Giotto resisted at first, but in the end, he began to spill everything smoothly.
Whatever his relationship with Carla might have been, they had shared something as illicit as wiretapping. There was no way it had been a relationship of genuine trust.
At the start, most of what he said was either what I already knew or what I could have predicted.
The listening devices had been set to be installed in the speakers when Atlas was first founded, and Giotto had been among the very first teachers Carla brought in.
Within Atlas, the only person who knew about the existence of the devices—aside from Carla herself—was Giotto. And even he only knew because Carla told him.
"Why did Carla tell you?"
"To use me. I was the one classifying the content coming from the bugs under her orders. It was too vast for her to handle alone."
"Why were you the one chosen?"
"I wasn’t chosen—I was caught. She found something she could use to threaten me."
"You must’ve done something unpleasant. Carla must’ve overheard it through the bug."
Giotto averted his eyes at my words. That meant I was right.
"What exactly were you blackmailed with?"
"......."
"I told you to say everything, didn’t I? I’ll find out anyway once I go through the material she collected. What’s the point of hiding it now?"
At that, Giotto sighed. His jaw tightened briefly, and then his mouth slowly opened.
"......It’s about a woman. And it’s illegal."
"......I see. That’s enough."
When he had shown an odd interest in Elodie, I had suspected as much. It seemed Giotto had quite the weakness for women. Judging by how reluctant he was to say it, the issue wasn’t legality—it was shame.
Giotto quickly shifted the topic.
"Anyway, under Carla’s orders, I gathered information that could be used for trade. Students prefer to talk about other people rather than themselves. Naturally, gathering gossip worth selling to nobles was easy."
"That was her only order? To gather information that could be traded with nobles?"
"No. She also told me to collect anything with the keywords ‘curse’ or ‘demon.’ But there wasn’t much of substance in that field. Just ghost stories and urban legends."
Curse and demon.
Demons were, to begin with, information Carla had been trading for, and “curse” was predictable enough.
'Carla is definitely a Medusa. So she’s been looking for a way to break the curse, after all.'
But that made it strange that she’d be seeking information about demons rather than curses. Carla herself should be closer to a monster than a demon. Besides, in her dealings with nobles, she had been collecting “demon” information, not “curse”-related ones.
I suddenly thought of something and asked,
"Come to think of it, I heard Carla used to have a mild temperament. Why did she suddenly start taking action?"
"I don’t know about that. But I can tell you this much."
Giotto’s expression grew tense.
"There’s a mastermind behind her."
"......."
"There is! A mastermind controlling Carla!"
A mastermind controlling Carla.
In other words, the real mastermind that Lady Achaia suspected to be me—really exists.
"It’s true! I’m not just spouting nonsense!"
Giotto shouted in panic, misreading my silence.
I said, "There’s nothing to believe or not believe—I already expected such a presence to exist."
When she became principal, Carla had lived quietly.
She must have been as desperate as any demon to avoid having her true nature revealed. She wouldn’t have acted recklessly.
But then Carla abruptly shifted from hiding to revealing herself. She made contact with nobles, traded with them, drew attention.
That means there had been a trigger. Something that forced Carla, who should have stayed hidden, to move.
If that was the mastermind behind her, it made sense.
However—
"But before that, I have one thing to confirm."
"W-what is it?"
"If Carla was being manipulated by this mastermind, if she had no intention of acting on her own—why did she install the listening devices in Atlas?"
"Carla feared having her true identity exposed. She was terrified that suspicions about her would spread among the students."
"So at the time, the devices weren’t meant for information gathering or trade? Am I supposed to believe that?"
"Don’t ask me! Carla herself would know! How could I possibly read all her thoughts! I only did what I was told, because of the blackmail!"
It was a banal, self-serving answer—but Giotto was right. Asking him what Carla truly thought was pointless.
'A mastermind, huh...'
Both Giotto and Lady Achaia suspected one existed. Of course, Lady Achaia thought that mastermind was me.
'If there really is a mastermind, he probably knows far more than I do.'
Especially about Carla. Just as Carla had used Giotto’s information to manipulate him, the mastermind must be using Carla’s nature as a monster for his own purposes.
So until I uncover the mastermind’s identity, it’s better not to make careless moves.
Still, that only applies if Carla is my priority.
'In the end, I only want the information Carla holds—about Poseidon and Atena.'
And there’s an easier, simpler way to obtain that information than becoming her ally.
Just like the mastermind, I can threaten her.
'Whether she’s a monster or a demon, Carla doesn’t want to be exposed. For that, she’ll give up information without a second thought.'
Besides, if the myth follows pattern, Carla probably hates those two gods. She might even tell me everything freely.
But in that case, I’d never learn who the mastermind truly is, or what their real goal might be. I wouldn’t even know why Carla is looking into “demons” in the first place.
If that mastermind later becomes my enemy, wouldn’t it be better to learn now?
I can’t guarantee they’ll be my enemy, but still—
—Frondier, you’re weak to women, aren’t you?
'......I’d rather not hear that again.'
When I sighed, Giotto, sitting in front of me, flinched as though startled by my expression.
'Well, whatever. This time there’s no reason for anyone to say that.'
Above all, in the plan I’m forming now, the one who’ll walk the most dangerous path—will be none other than Carla herself.
***
Before meeting Lady Achaia, Frondier had already extracted most of the information he needed from Giotto.
Of course, Giotto only moved under Carla’s orders, so he didn’t know everything.
But when combined with what Frondier already knew, the outline became clear enough.
["......A real demon, you say?"]
Lady Achaia repeated after Frondier, her tone laden with suspicion.
["A real demon? You’re speaking as though Carla isn’t one."]
At her words, Frondier smiled.
Precisely. That was what he meant.
Carla was not a demon.
Not in truth—and Frondier intended to prove it right here.
["Surely... you don’t mean that."]
Lady Achaia frowned, as if realizing what his expression implied.
["Are you trying to protect your subordinate?"]
“Subordinate.” To her, it was already fact that Carla followed Frondier’s commands.
["There’s no need to protect her. I’m simply stating a fact."]
["Impossible. Carla’s behavior has been suspicious all this time."]
["Of course. I made her act that way."]
["......You did?"]
Lady Achaia’s eyes narrowed, doubt flickering within.
Frondier maintained a steady smile.
'Let’s fabricate a possibility, shall we?'
Frondier was now playing the role of Carla’s mastermind.
Of course, he had no idea who the real one was, or where they might be.
But he wasn’t going to bother finding them.
There was no need.
'By claiming to be Carla’s mastermind, I’m naturally acting against whatever the real one intended.'
Frondier didn’t know the true plan—but he could create a fake one. And the odds of that false plan coinciding with the real one approached zero.
'Our circumstances are remarkably similar to Carla’s.'
The only difference was that Frondier’s group had not been exposed yet, while Carla was on the verge of exposure.
However, Carla already possessed the perfect cover to infiltrate human society—a powerful position as the principal of Atlas.
From Frondier’s perspective, it would be wasteful not to use her.
'If you want to stay hidden, that’s fine, “mastermind.”'
Even without knowing the mastermind’s true plan, he could still maneuver around it—whether the man was watching this situation or not.
There was a chance, however slim, that the mastermind might grow furious and expose all of Carla’s secrets.
But for Frondier, that would be nothing but a blessing.
Carla was not yet his ally, and whatever happened to her, Frondier himself would remain unharmed.
If it wasn’t his comrade’s problem, Frondier could walk any dangerous bridge without hesitation.
What the mastermind had failed to account for was this: the existence of a third party perceptive enough to identify Carla’s true nature earlier than he expected—and insane enough to impersonate the mastermind himself.
Such an absurdly improbable variable, impossible even to anticipate, let alone prepare for.
["......Lies."]
Meanwhile, Lady Achaia shook her head.
They couldn’t continue speaking through televoice the whole time—there were others around. Occasionally they turned toward those nearby, exchanging bits of casual conversation between the silent threads of their hidden dialogue.
After allowing herself that time to think, she spoke again.
["That’s impossible. It doesn’t add up."]
["Why not?"]
["Why would [N O V E L I G H T] you even tell me this? You could’ve just kept it hidden. The very fact you’re saying Carla isn’t a demon is proof that she is one!"]
She was right—there was no reason to reveal a truth like that. Which only made it sound like a lie to protect Carla.
If the real mastermind had that kind of loyalty to her, it would’ve been touching.
["Regrettably, there’s a very clear reason I’m telling you this, Lady Achaia. It’s the true reason I came here in person."]
["W-what?"]
["Look over there."]
Frondier pointed with his chin toward a random spot among the seats.
Of course, he was pointing at nothing at all.
But looking in that direction, he said,
["One of my subordinates is hiding there."]
["......!"]
["And there. And over there as well."]
As his gaze shifted from one place to another, Lady Achaia followed it intently.
Nothing. She could see nothing. Feel nothing. It was too far to probe with mana, but to her eyes, there was nothing there.
Yet after hearing Frondier’s words, when she stared long enough, it almost seemed like something flickered. As if a sinister aura rose there. Her mind began to invent reasons why those particular spots might be empty.
She quietly bit her lip. Frondier watched.
'From what Arald and Lirih told me, she’s a cautious, rational woman. The act she showed in the faculty room was complete theater. People like her assume others are as rational as they are. They can read arrogance—but not gambles.'
What Frondier was doing now carried a high chance of being exposed. There was no guarantee Lady Achaia would believe him.
But that was precisely why it worked.
He wouldn’t risk telling a lie that could so easily be caught. The moment that thought crossed her mind—she had already stepped into Frondier’s trap.
["Do you really think I came here unprepared?"]
