Episode 148. The Case of the Missing Candidates (2)

As the war with the Devil God’s army intensified.

The allied forces of the three kingdoms had gathered in Valhalla City for their final stand.

*Thud!*

Early morning.

Sophia kicked the door open and entered the room, frowning at the mess inside.

“Hey, Berald! Didn’t I tell you to stop drinking so much?!”

Sophia kicked Berald, who was sprawled on the floor surrounded by empty bottles.

“Ugh… Don’t touch me… Ugh!”

“Ugh, I can’t stand this! How much did you drink?!”

“Haha… Don’t worry… I’ll be fine after a little rest.”

“Do you even know what’s going on right now? The Devil God’s army is at our doorstep, and you’re here drinking like this?!”

Sophia glared at Berald with fierce eyes and shouted.

Berald looked up at her with a bitter smile.

“…That’s why I drank.”

“What?”

“Who knows when I’ll get another chance to drink like this? Might as well enjoy it while I can.”

“You…!”

Sophia gritted her teeth, her face twisted in anger.

“Get up now!”

She roughly yanked the blanket off Berald.

And then.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

A scream echoed through the room.

Sophia quickly covered Berald’s naked body with the blanket.

“You, you, you lunatic! Why are you sleeping naked?!”

“Ah… Well…”

Berald scratched his head with an awkward smile.

Sophia, sensing something strange, narrowed her eyes and looked around the bed.

As she pulled the blanket, a thin black piece of fabric fell to the floor.

A black lace bra.

And a rather large size at that.

Of course, Berald didn’t have a habit of cross-dressing.

“…Whose is this?”

Sophia picked up the clearly used black bra and frowned.

Berald scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

“Lady Amanda must have been out of it. She left her underwear behind…”

“Amanda? Who the hell is that?”

Sophia glared at him with dagger-like eyes.

Berald put on a serious expression and replied.

“Hmph! How dare you call her ‘that woman’! How rude!”

“Who the hell is she?”

*Crunch.*

Sophia’s face twisted in anger as she crumpled the bra in her hand.

“She’s a hero from the Holy Kingdom I met recently.”

“You, you bastard! Did you mess around with a married woman again?!”

“Messing around with a married woman? Who do you think I am?!”

Berald protested indignantly.

“Lady Amanda’s husband died in the war a year ago. I was just comforting her loneliness!”

“Comforting her loneliness… huh…”

“Think about it! The sorrow of a woman who lost her husband! The despair! I was just embracing her wounds!”

“Oh, is that so?”

Red magical energy began to flow from Sophia’s body.

“Funny how all the women you ‘comfort’ happen to be married, huh? What, only married women get hurt in this damn war? Single women don’t feel pain?”

The fiery passion heated the air in the room.

As Sophia flicked her wrist, a staff longer than her body appeared in mid-air.

The legendary staff, Mjölnir, said to be made from a branch of the Tree of Creation.

The tip of Mjölnir pointed at Berald.

“W-wait! Calm down, Senior Sophia!”

Berald quickly sat up (fortunately covering his lower half with the blanket) and shouted.

“Even though Senior Sophia is short, flat-chested, has a terrible personality, and has never held a man’s hand in her life! We’re still precious comrades, right? If Senior Sophia gets hurt, I, Berald, will do anything for you!”

“Oh my, is that so? I’m so touched I might cry.”

Sophia smiled sweetly.

As red magical energy gathered at the tip of Mjölnir.

“Drop dead, you pervert.”

*BOOM!*

A violent explosion blew the entire barracks away.

* * *

‘From what I remember, Senior Sophia and Berald didn’t get along very well.’

I frowned as I recalled my past life.

In my past life, Senior Sophia had unleashed explosive magic on Berald enough times to kill him over thirty times.

So what the hell is this fresh and lively atmosphere about?

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Senior Sophia, sensing my gaze, glared at me with fierce eyes.

I awkwardly smiled and shook my head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t come here because I like you.”

“…You said you had a request earlier, right?”

“Yeah.”

Senior Sophia pulled a chair from a nearby table, crossed her legs, and sat down.

“Have you heard about the case of the missing candidates?”

Coincidentally, I had just heard about it from Berald.

“Yes, I’ve heard about it.”

“I want you to help me find the culprit.”

“…The culprit?”

“We almost caught him this time, but he got away right in front of us.”

“…!”

My eyes widened at Senior Sophia’s bombshell.

“He got away right in front of you?”

“Yeah.”

“…Can you tell me more about what happened?”

Senior Sophia nodded lightly and continued.

“We set up detection magic throughout the 4th-year classroom building to catch the culprit. He got caught in it, and when we went to capture him, he left behind an unconscious candidate and ran away.”

“What does the culprit look like?”

“He’s a man… and quite short.”

“What does he look like?”

“He was wearing a mask, so I couldn’t see his face.”

“Hmm.”

A short man.

The information was too vague to identify the culprit.

“Did you see how he knocked out the candidate?”

“Well… I’m not sure, but it seemed like he used magic. There were no external injuries.”

“Magic, huh… No traces of drugs or other magical tools?”

“None.”

Sophia shook her head quietly.

‘Someone who can knock out a 4th-year candidate instantly with magic…’

I frowned, lost in thought.

‘That’s something even most professors would struggle with.’

The current 4th-year class at Reynaldo Hero School was known as one of the most talented in history.

Of course, even though they were called the best, they were still just candidates, and most of them were far from matching actual active heroes.

‘But still, it’s not easy to subdue someone without them even realizing it.’

Whoever the culprit was, they were undoubtedly skilled.

“By the way, Senior Sophia, why are you chasing the culprit? And going as far as setting up detection magic throughout the building?”

Even if it were a professor, it would be unusual.

A mere candidate wouldn’t have a reason to chase the culprit on their own.

“That’s…”

For a moment, Senior Sophia’s face darkened.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Hmm… I see.”

I was curious about her reason for chasing the culprit, but I didn’t think I’d get an answer even if I pressed her.

Now the only thing left was to decide whether to help her find the culprit or not.

‘Of course, I’ll help.’

I had been wondering how to mend my tangled relationship with Senior Sophia.

I had been too busy with other things to address it.

‘If this incident can bring me closer to Senior Sophia, there’s no reason to refuse.’

Sophia Evergreen.

A woman who would become a great mage, earning the title of “Archmage” in the future.

And among our “Last Five Heroes,” she was the only one who was considered superior to the “Five Great Heroes.”

‘Yuren was said to be inferior to Reynaldo, Berald was said to be inferior to Iron Fist, and Iris was said to be inferior to Grace.’

As for me, the weakest of the group, it goes without saying.

But among us, only Senior Sophia was considered superior to the “Great Sage” Julius Bastian.

‘Well, public opinion isn’t always right.’

I never once thought that Yuren was inferior to Reynaldo, Berald was inferior to Iron Fist, or Iris was inferior to Grace.

Even when the world was destroyed because we couldn’t defeat the Devil God.

‘The Devil God, who broke free from the seal, was far stronger than the records from 500 years ago.’

That was the decisive reason why our party couldn’t defeat the Devil God.

Anyway.

The important thing is that Senior Sophia becomes an incredibly powerful mage in the future.

‘Of course, even if that weren’t the case, I’d still help her.’

What does it matter if she becomes a great mage in the future?

She was like family to me in my past life, and that hasn’t changed even after traveling back in time.

Even if she doesn’t remember me.

Because I remember her.

“Of course. I’m not asking you to help me for free. If you help me…”

“I’ll help you.”

“…Without even hearing the reward?”

“I don’t need a reward. I was already interested in this case.”

I shrugged and chuckled.

“…That’s unexpected.”

Senior Sophia looked at me with wide eyes.

“I thought you’d ask for my underwear as a reward.”

“…What do you think of me?”

“Pfft. Just kidding. But are you really okay with helping without any reward?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and continued.

“By the way, I’m curious. Why did you ask me to help find the culprit?”

“I saw you use magic at a pretty high level before.”

She must be talking about when I used magic to put out the fire in the dorm.

“A warrior who can use magic at a high level and has the physical ability to chase the culprit. You’re the only one.”

“……”

It was true that there weren’t many candidates in the Warrior Department who could use magic at a high level.

“So, can I take that as a yes?”

“Yes.”

“Me too! I’ll help too!”

Berald raised his hand enthusiastically.

I turned to Senior Sophia and gave her a look, asking if it was okay. She nodded without hesitation.

“If he’s strong enough to take down that arrogant Rios, there’s no reason to refuse.”

And so.

A trio was formed to find the culprit behind the case of the missing candidates.