Chapter 94: Suspicion Begets Ghosts (2)
“Right this moment, we must scour every corner of the Academy and drag out the culprit!”
Bang!
A loud noise rang out as someone slammed the table with force.
The one who struck it was a man whose curled-up mustache, with both ends raised, left a striking impression.
Though his build was small, his tanned skin, the unusual tattoos on his cheeks and near his ears—above all, his tightly trained body that radiated toughness at first glance—made it clear he was no ordinary man.
Even after slamming the table as if he would break it, his anger was not spent. He breathed heavily, growling as he spat his words.
“How dare they, how dare they let such incidents occur not once, but twice, in this sacred place of education! Before the matter grows larger, we must swiftly drag out the culprit and make them pay dearly!”
“Calm yourself, Professor Flessner.”
“Calm? Do I look like I can calm down right now, Professor Kendall?!”
“There’s no one here who thinks we shouldn’t catch the culprit.”
The one trying to placate the repeatedly furious man, Professor Flessner, was in contrast plump in build with a gentle, comforting impression.
Called Professor Kendall, he scratched at his chin as he spoke.
“I’m only saying we should first grasp the situation and move with caution. Not recklessly, without thought.”
“What? Without thought?”
Professor Flessner blurted in disbelief.
“Did you not hear what was said just now? Students were attacked! And you want to ‘move cautiously’? Are you saying we should wait until there are more victims before doing anything?!”
“That’s the situation, that’s the situation!”
He glanced around as though volunteering to be the one to hang a bell on the cat’s neck and continued.
“Only recently during the Dungeon Field Class, a tragedy struck and Archbishop Rahma sacrificed himself in martyrdom. Had there been deaths this time as well, our Academy’s standing would have been gravely diminished.”
Professor Kendall exhaled heavily with a puff.
“No, to be precise, it already dropped significantly. The Imperial Family, the Holy Sun Church, and many others are already eager to tear us apart, and now we’ve handed them the perfect excuse.”
“So what are you trying to say? Stop circling around and just get to the point!”
“Ah, stop shouting! Do you think I speak quietly because I can’t raise my voice too?”
Professor Kendall snapped back irritably, then continued.
“In short, this: catching the culprit is fine. Forming an investigation team and an arrest squad to search the Academy thoroughly is fine. But at least for now, we must restrain ourselves.”
Before Professor Flessner could retort, Kendall raised his hand as if asking him to listen silently.
“Why? Because the Departure Festival is just around the corner.”
At his words, murmurs rose among the professors seated nearby.
“Now that you mention it…”
“Well, it really is just around the corner.”
Arpentia Academy was the undisputed symbol of the Empire.
Not only was it deeply tied to the Imperial Family, but also to the Wolpen Knights—who could be called the founding heroes of the Empire. One could even say, with only slight exaggeration, that the Academy had written the Empire’s history together from the very beginning.
Perhaps because of this, whenever there was a meaningful event or festival, Arpentia Academy was often involved.
And among those events, the Departure Festival was especially significant.
The Departure Festival.
It originated from the time when the Great Emperor set out with the Wolpen Knights. Even while Princess Lucretia, his beloved, lay gravely ill on her deathbed, she walked with them beyond the city gates to send them off, praying for the safety and victory of the Emperor and the Knights. From that, the ancient tradition continued.
During the festival, a royal student of the Academy—or if none were present, a royal of the appropriate age—would impersonate the Great Emperor, parading through the Academy and the surrounding streets.
Alongside them marched chosen members of knightly orders and Academy students, imitating the great departure of that day.
Because it was tied to the Great Emperor, the Empire’s founder, and the Wolpen Knights who safeguarded him as they saved the continent, it was also a highly renowned celebration among the general populace.
“Even without this, there are already countless matters to attend to for the Departure Festival. More than anything, with the Merchant Group of Demons strutting about the capital right now, if we conduct a massive search and stir things up, it’s no different from laying bare our weaknesses to the Imperial Family, the Church, and even the demons themselves!”
At Professor Kendall’s outcry, the professors around him nodded repeatedly in agreement.
‘Pathetic cowards, thinking only of their own hides!’
Professor Flessner’s face flushed red, but unable to think of a proper rebuttal, he could only press his lips tightly shut.
“How many victims did you say there were?”
Just then, a quiet yet commanding voice resounded.
It was Professor Yul Runberg, who had until now sat silently with his eyes closed.
“According to the report, four.”
The Headmaster, Yeriel Helmont, who had also sat in silence at the seat of honor, spoke slowly.
“Roland, the staff member in charge of Cleaning; Garius Macmillan, a third-year from Hilts dormitory; Lian Gwendil, a first-year from Crooks dormitory. And lastly…”
He cast a regretful gaze toward Yul Runberg and continued.
“Professor Yul Runberg’s Assistant, Virec La Deli.”
The Headmaster let his eyes sweep slowly across the gathered professors, pausing for effect.
“…Though it’s already written in the reports placed before you, I’ll restate it plainly. All the victims bore wounds from bladed weapons. With the exception of Lian Gwendil from Crooks dormitory, the rest are in critical condition, unconscious. Thankfully, none are at death’s door—but that hardly lessens the weight of the crimes committed.”
His eyes shifted back and forth, fixing especially on Professors Flessner and Kendall, who had just been clashing heatedly.
When the Headmaster’s eyes met theirs, the two men cleared their throats or subtly turned their heads to avoid his gaze.
“Furthermore, according to Lian Gwendil’s testimony — the one who fought the culprit — the man used poisons and explosives without hesitation, imitated the appearances and voices of the victims’ acquaintances, and is likely not acting alone but as part of a group. Selin, the guard in charge of investigating the related incidents, expressed a similar opinion. In short, this was not an impulsive act but a thoroughly planned crime.”
Yeriel Helmont, the Academy’s Headmaster, spoke plainly with a voice full of weight.
“This is something we absolutely cannot overlook.”
At his declaration — as if no opposition were permitted — the room fell so quiet that one could hardly hear anyone breathe.
Seeing that, Yeriel let out a faint sigh, barely audible, and continued.
“If we leave them be, who knows what else they will do. That also means the current four victims might increase. And if they move on the day of the Departure Festival, a far greater problem could erupt.”
Perhaps the Departure Festival was even their target.
At the Headmaster’s words, Professor Kendall fell silent, as if he had nothing more to say.
“What do you propose, then?”
“Of course we must show them directly who dared to touch our people.”
The Headmaster smoothed his beard with his hand as he spoke.
“Since the Departure Festival is imminent, a tightened security check won’t seem strange. First, tighten inspections thoroughly and cut off the flow of suspicious people and items. If they are still inside the Academy, make sure they cannot leave.”
“Before that, we should conduct a comprehensive sweep. There may be victims we have not yet found, and the perpetrators might still be hiding… Let us verify lists of students and staff and pick out any mismatches among those inside the Academy.”
“Also, hiding the incident would be meaningless. With four victims already and time having passed, attempting a cover-up now would only fuel rumors. We should show that we are taking sweeping action, but be especially careful not to cause unnecessary confusion among the students.”
While Yeriel was issuing his long list of orders, a professor seated at the back quietly raised his hand.
“Um, wouldn’t this be quickly solved if Professor Maddown stepped in?”
The Headmaster answered the professor who had mentioned Windy May Maddown’s name as if there were nothing to hide.
“Professor Maddown is currently away on other duties. Even if she returns, she has separate responsibilities, so those present must handle this for now.”
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry…”
The hesitant professor flinched, and the Headmaster glanced at him once, then clapped his hands briskly to rouse the room.
“Finally, I intend to raise the Academy’s alert status by two levels. Any objections?”
Since it was essentially a notice, no one spoke up.
Because it was not uttered to solicit opinions, heads merely nodded.
“Then temporarily increase the overall alert status, including inspections. As of this hour, deploy all guards and activate the defense systems; please take note. Lastly…”
Yeriel looked around once more.
To be honest, the professors of the Academy were not people one could easily trick or ambush.
But if such people came in with intent, the situation would be different.
A single moment of complacency could fell even a seasoned warrior.
“...Professors, please be doubly cautious for a while. There is no guarantee they won’t target us as well. If possible, pair up in twos or threes when moving about.”
Having roughly concluded the remarks, Yeriel struck the gavel with a deep sigh.
“We’ve set the general direction, so this meeting will end here. After the alert posture is established, we will hold a temporary meeting to organize the situation and devise concrete countermeasures.”
When the meeting ended, those who had been seated rose one by one.
Most left with expressions as if feeling ill at ease, but one person remained seated and approached Yeriel Poas.
It was none other than Yul Runberg.
“Headmaster.”
“Oh, Professor Runberg.”
“Please include me in the search party.”
As he spoke, Runberg’s eyes glowed with a quiet anger.
“Virec was always an earnest student. He was a pupil I treasured. To ambush such a child with that cowardly trick — I cannot possibly tolerate it.”
“...Calm yourself, Professor Runberg.”
“I am in a more rational state than ever, Headmaster.”
Runberg said clearly.
“It would be a lie to say I have no desire for revenge or personal feeling. But I am not acting out of emotion alone. Did you not say yourselves? They are organized and acting in groups.”
“That is so.”
“Those kinds of scoundrels have penetrated our stronghold. I am not claiming long service as a soldier, but I know well that an enemy hiding within is like a plague — if left, it will rot the flesh. It must be cut out quickly.”
“......”
“I do not mean to boast, but I believe I will be sufficient in terms of force. Under these circumstances there is no reason to be careless. Also, I have considerable experience in rooting out infiltrators who hide like this.”
That much was true.
In terms of martial ability, Runberg ranked among the top of the professors.
He had served from soldier ranks up to the Imperial Knight orders, so his experience was considerable.
There was no one better suited.
“...Very well.”
“That means...?”
“But as I said earlier, first we must organize the overall posture. Once that is set, we will form a separate search team, and I will be sure to include Professor Runberg. I give you my name as a guarantee.”
At Yeriel’s firm answer, Runberg nodded, his expression brightening slightly.
“Then I will take my leave with that understanding.”
“Hmm, be careful.”
“Yes, thank you for your concern.”
After a formal bow and polite farewell, Yul Runberg strode out of the meeting hall.
Unlike usual, his steps carried emotion; Yeriel shook his head slightly but wore a somber expression as if he understood Runberg’s feelings.
“Hmm…”
He picked up a thick report, unlike the abridged copies distributed to the other professors.
It was the investigation report with many annotations and explanations added by the guard who had conducted Lian Gwendil’s hearing.
[Furthermore, under the current situation, identifying commonalities among the victims and discerning the perpetrators’ purpose is difficult; therefore, a more detailed investigation is deemed necessary.]
That concluded the report.
At the very bottom of the report — written in a concise, forceful hand — there was a scrawled addition in a completely different hand.
― Allen Amiel is the top suspect. It is believed those involved are related to him.
― He is the perpetrator.
― He must be framed as the criminal.
“Hmm.”
Yeriel Helmont only nodded.
There was no doubt nor suspicion in his eyes.