Chapter 45 – Conspiracy (2)

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"Now, let's wrap it up with a few simple questions. Let's start with basic astronomy. How do Zeta, Draco, and Ephrem affect the weather?"

"Zeta affects the chance of precipitation, Draco determines wind intensity, and Ephrem is associated with cloud size."

"What does it signify when Vena and Aleir are aligned in a straight line with a star?"

"If the observer is a man, it means 'sadness that will come soon,' and if the observer is a woman, it means 'be prepared for a small wound.'"

"Hehe, very good. Next is basic pharmacology. Can you explain the similarities and differences between Spikeflower, Pufferweed, and Iridescent Grass?"

"All three herbs are known to be highly effective for inflammation and pain relief. However, in the case of Iridescent Grass, there is a possibility that its toxicity may be exerted for some constitutions, so it is usually subjected to fumigation before processing…"

Today marked the last day of the supplementary lessons, and I was undergoing a final check with Professor Fletcher.

Since I had been demoted from the upper class originally, and I had been studying hard in my own way, it was not difficult to catch up with the progress even though I had been resting for two months.

As I smoothly answered the questions, Professor Fletcher nodded approvingly, as if he had expected nothing less.

"You've done well. At this rate, you should easily move up in the next promotion assessment. Now, be mindful of your actions. Even though you're in the prime of your life, you need to know when to restrain yourself. Agreed?"

"…I apologize." 

My response to Professor Fletcher's reprimand became somewhat awkward.

"Since you have had a big experience once, I believe that you will not repeat the same mistake next time. Okay, the supplementary lessons are over. You have worked hard."

"Thank you for your hard work, Professor. Then.." 

I said goodbye to Professor Fletcher and left his office. As soon as I stepped out of the door, I looked to my left, and there I saw Ellie sitting down against the wall of the hallway.

When I told Ellie about my encounter with Walter's gang, she said that she would be with me so that this wouldn't happen, and she had been waiting for me like this for the rest of the supplementary lesson period.

"Ellie." 

"Ed! It's over…no…that…you worked hard…"

She smiled broadly as soon as she saw me and tried to approach me, but her momentum soon shrank at my desperate gaze. It's somehow a little sad and cute to see her downcast.

"Ellie… are you really going to keep doing this? Huh?" 

"But…what can I do about being happy…I don't know…fool."

"Ugh, what's so exciting about sitting together every day? Okay, let's talk quietly and go. But we're supposed to see each other tomorrow, right?"

"…Yes! Uh, I found a place, you know? Where is it…"

Since it was the end of the school schedule, there was no one around us, and I decided to listen briefly to Ellie's story before heading out.

One thing I found strange was that the professors from the first year showed no interest in us, even when they saw Ellie and me together. Considering the reprimand I received from Professor Fletcher just now, it seemed odd that they didn't show any concern for students' affairs.

Or were they just observing quietly? There was no detailed description of internal regulations or their authority in the original work, so I have no way of knowing.

"Then we'll meet in front of the stone fountain at the usual time, right? Tomorrow, don't be late… Ah!"

"Oh my, it's a bird! How cute. But Ed, does it dislike you or something?"

Just as I was confirming the meeting place with Ellie and about to part ways, a sudden squawking sound echoed, followed by a sharp pain in my head. Wondering what happened, I looked around, and across from us, a bird was perched on a stone statue, folding its wings.

Overall, it had a dark color, but it had white feathers on its cheeks and belly, giving it an incredibly cute appearance. The bird chirped at us a couple of times and then flew up, disappearing beyond the forest.

Around the academy, there were parks and a lot of mountainous areas, making it common to encounter various animals. Lately, even outside my bedroom window, a bird would perch there and wake me up with its morning chirps.

But usually, wild animals avoid humans first. Why did that bird attack me? Judging by its color, it seemed to be the same species as the one near my house. Could it be a particularly aggressive species ?

I thought I might try to make friends with the bird at my house by feeding it, but seeing its personality like that, I guess I'll have to give up.

* * * * *

Lately, peculiar rumors had been swirling among the students of the academy; and listening to their content, they were mostly strange and ominous.

For example, one tale spoke of mournful cries sounding from the bell tower of the church in the dead of night, despite no one being present.

Another account told of tear-like streams flowing from the eyes of a plaster statue in the art room when someone returned to retrieve a forgotten tool.

In the early morning within the park, maniacal laughter echoed, accompanied by the haunting cries of supposed sinners, as if the very essence of damnation lingered in the air, leaving behind an acrid scent.

The rumors continued, each more spine-chilling than the last.

The rumors that had been circulating among the students eventually reached the ears of the faculty, but surprisingly, the faculty did not take any further action beyond giving them a brief reprimand — after all, students are naturally fond of ghost stories, and such rumors have always been around every year when new students enroll.

So for them, who have been teaching for decades, it was nothing new, or rather, it was a routine of everyday life that had become stale.

However, this time, it wasn't just whispers and tales. Numerous inexplicable occurrences started surfacing.

A flock of hundreds of crows gathered on the campus, and the lecture was interrupted for a while by their cries; a swarm of hairy caterpillars crawled over and covered the building in black; or a sight of plump leeches squirming in droves, with their bodies full of blood, was also discovered.

In the end, when a few people were taken to the hospital due to mental and physical deterioration, the academy recognized the seriousness of the situation and conducted an internal investigation.

The professors tried to keep the academic atmosphere as much as possible by continuing their lectures without wavering, but the rumors continued to grow without abating.

The unsettling events marked a prelude to the main story of the original work.

* * * * *

"Ed… I'm scared… What if something really bad happens?"

"It's okay. The academy will take care of everything. Besides, you're always with me during the day. What's there to worry about?"

"Hehe… I guess you're right."

During the break between lectures, Ellie and I took a moment to step out of the classroom, strolling through the secluded garden to enjoy the breeze.

These days, students at the academy were always talking about the recent strange phenomena whenever two or more people gathered, and Ellie was no exception.

"But Ed, I heard a rumor…A student from Class-E saw the place where the summoning circle was drawn, and the inverted star symbol was drawn in the middle of the circle. But that's the symbol of the demon worshipers, right…Is someone really trying to summon a demon…In the world, a demon…"

"Ellie. Don't worry. And even if it's real, what can we do? We can't do anything."

"Hiing...I'm scared…"

"Sigh…Let's go inside. The bell will ring soon."

As if Ellie wasn't immune to this, at the mere mention of the word 'Demon' she shuddered and tried to cling to me.

Unlike middle-aged people who were reluctant to even mention the word, students were relatively easy to mention the word 'Demons,' but they seemed to think the name was very ominous and creepy.

'Actually, it is a demon…'

This incident was caused by a cult fanatic masquerading as a student while the headmaster was away.

And the various strange phenomena that are happening at the academy now are also happening because the boundary between hell and reality has become blurred as the demon's summoning circle was engarved.

In this world, demons were considered the greatest adversaries of humanity. If mages were simply humans who adapted to magic, demons were enigmatic entities filled only with malice and hatred toward the world, their origins shrouded in mystery. In the original story, before the war with demons erupted, cults and demon worshippers, along with the demons they summoned, played significant roles.

After a thorough investigation spanning several days, the academy's investigative team would successfully identify several auxiliary summoning circles.

However, even with the help of Inquisitors, they would be unable to locate the most important central summoning circle, and the sense of crisis within the academy would grow increasingly palpable, eventually leading to the consideration of a temporary suspension of classes.

Yet, just before the final stage of the summoning, Eugene, in a protagonist-like fashion, Eugene would discover the scene and subdue the demon-worshiping student, preventing the great demon's arrival. Although the summoning had minor consequences, its significance lay in the fact that it would signal the beginning of the story in earnest.

In fact, after this incident, the demon worshippers, who had been wiped out and had almost no traces of them, would begin to make their move again, and various chaotic events such as cult activities, human sacrifice, attacks on churches, and mysterious mass suicides would begin to occur in various places.

And Eugene, who received praise from the leaders of Holy Kingdom for his efforts in preventing the summoning of a demon this time, would become involved with the Saintess, who arrives at the academy as a transfer student in the second semester.

Regardless, the conclusion was that I should not be concerned; the situation would resolve itself.

Lost in these thoughts as I headed back to the classroom, I collided with someone turning a corner in the hallway, causing both of us to stumble.

"Ah!" 

"I-I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

If you want to read the first 25 chapters for free and read up to the final chapter for a cheap price patreon.com/Makima02