In fact, it was not uncommon for Chief Curbin to come looking for me.
Ultimately, she and I were entangled in a relationship due to Cesar’s affairs, and this was something I could not unilaterally sever.
We took our seats in the same place as our first meeting. It was a bench beneath a large sycamore tree in the Academy Main Building’s courtyard.
“How have you been lately?”
“Yes. I’ve been well.”
“I see. You seem much better than the last time we met, which is nice to see.”
“At that time….”
I recalled the moment right after Cesar died in front of me.
“…At that time, yes. My condition was not good.”
“It’s a relief to hear you are aware of that. Healing emotional wounds begins with being fully aware of one’s own state.”
“It seems so.”
“Hah….”
Chief Curbin leaned back against the bench and rummaged through her pockets. Eventually, a cigarette pack came into view.
“Is it alright if I smoke?”
“Yes. Please feel free to smoke without worrying about me.”
“You could join me, Professor.”
“I… well, if that’s the case, I won’t refuse….”
A gentle breeze brushed the bridge of my nose. Though we had not yet fully entered autumn, the hot winds of a tumultuous summer had indeed begun to cool.
I took a deep drag of the cigarette and closed my eyes. The refreshing mint scent filled my lungs.
“Recently, our information department has been a bit chaotic due to the fallout from the Cesar Li incident.”
“I see.”
“Yes. We were originally trying to quietly cover things up, but… considering the location of the incident, it has been quite difficult to keep things under wraps.”
“That sounds tough.”
“Yes, well… things have been very busy lately. I’ve been completely out of sorts….”
Chief Curbin let out a long puff of smoke as if to vent her frustrations. The smoke rose thickly into the air and scattered with the gentle breeze.
It came to mind now that what Cesar had caused was beyond measure. I did not mean that his rage was excessive, but rather that the scale of the incident had spiraled out of control.
In the city, not just one, but multiple bombs exploded, and one of them went off in this place—the Caldera Imperial Academy, swarming with the children of nobility. It was inevitable that chaos would ensue.
“The aftermath is tough, and the higher-ups are pressuring us to resolve it quickly… At this point, I just want to let it all go….”
“I understand.”
“Really?”
Chief Curbin exhaled a cloud of smoke and smiled. It was a decadent smile filled with exhaustion from being overworked.
“Well, you must have had a hard time too. You may have had it the hardest.”
“…….”
I did not outright deny her words. It was true that I had gone through a difficult time.
“Uf… Still, I thought I was managing to wrap things up recently… but then a small mishap occurred.”
“A small mishap, you say.”
“Yes. In fact, the reason I suddenly came to see you without prior notice is all because of that.”
Her expression, saying this, did not look good, even if it was just a formality. She seemed somewhat angry, but for some reason, it felt like she was looking at me with pity.
“What does that mean….”
“The Imperial Knight Order. Have you heard of them?”
“…I know.”
The Imperial Knight Order. As their name suggests, they are the elite guards who receive direct commands from the Emperor, a quasi-military organization recognized by the Emperor for their authority and combat ability.
And I had witnessed some of them on the battlefield.
They mercilessly cleave through enemies, charging into the storm of gunfire and artillery, armed solely with loyalty to the Empire and a well-maintained sword.
Each one is a master of the blade, thus they need no firearms. With just a knife the size of a kitchen blade, they could take on twenty opponents.
Among them, there are few, but there are indeed those known as “sword masters.” All those I had seen up close were sword masters belonging to the Imperial Knight Order.
For them, aimed shooting was meaningless. Unless around one hundred people simultaneously concentrated their fire, most bullets would be easily deflected or blocked by their swords.
If several archmages, including the Duke of Adelhaid, represented humanity’s weapons of mass destruction, the sword masters of the Imperial Knight Order were like killing machines.
That is where the Imperial Knight Order stands.
“Since you already know, we can get to the point more quickly.”
Chief Curbin brightened and adjusted her posture. It looked like she was about to share something important.
“There is a high-ranking individual in the Imperial Knight Order… umm… someone of that position overseeing the entire city.”
“I’m listening.”
“This person visited our information department not long ago… no, it wasn’t even long ago; they came yesterday.”
Her expression turned serious, unlike her usual demeanor. In her gaze as she looked at me, there was a flicker of concern.
“Ah… to skip the complicated story, I’ll get straight to the point. Professor Antorelli.”
“Please speak.”
“There is a person named Jericho Li who belongs to the Imperial Knight Order. He serves as the High Enforcer for the region.”
“Did he visit the information department?”
“Yes. More importantly, he is likely to come see you, probably sometime this week.”
I crushed the extinguished cigarette in the ashtray and turned to face Chief Curbin directly.
“Why is he looking for me?”
“Well… umm… he was trying to cover up Cesar Li’s incident, but it hasn’t gone well… Ahaha….”
Seeing Chief Curbin scratching her head awkwardly and trying to divert attention, I could roughly guess the reason. They were likely trying to find the connection between me and Cesar.
“I am involved, but the bombing was not directly related to me.”
“I know that. I know, but… the information department doesn’t have a great relationship with the Imperial Knight Order….”
“…….”
To summarize, I had unwittingly become entangled in some power struggle. It was not pleasant news.
Perhaps because my displeasure had shown on my face, Chief Curbin hastily flicked the ash from her cigarette and began to speak.
“Look? I clearly said, ‘Please review this excluding personal feelings. The information we have is accurate.’ But that rigid man wouldn’t listen at all… saying, ‘The information department is the information department; I will simply do my job.’ He completely disregarded us….”
“…That’s enough. It’s fine.”
I waved my hand dismissively at Chief Curbin, who was rambling, and let out a deep sigh. I could not fathom why my life was so convoluted.
Seeing Chief Curbin quietly observing my reaction, she lowered her head and murmured.
“I am really sorry that things have come to this, Professor Antorelli.”
“It’s nothing. It is not something you could have controlled, Chief Curbin.”
“That may be true… Anyway, I thought I should inform you that he will likely be visiting you soon. There is no particular reason otherwise.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
With those words, our brief conversation came to an end. As she had done when she arrived, Chief Curbin quickly claimed she had urgent matters and departed.
I sat alone on the bench, staring vacantly at the sky.
“…Cesar.”
Cesar’s matters were the kind I did not want to think about again, but… it seemed that was unavoidable. The world around me did not leave me at peace.
Most faces were melting away. A white left eye that had turned dead and a bloodshot right eye that looked at me, surviving alone. The brown pupils contained inside.
– …I’m sorry, Lucio.
And the harsh, cracked voice.
Suicide is said to be an unforgivable sin.
Had Cesar truly found salvation from sin and evil?
Who knows? If what the Bible says is true, Cesar likely did not find salvation.
I stood up from the bench. I recalled the Sub-priest Sofia, who would be waiting for me in the Professor’s Office.
Right. Sub-priest Sofia….
“…Tsk.”
My head, filled with various thoughts, felt heavy. I erased the distractions from my mind.
In many ways, it was an unpleasant thought.
