– Creak….
The door was heavily rusted. It hadn’t been oiled on its hinges for a long time.
If that weren’t the case, the screeching sound of tearing metal wouldn’t be coming from it.
“…….”
– Thud, thud.
A heavy sound of footsteps began to cross over the wooden planks that seemed ready to collapse at any moment. The varnish had peeled away, and the wooden planks, rotting from rainwater seeping in, were failing to serve as a proper floor.
– Creak…. Creak….
Still, he kept walking.
With each step, a massive weight befitting his size pressed down, yet the floor didn’t give in. Was it simply good luck?
‘…No.’
At the very least, someone who frequently passed through this place must have taken precautions.
Perhaps they had added more planks, or avoided walking in this area so the floor wouldn’t buckle, or maybe….
– Creak.
Below his feet. In the dark basement beneath the half-rotten wooden planks, someone might have done repairs on the underside of this floor.
‘Who would do such a thing?’ if one were to ask, then yes.
– Swoosh—!
Now, the rotting wooden planks beneath his feet, the shadowy figures peeking through the cracks of the basement, staring up with anxious eyes.
There was no hesitation.
– Boom—!
Using the massive weight and strength emanating from his large frame, pounding his foot down with all his might was a kind of violence that couldn’t be stopped.
“Eek…!”
– Tremor….
An uneasy vibration spread throughout the entire building, but it wasn’t something to worry about.
The couple fallen before him shot looks that expressed disbelief at the situation. No matter how rotten the wooden floor was, they had set up supports below and reinforced it with new planks, so to break that was something unfathomable.
And it was achieved with just one stomp.
“Igor Ivanovich Popov, Nika Ivanovna Popov. By the solemn laws of the Empire, I hereby arrest both of you for arms trafficking and murder with intent to incite rebellion.”
“Wh-what….”
Igor Ivanovich Popov, Nika Ivanovna Popov. The siblings, known as arms traffickers even in the Empire’s underworld, inhaled sharply, their faces filled with fear.
This was because a chilling blade, sharp enough to cut through the very air, was being thrust toward them.
“Under Clause 2, Article 6 of the Imperial Defense Security Act, you both cannot appoint a lawyer, and you must remember that from this moment forward, you are to unconditionally obey my orders.”
“No, wait….”
“If you fail to comply with a lawful arrest request… know that I am authorized, by the supreme rights granted to me by His Imperial Majesty, to execute you both on the spot.”
Igor tried to find something to argue, but ultimately found no words and pressed his lips together tightly.
Nika, who had been sitting beside him, barely managed to open her trembling lips.
“B-but… our kids must be outside….”
“…The Empire’s laws are supreme.”
– Drip. Drip.
The thick blood flowing along the blade finally caught Igor’s attention, was it fate’s cruel trick?
Igor and Nika now understood why it had been so eerily quiet outside the building earlier.
“It’s not possible! There were more than thirty of our kids…!”
“Enough chatter. You must now calmly submit to arrest….”
“Damn it! What did we do wrong! Who do you think you are to arrest us!”
Igor shouted. Spitting and shouting as if on the verge of a seizure, the blade held against them remained unmoving.
Seeing the blade before him not budging only further fueled Igor’s resistance, and now Nika began to echo Igor’s defiance as well. Faced with a life-or-death situation, they were speaking recklessly.
“Y-yeah! Who are you to arrest us! What right do you have! What? The rights bestowed by the Emperor?!”
“I request a fair trial! We have that right…!”
“Eight months ago.”
A low, ominous voice echoed as if shaking the cave. Igor and Nika instinctively fell silent, taking a step back.
“You two sold four bombs to a certain repair shop near the Central Plaza of the City.”
“T-that…!”
“And those bombs were illegal manufactured explosives without serial numbers.”
“…….”
Igor and Nika had no words. Because that was indeed true.
“The illegal manufactured bombs you sold were used to attack the City. It is only right that you face investigation and pay for your crimes.”
The glinting blade was withdrawn. For a brief moment, Igor and Nika breathed a sigh of relief.
“I, Brendall Warren Jericho, Regional Executioner of the City and member of the Imperial Knight Order, will now advise you to finally comply with arrest.”
The black coat billowed. The small golden lion embroidered on the chest caught the siblings’ eyes.
“T-the Imperial Knight Order….”
“Damn….”
There was no longer any hesitation. Once they realized that the other party was from the Imperial Knight Order, the Popov siblings began to fear their future even more than the immediate threat before them.
But the law was far, and the fist was close.
Igor quickly reached into his pocket. The weight of a heavy pistol surged in his hand.
“Comply with arrest? Die!!”
“…You’ve made a foolish choice.”
– Shh.
Igor’s hand gripping the pistol never made it out.
“Ah, aaargh—!”
Blood gushed out like a fountain from his neatly severed wrist. Igor’s eyes flipped back slightly as he screamed.
“My-h-hand…! My hand…!!”
“I-I surrender! I’ll surrender! Please spare me! Please…!”
In that instant, Nika, feeling a chill run down her spine, quickly lowered herself and started begging for her life. But….
“Advice for surrender ends here.”
“W-what…?”
“In the name of His Imperial Majesty, I will execute punishment.”
Her desperate pleas fell on deaf ears as Sir Jericho was a man who showed no mercy in his ‘work.’
“Eek…! Don’t come any closer! Don’t come…!”
“Ugh…! My-my hand…!”
It was the worst possible news for the Popov siblings, who had lived their lives as criminals.
“Phew….”
Sir Jericho exited the dilapidated wooden building with lighter steps. The warm blood still dripped from his longsword.
This place was one that hardly anyone visited in the City. No one had witnessed Sir Jericho leave the building, but still, there was no harm in being cautious.
Sir Jericho moved silently. A group of people in black coats suddenly brushed past him.
Like him, they wore coats embroidered with golden thread.
Among them, the shortest woman approached Sir Jericho. Sensing her presence, he stopped wiping the blood from his blade.
“Senior. Is it all over already?”
“…Nina.”
Nina von Valdek, a member of the Imperial Knight Order, was a lower-ranking knight compared to Sir Jericho, but she was the only one who approached him without hesitation. Sir Jericho let out a small sigh and spoke.
“It’s over. Make sure the cleanup is thorough.”
“Really… why did it end so quickly?”
As her small head shook side to side, her long ponytail swayed in response.
Watching that, Sir Jericho lightly patted her shoulder and continued walking.
“Good work.”
“Ah…! Senior! Just a moment!”
“…What is it now?”
“Where are you heading this time?”
“My destination is classified. You know that.”
“That’s just talk. I’ve walked a lot to support you today. Please just let me know.”
“…….”
Sir Jericho turned his head without a word. His golden eyes, lost in deep thought, darkened in the shadows.
After a moment of silent contemplation, he finally opened his heavy mouth.
“I believe I will be heading to the Federal Intelligence Bureau.”
“Aha. The Federal Intelligence Bureau… no, wait a moment, Senior?”
“After stopping by the Federal Intelligence Bureau… yes.”
Sir Jericho turned his head. The direction his tiger-like golden eyes faced was toward the center of the City.
“The Caldera Imperial Academy.”
His next destination had been set.
Midterm evaluation at the Caldera Imperial Academy.
The long five-day exam had finally reached its end.
After that, having overused my divine power, I had to endure some suffering for a while.
“Head Priest. It seems we are short on bread for this week’s worship service.”
“I’ve already placed an order.”
“Oh… I ordered some too…?”
“…….”
Now, I could return to everyday life.
As usual, I headed to the professor’s office with Sofia Sub-priest. During the walk, I didn’t forget to greet the students passing by in the hallway.
“Professor! Hello!”
“Yes. Nice to see you.”
“Professor! When will you explain the exam?”
“There are no plans for an explanation or interpretation of the integrated theology exam. Find the answers yourself.”
“Professor Antorelli! Hello! By any chance, when will the exam results be announced?”
“The results of the integrated theology exam will be distributed by the Academic Affairs Office next Friday.”
While the students were keenly interested in the exam results, it was indeed quite chaotic. My steps toward the professor’s office quickened.
“Head Priest. Are you okay?”
“…I absolutely loathe distractions.”
“Hmm…. Let’s hurry back!”
Perhaps because the exam was over, the atmosphere among the students speaking to me was generally bright. Even though only a little over two months remained until the semester-end evaluation scheduled for late November, the first-year students, who were taking an exam for the first time here, appeared thrilled just because the immediate test had passed.
Which was understandable, as although there was just over two months left until the semester-end evaluation, the festival held annually at the Caldera Imperial Academy was just one month away.
Among the annual events of the Caldera Imperial Academy, the Fall Festival, alongside Grade-by-Grade Duels, stood out as one of the highlights. Its formal title was so long that it was difficult to say in one breath, thus it was commonly referred to as the Academy Fall Festival.
“Head Priest, by the way, how should we prepare for the festival? Student Daniel wants to run a haunted house, in line with the traditions of the Occult Research Club.”
“…I will have a direct meeting with Daniel regarding that matter.”
Thus, while I was heading to the professor’s office with Sofia Sub-priest.
“Professor Antorelli.”
Stopping at the front of the professor’s office, I heard my name being called and halted my steps. Sofia Sub-priest stopped in tandem.
“It’s been a while. Professor.”
“…Chief Curbin.”
Grace Kirk Coverain, head of the Federal Intelligence Bureau.
She was lingering in front of my professor’s office.
Sofia Sub-priest looked up at me, but my gaze was fixed squarely on Chief Curbin. Chief Curbin was doing the same.
The silence that settled between Chief Curbin and me as we faced each other was.
“Could you spare me a moment?”
The smile that Chief Curbin gave broke the silence to pieces.
For whatever reason, it was an unwelcome reunion.
