NABC Chapter 26
Chapter 26
-
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 26
Why?
I hurriedly examined Arche, who was lying in front of me.
Cardiac arrest, her pulse, breathing, everything had stopped.
This wasn't a state of unconsciousness that could be revived with a resurrection spell. In Military Chronicle, this meant complete death.
"...She died wearing her Dragon Armor."
Arche was wearing her blue armor, the Dragon Armor, that was like a symbol of Gianluca the Dragon Mage.
A spell that used a summoned dragon as an armor.
Gianluca always wore Dragon Armor in battle. This meant that a battle had taken place here.
"But... it's too clean for that."
There was no sign of a struggle in the classroom.
Arche had sent me the message exactly 10 minutes ago.
What in the world happened here in those 10 minutes?
And what was it that Arche wanted to tell me...?
"W-what are you?!"
Just then, the security guards rushed in. They were shocked to see the body collapsed on the floor.
"Oh my god! Isn't this child from the student council...?"
"Don't move! What have you done?!"
As the commotion grew, people in the building started to gather in the hallway. And among them was that guy.
"...I can't believe it. To do such a thing in this academy."
Kim Taek-hee, a full-time professor of the Emission Department...
After examining Arche's body and letting out a heavy sigh, he looked at me with eyes full of disgust.
He looked at me as if he were facing a hateful monster.
"Professor D, I didn't expect you to go this far."
"Are you accusing me of being the culprit?"
"If not you, then who? Who else was in this classroom? Or are you trying to say that Arche stabbed herself in the chest?"
Kim Taek-hee's eyes were fixed on me, completely convinced that I was the culprit.
It was absurd, but... the situation was definitely unfavorable for me.
Do Jin-hak already had a bad reputation.
On top of that, I was the first to discover the murder scene...
There was no way to avoid suspicion in this situation.
"...This is absurd."
Nevertheless, I scoffed.
Even though it was natural for me to be suspected, I couldn't just let this situation slide.
If I did nothing, the academy would definitely frame me as the murderer.
"Why do you think I would kill a student in the classroom? It's obvious that people would gather like this."
"How would I know? We normal people have no idea what a psychopath scientist is thinking."
"If you're so suspicious, why don't you check the camera?"
I said, pointing to the CCTV installed in the hallway.
"It must have captured everything. That the murder happened before I arrived, and who else was in this classroom..."
"Wait... everyone, look at this!"
Just then, another professor who was examining Arche's body called out to everyone. He took out a magnifying glass and carefully examined Arche's body as if he had discovered something.
Pointing at her pierced chest, he said, "Here! There's a mark left here!"
"A mark?"
"It's the magic circle that appears when casting a spell! The culprit must have used a special spell to break Arche's Dragon Armor!"
Gasps erupted from the others at the professor's surprising discovery.
I was also surprised.
'They used a spell?'
I hadn't noticed such traces earlier because I was flustered...
I focused on the professor's words.
"Then if we analyze that magic circle, we can find out who used the spell?"
"Tell us quickly! What kind of magic circle is it?"
As Kim Taek-hee said, the Deconstructionist Department classes had just started the other day. Even with Seo Su-kyung's genius setting, it was impossible for her to use a new spell so quickly and perfectly.
"Moreover, there's no motive."
Although Seo Su-kyung and Arche didn't get along, it wasn't to the point of killing each other.
Or was there something between them that I didn't know about...?
'...Something.'
What kind of incident could there be between Arche and Seo Su-kyung?
I didn't know.
Originally, Arche was a character who left the academy early in the story.
There was so little information about any episodes between the two...
"Professor...!"
"Hmm?"
I had been hearing something for a while now, but no matter how much I looked around, there was no one around the prison.
"Professor D! I'm here! Here!"
I realized that the increasingly clear voice was coming from right next to my shoulder. Looking closely, I saw something the size of a finger hanging from a chain connected to the ceiling.
The object was tiny, but the white dress it was wearing and the neat blonde bob were very familiar.
"Professor Alfred?"
Alfred Clementine came down to my shoulder with a bright smile.
"You finally noticed! Do you know how many times I called you?"
Despite her words, her voice was barely audible, perhaps because she was so small.
I brought my ear closer to hear her voice better.
"Oh dear, to be trapped so deep inside the prison, even within the prison. It took me hours to get here with this body."
Clementine grumbled that she had to use the [Miniaturization] spell from outside the building to avoid the guards' eyes.
"The Miniaturization spell is a Transformation Department spell, how can an alchemy professor use such a spell?"
"I took a Transformation Department class as a minor a long time ago. It was when I was eight, so I barely managed to cast the spell by recalling my memories."
"..."
To remember and use a spell she learned briefly at the age of eight.
It was a genius that left me speechless.
"Anyway, that's not important. It's a big deal!"
Clementine began to explain the situation outside to me. An emergency faculty meeting was called with the authority to summon the president, and they started to thoroughly investigate my office, my quarters, and even my past activities.
"What about the academy cameras? The person who entered the classroom with Arche must have been caught on camera."
"Well... they said the security cameras were temporarily shut down because they were updating the security system in the maintenance room, and it happened to be during the time of the incident."
Clementine spoke as if it were a strange coincidence, but it didn't sound like a coincidence to me at all.
This could only be seen as someone's scheme.
A very carefully calculated one.
"Um... what are you going to do now?"
Clementine asked, stamping her feet. Even with her shrunken body, her large eyes were clearly filled with worry.
I suddenly became curious.
"Professor Alfred, do you believe that I didn't kill anyone?"
"Of course. There's no way you would."
"Why? If you've heard the rumors about me, you'd think I'm capable of it."
"Well, rumors are just rumors... and more importantly, Professor D, you're a good person."
Clementine stared at me with wide eyes.
Her face was so full of trust that it was disconcerting.
'To trust someone so easily.'
Clementine had only helped me with a quest once at Yongmun Mountain.
So our relationship was only at the "Friendly" level, lower than Arche's...
Even so, seeing her trust me like this, it seemed she was set as a very innocent and naive character.
'...Then I can't help but take advantage of this.'
I felt a little sorry and guilty, but...
Fortunately, my long life as a villain had dulled my sense of guilt.
"Professor Alfred, can you do me a favor?"
"A favor? What is it?"
"I need to see Arche's body. Right now."
-
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]