The Elusive Detective and the Academy's Hidden Relic
Rai sat on the chair, listening attentively to Sierra's report, but his expression showed little interest. He idly kicked the table with his foot, teetering precariously backward while trying to maintain balance, his mind clearly wandering.
Though she had worked tirelessly on the investigation, Rai already knew the details. The moment Zeroa Bandes was arrested, his younger sister Kara had burst into the academy in tears. Since she lacked proper entry clearance, the guards summoned Rai, and the instant she laid eyes on him, Kara flung herself into his arms, sobbing loudly.
Having used his authority as a homeroom instructor to rescue Zeroa from the academy, Rai's lips were sealed shut. Zeroa insisted on his innocence, yet refused to disclose what he had done that day—during the Ball.
“Yes, I understand.”
“...What are you going to do about this? Make no moves at all?”
Sierra gazed at him with a hint of confusion. Rai, the homeroom instructor with a close connection to Zeroa, appeared indifferent. Yet he let out a yawn, as if the matter held no weight.
“There’s nothing we can do right now.”
“If it’s a false accusation, I could look into the real culprit and assist.”
“Whether he’s innocent or actually guilty, we can’t know for sure. The charges seem almost certain. Sierra, you seem to have quite a bit of faith in Zeroa.”
“As his homeroom instructor, I must trust my student. Until solid evidence emerges, I won’t suspect him.”
Rai smiled at her earnest reply.
—Bang!
The door slammed open, and Aslan and Philia strode in. Trailing behind them, Mia entered with a teary, distressed expression.
“Zeroa got arrested! What on earth happened?! He couldn’t have stolen anything!”
“Yes, please tell us the full details.”
“Senior isn’t at fault… right? Senior wouldn’t do something like that.”
“One person at a time.”
Observing the students bombarding Rai with questions without a single greeting, Sierra smiled faintly.
“It seems more people believe in Zeroa than I thought.”
“—He’s a soft touch, so I’m sure he’ll get his comeuppance someday.”
Sierra nodded and stepped aside, clearing a spot for the four of them to converse.
After silencing Aslan’s raging mouth, Rai explained.
“A suspicious item appeared in his bag… That’s suspicious evidence.”
“You’re suspecting Zeroa?”
“I was only speaking from the security perspective. I don’t think Zeroa is that kind of person either.”
Aslan scowled, but Rai responded with the same nonchalance.
“So, what do you plan to do?”
“Huh? You’re asking me?”
“Then who should I ask?”
“I have no idea. I’m not in a position to poke around freely, and this isn’t my specialty.”
Recalling Rai’s need to conceal his true identity, Philia narrowed her brows. He had solved everything so far that she had instinctively trusted him.
While she scolded herself for being incompetent and pondered how to handle the situation, the door opened again. Aria Shane Brikville stepped inside.
“Oh, the Goddess of Disdain. What brings you here?”
“Because of… Zeroa-kun.”
Rai noticed the confusion flickering in Aria’s usually stoic eyes and let out a playful smile.
“You also believe in Zeroa?”
“Yes, I do.”
Aria stood tall before Rai and answered firmly.
“Please help us.”
“This is the first time the Goddess of Disdain has asked for my help. Is Zeroa that important to you?”
At Rai’s question, Mia beside him stared up at Aria with wide-eyed surprise. Though her name was well known, her title as the academy’s Goddess was even more famous. Mia had gazed at her from afar, awestruck, thinking her light was unreachable. The mention of a love rival brought her despair, but she quickly comforted herself—Zeroa had been arrested, creating a massive obstacle she could never surpass.
Yet Aria’s next words eased her fears.
“Yes… he is precious. The first friend I made when I arrived at the academy.”
“Friend…”
Rai narrowed his eyes in mockery, glancing between Aria, Aslan, and Philia. Even Mia’s teary gaze reflected the same resolve to support Zeroa.
“Listen, I’m not some versatile fox who can do everything.”
“But you can help us, right?”
Aria trusted Rai. Seeing the unwavering certainty in her eyes, Rai shrugged as if the request bored him.
“I already told you guys, but I have no talent for uncovering culprits. I might not be able to solve a perfect crime.”
“…”
Rai flicked a hand like rabbit ears, trying to joke, but no one reacted.
“But those who do well know that.”
“What? Why say it in advance?”
Aslan exploded in anger at Rai’s remark, while Aria let out a small sigh of relief.
“Still, he’s insanely expensive. The more expensive, the more he’ll do the job.”
“That’s fine. I’ll pay whatever it takes.”
Rai rose from his seat upon hearing Aria’s reply. They had agreed to help, so there was no time to hesitate. Zeroa was suffering in a cold cell right now—resolving this swiftly was essential.
Rai and Philia descended to the city together.
“The person to resolve this… is my teacher?”
“No, those two are too unskilled for this sort of thing.”
“Who’s the unskilled one?”
As if she had known exactly what to expect, Selma leaned against the shop front, waiting for Rai.
“Besides you and Clay, who else would it be?”
“Husband aside, I’m not the right person.”
Worrying that Clay inside the shop might have overheard, Philia kept glancing at him while Rai studied Selma’s expression and grinned.
“You called for me?”
“Yep, I did. The moment he got arrested, I reached out. Luckily, I was nearby, so I’ll arrive soon.”
“—He got pursued by a woman even here? Clay’s gonna cry.”
“There’s no man other than my husband I’ll tolerate, you fool. That innocent boy has gathered more malice than expected.”
To Selma, who had lived through a rough life, acts of kindness often led to worse outcomes than good ones.
Though she liked Zeroa’s kind heart, she had already anticipated he might fall into a bad trap because of it. Not his disciple, but she had summoned help for Zeroa, who was of a similar age to her lost son.
“Then the money will come from you?”
“Of course not. It’s the thirsty man digging the well. He’s your disciple, after all.”
“Even with plenty of money, you’re stingy.”
“He’s too expensive, that guy.”
Philia wondered how much it could cost. Even the master assassin who had amassed countless fortunes called him that expensive.
“Since we can only kill people anyway, let’s take our time until he arrives and work on our own tasks. Plus, why not watch my disciple’s training while we’re at it?”
“What? I’m not some knife-throwing mercenary. I’m the respected strategy instructor at the academy.”
“You’re talking about mass murder.”
Rai grumbled as he and Selma entered the shop.
Despite Zeroa being in grave danger, the two appeared as calm as ever. Philia wondered who exactly they trusted so deeply.
“My name is Elin. I am a detective.”
The students gathered—Philia, Aslan, Aria, and the rest—stared blankly at the small beastkin girl who looked like a miniature rabbit.
She removed her hat with a stylish flourish, but the long, fluffy white rabbit ears poking from her head twitched, drawing every gaze. Her long, silky white hair and red eyes were irresistibly cute, yet somehow untrustworthy.
Observing the silent students, Rai stepped forward and extended a hand toward Elin.
“This is the fixer Elin.”
“Wait a moment! She’s a detective, Mr. Rai!”
“I’ve heard she calls herself a detective for ages. Since she made up the term, you can ignore it.”
“No, I explained! A detective is the noble profession that solves cases from the ancient era!”
“So that’s why she’s a fixer.”
“I said no!”
Rai and the girl’s banter left Aslan quietly leaning close to Philia.
“This is nothing like I expected.”
Philia agreed. Fixers handled all sorts of tasks, and among them were specialists in specific fields.
Selma and Clay specialized in assassination, while other fixers focused on escort or tracking. Philia had expected someone skilled in tracking or information to arrive, but the girl before her had a completely different appearance. Her expectations were shattered.
Still, you couldn’t judge a person by looks alone. She was acting like a spoiled child, yet Rai had brought her confidently, so something must be off.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
Aria bowed her head to Elin, who was arguing with Rai.
“Please don’t worry. With this genius detective Elin here, the real culprit will be revealed.”
Elin nodded arrogantly, but Rai shot her a glare from behind.
“But you should know. I came to uncover the truth. If the culprit is Zeroa, my deduction is flawless—the contract is complete.”
“Yes, Zeroa-kun wouldn’t do something like that.”
Seeing Aria and the others look at her with trusting eyes, Elin smiled lightly at Rai.
“Then… Elin, Rai-san. May I see the stolen item?”
“Are you an idiot? There’s no way to see a holy relic easily. And since the theft already happened, it’s probably hidden better than ever.”
“Oh? But that won’t do.”
Elin pondered seriously and asked Rai to recount the case again. Once he had explained everything down to the last detail, she perked up her ears and reviewed her notes.
“So this is the issue. The alibi for the day of the Ball. Why hasn’t Zeroa-kun said anything? Refusing to give a statement makes him look suspicious.”
Aria opened her mouth at Elin’s words.
“It’s probably because of me.”
“Oh—beautiful young lady. You’re stunning. I’ve traveled the continent, but I’ve never seen anyone prettier than you.”
Elin flattered her, waiting for Aria’s reply.
“On the day of the Ball, Zeroa-kun left the party and spent time with me.”
The entire group stared at Aria in shock except Rai and Elin.
“Senior… are you dating Senior Aria?”
“Zeroa… this amazing guy… they’re dating?”
Mia’s face crumpled with despair, while Aslan stared at Aria in disbelief.
Though the truth was astonishing, Philia wondered if it mattered now. She remained silent, simply observing with curiosity about Aria’s answer.
“No… I felt so embarrassed I couldn’t attend the Ball, so I wandered nearby… Zeroa-kun didn’t leave me alone and spent time with me instead.”
“Hmm… but why didn’t Zeroa-kun say anything?”
“Probably because… I was embarrassed and asked everyone not to tell… That’s what I think.”
Philia and Rai sighed at Aria’s words. They knew exactly what kind of uproar would erupt across the academy if the news that she had danced with Zeroa spread.
Since she had made a promise to him, she had to keep it. But seeing her stay silent despite the risk of ruining her life made Philia shake her head in exasperation.
“This guy thinks that’s cool?”
“Huh? W-wasn’t that cool? A man who promises something should keep it.”
Aslan tried to defend Zeroa, but after taking a hit from the Rai-Philia combo, he fell silent.
“Then the alibi stands. Still, it won’t help much.”
“Why?”
“He left too quickly. After that, he went straight home instead of returning to the party. The alibi doesn’t check out with the theft time. If honor is involved, you don’t even need to reveal it.”
“But if we don’t—”
“No. Whether revealed or not, it’s already settled—let’s protect the man’s pride.”
Elin smiled brightly and patted Aria, who seemed to blame herself.
Then she looked up at Rai and grinned.
“I don’t know much about academy culture, but from your reactions, I can tell what kind of position Aria is in. Let’s investigate around Aria.”
“Why?”
Rai asked. From the small pouch at her waist, Elin produced a pair of large glasses and spoke confidently while scanning the group.
“The investigation direction is ‘Zeroa-kun was framed.’ Even if it’s wrong, we have to assume that first. The only reason anyone would frame Zeroa-kun—someone with perfect social connections—is one reason.”
Aria looked confused, but every eye in the room turned to her at Elin’s words.
“As expected, Cuthbert is right…”
“There are even cultists.”
Aslan and Philia were the ones now suspecting Cuthbert and mentioning cultists. Elin had confidently assumed Aria’s popularity would lead them to investigate a wide network of human relationships, but she hadn’t expected it to cover the entire academy—including instructors and staff. She might even have to shake the whole place.