Chapter 2: -the new principal (2)

Episode 2 – The New Headmistress (2)

“City Defense Tower Attack Incident?”

“That is correct. However, given that it was suppressed in an instant, it appears to be nothing more than a foolish act of terrorism by undesirable elements, so it seems there’s no need for Your Headmistress to concern herself with it. I will personally educate the new secretary, Lean, for reporting so rashly.”

Illia, whom I met again, bowed her head and reported the detailed circumstances. Her words, that there was no need for me to concern myself, were not wrong.

On the surface, this incident was merely a happening where a reckless criminal attempted something futile, only to be suppressed instantly.

Above all, even if Lagpedia held significant importance in this city, the one who ultimately governed the city was the local lord, certified by the Imperial Family.

Even I, acting arbitrarily on matters outside the academy and infringing upon the lord’s authority, would be morally incorrect.

However, this incident was definitely not a simple happening. It was at least a small tributary flowing into the great river of fate that would unfold in the future.

“Tell the butler outside to bring my clothes.”

“But, Headmistress…”

“I’m merely going to see it for myself, so don’t make me repeat myself.”

Ultimately, I decided to go see it in person. And in the process, I found myself frowning and scolding Illia.

I hadn’t intended to, but the twisted personality that came with possessing a new body kept surfacing in such minor ways.

“Your Excellency, I have brought your clothes.”

A few minutes later, Illia returned with the old butler, Albert, whose white beard was neatly trimmed. In his hand was a black outer robe adorned with gold thread.

I immediately draped the robe over the silk nightgown I was wearing and stepped out into the cold night wind.

“Headmistress. The wind is chilly.”

“Illia. You don’t need to worry about me feeling cold.”

Illia was startled by my exceedingly light attire, which fully exposed my calves, but I chuckled at her words.

The other servants present, including Albert, were the same; somehow, she knew less about me than I did about myself, despite me having woken up just a few hours ago.

“The Ice Wheel Device created by Your Excellency is a magic formula of ice and cold, colder than anything else. You don’t need to worry, Chief.”

“I-I hadn’t considered that.”

Albert stepped forward and explained on my behalf. Relieved from the need to speak at length, I continued walking.

All the way to the boulevard where a carriage, pulled by iron horses made of armor-like metal pieces instead of living horses, was waiting.

“According to current reports, an unknown assailant appears to have prepared a suicide attack targeting the power source of the defense tower.”

On the way in the carriage, I received a more detailed report from Illia. Of course, she didn’t know everything, having merely conveyed the information.

“In any case, that means the suicide attack was successful. That’s why the perpetrator’s identity couldn’t be determined, and although the defense tower is intact, a few people caught in the aftermath must have been injured or killed.”

“I-I didn’t hear anything like that. I was told it was safely suppressed…”

“No, the damage is clearly greater than expected. As if the suicide attack attempted by the enemy wasn’t a ‘normal explosion’.”

Taking in the unfamiliar yet familiar urban landscape outside the window, I rummaged through my memories and leaned back into the soft cushion.

Clearly, the full story behind this terror attack was a new weapon experiment by the Central Continent Liberation Front, Lazad, one of the villain groups in the original work. They literally carried out this act to test their newly developed magic bombs and such.

In the story, it was merely an event that served as a plot device until the full truth was revealed later, but in reality, that single, seemingly minor device becomes a horrific tragedy.

Due to their terrorist acts, one of the heroines tragically lost her only family member, her father, today. The incident happened too quickly for me to intervene in any way.

“We have arrived.”

Soon, the carriage came to a halt. The door, opened by the butler, swung open, and I alighted without hesitation.

What I saw upon alighting were the assembled city defense forces and the city’s administrator, whose hair was disheveled as if he had just rushed over after being woken up.

“H-Headmistress, why are you here?! We clearly informed you it was a simple matter…”

“That’s what I was told, but it didn’t seem like a simple matter, so I merely came to see for myself.”

The administrator seemed surprised to see me, stammered, and then shot resentful glances at Illia and Albert. It seemed they had indeed deliberately downplayed the report to our side.

In the original work, he appeared as a prime example of an incompetent, cancerous administrator, and it was no different now.

“Is the situation contained? What about the damage?”

“It’s being handled well. Although we failed to capture him alive, the defense tower is safe, and the enemy was swiftly suppressed!”

“Stop lying. The smell of gunpowder and blood still permeates this place.”

I snapped at him, growing restless as he kept blocking my path. When I twisted my face into a grimace, he flinched, and not only the administrator, who closed his mouth, but even the defense soldiers, recoiled and cleared the way.

Thanks to the soldiers clearing the path, I crossed the now-revealed route. Before me stood a single, pristine white tower, like an obelisk in a plaza.

The defense tower, one of the core components of a large-scale defense system capable of enveloping the entire city in a mana shield in times of emergency.

And beside it, several bodies lay recovered. Along with the rough debris of the explosion scattered everywhere.

Stopping and looking at the scene, my heart felt heavy. It wasn’t merely from seeing human corpses. My current self wouldn’t care whether people died before my eyes or not.

It was simply a deep skepticism about whether I, bound by restrictions, could twist or prevent such incidents that would continue to unfold in the future.

For now, I had failed. I hadn’t found a way to bypass the restrictions and exert influence.

“You’ve handled this so well. The defense tower is safe, but six people died, and above all, what exactly were the defense soldiers doing while such a suspicious individual reached this confidential facility?”

“W-Well, that’s because the culprit managed to pass through mana detection devices and such using a mysterious stealth magic of unknown origin… Fortunately, the defense soldiers guarding this place threw themselves in the way to stop him, and thus were able to protect only the defense tower.”

The defense captain, flinching at my reprimand delivered with a sigh, glanced at me but still covered for his soldiers, saying they had performed their duties excellently.

Of course, fighting with their lives on the line to protect the defense tower was commendable. However, the truth was that their lax discipline and negligence had allowed the enemy to infiltrate.

However, I didn’t bother to speak further. This incident was over anyway, and I had failed. Tightening discipline and managing the aftermath were the administrator’s and defense captain’s jobs, not mine.

“…Let’s go back.”

Clicking my tongue at the numerous gazes upon me, I headed back to the carriage.

It seemed this was not a time for leisurely adaptation. I needed to find a solution as soon as possible.

“Administrator! Urgent news! In the inn where the culprit is presumed to have stayed, a magic bomb identical to the one used in the suicide attack is ticking with a timer!”

“W-What?!”

But this incident was not over yet.

As I was about to get into the carriage, I suddenly widened my eyes and turned back to look at them, greatly flustered. This situation, at least, was clearly not mentioned in the original work.

****

“Don’t touch it rashly. A-Anyway, this is a circuit formula I’ve never seen before. What on earth is this…”

“There’s no time. Please evacuate, Professor!”

“I cannot! This is my pride!”

In this very moment, as an emergency order had been issued late at night, and the chaos created by evacuating people mixing with those trying to control them settled and dominated this space.

The wizard Griezmann, his white beard trembling, shook off the arms of his colleagues who were trying to take him out.

‘I can solve it. There’s no way I’d lose to the minds of mere criminals!’

He exerted all his strength to examine the bomb, made by attaching mana stones with complex circuits drawn on them. His presence near this inn, having come to the city center late at night for a drink with colleagues after the entrance ceremony, was purely coincidental.

However, upon hearing of a magic bomb, he rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward purely of his own volition, intending to disarm the bomb instantly using his magical knowledge.

Indeed, among the subjects he taught was one on reverse-engineering and analyzing the circuits of magical devices.

‘T-Time is running out. This is a completely new circuit formula!’

However, contrary to his expectations, the bomb was a new kind of device that directly defied his knowledge, and as a result, he ultimately had to make a choice.

Whether to evacuate and watch the bomb explode, or to risk his life and continue deciphering it.

“I told you not to touch it! It’s on the verge of exploding!”

Just then, someone placed a hand firmly on his shoulder as he was sweating profusely. Griezmann, who was extremely sensitive, naturally roughly swatted the hand away.

But that hand was very small and cold, too small and cold to be a colleague’s.

“Huh?”

Only then did he turn around. And upon seeing the owner of the hand he had swatted away, he froze.

“Professor Hector Griezmann of the Magic Department. Move aside.”

The silver-haired girl, frowning, clutched her hand and her violet eyes glinted.