Episode 214 – Setup (1)

Setup (1)

“Shion.”

In the campus cafeteria. Before the lecture started, it was breakfast time.

Soliette, sitting opposite me, crunched on her cereal and asked.

“What.”

“…….”

She called out but then said nothing.

I tore into my steak.

Truth be told, the food I make myself tastes better, but cooking first thing in the morning is just too much of a hassle.

Soliette cautiously began to speak.

“About Bethune… I’ve found a place I want to go.”

“A place you want to go, you mean inside the glass bottle?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded. She must have noticed the existence of Jared living there. She must be contemplating it now.

Especially since she’s got quite the dark circles under her eyes.

“I’ll go with you.”

“…Is that really okay?”

“Of course.”

Soliette plunged her spoon deep into her cereal. I pointed at her with my fork.

“I said we’d go through it together to the end.”

“…….”

She smiled belatedly and nodded.

“Yes. There’s someone I want to show to Shion.”

“Anytime.”

I smiled slightly.

It felt somewhat gratifying. That we had become close enough to share each other’s concerns…

Then suddenly, over Soliette’s shoulder.

Three seats back.

My gaze drifted there.

“Huh?”

It caught like a magnet. I quickly stood up.

“Hey.”

I strode over and called out to ‘that guy’. The guy eating pasta looked up at me with a start.

“…Me?”

The surprised college student with black bobbed hair asked back. Androgynous in appearance, but the voice was that of a woman.

“Uh…”

I was suddenly confused.

A complete stranger.

She seemed to resemble ‘someone’, but on closer inspection, she didn’t. Only the distinctive black bobbed hair was… somewhat familiar.

But who does she resemble?

Who exactly is that ‘someone’?

“I’m sorry.”

I returned and sat down at my place.

“……Shion. Is something wrong?”

Soliette crunched on her cereal and asked.

“Uh… I’m not sure.”

I glanced over Soliette’s shoulder at the bobbed hair again.

Definitely, a stranger.

But…

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something.”

“Forgotten something?”

“I can’t quite remember it well.”

There was someone important.

No matter what lecture it was, always by my side. That person with the bashful smile that was so endearing.

“……Did I have a friend?”

* * *

The curriculum of the Knight’s Academy is straightforward. It’s mostly practical training. Life-saving, VIP protection, monster hunting, monster combat, apprehension of criminals, and so on… Everything one would do as a knight is experienced in advance.

In that regard──

“You all might have heard about ‘teaming.'”

Today’s curriculum was about [teaming].

“Knights usually work in pairs with a mage. Of course, in various dramas and movies, the stories mainly revolve around knights and mages.”

The professor continued with a wry smile.

“In reality, not many knights get to team up with a mage. 70% of you will end up simply pairing up with an ordinary mage.”

Naturally, this is because there are far fewer mages than knights.

When 100 knights are appointed, less than 20 mages enroll in the Magic Tower.

“Therefore, I want you to experience that competition today. It means to wake up from the illusion of being a knight.”

The professor turned on the beam projector. The names of the first-year students from the Department of Magic were listed on the screen.

There were quite a few familiar faces. The top student was Elise Petra, after all.

“The students from the Department of Magic are listed in order of their grades. Choose one student you would like to form a team with.”

However, their number was significantly smaller compared to ours.

“If the feelings are mutual, that is, if the student you choose also chooses you, then the teaming is successful. Knights who are not chosen will be grouped into the leftovers.”

At this, the students began to tense up slightly. Their breathing became a bit rougher.

It’s like some kind of romantic pairing.

“Those who form a team will wear this ‘bracelet.'”

The professor held up a bracelet.

“This bracelet comes in pairs. The other pair is with the Department of Magic. The two bracelets are connected by a line of magical power. You will learn more details as you go along… Now, choose. Decide who you want to team up with.”

Everyone looked thoughtful, but Asher quickly wrote down someone’s name. It seems he already had a girl from the Department of Magic charmed.

Kain stroked his chin and then wrote down a name, and Gerkhen was surprisingly deep in thought.

“……”

I wrote down that person’s name.

There are only two names I know from the Department of Magic.

* * *

[Teaming]

For Elise, the curriculum was nothing but a nuisance, but for some reason, her heart was pounding—probably because of him.

“Elise, I’m so envious~ You’ll get a ton of choices, won’t you~?”

Suddenly, a sly voice flowed in.

Elise disliked the way the students of the Department of Magic spoke more than anything else.

It was because the proportion of nobles in the Department of Magic was seriously high.

“Do you plan to accept anyone who comes to you~?”

Almost 90% were of noble birth, and they all pretended to be cultured in an exaggerated way, which was incredibly annoying.

“Well, I don’t know.”

Even when Elise replied curtly,

“Perhaps Mr. Gerkhen~?”

They asked in an old-fashioned way, while their eyes darted around in rivalry.

Gerkhen was quite popular, after all.

“No.”

Elise shook her head.

“Is that so~”

“Ho ho ho.”

Ignoring the laughing students, Elise pondered with her chin propped up.

She only had one concern.

Shion Ascal.

He would probably choose her.

They had teamed up before, and their coordination was excellent.

But if she accepted him again, those damn paparazzi would cling to them and be a nuisance.

“The first selection of the Knight’s Department is complete.”

The professor announced just in time.

Elise lifted her gaze slightly.

“Check the results that have been sent to your personal tablet PCs.”

On the desk lay the tablet PC.

Elise looked at it with somewhat mixed feelings…

“?”

She tilted her head in confusion.

“The name that should be there is missing.”

She scrolled up and down searching, but no matter how much she looked, it wasn’t there.

Of course, there were plenty of knights who had chosen her. A whopping 15, to be exact.

But—

“What the—”

Next to her, Layla’s eyes widened in surprise. Elise had no interest in that.

“Shion chose me?”

At that moment, her eyes flickered. She saw Layla’s tablet screen.

[Shion Ascal]

It was Shion Ascal.

“……”

Elise clenched her mouth shut, and Layla glanced at her as if she was wary.

“Um… Elly. Shion applied to me~?”

No, she was teasing. Holding back laughter. Pretending to be considerate.

“……Go ahead.”

Elise waved her hand as if she wasn’t bothered.

“Why~? I want to reject him~”

“……He teams up well.”

“Aww~ But Shion, you match better with Elly—”

“Shut up.”

Elise extended her finger long. She swiftly shoved it into the giggling Layla’s throat.

“Gurk.”

Layla clutched her throat.

“Please make your decision within 48 hours. There’s no need to rush it now. Have sufficient conversations with the students from the Knight’s Department who have chosen you, and see how well you sync up with them before making your choice.”

The professor continued with a smile.

“Remember, in teaming, you are the absolute priority. Now, let’s start today’s lecture on the theory of teaming. There are some things you must know before we dive into practice, so please listen carefully…”

Somehow, Elise found the lesson hard to follow.

* * *

For the Libra family to punish a collateral member—that is, someone with Libra blood but not in the direct line—a Disciplinary Committee is essential.

Of course, not all collateral members are the same, but Sonya has a rather high-ranking career even among them, and above all, the current head of Libra is ‘Sherlock’.

Significant decisions require the consensus of the heirs.

Anyway.

As soon as the lecture ended, I went to work at the Libra Intelligence Agency. There was a lot to do as an internal investigator.

“Please stamp your seal here.”

The face offering me a stack of documents, including the [Secret Oath] and [Duty of Content Contract], was Belingham Kantar.

Surprisingly, it was a pleasant encounter.

“It’s nice to see you like this.”

Belingham said in my stead.

“Indeed. It seems I’m climbing the ranks quite quickly. Soon, we’ll be within reach of each other.”

“Ha ha.”

Belingham just laughed, as if to say not to be mistaken.

“It’s nothing serious. These days, such occurrences are frequent. Especially in cases like the Disciplinary Committee where sibling agreement is necessary, Lord Derek’s proposals are always rejected by Lady Johanna.”

“…So, whatever I do, it won’t change anything?”

“Usually, that’s the case? The evidence in this case is clear, so there’s no need to worry too much. Even if the outcome doesn’t change, Lady Johanna is essentially rejecting for the sake of rejecting. She will understand.”

“Yes, well.”

I stamped my seal on the documents.

“Received. These documents will be maintained for one month, and destroyed after the internal investigation is concluded. Internal Investigator Shion Ascal. Now, please discuss with your superior.”

Belingham gave a broad smile and stepped aside. Then, a woman wearing a veil entered.

Her shoulders were delicate, and she exuded a light, pure fragrance.

Zia.

She spoke first.

“Brother and sister decided to entrust the investigation to a third party… so it ended up being assigned to me…”

I nodded.

“Do you have any messages for me?”

There’s no recording or eavesdropping in this space. Zia, being the youngest and outside the succession structure, was under remarkably lax surveillance.

“I…”

She slightly lifted her veil.

Looking me directly in the eyes, she said,

“I don’t think it was Sonya’s doing…”

“…”

It was somewhat unexpected, but I did not show it.

Above all, there was no chance that I would be discovered.

“If it wasn’t Sonya’s doing, then?”

“She’s been framed… If things stay as they are, Sonya will be permanently exiled… My brother will probably have someone take her life…”

I looked at Zia. It seemed clear why she had sought me out, what she was about to ask.

“Can you… protect Sonya?”

Sonya was Zia’s second in command. Initially, she managed her proxy corporations, and later on, she was involved in all political aspects.

She could definitely become my competitor, but…

“Yes.”

Zia had asked me for the impossible.

“I will follow Miss Zia’s wishes.”

If I could accomplish the impossible, I would certainly be able to get closer to her than anyone else.

* * *

In the interrogation room of the Intelligence Agency.

I was facing Sonya. She looked utterly worn out. Her hair was brittle like a broom’s bristles, and her eyes flickered with both rage and despair.

“Here’s a letter.”

I handed her a letter.

A letter I had forged, imitating Sonya’s handwriting.

“It’s a fake.”

Sonya said. She looked up at me, her eyes wavering as if she recognized who I was.

“You were there that time…”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“You’re the investigator?”

“Yes.”

“…Because you’re not aligned with the eldest son or daughter?”

Typical of Sonya, she quickly caught on to the reason.

I nodded. Sonya let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha.”

“I’ve read the statement.”

I handed her the statement.

The content pre-investigated by Libra’s Chasers. Sonya’s testimony was nothing more than repeating ‘The letter is forged, and I have never done such a thing.’

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“That’s it. Nothing. Someone has set me up. Definitely.”

“Then. Do you suspect anyone?”

I asked her that.

“…Suspect?”

Sonya furrowed her brow. I held a fountain pen.

“Yes. It means someone is trying to trap you by forging your handwriting.”

“…”

Sonya fell silent for a moment. I tapped the table with the tip of the fountain pen and asked again.

“Is there no one?”

“…I worked under Lord Derek. There were countless who were jealous of me.”

As I listened to her without much thought, suddenly.

The face of a certain bastard flashed in my mind.

One of the team leaders under Derek in the Intelligence Agency.

That damned mongrel who dared to talk to me about orphans.

A piece of shit named ‘Benedict.’

“Have you sent any other letters?”

I asked Sonya.

“…Other letters?”

“Yes.”

Sonya sighed heavily, almost as if she had given up on life, and muttered with a venomous look on her face.

“So you suspect me in the end.”

“I do not suspect.”

I shook my head.

“To forge handwriting, one needs to study. It’s easy to forge a simple signature, but to forge dozens of sentences in a letter this naturally requires study and effort.”

“Hmm… indeed…”

Sonya fell into thought, her gaze on the desk, her expression turning base.

“…There is someone.”

“Is that so?”

“But, I had no way to obtain it. I only wrote personal letters to Lord Jade.”

“No. There are plenty of ways.”

I scribbled a word on the report with a fountain pen, showing it to her in a way that the camera couldn’t see.

[Intelligence Agency]

This was not a lie. The culprit was certainly in the Intelligence Agency.

I would make it so.

“…”

Sonya’s face hardened. She looked up at me with a face that had been struck by shock.

“Definitely-”

“I will investigate as thoroughly as possible. For now, keep silent.”

“…Understood.”

I stood up and walked out of the interrogation room.

* * *

“Is it over?”

Outside the interrogation room, a male Chaser asked me. I shook my head.

“There’s more to investigate.”

“What? There’s more to investigate?”

The Chaser frowned, probably one of Benedict’s underlings.

“Yes.”

I answered briefly, and the Chaser let out a snort of laughter.

“Hey rookie, just wrap it up quickly. Don’t make everyone tired for nothing.”

“I’ll do it on my own.”

“On your own? You’re crazy.”

The Chaser’s face creased with anger. I wasn’t scared at all. He pressed his finger hard against my shoulder.

“You’re not wearing a badge. Stop fucking around.”

“…”

I looked down at him quietly. He became quite angry.

“Rookie. You got big eyes. Just be a good boy and fill it out.”

A document stuck to my chest.

[Internal Investigation Closure Report]

I had just been appointed as an internal investigator today, and they were telling me to finish it immediately.

I folded it neatly and put it in my pocket.

“Please wait just one more week. Even if I don’t want to then, I’ll make sure to hand it over.”

“Hey, you little shit. Do you want to get beaten up by the team leader? Stop talking nonsense and- Ack!”

I pushed him away with my shoulder.

Crash!

The guy almost flew away, grabbing onto a cabinet to steady himself, and I walked down the corridor.

─Hey, hey you, stop. Rookie! Fucking rookie!

I ignored the shouts echoing from behind me.

I conveyed my voice to R-elix.

‘Grawl.’

‘Yes?’

Grawl responded promptly.

“Let’s do some background checks on someone.”

The creature, which had grown day by day, was now fully capable of acting independently.

“Yes, Master! Who is it?!”

“Benedict.”

As far as I knew, there wasn’t a single team leader in the Intelligence Agency without a shady background. Especially those under Derek were the worst. Given Derek’s penchant for flattery, his subordinates were inevitably filled with sycophants steeped in corruption and malfeasance.

Certainly, Benedict would be one of them.

“He’s a team leader at the Libra Intelligence Agency. Dig into his background.”

I can fabricate evidence with 「Notepad」, I could easily create perjury that ‘Intelligence Agency team leader Benedict manipulated Sonya’s letters.’

However, that alone wouldn’t convince anyone.

On the contrary, I could be the one to receive a counterattack.

Therefore, before striking the opponent, I must first diminish their credibility.

I need to drag them through filthiest piles of shit, to the point where no one would want to lay a finger on them.

Only then would my fabricated evidence wield its power as if it were real.

“Yes, Master!”

I liked Grawl’s enthusiastic response.

My mood was quite good.

Because burying a piece of shit like that bastard,

How could it not be?