Chapter 85: The Madness of Icata (3)

The name of the girl who made my heart gloomy was Rachel.

Rachel burst into the classroom as if running, and plopped down next to Yuria.

Then she chatted without a break.

Thanks to her, Yuria, who had been having a staring contest with Karina, shifted her attention to Rachel, but now the classroom had become chaotic.

“What is she doing? They said it was an investigation team, but it seems any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get in. Tsk.”

Karina clicked her tongue, voicing my own thoughts.

I know, right.

Seriously.

What in the world is the standard for selecting the investigation team?

‘How could she get in here?’

Yuria is a recipient of a medal and a Magic Swordsman.

Karina is a mage with the power of Evil Eradication and a supernova who was called a genius since she was young.

‘But what about Rachel?’

She’s just an ordinary cadet specializing in swordsmanship.

Of course, she's a cold-blooded assassin on the inside, but I’m the only one who knows that.

‘Is the application standard for the investigation team based on a first-come, first-served basis?’

My question was answered immediately.

“But how did you get in, Rachel?”

“Ah! Thanks to Professor Chaser! When I asked Professor Chaser, he agreed! Hehe.”

Damn that playboy, seriously.

That guy was definitely not in his right mind either.

Fortunately, the next person to enter after Rachel was a normal person.

“Hello, Senior.”

“Oh, Gwyn?”

The next person to enter was, surprisingly, Gwyn.

Gwyn Gaiard.

For some reason, I was so glad to see him that I sprang to my feet and extended my hand to Gwyn.

“It’s been a long time, really. What have you been doing all this time?”

“I greeted you yesterday, though.”

“Oh… did you?”

Now that I thought about it, I think he did.

“Ahem.”

I sat back down with an awkward look on my face.

He was a rival to the protagonist Ivan and the next greatest swordsmanship genius, but his treatment was not so great.

I guess I should pay a little more attention to him from now on.

“You’re on the investigation team too?”

“Yes.”

I’d acknowledge Gwyn.

Not only did he have the skills, but Gwyn also had a special mission.

To revive the declining Gaiard Ducal Family and reclaim the past glory of being the Empire’s greatest swordsman.

Making a name for himself in this incident was one way to get one step closer to that goal.

I found out later that after the official notice for recruiting an investigation team to support the Central Knights Headquarters was posted at the Academy, the Student Affairs Office was paralyzed by the overwhelming number of applicants.

Yuria was an exception, but all Academy cadets had some ambition.

Especially the attention-seekers who had the basic passive trait of wanting to make their name known throughout the Empire.

For them, this was an opportunity to become famous.

‘But...’

Why did the tragedy I saw in the Sewer District yesterday suddenly come to mind?

“...Is it that you don’t approve of me being here, Senior?”

I looked at Gwyn at his sudden question.

Gwyn was standing there with an awkward laugh.

Only then did I realize that I had been frowning while looking at Gwyn.

“Oh? No. A bad thought just suddenly came to me.”

“If I made a mistake…”

“It’s not like that. Anyway, it’s good to see you. Go sit over there.”

“Yes.”

Gwyn, tilting his head, sat down behind me.

Over there for Gwyn was the seat behind mine.

After that, Ivan entered the classroom.

“Hello.”

“Oh.”

I expected Ivan to come, so I greeted him without much emotion.

In fact, the person who could never be left out of an event like this wasn't Yuria, Karina, or Gwyn.

It was Ivan.

The one who held a strong animosity and desire for revenge against villains and magical beasts. That is to say, against the evil that brings misfortune.

“I look forward to working with you, Senior.”

Ivan bowed to me and walked past me toward Yuria.

What was ridiculous was that Rachel, who was sitting there, saw Ivan and gave up her seat for him.

‘What is this?’

It was subtly annoying, but the people involved seemed to think it was natural and they just kept chattering away.

So I just let it go.

It would be strange for me to say something when they were so nonchalant about it.

Besides, what would I even say?

“They’re putting on quite the show.”

I glanced over at Karina.

“Why? What are you looking at?”

“Nothing. It’s just that everything you’re saying today is weirdly refreshing.”

“What are you talking about now?”

“I’m complimenting you on your good form today.”

“Then you should praise me every day, shouldn’t you? I’m good every day.”

She just never knew how to accept a compliment.

A moment later.

The rest of the members entered the classroom at once, and all the investigation team members gathered in one place.

Including me, there were a total of 12 people.

Among them, 5 were first-year students and 6 were second-year students.

As soon as the second-year students came into the classroom, they took seats in a different section of the room, not where we were sitting.

They didn’t even greet me.

Instead, one of them, who seemed to be their representative, approached Karina.

“Hello, Lady!”

It was Bain Winter.

The daughter of the Winter Count Family and the top student of the 889th Psychology Department.

A whole year above them as an 889th class student and even being the top student, it drew everyone's attention for her to be greeting Karina, a first-year student, and using honorifics.

But to someone who knew the relationship between the two, it was a natural situation.

There was a clear aristocratic hierarchy between the two.

The Winter Count Family was a powerful family located in the southeastern borderlands.

They were a traditional magic family that had produced the second most mages after the Zain Ducal Family, but that was all the more reason why they were in a position to serve the Zain Ducal Family.

‘Unless they take off their mage robes, that is.’

It was something that often happened at the Academy.

No matter how much the Academy prioritized equality in learning over social class, that was limited to the four years spent there.

After graduation, they would return to a strict class society.

“Have you fully recovered, my Lady!? I was there too, and I was so worried.”

Bain sat down right next to Karina and fawned over her.

Karina stared at her and then asked.

“Who are you?”

Bain’s expression stiffened.

“...You don’t know me? Bain Winter. The top student of the 889th class.”

Karina tapped her lips and thought for a moment before exclaiming, “Ah,” a little late.

“I remember now. Sorry. I’m not very good at remembering people who aren’t from my family.”

Karina smiled faintly.

She certainly didn't look sorry at all.

“Oh no, my Lady! I’m honored that you even remembered me.”

“Did you volunteer for the investigation team?”

“Yes. But I’m so happy that you're here, my Lady!”

“I see.”

Karina, who answered curtly, quickly became bored and openly looked annoyed.

Being a master of social graces, Bain was quick to notice.

“Then, I look forward to working with you later!”

Bain greeted her and left.

Just as she was walking over to the section where the second-year students were gathered.

“Hey. Wait a minute.”

Karina called her to a stop.

“Yes? What is it?”

Bain looked at her with a hint of expectation.

“But why didn't you greet him?”

Expectation turned to a question.

“Greet him? I already did just now...”

“Not me. I mean this person.”

Karina pointed at me, who was sitting next to her.

‘Huh?’

I, who was just minding my own business, was pointed at and stared at her with wide eyes.

‘Has she lost her mind? What’s wrong with her?’

Regardless, Karina continued to speak.

“Isn’t this person your senior?”

“Ah...”

“But why did you only greet me and not this person? Are you disrespecting your senior?”

For the record, disrespecting a senior was what Karina herself was doing.

Anyway.

Bain’s eyebrows instantly furrowed as she looked at me.

It was clear she had no desire to even acknowledge me, let alone greet me.

But it was a reprimand from none other than Karina.

In the end, Bain greeted me.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“...?”

“I did it, my Lady!”

“Good.”

Karina nodded in satisfaction.

I was so flabbergasted that I couldn't speak.

‘Damn it. If you’re going to do it like that, don’t even bother. Don’t tell them to do it either.’

I was a fool to have expected anything.

This was a real mess.

And so, the mess of a group, which was creaking from the very start, finally managed to depart from the Academy after many twists and turns.

***

“Your mission is simple. The first is to go around the affected areas and eliminate any remaining traces of Dark Magic, and the second is to patrol designated areas and preemptively respond to any crises.”

“...”

“I’ve explained it in a grand way, but there won’t be anything difficult. It won't be dangerous either. From the start, we don't expect much from you fledgling students. Just report well. That's enough.”

I nodded at the knight’s words.

From his arrogant tone to his condescending gaze, he maintained a haughty attitude from beginning to end, but every word he said was spot on.

‘It’s only natural that he doesn't expect anything. We're just Academy students.’

We were just here to provide support, as he said.

Finding and eliminating the necromancer and suppressing the zombies was the job of the Central Knights, the Special Magic Corps, and the Capital Defense Force.

“Take this. It's a Communication Ring. Give them to your teammates, use them well without losing them, and return them afterward.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll emphasize this one last time, but do not get greedy. I also attended the Academy, so I understand your desire to stand out. But excessive greed always brings misfortune. This is my sincere advice based on my experience, so take it to heart.”

“...”

“The start is a ‘report.’ The end is also a ‘report.’ Remember that.”

I left his office.

‘He talks a lot for someone who looks like that.’

It must have meant he was very worried.

If so, he shouldn't have requested support from the Academy in the first place.

Anyway.

Although I was put in charge of the investigation team by the professors' recommendation, my goal was clear.

To find Clatter and erase Zad from this world.

I immediately headed to the hotel.

As soon as we left the Academy, we decided on the nearest hotel as our accommodation and rented an entire floor.

All the expenses would be covered by the Central Knights Headquarters anyway.

Knock knock.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

The door opened, and Karina's face peeked out.

But her face was flushed, as if it had been heated up.

Her hair was damp.

What was coming from the gap in the door... was steam?

“Did you take a bath, by any chance?”

“Yes. Why? Am I not allowed to?”

Looking at the shameless Karina, I sighed.

“We didn't come here to play, yet you're just...”

Ha, whatever.

It was too tiring to try to make her understand anymore.

I just got to the point.

“Tell everyone to gather in my room now.”

“What? Why are you telling me to do it? You can just tell them yourself.”

“I'll tell the first-year students, of course. You tell the second-year students.”

Karina suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“Hehe. It’s because of Bain, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

I answered honestly.

“She won't listen to me, but she’ll listen to you. So you get them together.”

Bain Winter was currently the de facto leader of the second-year students.

The investigation team was currently divided into two groups: the first-year students who followed me, and the second-year students who followed Bain Winter.

It was absurd to think that this was even a proper military unit, but.

My investigation team was in such a ridiculous situation.

“I don’t want to,”

But Karina refused my request.

The way she was smiling was like a child who had found a fun new toy.

“Stop playing around and hurry up. Honestly, I don’t care if I tell them myself, but if they don’t listen, I feel like I might actually kill them.”

“Hmm. It would be a problem if a conflict breaks out before we even start.”

“Right?”

“Yeah. But it’s also a problem for me to grant your request. Because, as you can see, my hair isn't fully dry yet.”

Karina twirled the ends of her wet hair with her finger.

“Please, Karina.”

“Huh?”

“‘Please, Karina.’ Two words, and I might consider it more positively?”

My fists clenched by themselves.

“Puhahaha! I’m just kidding. I’ll get them for you.”

I just stared blankly at Karina, who was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face.

‘Has the curse really messed with her head?’

I already knew she wasn't in her right mind, but it seemed her condition had gotten worse than before.