Chapter 10
Chapter 10
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Witness in the Darkness (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The room was dark overall.
The sun was already high in the sky, but the walnut wood solid table, the wallpaper, the black-bound books on the shelves, and the portrait of the First Chancellor in his black suit—all black things—were absorbing the morning sunlight.
Just like the portrait of the gentleman, the elderly man in a black suit, the ninth Chancellor, was puffing long on his pipe in the darkness.
The white smoke twisting upward looked like a snake slithering through the black space.
"In the end, the Student Council stepped up first."
*Clack!*
The Chancellor, as was his habit, sharply tapped his pipe to shake off the ash, but still unsatisfied, he kept pounding the ashtray.
At that, the middle-aged female professor seated across the table let out a short sigh.
"As always, we have no choice but to leave it all to them. When have those highborn young nobles ever listened to us?"
*Clack, clack, clack, clack.*
The Chancellor showed no sign of calming down after hearing that; he swung the pipe almost maniacally, hammering the ashtray.
The other three professors gathered in the room frowned at the irritating rhythm.
"Um..."
Then, the youngest man in the room—too young to even be called a professor, with a neat appearance—cautiously spoke up.
"This is a murder case. Even if Aegis Academy is a royal extraterritorial zone, and the Student Council wields unchecked power within it, an independent investigation? Can we allow that?"
At that, the hammering on the ashtray suddenly stopped.
"<Allow>..."
The Chancellor muttered in a tone too cynical to be mere self-talk.
"Well, what *is* allowed, anyway."
It was an empty question. Nothing was allowed.
The four adults seated around the table thus ended their somewhat awkward meeting and returned to their respective positions.
***
Had I been too naive about the world?
I looked down at the two handcuffs—precisely, the restraints for criminals—binding my wrists.
"Restraining me like this?"
"Yes."
"There's no valid reason."
"I apologize."
My only weapon, the gun, had already been confiscated, and all around me were Student Council cadets who unquestioningly believed I was the murder suspect.
"Restraining me without proper procedure is hasty."
"There is evidence and circumstantial proof."
Even so, going straight to restraints without a trial made no sense.
For some reason, the Student Council had decided to dig in their heels.
Thus, I resolved not to back down here either.
"I request the right of reprieve."
At my words, a flicker of confusion crossed the face of the cadet who had cuffed me.
The right of reprieve was originally a cadet's one-time right to request clemency from the Student Council President, Makina Christie, if they committed a crime warranting trial outside the Academy rather than within it.
"That is... for crimes outside the Academy—"
"The chapel is a religious facility. In principle, it is not an Academy facility."
"......"
Interpreting the law wasn't my specialty, but I figured it was worth pushing in this situation.
And that judgment seemed to land.
Someone hurried over and whispered to the cadet confronting me, and he finally nodded.
"Please follow me."
In the meantime, they must have exchanged messengers, because fortunately, I was heading toward the main building of the Black Lily House.
Was it the policy of training reserve priests that influenced these young cadets, or the other way around?
Incredibly, even now as they dragged in a potential criminal, the Black Lily Class cadets remained as serene as priests in silent meditation.
'I can't let myself be restrained like this.'
Out of habit, I reached to check the gun at my chest, then quietly lowered my hand upon realizing it had already been seized as evidence.
"This way."
The cadet carrying the rigid evidence bag led me with precise movements.
Even though sunlight poured abundantly between the long row of columns, the Black Lily House gave a more solemn impression than a warm, cozy one, and its main building was impressively grand.
The flower beds that first caught the eye were filled with black lilies faintly tinged red—as if splashed with blood—to emphasize the symbolism of their name.
Surrounding them were wooden emblems of the god, the [Star Cross of the Great Existence], adorning the area everywhere.
*[Praise the supreme sacrifice on high, praise, praise, praise...]*
In the Black Lily House, hymns to Aegis—the Academy's namesake, called the [Great Existence], the [Immaculately Pure One], the [Supreme Sacrifice], and more—echoed endlessly.
Aegis was said to be the mightiest and holiest mother who crouched over the sea to create the world and sacrificed herself to block the <Destruction> shot forth by the [Profane Ones].
Thus, the Black Lily House was filled everywhere with statues of the Creation God Aegis, stained glass imitating her, holy icons, scripture verses, and the like.
'To think I'd set foot in such a holy place in this state.'
The Aegis Faith, worshiping the Creation God Aegis, was the state religion.
Thus, most citizens of the Arkein Empire were Aegis faithful, but our backwater merchant family, the Cruises, were fundamentally non-religious.
One didn't have to believe in the Aegis Faith to attend Aegis Academy.
A prime example was the foreign student Judith, who followed her homeland's state religion.
Still, even for someone as thick-skinned as me, entering in restraints as a murder suspect didn't sit well.
"The President is waiting."
Having invoked the right of reprieve, the person I naturally had to meet was Makina Christie, head of the Student Council and Student Council President of Aegis Academy.
I moved my heavy steps, recalling the beautiful student leader who hadn't appeared in public since last year's hunting festival.
*Knock, knock.*
I knocked on the massive mahogany door—so grand it made me curious how the Student Council cleaned it—and a clear "Come in" came from within.
*Creeeak...*
Even well-maintained solid wood had its limits.
Being large and grand meant it was sensitive to humidity and expanded more, often creaking like this.
Ignoring the noise, I faced Makina Christie—a beauty seated with her back to the huge window, gazing this way—for the first time in nearly a year.
The door closed behind me, and the Council cadets who had followed like attendants slipped out.
"Long time no see, Arma Cruise."
"Same here."
First to catch my eye was her short silver hair neatly trimmed near the neck and the silver hoop earrings woven along the strands by her ears.
Her eyes, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight, were ice blue, like a slice through the heart of a glacier—a color so ethereal it bordered on holy.
Would the Great Mother Aegis, who made the holy decision to block destruction, have looked like this?
"I—"
"You."
As I tried to assert my innocence, Makina Christie opened her mouth at the perfect moment to cut me off.
"You have the right to an attorney, but the Royal Academy is extraterritorial."
It was no surprise.
That was why Aegis Academy had something like a "Student Council."
I nodded reluctantly, trying not to shrink under the intimidating presence emanating from Makina, who was merely a year older.
"But invoking the right of reprieve is an interesting loophole. Thanks to it, we get to catch up after so long."
"...Putting restraints on me without solid proof is illegal."
"With an eyewitness to the scene, restraint would be standard procedure in principle."
"There's no evidence—the body."
"—Which is exactly why some argue for a trial to determine guilt."
As a suspect already in restraints, I was at a disadvantage from the start, so I had to struggle not to get ensnared by Makina's rhetoric.
If I hadn't responded at all when they mentioned restraint, I'd have faced the Student Council's judgment under unfavorable circumstances.
"But I."
*Tap, tap.* Makina's mechanical finger-tapping on the desk abruptly stopped.
Then, with a leisurely smile as if saying, *'Try justifying yourself more,'* she continued.
"I hate waste. Even without a body, anyone losing that much blood would be dead. If the culprit deliberately hid the evidence, finding it won't be easy."
As expected, the situation was turning against me.
Makina's smiling lips continued with words that felt like a death sentence to me.
"So I'll give you two choices: Find the body, or be restrained right here."
"How could I find what the real culprit hid on purpose? Have you received the full circumstances of that time?"
"Which one should I start with?"
Cutting me off, Makina spread three fingers.
None of the three circumstances she implied knowing seemed favorable to me, but I decided to hear them out.
"In the order reported."
"One. Arma Cruise is steeped in heresy and committed a taboo."
"I'm non-religious."
"Aha."
Makina folded her thumb with a contrived smile, as if weary of a boring excuse.
"Two. In a drug-induced delirium from habitual use, you murdered Cale Ace."
"Cale Ace is the victim? From the Silver Chalice Class?"
"Three. Senior Arma would never do such a thing~..."
It had been three sleepless nights of unnatural drowsiness.
If the truth boiled down to something like drug side effects—making me look extremely guilty—I was at a disadvantage.
Trying to subtly shift the topic with a counter-question, Makina this time mimicked someone in a perfunctory, light tone.
*Shirley came and went...*
I might not be as good a person as Shirley thought, but she always looked out for me like this.
Caring for others was a habit for her. And the objects of her care even included me, her senior.
In contrast, Judith was a scatterbrain lacking in life skills, unlike her usual composed and dignified demeanor.
"I have one thing I'd like to confirm."
"Yes, confirm as much as you like."
Makina spoke as if granting me a chance, but really, this was my final defense.
If I faltered here, I'd be restrained as Makina and the Student Council wished.
Could a murder in the Academy be investigated in my favor, or even close to the truth? I was skeptical.
The stage was set against me from the beginning.
I couldn't yield here.
"The witness— not their identity, of course. Anyway, is that witness's testimony truly valid?"
"A riddle? I don't care for ambiguities."
"Yes, then I'll be clear. Makina Christie. Do you know the location of the altar in the central chapel?"
*"[Hearken, my children. Before the brightest and largest window, build for me an altar half a pace wide.] "*
What Makina quoted was a verse from the Aegis Scripture.
Thanks to the description of the "brightest and largest window," temples of the Creation God Aegis were always built with the altar before the biggest window.
Her citation was as good as admitting she knew the altar's position.
"Makina Christie. At midnight, with your back to the large stained-glass window at the front of the chapel— in backlit conditions—could you recognize me?"
"...Hmm?"
"At that time of night, at that distance, in backlighting— is that cadet's recognition of my face truly reliable testimony?"
"Ahaha, indeed."
Makina slowly raised her hand and rested her chin on it.
A graceful curve formed over her once sharp, tense eyes.
Inappropriate for the situation, but she looked like a benevolent angel from a holy icon.
"You're right. I know the central chapel's layout better than anyone. Hahaha!"
What part had struck her funny?
After that, Makina chuckled for a while, then slammed the desk and shot up from her seat.
"I imagined how timid someone must be to stagger away from the scene, but you're not like that."
"......"
Unclear if praise or condemnation.
With my lips pressed shut in silence, Makina extended her hand to me.
*A handshake...?*
Mindful not to show suspicion, I slowly reached out.
Her slender fingers, far from a warrior's, touched mine.
"Actually, Cadets Shirley Spencer, Judith Taylor, and Theodore White have come forward as character witnesses for Arma Cruise. With the witness testimony lacking foundation as evidence—and three character witnesses to boot—we can't restrain you."
"Haha..."
A wave of relief washed over me.
That meant Makina had strung out all that talk of restraints just to test me.
I slowly shook her hand.
Pale and delicate, yet steady without tremor or tension.
"Then you're free for today. You'll be busy for a while, Arma Cruise."
It felt like shoving my head into a tiger's maw.
Either way, the immediate crisis was averted.
As long as I avoided restraint, it wasn't the worst outcome.
"Even so, it's not full freedom—"
"Of course, I know that well."
"Good. Then, see you again in two days."
As Makina's words ended, a crow outside the window flapped up with a *whoosh*.
Its massive wings eclipsed the sun, darkening the room for a moment.
Makina Christie's smile, undimmed by the lost light, seemed an ominous prophecy of events to come.