Part 3
Leaving the Headmaster’s room, Horun lead the way to the special reference room.
Only a portion of students were able to enter here.
Angeline’s figure, was already gone.
And then, right now, there weren’t any teachers either.
The ones accompanying her were only Diablo and Sylvie. Merci returned to the classrooms.
──What kind of relationship do they have?
Being in the Second Year Class A meant she was an honor student. Why would that Merci be acquainted with Diablo’s group? The circumstances bothered her, but the issue at hand took priority.
「Erm......There are students that have gone missing in this Magic Academy -ssu.」
「How many?」
「Ten people. Ah, it’s twelve people since this morning -ssu.」
「Fumu......So it isn’t thirteen people?」
「Eh? Yes. There’s no mistake that twelve people have gone missing -ssu.」
Diablo made a pensive look.
「......So it means that not everything is the same huh. Or could it be that I was beaten to the punch?」
Horun continued her explanation.
「I did some investigating, and I thought that the teacher Bihyakk was suspicious -ssu. Doing some observations, I saw Bihyakk go into the old school building with a female student -ssu.」
「Hou? The old school building huh.」
「Thinking that there was absolutely something going on, I stepped in but -su kedo......」
Diablo was suspicious of something.
「Could it be, was there nothing to be found?」
「Yes -ssu......」
Remembering what happened last night, she gritted her teeth.
Again, Diablo pondered.
「What’s going on? You’re saying that there was nothing in the old school building? What about the other classrooms?」
「Nothing from what I saw......」
Sylvie nodded.
「If there was nothing when a level 80 Thief investigated, then there is surely nothing there. It would be different if an illusion or something was shown.」
「There was none of that -ssu.」
As for why, it was because Horun was together with Babylon.
It was something that she called herself, but it seemed that magic didn’t work at all on Goddesses from another world.
Even if Horun was mislead through magic, Babylon should have seen through it.
『Fufun......It’s like ya can’t trick the eyes of this Babylon-sama!』
Babylon, who was in the bag this whole time, stuck her face out and said that.
She continued her explanation.
「At that time, the student council president of this academy, Angeline-san, was together with me but......since this morning, she had gone missing -ssu.」
「Did you go together with her back to the dormitory?」
Sylvie checked that.
「No......Only I was sent back, and it seemed that Angeline-san remained.」
「Arya, that was a mistake. In both taking an ordinary person on a quest, and not sufficiently guaranteeing their safety.」
「......Yes. It’s exactly as you say -ssu.」
Horun hung her head.
Having been too disappointed, she became negligent on the crucial parts.
Even with her level raised, she was fully aware that she herself was a novice Adventurer that lacked experience.
Diablo made a lengthy consideration.
*Butsu butsu......* He was saying something.
With Horun’s sense of hearing, she could hear it, but since they were words that didn’t belong to the Lifelia Kingdom, she didn’t understand the meaning of them.
At times, he was neither a fearsome Demon King, nor a skilled Magician, but would sometimes display an expression that seemed like a child immersed in play.
Going *Yosh*, Diablo raised his head.
「The fact that he showed his true character that openly, we don’t have the time to postpone things──that is how we should think. Normally, the last boss should appear by the time we march into the old school building after all.」
「Eh?」
Ignoring Horun’s confused voice, Diablo gave out instructions.
「We might be too late but, Sylvie.」
「Got it. It’s about what you said this morning, right?」
「Umu. Do it quickly.」
「Leave it to me! I’ll be going!」
It seemed that they had decided on something before hand. Sylvie left the room at a quick pace.
Part 4
Horun guided Diablo around the Magic Academy.
It seemed that there was a need for him to memorize the terrain.
He seemed to be checking on things like the layout and structures of the buildings, and places where there were a lot of people.
They went out to the schoolyard.
Diablo gazed at the old school building.
「What is at the back of that?」
「It’s a hill -ssu. It’s a grove of mixed trees......There’s a shed to house cleaning tools, a well, a storehouse for firewood......」
「A well?」
「It’s an old well that isn’t used anymore -ssu ne.」
「Fumu......」
Horun didn’t understand every little thing that Diablo cared for or what he didn’t care for.
「What’s wrong -su ka?」
「Europa is an Earth and Water element monster.」
Horun tilted her head.
「......Europa?」
「Do not mind it.」
Putting a stop to the explanation, Diablo started walking.
When they were about to head towards the old school building──
A single man walked out from the Middle School Section building.
He wore a long deep red coat.
He was a blond Elf.
Horun reflexively put herself on guard.
「The Royal Palace Knight!」
「Hou?」
Diablo curved the ends of his lips.
As if they were standing in his way, the red coat man stopped walking. He glared at them with his sharp eyes.
He overbearingly made a declaration.
「I am a Royal Palace Knight──Thanatos the Immortal.」
He flourished the hem of his long, deep red coat. He flaunted the black-lacquered long sword that hung on his waist.
Diablo gulped.
「ッ......Bastard, you’ve got quite the taste, don’t you. But, knowing that I was the Demon King Diablo, you introduced yourself, didn’t you?」
──He said that he was a Demon King!?
Horun was worried wondering if that was alright.
Thanatos opened his eyes wide.
「Demon King!? I see......So you’re Diablo. Indeed.......It seems the rumors of the "Black Hero" were true.」
「Did you say Black Hero? Fufun......Attaching such a boorish nickname to me.」
The other party pointed at him.
「I do not approve of someone like you. Those eyes are the eyes of one that would do wrong to the Races. The moment you reveal that true nature of yours, I, Thanatos the Immortal, will defeat you.」
Making that declaration, he bent the finger that he turned towards them in a strange way, and held it in front of his own face.
Diablo responded, covering half of his own face with one hand. He threw a bloodshot, sharp glint of his eye from the gap between his fingers.
「Ha! There is no way someone like you would be a match for me. The moment you draw that black sword, is when I shall make you taste despair.」
「Damned Demon King......So you’ve zeroed in on my magic sword. As expected of you.」
*Fufufu, Kukuku......* The two of them exchanged stifled laughters.
Horun made a complicated face.
──These two!?
Babylon also made a similar face and spoke.
『They totally get along -ppo.』
There’s no way that should be the case. Even though they were expressing real bloodlust and it should have been the atmosphere of an explosive situation, for some reason, friendliness could be felt.
Thanatos the Immortal left behind a cool sounding parting threat, and left.
Just where he was headed to was a mystery.
A few days ago, he should have been searching for some "wicked magical power" or something the whole time but......most likely, he was unable to identify the source of it.
Since even the Headmaster said that she would need a bit of time to do so, it shouldn’t have been that easy to do.
──It’s fine since he surprisingly hasn’t caused any problems though -su kedo.
A "weird person is loitering about the academy" was her evaluation of Thanatos so far.
The toll of a bell resounded from the clock tower.
Diablo glared in the direction of the old school building.
「It’s best if it’s done before it gets dark. I guess it’s about time to go.」
「Are we going -su ka? Sylvie-san still hasn’t come back yet though -ssu kedo.」
「It’s not a problem. If it’s Sylvie, she should be able to do something about it by the time she’s needed.」
She sure is trusted──is the tone that was transmitted to her.
Horun thought.
Someday, I also want to be trusted by Diablo like this.
For that sake, she would now devote all of her power to the matter at hand.
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