Chapter 35: Detective games (1)

Inside the classroom the next day.

Most of the students had arrived as usual, but Professor Glesia was nowhere to be seen, even though class was supposed to have started.

Just as we were wondering, she finally opened the classroom door and entered.

She scanned the room, spotted me, and started walking towards me.

“Student Aria, could you come with me for a moment?”

“What is it?”

“It’s not something I can discuss here.”

Professor Glesia looked around the room before answering.

In the end, I had no choice but to follow her, clueless as to why.

“Could you tell me what you did yesterday?”

Glesia asked as we walked down the hallway.

“Why do you ask?”

“…”

“So, can you explain what this is about?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

I expressed my confusion at the sudden question, but her reply was just a formality.

She stopped in front of a door, as if we had arrived.

I followed her inside, where several people seemed to be waiting.

“I’ve brought student Aria.”

“Thank you, Professor Glesia.”

Glesia exchanged a few words with them and then went to her seat.

Lian’s gaze, which had been on her for a moment, shifted to me.

“Do you know why you’re here, Aria?”

“No. I was told you would explain when we arrived.”

“So you don’t know yet.”

Lian looked at my face, as if trying to gauge my reaction.

After failing to elicit any response from me, he spoke again.

“Last night, Stella, the young lady of the Heinrich family, was attacked in the garden.”

Stella? But she was fine when we parted ways yesterday…

“And according to witnesses, you were the last person seen with her, Aria.”

“…”

“Student Aria.”

The pieces began to fall into place.

With Lian’s next words.

“You are now a suspect in the assault case that occurred yesterday.”

I finally understood why I was here.

“What happened to Stella?”

“Fortunately, she’s alive.”

“She’s alive…”

It might sound fortunate at first glance, but it also meant she wasn’t unharmed.

Crippled, in a coma, or something similar. As long as she was clinging to life, she was considered alive.

“Is it true that you went to the garden with Stella yesterday evening?”

“…Yes.”

“Where did you meet Stella?”

“At the training facility yesterday.”

“You may not know this, Aria, but Stella is one of the top students in Class A.”

Of course. In terms of talent, she was on par with the protagonist.

Literally a star (Stella) in terms of talent.

“In other words, there aren’t many people capable of attacking her.”

“Is that why I’m a suspect?”

“We found a record of someone clearing level 10 in the training facility yesterday.”

“…”

“The high-ranking monster, Arachne. Although it’s a simulated illusion, many can’t even defeat that.”

Level 10 was said to be clearable by only a few third-year students.

In other words, clearing it meant possessing skills beyond that of a third-year.

“So, please tell us everything that happened last night. Without hiding anything.”

“…Alright.”

“So… you returned to the dormitory immediately after parting ways with her?”

“Yes.”

“And nothing suspicious happened during that time?”

“No.”

“Sigh…”

Lian rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. Glesia spoke to him.

“Professor Lian.”

“Yes, Professor Glesia?”

“I think…”

Glesia glanced at me before continuing.

“I don’t think Aria is the culprit.”

“…Why do you think so?”

“I trust the students in my care.”

“…”

The two professors exchanged glances.

“The situation has become quite complicated.”

“Complicated?”

“As I mentioned earlier, Stella is the daughter of a Marquis.”

A Marquis was the second highest rank among the five noble ranks.

Considering that only Dukes and Archdukes had the right to succeed the throne, a Marquis was practically at the top of the nobility.

And such a person had been attacked at the Academy…

“We’re investigating the incident as discreetly as possible. But if news of this gets out, the noble faction will put immense pressure on us.”

“…How much time do we have, Professor Lian?”

“Three days. We have to find the culprit within three days, including the weekend.”

Three days.

I could already imagine what would happen after that.

“And why are you telling me this?”

“If we can’t find the culprit within three days, they’ll demand a scapegoat.”

And the most likely candidate was…

“Aria. They’ll demand you.”

“That’s…! She’s my student!”

“That’s why I’m telling you this, Professor Glesia.”

Nobles valued honor and justification above all else.

They would challenge someone to a duel if their honor was tarnished, and they would fight endlessly if they had a justifiable cause.

“So they’ll offer up a scapegoat to cover up the attack on the Marquis’ daughter.”

“…Can’t we stop them?”

“We’re trying our best. We don’t want a student of the Academy to be accused either.”

But if they couldn’t find the culprit…

“In the worst-case scenario, we might not be able to guarantee your safety, Aria.”

Glesia’s expression hardened at Lian’s words.

She felt responsible for her students and wouldn’t abandon them.

Perhaps the guilt she felt for defeating me last time also played a part.

“Sigh… What can we… no, what can I do?”

“We’re investigating with trustworthy personnel, so please wait for now.”

“What about me?”

“Aria… you mustn’t act rashly for the time being.”

Haha, I was about to be framed for a crime, and I couldn’t even move.

If I were truly in danger, I could escape by force, but that would only give them more leverage against me.

So I had to play along for now.

“Understood.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

The conversation ended, and I left as Lian said I could.

Unlike my usual emotionless facade, my mind was in turmoil.

‘Stella’s combat abilities are comparable to the current protagonist’s.’

In other words, if there was a fight, there would inevitably be traces left behind, no matter how careful they were.

However.

‘At least it wasn’t a demon.’

If a demon was involved, there would definitely be traces of demonic energy.

But since there was no mention of it, the attacker was probably human.

‘“Where is Stella?”’

‘“She’s nominally recovering, so she’s been moved to the infirmary.”’

No matter how much I racked my brain, I wouldn’t know anything unless I saw her myself.

So I headed straight for the infirmary.

As I mentioned before, the Academy’s facilities were top-notch.

The infirmary I was heading to was more than just a name. It was staffed with high-ranking priests, medical scholars, and even professors of herbalism and potion making.

It was a medical facility that was hard to find anywhere else.

‘But if she hasn’t woken up yet…’

“Good afternoon.”

“…Excuse me.”

I opened the door and entered, greeted by the smell of medicine and a man sitting at a desk.

“What brings you here? Are you injured?”

“I’m not injured.”

“Not injured… Perhaps internal injuries? If so, I’ll have to call another teacher…”

“I’m here to see Stella.”

The man stopped talking at my words.

He stood up, closed the infirmary door, and quietly gestured to me.

“This way, please.”

“…”

He walked to the room at the very end and quietly opened the door.

Inside, Stella lay on the bed with her eyes closed.

“She’s been unconscious since the attack last night, so she won’t be able to answer you.”

“Unconscious?”

“It seems she was poisoned. A rather rare kind, it seems.”

Poison…

The Academy teachers were all experts in their respective fields.

If they couldn’t identify the poison, it must be a rare type, as he said.

“You have five minutes with the patient.”

The door closed behind him.

“…Where is the wound?”

I lifted the blanket and examined her arms and legs, but couldn’t find any injuries.

It would be dangerous to heal her without removing the poison, so there should still be a wound.

“Sigh… Excuse me for a moment.”

I lifted her shirt and finally found a puncture wound.

“Her abdomen… and quite shallow.”

The weapon was probably a dagger.

Judging by the direction of the wound, she was attacked from the front.

Since there were no other injuries, she either didn’t resist…

Or the attacker healed the other wounds after poisoning her.

There was no reason for the attacker to do something so inefficient, so there was only one answer.

Stella was attacked by an assassin.

A very skilled one. At least Master level.