CH 39

Farewell

Around an hour has passed since Chris left.

After I gradually got used to the intense pain brought by the poison, I slowly started to make my way back to the boys’ dormitory.

“Don’t go back to the dormitory; use an inn.”

One of the men assigned to monitor me says.

It’s probably because it would be easier to monitor me at an inn. I don’t like the idea of accommodating them, but I have no choice but to comply.

“… You’ll have to pay for lodging.”

Unfortunately, I have no money at hand.

The man didn’t respond, but I took that as an acknowledgement.

Once we reached an inn in town, one of the men assigned to monitor me rents two rooms. It seems like the men plan on watching me in shifts; one of them would be in the same room as me, whereas the other one would rest in the other room.

“Is there any meaning in monitoring a person who’s about to die?”

“… That’s not something for me to decide.”

I see, he’s a loyal dog; the type that the Bureau likes to use.

Thinking that the past me used to be like this, I was deeply moved.

After entering the room assigned to me, one man moves to the adjacent room.

As I slowly undressed, the other assigned monitor called out to me.

“Don’t make any suspicious moves.”

“I’m just going to take a shower. Thanks to you guys, my body is burning hot.”

“… Keep the door open.”

“Don’t peek.”

The man clicks his tongue and backs away. I’m the one who wants to click his tongue here.

After I leave my undressed clothes on the bed, I head for the bathroom.

While feeling the water from the shower, I spoke to the man who was probably standing by the door.

“What do you do at the Bureau?”

“… It has nothing to do with you, bastard.”

“It’s just a normal chat… From your physique, are you a specialist in close-quarters combat?”

“So, what if I am?”

The man’s irritation was laid bare in his reply.

After moderately cooling my body, I turn off the water from the shower.

“Oi. Give me my clothes; they’re on the bed.”

“… You bastard, you’re the one who removed them here.”

“My clothes were soiled by my sweat, so I’ve decided to wash them here, while I’m at it.”

Again, I heard the man click his tongue.

After he picked up my clothes, I heard the man’s footsteps as he approached the bathroom.

The instant I saw half his body enter through the door—- I quickly closed the distance between us.

“Y-you bastard–”

The man tried to take a stance to fight back. But in his hands were the clothes I had removed.

He must have realized that his hands were occupied by now, so he tries to retreat in a hurry, but he’s a bit too slow.

“Gwah!?”

I strike his face with the heel of my palm.

The back of the man’s head crashes into the wall with great momentum.

“Someone who specializes in close-quarters combat shouldn’t hold anything other than a weapon in front of an enemy.”

The man collapses, sliding his back against the wall.

At that time, the door to the opens, revealing the other monitor.

“What’s going on!? What happened!?”

The man impatiently enters the room.

A blade created by <Fixation> extends from my fingertips and is thrust into the man’s outstretched arm.

“Guuh!?”

I slowly pull the blade of magic in front of me, dragging the man into the room.

As soon as I kicked the door shut, I pressed my palm against the mouth of the man, who let out a groan. From the movement of his throat, I confirmed that the man swallowed what was in his mouth.

“W-what did you make me drink!?”

“The poison you made me drink. I pretended to drink it and recovered it instead.”

After explaining, I leave the man.

“D-damn it!!”

With blood dripping from his arm, the man fumbled around, breaking in a cold sweat out of fear.

When he finally retrieved a clear bottle from the inside pocket of his military uniform– it was taken away.

“Wha!?”

“As I thought, you were carrying the antidote… Chris, even though you don’t trust me, it seems that you’ll still be in trouble if I die.”

They even made preparations just in case I was about to die.

It isn’t unheard of for a poison to act faster or slower than expected. It’s not a time bomb, so a person’s death can’t be controlled so easily.

“What I just made you drink was a stone I picked up outside… Die in peace.”

Now that I have the antidote in hand, I have no more use for this man. I kick his throat hard.

Since he had the medicine, it would have been faster to kill him from the start and then take it from him. Leaving the motionless man, I gulp down the antidote in the bottle.

“… Fighting naked paid off.”

My fever begins to steadily subside.

But I cannot wait until I completely recover. If these men were regularly contacting the Bureau, they would immediately notice something amiss.

After putting on my clothes, I place the two men on the bed and cover them in sheets before leaving the room.

Just in case, after confirming that no one else was watching me, I headed to the girls’ dormitory.

Going around to the back of the dormitory, I pick up a stone that was lying by my feet.

After escorting her for the past few days, I had a good idea of where Mize’s room was located. It was already late at night, but after the incident earlier this evening, she probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep as usual. Betting on the possibility that Mize was still awake, I throw the stone towards the window of her room.

The curtains opened, and beyond the window, I could see the figure of Mize in her nightgown.

I silently point towards the main street, and Mize nods with a meek expression.

A few minutes later, I met up with Mize in front of the girls’ dormitory.

“Tweight-san? — W-what’s wrong!? You’re sweating heavily…”

“… Don’t worry about it. It’s already been taken care of.”

Despite taking the antidote, the fever still persists.

Because I had gone from the inn to the dormitory, I was sweating considerably, but now was not the time to worry about it.

“We don’t have much time, so I’ll explain as concisely as possible.”

I whip my head around to rid myself of unnecessary thoughts, and briefly tell Mize what I heard from Chris.

“<Wisdom Road>… that kind of power, was within me…”

After listening to my explanation, Mize had a complicated expression on her face.

Though she was surprised… she was also convinced at the same time. Until now, Mize herself had been troubled by an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. Learning its true identity may have brought her some relief.

“Tweight-san, you are my ally, right?”

“That’s the plan. You may not trust me now, but–”

Mize shook her head faster than I could finish speaking.

“Like I’ve told you before: I trust you.”

After saying that, Mize looks directly at me.

“So, I beg of you. Somehow, please take me away from here!”

◆

“… We’re too late.”

Chris rushed to a room at an inn, and after seeing the two corpses hidden beneath the sheets, she muttered to herself.

These men were instructed to monitor 28 and contact Chris at regular intervals. It had already been approximately 1 hour since they stopped communicating. 28 had already fled somewhere.

As a precaution, as soon as regular contact ceased, agents were sent to the vicinity of the girls’ dormitory of the Bildarz Academy, but–

“It’s no use; we can’t find him.”

“… Take half the squad to survey the surrounding area. 28 might still be lurking around nearby. Make sure to frequently communicate with each other to report your status.”

“Roger that.”

After ending the transmission with her subordinates, Chris placed the [Communication Paper] in her pocket.

“28, I guess he ran away.”

Behind Chris, Oz says while looking around the room.

“Don’t treat it as someone else’s problem, 02. In the first place, you’re the one who allowed 28 to get away from the castle.”

“It can’t be helped… I never thought that 28 would act like that.”

Oz drops her gaze and says in the tone of a sulking child.

But when Oz eventually lifted her face, her eyes were filled with anger.

“I will take responsibility for this… I will definitely make 28 regret this!”

Author’s Note (Kakuyomu Version):

We are now at the turning point of the Second Arc.

If you like this work, I would appreciate it if you could set the ☆☆☆ at the bottom of the page to ★★★. It will motivate the author.

Thank you very much.

Author’s Note (Syosetu Version):

The Shadow Hero can fight even without pants.

{Omake}

A story I was going to put in but decided not to because it would ruin the mood.

The scene is after 28 escaped from the inn and headed to the girls’ dormitory.

Betting on the possibility that Mize was still awake, I throw the stone towards the window of her room.

The curtains opened, and beyond the window, I could see the figure of Mize in her nightgown.

I silently point towards the main street, and Mize nods with a meek expression– and undresses her clothes.

— Close the curtains.

Certainly, she can’t go outside in her nightgown, but if she’s going to change clothes, I’d like her to close the curtains.

No, is this… does she want to show me?

As a sign of her daily gratitude.

Then it would be rude to look away. I enjoy the sight of Mize’s half-nakedness bathed in the moonlight.

After a while, Mize finally notices my gaze, and closes the curtains with a bright-red face.

A few minutes later, I meet up with Mize in front of the girls’ dormitory.

“Why were you looking!! Why were you lookingg!?”

“I thought you wanted to show me.”

“Of course not!”