DMHS 98

“That’s probably because we solved the rumor tied to the thirteenth floor. It seems that the memory only shows itself when both are solved together. We were lucky. So, what did you all just see?”

“This doesn’t make sense.”

Mila hesitated before she spoke.

“You both saw Ivan and Laura in another vision, right?”

“We saw Laura helping Ivan when he was being bullied by the others.”

“We just saw something similar. But the scene this time doesn’t make sense. We’re not sure if it’s right or not.”

The way she went in circles sounded ominous. Finally, Mila spoke of the vision they saw.

“Ivan pushed Laura down the tower.”

“Hm, that’s indeed strange. Let’s talk in detail inside the break room.”

They gathered a moment later in a circle inside the room. Frederick looked around and cast a spell so no sound would leak out.

“I’ll speak.”

Mila told them about what happened in the annex. Then she explained how they found the rooftop.

“There are so many rooftops in the Academy. My head went blank thinking of checking each one, but then I got a good idea. I used the method you used, Sir Kian.”

“The method I used?”

“I mean Miss Isabella. I asked her which rooftop in the rumor she thought it was. She picked one place, so I asked, what if it’s not there? And if it’s not there either? I kept asking until the last place she named was the central tower rooftop.”

Kian admired Mila’s quick wit.

“Well done. So how was the scene you saw on the rooftop?”

“At first, Ivan was alone reading a letter. It was from his younger sibling. It said, I don’t know why Father did that, but I believe in you, I hope you come back. It was that kind of message.”

“Did you check the signature?”

“Yes. The sender was Gimere Harkin.”

Kian slowly stroked his chin.

“What happened next?”

“Laura came up to the rooftop. She said the next class would start soon, so let’s go down together. But Ivan was looking at her with a dark gaze as he said he’d stay. Even so, they didn’t argue or fight. Laura saw his face and asked if something was wrong.”

“What did Ivan answer?”

“He said, ‘You humans make me the sickest,’ and then he pushed Laura over the railing.”

Frederick crossed his legs and murmured.

“I don’t think it’s such a serious thing. Laura didn’t die from it either. I think the two were rehearsing a play. I realized midway that the girl was Laura Walders, the fourth Tower Master. There’s no way the two had a bad relationship. Laura’s help was crucial in Ivan Harkin becoming Tower Master.”

“Can you explain that in detail?”

“Ivan became a Tower Master candidate with full support from the previous Tower Master. But many magicians of the Fourth Tower thought differently. They supported Laura Walders instead.”

“Was there competition?”

“No. It ended when Laura gave up the Tower Master position to Ivan. Rumors already said they were dating, and this made it official.”

Mila and the princess reacted differently to the new information.

“Wow…!”

“…?”

Mila covered her mouth in surprise. The princess frowned and tilted her head.

Kian, who didn’t see their expressions, ended the talk.

“Thanks to you, we gathered much information. Leave anything that moves at midnight to the adults, and you, Miss Isabella and Miss Mila, should rest.”

“Can’t we go with you?”

“For moving at night, fewer people is better. Please understand. And I trust neither of you will go out on your own.”

Kian looked straight at the princess. The princess stuck out her tongue and smiled playfully.

“You know I always listen to the leader. I won’t go out.”

“Too bad. I’ll wait for the news in the morning.”

“Good. Then, Sir Barbarosputlkraknakar, Luci, I have a request before night comes.”

Kian turned his knees to the side and began the main talk.

The clue gathering was over. What remained was to uncover the truth.

***

Clang clang.

It was the hour when the dorm warden had gone to bed. Lucien hid behind a hallway pillar and watched the key spirit.

“Hm hm hm.”

The spirit pulled out the key bundle hanging from the back pocket of its pants.

“I need to check the right key.”

The spirit put one of the keys into the door lock.

Click.

After confirming the door was locked, the spirit hummed again.

“Hm hm hm. Locking and unlocking doors is my job.”

The spirit dragged its feet and walked down the hall. Meanwhile, Lucien looked for the bundle that had the key to the basement floor.

“I need the one tied with the blue string.”

Lucien acted on Kian’s request.

– We need the key to go down to the third basement. When the warden goes to bed, the key spirit patrols the academy locking doors, so please take the key from that spirit.

Kian also told him that the spirit’s five senses were only partially developed. Because it focused on the keyholes, it only saw what was directly in front of it clearly.

They said its hearing was dull and it sensed its surroundings through mana.

– So you should hide your mana and approach it from behind. Once you get the key bundle, come straight to the entrance of the third basement.

It was a very simple task. Lucien found the key and was about to move.

‘Who is that?’

There was a sign of someone’s presence on the opposite side from where Lucien hid.

Between the pillars in the hallway, a student in the Academy uniform appeared.

The student looked around, then limped toward the key spirit. There was sound from the steps, but there was no sign of mana movement.

“Hm hm hm.”

While the spirit hummed, the student took the key bundle and vanished.

Lucien smirked.

‘That saved me some work.’

The bundle the student took was the one tied with the blue string.

Lucien hid his presence and followed behind the student. As expected, the student’s destination was the staircase connected to the basement.

When the student reached the third basement, he searched the bundle for the right key. At that moment, Lucien changed into a cat.

Meow.

The student flinched at the sound and turned. Under the light of the magic stone that lit the stair landing, Lucien saw the student’s face. It was Kessler.

Kessler’s eyes burned with the desire for revenge.

“We met again, crazy cat.”

“……”

“How dare you wound me? I’ll tear you apart and kill you today.”

Kessler forgot to open the door and rushed at Lucien. Lucien, now a cat, leaped to the stair rail and escaped.

“Argh!”

Kessler stomped his foot and waved his hands wildly. Lucien dodged and stepped on Kessler’s head, then moved up to the next flight of stairs.

“So that’s how you want it.”

Mana gathered around Kessler.

Lucien waited for that moment. When Kessler changed into a black cat, Lucien released his transformation and grabbed the back of its neck.

Now Lucien was human, and Kessler was the cat.

“You can’t stay a cat forever.”

“What, what are you?!”

The black cat’s front paws thumped as it met Lucien’s eyes. Lucien ignored the voice echoing in his head.

“Would cutting off your mana work?”

“How can you say such a dreadful thing to a sorcerer! End my life instead!”

“That’s a good method.”

Lucien smiled at the cat. Then he set it gently on the ground.

The cat’s fur bristled as he grew furious.

“What did you do to me?!”

“……”

“Did you cut off my mana? If I can’t use sorcery, I can’t return to human form!”

“……”

“No! How can someone be this cruel! Your soul must be filthy and vile too…”

Kessler, who was ranting on his own, suddenly stopped.

“What? Why don’t you have a soul?”

From afar came footsteps of a different kind.

“…Ah, they’re here.”

Lucien straightened his body with little interest. Frederick and Kian arrived one after another at the door to the third basement. Kian saw everyone had gathered and spoke.

“Did you both finish what I asked?”

Lucien pointed to the key that Kessler had left in the keyhole. Frederick nodded with a proud face.

“Then let’s go in.”

Kian, with a sack on his back, took the lead.

He turned on the magic stone fixed beside the door.

The third basement was literally a storage room. The wide space was filled only with unused junk.

Lucien looked back and confirmed that Kessler was following.

“We got into the third floor safely, but what will you do next? The rumor mentions the fourth basement. We need to go down one more level.”

The black cat nodded in agreement with Lucien’s words. It was indeed a young and inexperienced one.

Kian set the sack down on the ground. When he untied the cord and pulled back the sack, something unexpected appeared.

It was a gnome, sleeping soundly with his head drooped.

“Isn’t that an earth spirit?”

Lucien was just as dumbfounded.

“You kidnapped a spirit?”

“That sounds too harsh. Let’s say I borrowed him for a while. As you saw in class, gnomes can move through the ground. Everyone, gather close.”

After checking that the group stood close together, Kian took off the gnome’s hat.

The ground sank, and the three people and one cat standing around the gnome moved to a lower floor.

The fourth floor looked identical to the third. It was a wide open space without anything blocking the view. And then…

“Those can’t all be humans, right?”

In the darkness, dolls stood arranged in rows and columns.

Even a rough count showed there were more than a hundred mud figures.