Chapter 13: True Identity
[Later That Day]
"So… have you decoded anything from the Special Investigator's last words?"
Ash was seated beside Elma, both of them in one of the few parks that the Academy's campus had. The cool breeze brushed against their skin and the enchanting smell of flowers and scented plants tickled their nostrils.
Overall, the relaxing atmosphere put them at ease as they discussed the rather grim topic of a series of murders that was plaguing the Academy.
"Nothing much." Elma responded. "I ran it through many simulations, but I got nothing… except one small reference."
"What reference?"
"It's about the history of this world. There was a certain plague that afflicted the land centuries ago. It was also called the White Death, and it claimed millions of lives in the Continent."
"Ahh… I see."
Ash smiled, recollecting how this history mirrored the one of Earth—more specifically, the Black Death that terrorized Europe in the Middle Ages.
'Well, when it was finally treated… it was discovered that the Plague came from the East—more specifically, the deserted region that people thought lacked any resource. Apparently, it was filled with a disease no one knew about, and it spread rapidly, causing the lives of—"
"How does this relate to the case?"
"I'm not sure." Elma sighed, her face depicting intense frustration. "That's why this is so annoying.'
'I'm sure of what it means, though…' Ash thought to himself.
The Special Investigator must have also arrived at the same conclusion as him—that the culprit was most likely never in the scene of the crime, and was actually in a place least suspected by many people.
The Apprentice Wing was in the Southeast of the Akashic Magus Academy, but was at the East of the Wing itself?
"The Beta Students Dorm?" Elma guessed. "It's East, right?"
"No… not the furthest East."
"Um… the exit of the Apprentice Wing? It's also Eastward, right?"
"Precisely! East of this Wing is the location of the exit… where the students who dropped out of the Academy after the Selection Ceremony would have gone."
"But, since they dropped out, wouldn't they have been sent back home?" Elma was confused.
"No." Ash shook his head. "That's not what happens when you drop out."
"Really?"
"Yes! Since they enjoyed the resources of the Empire—if only for a limited amount of time—the students who drop out are supposed to serve the Empire for a few years before finally retiring to their homes."
Elma's face depicted genuine shock. "Really? I never knew that!"
"Of course you didn't…"
This was something that was done discreetly by the Empire, but it wasn't a secret by any means. If someone wanted to find it out, they could.
'The Desgarron Empire uses all of its resources as efficiently as possible.' A wry smile appeared on Ash's face. 'In times of great emergency, everyone who drops out can also be recalled to serve the Empire, and they're usually utilized as fodder on the battlefield.'
That was how brutal this world could be.
"Some of the students will be stationed in the Academy and serve as cleaners and a bunch of other odd jobs."
"But how come we haven't seen them yet?" Elma asked.
"Because they're most likely responsible for the Staff Quarters." Ash answered. "The Staff Quarters exists at the center of the entire Academy, and since it's on a completely different block… it's possible you'll never see them."
"Oh…? But how did the Special Investigator know they'd be there? How did he even deduce this much?"
"Because he has been to the Staff Quarters and has seen them. He must have also gotten the list of all the students of the Academy, including the ones who dropped out and what kind of Familiar they got." Ash replied.
In essence, he had probably deduced the identity of the culprit before his demise.
"Oh wow…" Elma was dazed as soon as she processed everything he said. "So the culprit is not in either Beta or Alpha Class… but in the staff quarters?"
"And if they are a worker there, it makes sense that they would be able to somehow access the room that the Special Investigator was in."
"You think they physically went there?"
"No, the White Death didn't go there." Ash smiled. "But their accomplices definitely did."
"What are you saying?!"
'I've been thinking about it over and over again… how the White Death could commit those murders without coming in contact with the enemy, and I think I've figured it out.'
Ash kept his hand on Elma's shoulder and spoke. "The White Death has accomplices. They're the ones who twist the corpses, while the White Death grabs the attention of the enemy."
"What?!" Elma was beyond puzzled at this point. "How would they even pull that off?"
"Think about it." Ash said. "How else would a mere projection be able to hurt, not to mention kill its targets? There had to be some sort of physical interaction—especially since none of the Alarms were triggered.'
In essence, this was the work of a team.
"Why were they never spotted, though? Justin didn't see any…" Moments after Elma began her query, she paused and her eyes widened in realization.
Ash noticed this and smiled wider, impressed that she could see what he saw.
"They used the [Vanish] Spell, didn't they?"
"Yes!"
"But the [Vanish] Spell only makes you invisible if you don't make any sudden movements, and since it leaves distortions in the space around it, it becomes very inconspicuous in the day and is only effective at night…"
"Which explains why the White Death only attacks at night or in the darkness. As for the invisibility part, the White Death gathers the attention of the victims, allowing its accomplices to get closer to them and kill them by catching them off-guard."
"But… [Vanish] doesn't erase sounds, so even the sound of their footsteps and breathing would be enough to alert any—"
"That's what the buzzing sounds are for! They overlap the other sounds, making it impossible for the victims to hear the sound of the White Death's accomplices until it's too late and they die."
It also explained why the death was always almost instantaneous, and why the White Death only killed one enemy at a time. It was simply a ploy created by a very intelligent person who wanted to paint an image of invincibility on the White Death.
"Special Investigator Dahmer must have seen the faces of the students when he was being twisted and strangled to death, since they were moving at that point and he could see very clearly in the dark."
"Really? He could do that?"
'A-ah! I accidentally spilled information that's only mentioned in the novel.' Ash though, silently chastising himself for the carelessness he just displayed.
Since Elma was surprised by this revelation, it meant she didn't know about the novel, which meant she wasn't a transmigrator.
'That, or she could just be pretending…'
However, given how swift her response was, and her other behaviors that didn't deviate from her novel counterpart, he had to admit that she was most likely not a transmigrator and was instead the real Elma.
'I can't be so certain about the White Death, though.' Ash sighed. 'Were they also aware of the fact that Special Investigator Dahmer would never attack kids, which is why they were so confident in their murder attempt of a considerably powerful Mage?'
Ash had no idea.
All he knew for the given moment was that he had somewhat narrowed the scope of suspects, which meant he now had to go further and identify the true mastermind behind the killings.
'And I know just where to start.'
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