Chapter 131 - Association of Mysterious Story Collectors (part one) (1/2)
One week after the Bloody Saint case.
At the academy, the incident of that night was completely hidden.
There is no one who talks about the vampire or the missing curator Lièvre.
The members of the Dynameis have cooperated with the purification of the altar in the underground ruins.
At that time, it had reached the point that a spatial collapse was about to occur, so it had to be done.
Speaking of which, about the matter of the ten young women who the vampire was supposed to receive.
It is said that this case was also resolved.
I heard about it from Palug when she returned home last night.
The monastic knights and alchemists who were pursuing the kidnappings were able to rescue them and bring them back to the safety.
After that, I returned to my ordinary daily life.
It is the same as before, except that Klaus and Auguste always seize me after school.
Within a week, I understood that it is impossible to beat the force of these two people combined.
Although there is nothing safer than having them support me from left and right with their strongest tag-team, it feels suffocating.
“Let’s play with the dragons in the large stable today. Blumbell and Briar also want to see you.”
“Or, how about we train? You’d better think about your fighting method a little more.”
Neither are bad ideas, but I have played with the dragons three days ago and Klaus has worked me to the bone the day before yesterday.
Today I want to go back to my room and relax.
Let’s secretly get away from these two watchdogs with potion-making practice as a pretext.
“Um, so today I have to get back to my room quickly—”
As I was saying that, I found some people making a bonfire in the peripheral of my vision.
Under the tree on the side of the school building, I could see Actorius-sensei, Chloe and Beatrice.
Those three people seem to be having a pleasant talk.
For me who has been seized from both sides like a captured alien, it feels quite enviable.
I wonder if it is possible to join them.
“It seems Actorius-sensei is making a bonfire over there.”
“Actorius, huh? Certainly, I think that guy is good at outdoor cooking.”
Klaus would often work together with Actorius-sensei, so he would know about that.
From his usual clumsy behavior, I thought he wouldn’t be good at cooking.
However, magical creature preparation methods have appeared frequently in class, so it is not that surprising.
I don’t know what he’s roasting, but it has a delicious smell.
Considering the season, maybe it’s chestnut?
“Klaus-sama, Auguste-sama, can I also join them for about thirty minutes?”
“Go ahead. I think it should be safe since she would be with Actorius~”
“Then, maybe I should set things up in the meantime……”
Klaus was talking about setting the activation timing of the 「Infinite Corridor」.
There is something I still want to confirm, so I wanted to change the start-up configuration.
Surprisingly, Klaus agreed.
If he refused it, I would not know what to do on my own, so I feel grateful.
“Thank you!”
Then I was released by Klaus and Auguste and I headed for the three people who were making a bonfire.
I feel sorry for Auguste and Klaus, but this somehow feels invigorating.
“Ah, Erica-san.”
“Erica-sama!”
Chloe and Beatrice waved at me, so let’s switch gears.
Actorius-sensei, who noticed me a little later, smiled when he saw me.
“Everyone, are you making a bonfire?”
“Yes, I made a bonfire thinking that I should eat some of the teaching materials left over in my class.”
“It already feels like autumn, how nice.”
Not potatoes or chestnuts, but teaching materials.
Actorius-sensei handed over a small branch to me while smiling.
At the end of the long and thin branch, there were three fungal walkers.
“Now, Erica-san, you too……oops, I can’t get rid of my habit easily. I mean, Aurelia-san, please have this.”
“These are……”
“These are fungal walkers. They are roasted.”
The degree of baking is moderately strong.
They don’t have a face drawn on them, so I barely feel a bit more eager to eat them.
I still have a bit of reservation, but I should think of them as roasted mushroom skewers.
“Thank you. Let’s eat.”
I decided to prepare my heart and bit on it.
It tastes good.
Like a low-quality mushroom, it’s surprisingly delicious.
“……delicious!”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
When I nodded repeatedly while chewing, Actorius-sensei smiled as if relieved.
As I ate, I looked at what the other three had in their hands.
Beatrice had a roasted mushroom while Chloe had a roasted white worm.
“Yours is a white worm, Chloe-san, are you okay with that?”
“Hm……yeah, it’s delicious.”
Certainly, it looks like a white sausage when it’s roasted.
It looks delicious.
However, remembering the night of that incident, I have an indescribable feeling about white worms.
“Here, you should try it too, Erica-san.”
“No, because of many reasons, it’s a bit……”
“Ah……I, I see……you’re right.”
I refused the worm that Chloe was offering.
“Aah~ you’re scared that it would multiply in large quantities, huh.”
“No, no. I was just a little surprised, but I’m fine if it’s just looking from afar.”
I replied to Actorius-sensei while sidestepping the question.
I can’t tell him about the mutated white worms from that night.
“I see. If that’s the case, I’m glad.”
After Actorius-sensei smiled, he bit his roasted white worm which was still sizzling.
I also chewed on my remaining roasted mushroom.
Then the four of us talked to each other while eating.
“By the way, Actorius-sensei, has my brother still not returned to the academy?”
“Yes, it seems to be a difficult case……but rest assured, this is Eduard we’re talking about, he will be fine.”
“Yes, since it’s my brother, that should be the case.”
“……do you feel lonely?”
“A little bit. But I’m used to it since my brother has traveled often from a long time ago.”
My older brother seems to be working on his separate job for a prolonged time and he has not returned to teach.
I wonder if he’s involved in some trouble, that older brother of mine.
I’m not worried since he’s strong, but it’s been a long time, I wish to have a look at my brother’s carefree smile.
“Chloe-chan. Have you found everything you were looking for?”
“No. But I think I have found a clue.”
“I see. I’m happy for you.”
Beatrice seems to be worried about Chloe.
The thing Chloe has been looking for is probably a clue to her older brother’s whereabouts.
“Right. Glaw-san, has anything changed lately?”
“Y-yes, Erica-sama! Every day is peaceful! The children from before are very kind now!”
The victims of the false charge case from before seem to have reconciled.
That is pleasant to hear.
“That’s good. You must be relieved. Do you enjoy the school?”
“Yes, learning magic has become so much fun! These days I did some study by myself and I mastered the future vision in an extremely short time!”
“You’re amazing, Beatrice~”
Mastering the future vision in such a short time by self-study, that would be impossible without a combination of both good education and talent.
Is this child actually in the genius category?
“I mean, isn’t future vision a very high-level magic?”
“Seems that way. But, I seem to have no aptitude for past vision. Clochydd-sensei was exasperated, he said that on top of my optimistic nature, I have too little attachment with the past……he also added that maybe it’s because I have no regrets in life and that I am a bit too carefree to ever look back……”
I think it is a good thing to be positive and bright even though her circumstances are complicated.
But this ability to see the past and future, if triggered incorrectly, would it become a new death flag?
However, seeing Beatrice who seems to be having fun, I can’t tell her to refrain from learning that magic.
Even if the issue of bullying is resolved, it may still be necessary to be alert.
I looked around searching for Tirnanog who should be guarding Beatrice without being seen.
I should talk about this later.
“Ah, it’s almost time to prepare for this year’s All Souls’ Day.”
Actorius-sensei, who had been listening to us while smiling until then, had a look of realization.