Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Back to Daily Life (3)
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Shirone's face twisted in disbelief. His friends' reactions weren't much different. Amy shook her head, pressing her fingers to her brow.
"Seriel, what kind of books have you been reading lately?"
"Oh! This one!"
As if she'd been waiting for the cue, Seriel pulled out a novel. The title, *The Primal Snare*, was written on its lurid red cover.
"This is the hottest book in stores right now. It's about a married nobleman who falls in love with his maid, and there's a line that goes like this: 'I seem to have broken your plate. What will you do now? Will you demand my body?' Then the nobleman ties her up with a rope and..."
"Stop! That's enough. Right there!"
Amy raised a hand to cut her off. She had a feeling she shouldn't hear any more.
"What's wrong? This is where it gets good."
"Seriel, no matter how much you love novels, please don't confuse them with reality. Those kinds of books are just trying to hook readers with sensational and provocative content."
"Hmph! That's because you haven't read it. If you just read it once, you'd be completely hooked. Speaking of which, want to borrow it?"
When Seriel offered *The Primal Snare*, Amy quickly turned her head away. If she accepted, she'd be subjected to at least a week of Seriel's book reports.
Shirone leaned back against a cushion.
"Sigh. Today's my last day in the infirmary. Thanks for visiting all this time. You too, Seriel."
"Don't say that. To be honest, studying as a senior was killing me. It was nice for both Amy and me to get a breather."
Amy didn't deny it. The daily competition for rankings had pushed her stress to the limit. The temporary school closure had been a welcome rain for the graduating class.
Seriel spoke with a somber expression.
"But I'm worried about the headmaster. Honestly, his decision was unexpected. It was something that could have been handled within the Creas Autonomous Zone, but he chose to undergo an inspection by the Magic Association himself."
Alpheas had voluntarily submitted a complaint against himself. Given his high reputation on the continent, he could have easily smoothed things over, but he accepted all of the student council's claims. In the end, the case was handed over to the Third Inspection Department, known to be the most ruthless in the Magic Association.
"The Third Inspection Department is known as the special prosecution within the Magic Association. They say they follow the law to the letter, regardless of connections. Even Headmaster Alpheas won't be able to avoid disciplinary action."
Shirone thought it was for the best.
"The headmaster has lived with this pain for forty years. If this gives him a chance to relieve even a small part of that burden, I think accepting the punishment is a good thing."
Nade said.
"Let's just wait and see how things go. Who are we worried about, anyway? It's Alpheas, a certified Grade 4 mage. We'll be busy again once the school reopens, so let's get plenty of rest while we can."
"Yeah. That sounds good."
Shirone glanced toward the window.
The afternoon sun streamed in, casting a languid light.
* * *
The capital city, Bashka.
Viewed from the Jijeo Mountains, Bashka's royal castle soared into the sky, with key institutions spreading out from it in concentric circles. The capital's residents would say that any building visible from the mountains was an institution that symbolized the nation.
One of them was the Magic Association. The eighteen-story building managed the affairs of all mages registered in the Tormia Kingdom and, through coordination with other agencies, handled inspections and intelligence missions for the magical community, making it a nerve center of the nation.
It was a place any mage would want to visit at least once, but Thadd, tasked with escorting Alpheas, Canis, and their group, felt like an ox being led to the slaughter.
"Master, is this really the best way?"
"This is what I wanted. My only regret is that I dragged it out for too long."
Alpheas's resolve was firm. Thadd hadn't asked with any real expectation of changing his mind. He just wanted to reconfirm his master's will, knowing that once they crossed the threshold of the Association, there would be no turning back.
"I understand. I'll wait here until the trial is over."
Alpheas looked pleased. He entered with Canis and Arin, surrendered himself to the Inspection Department, and the three of them were placed in separate solitary cells to wait for a day.
The next day, Alpheas was the first to enter the interrogation room. Meanwhile, Canis and Arin waited their turn in an isolation facility lined with magical devices. The mana control devices made it impossible to enter the Spirit Zone. But beyond that, even Harvest was unable to act.
About three hours later, the summons came.
"Canis, Arin. Out."
Though their guilt had not yet been officially proven, the Magic Association officials were already treating the two like criminals. It was likely because they had heard the report from Alpheas, who had finished his interrogation first.
Canis and Arin silently followed the order. As they entered the corridor leading to the interrogation rooms, they saw Alpheas walking toward them from the opposite direction. Canis intended to pass him by without a word. But just before they crossed paths, Alpheas turned to the guard.
"Excuse me, but could you give us a moment to talk?"
"Ah, yes. But not for too long."
Canis scoffed at the guard's completely different attitude toward Alpheas. The man was being treated well not because he was strong, but because he was famous. It irked him to see Alpheas, whose magical skills were inferior to Arcane's, acting with the air of a victor.
Once the guards stepped away, Alpheas spoke.
"There's no need to be so tense. Just answer a few questions and you'll be out."
"Aren't you mistaken? We're not some docile students you teach. We've been through countless battles. No matter what happens, we're not afraid of anything."
Having seen the worst of the battlefield, Canis certainly possessed something his peers did not. But because of the life he'd led, he had also lost a great deal. Alpheas wanted to help the two of them, who still had bright futures, reclaim what they had lost.
"Actually, that's why I wanted to see you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Once this is all over, how about enrolling in the magic academy?"
Canis felt as if he had just been cursed out. Did the man not know how he had lived? To tell him, who had learned magic by risking his life, to mix with a bunch of sheltered flowers in a greenhouse.
"Don't be ridiculous. My master didn't lose because he was weak. If it weren't for Abyss Nova—no, if we had fought properly, he could have blown you away in a single blow."
"That might have been the case."
Alpheas readily admitted.
"But if it hadn't happened that way, I might have been the one to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness."
Canis bit his lip. He couldn't accept those words, but he couldn't refute them either.
"Canis, that is the nature of evil. No matter how justified the reasons, it is bound to be hated. You can climb much higher. I want to give you a bright future, not one of darkness."
"Why do you care about me? Is this pity?"
"I was also Arcane's student. That makes me your senior disciple, in a way. Just as time cannot be turned back, some bonds last forever. If you want to live a new life, I will help you."
Canis didn't answer. What new life could there be for him now? All he had ever learned was how to fight; it was his destiny to live on the battlefield.
As Alpheas walked away down the corridor, the guard took hold of Canis and Arin again and led them to the interrogation room. Unlike the prison of Inferno he had imagined, the room was neat and tidy. A small man sat at a table with his back to them. From behind, all they could see was that he had silver hair.
"Investigator, these are the suspects in the case, Canis and Arin."
"Ah, come this way."
The voice was chilling, like scraping metal. It carried the sharp edge of someone who worked in the field for the notorious Third Inspection Department. Canis and Arin walked around the table and sat down facing the investigator. Contrary to their expectations, he didn't have a frightening appearance. His chin was pointed like a cat's, and he was smiling with his eyes narrowed to thin slits.
"I am Investigator Sakiri of the Third Inspection Department. You are Canis and Arin, correct?"
"That's right."
Canis answered calmly. But Arin said nothing. It wouldn't do to get on the investigator's bad side, so Canis turned his head and asked.
"Arin, what's wrong?"
Arin was trembling, her face pale. Canis understood the situation when he saw her eyes, fixed on Sakiri, shaking with shock.
'What did she see to be this startled?'
"Canis, I can't read him..."
It was impossible for Arin, with her Hyper-Sense, to fail to read the feeling of an object. This meant he either had no feeling to begin with, or he had artificially erased it.
In fact, the image of Sakiri that Arin saw was bizarre. His entire body was made of a smooth, mirror-like metal, and his egg-shaped face had no features. His hands and feet were pointed like cones, making it impossible to read even the slightest emotion. It was a form of Hyper-Sense that could only manifest when emotions were completely blocked.
"My, it seems the young lady is surprised. Hyper-Sense, is that what you call it? We've blocked your magic, but there's no way to suppress your innate qualities. Not that I think you two would cause a disturbance, of course."
His interest piqued, Sakiri set down his pen and crossed his legs.
Arin watched as his cone-shaped legs twisted. They were coiling and uncoiling repeatedly, like a pretzel.
'This man... he's toying with me.'
He wasn't simply suppressing his emotions. He was someone who could perfectly control them.
"Focus."
Arin snapped her head up. The investigator's smooth, mirror-like face stretched into a sharp cone, extending right up to the space between her eyebrows.
"If you please. We are on official business, after all. Arin, is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Terrified, Arin barely registered that she had answered. The sharp cone aimed at her brow was likely the manifestation of Sakiri's fierce gaze. She had never seen Hyper-Sense manifest in such a clean form. She had the thought that any criminal who crossed this man would be picked clean to the bone.
Canis and Arin finally faced reality. They were in the custody of the kingdom's most powerful and authoritative judicial body. As the two waited, crestfallen, Sakiri's needle-sharp face returned to its smooth, metallic, egg-like shape.
"Well, I've prepared a report based on Mr. Alpheas's testimony, but there are a few things I need to confirm. Please answer my questions."
Sakiri went through several points via a series of questions and answers. Arin and Canis answered truthfully. After about an hour, Sakiri organized his files with a satisfied look.
"Yes. Most of the testimony matches up. There are some parts that don't, but they aren't particularly important."
It was a surprisingly complacent statement to come from an investigator of the Inspection Department. But Sakiri seemed unconcerned as he leaned back in his chair and continued.
"In the end, it's a kind of brainwashing, isn't it? It's like this: Arcane used your unfortunate lives to brainwash you from a young age."
"What?"
Canis's eyes hardened. Being called a villain would have been better. Sakiri's words were a complete denial of the very foundation of his life.
"My master never forced me to do anything. I did it. It was my choice."
Knowing the investigator's strength, Arin grew anxious when Canis got angry. But when she looked at Sakiri through her Hyper-Sense, his form remained unchanged.
"A vicious method. He saves you, makes you respect him, and then says something like, 'You know, I need something like this done... but of course, I'm not saying you have to be the one to do it.'"
Canis couldn't understand what the investigator was saying. He had come here to pay for his crimes. But now, this talk of brainwashing? Were they planning to throw him in a mental hospital?