Chapter 58: The Night Before The Storm (4)

The core of the academy invasion that they are preparing is the transfer magic circle hidden in the fake Stigmata holders.

Therefore, as long as the fake Stigmata holders are somehow gathered together, the situation will not get out of control.

In order to control the fake Stigmata holders in case of emergency, the teachers are monitoring the fake Stigmata holders. So there’s no need to worry about that.

Then, there is no need to worry too much about the insiders inside the academy. In the first place, they won’t even be able to set foot inside the academy, so how are they going to communicate?

In the end, the most important thing is probably the extent to which the failed Dark Cult guys will go crazy and try to invade the academy without thinking.

Of course, the academy is not that easily breached. Unless they infiltrate from the inside using fake Stigmata and transfer magic circles, it’s unlikely to be breached.

Everything is going well. It means that things are going too easily than I thought.

So I was rather anxious.

“…Things are going too well.”

I was lying on the bed, muttering with the status window floating in the air.

Things were going too smoothly.

Of course, this is not a bad thing… but should I say that it flows too smoothly as if someone intended it?

In the first place, as long as I already know about the incident that will happen during the midterm exam, the work of the Dark Cult will never go as they please. However, even considering that, it’s going too easily.

“It’s all thanks to that guy Marcus.”

Marcus’s rampage revealed the existence of the fake Stigmata, its danger, and the possibility of what kind of conspiracy the Dark Cult could use it for.

It means that even if I didn’t tell the teacher about the fake Stigmata, the situation wouldn’t be much different from now.

Because Marcus told everything. He even gave enough time to prepare before the midterm exam.

“That’s strange.”

The Dark Cult is not a group of fools.

And people with normal minds don’t want their plans to be discovered.

Then, shouldn’t they be careful when giving the fake Stigmata and carefully select the victims? If he caused terror with an outburst of emotion like Marcus, even things that could have been done would be ruined.

The other students who received the fake Stigmata were not so conspicuous.

It’s not like they have a clear conflict like me and Marcus, they’re just shy students with a little inferiority complex.

If you ask if the Dark Cult didn’t know that Marcus would act alone, that’s not the case either.

The incident between me and that guy during the midterm exam had already spread throughout the academy.

If I had paid even a little attention to the rumors inside the academy, I would never have chosen Marcus as a candidate for a fake Stigmata holder. Unless there is another purpose.

…I feel like I’m being led.”

The Dark Cult side will definitely be aware that if they give Marcus such power, it will cause problems. The fact that they chose him anyway means there is another reason.

But, what would the Dark Cult guys gain by letting them know that they would cause terror?

Letting them know that terror will happen is a really stupid thing. Because terror is effective when it happens as a sudden surprise.

Looking at the preparations of the academy side right now, weakening the barrier stone is out of the question. Even the Crusaders or Paladins of the Dark Cult can’t break through that.

The first place the teachers took care of as soon as they came across the possibility of terror was the barrier stone. Because the students are safe only when the barrier stone is safe.

They would have fully expected this. Then, is there a separate purpose?

“Huu…”

A sigh escaped from my complicated heart.

I couldn’t hide my anxious heart because of the existence of the ‘seed’.

I was fully expecting that the content of the original work would change if I moved in earnest. But I don’t want this kind of change.

The transmigrator is the one who changes the original work. The fact that the original work changes means that the transmigrator is doing a good job.

However, that’s only when the original work changed by acting according to my will, and the fact that the original work was twisted without my intervention means that something went wrong somewhere.

“For now, let’s sleep.”

However, it was impossible to think of something I was missing right now. So I continued to think a little more and then fell asleep.

“…”

The uncomfortable feeling did not go away even after I woke up. I woke up, fixed my messy hair, and stared blankly at the rising sun.

I can’t see anything else that the Dark Cult guys can aim for instead of the barrier stone.

They tried to assassinate Elin-sensei in the original work, but that was a story at the time of the 3rd year.

Trying to assassinate Elin-sensei already now is a problem whether it succeeds or fails.

If it fails, everything they’ve built up will be in vain, and even if it succeeds, someone else will come in that position.

Besides, if an academy teacher dies, the principal will no longer be able to stay on the front line. The Dark Cult, who are trying to do something before the principal returns, will be suffocated.

“It’s not this either.”

The Dark Cult’s treasure being smuggled into the academy is a 2nd-year story. The Dark Cult and the academy taking a full-fledged confrontation is also a 2nd-year story.

Even if I try to think of other incidents, nothing comes to mind within the scope of the ‘original work’.

So, even until the end of class, my expression was not very good.

It was the same for Elissa, who was taking classes with me. Elissa’s expression, looking at the blackboard with a complicated expression, was dark.

Perhaps it’s because of the story she’ll tell tonight.

She’s in that state because she’s worried about how I’ll react even if she brings out all her past.

I didn’t bother talking to such Elissa. Because she seemed to need time to think.

“Then, let’s end the understanding of the magic circle here. By the next class, memorize all the magic circles that make up the basic magic. Got it?”

“Yeees-“

With the students’ loud voices, the bell signaling the end of class rang pleasantly.

The depressed atmosphere unique to the last class on Monday was revived, and lively murmurs returned. Leaving the students chatting, we left the classroom together.

Elissa, who had been silent for a while, carefully opened her mouth.

“…Sian.”

“Yes?”

“Shall we, go eat dinner later?”

Elissa seemed to still be unprepared. She was fidgeting with her hands, unable to meet my sapphire eyes.

It was the same for me. I don’t know what the Dark Cult will aim for, and now there are only 3 days left until the midterm exam.

I wanted to ask Elin-sensei to investigate, even if it was unreasonable. Elin-sensei will trust my words more than before, now that I showed her the [Token of the World Tree].

“Okay. But you know I can’t go down to the autonomous district, right?”

“It’s okay. The school cafeteria is delicious enough.”

“Then shall we go to the library for a while? There’s still some time left until the cafeteria opens.”

I muttered that and looked at the clock.

It’s 4:30 now. The cafeteria opens at 5:30. There is an awkward hour left.

There is no better place to kill time than the library. Besides, I didn’t finish reading the book I read last time.

“Okay.”

Elissa also readily nodded. Perhaps she felt sorry that she only slept in the library yesterday and couldn’t read a book.

The weekday library was quite crowded. At a time when there were only three days left until the midterm exam, the library was the easiest place to study.

If I hadn’t studied in advance in preparation for the midterm exam, I would probably be in the middle of that right now.

I was studying hard until now, in preparation for this. It seems that I will have to move hard to prepare for the terror when the midterm exam gets closer, so I tried to secure study time in advance.

It was new to read a book leisurely among the studying children. We read books like ordinary girls, and then had dinner together.

Even in the meantime, Elissa’s expression was subtle. Perhaps it’s because Elissa seems to be involved with the Dark Cult in a strange way, is she reluctant to talk?

I muttered inwardly and continued to think about mana excess.

Come to think of it, the Dark Cult’s base, where the patient with mana excess was, seemed to be a pretty important security facility.

That dead mana excess patient would have been that important to them. And, Elissa is a mana excess patient.

Maybe-

“Sian.”

“Ah, yes?”

Cutting off my thoughts as I was immersed in my thoughts, back at the hideout in the back mountain, Elissa slowly opened her mouth.

“Actually, I have a fake Stigmata.”