Chapter 80

◈ Chapter 80: The Approaching Night Walk (2)

"…I will get ready and go shortly."

I closed the door and returned to my room.

There, I stood in front of the wardrobe, pondering how things had come to this.

They came from the Security Bureau. If they are knights, they must be from the Nightcrawler Knights.

'Could they be the ones I saw last night?'

Why would the Security Bureau's knights come here?

They should be busy investigating the incident in Leatherberg, yet they came to Seorun to find me?

Could they possibly be certain that I am the culprit?

'No, no. It's just unnecessary worry.'

If they knew I was the culprit, they wouldn't have come as mere guests; they would have issued a warrant and forcibly taken me away.

Or they might have come secretly at night.

The fact that they came in such a polite manner means they don't know I'm the culprit yet.

'Yet, they still came to find me. What is it related to?'

I could immediately think of it.

The werewolf.

The death of Belport Rickson in Leatherberg was revealed to be the work of a werewolf.

And that werewolf also appeared in Seorun.

'I was the one who killed that werewolf.'

They must have come to find the teacher Rudger Chellis for that very reason.

They are having trouble with the investigation. They clearly know something happened, but the key pieces of the puzzle are all missing.

The last remaining clue must have been Seorun.

If that's the case, then my identity hasn't been exposed yet.

'However, it's too early to be complacent. If I show any suspicious signs, they will immediately suspect me.'

Especially if the guest who came this time is the one I know, Terrina Ryanhall.

Right now, this could be the biggest crisis of my life.

Her senses are not human, but something higher.

Even so, I can't refuse to meet the people who came here.

If a new teacher suddenly refuses a visit from the Nightcrawler Knights, it would look suspicious.

If I make excuses and avoid meeting them, it would give them more reason to stick to me.

'I guess I have to meet them.'

After all, they know me as the new teacher Rudger Chellis in Seorun.

They don't know about my past.

This meeting is just about lightly cooperating with the investigation.

With that thought, I straightened my collar and tidied up my attire. I put on a black frock coat and tied my hair, which had fallen loose, with a ribbon.

Since it was still morning, the air was a bit cool, so I lightly draped a muffler around my neck.

This should do.

After checking my attire in the mirror, I put on my shoes and immediately opened the front door.

What I saw was a pink cotton ball below my eyes.

"Ah, Teacher Rudger! You're here?"

Hearing the door open, the cotton ball turned around.

No, it was Teacher Selina.

"Did you wait for me?"

"Um, yeah."

She averted her gaze slightly and smiled awkwardly.

"If I had known, I would have come out a bit earlier."

"Ah, no, no! I waited on my own, and there's no need for Teacher Rudger to rush for me!"

"Thank you for your consideration. Shall we go then?"

"Yes!"

Well, it's just commuting to school together as teachers.

There shouldn't be anyone to say anything about it.

Besides, I also wanted to ask Teacher Selina about the details.

As I walked in step with her, I naturally began my questioning.

"The Security Bureau suddenly came to see me. Did you hear the reason why?"

"Ah, yes. It seems to be related to the werewolf incident. A werewolf also appeared in Seorun recently, and they might want to ask Teacher Rudger, who resolved the incident."

"I see."

Hmm. So it's because of that.

But even if they ask me, they won't get the answer they want.

They can't be unaware of that, so are they just grasping at straws?

"By the way, are you almost done with the exam preparation? This is your first time administering the first test, right?"

"Yes. It somehow worked out."

"Wow! That's impressive. I'm struggling with how to set the difficulty and how to submit the questions so that students can do their best."

"I agree."

Indeed, creating test questions from a teacher's perspective is quite difficult.

They can't be too easy, and they can't be too hard.

There can be variations in difficulty, but even for the harder questions meant to differentiate, they shouldn't be impossibly difficult. Instead, they should make students think deeply.

Questions that require a shift in thinking.

Questions that, rather than making students curse after solving them, make them feel a sense of achievement with an 'Ah!' and satisfy the students.

'But that's not as easy as it sounds.'

Everyone perceives things differently, so it's impossible to give everyone a proper sense of satisfaction. As a question setter, it's quite a headache.

Well, the first test is meant to be light.

How much could the students have learned since coming to Seorun?

The important thing is to check how solid their foundation is.

Tests requiring advanced knowledge should be given after the third round.

At least, that's what I think.

The main building of Seorun was visible ahead. It was time to part ways with her.

"I'll go meet the guest now. Good luck."

"Yes! Good luck, Teacher Rudger!"

She waved goodbye to me as she was about to leave, but then she stopped and called out to me.

"Ah, right! Teacher Rudger!"

"Yes. Is there something else?"

In response to my question, Teacher Selina smiled meaningfully and spoke.

"Be careful. They are quite intimidating people."

Then she turned around and walked away briskly.

Be careful? I was already well aware of that.

Intimidating people? Did she meet them?

'But why did Teacher Selina tell me this?'

A deliberate warning? Or just advice because she thought I was nervous?

I don't know the reason, but what's important right now is not that.

I raised my head and directed my gaze toward my office.

'Security Bureau knights, huh.'

I have no choice but to meet them.

I entered the main building and headed to my office.

The interior was quiet, with no one in sight.

It was during class time, so that was to be expected.

But this silence was strangely unsettling.

Finally, I arrived at the office. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Click.

The door opened to reveal my office, just as I left it.

The only difference was a person running his fingers over the books in the study area.

The guest turned to look at me, sensing my presence.

I stared at him silently.

"Ah, you must be Rudger Chellis."

No.

It wasn't the person I thought it would be.

The person in front of me was a man, with neatly combed-back hair and a pair of rimless glasses on his face, giving him a strict appearance.

Black uniform and gold epaulettes.

The attire clearly identified him as a Security Bureau agent.

'It's not Terrina Ryanhall, then.'

Maybe I saw wrong that day.

I sighed in relief and greeted him.

"Nice to meet you. I am Rudger Chellis, a teacher at Seorun."

"I am Lloyd, an agent of the Security Bureau."

Lloyd. No last name, but I can't assume he's a commoner.

Security Bureau agents don't reveal their true identities.

He didn't even mention being a knight, just an agent.

Is he intentionally hiding it, or does he not think it's worth boasting about?

I glanced at his attire. It was neat, with no wrinkles. His hair was perfectly combed, and his posture was straight as a rod.

Judging from his appearance, he is definitely someone who values neatness.

'His hands, are they bare?'

The sturdy build and rough hands visible under the uniform clearly proved he was a knight.

"I kept you waiting."

"No, it's our fault for coming without prior notice."

"Please, have a seat. Do you prefer coffee or tea?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't eat or drink during work hours."

"Understood."

I sat across from Lloyd at the guest table.

He stared at me intensely, as if trying to see through me.

But to me, it felt like facing a wildcat instead of a lion.

"So, why did you come to see me?"

I got straight to the point.

"I heard a werewolf appeared in Leatherberg recently."

"Yes, but it was quite some time ago, not this time."

"And I also heard that the werewolf was eliminated by you, Mr. Rudger."

"That's correct. I handled it."

"Remarkable."

"It was just doing my duty as a teacher."

A light exchange of questions and answers.

Words and more words.

But there was a subtle current flowing beneath.

"So, let me ask you."

Lloyd paused, and I thought the inevitable had arrived.

"Did you notice anything unusual about the werewolf?"

"Unusual? What do you mean?"

Yes, indeed. The Security Bureau had also noticed that the werewolf was connected to something.

But I didn't show any emotion on the outside.

No sign of surprise, no sign of certainty.

I maintained the same attitude as before, just responding to the guest.

"I'm not sure what you find unusual."

"The appearance of the werewolf in Seorun seemed unusual."

"The investigation revealed that the werewolf came from outside. It crawled in through the giant sewer connecting Seorun and Leatherberg