Chapter 111
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: The Board Has Grown Too Large
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Radia hesitated, squeezing her eyes shut tight.
Judging by how she couldn't focus on objects, her pupils must have been trembling wildly, as if struck by an earthquake.
Yet even so, her churning heart refused to calm, and she glared at Aiden with trembling eyes.
“There was nothing about this in the plan.”
“Everything went according to your intentions, didn’t it? What’s the problem?”
What’s the problem?
Radia squeezed her eyes shut again, as if truly unsure of the root cause.
“Isel was right. You casually commit major blunders, Professor.”
In Radia’s hand was an edict stamped with the emperor’s seal.
“Even I couldn’t grant that much authority in your name, so I used mine. Make good use of it.”
“No, I didn’t wish for anything this extreme. I just wanted to sneak in simply and... see what I could do...”
Radia met the eyes of Professor Aiden, who was looking at her with a gaze that said, *What are you talking about?*
Her breath caught in her throat, but with the seal already stamped, there was no turning back.
“...I never expected you’d lend me the inspection agency.”
“I spoke plainly, so they had to grant that level of authority.”
“And now I’m the one wielding it.”
She felt like she was going to die.
Radia recalled the events from a full six hours ago.
She had felt uneasy because of his meaningful smile, but when he suggested they go somewhere for a bit, she had boarded the carriage.
She should have realized it when it started heading toward the imperial palace.
“I’m a master. It might not seem like much, but that means I’m one of the rare superhumans.”
“Ah... yes. And?”
Honestly, she should have stopped there.
“That gives me the right to meet the emperor directly.”
“I-is that so? But why does that mean...?”
Professor Aiden smiled kindly.
“Ask for investigative authority.”
*Ah.*
Radia snapped out of her reverie.
She shouldn’t have let it happen.
She really, really shouldn’t have.
What she had intended was to sneak in discreetly, bid on the suspicious item, use it as evidence to link it to devil worshippers, and stage a scenario where it was discovered by chance...
Even if it turned out wrong, she could just say, *Ah, I was mistaken,* and as long as she kept quiet, no one would know—a compact plan.
She had never meant to mobilize administrative power like this.
Radia paled.
“Professor, sometimes you make it hard to even consider you human.”
“That’s too much.”
“No, it’s not too much at all.”
Professor Aiden smiled as he watched Radia shake her head vigorously.
“I don’t like fiddling around. If I’m doing it, I go all in. That’s what I think.”
Radia’s expression was indescribable, but she nodded half in tears.
“You really do seem that way.”
She agreed vehemently, then spaced out in exhaustion.
* * *
At that moment, Elin was pacing the room, picking at her nails.
Lianel and Arion, watching her, asked,
“Professor Aiden wouldn’t oppose it, so is there really any need to worry?”
“There is. More than enough. That professor would definitely say it’s dangerous and tell us to back off, without even informing us.”
He had hidden the internal traitor during the practical exam, as well as things about Elise, the beast tamer, and the heretical magician.
*It’s too much for you kids to know!*—that’s how tightly he kept it secret!
Lianel chimed in.
“But we’ve prepared a lot, right? Radia said she’d push forward even without Professor Aiden’s permission. If she forces it like that, he’ll probably approve.”
“Even so.”
Creak.
Everyone turned expectantly at the sound.
“I’m back.”
“Radia senior!”
The door opened, and Radia scanned the others with weary eyes.
The deep fatigue was evident, making Lianel shut her mouth and Elin furrow her brow.
“What did the professor say?”
Radia dragged over the remaining chair and slumped into it, as if she had much to say.
A long sigh settled thickly on the floor.
“He didn’t refuse, at least. He actually pushed for it.”
“He pushed for it?”
Elin tilted her head, surprised. She had expected him to say it was dangerous and to pull out.
“There’s good news and bad news. Which first?”
Elin pondered, then slyly tossed it to Arion with a glance.
Arion, catching it awkwardly, soon shrugged as if it was no big deal.
“Good news first.”
“Right. The good news is Professor Aiden used his influence to make our investigation easier. Our original plan’s ruined, but we’ll probably investigate in a much better environment.”
“That’s a relief. I was really worried about the money.”
Sneaking in to bid on the devil worshipper’s offering wasn’t easy.
Even if they got it, it might not connect to the worshippers, and since it was an on-site auction, prices could skyrocket.
Students without real authority—how much could they achieve?
For now, it could be dismissed as childish antics, not entirely wrong.
If something supplemented that uncertainty, there was no reason to refuse.
“So, what’s the bad news?”
Arion asked, but Radia mumbled without answering right away.
Sensing unease, Elin pressed her with a *No way...* look.
“Radia senior?”
But Radia kept chewing her lips, delaying as much as possible.
Even Lianel, who hadn’t known her long, sensed something amiss and stiffened, just as Radia tore at her hair.
After messing it up into tangles, the long blue strands stuck to her hands seemed to reveal her turmoil.
“The board’s gotten too big.”
She pulled out a luxurious piece of paper she had tucked carefully in her bosom.
Elin and Arion didn’t fully grasp the implications of the document’s format, but Lianel, born into high nobility like Radia, went pale.
“Th-this...”
“Exactly what you think.”
A fancy handwritten signature and a crisp imperial seal at the bottom.
The emperor’s seal, an untouchable bastion for anyone but a master—the sun of the empire.
Thus, the words here were imperial commands.
[Unknown entities have trespassed into the empire’s sanctuary, the imperial palace; plotted irreverent schemes and engaged in combat therein; threatened the empire’s rightful bloodline. For these three grave crimes, the investigation is hereby ordered to Master Toskantana Aiden Pisvolt, involved party.]
Lianel’s fingers trembled as she stammered,
“Wh-what’s this doing with us?”
“The emperor... His Majesty lent us the investigation agency?”
“Uh...”
In other words...
“He’s entrusting us with full authority over the imperial assassination attempt case?”
Technically in Professor Aiden’s name, but with Radia holding the edict, the context was similar.
Lianel’s face drained to bleach-white instantly.
“I’ll step out for a moment.”
Soon, adult men burst in, packing the scattered documents from the desk into boxes.
Radia recited quietly, like a grim reaper delivering a death sentence.
“...After Professor Aiden finished talking, he dragged me straight to the imperial castle, made me present in front of His Majesty without consulting me?”
“......”
“So he requested investigative authority and command of the inspection agency. Then delegated it all to us. Something about it being easier with expert help?”
Radia chuckled darkly, rubbing her throat.
“I still don’t know how my head’s still attached.”
Hearing that, Elin and Arion swallowed, sensing things had gone awry.
“Then I’ll finish my part and bow out...”
“Arion, you think I’ll let you escape alone?”
“Water ghosts are bad luck...”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Radia pressured him fiercely with cold eyes.
“We’re a shared fate now. Got it? Yeah?”
Arion nodded at her eyes gleaming with faint mania.
Denying it here would bring unbearable repercussions.
Lianel moistened her dry lips and summarized the situation with a grim face.
“So, what was supposed to be us handling it lightly has become an official investigation with national administrative power under Professor Aiden’s name?”
As Radia nodded, a man from behind asked.
“Ah, I’m Yolend from Investigation Division 1 of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Is this all the documents you’ve reviewed?”
“Y-yes.”
The man who introduced himself as Yolend laughed heartily.
“This case is huge. I had to swear secrecy before hearing, but it’s about imperial assassination suspicions, right? His Majesty even stamped it personally and said to use all administrative resources.”
“Uh... uh...”
“We’ll use our office in Investigation Division 1 for now; we’ll set up a separate one when more personnel join. Oh, and this.”
Yolend handed Radia a document.
“I heard it’s the black market, so I got a provisional investigation warrant. First, the guards will move, then judiciary, then us.”
Radia nodded dumbly.
Not a word registered.
“You have permission to deploy knights if needed. For the black market raid, the 4th, 5th, and 9th Imperial Capital Garrison Knight Orders will mobilize. Our director’s very interested. Looking forward to working together.”
“Y-yes!”
“Master Aiden’s insight is truly remarkable. And Lady Radia, his right hand, as well. Let’s crush that thorn in our side, the black market. Haha.”
Aiden had done nothing, but Radia had no desire to deny it.
Claiming credit felt pointless; the scale was too vast.
Overwhelmingly so.
Watching the cheerful division chief head off to work, Radia gulped.
“We’re screwed.”
Lianel and Elin nodded in unison.
Arion was still scouting for an escape.
* * *
“Professor Aiden? What’s wrong?”
“Who knows? Feels like someone’s cursing me.”
Princess Lilian shot me a pitying glare.
“You’re a bit unreasonable, Professor. Maybe you did something without realizing?”
“I’m extremely reasonable. My students wanted to look into something, so I gave them a big hand.”
“Did you ask the parties involved?”
I paused.
Hmm...
“Didn’t ask, but I gave authority for what they wanted, so they should be happy.”
Princess Lilian shook her head wistfully.
“Whoever it is, they’re in for a rough road. My condolences in advance.”
“...You seem to underestimate me.”
They’re the protagonists; they’ll handle it fine.
This official procedure would make enemies not even dream of scheming—safer that way.
A perfect move.
As I made a flawless expression, Princess Lilian sighed deeply and scanned around.
A dim space, water droplets falling from the ceiling with echoing plops, a dank underground sewer reeking foully.
This was the path to the underground labyrinth beneath the palace.
A strange whiff of magic lingered there.
“Time seems short, so we’d best hurry.”
Princess Lianel nodded.