Broken Possessors of Infinite Regression Academy

The Chairman, after hearing the plan, looked at me with a mix of concern and scrutiny, but ultimately accepted it as there didn’t seem to be a better option. The decisive factor was the belief that the Queen had already begun destroying evidence.

I went to find Priscilla and Rosalia, explained the plan to them, and with the Chairman leading the way, we stormed into Alexander’s quarters at dawn and apprehended them.

“What is the meaning of this, Chairman?”

As we expected, Nika’s capture had already prompted the Succubus Queen to take pre-emptive measures. He sat unnaturally quiet until he was securely bound, then erupted into a frenzy.

The dozens of nuns beside him were no different. They remained silent, obediently following their leader until they were restrained, then began to protest their innocence.

“Do you think the Starlight Sect will overlook this treatment? Chairman!”

“That will depend on who you are. So don’t act recklessly.”

But the Chairman remained firm. As Ingrid erected a magic barrier and, except for a few key personnel, sealed the area from intrusion, Jake thoroughly searched the carriage.

After a while, he returned empty-handed.

“There’s nothing in the carriage, Chairman.”

“Did you search properly?”

“Yes. We used detection spells with Professor Ingrid’s help, but… the only magical device we found was a temperature maintenance unit.”

While Jake and Ingrid found nothing, a new arrival appeared. An Imperial investigator and a high-ranking priest of the Order of Starlight, whom the Director had arranged to meet.

The Imperial investigator had come flying through the portal when he heard that the Order’s escort had been linked to the Succubus, and so had the high priest when he heard that the nominal saint’s escort, the Pope’s biological son, had been taken into custody for collaborating with the Succubus.

“What have I done to deserve this treatment! I’m innocent!”

“We have received solid evidence of your collaboration with the succubi. That would explain some of your behaviour at my academy, so I had no choice but to investigate.”

“I would never do such a thing! Even now, hundreds, thousands of nuns and priests are out on the front lines treating the wounded. How could I possibly ally with demons! How do you perceive me!”

He jumped up in apparent indignation upon hearing this, and the nuns collectively denied any wrongdoing.

The message seemed to have sunk in. As the investigation began again, with the magistrate and others leading the way, they searched the entire carriage once more, but they couldn’t find the magical device that the Chairman had mentioned.

Of course, it was to be expected. It would have been more difficult to believe that they hadn’t prepared in advance. Perhaps if we had stormed in right after capturing Nika, instead of waiting for a full twelve hours, it might have been different. But it was hard to imagine they hadn’t made some preparations.

“Look at that! I’m innocent! How dare you accuse me of colluding with demons!”

When it became clear that no evidence had been found, he became even more aggressive, openly mocking the Chairman and even resorting to informal speech. Knowing what would happen later, the Chairman calmly brushed off the taunts.

“Search all you want! I will make a formal complaint to the Empire about this incident!”

Why wait until the next morning to storm in and gather the remaining evidence, when it could have been done as soon as possible? To give them time to think they had fooled us by destroying all the evidence. They fell right into our trap.

Our goal was to kill Alexander, not to exterminate the Starlight Sect. If that were the case, we would have approached it differently. Of course, we will have to dismantle the sect at some point.

“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”

The Chairman chuckled. She never even entertained the thought of finding evidence from the beginning. It was our plan all along. It’s clear evidence to the point where they can’t even protest that it was manipulated.

To achieve that, the chairman left Alexander to be handled as the high priests wished.

He was moved to the room prepared by the church, had the knots tied by them, removed all surveillance spells, and allowed them to conduct the body search. We accepted almost all requests to avoid any unnecessary fuss later on.

You have to comply with their demands like that to avoid suspicion. Requesting the removal of surveillance spells was probably to discuss things internally, but there’s no point in discussing endlessly since it’s all futile anyway.

Jake and Ingrid opposed, saying they didn’t know what those people would do, but they quieted down at the chairman’s suggestion to leave it be.

“You requested a confrontation with Alexander, Miss Mira Crate.”

“That’s correct.”

I got the chance to confront that guy soon. This was the real beginning.

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you, you went in there with all the surveillance magic turned off and talked to him, and you’re the only one asking me why?”

Although the high priests hesitated and resisted when I plainly asked why  I couldn’t tell him, they eventually agreed. However, they thoroughly conducted a body search.

“Why are you patting me down?”

“Because you’re empty-handed. We don’t know what you’ll do if you sneak in there with something strange.”

The high priest’s tone was blunt, but he gave me a condescending glare. Perhaps he thought this was our last straw, otherwise he wouldn’t be so confident.

I met with Rosalia, who was already waiting in front of the room where Alexander was trapped. Rozalia, dressed in what was practically a holy robe, blushed slightly.

I angled myself so that they couldn’t see her from behind, feigning a bow. Rosaria clasped her hands together and pushed them to her lower chest slightly with her fingers as if to acknowledge my greeting.

Suddenly, a vial containing succubus pheromones flowed into my uniform sleeve. It was the safest way she claimed to pass the pheromones.

She seemed embarrassed but had come up with this plan regardless.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

As I discreetly tucked the warmed vial into my sleeve, Rosalia whispered softly.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?”

“I know it’s shameless for me to say this in a position where I asked for a favor. Don’t push yourself too hard. I know things have gotten complicated. If things don’t work out, you can just retreat so that  they can’t harm you, okay? Got it?”

“Yeah, got it. Don’t worry.”

“Since you said you had a plan, it should be fine, but… don’t get hurt. I’m asking you.”

I gave a reassuring answer and went inside. Rosalia didn’t catch on to the fact that I remained silent in response to her plea not to get hurt.

“Welcome, Mir Mira Crate.”

Alexander Linehart greeted me with a smirk-like expression.

“You’re lucky. No surveillance on topics of collaboration with demons, no surveillance spells, no magical restraints. It’s not a prison, just a comfortable room to relax in.”

“I didn’t collaborate, so naturally, I’m innocent. And yet, aren’t you tightly bound like this?”

“A little force and it’ll all come loose, you know?”

“Haha, I highly doubt that.”

He chuckled knowingly. As I took my seat, he relaxed even more, leaning back comfortably against the chair.

“I’m sorry to bring this up in such a situation, but why did you refuse the dinner invitation yesterday? You could have tasted various delicacies if you had come. They’re all raised for such occasions. Well, to be precise, they were raised by my father. He’s an excellent man.”

“I don’t need that kind of thing.”

“Haha, you’re good at lying. A sturdy guy like you should be interested in such things. Or perhaps elsewhere… Oops, pardon me. Just kidding. Just kidding.”

Unlike the time when he spoke to the chairman with disrespect, his demeanor towards me remained courteous. I chuckled and threw a question at him.

“Did the queen tell you to become friendly with me? to give me all this stuff so I’d think of you as a friend?”

He flinched slightly, his body trembling subtly. He must be struggling to maintain his composure.

“Haha. What are you talking about? I have no idea.”

“You know I already know about you being infatuated with succubi, so why not just admit it cleanly? It would be more comfortable for both of us. Isn’t that right?”

At my blunt question, his face regained its calm.

“I truly have no idea what you’re talking about. Didn’t I tell you? There’s no evidence that I collaborated with demons. Or did you bring proper evidence? If there was evidence, I should rightfully face the consequences. But there isn’t, right?”

‘He’s practically confessing with his own mouth.’

I smirked inwardly. If this statement had been recorded just now, the investigators would have had another reason to doubt him. It was such a foolish statement.

“If there was evidence, you’d face the consequences? If you were truly innocent, you’d argue that the evidence was manipulated. That evidence suddenly appearing, accusing you despite your innocence.”

In the end, saying such things meant that the destruction of evidence was over, and at the same time, it meant that he was confident he wouldn’t be caught.

“Since you seem unaware, let me tell you. There are two major misconceptions you’ve made.”

I rummaged inside my sleeve. He looked at my hand with a tense gaze.

“Firstly, if you wanted to live, you shouldn’t have been locked up in a room where soundproofing is perfect, with all surveillance tools and magic removed.”

A small vial protruded from my sleeve into my left hand. He froze at the sight of the pink mist contained within.

“Do you have any idea what this is?”

“Well… I’m not sure…”

“You don’t know. Really? Strange. You used it last night tough. It was meant to be used when you escorted Rosalia back, but you tried it out beforehand. Since you heard we were coming, you had to prepare it in advance, so you couldn’t use it for long, which was a shame, right?”

“…Are you just casually calling the candidate for saint by her name?”

“What about you? Seems like you don’t even remember what you did yesterday.”

I casually shook the vial.

“And secondly, I’m not going to find evidence. I’ll just make it. After all, dead people can’t speak, right?”

“…What did you say?”

“Why, couldn’t understand because it was a metaphor? Should I say it more bluntly?”

I stood up from my seat. The guy’s body slightly recoiled.

“I’m going to kill you right here.”