The Crow's Target
After finishing a simple dinner, Emilia brewed herself some tea. It had been quite some time since she'd last enjoyed the luxury of preparing and savoring a cup at her own leisure instead of serving others.
Schluss must be...
Enjoying his dinner by now. He'd been invited to the main estate of the Lichtenburg family, one of the pillars of the magical world. He was surely being treated to a lavish feast fit to break the table legs, followed by a small party afterward. Emilia rested her chin on her hand, reflecting on how Schluss's status had gradually shifted. At the start of the semester, he'd been nothing more than a commoner scorned by everyone.
I wonder if he'll be all right.
Still, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern. Schluss knew Yulia von Iceburg. It was said that Yulia, the second daughter of the Lichtenburgs, resembled her previous incarnation so closely that people whispered she might actually be the reincarnated woman. If Schluss and Yulia came into contact, the outcome was obvious. The Lichtenburgs weren't fools—they would naturally keep Yulia isolated from Schluss, preventing any unexpected incidents.
Or so she had thought.
Creak—
"Ah, you're back—"
"......"
Until Schluss returned, drenched from head to toe in the rain.
Imperial Academy Investigation Division
The building farthest from the rest of the academy grounds. Sergei read the plaque hanging on the structure, swallowed hard, and stepped inside.
I have something urgent to discuss. Could you come to the Investigation Division?
The note he'd received earlier was the reason. The only matters the Investigation Division would discuss were the progress of their inquiries. Yet Sergei was merely a professor. The division had no obligation to report to him in detail. The fact that they'd specifically summoned him meant...
This isn't an ordinary situation.
They needed him—the only five-star general in the empire's military history. No other explanation made sense.
"Ah, you've arrived."
A staff member who recognized him from the entrance sprang to his feet. Overwhelmed by Sergei's imposing build—twice that of an average man—and his towering height, the employee shrank slightly as he guided Sergei deeper inside.
They arrived at an office. When the door opened, a cluttered room strewn with documents came into view.
"Professor Sergei von Proist has arrived."
"Ah, welcome. Due to security concerns about information leaking, I had no choice but to ask you to come in person. I apologize for the inconvenience."
"I understand. Now, please explain what's going on."
With the investigators' eyes fixed on him, the lead investigator handed Sergei a stack of documents. At a glance, they appeared to be investigation reports on the state of the barrier surrounding the Imperial Academy, though Sergei found them difficult to interpret.
"After the dormitory single-room well terror incident, we examined every gap in the barrier. The results showed no damage to the spellwork whatsoever. However, if you look here..."
The lead investigator pointed to a photograph in the documents. It showed the rear gate area of the academy—the section of the barrier slightly removed from the single-room dormitories.
"There were traces of extremely faint mana interference here."
"Mana interference?"
"Signs that it was opened and then forcibly closed again."
"......"
Sergei crossed his arms and let out a low hum. The lead investigator spoke of it casually, but this was no ordinary matter. The barrier's alarm hadn't triggered, yet someone had opened it at will and closed it again—without even touching the spellwork. There were only a handful of mages capable of such a feat.
"So, has the Investigation Division identified the culprit?"
"It's difficult to say we've identified anyone specifically, but... we suspect it may be Henderson, the Crow."
When the name he'd been expecting emerged, Sergei clicked his tongue. The Crow known as Henderson was in a league of his own compared to the others. To be accepted as a member of the Crows and gain access to their underground network, one typically needed to meet exceptionally demanding conditions. Only those more capable, stronger, and more skilled than even high-ranking knights could become Crows. Yet Henderson possessed unparalleled martial prowess even among them.
The incident that had brought him fame was the assassination of the Crown Prince. The prince, who had been resting comfortably in the imperial palace rather than traveling, was brutally murdered by Henderson, who had slipped through layer upon layer of security. Hundreds of guards had surrounded the room, but Henderson escaped by flying away through a pre-made hole in the aerial barrier. After that, Henderson had been involved in numerous incidents, from which it became clear that his martial ability rivaled that of the Imperial First Sword, and his understanding of magic was on par with Head Professor Ludwig.
"We'll need to strengthen the barrier."
"Yes. We'll inform Director Alexia about that separately."
If Henderson had truly infiltrated the academy and was targeting the top commoner student, a more powerful barrier would be necessary. If the barrier was created by human hands, there was no guarantee Henderson couldn't breach it. But Alexia's was different. A barrier crafted by her—a Ma-in—poured forth mana beyond what a human body could withstand, making it theoretically impossible to break as long as the spellwork remained intact. It was a somewhat crude method of overwhelming with sheer mana quantity, but asking Alexia was still the safest and most reliable option.
"However, we must also prepare for other possibilities."
"What do you mean?"
"The possibility that Henderson infiltrates again before the barrier is strengthened—or that he's already inside."
"......"
"To be honest, even if all the academy's guards were to engage him, I don't believe we stand a chance. He reduced the imperial palace to ruins, after all. So there's something we'd like to request of you, Professor Sergei."
The lead investigator's next words were exactly what Sergei had anticipated.
"If Henderson appears, please deal with him. No matter how I think about it, the only ones in the academy capable of facing him head-on are you and the director. But the director... well, being a Ma-in, it would be difficult for her to move freely."
"I understand what you're saying. You didn't think I'd flee in such a crisis, did you?"
"N-no, of course not!"
"Hahaha! It was a joke. I'll do as you ask. If Henderson shows up, I'll stop him by any means necessary."
During his time in the imperial army, Sergei's rise to the rank of enemy commander hadn't been solely due to his exceptional tactical skills. In an era when numerous races had flowed into the empire as various nations were incorporated, causing the army's cohesion to fall apart, he was the only one capable of single-handedly suppressing any unit that staged a rebellion. That was why there was only one such monstrous human: Sergei. Therefore, aside from Sergei, there was no one else in the academy who could handle Henderson—at least, not at present.
"So don't worry. I'll make sure no one gets hurt."
Sergei grinned. Henderson had already crossed the line long ago. He'd violated the Crows' unspoken rule of operating only in the shadows. The punishment for a Crow who revealed himself in the light was obvious.
"I'll turn that Crow bastard into pulp, no matter what."
Ding......
Late at night. A man wearing a fedora pulled low and a hood over his face entered the café.
"One glass of milk."
"Hey, you little—"
"One glass of milk."
Recognizing him immediately from his voice and the password, Eric's face twisted in displeasure. It was Hurtlocker—the man being hunted as the culprit behind the attempted terror attack at the Magic Tower. While Schluss had claimed to have forgotten his face, preventing a wanted poster from being drawn, Hurtlocker knew that if Schluss saw him again, recognition was highly likely.
"Get out, you idiot. What if Schluss Heinkel walks in and recognizes you?"
"I've confirmed that Schluss came and left this morning. He won't come twice."
"......"
Eric reluctantly pulled out a bottle of milk from the shelf and poured it into a cup. For someone as security-conscious as Hurtlocker to take such a risk, it had to be an important matter.
"Say what you need to say and leave."
"I was planning to. It seems Crow Henderson is carrying out a request."
"That guy's always busy. So what?"
Crow Henderson had been thoroughly ostracized from Crow society after the Crown Prince assassination. At least, on the surface. The imperial family had requested investigative cooperation from the Crows, and since they couldn't predict the consequences of refusal, the Crows had no choice but to comply. Yet Henderson continued his activities even now, accepting requests from a few clients deeply embedded in the underworld—those with no fear of betrayal.
"The problem is that his target is an Imperial Academy student."
"An Imperial Academy student...? Don't tell me—"
"Yes. I'm certain it's Schluss Heinkel."
"Haa......"
Eric groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Of all people, Henderson had to be targeting Schluss Heinkel. The academy was still monitoring Schluss to determine whether he would be an asset or a liability to the Intelligence Agency. If Henderson barged in and killed him, it would be a disaster. If Schluss died, Emilia would automatically be dismissed and forced to leave the academy as well.
"Henderson. Should I track him?"
"Don't, you fool."
Eric waved his hand dismissively. He recalled the early days of the war, when the Intelligence Agency was establishing itself in the empire. They'd had the misfortune of running into Henderson, resulting in the annihilation of all their agents. Even then, they'd sent only the elite members of the kingdom's forces, so they should have been stronger than the current personnel—certainly not weaker.
......Except for the anomaly that was Hurtlocker.
"I can catch him. No matter how skilled he is, if we pour enough firepower into him, he'll die eventually."
Hurtlocker's specialty was the rapid and simultaneous deployment of magic. Facing him meant confronting dozens of fireballs raining down from all directions. Even if Henderson was praised for his overwhelming mana reserves and spellcasting ability, Eric couldn't help but wonder if Hurtlocker could handle him. Yet the thought of testing that theory never crossed his mind.
"Let's say you can catch him. How do you plan to find him?"
"I haven't thought that far."
"You little— Are you joking?"
"Have the Intelligence Agency find him."
"......"
Watching Hurtlocker speak so confidently, Eric let out a hollow laugh. The lack of a plan suggested there was no need to worry after all.
"Drink this and get out, you idiot."
"Please warm it up."
"What?"
"It's chilly outside. I'd like it warmed, please."
"Just drink it as is, you little punk!"
This guy seemed to be getting more insolent by the day.