Open Class (5)
The first day of the open class passed without incident.
Meanwhile, Saintess Bernice had just arrived in the village where the "blind acupuncturist" was said to have visited.
Through her investigation in the village, Bernice learned two things: he was revered here as the "Blind Saint," and it was the village chief who had brought him in.
Thus, Bernice now found herself visiting the chief's residence.
"...So even you do not know much about him in detail, Thomas."
"Indeed. He was such a mysterious figure..."
The village chief standing before her, a man named Thomas, was remarkably young and handsome for a chief.
As I conversed with him, many doubts began to arise.
First of all, this man's name was not Thomas.
When he introduced himself as Thomas, I could tell he was lying.
I wondered if he was merely pretending to be the village chief, but strangely enough, that part was not a lie.
I supposed he could be using an alias.
After all, many people had pasts they wished to hide.
Thomas was a man shrouded in mystery.
From the luxurious interior of the mansion to his obvious wealth, it made little sense for someone like him to serve as the chief of such a small, rural village.
Even the information Thomas provided about the blind acupuncturist was a mixture of truth and falsehood.
His claim of meeting him by chance when he happened to stop by the village was a lie.
Claiming not to know his name was also a lie.
Saying they were not close was a lie as well.
However, it was true that they had only recently met, and it was also true that he did not know his detailed background.
Just what kind of relationship do they have for it to turn out like this?
Their connection was so bizarre that I almost wondered if my divine authority was malfunctioning.
Yet, I could not confront him simply because he had lied.
At the very least, I had learned through him that the blind acupuncturist carried a sword.
Perhaps the slim possibility that he was the one who defeated the demon in the theater had grown just a little bit higher.
My desire to speak with him or recruit him into the knights was entirely my own personal ambition, so I could not bring harm to others for its sake.
Not to him.
And not to Thomas, either.
"Saintess. There is one thing I am curious about, if I may ask."
Thomas, sitting across from me, set down his teacup and asked.
I gave a small nod.
Thomas immediately spoke.
"...Pardon my presumption, but what is your reason for seeking him?"
"My reason for seeking him..."
I murmured, feigning contemplation.
Judging by Thomas's attitude so far, he was intentionally hiding the blind acupuncturist's existence from me.
Did he think I had come to capture the one they called the Blind Saint?
Or was he simply shielding him because the man wished to keep his identity hidden?
Just as I was pondering how best to respond—
"Saintess."
Ines, who had briefly stepped out, re-entered the room and called to me.
"Saintess, you must come with me for a moment. A transmission has come through the communication crystal."
Ines approached and whispered close to my ear.
"...Thomas, an urgent matter has arisen. Could we borrow a quiet room for a moment?"
"Of course, by all means."
I excused myself and immediately left the room.
As Ines closed the door behind us, she spoke.
"Ecklin contacted us. She says she has something urgent to report to you... regarding the blind acupuncturist."
"...Isn't Ecklin currently at Innocence Academy?"
"She is. I am not entirely sure of the details myself yet."
The Vice-Commander of the Silver Wing Knights.
Ecklin had contacted us.
Why was Ecklin, who was supposed to be attending the academy event in my stead, mentioning the blind acupuncturist?
I followed Ines to a quiet room in the mansion.
Ines placed the communication crystal on a table inside.
With this small crystal, one could converse regardless of distance, provided the other party possessed a matching crystal.
Because they were extremely expensive, the knights only possessed a few, but Ecklin had been given one since she was attending an official event in my place.
Using a crystal that consumed a massive amount of mana stones for every single activation and recharge meant it had to be an urgent matter.
"Ecklin, are you there?"
I spoke into the crystal.
Soon, the crystal crackled with static, and Ecklin's voice came through.
Saintess...
Her voice sounded slightly weary.
"You sound quite tired. Did something happen?"
I spent the entire night agonizing over whether I should use the crystal or not... I am sorry.
"We have a reliable sponsor now, so our funds are ample, but there is still no need to waste them. I hope this is indeed important."
As the Vice-Commander, Ecklin's martial prowess was unquestionable, but she could be a bit eccentric.
Truthfully, I had hesitated quite a bit before deciding to send her to the academy.
It is information regarding the blind man with bandages over his eyes whom you have been searching for.
"...Go on."
I replied, pacing slowly across the room.
What kind of information could she have possibly gathered at the academy?
...I witnessed a man with bandages wrapped around his eyes at Innocence Academy.
"Is that true?"
Yes. He was a dark-haired man with pure white bandages over his eyes. However, I am not certain if he is the same person you are looking for.
"What makes you say that?"
The thing is, the man I saw is an academy cadet. Wouldn't it be difficult for a cadet to wander around outside the academy...?
"That is indeed strange."
Ecklin's point was valid.
Leaving the academy grounds as a cadet was no simple task.
Innocence Academy was known for its highly insular nature.
If there is one thing that bothers me...
I stopped in my tracks and turned to Ines, who was standing beside me.
"...Ines, how far is Innocence Academy from this village?"
"Hmm... I would have to check the map to be precise, but..."
Ines trailed off, stroking her chin, before her eyes suddenly widened.
"...It should be quite close."
"And what about the city where the demon was discovered in the theater?"
"It might be a bit far from this village... but it is close to the academy. It would only take a few hours by horseback."
"I see. Then... the pieces are starting to fall into place."
Ecklin, who had been listening to our conversation through the crystal, spoke up.
...What do you mean by that?
"Sigh... Ecklin... It means the person the Saintess is looking for has only been spotted in locations that are easily accessible, even for an academy cadet."
Frustrated by Ecklin's slow comprehension, Ines let out a sigh as she explained.
Really...? Then does that mean he could be Cadet Zeto? Oh dear...
With those words, Ecklin suddenly fell silent.
Zeto...
It was the first time I had heard the name, but it had a pleasant ring to it. Perhaps it was just my imagination.
"So, how was this Cadet Zeto? Since he is an academy cadet, you must have seen him fight. Did he use a sword?"
I asked into the silent crystal.
He did use a sword, but...
After her brief hesitation, Ecklin began to babble as if a dam had burst.
...And it wasn't just that he carried a sword; he wielded it incredibly well! He was fighting a wyvern, and with this move that wasn't even sword qi, he sliced the flying wyvern's wing clean off! And then, whoosh! and bam! Blood sprayed everywhere like a fountain...!
"Ecklin, calm down and speak slowly. Is it true that he fought a wyvern? He is only a cadet."
Ines finally cut in to calm her down.
Cadet Zeto wasn't the only one who defeated the wyvern, but... Commander, that's not the point right now! His speed was absolutely absurd! Even I lost track of his movements for a split second.
"Hmm..."
Ines let out a low hum.
If even Ecklin, the Vice-Commander and not some low-ranking knight, spoke of him in such a manner, his skills were undoubtedly extraordinary.
"If he displayed that level of skill, many people must already be interested in him."
"Though it remains to be seen whether he is the acupuncturist we are looking for."
Ines shrugged as she replied to me.
"What do you think, Ines? About the possibility of him being the acupuncturist."
"Well... mastery of both acupuncture and swordsmanship... and an academy cadet to boot... It is becoming increasingly difficult to fathom."
"Hehe... indeed. But that is precisely what makes it so intriguing."
Feeling a sudden surge of excitement, as if I had stumbled upon a fascinating puzzle, a soft chuckle escaped my lips.
Soon after, Ecklin, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, spoke up again.
With every word she uttered, the energy seemed to drain from her voice.
Saintess, there is one more thing I must tell you about Cadet Zeto...
"Yes?"
...The Sword Saint has shown interest in Cadet Zeto.
"The Sword Saint? Wait, the Sword Saint visited the academy in the first place?"
Ines flinched in surprise at Ecklin's mention of the Sword Saint.
Ines knew so much about the Sword Saint that one might mistake her for an ardent follower.
She would often tell me stories about him.
According to Ines, the Sword Saint had no interest in worldly affairs and preferred to wander the continent.
For such a man to visit the academy...
It was entirely unexpected, even for me.
I have no idea why the Sword Saint visited. From what I saw, he seems to be on friendly terms with the Principal. In any case, as soon as Cadet Zeto's battle ended, the Sword Saint immediately claimed him, demanding a private meeting and whatnot... It seems no one else even dares to approach Cadet Zeto now.
A brief silence followed Ecklin's response.
For some reason, Ines looked quite shaken.
Still feeling a lingering sense of regret, I spoke up.
"A man coveted by the Sword Saint... that only makes me more curious. Even if he is indeed the acupuncturist we seek, recruiting him might be difficult since he is still a cadet..."
Hearing my words, Ecklin voiced a question.
Saintess, speaking of recruitment, something just crossed my mind...
"What is it?"
Isn't our Silver Wing Knights order composed entirely of women...? More importantly, aren't the knights guarding the Saintess supposed to be strictly female?
"...That has been the case, until now."
If there was a way to recruit him, he would become the sole male member of the Silver Wing Knights.
"In any case, we will head to the academy shortly. Since it is close, it won't take us very long."
I told Ecklin, quickly wrapping up our conversation.
Whatever the truth was, meeting him and speaking with him in person would resolve everything.
Though it will be crucial to ask naturally, so it doesn't feel like an interrogation...
I instructed Ines to pack up the crystal and headed back to the room where Thomas was waiting to conclude our discussion.
Just a little longer, and I would finally be able to meet him.
What kind of person would he be?
Was he truly as gentle and kind as his title of "Saint" suggested?
Why did he go around performing such acts of goodwill?
It wasn't just a matter of mystery or curiosity; I felt an inexplicable, magnetic pull drawing me toward him.
"Zeto..."
I softly murmured his name.
The sudden flutter in my chest... must have been my imagination.
The Gold Dragon, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation from the Saintess's room using his transcendent senses, fell into deep thought.
Zeto is an academy cadet?
He knew the youth was young, but he had never imagined him to be a mere cadet.
Even as a dragon who had lived for hundreds of years, he could not fathom what kind of person Zeto truly was.
Just what on earth was a mere cadet doing to get himself entangled with the Saintess?