Volume 4 Chapter 5.4
Acceleration to Collapse Part 4
Translator : PolterGlast
"What is the
meaning of this!?"
Irisdina's fury echoed
throughout the Francilt mansion.
It was past noon. In
the spacious reception room, not only Somia and Mena, but also Mars and Tima,
as well as Shina, Mimuru, and Tom, all had a uniformly difficult expression on
their faces.
They had abandoned
their afternoon classes to gather here.
The reason was that
they had learned that Nozomu had been detained by the guards. The charge was
attempted murder.
At first, the school
had kept this story a secret, but Nozomu was a promising star who had fought a
narrow battle with Jihad Roundel. Therefore, information leaked out of nowhere,
and within half a day the whole school knew about it as a sensational topic.
The reaction to this
story was mixed. Some reacted, "As expected". Some did not make a
clear judgment and withheld their opinions. Others denied it, saying they could
not believe it. Irisdina and the others were, of course, the latter.
"I heard that
Nozomu-kun is being detained at the Guard's headquarters in the administrative
district. I went to see if I could meet him, but I was driven away saying that
he was under investigation."
Hearing Shina's words,
Irisdina crossed her arms and bit her lip.
Arcazam's judiciary
and administration are completely independent from other countries, and no
matter how powerful someone may be in his or her home country, he or she will
not be given any special treatment. Especially when it comes to criminal
investigations, it is common practice to detain suspects and cut off all
contact with the outside world to prevent them from escaping or destroying
evidence.
"Arcazam's
investigative agencies are excellent compared to those in other countries. I
don't think they would resort to using inefficient means such as
torture......"
"But it is not
certain. Torture is still not prohibited as a method of investigation."
Mena added to what Tom
had just said.
Torture is considered
to be an inefficient method of investigation in some countries. Because there
are cases of people giving out false information to escape pain and suffering.
Without accurate
information, a proper investigation cannot be conducted. However, as a
customary practice, the use of torture remains within the regulations of
investigative agencies in various countries, and it was the same here in
Arcazam.
And the authority to
do so remained in the sole discretion of the guards in charge of the
investigation. This is one of the remaining issues in Arcazam despite the
negotiations with the other countries.
"In any case, we
need to find out what is actually going on."
Anxiety and impatience
welled up in her. As if to shake them off, Irisdina opened her mouth.
However, everyone
present understood that it would not be easy. After all, they had already
rushed to both the school and the guard's headquarters, demanding an
explanation of the situation.
The result was that
they were turned away at the door. Both the school and the guard's responses
were silent.
"Just in case, I
have Raz investigating the Guard's headquarters. Hopefully, we'll find out
something......"
[I'm back.]
"Raz......!"
While they were
talking, Razward came into the reception room from outside the window. The
lesser wind spirit, which entered the room through the glass without opening
the window, perched on Shina's shoulder with a flap of its lapis lazuli-colored
wings.
"Did you find out
anything!? How's Nozomu doing!?"
[Sorry, I was able to
get inside the headquarters building, but the basement where the prison is
located is surrounded by barriers, so I couldn't get inside.]
"I
see......"
Irisdina, while
raising her voice, pressed closer to Razward, but his reply was not good.
The prison at the
Guard's headquarters is built to temporarily detain major criminals. Naturally,
it is also installed with a magic barrier.
It was also said to be
tremendously durable because it was built in a ritual magic city, and
considering that even Razward, a spirit, could not bypass it, it seemed that
the rumors were true.
"Even if we went
to the Guard's headquarters now, we would definitely just be turned away at the
door. The academy also won't say anything publicly. In that case......."
There is no way that
the Guards would release a suspect under investigation and at the same time
allow a third party to make contact with him.
The same goes for the
academy, which is merely an institution run as part of Arcazam, and avoids
commenting on the fact that it is still under investigation.
Then what should we
do? Irisdina, who had been silent and pondering for a while, turned her gaze to
her maid.
"Mena......"
"How may I help
you?"
"I would like to
confirm something."
The maid, who had
taken the role of a mother and had watched over Irisdina since she was a child,
felt a shiver under Irisdina's intense gaze, but she then quietly smiled.
‡
In a certain room at
the Solminati Academy. In his office, which was more glamorous than the other
rooms, Jihad was groaning bitterly at the report that came from the Guard's
headquarters.
On his desk was a
notice stating that the student in question had been detained for attempted
murder.
"We're in
trouble......."
"Yes, he made his
move right before we could roast him."
Inside Jihad's office,
his and his assistant, Inda's, voices were heard. In the room, there were also
Anri, who had introduced Nozomu to Jihad, and Feo, a member of Starlight. Anri
was fidgeting in front of the bookshelf, while Feo was leaning against the wall
with his arms crossed with a troubled look on his face.
"I think he got
impatient upon seeing Nozomu's fight against you old man, and tried to destroy
him as soon as possible."
"But even so,
isn't this rather a very poor and hasty action? It is hard to believe that this
is the action of someone who has been concealing the fact that he is [Spirit's
Illegitimate Child] for all this time......"
Feo's speculation led
Inda to voice her doubts.
Certainly, Ken
Nortice's actions to date could be said to be very prudent.
Hiding his abilities
and contracted spirits. Creating collaborators behind the scenes and using
Starlights as pawns.
No matter how
excellent he may be as an honor student at the Soluminati Academy, this is not
the actions of an ordinary student, and since he was so capable, he would have
acted more cautiously.
"Could it be that
everything was done with the help of that spirit Mefi's wisdom? Even though she
is young as a spirit, she has been alive for several decades."
"Even an
outstanding person can completely lose his or her composure when faced with an
unexpected situation. This is especially true when they are young and
inexperienced, despite their abilities."
Feo shrugged his
shoulders at Inda's words, and Jihad kept staring at the notice on his desk.
While the three of
them were arguing over their theories, an impatient Anri raised her voice.
"More
importantly, we should release Nozomu-kun as soon as possible~~! He did nothing
wrong, after all~~!"
The most important
thing for Anri is Nozomu's safety.
This arrest is far too
well-timed. Besides, he is now separated from his friends and isolated. The
possibility of Ken moving again was high, and they must get him out of jail as
soon as possible.
However, the reality
is not as good as it seems, and Anri is not even allowed to meet with her
student.
"Inda-sensei,
what about Camilla Vecknose?"
"She is currently
undergoing treatment in a hospital room at the Gloaurum Institute. She is now
being attended to by Norn-sensei, considering her situation."
Camilla, who had been
stabbed in the stomach, was bleeding profusely, but fortunately, she was able
to survive.
Largely because she
was able to receive appropriate first aid at an early stage.
"Also, when I
investigated her, I found out some interesting things. Here......."
Inda then pulled a
sheaf of papers out of her pocket and handed them to Jihad.
He quickly skimmed
through the report handed to him and grunted in understanding.
"I see. Now I
know the situation on the Starlight side. All that remains is Nozomu-kun, who
is being held at the Guard's headquarters. However, the response from the
Guard's headquarters is not good."
Although the Academy
and the Guard's headquarters are both located in Arcazam, they have different
jurisdictions to begin with. The academy does not have the authority to conduct
an investigation of an incident that took place outside the school. All they
can do is raise a formal protest and verify the facts.
"What do we do
now?"
"We have to move
quickly now that this has happened. After Anri-sensei went to see Norn-sensei,
we will go to the Guard's headquarters to-......."
At that moment, the
door to the office opened with a sudden rattle, and a woman entered the room
without permission.
A woman of mature age,
dressed in a long-skirted maid's outfit with black as the base color.
She was Jihad's
comrade-in-arms, Mena, the maid of the Francilt family whom he had met a little
while ago.
"Hello, Jihad.
It's been a few days."
"Mena, huh?
Sorry, but I'm busy at the moment. We can talk about the old days
later......."
"No, my business
here is also about your current concern. Or more precisely, my Master is."
After saying so, Mena
moved to the side of the office door and quietly bowed her head.
"Everyone,
please."
As if prompted by
Mena's words, Irisdina and the rest of Nozomu's friends entered the office.
Jihad's eyes squinted at their appearance.
"What brings you
guys here?"
"We would like
you to tell us everything you know about Nozomu."
Jihad's gaze fell on
Mena, who was standing behind Irisdina.
"Did she tell
you?"
"No, I questioned
her. Why did she visit the academy? The maid of mine here did a combat training
with Nozomu and even visited the academy without any business some time ago.
From there, it is not too difficult to connect it to her comrade-in-arms from
20 years ago, which is you, Jihad-sensei."
Irisdina's gaze then
turned to Anri, who was watching the unfolding developments from the edge of
the office.
"Furthermore,
there is also Anri-sensei here, who fought against the Cracked-Crown Giant
Centipede. She is also a teacher at the school. It is unreasonable to think
that she has not reported anything regarding Nozomu."
"I see, I was
indeed investigating Nozomu-kun's character and the source of his power. Since
he was able to defeat one of the [Six Bad Omens], I have no choice but to do
so. I know firsthand the horror of those beasts, having fought them myself many
times before."
However, at first, it
was just pure curiosity, he added, leaning back against the backrest of his
seat and looking up at the ceiling.
"Jihad-sensei.
You already know about Nozomu's true identity, don't you?"
Hearing Irisdina's
words, which carried a whiff of conviction, Jihad remained silent.
Convinced that they
already knew Nozomu's true identity, Irisdina glared at Anri, who was likely to
be the one who conveyed the information to them. Irisdina's gaze was tinged
with a strong reproach.
"Don't be so hard
on her. She just needed a backing in a way that would keep his true identity
hidden as much as possible. And that gamble paid off."
"Of course, I'm
aware of that, too."
After Jihad defended
Anri, Irisdina easily took her gaze away from her. From the very beginning,
even she did not believe that Anri would act against Nozomu's will.
The intimidation that
she had just directed at Anri was done simply to check Jihad's reaction.
"However, if you
were to foolishly spread Nozomu's secret and cause him to fall into trouble,
then......"
In that instant, a
gaze far more intense than the one she had just directed at Anri was directed
at Jihad.
If one looked closely,
one could see that a thin black magic power was exuding from Irisdina's body.
Indah, who was
standing by Jihad's side, reflexively lowered her hips indicating that she was
ready to intercept.
"Hmm, good eyes.
It is much more persuasive than 10,000 words. Rest assured, I am determined to
help him. In fact, the only people in the school who know of his condition,
other than those who have directly fought the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede,
are just me and Inda-sensei."
Even under Irisdina's
gaze, the veteran hero's stance did not waver one bit.
On the other side,
Irisdina also did not stop her questioning eyes.
Despite his
outstanding swordsmanship and combat skills, Nozomu has no experience in such
political maneuvering.
Combined with his
good-natured personality, there was a good chance that he would be taken
advantage of by those concealing their malicious intentions.
That was why Irisdina
had to be sure. The reason why this hero came to Nozomu's backing.
"Jihad-sensei,
did you become Nozomu's backer because you are an educator? Or was it to avenge
your comrades killed by the demonic beasts?"
"As an educator.
And as a swordsman who respects him for having reached such a level."
Jihad left the
battlefield and came to this academy for the sake of the youths who will
shoulder the future.
For Jihad, Nozomu was
irreplaceable for the future of this continent.
He could have easily
cornered Jihad if he had wanted to at the time when they crossed blades at the
martial arts garden. That was if he had used the power of the dragon that
resided in his body.
But he did not use
that power. He decided to fight Jihad not with the power he had miraculously
obtained, but only with the training he had accumulated by his own will.
There were almost no
conversations exchanged between them. But that fact was more than enough for
Jihad to believe in Nozomu. Because a person's true feelings do ensue from his
actions, not from his words.
[Oi, jou-chan.]
"Irisdina-san, it
looks like Jihad-sensei isn't lying to you. At least, neither Raz nor I can
detect any malice in his words."
Razward and Shina
interrupted.
Upon hearing their
words, Irisdina took a deep breath and finally released her tension.
"...... I
understand. I believe it. Jihad-sensei, please forgive me for my many rude
remarks and actions."
"No, don't worry
about it. Rather, I thank you for believing in me. I do not blame you for
seeing me as a suspicious person who probes the privacy of your friends."
In fact, unlike
Irisdina and the others, Jihad has not yet been told of Nozomu's secret by
Nozomu himself. It was only natural for them to be wary. Once the atmosphere
had calmed down, Jihad went on to the main topic.
"Actually, I
could imagine that someone from this city and from the academy was behind Ken
Nortice. But we still don't know exactly who or where this person is."
"Then we have no
choice but to catch that lesser spirit and Ken Nortice."
"But currently,
both Ken Notice and that lesser spirit are missing. Also, Lisa-san as
well......."
Irisdina's eyes
squinted upon hearing Inda's follow-up words.
"What do you
mean?"
"I checked the
girls' dormitory at the academy and found that she hasn't been back to her dorm
since yesterday. Most likely, Ken Notice and that lesser spirit known as Mefi
have abducted her."
"Could they have
gone outside the city?"
"Given the time,
that would be unlikely. It sounds more reasonable to assume that they are still
inside the city. So, we need your help. Especially you and your lesser spirit
partner."
"We?"
Jihad's eyes turned to
Shina and Razward. Everyone looked as though they were understood.
Everyone present knew
that Ken Notice was known as the [Spirit's Illegitimate Child] and that he had
made a contract with a spirit. It was only natural that Jihad would seek help
from Shina, who is an elf and has also made a contract with a spirit.
"If it is for
Nozomu-kun's sake, I am more than willing to help. However, how does the
academy intend to proceed?"
"We will keep
Nozomu's secrets to ourselves. As for Ken Nortice, we are going to catch him
and expose those who have been cooperating with him. We have many other things
we need to confirm."
Many of Ken's actions
could not be accomplished without a collaborator of considerable power within
Arcazam.
The reason for this is
that he was able to conceal the existence of the spirit and the fact that he
himself is the [Spirit's Illegitimate Child].
"Is it about the
case regarding the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede?"
Jihad nodded solemnly
at Irisdina's words.
It was unnatural that
such a powerful demonic beast happened to be on the outskirts of Arcazam
amongst such a vast Spasim forest. But is it really possible that someone could
capture a demonic beast as powerful as the [Six Bad Omens]?
If such a thing were
possible, the technique would have been disclosed long ago, and the threat of
the [Six Bad Omens] would have long since disappeared. There is so little
information available that it is difficult to even speculate. With so many
unknowns, Jihad and Co. must capture the spirit that controlled the
Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede and its contractor so that they can find the
answer.
"Our current top
priority is to capture Ken Notice."
"But where
exactly is he now......?"
"I have a pretty
good lead on where he is. He has a contract with a water spirit. If it is a
place where it is easy to access power and suitable for movement with the
contractor, then there is only one possible location."
With that, Jihad
pointed his index finger downward.
End of Chapter 5
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