I’m starting to wonder if you’re really the top of the Alchemy Department.”

At Bella’s reproachful words. Rosalyn regretted her hastiness and lowered her gaze again.

There was no such thing as a foolish herbalist collecting herbs late at night. Wild monsters could appear after seeing the light, and above all, herbs couldn’t be seen at night because the field of vision wasn’t secured.

Seeing Rosalyn speechless and glancing at her while drinking tea, Bella said with a sneer.

“After that, Ross took Roel to Destin Village for the reason that the innkeeper told any guest to come back again, calling it a ‘promise’.”

Rosalyn remembered the day Roel said he was going to Destin Village. It was the day Ross appeared during their meal with Flavia and shouted, “Oppose the marriage!” and said he sincerely blessed her marriage.

Rosalyn even avoided Flavia for a while because Roel broke his prior engagement with Flavia and said he was going to help Ross.

She had to hide until Roel returned, fearing that she would be caught in the crossfire of Flavia, who was raging and slandering those around her.

“But, a variable appears here. Ross tried to get rid of Roel, the object of his inferiority complex, in Destin Village using a black magician. But Ellie, his childhood friend, tagged along.”

Rosalyn also knew Ellie. A freshman with very pretty black hair. She heard that she was expected to become the top freshman in the Magic Department due to her outstanding talent.

“Ross tried to leave Ellie behind, but the cunning Ellie asked Roel to take her with him and headed to the village together. Then, at Ross’s request, Roel contacted me with a crystal ball, saying that he suddenly had to stay out overnight.”

Bella continued.

“And that night. Really coincidentally, a black magician attacked the village, and Roel was in danger of being ambushed, but he was able to escape the danger with Ellie’s help. What if Roel was alone as planned? What if Ellie, whom Ross was trying to leave behind, hadn’t joined?”

At Bella’s words, the worst situation came to Rosalyn’s mind. Roel risking his life to protect the village while being attacked by orcs and a black magician.

If it was Roel that she knew, he was not the kind of person to turn his back on dangerous people in front of him. He would not have given up even in dangerous and difficult situations.

If Ellie hadn’t been there, as Bella said, Roel’s life would have really been in danger….

Bella handed Rosalyn a report, who was lost in thought.

“This is a report investigated by the imperial investigation team. There’s something strange about Ellie’s statement.”

“Strange…?”

Rosalyn, receiving the report, quickly read the contents written. Is there something strange about Ellie’s statement, which fully stated the battle with the orcs that day?

Rosalyn, who had been looking at the report for a long time trying to find the strange point Bella had mentioned, unknowingly let out a sound of “Ah.”

– Thanks to Ross’s magic, I was able to attack the black magician with composite magic.

Rosalyn hurriedly checked Ross’s report on the table again. Unlike Ellie, who had been talented since she was young and entered as a disciple of a witch….

There was no record of Ross ever learning magic.

Bella’s voice was heard to Rosalyn, who was holding the report with trembling hands.

“When I had doubts and received a statement from Ellie again. Ellie said something to me. She said, ‘Magic I’ve never seen before’.”

Bella continued, whispering.

“It’s not strange anymore for the Combat Department to use magic now. But the Magic Department uses magic they’ve never seen before? Even someone who has no record of learning magic at all?”

At Bella’s confident voice, Rosalyn threw out the question that had filled her mind.

“Then why did he attack the black magician with Ellie? Ross even gave the potion I gave him as a gift to Roel!”

“Because the variable called Ellie appeared. I told you, if Ellie hadn’t been there, Roel would have been in danger. But Ellie appeared and the situation changed, so he changed his plan. By building Roel’s trust.”

“There’s no reason to….”

Rosalyn, who was trying to refute, trailed off at the thought that came to mind.

“The, the sewers….”

“That’s right. Ross, who gained trust, tells Roel that there is a hatchery in the sewers. In fact, he says that he accidentally overheard the black magician’s plan.”

“Not, not a coincidence…. It was a plan.”

Bella nodded at Rosalyn’s words.

“Roel, who trusted Ross, said that soldiers should be sent to the sewers through Professor Leora. Ross told Roel to go to the sewers together, but Roel refused, saying that he should leave it to the knights because of the danger.”

Rosalyn also knew about that from Roel. She was worried that her brother might be disappointed in her actions.

“As the capital guards and the academy guard knights headed to the sewers. The academy’s defense became weak.”

“But I heard that there really was a hatchery. Then Ross didn’t lie….”

Bella waved her hand and cut off Rosalyn’s words.

“Even though the security personnel had left, the magic installed on the main gate and outer walls was enough to stop the enemy. But for some reason, the black magician attacked through the academy’s secret passage that no one knew about.”

Bella asked Rosalyn with a snake-like smile.

“If Roel didn’t go to the sewers. What if Ross opened the secret passage and let the black magician attack the academy?”

“But that’s just suspicion.”

“No, there’s solid evidence. There were traces left in the passage as if something had been stepped on. When I investigated through magic, the soles of the shoes and even the size were all the same as Ross’s.”

Rosalyn, who checked the report Bella had handed her, felt a sense of pressure as if a huge rock was pressing down on her chest.

Were the words and trustworthy actions he had shown her all acting? Did Ross really put his family, Roel, in danger because of his inferiority complex?

“All of this may be a coincidence or speculation. But, whether it’s a coincidence or speculation, isn’t it the job of an inquisitor to uncover the truth?”

“B-but the Church’s inquisition creates crimes that don’t exist….”

“Are you doubting the Church in front of me?”

Rosalyn, realizing her mistake at Bella’s cold voice, hurriedly waved her hand.

“It, it was a mistake….”

Rosalyn, biting her lip in embarrassment and lowering her gaze. Bella reached out and tapped Rosalyn’s chubby cheeks.

“Foolish Rosalyn. You know why I keep you by Roel’s side, right? I’m starting to think that if you keep acting foolish, you might become a hindrance to Roel.”

Rosalyn, feeling chills at Bella’s snake-like smile, muttered as if making an excuse.

“N-no! I’m really doing it for Roel….”

“I know, I’m doing this for Roel too. Even if Roel hates me for this, I had to make sure that Ross would be a danger and an obstacle to Roel.”

As Bella said, there were more than one or two suspicious things about Ross. If she had known this fact earlier, wouldn’t she have suspected Ross too?

“I heard about it from Ilia a little while ago. When fighting a strange troll in the restaurant, Ross used an unknown magic.”

At Bella’s words, Rosalyn flinched without realizing it. Could it be that Ross really learned black magic?

“I can’t be sure that that magic won’t be directed at Roel. Rosalyn, can you?”

“Th, that’s….”

Rosalyn couldn’t answer. The belief in Ross had already disappeared in her mind, and only suspicion remained.

“Trust me, Rosalyn. With this method, you can guarantee the truth about Ross and Roel’s safety. If only you keep your mouth shut to Roel, everyone can be happy. Even if things go wrong, I’m the only one who has to receive Roel’s hatred.”

Rosalyn, tempted by Bella’s sweet temptation, drank the cold tea. Thinking of sweet cocoa at the bitter taste of the tea, Rosalyn said worriedly.

“But can Ross withstand the Church’s inquisition…?”

“I don’t care.”

“Huh…?”

Rosalyn asked back blankly at Bella’s cold, immediate answer.

“Ross is just a hindrance to Roel. He’s just a vine that grabs Roel’s steps, who has to go ahead of anyone else. I want to kill him right away, but….”

Rosalyn felt fear at Bella’s strange smile as she said that. She knew from rumors why Bella, the Fourth Princess, had become the heir to the throne.

“Then Roel will be sad…. It would be best to find a good reason to kill him.”

Rosalyn, terrified by Bella’s muttering and smiling to herself, couldn’t say anything.