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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Mysterious Deaths (3)
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"Damn it!"
The funeral was simple.
Glomi had no family, so it was a modest funeral attended only by Sei-an's group and the merchant guild members who knew her, including Kalrro.
"What in the world happened?!"
After the funeral, Kanto returned home. His nerves frayed, he paced Glomi's room, muttering to himself.
The cause of her death was a heart attack. The Healer's opinion was that her already weakened body had suffered a strong shock, causing her heart to stop.
"..."
Sei-an also began to slowly examine the surroundings, wondering if there might be any clues about her death. However, he couldn't find anything particularly unusual.
"You said she lost consciousness after seeing a doll?"
"Yes, that's right."
Sei-an quietly asked Kalrro, who was sitting weakly in a corner.
According to Kalrro, Glomi had fainted yesterday after seeing a doll that had fallen in front of the office.
"I don't see any doll."
"Hmm?"
There was no object resembling a doll anywhere in the room.
At Sei-an's words, Kalrro also searched the room but couldn't find the doll anywhere.
"That's strange."
After laying the unconscious Glomi on the bed yesterday, he had seen the doll placed in a corner when he left the room.
Kalrro, who had thought he might have simply picked it up while distracted and hadn't thought much of it as he left, tilted his head in confusion when he couldn't find the doll now.
"Hmm."
Sei-an felt even more suspicious about the doll's disappearance and fell into deep thought for a moment.
"I think it's best we return to the Academy for now."
"Yes, that would be for the best."
A moment later, at Lark's words, who had been quietly standing in a corner of the room, Sei-an and Kanto both nodded in agreement.
Ultimately, after only confirming Glomi's death, Sei-an's group had to depart for the Academy with heavy hearts.
"If you happen to find that doll, could you please contact me?"
"I will."
Sei-an left a final request with Kalrro.
"Why the doll?"
Kanto looked at Sei-an's actions with a puzzled expression.
"There's something about it that bothers me."
Perhaps it was because he was a puppeteer himself. The fact that Glomi lost consciousness after seeing a doll kept nagging at him.
"Let's go."
"Alright."
And so, Sei-an's group left the house with heavy steps, heading towards the Academy.
***
"Um..."
Professor Mayhen, who had come to the Academy to replace Professor Joy, expelled due to the recent suicide commotion among scholarship students, couldn't hide her embarrassed expression.
"Haha! So?"
"What do you mean 'so'? Of course, I gave him a good punch with this fist."
"I found a new restaurant. Want to go there with me on a non-class day this week?"
"Sure."
Class had already begun, but no one was paying attention to her; they were all loudly chattering.
"Class has started..."
Being naturally timid and teaching her first class here, Professor Mayhen could barely utter a word, trembling with embarrassment.
Having been called a genius since childhood and studying at the Tower of Sages, she was only 21 years old this year, yet she had come here to teach students on Taylor's recommendation.
"What'd she say?"
"Dunno."
However, her young age proved to be a significant problem here. The students resented being taught by someone barely older than themselves.
Thus, the students deliberately ignored her words and continued to chatter loudly, even though class had started.
'Oh...'
Professor Mayhen bowed her head deeply, looking as if she were about to cry.
'That's why I said I wouldn't do it...'
She hadn't wanted to come here either. The current head of the Tower of Sages had asked Taylor to recommend her as a professor here, hoping to help her overcome her excessively reclusive and fearful nature.
"Pfft! Is she crying?"
"Heh!"
Meanwhile, at the sight of her bowing her head, the students in the classroom sneered even more, continuing their loud chatter.
*Creak!*
"…!"
"…!"
But the next moment, the classroom door suddenly opened, and someone stepped inside.
The students, whose gazes turned toward the door, froze in their chattering poses, their eyes widening in surprise.
"...Why is it so noisy in here?"
"Gah!"
"Eek!"
"Cough!"
It was Lark.
At his cold gaze and frigid tone, the students instantly straightened their disheveled postures and hastily opened their books.
"Our apologies. We are very late."
And following Lark, Sei-an and Kanto could also be seen entering the classroom.
Sei-an offered a slight bow to Professor Mayhen and apologized, then went with the other two to their usual seats at the very back by the window.
"Tsk."
Lark briefly glared at Sei-an, who sat down next to him, then simply lay down to sleep.
*Thwack!*
"…! Hey! Do you really want to die?"
But as Sei-an's hand lightly struck his head, Lark lifted his head again and shouted in an angry voice.
"Don't sleep."
"Now you're interfering with my sleep too?"
"You promised to attend class."
"Then you should have just dragged me straight to my room."
"Attending class means listening to the lesson. Not sleeping."
"...Damn it."
Lark glared at Sei-an, who wouldn't even let him sleep properly, with a rather chilling gaze. Not that Sei-an was one to be intimidated, of course.
'Good heavens.'
'Please don't make him angry, you jerk!'
But others were different.
With Lark's chilling aura, those who were already holding their breath silently cursed Sei-an for making the atmosphere even more tense.
"You can start the class now, Professor."
"Ah... yes."
In any case, with the arrival of Sei-an's group, the classroom quieted down. Mayhen quickly shed her dazed expression and began the lesson.
'Th-thank you.'
She thanked Sei-an and Lark inwardly.
***
*Creak!*
"Sei-an!"
As Sei-an was about to stand up after class, someone rushed into the classroom, calling his name. He looked at the person with a puzzled expression.
"...? Who?"
"That's Professor Tylson, who teaches swordsmanship."
"Ah."
The one who came for Sei-an was Professor Tylson, who taught aspiring Knights.
Sei-an, who had not yet taken any swordsmanship classes, only realized who he was after hearing Kanto's explanation from beside him.
"What is it, Professor?"
"You! What's your relationship with him? How do you know him?"
"Huh?"
Then, at Tylson's urgent words, spoken as if he were greatly surprised, Sei-an had to look at him with an even more bewildered expression.
He couldn't understand what he meant at all.
"Just follow me."
It seemed Tylson decided it would be faster to show him than to explain, so he grabbed Sei-an's hand and hurried off somewhere.
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
Kanto and the other students nearby also quickly followed them, wanting to know what was happening.
It made them even more curious as to why Tylson, who was usually emotionless and calm in all matters, was so agitated and had come to fetch Sei-an himself.
"I've brought him."
A moment later, Tylson arrived with Sei-an at the training ground where swords were practiced. Many people had already gathered there.
From students practicing swordsmanship to the sword instructors, everyone was out, watching someone.
"That person came looking for you."
Tylson, looking somewhat excited, spoke to Sei-an and led him towards the crowd.
"Oh?"
But as Sei-an walked there, he realized that the person everyone was watching was a familiar face.
"Jeron?"
"Sei-an."
It was Jeron of the Black Mercenary Group, standing there, smiling warmly as he looked at him.
"Jeron?"
"I've heard that name somewhere... Ah!"
"No way..."
"Jeron, of the Black Mercenary Group?"
"Gasp!"
At the name Jeron, the students who had followed Sei-an one by one began to look increasingly surprised.
Most people who wielded swords knew the name Jeron of the Black Mercenary Group.
Although mercenaries were often looked down upon by nobles and Knights, an S-rank mercenary could not be treated the same as an ordinary one.
Those with skills close to a Swordmaster were recognized as top-tier practitioners, to the point where even imperial and royal families could not treat them disrespectfully.
Even Knights stepped back and showed them respect.
Jeron of the Black Mercenary Group, in particular, was very famous not only for his skill but also for never failing a difficult request once it was in his hands.
'He knows Sei-an?'
But the fact that such a Jeron knew Sei-an made everyone present look at the two of them alternately with renewed surprise.
"How have you been?"
"I've been well. But what brings you here?"
"We should find somewhere more private first."
"Yes, let's do that."
Curious about why Jeron had suddenly come to see him, Sei-an quickly led him away to a less crowded area.
A short while later, they arrived at the garden that Sei-an's group frequently used.
