Chapter 174: The Accusation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: The Accusation
"Senior!"
With a terrified cry, Muen jolted awake.
The moon, the cultists, the knights, the Silencers—they had all vanished. All that remained were the pale blue curtains swaying gently in the breeze and the familiar silver-haired girl sitting by his bed, peeling an apple with sharp, sword-like precision.
He was clearly in a hospital room, and the girl beside him was Celicia.
"Want some?"
Celicia placed the perfectly peeled apple in front of Muen. This time, she didn't slice it into small pieces; she handed him the whole thing.
Muen didn't take it. He stared intently into Celicia’s eyes and asked, "Where is Senior?"
"In jail."
"Which one?"
"The Silence Bureau, Third Branch dungeon."
"I need to see her!"
"Impossible."
Seeing that Muen wasn't eating, Celicia used her fruit knife to deftly carve a small slice for herself and popped it into her mouth.
The sweet juice burst forth, and the high sugar content seemed to soften her expression slightly.
"It’s impossible. No one is allowed to see an evil cultist while they are in custody. Not even me."
"Senior isn't an evil cultist!"
"I know she isn't. But she’s about to be."
"Why?"
"You don't know? Or are you just lying to yourself?"
Celicia glanced at Muen, then lowered her gaze to continue meticulously slicing the apple.
"You must have seen it back then."
"Seen what?"
"The scales."
"...Scales don't prove anything. People with certain special bloodlines, those with dragon blood in them—I’ve even heard there are mermaids in the southern seas. They all have scales."
"But those were snake scales."
"So what if they were!"
"Snake scales are different, of course."
Celicia spoke with a hint of pity. "Snakes are the followers of the Moon."
"..."
That single, airy sentence seemed to drain Muen of all his strength. He slumped back onto his pillow, staring at the stark white ceiling, feeling the blood being siphoned out of his body bit by bit.
His heart gradually grew cold.
"So... it really is Snake Transformation Disease?"
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"Is there any chance of a misdiagnosis?"
"You’d have to ask the Silence Bureau, but given their expertise, I’d say the possibility is infinitesimally small."
"Dammit."
Muen cursed, though it wasn't clear at whom.
"Why did it have to be Snake Transformation Disease..."
If Senior had contracted any other illness, Muen wouldn't have been afraid. His status as a Duke’s son allowed him to mobilize the world’s finest medical resources.
With powerful healing magic and precision alchemical instruments, nearly a hundred percent of the world's diseases could be cured.
Except for Snake Transformation Disease.
Because the source of this disease came from an Evil God.
It was a unique form of pollution from the Silent Moon. It sought out specific "compatibles" among the masses and sowed the seeds of calamity.
The seed would take root and sprout, eventually eroding the host entirely.
The external manifestation was "snake-ification."
Snake scales, snake pupils—those afflicted with the disease would gradually develop serpentine traits until they completely transformed into a new race, or rather, a new entity: a Snake Person.
And as Celicia said, snakes were the followers of the Moon.
Snake People were natural believers in the Moon, acting as the agents through which the Silent Moon spread disaster across the mortal realm.
This was why Celicia said Senior was about to become an evil cultist.
Snake-ification was irreversible, and the disease was incurable.
At least in the original plot Muen remembered, there had never been a case of Snake Transformation Disease being cured.
"What will happen to her?"
"According to the Silence Bureau’s protocols, if she has never harmed anyone, she will likely be sent to an island prison in the southern seas. Her powers will be sealed, and she’ll spend the rest of her life there in confinement."
"That’s too cruel."
"At least she’d be alive, wouldn't she? However, for Anna Kabulin, it won't be that easy."
"What do you mean?"
"That brings us to the accusation she’s about to face."
Celicia finished the apple with elegant speed. She wiped the juice from her fruit knife with a handkerchief and tossed a stack of documents to Muen.
Muen flipped through the files, his eyes scanning the pages rapidly. The heart that had been cold just moments ago was instantly consumed by rage.
The documents detailed one thing: as a victim of Snake Transformation Disease—or rather, a future Snake Person—Anna Kabulin had been identified as the prime suspect in the murder of Teke Rhode!
Not only that, she was also being accused of several heart-devouring murders from six months ago—the true identity behind the urban legend known as the "Heart-Devouring Banshee."
"This is impossible!"
Muen slammed the documents down in a fury. "Murder? Devouring hearts? Senior would never do such a thing!"
"I know it’s hard to believe, but the truth cannot be determined by subjective bias."
"Then what evidence do you have to prove she’s the killer?"
"A major characteristic of late-stage Snake Transformation Disease is that the mind and psyche begin to shift toward that of a Snake Person. The hearts of the opposite sex hold an almost instinctive attraction for them."
"Hearts..."
Muen suddenly recalled his prophetic dream, but he quickly pushed the irrelevant thought aside and continued his interrogation.
"That still doesn't prove it was Senior! She isn't the only Snake Person in the world!"
"Naturally, I also hope she is innocent. But currently, all signs point to her."
"Signs?"
"I hadn't paid much attention to the Academy before. It wasn't until I heard the rumors of the Heart-Devouring Banshee that I noticed certain details."
Celicia said softly, "For instance, Teke Rhode was the son of a Count. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have gone to the Lower District for no reason. Our investigation revealed that he went there because he was invited by someone. Only he knew who that person was, but the invitation was for the day before the Open Day."
"What does that prove?"
"It proves the killer is very likely the person who invited him. Before the Open Day, he couldn't have had contact with anyone outside the Academy. Therefore, the killer is most likely someone from within the Academy."
"But..." Muen’s face turned slightly pale. "That still doesn't prove..."
"Setting aside the fact that the probability of two Snake People infiltrating the Academy at the same time is about as low as being struck by a gold bar while walking down the street... as the Student Council President, I also don't want Student Anna to be the killer. That’s why I submitted a request to the Silence Bureau last night to investigate on my behalf. This was their response this morning."
Celicia handed Muen another document. Only then did Muen notice the faint dark circles under her eyes and the bloodshot veins that even her thick, silver lashes couldn't hide.
"Thank you," Muen whispered.
"You aren't in a position to thank me," Celicia replied coldly.
Muen gave a bitter smile and opened the file.
The color that had barely returned to his face drained away once more.
"This... what is this?"
"That’s right. Anna Kabulin herself refused to account for her whereabouts on the first day of the Open Day." Celicia sighed softly.
She had wanted to prove Anna’s innocence, but this unexpected result was undoubtedly pushing her further into the abyss.
"But... that doesn't prove anything. What if she just had some private business..."
"I don't believe any 'private business' is more important than a murder charge, let alone a charge as serious as being the Heart-Devouring Banshee. Besides, don't you think refusing to respond in a life-or-death situation is a clear sign of a guilty conscience?"
"But there’s no evidence, no evidence..." Muen murmured, his face white. Without evidence, they couldn't convict her. Senior was still...
"Muen."
Celicia stared into Muen’s eyes, her tone suddenly becoming heavy. "The 'presumption of innocence' only applies to ordinary people."
"What... what do you mean?"
"Snake People are essentially classified as evil cultists. They are loathed and feared by the vast majority of people. Therefore, most of the Empire's laws do not apply to her."
Celicia lowered her eyes, a rare trace of helplessness in her voice.
"Count Rhode received the news. He’s been blockading the Silence Bureau’s Third Branch for an entire day. He’s demanding that the evil cultist who murdered his son be burned at the stake immediately."
"Count Rhode? How does he dare? How does he dare?!"
Muen’s expression turned feral. Burning with rage, he slammed his fist against the edge of the bed. You’re just a mere Count, how dare you...
But then he slumped back, his anger extinguished as if doused by a bucket of cold water.
Looking at the documents, Count Rhode was just a grieving father who had lost his son. What right did Muen have to criticize him?
Just like his own current fury, the Count's actions were only natural.
"However, you can rest assured about one thing. As the Empire's independent agency for dealing with Evil Gods, the Silence Bureau has near-infinite authority in these matters. Even I cannot interfere. They won't be influenced by Count Rhode. They will do their best to find the truth. Furthermore, the Silencers are already hunting the two cultists you encountered. I believe there will be results soon," Celicia consoled him.
"Thank you."
"I told you, you aren't in a position to thank me for this."
Celicia rose elegantly. She wasn't wearing her Student Council uniform, but a rare, simple white dress.
The dim light from outside filtered through the curtains and fell upon her dress, making her look like a cloud of hazy mist, ethereal and diffuse.
"Get some rest. I have other matters to attend to."
"Yeah. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Muen lay dazed on the bed. By his calculations, he had slept for a full twenty hours, yet he still felt utterly exhausted.
Perhaps this exhaustion didn't come from his body, but from his soul.
He didn't get up to see her out; he simply watched the "mist" drift softly out of the room.
"Your Highness!"
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in. The hem of Celicia’s dress swayed as if the mist had been scattered, revealing her cold, sharp features.
A knight clad in silver plate armor burst into the room.
He was drenched in sweat, his expression frantic. He had abandoned all knightly etiquette, failing even to knock before entering.
He handed a document to Celicia.
"An emergency dispatch from the Silence Bureau."
"Emergency? Has there been a breakthrough in the case?"
Celicia frowned slightly as she took the document.
But as her eyes swept rapidly over the text, her cold face betrayed a rare look of shock.
"Did something happen?"
Seeing Celicia lose her composure, Muen asked in confusion.
Celicia dismissed the knight and turned back, her gaze fixed intently on Muen. For a long moment, she seemed to be weighing her words.
Only when Muen began to feel that something was seriously wrong, and the unease in his heart reached a breaking point, did she take a deep breath and speak softly.
"The Silence Bureau’s Third Branch was attacked by evil cultists. The dungeon was breached, and Anna Kabulin... has been taken."