CH 65

Relaxation

Two days had passed since the kidnapping event.

Sheila was enjoying a relaxing vacation today. Or rather, she was holed up in her room.

‘That day, because the kidnapping case had to be reported to the headquarters, a corps member came to pick me up right away. Yesterday and today are my days off, so I don’t have to see him. But tomorrow…..’

There were only three days left in the training period.

She wanted to work and comfortably say goodbye to everyone in the Patrol Corps.

‘What should I do? I don’t want to work. Or rather, I don’t want to see Leidyrune-senpai….’

She kept avoiding him, even selfishly shifting her mealtimes. However, it would be impossible to escape after her days off were over.

The other day, due to Sheila’s carelessness, Leidyrune might have found out her gender. No, he definitely found out.

They parted without exchanging words on the spot, but there was no doubt that he was suspicious.

When he inevitably asked her the question, that would be the end for her.

It took her two days to make that tragic decision.

‘But I have to try to avoid it as much as possible. Anyway, let’s just run, and prolong the decision-making moment.’

As she was thinking about it, there was a knock on the door. Sheila’s shoulders jumped with a start.

Her roommates usually knocked on the door, but they were supposed to be on patrol right now. The one who visited the room probably knew that Sheila was the only one there.

…. She just decided to keep running away, but had she already been cornered?

Sheila then decided to muster up her courage and see who it was.

“――It’s me.”

Outside the door was Clauschezade. Sheila opened the door, feeling exhausted.

“…. Claushezade-sensei, what brings you here?”

“I just wanted to check up on you. Have you been studying?”

“I was involved in a case and had a hard time, so I didn’t get anything done.”

“That’s a lousy excuse. You were simply lazy in bed.”

Her cheek was gently stroked, and she jerked away. When she looked up at him with raised eyebrows, Claushezade snorted.

“You can clearly see the sleep marks.”

“…..”

Touching it to make sure, Sheila drooped her head.

She let Claushezade in for the time being, but there were no chairs of any kind in the room. As she was frantically trying to figure out what to do, he sat down on the bunk bed without hesitation. The same bed used by Hyderion.

Sheila, too, decided to borrow Cody’s bed and settled down.

“How are things in town? Have you gone to see how Melvis and the others are doing?”

Realizing that he was here to discuss the current state of the investigation, Sheila asked what she was most concerned about.

“For the time being, peace has been restored. Many people were wondering what the fuss was about, but the patrols and academy students are going around explaining the situation. The children are doing well so far. They said they wanted to see you.”

Claushezade said “for now” in consideration of the aftereffects of the incident. No matter how many years had passed, the terror carved deep into one’s mind never fades, and when it suddenly recurred, it would torment their mind.

“Count Gilgner still owns several houses in the capital, which will be raided in the coming days.”

They hadn’t yet found any evidence of Count Gilgner’s wrongdoing. Since this was no longer the domain of the students, they could only watch with frustration.

“I hope they find the evidence soon.”

“It’s probably only a matter of time before some sort of document is found. He must surely have some hidden documents, such as contracts for human trafficking or back books.”

When Clauschezade assured her, for some reason, she felt like it was going to be true. Sheila nodded in admiration, wondering if this was the power of persuasion.

“Also, the men you mentioned haven’t been found either. Or they may have already fled the country.”

Her heart still wavered when she remembered Crow’s farewell smile.

However, Sheila resolutely stared back at his peacock-colored eyes that showed a hint of concern, with the thought that everything would be all right.

“I’m afraid it’s going to be tough to catch him when we find him, though. If he’s as good as Claushezade-sensei, that is.”

“Well…. If I’m good enough to take on three large monsters, I should be able to do something about it.”

Claushezade nodded as he shrugged his shoulders.

However, Sheila’s eyes widen at the casually spilled bombshell statement.

“――Eh, have you ever fought monsters before, Claushezade-sensei? Even though they don’t inhabit the country?”

It was said that there were monsters, creatures more ferocious and violent than animals, outside the country. She couldn’t even imagine what they look like because monsters didn’t inhabit the territory of the Steitz Kingdom.

The territory was protected because it had the blessing of the Faril Divine Kingdom.

In their kingdom, the legal arts, not magic, were well developed, and it was said that they could create protective charms with the blessings of the gods.

The Kingdom of Steitz was able to receive protective charms of blessings, partly due to previous exchanges. It was said that if you had it, the territory wouldn’t be trampled by monsters.

“I see….. I guess I didn’t know because I lived so far up in the mountains.”

Claushezade had a complex emotion on his usually expressionless face. He looked troubled, unpleasant――it was certainly not a good emotion.

“Monster invasions are a regular occurrence. In such emergencies, the knights are also sent out to subjugate them.”

“Is that so?”

Sheila widened her eyes again, as this was completely new to her. In the village of Denan, she had never seen any monsters.

“What’s more, the intrusion is always near the border with the Faril Divine Kingdom. Do you know what this means?”

“No, not at all.”

“…… You don’t even try to think about it.”

“Isn’t it faster to ask someone who knows the answer than to think about it?”

Claushezade smoothed the wrinkles between his brows as if he had a headache.

“The effect of the charms weakened, and when the protection becomes inadequate, monsters invade the country. Each time this happens, the Kingdom of Steitz pays a huge donation to the Faril Kingdom to receive the protection charms.”

“Donations….”

She didn’t know they were paying donations.

Come to think of it, Jornwerner said it before.

The Faril Kingdom didn’t have any notable industries or specialties. The country was made up of donations.

Was the reason for giving the talisman of divine protection not out of compassion, but for immediate profit?

“I see. So, since the Faril Kingdom is in an overwhelmingly advantageous position, they can do whatever they want with the donations they receive.”

“…. You’re talking too bluntly.”

“Claushezade-sensei is the one who wasn’t being roundabout at all.”

“……”

Judging from the fact that he didn’t say anything back, he seemed to be aware of it. He must be so bitter with the current situation that he had forgotten his aristocratic nature.

“Speaking of which, I was thinking the other day…”

“Ah. You’re clearly changing the topic.”

“Shut up…. When you were giving thanks to the gods and spirits, you were quite humble. If you talk to other nobles that way, it might not be rude if you do that much.”

Sheila had intended to tease him more, but she was inadvertently carried away by the constructive comment. She had no idea that there was such an escape route in the field of polite language, which hadn’t really developed well for her.

“――Oh. I overlooked that.”

Sheila immediately turned to Claushezade.

“Claushezade-sensei, thank you very much for lending me your precious chest the other day. Where is the garment that I so fearfully soiled?”

She thanked him as if she were thanking a god or a spirit, but he only frowned at her.

“….. That’s extremely creepy.”

“Isn’t that a little too rude? It’s what Claushezade-sensei suggested.”

“You don’t have to use it on me. You still have a trace of it at the end of your sentence anyway.”

Sheila held out her hand with pursed lips.

“’So, where is it really? I’ll wash it for you, as an apology. I’m not busy.”

“Do you really think I can leave a thing like you out in the open for two days?”

“That’s terrible. A thing like me?”

In the midst of their casual conversation, Sheila understood his true purpose for coming here.

He didn’t want to talk about complicated things like the investigation situation.

…. Maybe he was just worried about his pupil, who had been holed up in her room throughout the vacation.

He was someone who was strict, but not too strict.

Suddenly, she was captivated by Claushezade’s profile looking out the window.