Chapter 46

I had a bad feeling, so I walked quickly, searching for Rox.

However, I couldn’t find him. I thought he might be attending class, but Strass’s inquiries revealed that he wasn’t even in the academy.

Then, where could he be?

I thought for a moment, but it had to be the city. I immediately headed for the town.

Still, I had no clues to work with.

As a result, I walked around the city for a long time but couldn’t find Rox and had to return.

The next day, after confirming Rox’s absence from the academy, I was about to head out into the city.

However, someone stopped me.

"Ah, Ms. Aoi! Are you going to look for Senior Rox?"

The person who emerged from the shadows was Shenli. I nodded at Shenli’s words and looked at the town.

"Yes. It seems he’s in the city, so I’m going to search for him."

After replying, I looked at Shenli, who is also a student.

"By the way, have you heard anything about where Rox is? I’ve heard he’s been going to the city a lot lately."

When I asked, Shenli nodded with a serious face.

"...Yes. Senior Rox seems to be in the North Market in the northern part of the city. There are also rumors that he’s running a bad shop there..."

"North Market?"

Tilting my head at the unfamiliar word, Shenli hurriedly added an explanation.

"The south side has many shops run by merchants, while the north side has a street called the North Market, where peddlers and non-merchants set up stalls. The area has a bit of a bad reputation, but some male students go there for a thrill..."

He answered hesitantly.

Well, it might feel like tattling and make him feel guilty. But if there are students who are going astray or engaging in dangerous activities, it’s the teacher’s job to step in.

"Thank you. It’s dangerous, so you should stay in the academy."

With that, I left the academy immediately.

Shenli looked like he wanted to say something but silently saw me off.

I hadn’t been to the north side of the city much, but it seemed quite different from the south side. While the south side had a bright and sophisticated atmosphere with many refined shops, the north side had a rougher feel. However, it wasn’t a dark and gloomy back alley; it was more like a bustling flea market or produce market.

I found it quite interesting, as I had always liked places like Chinatown.

However, some of the stall vendors didn’t look like ordinary people.

I recalled hearing that there were underground casinos on the other side of the city. This kind of neighborhood made sense.

I decided to try entering a back alley.

A narrow alley could be seen between the stalls. Unlike the lively main street, it was dim and deserted.

The narrow alley extended straight to the back, giving an eerie impression.

If there was a casino in this back alley, there must be some kind of lookout. I should be able to find it by walking around.

With that thought, I stepped into the back alley.

Just like the main street, the back alley was filled with a mix of various smells. However, the smells in the back alley were more damp and unpleasant.

Moreover, the ground was uneven, with some cobblestones missing or oddly sunken, and murky water had pooled in places, lacking cleanliness.

Still, I endured and continued walking, but the amount of trash scattered along the sides of the road gradually increased, and I reached my limit.

"...Flight"

I activated the flight magic. I floated up like a balloon with a cut string and quickly rose to a height above the buildings.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, the back alley was quite extensive. I needed to narrow down my search area.

Glancing around, I noticed a few large, three-story buildings in the back alley.

Why would such large buildings be needed if they weren’t facing the main street? They didn’t seem to house large families, so they were suspicious.

I decided to continue my search from the roof, looking down into the alley.

I discovered a corner where several people had gathered.

I landed quietly on the roof and listened. It was a bit chilly since I hadn’t dressed warmly, but I endured quietly.

Despite the sounds of the wind and the noise from the main street, I could still hear the voices from the alley.

It seemed that several people were arguing. All the voices were male.

"...Do you understand? If you lie to me, I can have you executed for insulting the royal family."

"N-no, I didn’t mean to... I’m not lying, but it’s hard to be suspected..."

"Hmm? Do you have a complaint? Who do you think I am? Speak up."

A haughty voice spat out in response to the hoarse male voice, but I recognized it.

I silently descended from the sky, glared at the frozen group, and approached my target.

"...Rox?"

When I called his name, Rox stepped back, sweating profusely.

"A-A-Aoi, Teacher...!? W-Why are you here...!?"

I pressed closer to the flustered Rox and looked up at him.

"I was looking for you, Rox."

I lowered my voice to convey my anger, but for some reason, Rox’s eyes welled up and he looked at me with a pained expression.

"...Looking for me? Aoi...?"

What’s going on?

I almost said it out loud but swallowed it.

"You shouldn’t be doing this."

I clearly warned him, and Rox’s eyes widened in surprise as he averted his gaze.

"T-That’s... You’re telling me not to do dangerous things... But, even so, why should a woman like you...?"

Rox seemed to be struggling with something.

Why should I do dangerous things? Does he think I’m going to join in the bullying?

I sighed and narrowed my eyes.

"Are you still using your royal authority to bully the weak?"

I gave him a cold look, and Rox was shocked.

"B-Bullying!? N-No! I’m doing what I should as a royal...!"

"Are you intimidating civilians as a royal?"

"No! This man is involved with the underground casino! A student at the academy got into debt from the casino, so I was investigating..."

Rox desperately tried to defend himself.

While the Fidic Academy is funded by the six major countries, it is under the jurisdiction of the Varted Kingdom. It makes sense that a royal of Varted would investigate criminal activities within his territory.

However, why not do it more openly? Looking around, I saw only two men with swords who seemed to be on Rox’s side. Whether they were mages or not was unclear, but their cautious stance and experienced eyes suggested they had a lot of practical experience.

Thinking about it, I realized Rox’s situation.

The magic academy has many students and faculty members from the royal families and nobility of various countries.

If it were to come out that there was a large-scale underground casino in the city, and students were getting into debt, it would be a stain on the Varted royal family.

So, Rox was acting secretly, trying to keep the rumors from spreading to other countries.

"...I see. Then, I’ll help you."

When I nodded and said this, Rox blinked and looked at me.

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