### Episode 55: Shadowy Operations (3)
As the night grew closer to ten o’clock, it deepened into dim darkness.
Keru, the head assistant of the Department of Medicine, was heading towards the meeting place with a sinister smile plastered on his face.
“Hmph… Who would have thought that the illustrious Young Lady would take interest in someone like me? Though, it’s absurd to think she could genuinely fall for that reckless brat.”
The couple Rab and Cecilia had been famous since their early days at the Academy.
A year ago, it shocked everyone when they officially announced their engagement at a debutante party. Their relationship within the Academy was unexpectedly strong.
Rab, in particular, drew widespread attention by unexpectedly securing the top overall position, a feat no one had predicted. The Academy was buzzing about the prodigy’s turnaround.
The Young Lady, according to rumors, had been a recluse due to health issues. However, her striking beauty and meticulous medical skills sparked discussions among many students.
Keru, who infiltrated the Department of Medicine as a Spy, occasionally encountered her during his missions. Contrary to the rumors that she clung to the reckless brat, she appeared cold and focused solely on medical studies. This discrepancy left some questioning the truth of the rumors.
Frankly, she was just another human to Keru, who only paid slight attention to her, as he planned to leave after completing his mission. Nonetheless, this changed drastically.
“So, the noble Young Lady explicitly expressed her feelings. The illustrious Young Lady, it seems, can’t control her urges. Well, it might be entertaining to play with her.”
Keru had developed an abnormal taste for sadism since childhood, finding joy in the suffering of others.
At first, his actions were limited to causing trouble or injury, but during his teenage years, after a quarrel with his girlfriend, he strangled her in a fit of rage.
While most would feel remorse for taking a life, Keru discovered an unprecedented thrill in watching his girlfriend slowly suffocate.
His subsequent serial killings eventually caught the attention of the Black Mage group, who recruited him. He eagerly agreed, as he desired more victims to torment.
Keru’s studies in both black magic and medical practices were solely aimed at understanding how to inflict the most effective pain on others, revealing his deranged nature.
Being involved in a mission for the Academy, Keru had to suppress his homicidal urges, which became almost unbearable. Her letter tipped him over the edge.
“Hah… I’ve suppressed it enough. After killing her, I can casually pin it on her reckless behavior. The Academy would never suspect a popular assistant like me.”
Especially since the artificial beast operation failed, angering his superiors, this situation seemed like a gift from the heavens.
Anticipating the look of betrayal and pain on the noblewoman’s face when her love turns against her, Keru approached the meeting place.
“Let’s see… there she is.”
In the pitch-black night, with the moonlight concealed, movement was dangerous. Yet Keru sensed her presence nearby.
Approaching the source of the sound, he spotted a petite figure and immediately identified her as the Young Lady.
“Good evening, Young Lady. I’ve come after receiving your letter.”
A slight nod followed, slightly delayed, and Keru interpreted this as bashfulness, preparing to charm her with his smooth talk.
“The letter mentioned sleepless nights thinking of me… Can I ask if that’s true?”
“…Yes.”
Her short, curt reply only fueled his excitement.
“Actually… I have thought of you too. Though I considered it an unattainable affection, I’ve abandoned it until now. But your bold approach has left me at a loss.”
“One thing… Can you honestly answer one question?”
“Of course.”
Immersed in her charm through her refined and beautiful voice, Keru was startled by an unexpected inquiry.
“A spy for the Black Mages — is that you?”
“…What?”
With a resounding crack, a sharp blow to the back of his head rendered him unconscious.
—
When Keru finally regained consciousness, it hadn’t taken long.
“What… What is this… Wait, where am I?!”
He panicked upon finding himself in a completely changed setting. Instead of the private rendezvous at the Academy’s shadowy backyard, he was tightly bound in a damp, dark underground prison.
There was only one small torch mounted on the wall, casting just enough light to see a few feet in front of him.
“What, what is this?! Let me go! Do you know who I am-”
His frantic screams were met only by oppressive silence.
Creak!
The silence was broken by the sound of a door opening.
Clack, clack.
With the sound of elegant heels approaching, Keru decided to charm the woman who had kidnapped him using his good looks.
“Hey! I don’t know why I’m here, but there’s been some kind of mistake! Let me go and we can- Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
Before his first words, a dagger pierced his right hand, causing excruciating pain.
“You touched me with this hand, right? If not, we can puncture the other one too.”
“Nnngh… That voice… it’s, the Young Lady?”
While pain clouded his mind, the familiar voice cut through the haze and restored some of his consciousness.
It was the unmistakable voice of the Young Lady he met earlier.
“You… Untie me now! If this is exposed, arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
“I’ll ask the questions. Is this the hand that touched me without permission?”
“Nnngh… Y, yes!”
“Good.”
The knife that pierced his hand was pressed harder, causing him intense agony before it was finally pulled out.
Suppressing the urge to scream, Keru gritted his teeth against provoking her further.
“I’ll ask the questions. You just answer honestly. Got it?”
“A… Alright…”
“…”
“…Understood.”
“Good. First question.”
Her turning the knife made the blade gleam threateningly.
“Targeting the Young Master… was it intentional?”
“N, no… I intended to harm only one student, but… that reckless brat… I mean, Netorie’s Young Master was an accident.”
“Hmm… Alright. Now the second question. Why are you spying on the Academy?”
“The evaluation determined my appearance to be the most likeable, and combined with my high-level medical skills, I was the most natural choice to infiltrate.”
“Good. Now, the final, third question.”
She leaned in close, startling Keru, who couldn’t help but shiver.
Her gaze was deeper and darker than any abyss he’d ever seen.
“Who taught you the medical techniques… Was it the Evil God?”
“…! H, how do you-”
“Yes… That’s a good answer.”
Satisfied with his response, the Young Lady moved away and placed her palm on the wound from his now-healed right hand.
A brilliant light emitted, instantly healing his wound.
“Did you see that? Healing magic!”
“My purpose ends here. Tell the rest to someone else. Whether you like it or not, eventually you’ll divulge everything.”
“How did a saint come here! Why do you possess her power-”
“Enough. Come in.”
“W, what?”
At her signal, the door opened again, this time letting in four or five men dressed head-to-toe in black.
Creak, creak.
One more person entered pushing a cart, laden with all sorts of terrifying tools, dried blood still clinging to them.
Keru’s realization struck him — this was a torturous prison, and her earlier words held true.
“S-spare me, Young Lady! I was just used! They threatened me, I had no choice-”
“Everyone.”
Ignoring Keru’s desperate cries, Cecilia calmly addressed the guild members.
“As you know from the Guild Leader, extract as much information as possible. Since you were trusted enough to be sent here, you must be highly ranked and presumably possess significant knowledge.”
On the verge of leaving the prison, Cecilia paused briefly.
“Ah. Once the interrogation is complete, please deal with him. There’s no longer a place in this world for him.”
With a chilling directive, she exited the room.
