Chapter 132: Alice (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132: Alice (3)
In a war of information, I held the absolute advantage.
Alice, as the Student Council President and a member of the Truth Investigation Committee, was likely testing me with her own informational edge. After all, the details she had mentioned earlier weren't things an ordinary student should know.
But…
‘How could I not know?’
I had memorized every scrap of lore related to ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
The secret to retaining all that information was simple. Since the moment I transmigrated into this world, I had been meticulously reviewing every detail I’d recorded on the parchment where I’d mapped out the game’s settings.
Naturally, I remained hyper-vigilant at every moment to ensure my knowledge hadn't been compromised or mistaken.
The phrase "there were only four people" that Alice deliberately dropped was bait designed to corner me. I couldn't afford to bite. If one excluded Kaya, Lisetta, and Ian, I was the only suspect left who could be the Black Monster.
In other words, if I simply agreed or said "I’m not sure" to that statement…
It would be like handing her the opportunity to trap me with logic like, “You were the only one who could be suspected as the Black Monster at that time,” or “Aren’t you the Black Monster?”
There was a high risk of being manipulated by Alice’s wordplay. Even for a seasoned actor like myself, the probability of a slip-up increased the longer the conversation dragged on.
That was why I countered her with a subtly aggressive edge. "Senior... had no reason to lie to me."
By doing this, I could deflect Alice’s indirect interrogation, shut down the topic in one fell swoop, and gauge her reaction instead.
Alice’s smile faded, replaced by a flicker of displeasure.
“…Why do you think that?”
“It’s just… the number of people I saw and heard about easily exceeds four.”
Alice wore a perplexed expression, as if she didn't follow.
There was a glaring flaw in Alice’s logic. In the hunting evaluation of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, several others besides Kaya, Lisetta, and Ian had reached the core area.
‘Keridna, Ciel, Tristan, Irene, and Doji.’
Among those who reached the center, I had only personally encountered Lisetta, but the others possessed more than enough skill to reach the heart of Elt Island before the underground giant demon appeared.
It was simply that I hadn't crossed paths with them.
The Truth Investigation Committee had also discovered they reached the core during their inquiry. I had discreetly looked into it and confirmed they knew this while investigating the hunting evaluation incident with Lisetta.
The reason I had to obsess over such minor details was simple.
‘Because I have to survive.’
In a situation where I had to struggle to survive with my limited intellect and strength against an Evil God capable of unmaking the world…
Ensuring that nothing deviated from my knowledge—constantly reviewing and preparing—was the best effort I could possibly make.
Alice’s pink eyes flickered to the upper right, a sign of deep calculation.
Soon after…
“…It seems I was mistaken. There have been so many incidents lately, I must have confused it with something else.”
Alice conceded.
From there, we engaged in idle small talk until we reached the dorms. We headed toward the men’s wing of Briggs Hall, the dormitory for middle-to-lower-ranked students where I resided.
“Have you recovered enough to rely on your familiar? I can’t enter the men’s dorm.”
“I think I’m fine now. Thank you, Senior.”
I offered a broad smile, pretending to be moved by her kindness. Alice watched me with a calm, unreadable gaze.
“We’re almost there.”
Just as we approached the main entrance of Briggs Hall, a chilling wave of killing intent suddenly washed over me.
Alice seemed to feel it too, as she slightly tilted her umbrella to clear her field of vision.
Standing in the corner of the Briggs Hall entrance was a female student with a blue umbrella, glaring in our direction.
Rose-gold hair. A butterfly hair ornament. She was a girl so beautiful that she elicited gasps of admiration at first glance.
However, her expression was utterly void of emotion, and not a hint of vitality could be felt in her deep, oceanic eyes.
“Luce?”
It was Luce Eltania.
[Luce Eltania]
Lv: 158
Race: Human
Elements: Lightning, Water
Danger: X
Psychology: [Jealous of Alice Carroll.]
‘There’s still about 30 minutes left until our appointed time… right?’
“She must be the one. The first-year top seat I saw at the social gathering.”
“Um, yes…”
“Then, I should take my leave here.”
Even Alice didn't seem particularly keen on lingering at the entrance of the men’s wing while bathed in Luce’s murderous aura.
“Thank you, Senior.”
“Likewise. It was fun, Baby.”
Alice gave a sweet, practiced smile.
“Let’s meet again.”
She turned and walked away, her umbrella held high. With every step, her light gold hair swayed like a wave. Uniquely, the tips of her hair were streaked with strands of black and white—a detail that caught my eye. I remembered that monochrome was the theme representing Alice, and the realization struck me anew.
Soon, Alice’s [Telekinesis], which had been supporting me, faded away. I nearly stumbled, but fortunately, I kept my footing. I could feel some of my strength returning.
Anyway.
“Phew.”
…My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst. It’s finally over. What a relief.
“Isaac.”
“…!”
No, it was only just beginning.
Luce, who had closed the distance behind me without a sound, moved her umbrella to cover me. She whispered in a deep, resonant voice right against my ear—a voice that made my entire body relax and drained my strength in an instant.
“Who was that?”
“The Student Council President. She helped me on the…”
I turned my head toward Luce to answer, but her expression made me flinch.
“…Way.”
Luce, who usually felt a strong aversion toward others due to her social anxiety, was radiating intense wariness—specifically toward Alice’s retreating figure. I noticed a dark shadow lingering around her eyes.
The only person Luce had truly opened her heart to was me. In a way, it manifested as a fierce possessiveness. Every time my social circle expanded, Luce grew distressed, fearing it meant less time for the two of us.
Of course, she never said it out loud. I only knew because of her shifting expressions and my [Psychological Insight].
“Haa.”
Luce sighed, stood on her tiptoes, and rested her chin on my shoulder. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted from her.
“She helped you? Did you overdo it again, you fool?”
“It’s not exactly a new occurrence, is it?”
“You can’t help but work hard, I know. But if you need help, why can’t you call me instead?”
Luce turned her head while still resting on my shoulder, looking straight into my eyes. Her pale cheeks looked soft and supple, like pressed mochi. Her beautiful rose-gold hair cascaded down, nearly entangling itself in my clothes.
“I can take much better care of you.”
She said it as if it were a matter of fact.
Her lips pouted slightly. She was clearly displeased that I had sought help from someone else when she was right there, ready and willing.
“…”
As I stared intently at Luce, her image suddenly overlapped with the vision I’d seen during the Trial of Sandstone. It was happening more and more lately.
In that vision, her face had been as pale as a corpse. Her lips were blue with terror. The sight of her losing her right arm and bleeding out was a stark, haunting contrast to how she looked now.
“…Why have you been looking at me with such pity lately?”
Of course, she had no way of knowing the source of my sudden tenderness.
“I was just looking.”
“I don’t like it.”
Luce rested her chin on my shoulder again, leaning her head slightly against mine.
*
The heavy snow that had blanketed the academy for two days was finally beginning to taper off. Alice walked through the drifts with an indifferent expression.
Suddenly, a cold wind caressed her skin. As gray mana coalesced, a plump purple cat appeared.
Cheshire manifested, sporting a tiny bowler hat.
[How was it?] the strange creature asked, waddling after Alice. [Does Isaac seem like the Disruptor?]
“…I’m not sure.”
Is Isaac the Disruptor?
There was no concrete evidence, and the circumstances seemed to suggest he wasn't. Would someone as significant as the Black Monster really train so hard that they’d end up that injured? This was the person who had single-handedly dealt with the Floating Island. It was incredibly difficult to believe he would be in such a state just from training.
Even her weakly cast [Telekinesis] had worked on him, despite the natural mana field that usually repels external mana in living beings. It was proof that Isaac was dangerously low on mana.
What would the Black Monster have to do to completely deplete such an immense reservoir of power? It was simply unimaginable.
Rationally speaking, the idea that Isaac was the Black Monster made no sense.
“Something is odd, though.”
But Alice had her intuition.
Her gut was telling her that Isaac was the Disruptor. She despised uncertain variables, and after speaking with him, she couldn't shake the feeling that her instincts were screaming at her.
Cheshire grinned. As Alice’s familiar, it could sense her shifting emotions. It realized that Alice’s interest in Isaac had actually deepened.
[So, what’s the plan? Going to dig deeper into Isaac?]
“I’ve already set a mechanism in motion to pressure the Disruptor.”
An ice-element user, a first-year from the Department of Magic deeply involved in the Elt Island incident, and a man who returned two days after the black tower demon was defeated.
The suspicious circumstances were there, but at every crucial turn, there was evidence suggesting Isaac couldn't be the Black Monster. It was those very contradictions that made him even more suspicious.
“I’ll have to see how that boy turns out.”
Without halting her investigation into the Black Monster’s identity, Alice decided to keep a close eye on Isaac, who remained her primary suspect.
The gray clouds that had been pouring snowflakes finally calmed. Alice closed her umbrella and shook off the frost.
With every step she took, deep footprints were imprinted into the snow-covered garden path.