Chapter 32
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 32: By Chance, Or Maybe Not.
“Where have you been? All night long.”
A question that chilled my spine.
Javert was staring at me with her signature inorganic gaze.
“......”
I couldn't answer hastily and let out a short breath.
The silence that followed was precarious, like stepping on a blade.
I quietly bit my lip.
‘I never thought... I'd run into Javert.’
Is it a coincidence?
What are the odds of running into her like this?
Did she know I wasn't in the dormitory?
Then, does she also know the fact that I went outside the academy?
‘......No.’
Worries swelled like bubbles, but I popped them in an instant.
There was no way my movements were exposed.
I moved while avoiding the eyes of the faculty members.
Taking routes that wouldn't be accurately detected, and only finding ways not to be tailed.
‘So it is a coincidence.’
I cool my head calmly.
Javert spoke as if she had been waiting for me, but that's a bluff.
She must have simply discovered me while on her night patrol.
Understandably so, because if she had known my whereabouts from the start, she would have tailed me a long time ago.
‘I won't fall for it.’
In this case, I should rather respond nonchalantly.
Kill any suspicious signs.
Rather, react as if caught doing something bad.
Like an ordinary student caught enjoying a deviation.
“My my... P-Professor Javert. To think we would run into each other at such a late hour.”
“Yes, I also didn't expect to run into Student Viktor at this hour.”
“You must have been on a night patrol.”
“That is correct. More than that, please answer the question first.”
“Mmm, umm...”
Clumsiness shown on purpose.
A reaction as if walking on eggshells.
All calculated actions.
I answer the woman hesitantly.
“That is...”
“I smell blood. From Student Viktor.”
“You noticed it like a ghost. Because I was just on my way back from a short hunt...”
“A hunt?”
Javert furrowing her brow at the out-of-the-blue sound.
To such a woman, I show the creature wriggling in my front pocket as if for her to see.
It was Carmilla in bat form.
“Would you look at this?”
“This is... a spiritual creature. The one Student Viktor said you were taming.”
“You remember! It's a fellow that has now become the soulmate of my spirit.”
I proudly hold out Carmilla.
Like a student anxious to show off his pet to his homeroom professor.
Was it because of that innocence?
The sharp air was slightly blunted.
“Even if it doesn't look like it... this fellow eats quite a lot. Besides, its taste is picky, so I always have to feed it fresh blood. As much as so, I usually keep plenty of blood packs to use as food. But...”
“But?”
“Yesterday I was absent-minded, and forgot to fill up its food.”
“So, you went out in the middle of the night to get that fresh blood?”
“Normally I would have waited until morning, but it was complaining so much today. It made a lot of noise, and didn't even let me fall asleep. Since it seemed ready to continue interrupting my sleep until the problem was solved, I left the dormitory thinking to just go for a short while.”
“Where did you handle this hunt?”
“Ah, it was the hunting ground located near our main building. This fellow likes the blood of rabbit monsters.”
“The student hunting ground. Access to that facility for cadets should be restricted after midnight. Did you sneak in?”
“I am sorry about that too...”
*Puk—.*
I bowed my head.
Following that, I appealed that my words were true.
“Ah... if you want, I can let you confirm.”
*Rummage, rummage—.*
I moved my hand as if taking out a bag slung at my waist.
With such an act, I took out a case stored in my robe.
Inside it, fresh blood packs were packed tightly as if just filled.
“You can see it too, Professor, right? It wouldn't be this fresh unless blood was just drawn.”
Evidence.
It was evidence that seemed to say I had been staying at the hunting ground until just before.
‘Of course... I just luckily pieced it together.’
Those are blood packs I prepared more than a week ago.
After drawing blood, I stored them directly into my robe.
Since time is fixed for items inside the inventory, the freshness didn't drop at all.
It was annoying to draw blood every time, so I had carried them fully packed at once, but I didn't know it would be helpful in this way.
“Certainly... it doesn't seem to have been more than 1 hour since blood was drawn.”
After carefully examining the blood packs, Javert nodded her head.
The woman returned the case as if saying I didn't need to show her anymore.
Yet she threw out one question.
A gaze stuck on my hand receiving the case back.
“How did you injure your hand?”
“Ah...”
That's right.
A hand with small wounds and noticeably swollen.
It was the fist that cracked while I was beating up the Director.
I slyly wiped the wound and laughed awkwardly.
“Haha... this is embarrassing. Actually, while I was hunting, one fellow suddenly popped up. Maybe because the surroundings were dark, my vision was narrow. I threw a punch first and observed, but I slipped once and it ended up like this.”
“Your hand swelled that much just from hitting a monster?”
“You know, right? That my overall stats are around E-rank.”
“Hmm...”
“Because I naturally have a weak body.”
“......”
Javert without any particular reaction.
She had good reason to be dumbfounded.
To think the guy who toyed with even the Class C top student got injured by a mere E-rank monster...
‘But what can I do when it's the truth.’
In reality, my physical body is exactly that weak.
As far as overall stats go, I was a man unprecedented in a bad way.
Since Javert is also my homeroom professor, she would know well about my miserable profile.
““......””
In the end, there was no corner to pick a fault.
After a tense silence, the woman suddenly let out a deep sigh.
“Haa... Unauthorized outing after curfew, entering the student hunting ground during restricted hours. Based on these two items, I will impose 20 penalty points.”
“My my...”
Nice.
It seems she intends to withdraw her suspicion and back off for now.
I almost showed my joy for a moment but desperately swallowed it.
Because right now I was acting as 'Student 1 Caught in a Deviation'.
I asked with a bit of unfairness.
“Couldn't you overlook it just this once?”
“No. Because principles exist to be kept.”
“How could this be. It's only been a fortnight since enrollment, and already 20 penalty points...”
“You reap what you sow. If penalty points accumulate over 50, it can have a negative impact on your grades. Please be careful.”
“Ugh... As expected, you are strict, Professor.”
“I am only processing it according to the set principles and rules.”
Absolutely. You bet.
The Professor is right.
While chewing on my inner delight, Javert approaches closer and speaks.
“Your hand, give it to me.”
“Pardon?”
“Your hand. I asked you to show me the injury.”
“Ah...? Yes, here it is.”
*Kko-ok—.*
Fingers interlacing as soon as I handed it over.
Roughly worn, yet warm flesh wrapped around the back of my hand.
Without even time to be flustered by that, light bloomed from the woman's fingertips.
*Hwaaaaak—!*
“Ugh...”
My vision suddenly brightened.
Soon a faint heat permeated, and the small wounds healed.
The throbbing pain disappeared. Only a soft light remained in its place.
Javert, holding that light, spoke without even looking this way.
“It is a simple measure.”
“Divine power...?”
“Even if I let it pass for now since the hour is late, please make sure to visit the infirmary by tomorrow. Even if you don't feel pain, you must go.”
“You mean the infirmary? It seems it was already fully recovered by the divine power just now...”
“It is a principle. If I check later and there is no record of visiting the infirmary, I will impose additional penalty points.”
“Such harsh...!”
Cold green eyes.
However, the woman's heat was soft, and her touch was also affectionate.
She meticulously finished the treatment and stepped back.
Was she going to return to her patrol duties slowly?
“I will end the reprimand here.”
“I am sorry. I seem to have made you worry for nothing.”
“It is fine. More than that, you are aware that there is a grade practice starting next week, right.”
“Of course.”
“Starting the day after tomorrow, team member matching will begin in earnest. Please take care of your body. This practice is a part directly related to grades. Because other students wouldn't want to accept a student with this and that injury as a team member either.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Then, I will see you at the next lecture.”
Afterward, Javert turned her back and left without lingering attachment.
Only the heat she left behind shimmered faintly on my hand.
While I was fiddling with it for a moment, Carmilla bit my finger as if dissatisfied.
[ 🦇 Carmilla ]
[......Viktor.]
“Ah, Princess.”
[ 🦇 Carmilla ]
[This lady is not a glutton.]
“Ah... I apologize. Because I had no way to gloss it over, I just.”
[ 🦇 Carmilla ]
[To sell your master because you have nothing to sell, that disloyalty pierces the sky.]
I consoled the slightly sulky Princess.
While my eyes kept examining Javert's receding back.
‘Did she... roughly let it pass.’
Of course, it didn't seem like she had completely thrown away her suspicion.
Because those eyes still showed signs of vigilance.
Of course, that was better for me.
Because the suspicion she bloomed would soon return as a good use.
I took a large breath of the night air and took steps toward my room.
“Haa... it was a grueling night.”
1,977 words
337 views