Became an Academy Self-Inflicted Blackmailer

19 – Suspicion (1)

“…… So, the entrance I found was not a proper passage in the first place.”

“Well, that’s how it is.”

At my affirmation, Beatrice’s eyebrows furrowed.

I thought that I had found the way to the demonic sword, but I realized that I was deceived. If it’s not unpleasant, that would be weird.

“Was permitting my admission an extension of that in the end? Knowing the number of targets, but rather digging a trap and waiting…….”

Then he muttered that.

“As expected, you are a sly woman, Tsumei.”

“…… hahahaha.”

However, from my point of view, there was no reaction that I could give back other than a pointless laugh at her words.

It’s not unusual for her to have a negative perception of Tsumei, but ironically, Tsumei has done nothing wrong in this matter.

Would it be more embarrassing to hear someone say something like a sneaky woman?

Apparently, Beatrice seems to think that Tsumei allowed her to enter the school, and that she implicitly induced her to find the most dangerous underground entrance…….

As far as the facts go, Tsumei doesn’t know why Beatrice entered the academy in the first place.

I didn’t even know that she had approached right in front of the entrance to the basement.

She simply said that a saint was going to be admitted this year and said, “Everything is going on.”

It was purely my bluffing when I said ‘Tsumei sees through all of you’, and it was rather me who should have bad feelings for Beatrice.

Because she was practically playing with her using her intelligence advantage.

Ah, of course I had no intention of saying that out loud.

Is there any chance of getting hit by a divine power punch?

‘It’s okay if I don’t get caught, I just need to stay undetected.’

I tried my best to clear my head in order to stay calm.

Well, if it’s not a holy power punch anyway, a petit breath will eventually take its place.

‘A slope on all sides, a dilemma.’

Whether you get caught by Tsumei or Beatrice. Either way, if it went well, it was an established fact that I would cling to that day.

I suddenly realized that what I was doing was quite dangerous.

Isn’t it just cheating on one side?

One side cheats on one side, and the other side cheats on the other side. Even I thought it was pretty bold.

How are you really doing this?

‘…… Hmm.’

I believe it will work out somehow. I will come up with a solution in the future.

I finished my thoughts with such a flimsy thought.

“…… Well, whatever.”

After lightly clearing my throat, I spoke to Beatrice to change the mood.

“The demonic sword is located at the far end of the underground space. First we have to get to the upper floor…….”

He pauses for a moment, then continues his explanation with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Actually, preparing the method is a bit tricky.”

“Tricky…… ?”

Beatrice tilted her head, and I immediately added a supplementary explanation.

“Yes. The laboratory I mentioned is located on the upper floor of the basement, and the demonic sword is sealed at the end of the depth. If we are not going to pass through the entrance the saintess discovered through ignorance, after all, we have to enter the research institute first.”

“Are there any special conditions required to enter that laboratory?”

“The name is one of the most secret spaces of the academy, and I can’t just let anyone in.”

I said with a smile, and Beatrice seemed calmly convinced.

Even if the significance of the large space in the basement of the academy wasn’t just the seal of the demonic sword, he probably thought that accessing it couldn’t be that simple as long as it was hidden from the public.

That guess was not wrong.

In fact, even in the upper floors, where the largest number of people come and go underground, entry itself is controlled unless it is a person who has been clearly verified.

Even though they found the entrance, it wasn’t a place where they could go in and out at will, so in a way, it wasn’t much different from the passage Beatrice found.

But.

‘There are gaps though.’

As I told Beatrice, the upper floors housed a research lab that was larger than the professors’ laboratory.

To put it another way, it means that professors and other researchers can cross the boundary between the ground and the underground relatively freely…….

Tsumei wouldn’t be supervising every one of those professors and researchers, who would be at least dozens of them.

If you’re looking for a loophole, that’s the part.

“After all, what we need to aim for is the ‘upper layer’. So, let’s do some impersonation.”

“Impersonation, you say?”

“Yes.”

At Beatrice’s question mixed with bewilderment, I calmly nodded.

“It is not uncommon for 4th year academy graduates to be called by the professor and taken to the research center by force. I intend to impersonate them and go underground confidently.”

“…… Are you serious?”

“I am serious.”

Beatrice put on an indescribable expression at my reply, which I gave back without delay. It was as if he was saying that there are all these guys.

But, no matter what anyone says, it was definitely an effective method. That can be said

“I am not claiming it recklessly. There is a mark given to students entering the basement.”

I said, patting my chest. In order to enter the underground as a student, there was one brooch that must be worn.

Should I call it a kind of pass?

“If you can get that, at least the upper floors will be free to roam around.”

It was an occasional, if not common, event, so at least there would be no suspicious glances from professors and researchers.

I explained that, and Beatrice immediately threw up a question.

“You said earlier that preparing it was a bit tricky, right? Then what are we supposed to do?”

It was a question I thought would come up.

I lined up the lines I had prepared without changing the color of my face.

“Well, no matter how hard it is, obtaining a pass to enter the underground is not going to be easy. You will have to suffer a little.”

Beatrice asked for further explanation with a wink, and I continued with a shrug.

“The mark is something that only a few full professors have. So, if possible, I should take it back……. I can’t pinpoint the location, so I have to be a little careful.”

“…… Hmm.”

At my words, Beatrice fell into agony with a short silence.

You seem to be carefully thinking about it, but the conclusion will probably come soon.

She knew there was no other way for her and that she would need the help of her insiders to access her demon sword.

And in this case, for her, I was the only ideal helper for her.

‘Well, even though I said it was tricky, I got the rough outline of her. As long as she has Beatrice’s help, getting the brooch itself isn’t that difficult.’

So Beatrice will have no choice but to accept my plan, even if she is reluctant.

“By the way.”

…… First of all, I thought so.

Until Beatrice glanced up at me with her innocently questioning eyes.

“The mark, after all, is something that professors can hand out to students at will, right?”

“…… Uh, yes.”

I was a bit taken aback by the unexpectedly timed question, but I nodded immediately anyway.

However, it was unavoidable to be a little flustered.

‘Why are you asking this?’

Should I say fortunate?

It was immediately clear why.

“Isn’t it given to you, isn’t that?”

“Yes?”

I reflexively and stupidly asked back.

It was because I couldn’t understand her words for a moment. Wasn’t it given to me?

Some professors have it, but how can I…….

‘…… No, wait.’

I couldn’t carry on with that thought.

Because there was a proposition that came to my mind before that, perhaps even taken for granted.

-I am very close with the dean. Would you say you’re close friends?

That was something I had once said to Beatrice, and it was a bluff that wasn’t even 1% true.

And at this point, Beatrice probably believed that bluff.

I hurriedly checked Beatrice’s expression.

“Even if there is a way to get it from your location. No, do you really need to take away what the professors have?”

She was glancing at me suspiciously.

“…… Come to think of it, I never asked before, you. What is your position within the academy?”

Those eyes went beyond doubt and began to contain a bit of suspicion.

The question she puts on her lips also suggests that she doubts the truth of what I said before her.

I had no choice but to hurriedly spit out the words out of a sense of regret.

“…… There is no specific position. At least in the academy, I’m just a student. The dean decided that.”

“… ….”

Despite my explanation, Beatrice’s questionable gaze was not removed.

She was still staring at me. Crookedly with her arms crossed.

I had to feel a chill run down my spine.

Something seems wrong.

Even if it wasn’t complete disbelief yet, the very fact that she started to doubt my words was the problem.

I kept my mouth shut.

I didn’t avert my gaze. If you do, you will be more suspicious.

“…… Well, good.”

It was then that Beatrice opened her mouth again.

“You need a sign to go down underground, I’ll just know that much for now. There is still time until the weekend, so let me know when your plans are clear.”

The expression on his face was so calm that he could not read his thoughts, but he seemed to want to move on without saying more about this matter.

With her meaningful eye smile, she rose from her seat.

“Then I’ll go first. Oh, don’t follow me. I have something to think about.”

After saying that to me who was about to get up, Beatrice quickly left the classroom.

Is it an exaggeration to say that the sudden action and change of tone seemed intentionally intended to upset me?

I couldn’t figure it out.

Feeling drained for some reason, I leaned back in my chair when Nick approached me and tapped me on the shoulder.

“Did you fight? You are suddenly leaving, saintess.”

It’s not like that.

“They say that a husband and wife fight is like cutting water with a knife. I don’t know what it is, but I’m rooting for our Jockey No. 1 Couple to not break up.”

It’s not like that, bastard…….

*****

Walking around the campus already crowded with students, Beatrice was lost in thought.

What comes to mind is the face of a boy with whom he had been talking until just before.

Dante. A person who is probably considered to be an aide to the Gold Dragon.

‘Something is strange.’

Beatrice had very little doubts in her mind.

What can I say?

There is no definitive evidence or conclusive circumstance, but should I say that there are still a few suspicious corners?

Somehow, there is an awkward part in the words and explanations. As if a hole had been drilled in the middle.

She didn’t seem to notice, but Beatrice sensed the subtle difference, albeit vaguely.

‘One of the dean’s closest aides says he can’t find a single mark that many professors have.’

What are you hiding?

Beatrice came up with a fundamental question.

Even if there is no evidence, something that can be known exists.

From Beatrice’s point of view, Dante was clearly hiding something.

The only thing unknown is the exact identity of that ‘hidden thing’.

‘I lied, or there was information intentionally taken out during the explanation.’

It was obvious that either way he was deceiving himself.

“Hmm.”

Beatrice let out a short snort.

It’s because, along with doubts, a shallow but clear interest began to bloom.

Her gaze briefly turned to the back.

Looking at the main building of the academy, where Class A’s classrooms are located.

It’s probably not wrong to say that Dante is Tsumei’s aide.

For Beatrice to feel, she wasn’t lying at least that much.

I was able to guess that Tsumei and Dante were intertwined with some kind of thread just by the sudden selection of the special case.

In addition to that, didn’t he even directly mention ‘Flugel’s demonic sword’?

It is an undeniable fact that Dante is familiar with Tsumei’s inner circumstances.

‘Moreover, he knew that my goal was to destroy the demonic sword. It would be right to judge that he knows not only the academy, but also the plans of the Holy Church to some extent.’

However, there was no need to overextend her suspicions.

It was just a matter of finding out what he was hiding from himself.

Beatrice looked away from her. Looking at the flowers on the campus in full bloom, she calmly continued her thoughts.

‘Maybe he’s simply trying to use me.’

With the illusion that the purpose of destroying the sword would be the same, he tried to induce the action as he wished.

There was a clear possibility that he approached for that purpose, revealed his identity, and dragged himself in to head underground.

Of course, it wasn’t a question she could know the answer to right away, so Beatrice wasn’t deep in thought.

I just think.

‘Come to think of it, was there a combat training tomorrow? Maybe it was sparring? As a team event.’

An opportunity came just in time.

It was a good first step in resolving this slowly emerging suspicion.

I don’t feel the ability.

Cannot detect signs of mana.

What if it wasn’t because her Dante level was higher than hers?

If it’s simply that the power he possesses is just weakness.

If that’s the case, that would be one more reason to add to the current suspicion.

“…… Good.”

Smile.

Beatrice laughed lightly.

First of all, I’ll punch Dante in tomorrow’s training.

Through that, you will be able to approach the truth he is hiding to some extent.

It was absolutely not violence to resolve selfishness.

‘This is, yes.’

It could be said that it was a kind of confirmation process that we had to go through.

No matter how much he tries to act against the will of the gold dragon, it does not guarantee that it is in line with Beatrice’s ultimate goal.

So let’s check it out.

First of all, whether he really has a certain level of power or not.

Because the fist knows the answer.