It has been a few days since I confirmed with my own eyes that Cesar is alive.
Since that meeting, I have often found myself wearing a dazed expression. The fact that he is alive is surely good news. Knowing that Cesar, whom I thought was dead, survived in the scorching flames provides me comfort against the despair I felt over losing another connection in my past.
However, it was equally shocking. I couldn’t say that Cesar was in a normal state, even in jest.
His face has been haunting my mind: moving his half-melted skin in the raging flames, as if trying to prove that he had not lost his smile, attempting to show me some sort of smile.
White-raw, scorched eyes, hair burned off completely, and a melted face….
– Adelheit. That bastard ruined my life. Of course, I must take corresponding revenge.
His murmurs, filled with rage, as he watched with his one remaining red eye, the distortion of his face filled with fury, the unwavering core of hatred.
It lodged itself strongly in my mind, impossible to erase.
“Starting from the second semester, we will conduct subject-specific exams for first-year students, so we need to ensure that students are not burdened too much with their grades…”
I awakened from my thoughts. Chancellor Damian was giving a lengthy speech to the professors gathered in the meeting room.
“So, during this summer vacation, we would like first-year students to invest a little more in their studies…”
“Yawn….”
Sofia, the sub-priest sitting next to me, bowed her head and yawned. It seemed I was the only one who noticed, but it was not a desirable behavior. I quietly whispered to Sofia.
“Sofia.”
“Uh… I’m sorry….”
“Even if you aren’t focusing, don’t let yourself appear too relaxed.”
“Y-yes….”
Despite her answer, Sofia began to nod off, gradually tilting her head. I leaned slightly to obscure her from the view of others.
“…Then, I think it’s best to wrap up here.”
“Yes. I will finalize the summer vacation activity papers soon.”
“Alright. That will be all for today.”
With those words, the two-hour-long summer vacation meeting came to an end. As Chancellor Damian exited the meeting room, the professors and teaching assistants who had occupied the seats began to rise one by one.
“Sofia, Professor Esther. The meeting has ended.”
“Ugh…!”
“Umm… Already…?”
Like Sofia, Professor Esther, who had also been dozing off, stretched and got up from her seat, following my lead. I left the meeting room with the two sleepy individuals.
“Professor Lucio, do you have plans after this?”
“I think I should head to the main chapel. I need to check the inventory of items needed for Sunday worship this week.”
“Oh! Head Priest! I think I already organized that and placed it on your desk…?”
“There are a few incorrect items. Yesterday, I received a call from the supplier asking about the shortage, so I need to investigate again.”
“I guess there’s no helping it….”
Sofia still looked groggy and hadn’t fully woken up yet, but it was something that needed to be settled by this week anyway. I walked out of the Academy Main Building with Professor Esther and Sofia on either side of me.
“Professor Lucio Antorelli.”
That was when someone called my name. Reflexively, I turned to the source of the voice.
“Could you spare a moment?”
It was clad in black.
A person entirely painted in black from head to toe. Black hair, almost black eyes, black suit, black tie, and black shoes.
With a lion-shaped brooch, rings on their fingers, earrings, and even the inside of their shirt were all uniform in black, it resembled someone you might expect to see as a big shot in some back alley. I couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
“Um….”
Sofia, standing on my left, was already in a state of shock. I whispered to the trembling Sofia, who was shaking like an aspen tree.
“Sofia. Why are you suddenly shaking? Do you know this person?”
“N-no…. They just look scary….”
“…….”
As Sofia said, the woman before us emanated a considerable sense of intimidation. Her sharply cut bobbed hair was far from Sofia’s rich and cute hairstyle.
With a height barely a hand span more than mine, her fiercely slanted eyes seemed to reflect her sophisticated yet sharp personality.
In short, her appearance would understandably terrify someone like Sofia. It was the first time that someone who exuded such intimidation leaving aside Adelheid Duke.
Moreover, there was a hint of similarity between this woman and Adelheid Duke.
A deep-rooted arrogance that made it seem like she would treat others as inferiors as a matter of course. A pressure that suggested she would stand above criminals, commanding them.
Additionally, beside her stood sturdy men and women dressed alike, furthering that impression.
‘This is not good.’
I hid the malfunctioning Sofia and the visibly tense Professor Esther behind me and stepped forward. Even though she was tall, she was still shorter than me, and stepping closer seemed to reduce the sense of intimidation slightly.
Perhaps it was unexpected that I stepped forward, as the woman’s eyes widened slightly while she continued to stare at me.
“Are you looking for me?”
“Hmm… It appears I have found Professor Antorelli. I’ve struck out several times.”
“Yes. I am Lucio Antorelli, the Theology professor for Class A first-year students at Caldera Imperial Academy.”
“Nice to meet you. You can simply call me ‘K’… No, no.”
She briefly closed her mouth before looking at the shorter woman beside the two accompanying her.
Receiving that gaze, the shorter woman seemed to ponder for a moment before slowly nodding her head.
“Well, there’s no problem in telling you. My name is Grace Kirk Coverain. I am the Chief of the Federal Intelligence Bureau. I would appreciate it if you called me Chief Coverain.”
“…The Intelligence Bureau, you say.”
“Yes.”
Chief Coverain displayed something akin to an ID card. It bore the inscription, ‘Chief of the Federal Intelligence Bureau – Grace Kirk Coverain.’ The anti-counterfeiting magic circle affixed to it confirmed it was not a forged ID.
I could hear Professor Esther behind me taking a sharp breath upon seeing it. I repeated the word “Intelligence Bureau” in my mind.
– There was evidence of an agent affiliated with the Intelligence Bureau, who was close to Adelheid, committing arson.
Suddenly, Cesar’s words resurfaced in my mind. In a moment, I desperately tried to remain calm, but I couldn’t be sure that those with uncanny skills could overlook my anxiety.
In any case, I made sure to show no significant reaction on the surface. I tried to maintain my composure as I spoke to Chief Coverain.
“What business do you have looking for me?”
“Hmm….”
Chief Coverain pondered as she stroked her chin. No, it seemed more like she was acting as if she was struggling to appear thoughtful.
It was a calculated behavior to show her human side. That deception, an effort to slowly dismantle the opponent’s guard from the ground up, became apparent to me. I did not let my guard down.
As she exchanged glances with Sofia and Professor Esther standing behind me, Chief Coverain snapped her fingers and said.
“First, why don’t we go somewhere a little quieter? Let’s leave others be and just the two of us.”
“That’s not going to work.”
Why would I be crazy enough to be alone with someone like her? Though she said “just the two of us,” she was merely expressing a desire to separate Sofia and Professor Esther. I positioned myself to cover them more thoroughly.
While she looked at me, seemingly rolling her eyes, Chief Coverain burst into laughter.
“Ha… ahaha!!”
“…….”
“Haha, ahaha…! Ha…. I apologize. The sub-priest behind you is just too cute.”
Chief Coverain’s expression, now relaxed and still holding onto her laughter, somehow heightened the tension.
“Ah…. Please don’t be too nervous. It seems you might be misunderstanding something; we did not come here to do anything to you.”
“…….”
“Really. Why don’t you believe me…?”
She tilted her head in genuine confusion at my words. By this point, I was the one left wondering.
Could it really be without any ulterior motives? Perhaps I was overreacting?
After a moment of contemplation, I slowly relaxed my guard and nodded. It was a gamble, but I believed there was no way they would harm me right in the middle of the Academy’s courtyard.
Moreover, Professor Esther was no ordinary person. I had strong trust in her.
‘…I hope nothing happens.’
Thinking that, I followed Chief Coverain, who had already started walking ahead.
*
“Please, have a seat.”
“…….”
The tone of that command seemed to reflect someone quite used to dealing with subordinates. Following Chief Coverain’s gesture, I obediently sat down on the bench beside her.
It was a bench beneath an aspen tree, a place I often smoked, and also where I had met Cesar.
‘…Did she come because of Cesar?’
Naturally, it was a plausible inference. I silently watched as Chief Coverain rummaged in her suit pocket for a cigarette.
“Do you smoke?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Let’s smoke together.”
“…Okay.”
It was an awkward and destructive dialogue. Following her seamless action of lighting the cigarette, I fumbled to pull one out from my pocket and placed it in my mouth.
What might she want to discuss with me personally? The more I smoked, the shorter the cigarette grew, and my anxiety slowly amplified.
And just as we both finished our cigarettes, she said.
“Professor Antorelli, I’ll get straight to the point.”
The kindly smile she had shown us moments ago was nowhere in sight. Looking at her icy cold face, I silently nodded.
“Recently, have any suspicious individuals been spotted within the Academy?”
And I thought.
So, it has come to this.
