Chapter 123: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 123
As expected, the squad of four faced the incoming lower-ranked beasts from the northern forest, occasionally glancing toward the forest with grim expressions.
Amidst the haze of magical energy, massive flames occasionally shot up, clearly visible even in the dimly lit forest.
It was likely the result of their comrades battling the enraged beasts while trying to rescue the kidnapped student.
Every time the flames flared, they felt a pang of anxiety, yet they prayed that the flames wouldn't cease.
The flames meant their comrades were still alive.
The plan to enter an area where a powerful beast, perhaps one even stronger than a top-tier one, was rampaging to rescue a student kidnapped by a witch was an incredibly risky gamble with almost no chance of success.
However, the squad members held on to the slim hope that their leader, Martina, might succeed.
Suddenly, a beast flew up into the sky, entering their field of vision.
"■■■■■■■■■■!!!"
The squad members' faces showed their distress as they watched the beast roar as if it had dealt with all the intruders.
"...You bitch. You promised you’d come back safely."
As the word "failure" crossed her mind, Kanna, who had spent many years with Martina, clenched her teeth and suppressed her tears, murmuring to herself.
At that moment, Natalia, who had been helping deal with the beasts upon receiving the support request, spoke to Kanna, who was on the verge of tears.
"Don’t worry. If Martina said so, she’ll definitely come back safely."
Despite the beast’s roar, which seemed to announce the plan’s failure, Natalia calmly continued to deal with the lower-ranked beasts, muttering to herself.
"Even back when she was a student, she always kept her word no matter what. She said she’d become the greatest magician someday, and she did it, becoming a hero everyone looked up to. So it’ll be okay. This time, too."
Natalia, who usually didn’t show it but recognized Martina more than anyone else, trusted her deeply.
Being rivals who always tried to outdo each other, Natalia’s words showed her trust in Martina, and Kanna nodded with clenched teeth.
Yes, they really wouldn’t know until she returned.
What would it mean if she, the vice-captain, couldn’t trust their captain?
With such a thought, Kanna continued doing what she had to do, when she suddenly heard a cry from a squad member serving as a scout because of their ability to see far distances.
"...! Vice-Captain! It’s the Captain! There’s also the rookie and the kidnapped student!"
"...Fuck, thank you so much, God. Hey! What are you doing?! Clear the remaining beasts and make way for the captain to enter! Contact HQ and report the situation and call for the relief squad!"
After letting out a sigh of relief and quickly giving orders to her squad, Kanna finally saw Martina safely return inside the perimeter and burst into tears she had been holding back.
Her face was pale, and her clothes were stained red with blood from the amount of magic she had used.
Her expression was unusually stiff, suggesting she had overexerted herself.
Still, she was alive.
Just that fact made Kanna so happy that she rushed to Martina and hugged her tightly.
"...Damn it, why did you push yourself so hard... You said you wouldn’t be forgiven if you didn’t come back safely... But... but you came back alive, so I’ll forgive you..."
"...Why are you acting so cute, out of character? You’re old enough to know better than to act like a child. I feel like my body is creaking all over, so could you let go of me?"
"...No. This is punishment for pushing yourself too hard. Just let me be like this for now..."
Martina smiled at Kanna's whimpering and patted her head, then noticed Natalia approaching and slightly bowed her head toward her.
"...Thanks for responding to the support request even though it was your day off. I’ll treat you to something later."
"Well, it's fine. It was a crisis situation, so of course I had to respond to the request. Besides, it was your rare request, Martina. Didn’t you promise to grant me one wish? Hehe, be prepared."
"...Shit, I shouldn't have said that."
Watching Martina grimace, Natalia chuckled softly, then turned her gaze to Yoon Si-woo and Scarlet, who were resting nearby, and asked Martina.
"Do you think they’re okay? Si-woo might be, but that girl was exposed to all that magic energy..."
Martina’s expression stiffened as she answered Natalia's question.
"...I’m not sure. When we rescued her, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her body. Sometimes there are people with special resistance to magic energy. Maybe she’s one of those."
"...Really? If that’s the case, it’s a relief, but..."
As they chatted and passed the time, there was soon a commotion behind them.
Looking in the direction of the commotion, Natalia's eyes widened.
"...Thank you for your hard work, Captain Martina, Captain Natalia."
A relief squad dispatched from HQ to treat the heavily burdened Martina and Yoon Si-woo.
Within that group that had just arrived, there was an unexpected individual.
"...Why is the principal here?"
In response to that question, Ainz Aegis, the current principal of Aegis Academy, bowed his head toward Martina and spoke.
"First, I must express my deepest gratitude for rescuing the kidnapped student."
"...It’s nothing. It’s something that needed to be done. More importantly, what brings you here?"
"...Well, I’m truly sorry, especially when you need rest after such exertion, but both Captain Martina and Yoon Si-woo will need to accompany us once your treatment is finished."
And at the following words, Martina's face hardened.
"...The Central Committee has raised suspicions of treason against Scarlet Evande. An interrogation will soon be conducted regarding this."
\*
Since the city's founding, numerous serious crimes have been strictly prohibited by law.
These include murder, rape, robbery, assault, the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs, acts of terrorism, and experiments with forbidden magic.
However, among these serious crimes, the most severely treated is treason against humanity.
Collaboration with witches or acts of following their orders.
This was a grave crime that could determine the fate of humanity, so the Central Committee, composed of the city's leaders, had the authority to interrogate individuals suspected of treason even based solely on circumstantial evidence.
They did have that authority.
It was almost a nominal power that hadn’t been used for the past few hundred years.
Because witches, considered enemies of humanity, had not appeared for 400 years, even the Central Committee only knew of its existence, and it had rarely been used.
Thus, even within the Central Committee, there were various discussions about this authority, which was being used for the first time in hundreds of years.
"...Collaboration, do you truly believe that, Lord Dolos?"
"It is not a certainty. However, if there is a risk to the city, isn’t it our role to address it as swiftly as possible? Any suspicious areas must be thoroughly investigated."
The person who requested an interrogation regarding Scarlet Evande was Diakonos Dolos, the head of the Dolos family, one of the three families with the greatest influence in the Committee.
Known for his stern nature, he spoke with a composed expression, and Sylvia, who had been called to the meeting immediately upon her return from the front lines, glared at him sharply and retorted.
"How can you suspect Miss Scarlet of treason? Without her sacrifice, all the students would have died at the hands of the witch... even Miss Florene Dolos was helped by her, so how can you from the Dolos family..."
"I am grateful for that part as well. However, personal feelings must be set aside when it comes to matters of human survival. To be honest, I found it strange for some time. When the witches attacked the city, they seemed to know the city's situation in advance. Isn't it natural to suspect there might be a collaborator providing the witches with information about the city? And there just happens to be someone highly suspicious. Miss Scarlet Evande. She is said to be staying as a guest with the Astra family?"
Sylvia nodded but continued to glare fiercely at him, while Diakonos continued to speak decisively without hesitation.
"She was the one who previously encountered the Witch of Sloth within the city, and now, she was kidnapped by an unknown witch during this invasion. Yet she returned safely. If there is nothing going on, how could an ordinary academy student survive multiple encounters with witches? Moreover, she is said to have a unique constitution that prevents her from being harmed by magical energy. It seems she could potentially side with the witches to survive, even if humanity perishes. It is too suspicious to consider all these circumstances as mere coincidences."
"...That could just be because of sheer luck. Miss Scarlet is innocent."
"Yes, there is certainly a probability that she is innocent. It is still circumstantial evidence at this point. Therefore, I will conduct the interrogation as humanely as possible. I will ensure that there is no torture during the interrogation."
"What are you even...!"
"Sylvia, please stop. Lord Dolos is right. If she is innocent, all she needs to do is prove it."
Just as Sylvia stood up abruptly in an outburst at the mention of torture, she flinched and froze at the voice coming from beside her.
The elder who held practical control over the Astra family told her to stop, chuckling as if it were nothing, but to Sylvia, that smile seemed to mean not to act recklessly any further.
Thus, Sylvia had no choice but to sit back down with a distorted expression.
Sylvia bit her nails in anxiety.
He said that if she proved her innocence, it would be enough, but Scarlet had a secret that must not be discovered by others.
If that secret were revealed during the interrogation, she could be punished even if she hadn’t committed any treason...
Sylvia shivered and muttered to herself.
"...If there is any suspicion against Miss Scarlet, then..."
"Then, it will simply be handled according to the law."
Since many members of the Astra family were in the legal profession, Sylvia was also knowledgeable about the law.
And the punishment for traitors or those equivalent was invariably only one thing.
"It will be a summary execution."
Sylvia felt her mind go blank.
fuck BRO THIS CLIFFHANGER
ReplyDeleteThe Astria family needs to lock in.
ReplyDeleteScarlett is the mess they created. All she needs to do is air out their dirty laundry with Si-woo as confirmation for lies and they're just as screwed.