Chapter 12: Lover?

“Here you go.”

Finden Ai handed me a cup of black tea with informal but polite language.

After taking a sip, I pushed the cup away.

Before I could say anything, a complaint came out of her mouth.

"Do you have to be a picky eater, master?"

"Finden Ai, it's your first command-"

I kept my eyes on the book I was reading and said:

"-Don't prepare tea again. In North Whedon, tea is precious, but you treat it like pig urine."

"This little...!"

At my words, she was about to curse, but I ignored her and continued reading the book.

If you asked me if I liked books, that was a bit ambiguous. Although I often read novels for killing time. I liked games and visual media more.

As a person living in the 21st century, this could be seen as natural, but I had a slightly different reason; I moved my hobby in that direction because phones and computers were difficult to touch by a ghost without a strong spirit, and ghosts often interfered when I borrowed books from a bookstore, tearing them up and demanding compensation.

But the book I was reading now was not for entertainment purposes.

The reason I was reading now was simply to gain knowledge. Because no matter how much basic knowledge I gained, as a person who suddenly fell into this world, it wasn't enough.

So, I didn't read the book because I wanted to, but because I needed to, and especially when it came to magic, accumulating its knowledge was even more important.

My thoughts broke as a strange smell began to waft into the room.

Despite wanting to continue reading, I had no choice but to close the book due to the strange smell that was tickling my nose.

"Ah, Skram."

[Yes, master.]

Skram appeared in the empty space near me at my call.

Finden Ai also looked around with a strange face, but of course, she couldn't see Skram.

"What is this smell?"

"Smell? What are you talking about?"

As Finden Ai didn't know my question was for Skram, she butted in. But when I gestured for her to close her mouth, she crossed her arms and made a pouting face… It was unsuccessful in moving my heart though. 

[On Wednesdays, a smell leaks from the basement of the mansion.]

"Wednesdays?"

[Yes, that's right. I tried to check it out myself, but a fierce evil spirit was blocking the way, so I couldn't confirm it.]

"...."

I rubbed my chin with my hand and glanced at Finden Ai.

"You can't smell this strange smell, right?"

“Yes, I have better senses than the average person, so if there was a smell I wouldn’t miss it.”

"Okay."

Just as I was thinking about checking the basement, I heard a knock from outside.

When I nodded, Finden Ai strode forward with steps uncharacteristic of a maid and opened the door firmly.

"Umm... Miss Deia?"

"Did you forget the honorifics I taught you?"

"I remember. It's just too annoying to use them."

“That’s even worse.”

After a short argument between Finden Ai and Deia, Finden Ai, the maid, had the role to bow down and welcome her master's sister. But instead of bowing down, her neck stiffened even further.

As if Deia also knew that it would be a waste of time to deal with her, she passed by Finden Ai and said, "Five minutes."

I had been wondering if our bet got buried in the rubble, as she didn't show up before today.

'I guess she's finally done dealing with the Gocheolsang guild's members.'

"Finden Ai, leave."

"Yes."

Finden Ai left with a trailing voice, and Skram had already disappeared before I could tell him to.

Diea stood still with a pocket watch in her hand.

-Click.

"Start."

Deia, like a wooden puppet, stood with an expressionless face while her eyes were glued to the stopwatch.

I just watched her in silence.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Time continued to pass. And even Deia, who was clenching her teeth with her arms crossed at first, eventually relaxed after a minute.

Two minutes passed like that.

In the end, as I continued to silently stare at her for the full five minutes, she frowned in disapproval.

Her lips twitched. She seemed to have wanted to ask something, but she turned her body abruptly and left.

Finden Ai, who came back naturally after Deia left, shrugged, saying it was not fun.

“You wanted to talk about something, but it was so quiet... Did you both have a written conversation?”

"You don't need to worry about it. And from now on, don't eavesdrop on my time with Deia."

“Ha, you have a lot of requirements. Unfortunately, just like my nose, I have good ears, so I can hear things even if I don’t want to.”

Finden Ai bragged and proudly tapped her ears.

I stood up from my seat and sighed, thinking that I needed to change her attitude.

"When I spend time with Deia in the future, be outside the mansion."

"...But it's only 5 minutes. Why do I have to go outside?"

“Consider that your cigarette break.”

"Ah, I see."

Finden smiled broadly and nodded her head as if she was satisfied.

Since smoking was prohibited in front of me and she seemed quite frustrated, I allowed her such a break so that she'd become less annoying to be around.

"Then, let's go."

"...Where?"

Finden couldn't hear what Skram told me, but I didn't feel the need to explain.

She had no choice but to follow me from behind anyway.

As I walked silently outside, Finden Ai's grumbling footsteps followed me like a shadow.

** **

Professor Karen, who was in the midst of investigating a strange incident at the Robben Academy, entered Professor Perr's laboratory.

Professor Perr, who had fainted on her first day in the academy, had not set foot in her laboratory since that day.

"So, it's this mirror?"

Karen stood in front of a full-length mirror that, based on Perr’s testimony, was weird and unusual.

But what appeared in Karen's view was a beautiful woman dressed in a white gown; 

The sword scar running down her nose gave her a tough and commander-like aura.

The narrowed dull gray eyes seemed to be judging everything in the world with a skeptical standard.

"Seems like there's no problem."

'Didn't she say that even if she turned her body, she was the same in the mirror?'

Karen turned around, but her reflection in the mirror also turned the same way.

"Wait."

'Shouldn't it show my left side that was reflected in the mirror...? Not the right side that one would see from behind.'

Karen stroked her chin and drew her sword, which was fastened to her waist, and swung it.

Clink!

The mirror shattered into pieces.

Amid the shattered pieces of the mirror, Karen saw her own reflection, laughing mockingly.

"There's definitely something here."

This was Professor Perr's laboratory now.

However, this place was originally the laboratory of the dismissed Professor Deus Verdi.

"And this place was also the starting point."

In terms of time, this laboratory was the first place where the abnormal phenomenon occurred. 

Professor Perr said she saw a girl with long hair amidst numerous screams and haunting voices, but that girl didn't show up no matter how long Karen waited. 

Thinking that it would be a pity if she ended her search with only one mirror, she began to look around the laboratory.

Since Former Professor Deus used a lot of equipment from the Robert Academy and left most of the items behind, there were quite a few things to look through. 

As she moved to check the professor's desk, the door of the laboratory creaked open. She thought it might be another strange phenomenon, but it wasn't.

"What are you doing here?"

It was Erica Bright, the beauty and fiancee of Deus Verdi, who entered with her blonde hair resting on her shoulders.

"Oh, Professor Erica. You came at just the right time. Did your fiance happen to mention anything about this incident?"

Erica frowned openly at Karen, who seemed to be taunting her.

"He hasn't contacted me since he disappeared, and he has nothing to do with this incident."

"He has nothing to do with it?"

"Yes, he doesn't."

Karen began to suspect Erica more because of her firm answer.

"Why do you think that way?"

Erica was annoyed by Karen's questioning tone.

"Professor Karen thinks this is a kind of terrorism, but he doesn't have that kind of ability. He's just someone who can't even get a title as a professor. Don't forget, he was barely able to attach the title of a guest professor due to being my fiance."

"Hmm."

Certainly, the materials left behind by Professor Deus contained only very basic magic books. Well, they were so basic that she thought it was pointless.

"So, don't waste your time uselessly and find the real culprit."

"Well, I'll try to do it my way. You know, the school director has entrusted me with full authority to investigate this case."

"...."

Erica kept her mouth shut since she had already received a report on the matter.

Thud, thud, thud.

Heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed in the hallway. Both of them knew that it was not an unusual sign.

Because the ground-shaking footsteps were quite famous at the Robern Academy.

"Huh? All the beautiful professors of our academy are gathered here."

With a handsome appearance that naturally led to the label of "pretty boy" and a passionate personality, Gideon Zeronia entered the room. He was a son of a powerful family and in addition to being a master of exceptional swordsmanship, he was the most popular professor among female students.

He smiled refreshingly, and Karen replied sluggishly.

"Are you investigating this case too, Professor Gideon?"

"Excuse me? No, I came to pick up Professor Erica. I have something to tell her."

Erica said she understands and immediately stepped out of the research lab.

"Don't waste your time poking around in useless places."

She said to Karen in a cutting tone as she passed by.

Thud.

As the two of them left and the door closed, Karen's eyes trembled for a moment.

"Hmm?"

Before the door closed, it seemed like Gideon's hand was approaching Erica's waist.

Even though she seemed to have broken off her engagement with Deus, wasn't it too short of a time to start a new relationship?

Karen cautiously opened the door and peeked out.

"I told you to not touch me."

Erica pushed away Gideon's hand that was approaching to wrap around her waist.

"Come on, you're too conservative. People who are dating can do that."

Gideon laughed easily and reached out his hand again, but-

Slap!

-Erica slapped it away.

'Are they dating?'

That being said, it didn't seem like Erica had any particularly strong feelings of affection toward Gideon. At least, as a fellow female, that's what Karen thought looking at her behavior.

'Well, it's not my business.'

Ignoring Erica's advice, Karen closed the door silently and began to search the lab again.

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