“Principle is simple.”
Yuri said that as she cast magic on her both hands. It looked easy enough for any 2nd Rank Sorcerer to do since it was a basic 1st Rank spell, but looking deeper, it wasn’t.
“It’s like chanting two spells at the same time. Like having two heads.”
“Two heads?”
“Yeah. So if you apply this─”
Yuri said and demonstrated casting two 3rd Rank spells simultaneously. Truly, two spells were cast at the same time. Theoretically, it’s an impossible method.
Normal Sorcerers don’t cast two spells at the same time; instead, they learn to cast one spell twice in rapid succession. Veteran Sorcerers who master this high-speed chanting can achieve speeds indistinguishable from double casting.
However, Yuri isn’t incapable of learning high-speed chanting—so the gap between Yuri and other Sorcerers will only continue to widen.
“Do you understand?”
“…Honestly, no.”
Kail kept ruminating over the magical theory Yuri was teaching him. He thought about how to apply the principle of double casting to swordsmanship, but understanding the principle itself was the problem.
‘It seems useful if I can master it…’
When he was young, Leon Knight had told him that being a Sorcerer isn’t just about having the talent to control magic power.
Various talents are needed, he had said. Kail now felt the reason behind those words anew. Not only does it take significant magic power, but also considerable intelligence.
“It’s okay. This kind of thing is just a side skill in the end.”
“A side skill, you say…”
“If I compare double casting with Aura Blade, I’d rather have the Aura Blade.”
The authority of an Aura Master that can cut through anything. A marvel that can’t be replicated by magic. Yuri had been saying she wanted to trade double casting for the Aura Blade because it would exponentially increase what she could do.
Hearing this, Kail chuckled and advised her to practice swordsmanship instead. Realistically, even if she practiced swordsmanship, the probability of Yuri achieving the Aura Blade was converging to zero percent.
“By the way, mastering double casting and becoming a 3rd Rank Sorcerer too. Aren’t you a genius, Yuri?”
“Yeah. I’m a genius.”
“…You’re not lying, right? Don’t look at me with those eyes.”
Kail made an aggrieved expression towards Yuri, who was looking at him with melancholic eyes, and shrugged his shoulders, conveying that he didn’t mean to deceive her.
Indeed, calling a newly Expert-Level Sorcerer who had just become a Master a genius might sound like teasing.
Kail thought he should be careful with his words next time and casually turned his head to look at the door.
“─Master Kail. There are guests from the Academy.”
“From the Academy?”
At the butler’s voice from outside the door, Kail told him to let them in. Shortly after, the door opened, revealing two men dressed in neat suits.
A nondescript man and a handsome man with a clean and tidy appearance.
The handsome man in front smiled brightly and began introducing himself to the two.
“Pleased to meet you. Cadet Kail Meyer, Cadet Yuri Grace. I am Special Investigator Ivan.”
“Yes, Investigator Ivan. What brings you here?”
“May we sit and talk? And it’s not something to discuss in front of others.”
As Ivan said this and glanced at the butler, the butler lightly bowed and left the room. Once only the four of them remained, Ivan took out some kind of magical device from his pocket and activated it.
Magic power emanated from the magical device, vibrating around them with a hum.
Wondering what kind of magical device it was, Kail looked at Ivan, who waved his hands reassuringly and spoke.
“Aah, this is simply a magical device to prevent our conversation from leaking out. It’s very important.”
“What brings you here to talk?”
“A few days ago, did you hear about the theft of valuable research materials?”
Kail nodded. He had donated research materials that enabled double casting, and then the principal immediately claimed they had been stolen.
He had suspected it might be the principal trying to monopolize the incredible achievement of double casting, but the principal claimed he hadn’t even read the materials properly due to being busy and seemed genuinely aggrieved.
Feeling the regret of a Sorcerer who missed out on double casting, Kail quickly dismissed his suspicions.
“I heard about it.”
“Yes, I’ve been dispatched to find the culprit who stole the materials.”
“Can’t you just recreate the materials?”
“If we create them without catching the culprit, they’ll just get stolen again.”
Kail shrugged his shoulders, wondering exactly how they planned to catch the thief. Several days had passed; it wouldn’t be surprising if the thief had already fled the country with the materials.
However, Ivan shook his head, indicating otherwise.
“I can’t go into details… but from the day the materials were stolen until today, no one has left the Academy and not returned.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yes, it means the culprit is still within the Academy.”
At those words, Kail suddenly thought of a suspect. Professor William, whose superhuman abilities could deceive even a Master like himself. Couldn’t he sneak into and out of the principal’s office?
Kail immediately conveyed this thought to Ivan.
“Professor William could sneak in and out, couldn’t he?”
“All possible suspects are under investigation. And the investigation on Professor William is already complete.”
“So why are you here?”
“Professor William is not the culprit.”
Regardless of how the investigation was conducted, when a special investigator claims someone is not the culprit—Kail readily nodded in agreement.
After exchanging some small talk, Ivan began his investigation.
“Alright—let me ask. Kail Meyer, Yuri Grace. Are either of you the culprits who stole the research materials?”
“……No?”
“Do you know anyone who might be a suspect?”
“Uh… No one besides the professor I mentioned earlier.”
“And you, Cadet Grace?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Just as the two questions ended, Kail felt a very subtle wave directed at him and slightly tilted his head.
That wave came not from Ivan in front of him, but from the unassuming man standing behind.
“This concludes the investigation. We’ll be leaving now.”
“That’s it? What exactly did you do…”
“It’s confidential.”
Ivan said this, retrieved the sound-absorbing magical device, and stood up. Kail let out a hollow laugh, thinking they asked a bunch of miscellaneous questions just for those two, and looked at Yuri.
However, Yuri, seemingly quite familiar with this, met Kail’s gaze with an unfazed expression.
“Why?”
“No… I was just wondering if there’s such a thing as an investigation like that.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Isn’t finding evidence usually part of an investigation?”
“Finding evidence? How is that an investigation?”
Yuri looked at Kail as if she couldn’t understand.
“You find the culprit using magic and force.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t manually finding evidence without magic or force more primitive?”
That’s right.
This is fantasy, and in fantasy, there’s a unique method of investigation.
Ivan only asked two questions before leaving because those two questions alone were sufficient to determine whether the two were culprits.
* * *
Time passed. Perhaps the theft at the Academy was kept secret, as there were no rumors circulating about it, and classes weren’t interrupted due to the secret incident.
However, there were also no rumors about the culprit being caught.
It seemed the case would be swept under the rug. Among us, there was even talk that the principal didn’t actually have the materials stolen but misplaced them somewhere.
Considering the principal’s age, that scenario seemed more plausible.
‘The investigation is so fantastical, it’s hard to believe.’
If scientific investigations like fingerprinting, collecting footprints, or identifying people with cameras were conducted, it would have been believable—but two investigators coming to ask a few questions and leaving felt more like wordplay than an actual investigation.
Culprit?
No.
Alright, let’s do it.
It felt like seeing that internet meme in real life. I sighed and stretched. Lately, Sera and Yuri, who had been expecting rewards, didn’t seem particularly happy either.
‘How can we find the culprit?’
Lost in thought, I walked along the path when something soft pounced on me from behind. Wondering if a slime had attacked, I turned my head to see Ariah gleaming with golden hair and grinning widely.
“Hi! Long time no see, Kail.”
“Ariah. Long time no see.”
“Are you troubled by something?”
She tilted her head and jumped forward. Her large fluffy dress and fluttering skirt captured attention with her movements.
But no matter how she tried to allure someone, I couldn’t talk about the secret investigation, so I shook my head.
“Nothing at all.”
“You don’t look like nothing’s wrong… Well, if you say so, it must be fine!”
With those words, Ariah naturally started clinging to my side. Having no reason to shake her off, I walked through the Academy grounds with her.
Even if I stayed silent, Ariah kept throwing various stories I didn’t know.
“A while ago—”
“Yeah.”
“Something happened, you see～.”
“I see.”
“Am I bothering you by being here?”
“Oh, impressive.”
“…You’re not listening, are you?”
Oops, busted.
I shook my head, seeing Ariah standing there with an awkward expression.
“Just, I’m thinking about something right now.”
“What? Tell me too. Even though I’m a commoner, I know quite a lot and might be helpful.”
Ariah started to confidently boast that with her sharp intuition, she could solve anything.
Looking at her, I began pondering how to explain the situation without mentioning the stolen research materials.
“Hmm… So, this happened—”
After hearing my embellished story, Ariah rested her chin on her hand, closed her eyes for a moment in thought, and then began voicing her thoughts.
“Kail! Often, the person you think is the culprit really is the culprit!”
“…What kind of deduction is that?”
“Huh, you don’t know? It’s a mystery novel trending at the Academy lately—”
I mulled over Ariah’s words and fell into thought. The person suspected as the culprit is often the culprit…
—Should I try it?
“Ariah, thank you.”
“Huh? For what?”
“Thanks to you, I feel like I can find the culprit.”
“Hmm… I’m not sure, but alright!”
There’s a fantastical way of investigating in fantasy, right?
Then let’s do this fantastically.
* * *
Late at night, with the moon high in the sky, Magic and Force Professor William Taylor finished his research and headed home.
Walking alone on the main road at night would be quite frightening for ordinary people, but for a 4th Rank Sorcerer like him, it was no big deal.
In other words, he didn’t need to worry about petty thieves or pickpockets commonly found in cities.
Even if an assassin were to come.
“William Taylor.”
An intentionally lowered voice. The person was wearing a robe, making it difficult to identify who it was.
William sighed slightly and glared at the assassin.
“Do you know who I am and still dare to do this?”
“—I’ve come to take back what you stole.”
“The item the investigator asked about the other day? I proved it then—I didn’t steal it. The investigator confirmed it.”
“If you hand over the item, I’ll spare your life.”
Communication failed. William sighed deeply, erased his magical presence using his force, and carefully began chanting a spell.
“I told you I didn’t steal it…!”
Finishing the spell incantation in an instant, William fired the spell, and a strong electric current surged through the ground toward the assassin.
The assassin swung their sword upon seeing the incoming current. How foolish, didn’t they know electricity flows through swords too—
Just as he thought that, an Aura Blade flared from the assassin’s sword.
“Huh?”
Aura Master. Realizing the meaning of an Aura Master personally coming to assassinate him, William broke out in a cold sweat as he stared at the assassin.
“…Where are you from?”
“Kibotos.”
“Another strange secret organization, huh? Sending a Master means they’re quite formidable…”
William sighed deeply and looked at the assassin.
“…If I give you the materials, will you really let me live?”
“—No.”
“Heh, to say that so confidently. What if I hide the materials and refuse to give them?”
“There’s no need for that anymore.”
The assassin said this and threw off the robe covering themself. William, wanting to see their face, hardened his expression upon seeing who appeared from beneath the robe.
“…Kail Meyer?”
“Pleasure to meet you, Professor.”
“What… Why are you… Wait, a cadet is a Master? And a first-year at that?”
Kail confidently opened his mouth toward William, who kept spewing out questions in disbelief.
“I never said the stolen item was research material. How did you know the stolen item was research material?”
“Cadet Kail. You’re not an investigator; doing this is illegal—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What?”
Kail shrugged at William, who was talking about the law. If he believed in the law, he wouldn’t have taken this approach.
Law isn’t an absolute rule but a flawed system created by humans.
“In fantasy, it’s called the ‘Scientific Investigation Supremacy,’ Professor.”
The cutting-edge scientific investigative method commonly used when humanity developed nuclear bombs and sent people to the moon. First, frame someone as the culprit, and evidence will appear later.
And at this very moment—William confessed with his own mouth that he was the culprit.
“As an honorable Academy cadet, I’ll arrest you, Professor.”
Please resist.
It’s easier that way.
Kail said this and sprang forward.
