Vol. 1 - Ch. 6 - Stage Without Actors (3)

We ran along the dark forest road.

As a swordsman who trains in sword training day and night, Judith passed through the rough path with ease despite carrying a 180cm male who couldn't balance his body like me.

"So? What's next?"

Judith, with her hair all loose, perhaps because of her low-tied hair, asked in a calm tone that made it hard to believe she was running.

I briefly explained the plan I had during the short time I was alone.

"The place of the Crown of Thorns."

"If it is the Crown of Thorns, it is indeed the shortest distance we would need to take to cross the sea."

"Will it be tough?"

"Not at all."

Judith grinned so hard that her teeth were visible and she supported me to walk. We started from the chapel located in the center of the island and ran towards the deserted area to avoid the search.

Even though he wanted to go back to investigate, it made no sense to return to the chapel where the incident happened now that they are headed towards the Crown of Thorns Class. They didn't have any choice.

"They will think I am the culprit. They probably know I cannot cross the ocean alone, so I guess it should be fine for now."

"If they found out you were away from the dorms, they would quickly widen the scope of investigation even until the Crown of Thorns class."

"I am sorry... I wasn't aware of that."

"It's okay. A promise is a promise."

"..."

The oath of Judith, the promise to grant me any three requests, was effective even when this could cause huge damage to her reputation.

I was trying to recall the summer last year when I came back my senses.

Before I knew it, Judith and Theodore were carrying me and jumping over the fence surrounding the cliff.

-Tak, Tak.

There were three people who jumped, but the sound of footsteps stepping on the ground belonged to just one person.

Judith ran along the coastline where the cliff touched the sea, stepped on a rock which was barely enough to cover her toes, and climbed the cliff again.

Even though I was in a serious situation where I wasn't even fully aware of the situation, I spoke what came to my heart.

"I have a feeling of déjà vu"

"Do I drop him?"

Judith, with me at her side and Theodore running behind, climbed onto the backyard of the Crown of Thorns class with a calm look, as if she was taking a light walk, and rubbed her muddy hands.

The place where we got off was somewhere in the grass in the back garden, decorated like a labyrinth.

"And so, what happened?"

"That... I met Theodore in my dream? No, Shirley maybe? Probably Judith too."

"Theodore, you explain."

The more I talked slowly, the more I felt the medicine working and the more confused I got.

After arriving at the yard, Theodore adjusted his eye patch and briefly explained what had happened.

"I arrived at the chapel after getting a letter from Senior Arma Cruz, but there was a person leaning on the altar."

"And it was Arma?"

"Yes. At first, I didn't recognize who it was; I just assumed that since the sender of the letter was senior, he must be involved."

"And so?"

"I realized I was caught in a trap, but I couldn't pretend like I didn't notice him when he was down."

"And the situation at the time?"

"I could see the stained glass in front, and there was the senior passed out underneath, and all I remember is this smell of rusty iron in the chapel."

Judith began to piece together everything that Theodore told her.

Theodore continued to speak calmly without even raising his eyes at the upfront question of Judith.

"After getting closer to Senior Arma Cruz, I realized he was covered in blood. I thought that his condition was caused by the drugs, but the circumstances felt a bit too vague for me."

As I listened, I noticed that Theodore often said the honorific title of senior in the most awkward manner.

I thought it was strange and shook my head, but the explanation didn't stop when Judith was there.

"What do you mean by vague?"

"Most people, unless they are fairly new, know that senior Arma Cruz is an expert in shooting. Senior is the only one who uses the shooting range in his major classes."

As he said it, he glanced at my holster. It is true that I am the only one using the shooting range, but did it actually spread like that?

Theodore continued,"But what appeared to be a weapon wasn't just a gun. It was a blade. Killing someone by cutting them to the point where the blood splashes with a blade is very hard, unless they get the help of magic."

Theodore didn't seem to think that I, neither a warrior nor a mage, could kill a person using a sword, which wasn't my specialty.

Of course, the scene of the incident was in the middle of Aegis Academy.

All the cadets at the academy, not just the warriors wandering around the land, but even the Silver Grail class that majors in humanity, had qualities of mages no matter how big or small they were.

"It is clear that he got caught up in something weird, but the problem is that I don't know the intentions."

Judith nodded at Theodore's arrangement and held me back as I stumbled down.

Even though he was about to get involved in this ridiculous murder, this was the end of his reaction.

"Aren't you going to ask anything?"

In the end, I asked what Judith thought. When she heard it, she laughed out loud.

"You cannot kill people."

"..."

Those words truly overlapped with the dream of me murdering my friends, which had been tormenting me for days.

Judith carefully examined my face, perhaps thinking that my silence was due to the condition of my body.

Beautiful sea green eyes with a mix of cyan and blue. In my dreams, I shot a person with these eyes.

".....But, last summer."

It was Theodore who broke the silence.

Theodore would naturally be curious, as he was caught up in this unwanted incident and brought people over who were talking about what happened last summer.

While I hesitated, Judith spoke first.

"That was the time when Arma saved my life at a hunting festival."

"Judith is just giving too much credit to..."

The reason I managed to help her out that day was because of coincidence and luck, not because I had some grand intention.

Nevertheless, Judith has been waiting for a chance to repay me, from that day on. Although I refused, Judith didn't seem to care.

"I get it."

That was Theodore's question.

Like Judith, who ran out without even knowing what was happening, all for the sake of a promise. Theodore, too, had this generous side to him.

If it weren't for this situation, the two people seemed like those who would get along well with me, and I would want to spend time taking slow walks with them.

-Beep...

At that time, I heard something, close to a whistle.

It was clear that the search team should finally expand their search area. Although I succeeded in escaping until now, I had no options from here.

'I need to send Judith back quickly and get an alibi for Theodore.'

I was glad I had made a plan in advance.

Moreover, the dizziness that I had was slowly subsiding now, and other than mild nausea, there was no other major problem with my body.

"Judith, I am sorry but-"

I was about to tell her the plan I had in mind, but she lowered herself.

"Come out."

In an instant, the entire air turned cold. And there was this pressure that even I, a none-mage, could feel.

I couldn't tell if it was Judith's anger or the person in the dark. But after a while, someone hiding in the maze garden revealed their presence.

"... Theo, what is happening here?"

The name of the muscular man with black hair and gray eyes was, Arthur Usher.

"Arthur."

Theodore addressed the man in a low tone.

Arthur Usher, whose name was called, glanced at me and Judith, and unlike before, when he hid himself, he was taking good strides and coming towards us.

His wet bangs were all messy, as if he came out of the shower.

"Are you in some trouble?"

If words could have shapes, then I promise the words of Arthur would be like blades. I felt like making an excuse, but I stopped myself.

The person who should prove his innocence here is Arthur.

Unlike Judith and I, who were looking, Theodore got up and approached him.

"I think someone died today."

"... a person? who?"

"I don't know the details."

Unlike when he was with us, Theodore spoke even less with Arthur.

Perhaps Theodore was overexerting himself to reassure me and Judith. This is because Theodore, who I was watching for this long, had this expressionless face like a ghost and spoke less.

"You are the criminal?"

"It is a false accusation."

"Sure of it?"

It was a strange question to be asked, but Theodore was confirming my side, and I did get caught in a murder case.

Although it was unfair, it wasn't a situation where I could speak or shout. Theodore nodded slightly and, like me, added 'false accusation.'

"-I believe because you say it."

Arthur still glanced at me like he didn't like us. Those cold eyes only stimulated Judith who wasn't letting her guard down.

I held Judith, who was touching her waist with a smile, and stood up taking her as support.

"It isn't my intention, but it is shameful for me to get caught like this."

I said, to avoid being glared at by Arthur.

The reason I couldn't look at him directly wasn't some personal reason, but simply because I saw Arthur in the dream last night.

Although he looked this cold now, he had this expression which held some emotion, but it wasn't like that in the dream.

Did his heart sink at the sight, as if the word despair took the form of a human?

'As expected, it is all too strange...'

But the strangest was the feeling of connection to the three people here.

The expression Arthur had, wariness and disbelief and Judith blocking my path. And even though it wasn't evident from the face, Theodore White's habit of carefully observing the situation...

Strangely enough, I felt relieved by all this.

But that didn't seem to be the case with Arthur Usher.

"Just turn yourself in, right now."

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