Chapter 47: Fake Stigmata (10)

In the end, I couldn’t properly answer Yelena’s question. The offer that Yelena would take on the burden I had to bear, whether I liked it or not, was too sweet.

“…”

So, I was lost in silence for a while.

“If you’re nervous, you can tell me later. I’m used to it anyway.”

“…Thank you.”

Yelena said that and put on her uniform jacket. It was already 7 p.m. It was time to go back.

Since I met Yelena, is the next person I should meet Regina?

Regina is investigating in her own way… but compared to Elin-sensei, who has the academy teachers and the academy information organization, the progress of the investigation is bound to be slow.

So I made an appointment to meet her tonight, and Yelena came.

I originally thought of sending Yelena away and talking to Regina separately… but I don’t think that’s very efficient.

First of all, I have to tell her that I told Yelena everything, and I have to tell her how much Yelena knows, and I have to tell her Yelena’s role. It’s better to just bring her along than to explain it all myself, right?

So I grabbed Yelena, who was about to leave.

“Yelena. Regina is coming soon, do you want to stay?”

“Hmm… Okay. I cleared my evening schedule anyway.”

“Thank you. Then, do you want to sit here?”

I said that and tapped the seat next to me. The queen-size bed was big enough for Yelena and me to lie down together.

There wasn’t much space to sit in my room in the first place. The terrace is still chilly in spring, and there’s only one chair, so it’s awkward to sit together.

However, Yelena’s reaction to my words was somewhat stiff.

“On the, bed?”

“Yes. We’re not strangers, are we?”

“Tha… that’s true.”

Yelena barely nodded and sat next to me.

We, in that state, talked lightly until Regina came.

Stories about studies. Stories about midterms. And stories about midterms. It was fun to have a normal conversation with a girl my age for the first time in a while.

So, I naturally didn’t notice anything strange when Yelena led the conversation to the topic of midterm group members.

“Sian. What do you think of your group member?”

“Ah, Elissa?”

I asked Yelena back and organized my thoughts for a moment.

Elissa was a kind girl. A kind and delicate girl, who knows how to care for others. A girl who feels warm.

Basically, humans are attracted to such people. Who wouldn’t like a pretty and kind girl?

So I liked Elissa.

It was a bit awkward to talk comfortably with Yelena and Regina.

Yelena lived her whole life as the Northern Grand Duchess without friends. Regina lost her trust in humans and broke down in thousands of years.

Both of them are girls who are still learning the relationship of friends, and it was no different for me, who lived as a shut-in.

So there’s a lot to learn from Elissa. I’m trying to be as considerate as possible to the other person, but it’s a bit difficult.

“I think Elissa is a good friend. The friend I want to be is just like Elissa. I want to be a person who is kind, considerate, and delicate, yet has a strong heart.”

After hearing from the teacher that Elissa was also a suspect, I was worried that if Elissa was really a fake Stigmata holder. Then I worried that the image I admired might be a made-up image.

However, I soon dismissed such concerns. The image of Elissa that I had seen so far was definitely not a made-up image.

Humans are surprisingly awkward at hiding their emotions. Even if I’m a little bad at hiding my emotions… I can tell if someone is faking their expression.

The adventurer who can’t do that would have died after being betrayed by their colleagues before they could even reach the gold rank.

“So, do you like friends like Elissa?”

“Hmm, right?”

“…I see.”

Yelena’s voice, answering that, was uncharacteristically dejected. A voice that somehow feels a little disappointed.

Perhaps, she misunderstood that I wanted to have a friend like Elissa. That I don’t like kids like Yelena or Regina.

So I quickly added.

“Ah, of course I like Yelena too! It’s like a cool older sister that I can trust and rely on? Yelena has a different charm from Elissa.”

As I said that and leaned against Yelena, Yelena was a little surprised, but wrapped her arm around my shoulder. In the quiet room, the heartbeats of the two girls intersect.

It was around that time that Regina came in.

“Sian. I, I’m here…?”

Regina’s characteristic tired-looking eyes, looking around the room, turned to me, who was leaning against Yelena.

The lifeless red eyes trembled exactly three times. Once when she saw me leaning against Yelena. Once when she saw my clothes. And once again when she saw me opening my arms to her.

“Regina, come here.”

“Ugh…?”

Regina’s face turned red like a ripe apple.

“Sooo…the performance of the fake Stigmata that the Dark Cult guys use…is stronger than expected…?”

“Yes. It seems like they obtained the ‘seed’ like me and made the ‘fake Stigmata’ stronger in some way. The fake Stigmata that Marcus guy used was much stronger than what you described, Regina.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry…”

“No. Regina, you don’t have to apologize.”

I said that and stroked Regina, who was clinging to me. Regina’s appearance, wriggling in my arms as if she’s used to it now, was cute.

“Anyway, so, Regina and I think that if the Dark Cult guys cause terror, it will be during the midterm exam.”

“Why the midterm exam?”

“During the midterm exam, the teachers have to protect students who are spread out widely.”

The midterm practical exam is held in the forest behind the academy, like the academy entrance ceremony. It means that the range that teachers who normally only look at the inside of the academy have to protect is increased by several times.

Therefore, it is also good to carry out a diversion operation. If magical beasts pour out from all over the forest, even skilled teachers will be tied up in the forest.

Academy teachers are basically superhumans, but most of the first-year students they have to protect are just ordinary people who have just awakened their mana.

“If the teachers are spread out, the force to protect the main building will also decrease…is that it?”

“That’s right. And this year, when the principal is on the front line, is the easiest timing. He’ll probably be back next year.”

By now, there will be signs of a full-scale invasion near the Northern Absolute Defense Line.

The reason why the principal, who can be said to be the strongest force of the academy, left for the front line was also because of that sign.

“Then, it’s definitely dangerous, as you guys said, this midterm exam. It’s the most chaotic time of the year.”

“Yes. The academy’s upper management still doesn’t know about the space transfer magic circle hidden under the fake Stigmata. If it goes like this, they will be easily attacked.”

“Then shouldn’t you just tell the teacher? Why are you so worried?”

“Because the teacher won’t believe me. Even if Elin-sensei trusts me… I can’t ask her to act without evidence.”

“…”

“…That’s true too.”

There is only one chance to stop the terror.

If the fake Stigmata holders are imprisoned before the terror begins, the Dark Cult will find out. Elin-sensei also knew to some extent that there was a spy inside the academy.

In the original [Arcana Academy], how much trouble was caused by this spy.

That said, the fake Stigmata cannot be removed in advance.

The transfer magic circle is similar to a warp point in an open-world game, so if the transfer magic circle is destroyed, the location of the transfer magic circle marked on the map also disappears.

If even one transfer magic circle disappears, they will notice it immediately. And, they will realize that their plan has been discovered.

“So we need evidence.”

Evidence will be the only hope in a stalemate situation. And I gathered Yelena and Regina to secure this evidence.

“Yelena. Regina. Do you trust me?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Of course…!”

“Then, can you come with me somewhere tonight?”

The fake Stigmata explodes if touched carelessly. So a precise and delicate dismantling operation is needed, but that’s only possible when the fake Stigmata holder is alive.

If the fake Stigmata holder dies, you shouldn’t touch the fake Stigmata while it lasts. The reason why the teachers left Marcus’s body alone was probably because of that.

If the mana supply is cut off, the duration of the fake Stigmata is 1 day. The only ones who know this fact are me, Regina, and now Yelena, who heard this fact.

So, they will take advantage of tonight to erase the traces of the fake Stigmata from Marcus’s body. Unlike me, who killed the guy directly, the Dark Cult doesn’t know the exact time of his death.

So we’ll probably be one step ahead of them.