episode_0092

An opportunity for new students to become closer to their new classmates. For current students, relief from their daily fatigue. For professors, freedom from lectures.

This spring festival was held with that meaning in mind. Dreams, hopes, desires, etc., looking forward to such positive things.

“Please do not approach! This is the crime scene!”

“Please get out of the way! It’s passing!!”

Of course, because the world does not always revolve around positive things, big and small incidents will occur during the festival.

From simply raising your voice while negotiating the price to bumping shoulders while passing by and ending up in a fist fight.

okay. Everyone who participated in the festival must have had exactly that kind of incident in mind.

Because the place where the spring festival was held was the Kingdom Academy. Because this is where the hope of this country grows. Because the kingdom guards are guarding it. Because it is a place where nobles and royalty go.

Because everyone who was enjoying the festival thought that way and recognized this place as a safe place. Because I thought nothing special would happen.

“Wow――!!”

“Fuck you… … . Your head has become a mess… … .”

I had no idea that such a terrible event would occur.

* * *

――!!

“What is it?”

Investigator Terra Earningston, who was enjoying the Academy’s festivities on vacation for the Spring Festival, heard a very small scream cut through the noise of the festival and turned her head in the direction of the sound.

In fact, there is nothing strange about the scream itself. It may come out unconsciously while playing around with friends, or it may come out reflexively when you are startled.

However, the scream I just heard was completely different from the example I mentioned earlier. It was a tearing, terrified scream, the kind of scream he had heard so many times at the scene of the crime that he was truly sick of it.

Earningstern didn’t want to see blood until his vacation, but when he came to his senses, he had so naturally thrown away the lamb skewers he was eating in the trash can and was heading towards the place where he heard the sound.

After hearing about the incident, the body started moving on its own. Yes, it was a kind of occupational disease that Earningstern, a current investigator, had.

… … It won’t be a big deal. go or not. He stood and thought for a moment, then thought about it and started walking again.

Earningstern, who was walking slowly, frowned as he saw the surroundings becoming more and more chaotic as he approached the direction from which he heard the sound.

“This doesn’t feel good… … .”

As if his intuition was telling him that it was right, a conversation that could never be heard passed from the mouths of two people passing right next to him.

-what’s the matter?

―I don’t know, I heard someone died… … . I think my head was completely smashed.

-what? Who died? No, who killed it?

-I don’t know either. I just picked up stories from people around me.

Earningstern, who listened to the story, sighed and scratched his head when he heard that someone had died.

“Ha… … . What are you doing while on vacation? … .”

This vacation and spring festival are over. Naturally thinking about what would happen in the future, he shook his head, brushed his bangs, and headed back towards the direction from which the sound was heard – no, towards the scene of the incident.

Since he knew it was a murder case and he had to check the scene as quickly as possible to catch the criminal, his steps were several times faster than before.

When we arrived at the scene of the incident, security guards had already arrived to prevent citizens from approaching.

Earningstern naturally tried to pass by, thinking that the site had been well preserved, but at that moment, a guard in uniform blocked his path.

“Ah?”

“This is the scene of the incident. If you are not involved, please leave.”

Earningstern, who had never been told to go home unless he was an official in his life as an investigator, blinked and looked at the security guard.

Soon realizing that he was on vacation and wearing civilian clothes, he took out the Eye of Trueno, the symbol of an investigator under the royal family, from his chest and showed it to him.

The security guard, who saw Trueno’s eyes with the sun symbolizing the royal family and the eyes symbolizing investigators, was astonished and stood at attention.

“Mo, I’m guilty for not knowingㅅ――”

“Ah, that’s enough. It’s not strange that you don’t know because you’re on vacation. Okay, now that you know, get out of the way. Because I have to see the scene.”

Earningstern waved his hand and said, and the guard who had been blocking his path immediately moved to the side.

“――What a mess.”

Those words came out reflexively from Earningstern’s mouth after seeing the scene.

The student who appeared to be the victim had his head trampled by an extremely excited ogre, and one side of his face was crushed and collapsed completely.

If you see a piece of wood rolling right next to your head, you’ll probably have smashed the bone with it. How on earth do you have to hit someone with that thing so hard that their head cracks like an egg like that? … .

Of course, the other side’s face was equally disfigured, so it seemed impossible to identify the victim by his face.

Earnings Stone clicked his tongue at the sight of the body in a terrible state, one of the ten most corpses he had ever seen, and called the security guard who had stopped him earlier.

“Boo, did you call me?”

“Identity of victim.”

“Yes, yes?”

“The victim lying here. Don’t you know who it is?”

“Let’s find out right now!”

After watching the guard running somewhere for a moment, Earningstern put on gloves and squatted down in front of the body to examine it more closely.

“Calls… … There are none, and the scars left on his forearms and palms look like defense marks. Looking at what’s left on only one side, is it possible that he was pressing the floor with his other arm?”

Earningstern took out a small knife and tore the clothes on the other side. In other words, the school uniform that was torn roughly while wearing it did not seem to be made of very good material.

“Judging by the material and finish of the clothes, he is not a commoner, but rather a baron to a baron… … .”

When I lifted my arm and looked at it, the area from the elbow to the forearm was red, as if it had been pressed by something.

“I was attacked from behind and fell, and I was blocking the opponent’s attack with one arm while supporting my body with the other… … . No, it could have been caused by falling while trying to run away… … .”

If at least the shape of the head had remained, we would have been able to accurately determine the location and condition of the wound.

Earningstern sighed as he heard the sound of jumping coming from afar, stood up and took off his gloves.

“Okay. Have you identified the victim?”

“Ha, ha, breath! yes He is a new student at the Academy this year and is said to be the bastard son of a baron!”

“Right… … . A brave baron… … . Is he the owner of a small fiefdom that runs agricultural land on the western border of the kingdom?”

That family lives so quietly that there is no conflict with other domains. So that means it’s not a conflict between families.

“Who is the culprit?”

“Ah, I caught it. I don’t know what he was thinking, but he just sat there and smiled and didn’t think about running away.”

“… … .”

Was he so shocked by what he had done that he became frozen? It may be that he trusted his back and did not run away. If I think it’s the latter, I’m concerned that the crime was committed at an academy.

How big of a conspiracy was it that they killed a nobleman, not even a commoner, at an academy attended by royals and high-ranking nobles?

… … Okay, even if I’m thinking about it like this, it’s probably not as good as asking directly.

“Where is that criminal now?”

* * *

Same time.

Seria, who had met the crown prince and was walking along the promenade together, tilted her head at the suddenly chaotic atmosphere.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Yes? Oh no… … . Just something… … . The atmosphere is strange.”

The Crown Prince frowned slightly as if he did not understand her words, but Seria frowned in a different way from the Crown Prince as she saw people enjoying the festival from afar.

The atmosphere of these people, who clearly seemed happy and joyful, became somewhat chaotic. Not only that, but the confusion was turning into an atmosphere of fear of something.

“The atmosphere is strange?”

“Yes. I can’t say exactly what it is, but… … .”

She knew this because she had been lying in the hospital for a long time, and all she could do was watch people moving around outside and inside the hospital.

Even though it was an experience from a past life.

“I think something big happened over there.”

“… … Let’s send someone to find out.”

Not long after the Crown Prince raised his hand and sent the person away, Seria saw a familiar face running towards her.

“Seria! Seria!!”

“Ael?”

The person running towards him was none other than Seria’s friend, Ael.

She was sweating profusely with a very embarrassed face. Seria was surprised to see that she looked quite serious and approached her.

“What’s wrong!? What’s going on!”

“Ha… … . ha… … . Bay… … !! Bei–!!”

The words that came out of Ael’s mouth were enough to shake Seria.

“Bey is about to die! Help me!!”