Chapter 49 - Ongoing black history
Translator: Black Lotus
Editor: imsara
Is it easier to take a class quietly or to sit in a big school and look for people? Which would be easier?
I told myself that it was better to be alone, and I flitted from place to place, finally focusing on someone who looked like that. A fourth-year boy. He’s a good-looking brother with good grades and decent family background, with sunken cheeks and an intellectual look.
In fact, this guy was one of Schneider’s cronies. Schneider who? And I had almost forgotten about him, too. The one who got involved with me and Iris on the day of the entrance ceremony and eventually got thrown into a mysterious time and space with my contrary scales.
I’ve decided to put up with this guy because he smells suspicious. We were in the same dormitory. Although there was no movement for a few days, it was only on the sixth day of the week, when there are no classes, that he went off campus. The sun has just set and it’s getting dim.
He didn’t even use a horse-drawn carriage and went around the alleyways for an hour or so, trying to avoid being seen. We came to an area densely populated with old housing complexes. There was absolutely no one there. It looks like a carefree person is lying down on the street, but there was not a single child walking around.
I walked into one of the housing complexes without taking a glance at him and walked busily up the stairs amidst several detection barriers. I stayed close from behind him and slipped through the wards with plenty of time to spare.
Of course, he disappeared. The optical camouflage hasn’t caught my attention.
He stopped in front of the door on the fourth floor. I whispered some incantation and traced a pattern on the door with my finger, and the door opened on its own with a clunk.
After entering… I could easily enter at that.
Inside is surprisingly large. There were a number of rooms. He entered the room in front of me and reached for one of the many randomly placed wooden boxes. The letter 7 was painted on it.
He opened the box and found an empty bottle or something, took it out carefully and punched the bottom of the box. The bottom of the box opened up, and there was a white cloth-like object folded in the box. A double bottom. The white cloth was a costume.
And, it was completely covered with a fluttering piercing headdress. And put on a hood made of white cloth. The head is pointy and only the eyes are hollowed out. There is a pattern of two intertwined snakes on his forehead, and a ‘7’ is drawn in the center.
From the room where I changed, I walked out into the corridor and pushed forward to the innermost room. I opened the door again with a spell or something, and there it is–.
”You’re late, Number Seven.”
In the faint flickering light of the candelabra, nine people were sitting at a large circular table, waiting. They were all wearing the same white attire, hiding their faces.
“Number Nine and Number Eleven are absent. You’re the last, Number Seven.”
As the person with a ‘3’ on his forehead said this, another number began to say various things.
“You’re new here, but you came after us.” (The ‘4’)
“What’s your status?”
“Schneider’s drummer now.” (The ’10’)
“Do you underestimate the importance of numbers?” (The ‘6’)
“…. yeah.”
I did notice them around the time they started wearing white clothes, though.
Judging from the situation and their young voices, these guys are all students of the academy.
“Rejoice, sister, your wish will finally come true.”
“An elite school, students from an elite school, a secret meeting of a secret organization called ‘Numbers’ or something like that! And, if they’re masked and call each other by their numbers, are you crazy?”
This is bad. If Charl finds them, they will definitely bite us. If we don’t expose their ongoing black history to the world as soon as possible, we’re going to drive the organization into the ground! However, it’s already too late.
Even before I walked in, there was a transparent plate-like object stuck to the ceiling. Only I can see it, but that’s the surveillance wards I’m gave to Charl and the others.
Following the connection, I found a red-haired maid in a back alley a little away from the building. ”Hmph, you foolish people,” ”I didn’t even know that they were watching me,” ”A perfect opportunity to get a shot at them! And, he seems to be expecting a lot.”
And, Frey also activated a communication ward, where she said, ‘I found it! Back! Student Council! Or ‘I’m getting excited’ or ‘Oh, you can’t go in there, can you? I’m here to collect information,” she said excitedly but calmly.
I wish I hadn’t followed the “7” guy and watched from afar.
But, which route did he take to get here? Charl really can’t be underestimated. For now, I’m going to pretend that I didn’t see it and focus on the Omoshiro group.
“Silence.”
A low-pitched yell from the low-pitched Ikebo quietly stopped the hustle and bustle. He’s the one.
“Have we forgotten the principle that our relations should be on an equal footing here? I want to remind you why we mask ourselves and call each other by our numbers.
“It was the former number seven, of all people, who neglected that principle,” said “4”
“4″ and “6” said, “To begin with, ignoring the ‘pecking order’ is incompatible with our ‘aristocracy supremacy’
“After all, the purpose of today’s meeting was to denounce number seven, right? Said “10?”
“Yes. How could you show up late after failing to do it twice?” Said “12”, right?”
“You’re not very thick-skinned, are you?” is “2”, “the first time I’ve seen it.”
“It’s a pain in the ass!”
If I rambled on and on, I wouldn’t know who was who. There are differences in physique and voice, but it’s very hard to check the number on the forehead every time. So, I’ll stop doing this.
However, the most important and dignified “1” of Ikebo was easy to recognize just by his voice.
He said, “I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood, but this meeting is not a place for us to denounce number seven. The purpose of this meeting is to uncover the causes of our failure and to consider our next steps to achieve our great goal.”
He looked around at everyone.
Multiple voices followed, as indicated.
“Overthrow the rotten monarchy.”
“The Restoration of Aristocratic Supremacy.”
“By the hand of our Chosen One.”
“Oh, yeah. Yeah, good luck with that.”
I heard a joyful voice from somewhere that sounded like it was jumping up and down, but I let it pass.
“I’ve heard the reports, but I’d like to hear the details from you. Number 7.”
“The first time, I thought my attack was played off by something… The second time it missed coinciding with the timing of Prince Rias being assembled.”
“It’s the same as the existing report. You, how many days do you think it’s been? Did you recover the needle that was popped the first time and missed the second time? What happened to those investigations?”
“I don’t know. I can’t even find the needle.”
A giggle escaped from me.
“Even if the second time was unlucky, I don’t see how you could fail the first time. Number 7, aren’t you faking your missed aim as ‘prevented’?”
“No!”
“You’re not going to chicken out at the last minute, are you? That thing doesn’t even have the ability to kill, at least not according to my partner.”
A giggle and mockery ensued.
“So, no! I feel like I hit some kind of transparent wall…”
“And it disappeared? That needle should have had an effect that would have pierced a high-level magical defense as well. Even a Prince Rias-level self-reinforcement wouldn’t have prevented it, right?”
“I’m telling you the truth. That’s why I was so careful and cautious the second time around and then that man interrupted me.”
The whole group shuts down.
“Who is that man?”
“Hart Zenphis.”
It’s me?
“He is the son of the Earl of the Frontier, isn’t he?”
“However, I heared that he took in a commoner’s orphan.”
”With magic level of 2, I don’t think that he could withstand a very advanced practical class.”
“I was there for both of them.”
“Law, did the ‘1’ person take the same class?”
”His ability is real. Especially when it comes to body arts, he’s probably better than anyone else in this place.”
“More than you?” Number one.
He nodded his head ‘1’. Before that, ‘Of course!’ I heard a smug voice say, “I’m sorry,” only to me, but anyway, the tension around me rose to a crescendo.
“He’s quite a gem. If there’s a vacancy, I’d like to welcome him to the numbers right away.”
“Wait, number one, the Earl of the Frontier is the leader of royalists. And, Hart Zenphis is a commoner by birth, right?”
“We can’t allow snobs to enter the Chosen One.”
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to use it as an asset?”
“Lord Zenphis is also a royalist, but he is closer to us in the sense that he is hostile to the Queen’s faction.”
“I don’t know. The Hammer of Earth’s Destruction is a man that even commoners respect, as long as he’s good enough. Isn’t he incompatible with our “nobleman’s supremacy” policy?”
“Can’t we assume that Lord Zenphis is also a ‘useless thing’? You meant it, didn’t you?” Number one.
The self-indulgent debate was heating up. I leaned back against the wall and listened to the end. There’s no doubt that they were after Rias. The culprit is the one who is “7”. However, I don’t think that they knew exactly what they were doing with the needle. Especially the “torment and kill” effect, which we hadn’t considered.
And, now I know the purpose.
It seems that these numbers were intended to incite a conflict between the king and queen factions. First, they attacked Rias to throw suspicion on the king’s faction. Next, they attacked Princess Marianne to make it seem like the queen’s revenge.
Then, they attacked the aristocrats (?). Is it going to take advantage of the fishermen, or something like that. It looks like a governor when you put it all together, but even after hearing the details, it was still a governor and poorly planned.
I wonder what would have happened if the attack on Rias had succeeded and that guy had died. I’d be crying about “Konkonahazjanakatta” or something like that.
(TLNote: I won’t translate that pun Xd its funny on its own XD)
As far as I’m concerned, these guys feel like they would destroy themselves even if left to their own devices. It’s not in the realm of child’s play. So, I don’t care. These guys are left alone.
They’re hiding their faces, but it’s easy to crack the identities of all of them. I think that I should let Charl and her friends play along. I can do that.
But, here’s the thing.
The question is, who’s behind all this? They’re the ones who tricked the students into thinking that they could assassinate Rias. Mainly the Aristocrats, I guess. And then there’s that religious organization called the “Lucifer Order” that was mentioned in the course of conversation.
If we can get rid of those people who seem to be the main source of the problem, this mess should stop. Bad adults are killed. It’s time for Shiva, the enforcer of justice, to step in. It’s a pain in the ass.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m