Chương 49: Chapter 49 – Conspiracy (6)
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"Sigh…"
A week after the incident of summoning a demon at the Academy, all the faculty members gathered in the principal's office at the top of the west tower, led by Evangeline.
As soon as she heard the news, Evangeline immediately returned to the academy, but when she arrived, everything was already over.
"…It's my fault, all my fault… I can't even face the parents who trusted me with their children. I'm so ashamed…"
"Ms. Evangeline…"
Professor Priscilla, who teaches biology in the first year, put her hand on Evangeline's shoulder to comfort her.
"Cultists… fanatics… I thought we had already caught and thrown those wicked and wretched beings into the fires of hell, but there are still these filthy minions of demons lingering," Evangeline shook her head with her hand on her forehead. "So, what is the reaction from the outside?"
"It's a mess. The Academy's mail service is almost paralyzed due to the letters pouring in from various families. I think we need to divert all of our reserve personnel here for the time being…"
"…Do so. Respond with only the essential facts in the letters, and select those that seem unlikely to be resolved on your end to bring them to me separately. Sigh..." Evangeline sighed as if expressing her frustration, then turned to the man on her right. "Professor Eldred. How did the investigation yield meaningful results?"
"Yes, Ms. Evangeline," Eldred straightened his posture and pulled out a page from the pile of papers in front of him. "…The name of the student who tried to summon the demon this time is Osbert. He is a first-year student who belongs to Class-E. He is from Elone in the East, and was recommended by the Marquis of Rothside, who has the right to recommend it in the region."
"East…East, you say…"
When Eldred mentioned 'East,' Evangeline frowned, not seeming to like something, "And?"
"According to the reply from the branch of the Inquisition in Elone, no evidence of heresy was found in the Rothside family. On the contrary, they complained that they had no idea why such a tragic incident had occurred. Osbert was a commoner, but he was known as a genius since he was a child, and he had even agreed to take a position as a middle-ranking official after graduating from the Academy. There was no reason for him to do this."
Eldred paused for a moment, looked around the crowd in a slightly hesitant voice, and spoke again., "…And as a result of the on-site investigation, one suspicious circumstance was discovered."
"Suspicious? What exactly?"
As Eldred continued to hesitate, Professor Fletcher, sitting opposite him, urged him to respond.
"Osbert was living with his single mother, but on the day he left to enroll in the Academy, his mother also suddenly disappeared. However, she left a letter saying that she would go back to her parents' house for a while since her son had also left for the Academy, and since it was not a big deal, the neighbors all agreed and soon forgot about it.
However, in this investigation, the skeleton of what appeared to be Osbert's mother was found buried in the backyard of Osbert's house."
There was a loud murmur among the professors sitting in the room at the words that came out of Eldred's mouth.
"It's not just that. Osbert was found dead at the scene during the last tragedy. However, when he showed the portrait to his fellow students in the same class, no one recognized him.
And in his dormitory room, they found a significant amount of hair bundles and a vial containing a suspicious liquid. We asked the Tower for an opinion, and we were told that it was a top-grade transformation potion."
"So, what you're saying is…"
"…he might have been a demon-worshipper who had infiltrated the academy all this time. The hair bundles were likely his real hair, and he used them to blend in with the transformation potion. It's all speculation, but it seems plausible.
Perhaps he was swapped after entering the academy. If not, his true identity would have been exposed during the entrance exam, which uses insights collectively. Infiltrating so meticulously, I don't understand why he died on the spot, especially after such a well-executed attack…"
"I'll explain that," In response to Eldred's words, a man from the corner of the room interjected, and rose to his feet.
"As a result of our detailed inspection, it was confirmed that the summoning circles engraved on the scene were the spells used to summon demons of the Grade-3 or higher. In the first place, it requires the offering and dedication of a sacrifice, which would have been impossible here at the academy. Even discreetly drawing such a circle would have been extremely challenging.
Therefore, it was an incomplete summoning that allowed the demon to manifest, and as a result, it incurred the demon's wrath, leading to its demise shortly after summoning."
"I don't understand. So he did that knowing he would die? And what good does it do them to attack like this? Wouldn't it be better for them to avoid their existence from being known?" One of the professors, having heard Lazarus' explanation, questioned him.
"That's what fanaticism is, Professor Bernia. Once they fall into that swamp, they can't come back, and eventually they do things that are incomprehensible by ordinary common sense. It is not easy for ordinary people to understand them from their point of view."
"Thank you for your kind explanation, Lazarus," Evangeline said, turning to him.
"But I also have a question. I heard that the auxiliary summoning circles were all found long ago, but the most important central summoning circle was never found, and eventually this happened. But how could we not find the central summoning circle this time? Even though its location was right behind the investigation team's residence."
"About that… I would like you to take a look at this spell diagram. It is a copy of the summoning circles that were drawn this time."
Lazarus got up from his seat, approached Evangeline, and handed her a piece of paper with a drawing on it.
"This is…"
As Evangeline examined the spell diagram Lazarus had given her, a serious expression formed on her face, and she fell into deep thought.
"Originally, as the summoning circle is installed and the descent of the demon becomes imminent, the boundary between reality and Hell is blurred around it, and traces of it inevitably leak out little by little. We track that to find the location of the central circle.
So, when cultists perform demon summoning ceremonies, they usually do it in remote mountain villages. They know for sure that they will be tracked because of that mana. However, this time…"
"…They turned the direction around."
"That's right."
At Evangeline's words, Lazarus expressed his agreement.
"As you can see from the diagram, the circuit that becomes the path has been completely turned to the auxiliary summoning circle. In that case, the magic flows along that path, making it impossible to find the location of the central summoning circle. We are taught to seal one even if we find the auxiliary summoning circle first, but this time it turned out to be a blunder.
If we had destroyed all the auxiliary summoning circles, the magic without a path would have flowed back from the central summoning circle, and then we could have found it immediately…"
Lazarus wore an expression that seemed to carry a sense of guilt, and his words trailed off.
"And, as you professors may well know, modifying inscribed spells arbitrarily is not something ordinary mages can do. It should be something that can be done with the support of a considerable level of magical knowledge, at least on par with those present here."
When the professors heard Lazarus' words, there was an even louder murmur among them than before.
"Ms. Evangeline, if the investigator's words are true, this is an extremely grave matter. If this incident was orchestrated by the cult, wouldn't it be a problem that should be resolved within the academy? As initially considered, perhaps we should declare a temporary suspension of classes…"
"Enough with the absurdities, Lewis."
When the word 'suspension' came out of one professor's mouth, Evangeline furrowed her brow noticeably.
"Lewis, surely you haven't forgotten why our academy was founded in the first place? Even when the Great Demon descended, there was never a single suspension of classes. It seems that everyone's mind has become slack in the midst of the peace we have enjoyed."
"…I apologize…" At the severe reprimand, Professor Lewis closed his mouth with an embarrassed expression.
Evangeline looked around the room with a firm expression and said, "For the time being, the academy will focus on internal crackdowns. We will change the daily insight of all students from the irregular to once a day, to prevent cultists from infiltrating like this time. All entrances except the main gate will be sealed off for the time being, checkpoints and searches should also be conducted under the assumption of the highest risk level.
However, professors should always maintain a calm and composed attitude so that students do not become agitated. If you all understand my words, please leave."
—— End of chapter —–
If you want to read the first 25 chapters for free and read up to the final chapter for a cheap price patreon.com/Makima02
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