Forbidden Books
"Tsk..."
Ludwig clicked his tongue as he lifted the cloth drenched in vivid crimson. The sight of the head completely severed from the neck was utterly revolting.
"In the end, I never got to see the face."
Ludwig wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief and rose to his feet once more. Small numbered placards were planted throughout the area beside footprints, bloodstains, and other traces. They were there to preserve evidence, apparently. Whether this was a recently adopted investigative technique or not, the sight felt distinctly foreign to Ludwig.
"What is this?"
Ludwig halted before the placard marked with the number 3. It had been stuck in front of a single stone, and he could not fathom how it qualified as evidence. It looked like nothing more than a pebble that had rolled into the mansion. Or rather, a shattered fragment of one.
"Ah, that? It's one of Henderson's favorite tricks, Head Professor."
Ludwig narrowed his eyes at Sergei's voice coming from behind him.
"A trick? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"It might be easier to show you than to explain. All right. Let's pretend I'm Henderson."
"What in the world—"
Sergei slipped a hand into his pocket while muttering something incomprehensible. At that moment, a small stone rolled out from his pocket. Ludwig's eyes instinctively tracked it. Only a moment later did he realize what it was.
"There. At this point, Head Professor, you'd be dead."
"...A flash stone, is it?"
"Correct. Your eyes are drawn to it whether you want them to be or not. Then you lose your vision and get ambushed by Henderson."
"A troublesome ploy."
Even if one were consciously aware and closed their eyes, it would be impossible to avoid completely. If the opponent shut their eyes, Henderson could simply refrain from detonating the stone and strike first. The opponent would then suffer a delayed reaction from having closed their eyes for nothing. It was a simple yet powerful technique that could reliably seize the initiative in a standoff.
I would have had a hard time surviving if I'd been there.
Ludwig felt a sting to his pride but had to admit it. If he had faced a fighter like Henderson at such close range, he would have been killed in an instant. Especially if he'd been hit by that flash. He could employ high-level techniques that used mana waves to perceive the surroundings, but they lacked the precision of actual sight and would likely prove insufficient to counter Henderson's assault.
Only someone with exceptionally high mana sensitivity who had fully mastered using it like a second pair of eyes might be able to respond even after being blinded by the flash.
There's no such person.
Ludwig had briefly suspected that Schluss Heinkel might be such a person, but he quickly dismissed the possibility. It was impossible. Absorbing mana waves and converting them into visual information for interpretation was not a process the human brain could endure. Besides, while Schluss's eyes did seem somewhat... no, quite lifeless, the movement of his pupils made it clear he was no blind man.
"Then how did Schluss Heinkel survive something like this?"
"......"
Ludwig murmured as he examined the lingering traces of mana around the scene. Fragments of the broken barrier spell still clung to the surrounding mana. One layer... two layers... three layers... four layers in total. Each was quite thick, and the structure even offered resistance to all four elements. Schluss's attack had pierced all four layers and still shattered Henderson's head beyond recognition.
"I'm not sure either. If you asked the man himself... Ah."
Sergei turned around and let out a sigh. He had just remembered that Schluss had already left. There were mountains of questions, yet the person who held the answers had casually gone off to sleep.
"How do you plan to handle this incident?"
"What do you mean?"
"Announcing that Schluss Heinkel captured Henderson might cause considerable chaos. It would be better if we announced that Professor Sergei was the one who killed him..."
"Uhahaha! Now I'm starting to understand!"
Sergei suddenly clapped Ludwig on the back. Ludwig openly displayed his displeasure at the unexpected physical contact, but Sergei seemed completely oblivious as he laughed heartily.
"The classroom terrorist attack. That was Schluss's doing, wasn't it? And you, Head Professor, stopped it to protect the boy."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Kahaha! No use playing dumb. It's all been found out, Head Professor."
"...Tsk."
Ludwig turned his head away sharply. It was supposed to be a secret. Yet somehow the number of people who knew—aside from the parties involved—had grown far too large.
"But I'm afraid we won't be able to handle this one the same way."
Sergei gestured with his chin toward one side of the grounds. At the end of the path, a group of over a dozen people was marching forward in formation. There were knights in gleaming full plate armor and mages in formal uniforms. Their attire made it immediately obvious they had come from the imperial palace.
"The imperial family will likely want to reward whoever captured Henderson."
After all, Henderson had been hunted for the crime of assassinating the crown prince. The imperial family would undoubtedly conduct a thorough investigation and bestow rewards upon the one who had slain him. If it were later discovered that the credit had been fabricated, even Ludwig and Sergei would face punishment equivalent to execution.
"Things are going to get even noisier."
"Indeed they are."
Ever since Schluss arrived, it felt like one disturbance after another. Ludwig had no idea how great the repercussions of this incident would be. Massaging his throbbing temples, he left the scene behind. He had lectures tomorrow and would have to make do with a short nap.
"Haa..."
I opened my eyes, feeling utterly exhausted. It was the usual time I woke up—around six o'clock. Perhaps it was because I'd changed beds, but I simply couldn't sleep properly. I briefly considered pulling the covers back over my head and sleeping for another hour, but—
Whatever. My eyes always look dead anyway, so I'll just seem tired as usual.
I decided to accept that today would be a rather exhausting day. After all, I still needed to practice swinging my sword in the morning.
I wondered if Emilia had slept well. With that thought in mind, I opened the door and—
"Ah... Did you sleep well...?"
I came face to face with Emilia, who looked like a zombie. From what I gathered, she had woken up at four in order to finish cleaning before I rose. But the director's quarters were rather spacious... As a result, even after two hours, she had only managed to finish half the work.
Seeing someone far more exhausted than myself right before my eyes caused every complaint to vanish from my mind.
"It's quite large, isn't it? Just do it roughly and take a break."
"No, it's all right. It seems the place has been left unattended for a long time, so there's dust everywhere... Considering Mr. Heinkel's health, it's only proper to give the whole place a thorough cleaning."
With those words, Emilia picked up the wet mop again and resumed scrubbing the floor. The way she worked diligently without asking for help or uttering a single complaint was oddly endearing. It was like watching a child desperate for approval.
I let out a small chuckle, picked up a mop leaning against the wall.
"Ah, Mr. Heinkel? You really don't have to help. If you just rest for a bit, I'll finish soon..."
"I'm not helping. I simply can't relax when someone else is working hard around me. I'm doing this for my own sake."
"......"
Even though the excuse was blatantly transparent, Emilia simply lowered her head and offered no reply. She seemed to have guessed the truth—that there was no particular reason behind my assistance.
The cleaning was finished in about an hour. Yet even after it was done, an awkward silence lingered between us.
Maybe she was wary because I was suddenly being too kind... She might suspect I had some ulterior motive.
Come to think of it, while touring the mansion I had discovered several interesting rooms. One was a storage room in the basement. It was completely empty and seemed perfect to use as a training room. It was surrounded by a sturdy barrier, which made it ideal. Another was a study packed full of books. I hadn't been able to check what titles were there while cleaning, so I headed there first to take a look.
"Oh..."
The director's study. Since Alexia had barely used this mansion, these must be books collected by the previous director. Before I knew it, I had fallen under the spell of that unmistakable book scent, wandering between the shelves and running my fingers over the spines.
Most were bound in leather, suggesting they were expensive volumes. But if left like this, they would surely develop mold. I would have to ask Emilia to pay special attention to this study.
"Hm?"
At that moment, one particular book caught my eye. The title on its relatively new-looking cover was anything but ordinary. With trembling hands, I pulled it from the shelf. I carefully turned the pages, and one line froze me in place.
"To be or not to be. That is the question."
It was that famous line anyone would recognize.
"I'm really sorry, but! That one won't do!"
At that instant, a cheerful voice rang out from behind me as a hand reached over and snapped the book shut. I turned around to find, as expected, Alexia wearing a bright, beaming smile.
"Sorry! I came to retrieve some luggage I hadn't taken with me yet! I didn't realize you'd already moved in!"
"Ah. Shall I step out for a moment?"
"No need! There aren't many things! I'll gather them quickly and leave!"
With those words, Alexia spun once around the study, using psychokinesis to pull several books from the shelves and stack them in the air. With each additional volume that joined the floating pile, I had to struggle harder to suppress my growing agitation. Every single title was far from ordinary...
"Director."
"Yes, Schluss dear?"
"Those books. I'd like to borrow them and read them."
"Aah! I'm sorry! These have been designated as forbidden books!"
"Forbidden books... And why is that?"
"The origins and authors are unclear! The contents also feel strangely unnatural and bizarre! It's almost as if they depict another world, wouldn't you say? We suspect they might be coded messages meant for foreign spies! So they're currently under investigation!"
"...I see."
"Once we determine there are no issues! I'll lend them to you at my own discretion!"
With those final words, Alexia left the study carrying four books with her.
Even after she disappeared, I remained unable to shake off the shock for quite some time. Because the titles of those books were, respectively... Hamlet. Crime and Punishment. Faust. And The Little Prince.
The authors' names weren't listed, but I was certain. These were literary works from Earth—from my original world, not this one.
"Heheung. So you do have an eye for these things! How did you pick exactly these!"
Upon returning to her office, Alexia set the books down and giggled with delight. It seemed the demonic allure these books possessed could be felt by Schluss as well. Hamlet. That was the one Schluss had picked up.
Alexia practically draped herself across her desk as she opened the book.
"Really... it's so fascinating!"
She had already read it through five times. It was a rather unfriendly novel set in a world that felt too disconnected to be reality, yet offered no explanation whatsoever about that world. There were quite a few parts where, no matter how many times she reread them, she could only guess at their meaning. Nevertheless, the novel was strangely entertaining. Even though she couldn't understand or relate to it, it still was.
There was something about it that tickled a deep part of her heart and evoked such feelings. It was a sensation difficult to explain in any way.
"But where could they have come from?"
These books had appeared roughly a month ago. Right around the time the Imperial Academy entrance exams were being held. One had been found in a corner of the library. Another on the side of the road. Yet another inside an ordinary household. They had been discovered in all sorts of places, but they shared one common point: they had suddenly appeared one day when no one had ever seen them before.
Even after mobilizing every ounce of authority she possessed as director to investigate, she had learned nothing about the books' identities or their authors. The only thing she had confirmed was that these books did not belong to this world.
"There really are so many mysterious things in this world!"
Another unsolved mystery had been added to the list. Alexia's eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of one more puzzle to solve.