Chapter 288: Chapter 252: Locked Up (1)

The next day after I met the Magic Tower’s Marshal.

When I looked at the calendar, a sudden headache struck me.

[Three days left.]

“I know.”

Like Caliban said, there were only three days left until the day I had marked with a red circle, the day of the School Festival.

…Right now, I don’t have much Aura left…

I had no more reason to get involved with Riru for now, I finished my business with Yuria yesterday, while Seras and Victoria were both quiet—at least none of them seem like they’d do something that would attract any attention until the day of the School Festival.

…So, I really just need three Auras?

I recalled what my mother told me through the Magic Tower’s Marshal.

The conversation was a little chaotic, but it was sharply on point.

[You’re really going to believe his words?]

“…I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter, I still need to collect the Auras anyway.”

Because I’d still collect the Auras sequentially, I could always check whether it was true or not that I’d only need three of them after collecting them.

Although, the way she specifically mentioned ‘Red’ and ‘Brown’ actually bothered me…

[ Target ‘Red Devil’s mood is worsening rapidly. ]

[ Target ‘Faenol Lipek’s mood is worsening rapidly. ]

[ The targets are also affected by your ‘Desire Impact’. ]

[ Starting efforts to carry out the plan in more detail! ]

“…”

This window…felt like it was connected to similar ones that popped up in the past…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even now, when the others were all quiet, this one was plotting something…

[…You seem to care about something else more compared to that, though.]

“What?”

[Like you suspected, that Red punk is obviously trying to do her best to bed you right now, but that doesn’t seem to be your biggest worry.]

“…”

He was right.

My biggest worry was something else entirely.

“…Caliban.”

I said in a slightly trembling voice.

“…Eleanor… Where is she right now? And what is she doing…?”

[…I see, I get it.]

Caliban agreed, as if he had just realized this.

Yes, the one person who should’ve been bothering me the most was now the quietest among them.

There was no way I’d think that this was a good sign. It felt more like a calm before the storm if anything.

“…She tried to bed me before but she failed, right…?”

[…]

“So, what is she planning now…?”

Just imagining it already made me tremble with fear. Caliban also went silent, as if he agreed with how I felt.

[…It’ll be fun.]

“…”

[I’m already excited to see what kind of awful thing you’ll be going through—]

…Or not.

I forgot that this guy was a tactless psychopath.

“…Anyway, why is it so chaotic around here?”

The whole building had been noisy for some reason.

There shouldn’t be any reason for it to become this noisy, since I wasn’t even in the freshmen dormitory anymore. Instead, I moved into a quite nice room, since I had become a senior.

Since this place was the ‘Imperial’ Academy, Elfante, there should be no one who was able to directly defy the empress’ authority, save for madmen like Count Nicholas or—

-P-Please, Marquis! Y-You’re putting us in a difficult situation if you just barge in like this! P-Please obey the school regulations!

-Ahaha, don’t you worry! Even if Her Imperial Majesty comes here in person, she won’t stop me— Ah, there he is!

When I was holding my throbbing head after hearing that familiar voice, my room suddenly burst open.

“Nice to see you again, Dowd Campbell!”

“…”

Marquis Bogut…

The leader of the Upper Nobles Association, where Count Nicholas, the guy I’ve murdered, belonged.

When a frown appeared on my face after seeing the guy who was sitting in the top three on my list of people I didn’t want to meet now, Marquis Bogut walked into my room.

“Wow, Elfante hasn’t changed at all since back when I still attended it!”

“…Why the hell are you here?”

I asked him in an exhausted tone. To that, he shrugged before answering cheerfully.

“I came to warn you and also to apologize!”

“…”

Dealing with this person was always tiring, but it was particularly worse today.

I barely managed to say my next words, since it was hard to say anything at all to him.

“Just get to the point and—”

“Nicholas’ ‘resurrection’ using the Magic Tower’s technology will happen in less than a week.”

“…”

Marquis Bogut said so without smiling. Naturally my expression turned tense as well.

“You can treat that as the starting point of the civil war outbreak. I’m not sure what you are trying to do, but you need to do it quickly.”

“…”

“That’s the ‘warning’.”

He continued, now his smile was back on his face.

“I’m really sorry for the trouble that motherfucker has caused!”

“…”

“Believe me! I’ve told him! Multiple times! That he’s a disgusting motherfucker! But he never understood me since he was a hopeless idiot!”

I didn’t expect the marquis to be this blunt.

Especially considering that he always acted like a clown.

“Anyway, to make up for it, I’ll do you a favor! You can ask me for anything!”

This guy…

He knows that we’re enemies, right…?

Holding my throbbing head, I forced out a reply.

“…I don’t need it. Just answer my question.”

Putting aside whether I could just believe this guy or not, it would be very strange for me to just receive anything from him.

After all, I was close with both the empress and the chancellor, who both stood in direct opposition with the Upper Nobles Association. Everything would turn into a mess if I became close with him too.

However…

There was still a question that I needed him to answer.

“I heard you and Victoria Evatrice are in a cooperative relationship.”

Then, I continued in a subsided voice.

“…What do you want from her? And why are you two working with each other?”

There was one thing that had been bugging me when I was lopping off Nicholas’ head.

Even in the Empire, the bastards who ‘cleaned’ the Cardinal Humans were considered trash that people refused to be associated with.

And yet, Victoria cooperated with the leader of such bastards. Why was that?

“Ah, that? Nothing big.”

He said with a smile on his face.

Though what he said next contrasted his expression.

“I just needed a skillful assassin. As a price, she’d get what she wanted the most.”

“What is it that she wants to get that made her cooperate with someone like—”

“My head.”

“…What?”

“I said, I’d give her my head.”

Upon hearing that, I stared at him in a daze.

[…What? ]

His words were so surprising that even Caliban was dumbstruck.

“I actually was going to give her Nicholas’ head as well, but you beheaded him first, so that part of the deal is off.”

“…”

“Well, there are still so many detestable people below me, so I could use them instead. Also, if she really wants it that badly, I could just resurrect him.”

“Your head? What are you even talking about? Also, are you expecting me to believe—”

Before I could finish my words, Marquis Bogut rolled up his sleeves.

And as soon as I saw the ‘Seal’ engraved on his arms, I was dumbstruck.

“Ah, you recognized this? Good, I don’t need to explain it then.”

“…”

That…was the Crimson Pact, the Crimson Contract.

The most vicious one among all the Black Magic in Sera.

Because how the ‘contract’ worked was using one’s soul as a collateral during the process of engraving it.

“My head in exchange for her fulfilling her contract. Do you believe me now?”

“…”

I stared at Marquis Bogut, speechless.

“…But…”

Why?

The moment he got it engraved, he practically set a time limit on his own life. It meant that he would set himself on dying quicker and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Well, if I’m going to die anyway, I’d rather make it quick and easy. Also, one would need another Grand Assassin to be the ‘counterweight’, you see?”

“…Counterweight?”

“Yeah. I’m going to give her to you soon, so use her well.”

Once again, his words left me dumbstruck.

What the fuck was he on about?

“With those two, the best assassins on the continent, and you, as the one handling them… Heh, you’ll definitely use them efficiently later. Our circumstances aligned, that’s all there is to it.”

“…Marquis Bogut—”

“By the way, the Upper Nobles Association has the biggest support from the Imperial’s military.”

Before I could say anything else, he cut my words.

“We, quite literally, are controlling the strongest military force on the continent. What I’m trying to say is, we’re way more terrifying than you thought.”

“…”

“That’s why, best of luck to you, Dowd Campbell.”

With a smile still on his face…

He said something that was close to a declaration of war.

“You have to hang in there for a few days so that I’d get to do what I have to do.”

“…”

He looked at me, who was standing still with a stiffened expression, before bowing his head while smiling.

It was such a polite gesture, as if he was sincerely showing respect to his ‘opponent’.

“Ah, also one last thing.”

Before he left the room, he suddenly stopped and said…

“I heard you came in contact with the Magic Tower.”

“…”

“Try to turn every second of your time with your mother into precious memories, Dowd Campbell.”

“…What?”

“That’s the most valuable advice I can give you.”

Our eyes met as he said so.

Like usual, her eyes were curved, just like the crescent moon.

However,

Those eyes…

“You don’t want to regret it later, as there’s nothing more painful than that in this world. I’m speaking from my experience here.”

…Somehow seemed to have a hint of grief inside.

And that was the last thing that he said to me. I could only look at him silently as he left my room.

[…I can’t make head nor tail of him.]

“…Same.”

Everything else aside, I became sure of one thing.

That I’d need to finish what I was going to do at the School Festival no matter what.

“Alright…”

I got up with a sigh.

“…Let’s refine our plan a little, to make it more perfect…”

First, I needed to avoid meeting anyone else today.

Because it seemed like I’d need to spend a long time thinking alone.

●

Just a few hours after I decided as such…

I really thought that at least for today, I needed to mull over the brutal matter hard and gloomily, and yet…

What the hell am I doing here?

“…Explain.”

After hearing my viciously cold voice—which surprised me too, the two people in front of me averted their gazes at the same time.

Around me, the only things I could see were…

A soft bed and a bunch of pink objects.

The room where I was in was decorated with a bunch of girly items and frilly curtains.

Meanwhile, the two people in front of me—who were averting their gazes, also had their faces painted in pink.

Well, to be exact, the people who ‘kidnapped’ me here.

“…T-That…”

“…U-Uhm…”

“…”

Seeing them stutter, unable to say anything, I could feel my blood pressure rise.

Seriously, just tell me.

That’s the only thing I want to hear from your mouths right now.

I thought so while looking at the huge letters written on one side of the walls.

[You can’t leave this room if you don’t do it.]

“…”

…Tell me in detail. What is it that I need to do so that I can leave this room?