Vol. 1 - Ch. 12 - Only the corpse can know (2)

I don't think Arthur was this suspicious from the start.

Of course, it is true that I was surprised when Arthur suddenly appeared, but I was more worried about Theodore, who was with us.

It was precisely after the first meeting, when I entered Arthur's dorm, that I felt he was acting oddly.

"Shirley."

"Uh?"

"With strength like yours, would you be able to turn off the lights in the middle of the night and copy the bible?"

"The bible? Turn the lights off? I don't know about that, but I am sure of something."

"What is that?"

"You shouldn't even have anything to do with someone like that. Because they must be psycho."

Saying that, Shirley sincerely added that if it was easy to understand the presence of the enemy in the dark, writing shouldn't be too hard.

To me, the latter seems easier than the former, but I couldn't tell her that; she would think I was an idiot.

And I still haven't understood why Arthur lied to me.

-Please understand that even if it is dark, I don't want to show that I am awake at this moment.

This is what Arthur said yesterday, putting away the writing tools lying on his desk.

The first thing I felt odd about Arthur.

I always had the impression that Arthur Usher's room was darker than others. Dark silk curtains, darker floors, wooden desks, and shelves all in similar shades.

Wasn't it awkward to see those writing tools lined up in the dark?

Besides----

'There is a wall to organize all of it.'

It might have been because of the particularly irritating situation of having me in the room when we are close, but from what I noticed in the half-day, he seemed like an organized person.

Even if I looked away, I couldn't see a speck of dust where dust would normally accumulate, and during the short time in the shower, I cleaned my messy belongings.

It wasn't easy to understand why Arthur, with his meticulous nature, had things lined up on the desk.

"Uh, but this..."

Shirley, who noticed the altar where the blood was wiped off, looked closely at the corner of the altar, which looked darker because of the blood seeping into it, and then used the glove to touch it.

"Senior. Over here."

In the area that Shirley pointed to, there was a candle wax mountain where several candles were placed, sticking out like limestone in a cave.

At first, I couldn't tell what she was pointing at, but then, with closer inspection, I noticed at least not one but two drops of candle wax.

Because it felt odd.

"White candle wax."

The candles used for ceremonial purposes in most places are yellow beeswax candles. They are high-end ones that last longer and burn brighter but are difficult to come by.

On the other hand, the white candle wax that was on this yellow wax was of good quality, but it was made from whale oil.

Standard candles are made from pig or sheep fat, so they aren't bright.

The only candles that are bright enough are the white candle wax made of whale oil, and I have seen those amazing quality ones in Arthur's room.

'As expected, he fooled me and Theodore.'

We couldn't go to the extent of saying Arthur lied to us.

But I didn't say what I knew either. It was only after seeing the traces that I understood why the bitter scars left on the magic circle were there.

'I must have held the candle too close to the magic circle to check it.'

What remained on the chest was a burn mark from candle wax.

I didn't think it was strange because I was distracted by the magic circle, but now that I think about it, it feels clear.

 "Is something the matter?"

At that time, Enoch Clark, who had been watching us circle the altar, took a closer step, and I waved my hand to stop him.

"That-"

"Nothing."

"Uh? But Shirley Spencer-"

"Senior clearly said that nothing was wrong."

Shirley obviously didn't understand anything about what was happening to me, but she took my side regardless.

Enoch was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

"It is really nothing. I was just a bit surprised that there was more blood splashed than I remembered. But did you bring a mage in for the blood analysis?"

"Ah, no. We used a magical beast for it."

"Ah."

I recalled the various tests that were conducted during the beginning stages of admission to the academy to determine if any cadet had sent their proxy to enter.

This is because there are cases where kids were caught changing their grades by placing an excellent proxy in their place for the purpose of getting a diploma from the academy.

Upon admission, we had to submit a portrait, blood samples, and hair, and even our blood bones were confirmed before we were taken.

The blood submitted then was stored in the memory of the magical beast, which was raised by exposing it to magical power from infancy. Fortunately, thanks to that, it seemed like they found out the deceased cadet was Kale Ace.

"I get it. There is nothing more to check here. Can we move places now?"

Enoch got up without another word.

At the same time, he glanced towards the area beyond the altar, like he was concerned, but since his duty was to keep an eye on me, he didn't stay any longer than us.

"Senior, are you going to look for a body like this?"

"No, we probably won't find it."

"... Didn't you have something to believe in?"

"None."

Shirley, with an expression that asked why I wasted her time, slowly touched her forehead.

"Even the student council head, Machina doesn't think I'll find the body."

In the name of investigation, I was wearing a tag with reduced power and waving around my will to its heart's content.

However, even if my power was reduced and the fact that I was being watched didn't change, it would be difficult to erase the feeling of me playing how Machina wanted me to..

Instead, I made a different choice.

"Please tell the council head to hold a student trial right away."

Half a day later, in the evening, the academy's daily schedule was done.

Even when it was summer and the days were long, the chapel was crowded with the upper-level cadets as dusk began to set.

This was because an immediate student trial was put up at my request.

-Is this a real murder case?

-Senior Arma Cruz is...

-Is he such a person....

The defendant's place and the witness speaking table, which was temporarily prepared in the chapel, were placed opposite the judge's seat, where Machina sat alone.

It was a funny thing, but in this trial, the council head and the other professors, who had less power than the student council, were sitting a little far from the judge's seat with uncomfortable looks on their faces.

And from the angle they looked at us from the side, the places were tightly packed with cadets who could be jurors for the trial.

Cadets of various ages who were spending their time on this isolated island were in a state of excitement over the most horrible thing that could happen at this school.

"It doesn't seem like the investigation happened in a nice way."

Student council head Machina spoke in a whisper-like tone.

I found that tone quite disturbing.

That harmony felt like poison in a treasured box, or maybe a blade disguised to be blunt.

I gulped and looked at the corner of my eye.

'Shirley... Judith, Theodore and Arthur. Everyone is here.'

At least three people, excluding Arthur, would prove my innocence.

The moment I thought about it, my mind felt calm. If those three people weren't here, I would have gone through a greater mental pressure than just losing three allies.

I took a moment to think and then answered her question.

"No matter how I thought, there are a couple things that couldn't be resolved."

"So you want to proceed with the trial?"

Machina didn't give me an inch of space to speak my mind.

Her poker face, which never broke down from that angelic look, was all anyone would remember about her.

'I guess this is the end of it all.'

Like Machina, I disguised myself with a smile to avoid displaying my true feelings.

Right, both she and I are the same type of person.

That is why I felt like I had this idea of what she was trying to hide with that smile and what she wanted to reveal.

"From now-"

Machina raised her hand, and the noisy chapel went silent like cold water was poured down on them.

"The trial for the cadet begins."

The declaration was simple.

And my palms, which were fine till then, began to sweat in tension. I looked straight ahead ready to take on anything.

I tried not to fantasize about what awaits me.

"Then, defendant swear before the God that you aren't lying-"

"I am non-religious. I am the son of a merchant, and a merchant is one who weighs clear value. I swear here that I will not push myself by using the false scales."

A significant number of cadets in the chapel began to speak about it, like they were surprised at how I declared myself non-religious.

Did I pick a bad start?

However, I was convinced that lying and mentioning God's name wouldn't put me in a good situation as the case progresses, and I wanted to somehow shake Machina.

Machina is known to be a very devout believer in God Aegis, and she smiled not bothered at my oath.

"God will remember this oath."

All the trials that happen in the academy are significantly different from the trials outside.

No, to be precise, they are strange.

The existence of the student council and the presence of famous adults at this moment were all strange, but the strangest thing was Machina's calm attitude even when she was next to the once blood covered altar.

The pressure of being the student council president and the unknown role of judge didn't seem to bother her at all.

"But, where is the cadet who found me first?"

"He didn't appear because he requested protection."

I see.

This is the guy who confused the incident by saying he saw me in the dark, so Machina probably doesn't want him out.

Moreover, judging by how things looked, it didn't seem like she wanted to charge me for this case either.

And she soon spoke, like she didn't want to give me time to think.

"Then first. What did you do from yesterday afternoon until midnight when the incident happened?"

"I wasn't in my best state, so I stayed alone after leaving the morning theology lecture."

-As expected, the alibi...

-There was enough time to hide the body...

Someone's mumble broke the silence, creating the effect of throwing a stone in muddy water. The cadets in the jury box began to mumble too.

"After that, I kept waking up and falling asleep constantly in dreams for unknown reasons. There is no way to prove my alibi."

"Murderer!"

Shouted someone from the jury.

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