Chapter 110 - Duel Trial (part four)

And so, the duel trial ended safely with my victory.

I am not physically tired because it only took a few minutes, but my mental fatigue is severe.

Right after the decision, Haearn was devastated and fainted.

Under the direction of the prefect, students went down and carried Haearn up to the medical office.

A female student was accompanying them on the side as Haearn was carried out.

It was Haearn’s childhood friend, Charlotte.

When her eyes met mine, she turned away with a sorrowful expression.

Since I’ve just overwhelmed her childhood friend in front of her, I guess that’s reasonable, huh.

“Good work.”

Harold who came over to my side called out to me.

In his hands were the gloves and wands that were scattered during the battle.

“Thank you. It was all thanks to you, Harold. I’m always indebted to you.”

“It’s fine, because it will increase the reputation of our wand store.”

Harold smiled and took the empty Castling from me.

Now that I’m empty-handed, I headed out to pick up my luggage.

I received my bag from the prefect who was managing the luggage and returned the runestone in exchange.

I had prepared a change of clothes—a robe—in case of an emergency, but I was lucky enough not to receive any blow, so it ended up being just a needless anxiety.

“Good work. You won, huh~”

When I was packing my change of clothes into my bag and was about to return to the dorm, I was called out to from behind.

When I turned around, there was Auguste waving at me at the entrance.

“Auguste-sama, were you watching?”

“Aa, not only me, but many people from the South Dorm came to take a look. It seems that it was quite popular.”

I didn’t notice that at all.

It seems that I was too nervous to pay any attention to the audience.

“It is embarrassing that I got into a duel so quickly after my admission into the academy.”

“Well, I thought that was very beautiful though.”

“Speaking of which, because of the ice and crystal spells, it must have been very sparkling, huh.”

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

While Auguste was about to say something, I turned my eyes to the entrance.

It was Klaus who had a mysterious expression on his face.

Maybe he was a little bit worried about me.

Klaus came in front of me and bowed deeply.

“Klaus-sama……?”

“Erica, thank you for not taking that life.”

What is he saying……does this person think of me as a beast or something?

I can feel my cheeks twitching.

“Um, that……what do you mean?”

“I’m grateful that you used an elaborate technique to seal his movement so that you wouldn’t kill him by chance.”

“Klaus-sama, just what exactly do you take me for?”

“I was deeply impressed with the kindness and compassion you showed for your opponent even when he was striking back at you, but was that not it?”

This is bad. I was fundamentally misunderstood.

From outsiders’ perspective, it might look like I was being merciful, but it was actually a strategy that only considered how to hit an effective blow.

Of course just because I wasn’t being merciful, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t even a bit of compassion.

“Thanks to you, this would be a good experience for him. If he grows from this defeat, he would become an excellent magic knight.”

When I was confused about how to solve the misunderstanding, the topic switched to the future prospects of Haearn.

Speaking of which, Klaus was also humbled after being completely defeated by Eduart-oniisama.

I guess he considers Haearn to be in the same situation as he was.

“Oops, looks like there’s another visitor for Erica. Klaus, we’ll get in the way if we stay here.”

Auguste put his hand on Klaus’ shoulder and winked.

He noticed the visitor before anyone else because of his telepathic ability, huh.

As Klaus and Auguste left, two girls appeared in exchange.

Beatrice and Chloe.

Beatrice ran up to me with flushed cheeks.

“Ah, um, how can I thank you, Erica-sama……?”

“It’s fine, Glaw-san.”

“Thank you so much for believing in me.”

Beatrice bowed her head timidly.

I feel uncomfortable, because rather than believing in her, I did a background check and stalked her.

At any rate, it was good to be able to secure her innocence.

When I raised my face, my eyes met Chloe’s.

Speaking of which, this would be my first time speaking with her.

“Thank you, Erica-san. For helping Beatrice……and also for that time.”

Chloe, who walked slowly, said with a soft smile.

Huh, ‘that time’?

What does she mean by ‘that time’?

I have been avoiding having contact with Chloe as much as possible, so there shouldn’t be such a situation.

“You’re the blue-hooded alchemist from that time, right?”

Having said that, Chloe tapped the sword she was wearing on her waist.

It is rare as normally she doesn’t arm herself with a sword.

No, wait. I have seen this sword pattern design somewhere.

Oh, don’t tell me!

“Are you the black-hooded swordsman from that time……?”

Chloe silently affirmed it.

I was convinced that the swordsman was a boy.

Chloe is also from Lucanrant, so it is safe to say that her swordsmanship is guaranteed.

No way, I did not think that she was strong enough to destroy the golem.

Aah, speaking of which.

I wonder if she was able to recover her diary properly.

That has been on my mind all the time.

“I’ve submitted your lost items to the dorm head of the Central Dorm as a lost and found, but have you received it?”

“Ehh!? Is it perhaps the diary……?”

“T-that’s great, Chloe-chan! You’ve been looking for the diary since the entrance ceremony, right!”

While Chloe had stiffened with a shocked expression after hearing my response, Beatrice inserted a follow-up that I couldn’t let pass unnoticed.

I was wondering why Chloe didn’t appear in Beatrice’s false charge event. I realized the reason now.

(Because I picked up and delivered the diary, Chloe has been searching for it around the city all this time!?)

Because of that, she wasn’t able to attend the important event.

Maybe I’ve done something really bad.

When Chloe finally recovered from her shock, she began to talk while I was paying attention to Beatrice.

“Um, I want to talk with you alone later, is it okay?”

“You can’t talk here?”

“……yeah.”

If it is a secret story, is it about the contents of that diary?

I wonder if she wrote something that other people can not hear.

“Then, tonight, you can come to my room.”

Chloe quietly nodded to my suggestion.

Chloe is just too much of a mysterious heroine for me to understand.

It might be better to have a heart-to-heart talk with her at this opportunity.

“Thank you very much. Someday I will do my best to help Erica-sama!”

Beatrice was bowing several times before leaving.

Chloe only looked back once as she left and stared at me.

I could see that her eyes were swirling with emotions such as confusion and anxiety.

After the two of them left, I could feel something invisible tugging on my sleeve.

Oh, is Tirnanog still here?

“Huh? Tir? You’re not going with Beatrice?”

『……when you have a meeting with that Chloe, I will be there too.』

“That’s fine, but why?”

『I feel uneasy for some reason. Erica, be careful around that person.』

After that, Tirnanog’s presence was gone.

What did he mean by that?

While tilting my head, I packed up my luggage and returned to the dorm.

☆

That night, free time before bedtime.

The sound of knocking was heard in my room in the corner of the West Dorm.

『It seems that woman has come.』

“Yes, you should stay there like usual.”

Tirnanog wore the star steel armor and sat on the bed disguised as a golem.

Chloe is a girl, so I think it’s safe to invite her to my room, but I wonder if he is concerned as a guardian.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting.”

“Thank you for having me.”

When the door was opened, Chloe in her uniform with a red leather book was standing there.

Chloe seems somewhat tense.

“You have received your lost items properly, huh.”

“Thank you. I didn’t think that there was someone who picked it up and delivered it……”

Chloe bowed to me while hugging the red leather book in a precious way.

It must be very important to her.

“You’re welcome. Did you receive your student insignia too?

“……yeah, I received it properly.”

Chloe nodded sleepily.

When I looked closely, the insignia was fixed on her chest.

“Say, let’s not talking while standing, please have a seat on the couch.”

When I said that, Chloe went to sit down on the couch.

She looked around the room with a somewhat uncomfortable look.

It seems that she feels kind of embarrassed to talk to me, so I’ll ask about it directly.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

“……did you read the contents of this book?”

Chloe asked that and stared fixedly at me.

I was reflected in her icy blue eyes whose emotions were hard to read.

From the way she tilted her head, I was reminded of a large dog that appears to be docile.

I heard a rattling noise from the direction of the bed.

Chloe turned her line of sight to Tirnanog in a suspicious manner.

“Aah, I have a small golem.”

“Even though you are still a freshman you can make a golem that looks so complicated. How amazing!”

But why did Tirnanog make a sudden noise like that?

I wonder what happened.

Well, I will ask him about it later.

“Back to the topic, I’ve seen the memo that was put between the pages and the inside cover of the book.”

“Only those two?”

“Yes, the letters written on the ex libris and the table of contents written on the memo. I haven’t read the text at all.”

“That’s it, huh. I see, that’s good……”

Hearing my answer, Chloe murmured in a tone of voice as if she was truly relieved from the bottom of her heart.

The usual emotions finally appeared in her previously unreadable eyes.

Is the content that sensitive?

“This is……the book that was left by my older brother.”

“It seems like he loves mysterious stories.”

Everyone from Chloe’s clan are supposed to have died in the massacre that happened seven years ago.

If so, that diary must be a keepsake of her older brother.

That being the case, no wonder she was frantically looking for that diary.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Various things happened in the past, and I, I don’t remember much about my older brother.”

Having said that, Chloe had a vulnerable smile on her face.

Even in the original game, her memories were vague due to the aforementioned incident.

The real Chloe also has a memory loss.

“After losing my memory, I found this among the luggage my brother was using during his time at the academy.”

While she was saying so, Chloe brushed the cover of the book.

“I should have followed after you at that time, huh.”

“No, it’s fine. I went into hiding immediately because there was trouble.”

Chloe smiled somewhat apologetically.

Even now, I can’t see her as the swordsman who attacks in such a daring and resolute way.

“Well then, I’ll return now. Thank you, Erica-san.”

Chloe stood up while saying thank you.

Suddenly, I remembered the hidden letters on that memo.

Should I tell her?

There is a possibility that she already knows, but I would like to inform her if she doesn’t know about it.

I’m worried about Chloe’s circumstances, but initially I thought that I wouldn’t intervene.

I thought that it would be a courtesy to the original heroine to protect myself against any possible dangers.

Even though I thought so, my thoughts changed when I saw her.

If it’s about family rather than romantic relationship, maybe I can do something to help.

“By the way, it looks like there’s hidden characters on that memo, do you already know about it, Chloe-san?”

Chloe, who was about to leave, turned around.

Her eyes widened and she looked surprised.

It seems like she doesn’t know about it.

“Hidden?”

“There’s a bit of a trick……do you want to confirm the character here?”

“Can you do that right away?”

“Yes, I would like you to lend me the memo inside the book.”

Chloe sat on the couch once again and pulled out the piece of paper from the book.

I picked up a chunk of star crystal and a jar of star crystal powder that I had placed on the writing desk.

“The light disappeared when this memo happened to touch the star crystal.”

First of all, I showed the reaction of the memo with the star crystal once again.

The light disappeared from the small star crystal that was previously shining gently.

“Certainly, the star crystal should be glowing in response to the magical power. The fact that the light disappears means……”

“There is a possibility that ink containing snowsilver ore or something like that was used. I thought that maybe some letters were hidden.”

I applied a puff to the star crystal powder and smeared them on the memo.

Then I covered the lamp placed on the table top to make the letters visible.

Chloe looked into the words 「Wait inside the morgue of the headless prince」 that appeared.

“Morgue of the……headless prince.”

“It’s a very scary location name, huh.”

Chloe didn’t answer.

Because of the darkness, I can’t read what she is thinking from her expression.

For a while, Chloe looked at the letters as if time had stopped moving.

This time I feel uneasy about her silence, so I opened my mouth.

“If it bothers you, do you want me to find out about this morgue of the headless prince?”

“Absolutely not.”

It was an immediate answer.

Even though I thought that I could help her with my limited ability, I guess that was too excessive, huh.

“Ah, I have nothing against Erica-san in particular……sorry about that.”

“Y-yes.”

“It’s not a very good place……no, I think it’s a very dangerous place, so you shouldn’t go there. Erica-san is a good person and I don’t want you to die.”

I have a bad feeling.

The morgue of the headless prince. Perhaps this is the keyword of the fourth scenario onward that I don’t know anything about.

And, this is a serious matter related to human lives.

If there is a possibility that phantom beasts are involved, I would also like to investigate about it secretly.

“Then I’ll take care so as to not get involved with you. But if there is another opportunity, let’s talk, Chloe-san.”

Chloe gave a relieved sigh as I backed down lightly.

I quickly brushed away the star crystal powder and put it back in the small jar.

“You should take this star crystal powder. If there is the same mechanism inside the red leather book, try using it.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes, I’m not going to pry into your situation, but I want to help you even just a little bit.”

Suddenly, I became concerned about Chloe’s older brother.

The family of Chloe whose name was impossible to find ever since that incident.

Who is the main character’s brother who left this diary?

Since I want to investigate, I will pursue this trace.

“Ah, but I would like to ask you a little bit. What is your brother’s name?”

“……Claude.”

It is a deceased person with the same name as the seventh capture target.

Chloe’s older brother.

In other words, the son of the Lucanrant Ducal House.

If Claude who was the capture target points to Chloe’s older brother, it means that he is alive.

No, that is not yet clear.

It would be better not to say anything that would raise her hope, until I know about it clearly.

I replied as curtly as possible so as not to express my excitement and confusion.

“He had a Southern name, huh. It is the same as you.”

“Yeah, because both my mother and my older brother’s mother have Southern blood.”

Chloe who answered it smiled softly.

This is also my first time hearing that they have different mothers and that they have Ignitia’s blood.

Is Claude an adopted son or is he an illegitimate son, and is he the son of a late wife or the second wife?

I also want to know why their hair and eyes are of different colors, and about the eyepatch.

However, if I suddenly ask that kind of thing, she will surely get suspicious.

“Yeah……well then, thank you for today.”

“Yes, good night.”

Then Chloe left my room.