Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Disguised as Priests
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"Yes, that makes sense."
I replied with a smile.
"No matter how I think about it, the second week of January feels out of nowhere. It must have been the first irregular health checkup after the Pleroma Empire contamination incident broke out, to inspect the faculty's safety. Right?"
"That's correct. Heh heh, you've known all this from earlier—why ask...? The professors have to protect the school, so they wanted to check if their mana states were stable and if there were any health issues."
"They wanted to check. Who said that?"
"It was proposed by the Imperial 2nd Education Academy affiliate hospital. The Imperial Central Hospital up in the northern capital."
Proposed.
Of course.
"How long does it usually take for the checkup results to come out?"
"Even if it takes a while, about two weeks. Mana tests alone take around three days."
"I see. How much blood do they draw for the mana test?"
"Just one vial with a syringe, usually. It was the same this time. I gave blood myself, so I know."
'They must have been worried about raising suspicion by asking for too much blood.'
Blood is linked not just to mana but to Pleroma as well, so in these suspicious times, caution was needed. Convenient for me.
He gave me a puzzled look at my continued obvious questions.
Obvious, but not in this situation. I needed certainty.
"So, when will the results from this checkup come out? With so few professors here, is there any reason it should take three weeks?"
"Ah... come to think of it, I haven't heard why it's delayed. I'll send a letter right away today."
The director said with a slightly troubled expression.
I exchanged glances with Leo.
Setting aside why they operate like this...
What reason could there be for not providing results?
'They drank the blood needed for the tests, so they can't.'
Especially since professors have stronger mana than average wizards, the chairman probably had to drain the entire vial to safely enter their minds.
They'd probably forge it with last year's results and send it over.
I shook my head.
"No. You don't need to contact them."
"Pardon?"
"I'm heading there soon anyway. I'll get the answer and relay it back to the school. That fine?"
"Ah, yes. I'd be grateful."
"Thank you. That's all I came to ask today, and since my schedule is tight, I'll wrap up here."
I stood from my seat.
And the moment he rose to see me off, I drew my wand and aimed it.
―Enter through the narrow gate.
"...!"
I caught the director's collapsing body with mana and approached, whispering softly.
"...You must not contact the hospital. Understood?"
His limp eyes dropped to the floor, then he slowly nodded.
I smiled and released the spell.
"Good. Thank you."
* * *
Leaving the director's office, I cast an invisibility spell and slipped out through the back gate.
Students were already milling about the campus, peering around, so I had no choice.
Leo, who had come out to see me off, smiled and opened his mouth.
"You really..."
"Really?"
"You really know how to scheme. You've been like this for a while."
"It's not scheming—it's the most rational, common-sense method they could use. No relying on luck either."
I smiled as I said it.
Leo asked,
"Then how did you know from the start? You didn't even know about the January checkup."
"As Your Highness said, they have no way to obtain blood. They could infiltrate dorms without alerting professors, but they can't just pickpocket it off someone passing by."
"Hmm."
"Get blood without suspicion or question... And conveniently, there's one method that makes people draw and submit it themselves. Plus, with health-related disasters hitting this month, the perfect opportunity arose. Why miss it?"
Leo nodded in satisfaction.
"Will you return to the academy now?"
"No. To the council."
Leo looked at me.
Wondering what mischief I'd pull next. I shook my head to reassure him.
"No need to come. We'll meet this evening."
* * *
"Your Excellency Ernst. Here's the data you requested. Professor Johannes Ron and Professor Stefan Trout's mana test results haven't come in yet."
I contacted the emperor directly and mobilized the entire investigation bureau to comb the hospital like rats.
I flipped through the documents handed to me by the detective, scoffing at the blank mana test section.
'Amazing they didn't even bother filling it with last year's results.'
What does this tell us?
Simple mistake?
Sure, people make errors—if the guy in charge is sloppy and lazy, you could think that.
But it's insufficient. In any fight, underestimating the opponent tips the scales against you. You'd be ignoring all possible scenarios yourself.
'The chairman hasn't placed his own people in the hospital yet.'
That's the far more logical conclusion.
If he had subordinates with easy blood access long ago, he'd have already given the blessing to every high-ranking mage in politics and business in the capital by now.
Getting seals of approval is easier than sourcing blood—no reason to delay.
Thus, the chairman only recently created a blessed subordinate in the hospital, and failed to mentally convert them.
A 'real' subordinate would've manipulated the ledgers more meticulously, not leaving blanks just for those two.
The sloppy follow-up has reasons, but this part isn't deliberate.
"Thank you. Now, let's head up."
"Yes."
I gestured to Narke and Adelbert following behind me.
I'd dropped a hint to Adelbert about 'interrogating at the council, need some discreet work,' and he ran straight to his father begging to tag along.
So now, instead of the imperial divine mages, Adelbert filled the spot.
' Afternoon training's done too...'
Let's take it slow.
First, recap slowly.
Plans changed.
Last time loop, when I met the chairman, it was to 'save my homeroom professor without evidence, and block his religious expansion in Primrose Pass' by meeting him again.
Drop the first reason.
Only the second—to stop his new religion in Primrose Pass.
Back then, numb to violence, I didn't realize.
If I need evidence from him, things get too complicated, unfavorable to me. Not just 'kill and done,' but 'don't kill, put him before a camera, make him confess.'
And... crucially.
'Promise with Leo too.'
To keep him out of danger, I must first.
So now, I'm here for data that could serve as evidence.
No—precisely...
To create evidence.
"Your Highness."
"Yes!"
I nearly laughed at his tense voice, coughing instead.
"What you're about to see isn't exactly proper."
"It's fine. Just watching Your Excellency Ernst resolve an incident involving me is a tremendous honor!"
"Yeah..."
I elbowed Narke's side to stifle his laugh and entered the council building.
A place I'd visited even in the rewound time that vanished.
I recalled my appointment with the councilor today and headed to the top floor.
Narke followed silently up the stairs, then asked,
"By the way, you said no need yesterday, so why the council~?"
I'd told Narke that.
In the vanished loop, we interrogated councilors together, but after rewinding, I said 'skip council, Primrose Pass first.'
In truth, I'd already gotten all info from these councilors. Nothing more needed.
Knock knock—
"Coming in."
Opening the door, the man who'd given me Gregorio intel last loop stood before me.
"Sir Nikolaus. Good to see you."
Unlike his terrified, teary face then, he approached cheerfully for a handshake. I lightly took his hand and drew my wand.
"Good to see you."
―Enter through the narrow gate.
"...!"
The councilor's eyes glazed briefly, then refocused. He gaped in panic.
"W-Wait, sir...?! What the hell...!"
―But the gate to destruction is wide and its road broad, and many enter through it.
At that, his eyes glazed fully.
I grabbed his head and scanned the room. Maybe because my spell didn't land instantly, Adelbert stared in shock.
Narke, sensing it like before, seemed unfazed.
"I have no intention of breaking a certain promise..."
I snapped my fingers.
"But you'll need to cooperate a bit."
"...Gasp...! W-Wait! What are you...!"
The councilor refocused instantly, clutching his heart with wide eyes.
I leaned in close to his face, tilting my head.
"Must be quite disorienting."
"...!"
I smiled, sensing the instinctive terror in his eyes.
He knew.
He knew I knew his weakness.
"Pleroma's self-destruct, right? Impressive no matter how I look. Shall I trigger it further?"
"N-No, what did I ever do to you...!"
Bam—!
I slammed him onto the desk. Bound his hands behind his back and tossed my wand to Narke.
Luckily, dazed by the shocks, he let me do as I pleased.
Adelbert just gawked.
'I don't usually interrogate like this.'
Even if he'd seen it before, it'd create bad impressions. Without Pleroma, I wouldn't treat him like a major criminal off the bat.
Narke kept the wand trained on him from the side.
"Tell me everything you know about Gregorio. This isn't what I want from you, but recite it first."
"G-Gregorio...?"
"You know him. The one defecting from Pleroma to start a new religion. And you're monitoring him."
"...!"
His eyes shook wildly.
"H-How do you... I can't betray the organization..."
"Betraying Pleroma... Well. Better than melting here, no?"
His face paled blue.
Last loop, he'd spilled everything to me.
I'd noted well his shallow loyalty and strong survival instinct. High utility.
No data on the melted ones' traits, so I chose this one this time.
"I know how much you know about Gregorio and what you can testify. But to you, this sounds like empty threats, unreliable. Let's test. ―Enter through the narrow..."
"W-Wait! Wait!"
He twisted.
I paused; he nodded his head instead of arms to calm me, but his pallor said he needed calming.
"Wait. Just a moment, sir... I'll die. I said I'll die..."
I grabbed his blabbering, whimpering arm and flipped him.
"Don't want to die, right? Obey me, die to Pleroma. Loyal to Pleroma, die to me now."
He nodded vigorously.
"Relax. I'm not telling you to defect from Pleroma."
"Then..."
"To the church, say this: The chairman's acting suspicious, so I used Nikolaus Ernst to pressure him."
"...!"
He stared wide-eyed.
Narke exhaled sharply behind. Adelbert gaped from afar.
"Do you know Abraham, councilor?"
"A-Abraham...? No."
"Good. You just played along briefly. Tell Pleroma I first requested interviews with councilors about Primrose Pass and the chairman."
"......"
"And conveniently, you recently spotted evidence of Gregorio, under the alias Abraham, luring Primrose Pass's former humans into his new cult. Accepting my timely proposal lets you share chairman intel, borrow his power to pressure him, and perhaps even..."
I grabbed his collar, pulling close.
"...find a way to kill Nikolaus Ernst or recruit him to Pleroma."
"......"
"Two choices. First, relay my scenario to Pleroma. Keep your life and position."
I released his collar, pressing the wand to his face.
"Second, melt here."
He convulsed visibly.
"Councilor Alexander Kluger."
"Y-Yes..."
"Barely in your forties—too young to die. Could naturally live another 110 years. Actually craving more, stronger, that's why you borrowed Pleroma's power..."
He inhaled sharply, holding back tears.
Pretending not to notice, I whispered calmly.
"Melting in some unknown council chamber—unfair, right? I don't plan to kill all Pleroma. Cooperation first if possible. In that vein, I've devised this for your safety..."
"......"
"You're slow. If you don't want life, nothing to do."
―Enter through the narrow gate.
His eyes glazed briefly, refocused. Heart pounding audible from shock. He shook his head frantically.
"N-No...! Stop!"
"No?"
"I-I'll do it. Your way. So no more divine power..."
"Good choice. Looking forward to working together."
I extended a hand. He stared blankly. Adelbert eyed me and his bound hands alternately, puzzled.
"Ah, right. Can't shake."
Pretending to ponder, I lightly hugged him.
"Greet like this. Let's do well, Councilor Kluger."
Hand on his back where his heart should be, I murmured in his ear.
―I can do all things through him who gives me strength.
"...!"
He gaped at me.
Feeling a strange refreshment, I stood.
Now four humans bound to me. Didn't want to expand this, but it happened.
Seeming not to accept reality easily, like with Leo, I clapped.
"Guh...!"
He doubled over.
'Hurts more than I thought.'
Of course—feels like striking the heart. Felt bad for Leo. I'd twisted his worse, yet he endured.
"Your core is bound not just to Pleroma but me—better not betray. Safety measure, you see."
Whip too long, motivation drops.
I softened my tone.
"Promise: I won't tell anyone you're in both groups. But if you tell Pleroma I demanded this... only you die. No reason for them to keep an exposed card."
"Y-Yes. Understood. Thank you. Thank you."
Gazing at him, now tearfully relaxed, I spoke.
"Now, what you must do."
* * *
Preparations over halfway done.
No—all done, really.
Just my part left.
"Wondered why the sudden priest robes."
"Got to find my son."
Narke laughed.
Cape over his robes fluttered.
Ordained months ago, but rarely worn—still unfamiliar.
Narke, though, suited it perfectly, like it was made for him. Not cardinal robes, but standard priestly garb.
Three steps ahead, Narke turned.
"You suit it too~"
"Yeah... Thanks. Stop reading thoughts."
I smiled at his glowing green eyes. They shone bright even in darkness.
Staring, Narke burst laughing.
"Haha, you do suit it, but it's weird. That face in those clothes. And..."
That person too, strictly.
I looked up smiling. Jeremiah's thin golden hair, unparted, swayed before me.
Narke scanned the street.
"...in a place like this. First orthodox clergy in priest robes stepping here, right, Jeremiah?"
Probably.
Not the academy needed priest robes—this place. Not Lucas or Nikolaus, but Jeremiah Caetina.
"So what."
I twirled my wand between fingers.
In Primrose Pass's pitch-black street, star-like illusions scattered. Sunlight-like glows curved; wand became papal staff.
"Let's begin."