Vol 1 Chapter 4 (2/2)

“Ah… That’s so trick”

“Cunning?”

“Originally, I was brought up in a house of war My clan is… was skilled in fighting as a group”

Charl’s fork suddenly stopped Soht her attention

“Controlling a military unit— that was the hallmark of the Akabane clan puppeteers”

At that ed She had realised so

In the acaderoup warfare The strongest puppeteer, ielded six female type automata simultaneously

However, Charl didn’t say anything Bringing a piece of veal into her mouth, she silently waited for him to continue

Appreciating her consideration, Raishi+n continued on

“Well, they also had so Yaya alone is already a heavy burden for me Therefore, in place of a puppet I substitute e of ic, I rely on ht”

“Hastily prepared…? So, tell me, what do the Oriental spells looks like?”

“We don’t use spells or invocations Suimei, shi+nkan, Kouen, Tenken— to put it frankly, the Fuurinkazan Rudimentary battle concepts in word for they, the output, the type ofto Yaya

‘You verbalise your coinner would do”

“I AM a beginner I’ve only seriously studied puppetry for two years”

Charl’s jaw dropped

“I’m shocked In that case, why do you want to be the Wiseman? If you’re not even an expert in puppetry, ould you fly all the way over from the East? Why do you want the Wiseman’s throne—“

Raishi+n raised his finger to stop her

“I have various reasons for wanting it Now, I think it’s my turn to ask some questions”

He evaded her question Charl had a look of blatant dislike on her face, but to refuse hiht, so she reluctantly nodded

“What’s your relationshi+p with Felix? Where did you first meet?”

“Are you interested in him? Don’t tell me, are you really a hom—“

“What did you just say? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“… He called out to me from afar”

Charl blushed slightly, and her eyes dropped

“Because I was ht? I’etting friendly with future enemies However—“

Her sapphire eyes clouded over

“Acting alone has its good points and bad points There were a lot of people ould get weirdly conceited once they learnt that their opponent was a single one Da… really, they had too much free time on their hands Also, they had the temerity to do stuff that normal people wouldn’t”

She spoke in an annoyed tone After that, her expression changed into a gentle smile

“Felix was a member of the disciplinary committee, so he would look out for me”

“I see So that’s when you started to like him”

“I don’t Stop speaking such nonsense or I’ll burn you alive!”

“You actually would have preferred if it were hiht now, don’t you?”

“Wha—I—You—“

“He did invite you out before Why did you refuse hi would have worked out as you desired”

“… I can’t”

Her anger disappeared Rapidly losing her spirit, Charl deflatedly looked away

Her gaze falling onto the darkness of the ay, she spoke in a hollow voice

“Felix has a different sort of popularity than the one you have A lot of the feot out that I went on a date with him…”

“You would have needlessly increased the amount of enemies you have, huh”

She fell silent Not wanting to press the issue any further,

“Let’s change topics Why do you want to become the Wiseman?”

“… That has nothing to do with you”

“It doesn’t But I’m interested nonetheless”

Charl thought about it for aher answer

“I have a… dream I must fulfil”

“A dream?”

She didn’t answer However her lips, which were pressed tightly together, were overfloith a sad determination It wasn’t for fahter than any fire

It was soreat ih to share it with him and he knew it Raishi+n knew that was the end of that particular conversation

“It looks like you have your own fair share of problems”

“Hmph I could say the same about you”

Charl curtly replied— then she giggled slightly

Maybe she found it strange, or she enjoyed herself, but she was laughing When she laughed like that, Raishi+n didn’t see her as a violent problehty aristocratic lady, but as a perfectly norirl

After treating her to three scoops of ice cream, Raishi+n stood up

“Let’s go Before we go back to the dor I need to buy”

Leaving the restaurant, they walked through the city at Charl’s pace

Window-shopping around town, they spent a long ti back to the road that would bring them back to the academy since it was almost curfew time

“Thanks for helping ”

Lightly tapping his package froh

“Hmph I didn’t expect you to have such consideration for others That’s quite surprising considering I thought you were an insensitive, selfish, rude and perverted foreign barbarian”

That was excessively long However, he found that he couldn’t disagree with her (save for the pervert part), so he didn’t reply

“Or perhaps the reason why you’re fussing over her to that extent is because that girl is scary?”

“Herous would also be appropriate…”

“Such a pathetic man To be controlled by your automaton runs opposite to conventional relationshi+ps, don’t you think?”

Although she was insulting hihed in a relaxed manner

Eventually, as the gates of the acade unexpected

“About our talk earlier When you gaveme”

“Ah… I thought I told you I didn’t get it myself”

“I get it”

Hearing her say so so unexpected, Raishi+n turned to face her without thinking

“It may only be a little bit, but I think I understand The feeling of wanting to be punished… That’s because I’ve committed a sin before”

He was about to ask her what sheup ahead

“What’s wrong?”

It was past nine Normally, by this time the academy should have been peacefully quiet

However, there was soates

“What’s this? Hey, wait a minute— Raishi+n!?”

Charl was shouting behind hiale, Raishi+n dashed up the path, running towards the academy at full speed

(5)

Just as he had thought, there was a great corounds

Even though it was already this late, the students had gathered, and were jostling one another to get a better view

At the front of the crowd, a rope with the words ‘Keep Out ‘had been hung, and Raishi+n could see the figures of the disciplinary co busily about, illuhts

Spying Felix’s figure in the midst of the activity, Raishi+n jumped the rope

Recognising Raishi+n, Felix smiled up at him

“Yo, you got here quicker than I expected”

“Save the sarcasm What’s the situation?”

“Another automaton has been done in You want to see it?”

He nodded Felix signalled another uided Raishi+n inside the garden

For a brief h Raishi+n’s mind

It couldn’t be… There’s no way that it would be…

He quickened his pace Suppressing his urge to break into a dash, Raishi+n followed Felix

Seeing through his thoughts, Felix spoke up

“Your autoht?”

“I went out into the city I could ask you the same—“

Suddenly, a doubt crept into his mind

“Where is your automaton anyway? Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen it before”

“Obviously, I’ve left mine in the Locker I aht Party this close, if I were to bring it about willy-nilly I’d be opening myself to attacks from ruffians like yourself”

It was true Charl had been attacked by a group of ten To avoid that sort of trouble, some participants had chosen the quick and easy solution by not bringing their automata out with them

“I see So instead of using your own, you were planning to use mine instead”

“Don’t say it in such a spiteful way Well, I can’t blame you if you want to think that way To me, you’re—“

“Raishi+n!”

So in the air

An out of breath Charl charged over to them

“Felix—“

“Yo, Charl Did you go out into the city with him?”

He was sharp Even though he wasn’t rebuking her, Charl still winced

“Wait, don’t get the wrong idea, I was just—“

“Now then, Raishi+n The victim is over there”

Felix coldly cut her off, pointing towards the shadow of a thicket

Surrounded by a number of disciplinary committee members, a half destroyed autoround

This time, the body was in one piece The auto the heart had been ripped out was present shi+ning a light on the wound, the area had been partially melted, but different from all the cases up till now, it had retained its shape considerably

The automaton’s skin was jet black— it could be concluded this was clearly nothing like Yaya’s

Looking at the autoely caused a memory to stir

Directly opposite hi on to the re at his face, Raishi+n finally remembered

He belonged to the group which had attacked Charl yesterday; the student as controlling the Undine automaton He wondered if this meant this was the Undine The body’s condition was very different from how he last remembered it, and it threw him off for a second

It should have been more obvious to hiic art converting the body into a liquid state By default it was a sturdier construct, as expected

Charl briefly looked down on the student, dumbfounded

Then with her eyes burning with a fierce fire, she spun around on her heel

“Wait, Charl”

With his back still turned, Felix stopped her in an unexpectedly strong tone

“I think it would be better if you stopped involving yourself with Cannibal Candy from here on out”

“But—!”

“Leave Cannibal Candy to the disciplinary committee Also—“

Felix turned to face Charl

He didn’t have his usual smile on his face, but his eyebroere furrowed in sadness

“I understand your feelings It’s unfortunate, but I’ll gracefully back out”

“Eh—“

“You’ve chosen Raishi+n over ht?”

Charl stiffened up in shock

“No, you’ve got it all wro—…”

“… There’s still work to be done here I’m sorry, but could I ask you to leave? Also— I don’t think we should see each other for a while”

Dejectedly turning away, he left

Charl turned as pale as a ghost, tre all over

“What… What should I do…”

“Hey, calm down”

“Felix… hates… me…”

“Cal—“

“Leave me alone!”

Brushi+ng off Raishi+n’s hand, she ran off like she was bullet fired froun

Her slim shoulders vanished into the distance Raishi+n could only stare in blank aure Unable to believe what he just saw, Raishi+n muttered to himself

“… It’s not soht?”

His words were carried away by the night wind, disappearing like the ocean foam

(6)

Raishi+n returned back to his roohly unsatisfied

“… Yaya?”

He gingerly peeked into the roo?

The alternative was she was angry Either way, he wasn’t looking forward to it

However

“Welcome back, Raishi+n <>

Her feet pitter-pattered on the floor as she ran towards hiood mood

“I ht”

“Uh… What are you saying…?”

Meals in the dormitory were handled by the canteen There was no facilities or equipment for students to cook on their own

His eye glanced over at the table— and he was startled

“What… are you up to now?”

“What’s the matter? Hurry up and have a seat”

Yaya bea him towards the table

There were several plates placed neatly on top of the white tablecloth

All of them were empty

“What’s wrong with you? Snap out of it!”

“Ufufu, there’s nothing wrong withso weird”

Although Yaya was sht

Raishi+n felt a chill creeping down his spine

Was there aprocess…!?

Not knohat to do, Raishi+n pulled Yaya to hihtly

‘It’s my fault! I’m sorry! So please, return back to normal!”

Yaya cracked, burying her face inside Raishi+n’s chest—

And then she started to cry

“Uu, Uu, Raishi+n is so cruel… Even though you kno Yaya feels, you still chase other women…”

“I said I’”

He held out the package froht when he was out in the city with Charl

Yaya stared at it in surprise, then with a mixture of expectation and unease on her face, there was a rustle of paper as she opened the package

It was a pair of shi+ny, black lace-up boots

It was a little old-fashi+oned, but well-crafted and elegant

“When you stepped on the railway tracks that tiht wearing the So use these for the ti”

Raishi+n helped her put them on, and Yaya blissfully smiled

“A perfect fit… <>

She turned her feet a couple of times in happiness

Although she was being a little too exuberant, she was back to norh of relief

“Yaya You’ve beenI’, and I didn’t invite her out because I was”

Dispelling her erous Raishi+n carefully and thoroughly explained himself in an easy to understand manner

“In the first place, I’ I prefer soe like the Goddess of harvest”

“How did you know her chest was fake…? Also, again with Shouko, Shouko, Shouko… !”

Noticing that Yaya looked like she was about to blow her top, Raishi+n hurriedly coughed and changed the subject

“Let’s leave that aside for now And anyway, I went out with Charl because I wanted to confir It’s related to Cannibal Candy”

Yaya picked up on so,

“Don’t tellCannibal Candy?”

“The torrent of light Sigmund fired out would leave behind a similar scar to Cannibal Candy’s handiwork”

Raishi+n was referring to the uniquely s a candy

“There was awhen Charl and I left the academy”

“If it did it would create an alibi for Charlotte, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s right And as a matter of fact, Cannibal Candy did attack— or so it seems”

“Then doesn’t that uilty?”

“No, on the contrary it only s murkier”

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed too convenient

Up till now, Cannibal Candy had never attacked two days in a row This tiht to hunt, and the wound was only halffelt off about it

Tonight’s dinner had been fictitious— a sham, and it had deception written all over it

Yaya didn’t seem to understand She had a troubled look on her face as she furrowed her eyebrows together in a frown

“But Sig watch over the rooms the whole time Without a puppeteer nearby, ouldn’t be able to y”

“There is an exception to this though Bandolls”

Bandolls were essentially living machines which housed human parts inside theic energy to a certain extent

“In that case, her alibi wouldn’t hold up… So, that means it really was a date…?”

“Don’t widen your eyes Her absence does have ”

Yaya stared at hioing over the situation in his head instead

Indeed, Charl being on a date with hirab the enemy by the tail… Or so he felt If what he saw just now had really been the handiwork of Cannibal Candy—

Just as he was in the hts, he was disturbed by an unexpected knock on his door

Fro master’s voice could be heard, his voice redundantly easy on the ears

“Raishi+n You have a phone call”

Raishi+n left Yaya in the room and went down to the first floor lobby

The telephone was in front of the boarding master’s office The receiver was already off its hook, and Raishi+n picked it up

“I’m sorry for the late call It’s Lisette Norden”

“Oh, it’s you What do you want?”

“Did you think I would call someone as sad as yourself just for fun?”

“… It would have been better if you’d started with that So, what do you want?”

“We’re searching for Charlotte”

“— What did you say?”

“She’s left the Gryphon dormitory I don’t know if you know this, but Charlotte and I both reside in this dormitory”

“Are you sure she’s not there?”

“If she was, I wouldn’t be ot”

“… You’re right”

“I thought perhaps she went over to your rooe in illicit sexual relations”

“Are you Yaya? Your leap of logic is spectacular Stop ju to hasty conclusions”

“For you to have insulted ht be?”

“… Nope”

For a ht that had fallen upon her cheek

“If you do not possess any knowledge, then you are clearly useless Goodbye”

There was a click She had hung up

Forgetting to place the receiver back, Raishi+n stood still for a minute

Was Charl still planning on searching for Cannibal Candy?

Or— Was she about to do so rash?

(… No Cal if I’m flustered”

If Sigmund ith her, then Charl would be able to fend off Cannibal Candy or should be able to Also, if Sig foolish

However, all this was supposing Sigmund was there If he wasn’t—

“Dammit, such a troublesome person…”

He sla towards the entrance Just as he was about to dash out of the acade

His eyes were focused on so there

Although he wanted to hug her, he couldn’t say that in front of her

Her kimono was more in the style of a dress, and her a her peerless beauty, she had glasses in the forht eye

With a bewitching laugh, her voice was like a stringed instrument

“Tonight’s a fine night, isn’t it boy The moon is so beautiful”

“Shouko—“

Raishi+n finally ca to spit out her name