C108: The narrowing shadows of the past (2)
Trina Ryanhowl, who finished her audience with the 1st Princess Eileen, walked alone in the long corridor of the palace.
Her gaze scanned the garden inside the palace outside the window. Trina reflected on the conversation she had with Princess Eileen. Eileen told the story of Jack the Ripper, a man who helped her in the past and the fact that he might be in Leathervelk now.
'Jack the Ripper?'
Trina Ryanhowl muttered the name to herself. It was the first time she had ever heard the name, but she felt a sense of déjà vu.
There was something Trina couldn't say to Princess Eileen. In Leathervelk, there may be a name thief, Arsene Lupin who she had encountered in the past and failed to arrest him.
Jack the Ripper and Arsene Lupin.
'Perhaps.'
Trina, who suddenly stopped walking, came up with a hypothesis by contrasting what Eileen said with what she went through.
'What if Jack the Ripper, the man the princess mentioned, and Arsene Lupin, who's been hiding until now, are the same person?'
It was a thought that popped up like a small spark. There was no logic or rational reasoning, it was just a hypothesis made out of a flash of intuition. But Trina strangely felt her mind leaning toward this hypothesis.
'But, it's a little strange. Why would a person strong enough to wipe out the Black Ops Alpha team lead a wandering life? Is there any need for such a man to act as a thief?'
Killing people and stealing things. Both were against the law, but that did not put them on the same line. And, if he was that talented, wouldn't he be treated well wherever he went?
'I can't be too hastily. Maybe they're different people.'
However, as Princess Eileen said, it seemed necessary to pay some attention to Leathervelk. Trina knows best that she's not a person who talks nonsense.
Eileen von Exilion, the First Princess, the next emperor of the Exilion Empire and the real ruler of the present empire.
From an early age, Eileen clearly showed her talent. At least, Trina's assessment of her was a human being close to 'perfection'. No. She is more than a human being, and she even feels alien.
She has a brain that can acquire even complex and difficult knowledge at once, a keen eye for seeing huge flows at once, speech that shakes the hearts of others and even the amount of natural magic and her talent for magic.
In fact the Tower wanted to make the First Princess their leader but she refused because she wasn't interested.
Because she is so perfect and a person who can do anything she started to feel bored with life itself. Although she showed unexpected interest and affection to her younger sister, the 3rd Princess, Erendir, she left for Theon.
Eileen was always spending her days in a swamp of boredom.
She was always wearing a smile mask, but Trina could see her sharpness.
'I need to be on my guard.'
Fortunately, Trina has left a reliable subordinate in Leathervelk and she intended to contact Enya as soon as she returned.
* * *
There were five days left before the Kunst auction and Rudger walked around the grounds of Theon Academy to prepare for the next class.
Near Rude, his assistant, Sedina Rosen, the third order of the Black Dawn, was chasing after him, carrying his class materials in her arms.
On the way out to the main building where the classes were held, Rudger met a familiar face.
'Is it Selina?'
Selina, Theon's first-year Elemental Studies teacher, was talking to someone. It was a man he had never seen before but considering his clothes he looked like a teacher.
Considering that Rudger doesn't know him, he is not at least a teacher in charge of the first and second grades, but at least a third grade.
Rudger stood still and watched the scene.
The two are talking, but rather than sharing something because they like each other, the man was more of a one-sided talker. Selina just smiled awkwardly and accepted what she said.
Given that she was a little troubled, the other person's intention must have been quite blatant. As soon as she was wondering whether to ignore this or help her, Selina found Rudger and waved.
"Oh, Mr. Rudger!"
The male teacher, who was talking with her, slightly distorted his face when he saw Rudger. He quickly said goodbye to Selina and hurriedly left.
He must've been embarrassed but Rudger didn't care about him, rather he had his eyes on Selina's assistants.
Rudger fixed his eyes on one of them. It was Joanna Lovett, who was staring at the teacher who was talking to Selina a while ago also known as First Order of the Black Dawn Society Esmeralda and the master of the fire giant that attacked the banquet.
The moment he saw her, Rudger wondered how to treat her.
'It's right not to make it obvious.'
Rudger decided so and greeted Selina lightly.
"Long time no see, Ms. Selina."
"Yes, it's been a while."
"Who was that just now?"
"What? Oh, that……He was a teacher in charge of fourth graders."
Selina's reaction was somewhat awkward.
"What happened?"
"Oh, no. It's just… it's all about worrying about what happened at the last banquet hall."
That's what she said, but he couldn't have said it out of sheer concern. Obviously, that was just an excuse, and it must have been intentional. Selina knows that too, but she's such a nice person that she doesn't gossip.
However, Rudger, who had no intention of disparaging others who were not here, replied with a light nod.
"I see."
Normally, the conversation would have ended here but Rudger didn't want to miss the opportunity to face Joanna Lovett in a place like this.
"Ms. Selina. How have you been since then?"
"I'm fine. Didn't Mr. Rudger have a harder time than I did?"
"I didn't do anything."
His words seemed humble, but in reality, Rudger was the biggest contributor to dealing with the Fire Spirit.
Flinch.
To that, Joanna Lovett had a subtle reaction. The other assistants did not notice her strangeness, but Rudger, who was secretly watching her, did but he pretended not to know and continued to talk with Selina.
"Since then, have you checked if the other students have returned safely?"
"Ah. That's fine. All students are safe. My assistant was there at the time, and said it was okay."
"Your assistant?"
"Yes."
Selina stepped aside slightly and pointed to Joanna Lovett.
Joanna Lovett greeted Rudger by bowing her head slightly. She was clearly drawing a line.
"That is fortunate."
"But when I think about it now, it's a bit disappointing. I should have done a little better then."
"You did your best."
"But I couldn't do anything."
Couldn't do anything…
Rudger saw Selina with his own eyes summoning her spirits to help people evacuate.
She can't say that she didn't do anything. Perhaps Selina felt ashamed of herself that that was the only thing she could do. If she had been a little stronger, maybe she would have fought against the Spirit of Fire with others.
But all she could do was help evacuate the civilians and watch the others fight.
'Is that what you were thinking about?'
Selina, who always smiles brightly, has something to worry about.
"I heard from Mr. Vierano that Mr. Rudger played a decisive role."
"It wasn't a big deal."
"As expected, Mr. Rudger is amazing. Can I be like that too?"
When asked if that could happen, Rudger shook his head.
"No, you can't."
"What?"
Selina opened her eyes wide.
Usually the answer to a question like this would be 'Yes, you can do it.'
"Ms. Selina and I are different. Even if Selina wanted to be like me, it wouldn't be possible."
"Oh, my God. Really? Yes, I see."
Selina, who was about to be disappointed, was surprised by Rudger's next words.
"But in other words, I can't be like Ms. Selina."
"Oh, what?
"I don't know how to smile brightly and speak kindly to someone like Ms. Selina. And I'm sure it's only possible for Ms. Selina."
Rudger's words almost made Selina float.
"Don't try to be like everyone else. Ms. Selina can do her job well enough as she is now."
"You know what? Mr. Rudger is very special."
"Hmm. Is that so? I don't know."
"If it were other people, they would have only said nice things to me but Mr. Rudger told me whatever you want."
"I'm sure everyone does."
It certainly would have been because Selina is beautiful, and she was loved by everyone. Anyone wants to say something nice to her, and they don't want her to be hurt.
"But Mr. Rudger is different, you're cruel and realistic."
"I apologize if it was hard to hear."
Selina shook her head.
"No, I think it's a relief."
"……."
"You know, Mr. Rudger. People say I'm a lovely person. Mr. Rudger, do you think so?"
"What probably? That actually means no."
Selina burst into laughter at the words.
"That's not really the case."
"Maybe so. Are you hurt?"
"No"
Then Selina smiled with relief.
"On the contrary, I appreciate you treating me this way. I don't deserve to be loved anyway."
"……."
The moment she uttered those words, her expression was cast with a dark shadow that he had never seen before. But it was only a moment, and Selina returned to her usual fairy-tale princess-like form.
"Oh, look at me. I wasted too much time, right? Mr. Rudger is going to class soon."
"That's okay. We still have a lot of time before class starts."
"Thank you for listening to my complaints. I'll buy you a meal later."
"You don't have to."
"No, you just have to eat it."
Selina laughed like a child and took her assistants away so Rudger was left alone. No, he wasn't alone. Rudger's assistant, Sedina Rosen was with him.
"……It's unpleasant."
Sedina Rosen murmured in an irritating voice as she watched Selina's back receding.
"How dare she complain to sir First Order? She's so arrogant."
"I don't care. You don't mind it either."
"But…"
"You need generosity to pass over these things."
"Yeah, that's right! As expected of Sir First Order!"
"It doesn't matter when we're alone, but when we're with someone else, call me teacher."
"Oh!"
Recognizing her own mistake, Sedina Rosen blushed and bowed her head.
"Sedina Rosen."
"Yes, Mr. Rudger."
"Can you find out about one person? What he did in the past or what his family history was like."
Sedina nodded at the remark.
"Yes! If you let me do it, I'll know all about his in-laws and cousins!"
"You don't have to do that."
Rudger, who had already calmed her down a little, cautiously gave Sedina an order.
"Investigate Joanna Lovett."
Ordinary people would have asked why they should do that, but Sedina, who has already been properly trained by Rudger, did not even think of doing that.
She was just happy that Sir First Order had given her an order, so she just answered vigorously.
"Yes!"