Sword, Magic and Academic Society-Chapter 293Vol. 1 - - The Case of Saintess’s Disappearance (6)

"..................Allen-kun, you should know who Freak is, right? Are you sure we can believe in him?"

Dante-san himself was a man with a significant rank, and even he couldn't avoid showing his skepticism. I readily shook my neck.

"We have only met two times, so he's as good as any passerby. I don't have an ounce of faith in whatever he said. I allowed him since it was better to have the enemy under my eyes than act wantonly. However...... I think this information is definitely a probe."

Then, they asked what was my basis on giving this a try. I explained my honest impression I had gotten from Freak.

We hadn't talked much, but he did say he wanted to change the Empire. He himself was an example of the Empire's hierarchy, and what he witnessed during his journey, the state of people who weren't even in servant class, appeared to be so heartwrenching he wished he could have unsee it.

The same people would've no choice but to resort to shady business, engaging in abducting just to make their living, and this only continued to fuel the number of hands further winding up into similar illegal trades. It was a never-ending vicious cycle.

"I asked if it was his ploy to use me for bringing change in the Empire, and he only answered "I don't care if that's how you want to see it." I don't like him that much, but I didn't see any lies in him."

As I summarised my experience, master stared into my eyes for a moment.

".........Whatever that guy, Freak eh?, is. You think you figured out his plan? And just for record, you aren't trying to think of checking that village out to see if his information is correct, do you?"

I gestured with a shake of head, and shrugged.

"I have no inkling what is inside that Freak's mind. You would usually suspect he would slowly spend some time building some level of trust, and just when it's a big moment, he would take a plunge and backstab... But he's sick, and clearly time is something he lacks the most. I did press him for an answer, but even then he just kept evading the topic with ridiculous excuses like 'I came to learn about the man among man thing from up close.' ...He did say he will return to the Empire one day, though I doubt if we can even believe him."

As I finished explaining, my master wore a grim expression and fell silent, lost in thought. After a long, very long pause—he sighed.

◆◆◆

Conclusively, the den of crime—the village in Serenade region was decided to be investigated by the Knight Order. As a fact, my master had personally gone out despite his packed schedule, so it was clearly a high-priority case they’d had their eye on for some time.

I left that investigation to him, meanwhile we continued to gather information from within the royal capital.

After the report, I had re-regrouped with Coco and others at the guard post beside the main gate when I noticed someone trying to tail us. Well, It was immediately apparent that they didn't have any malicious intent, and instead it was someone I knew.

I turned around in his direction, but the latter hastily ducked into an alley. I hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow him.

“Do you need something?”

I called out to him gently. "Um, M-Mr. Knight... I..." The boy—Po, a member of Apple House—tried to say but stammered.

...He seemed to have noticed I was a knight, but was pretending not to know me. Did the Chief warn them from probing my identity around? 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Pfft! What Mr. Knight, Po. We haven't seen each other for a while. How are you doing?"

I shifted my mask aside and spoke as casually as I could.

At that, Po’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, his face twisting as he broke down.

“…Sorry, Ren b-big brother. I... The boss did say to stop, but I didn't know what else to do."

I had distanced myself from Rose Familia after the incident with Rose Familia. I, myself, weren't keen on it, but the Chief advised me to.

«I am glad you see Apple House as something important. But the incident made it clear it is also going to be your weakness. If that gets out, it could lead to something irreversible. As the guardian of Apple, and the one who took you in, I can’t allow that. You need to put some distance between yourself and Apple.»

I was reluctant, but it was true I had almost dragged Apple House into the mess, and accepted Chief's suggestion.

I had already declared I would leave Mutual Aid Society before storming inside Rose's headquarter, and in the aftermath, I formally applied to leave them, severing all my connection with them on paper.

It wasn't a smooth sail, but I still believe myself to be one of Apple.

"......Come on, no need to act like a stranger, Po. I still see all of you as my family. Relax, and just tell me if you have any trouble."

I crouched on the same eye-level as him, and gently rested a hand on his head. Tears welled up in Po’s eyes as he spoke.

“Rina… she hasn’t come back. She might be caught by kidnappers… maybe she was sold…”

My heart jumped intensely at his words.

"...Tell me everything."

“It was last weekend… She said there was a soup kitchen at the church, and that she was going to help out… but she never came back. I asked the priest and the Saintess Sister too, but apparently she never showed up at the church…”

“…Did you ask the Saintess Sister directly, Po?”

“Y-yeah. Some old guy who said he was her fan and asked me to pass along a letter, so I figured I’d ask while I was there. But she said she hadn’t seen Rina yet.”

In that instant, the two distant scenarios immediately weaved together into one. Deep inside, I could tell where it was going, and felt a rush of rage drumming against my heart.

“…I see. …So both you and Rina knew the Saintess Sister personally…”

…Most likely, Jeu knew about my connection to those two. The culprit must have seized the defenseless Rina first, then used her as bait to lure Jeu out. Seeing as they'd deliberately dragged Rina and Po into the situation, It was clearly a message to me.

The discreet loading of the apple crate was a clear proof. How dare they under mine me—

"......B-brother Ren?"

Po called my name in a trembling voice. I gently stroked his head.

I was seething in boiling rage, but for some reason, I felt blood drained from inside me, and I felt my mind had grown eerily calm.

◆

After keeping them trapped inside the crate's cramped space, they're roughly dragged out.

The person checked the integrity of their restraints, and pulled off their blindfold. They're immediately greeted with the sight of a nauseating dungeon.

The rough-looking man locked the cell without another word and headed back upstairs.

It was clearly a kidnapper’s hideout; sobbing and muffled crying echoed from several nearby cells.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… this is my fault… big sister, because of me…”

Tears streamed down the face of Rina as soon as the blindfold came off.

With her hands still shackled, Jeu healed Rina’s swollen cheek with magic, gently wiped away her tears, and slowly shook her head.

"It's not your fault. If anything... you've been dragged into this due to me. I’m truly sorry.”

Soon, footsteps echoed as someone descended the stone stairs. The door creaked open, and a narrow-eyed man with a foxlike gaze appeared on the other side of the bars.

Jeu glared at him through the iron grating.

“…I will return you home. No matter what.”

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