Sword, Magic and Academic Society-Chapter 291Vol. 1 - - The Case of Saintess’s Disappearance (4)

"Heyo, Ren-kun~! Hmm, oh, Coco came along today, eh?"

I had made my way to the Boguebus, where the depraved fatty—Benze and his fellow gang hung around. Everyone glanced at me with a similar nonchalant smile.

“Yeah. Actually, I’ve got a favor to ask. I need your help, Benze."

The nonchalantness wiped from Benze's face when I cut to the point, skipping on our usual punching greeting. He shouted at the top of his lungs, his ridiculously loud voice echoing through the whole floor.

"Hey, everyone! Ren-kun said he needs help!"

…Well, I was hoping to gather some manpower, so this worked out either way. The crowd began to form in no time as they joined the stream. Benze solemnly remarked.

"......Please, we're your to command. Even our lives are yours."

"......Don’t be so dramatic. I’m not here asking you to jump for me. I need you to look for someone. No matter if it's only one word, I want every possible information."

I said that and casually slid a photo of Jue onto the table.

“Huh? Ain’t that the Miss Saintess?”

“Yeah. No doubt about it.”

To my surprise, several people nearby reacted right away. Judging by their expressions, it looked like most of them already knew who she was.

"...How the hell is a depraved bunch like you even know about her?"

I asked, genuinely puzzled. Benze looked at me like I was the weird one.

“What do you mean, how? Miss Saintess has been over at the Emin Church right behind here plenty of times, like handing out soup, doing charity work, even healing folks with holy magic for free. Anyone living around here who’s been hurt’s probably been helped by her at least once. Right, guys?”

Everyone nodded in unison. One idiot even bragged that people had fought over who got healed first.

Benze continued.

“…We told her we’d pay, since we make good money and all, but she wouldn’t take a single coin. So we ended up donating to the church instead. And the priest used every last bit of it for soup kitchens for starving kids, so we started pitching in extra. Hell, half the time it cost us more than actual treatment would’ve. …Did something happen to her or what?”

......Now, that was unexpected. From what I had heard from my master, she had been doing charity work in secrecy, and they suspected the culprit came into contact with her during then. But listening to Benze and everyone's experience, it didn't even sound like she was attempting to hide her identity.

The Emin Church was a run-down church located just at the outskirts of the downtown. The peepsqueaks from Apple Familia had often been hired to help around for soup distribution or so on.

Come to think of it, I once stopped by there myself and helped Amur-aniki patch up the half-collapsed roof. I didn't pay much attention back then, but looking back, I think I did hear a voice resembling Jeu's.

"Since you know her, this'll be quick. The Miss Saintess has been apparently kidnapped by someone."

Gasps and shouts emerge from here and there when I break the news for them. Benze stepped as their representative, anger bleeding into his voice.

"......Miss, she clearly was from a good family, but she always treated everyone the same, whether they're filthy orphans or penniless old men and women. And every single time, she’d finish up by smiling and eating just one bowl of that awful soup kitchen before heading home. …Miss Saintess is a real man among men! I will not forgive whoever did it! Please let us help!”

The voice requesting to help rose up one after another.

"...Thank you. I owe you one."

I bowed my head in respect to their enthusiasm, but had it come out as unexpected, they all froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Come on, we're past all that cliche, Ren-kun!"

"Yeah, you don't have to bow to us! You’re better when you’re shameless and cocky!”

“That’s right, boss! And if it’s Saint Big Sis we’re talking about, I bet there are tons of people who’d want to help!”

"Yup, I might be healed by holy magic, but the most effective medicine for my heart has always been her smile! We're going to get her back, no matter what it takes!"

I couldn’t help but smile.

Jue… it appears even without me asking, there are so many people here who want to save you.

“…I’ll help too.”

Suddenly, a burly man from the counter turned his chair with a creak and quipped. He hadn't reacted even when Benze had called everyone, just quietly nursing a drink alone at the counter.

My eyes went wide when I captured the face of the man.

He had a slightly different appearance from what I knew, and he must have been keeping his presence in check, so I didn't notice, but... yeah, it's him.

The Freak Lattice—former prince of Rosemieur Empire. I had met at the slum of Olympus, apparently he was expelled from the imperial family due to what I fear was the congenital Mana Organ Expansion Syndrom—also commonly dubbed as «Devil's Blessing»—a disease that was abhorred there.

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"......What are you... doing here, Freak? What's with the changed appearance, stopped with wire?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He had removed the wire that once bound his body tight; instead they’re replaced with bandages.

I heightened my vigilance promptly, and stared at him with open suspicion. Though Benze casually remarked, "Hmm, you know about him, boss?"

"...I, came, to join, Mad Hound."

......What in the world was that person even thinking? He might no longer be a prince, but it didn't change that he was hanging around in the kingdom which was the bitter rival of the Empire.

I wouldn't be surprised if knights found out about him, and arrested him on possible charges of espionage. And even if he didn't care about it, did he forget about his disease? In a foreign land like this, just surviving should be difficult enough for him.

"Hey! Didn't I explain a while ago it doesn't matter if you're sick or whatever, the only guy qualified to learn how to be a real man under Boss here are the ones who can knock him flat! Disease or not, that rule doesn't change! Right, boss?”

“Shut up, fatty. …Why are you trying to help out?”

I had no inkling what the Freak was trying to do, so I pressed him with questions.

There's no saying he might not be connected to the culprits, and he might have been here to trick us to do his bidding. However, facing my interrogation, the Freak slightly narrowed his eyes, and glanced at the bandages wrapped around his arm.

"...She, that sister, knew nothing about me, and still treated me, without showing any disgust. On her own accord, she just decided to help me."

So, to go by explanation, Jeu happened to notice Freak and despite the latter's non-engagement, she still gave him a checkup and alleviated the situation a bit with her holy magic.

She also told him that wires only provide a small fraction of benefit for the pain they caused, removed it for him, treated the wounds where the wire had bitten into his flesh, and then wrapped him up tightly with bandages instead.

“…And then… she said there was nothing that she could do about my situation, and looked frustrated, apologised. ...Let me help her."

This didn’t clear him of suspicion yet, but... the look in his eyes did make it seem like he was telling the truth.

"Very well."

To be honest, the one scenario I fear most was if the abductor had carried Jue to the empire.

If that were the case, having someone like him—who had strong connections in that direction—would drastically increase the amount of information we could gather.

Well, if that was how it turned out, Freak would definitely enter the suspect list. I would have to see what he had in his bag, and then strike him down at the nearest opportunity.

But if I were to be honest, It doesn't seem like he had any hand here.

Once I gave my permission, the fatty immediately rounded Freak's shoulder like they're some long-time buddy, and said "You must be glad, right?" like he was proud of him.

"......Idiot... Why are you looking smug? I got beaten fair and square by him just the other day, head-on.”

“ “W—WHAT?!” ”

The entire floor erupted in murmurs when I introduced Freak to everyone.

"You, you must be kidding me!! Then, doesn't that make him the true member of the Mad Hound Clan?!"

Benze asked in befuddlement. I gave a big nod to his question.

"You got it, fatty. He's your Senpai now. If he demands the bread, you know what to do, right?"

In my words, the one who looked most surprised was the Freak himself.

"...You, you forgot, who I am?"

Hmm, he was obviously hiding his true identity, then I also had no reason to go around poking the bush.

"I don't care. You're just a Freak in my eyes."

He looked at me suspiciously, so I denied it outright. I didn't want to be friends with him, or else if any trouble occurred later, I would be dragged into their damned politics.

Besides, I still had my doubts about him. I couldn't see through his thoughts, so I figured I’d have Benze keep an eye on him. Also, he obviously couldn't take any drastic action due to his illness, and his time was limited.

Now, it was Freak's turn to peer into my eyes to read my intention, and after a moment of stare-off, he nodded.

"Can we get back on the main topic now?"

Seeing as we're done with our talk, Coco finally broke his silence, and unfurled a map on the table, and pressed a finger to his temple.