CH 178

{???}

I went down the stairs on a stairway in a deserted area with no one nearby. Recently I’ve started to avoid other people even more than before.

……If I have to live in such fear, I might as well……

Just when I thought, someone suddenly showed up in front of me. Even though I didn’t even sense them coming up the stairs…

“Found you, 【Cain】. No, you were called Smith around here, weren’t you?”

The one chatting me up with a smile was that famous boy.

＊＊＊

The name Primrose mentioned at the end was likely his true name. But, she probably couldn’t capture him since her magic power was too lacking to challenge the hidden route, if you put it into game terms.

――That means, Smith must be Cain, if you leave out Sword who’s no member of her reverse harem. …But, was such a boy attending this academy?

When I asked Sword while tilting my head in confusion, he confirmed it, saying that the name is listed in the student register.

“Good job! I wouldn’t even have dreamed of findin’ him by referrin’ to the boys your sister likes. Well done, really,” he praised me and stroked my head. “A member of the magician class, huh? He’s frighteningly good at erasin’ his presence. At this rate, he can easily become an assassin, can’t he?”

I mean, even my detection skills didn’t identify him. And since he didn’t leave any impression on Sword either, he’s truly not to be underestimated.

“However, once I catch him, he won’t be able to get away anymore,” I commented with a broad grin.

“Hey, don’t go and kill him all of a sudden,” warned Sword.

I answered with a nod, “I don’t know his objective. No, I don’t even know whether he has an objective to begin with. But, for the time being I’m going to have a chat with him and if he proves to be harmless, I’ll let him go. As long as he hasn’t abandoned his body, things are going to work out one way or another.”

“Wait, that would be equivalent to him havin’ died, you know?” Sword retorted.

“That’s not set in stone. If a demon is the wire puller here.”

＊

――After that conversation, I caught him, and brought him over to Sword’s place.

…Somehow he’s looking like he’s about to be pulled on the executioner’s block any moment…

“…Hey, isn’t it kinda harsh for you to have tortured him out of the blue?”

Smith trembled with a start.

“I didn’t do anything like that. Or rather, I haven’t done anything to him at all. We haven’t even talked yet.”

With that as the impetus, we had a chat.

“Hello, you’re a member of the magician class, aren’t you? I’m Indra. A student of the special class!”

“What’s with that fishy introduction?”

The peanut gallery should stay out of this!

“As a matter of fact, I came to this academy after being used by a heinous villain! On the pretext that something is occurring in this academy! Do you have an idea what that might be?”

Smith shook his head while quivering.

“You don’t know either? I’ve completely given up all hope in finding out as well! But, the villain, who’s using Instructor Sword and me, won’t let us leave this academy unless we find 『that something』. For this reason, I’ve been thoroughly trying everything around here! I meddled with the guys, who picked a fight with me on the first day, the prince, his valet, Damsel Scarlet, Swannyboy, and now you!” At that point I peered into Smith’s face, asking, “Say, are you a demonkin?”

Smith widened his eyes, the blood visibly draining from his face.

I fixedly stared at him, “Hmm, I imagined demonkins to be surrounded by a far denser layer of magic elements, but you’re different. Or is the evil spirit, who had been sealed before possessing you, concealing your magic elements?”

Smith was gawking, so frozen in his movements that I started to wonder whether he was still breathing. And he didn’t talk to me at all.

“――In reality, you see, it was apparently planned for Primrose, my dumb younger sister, to exorcize the evil spirit haunting you, but look, my sister is stupid to the core, you know? Even if she might possess the talent for light and holy magic, she can’t use them as the dumb mutt she is. …Because of that, I called Instructor Sword! The instructor will carry out your exorcism!”

I pointed a hand at Sword full of pride. Once I looked at him, he was pulling a miserable face, though.

“Indra, somehow I’ve started to pity Smith, so could you leave it at that?”

No look, I was talking because he hasn’t said anything, okay!?

And then, just when I thought Smith was trembling, his magic elements gushed out.

“Oh? The real deal is making its appearance?”

“Rather, ain’t that a normal demon?”

We had such carefree talk, but in the meantime the magic elements kept gaining in intensity.

…But to be honest, it’s no big deal…the amount of magic elements is lower than the guy I met during my A-Rank exam, not to mention the last boss of the capital’s dungeon.

The magic elements took form.

A fleeting demon in the shape of what seems to be a woman? If anyone asked me to describe a ghost, she’d perfectly fit the bill.

『……Please wait. Smith hasn’t done anything wrong』

She covered for him!

Hmm? She doesn’t really seem to be an evil spirit, does she?