Having lost the Sultan’s favor, we were confined to the palace, and what followed proceeded swiftly. If the Sultan could have returned to being a father again, there might have been a chance for recovery. However, he collapsed. The strong man became unable to function in an instant.
The ones who seized that position were the Sultana and my half-brother who took the seat of the new Sulurta. Though he was the legitimate heir who had been alienated, he seized the Sultan’s position and inflicted terrible punishment upon us.
Recalling all of that, anger and pain bloomed again from deep within my stomach. It spread helplessly and tried to dominate me once more.
“What’s wrong?”
At that moment, Jin Chung’s voice allowed me to escape from the memory. I was lucky. If I had been consumed by emotions any further in this state, I would have rampaged like a madman.
This barrier Jin Chung created was safe from external intrusion. So even if I rampaged, the professors wouldn’t know, but still, other students could get hurt.
“It’s nothing. Rather than that……”
I stopped my train of thought and tried to turn my consciousness elsewhere. What entered my vision was Jin Chung’s getup. Being able to hide one’s gender until that age must be thanks to his ability. Of course, it was also possible because he was born with outstanding looks.
But at least in the barrier, there was no risk of being caught, so he could dress according to his true gender. Why on earth was Jin Chung dressed like that?
“How long are you going to keep up that getup?”
“What’s wrong with this appearance?”
The sight of him spinning in place and showing off his appearance was beautiful like a flower. However, I had no hobby of enjoying women’s clothing. Unless it reminded me of Mother, it was just disgusting.
Watching me recoil in disgust, Chung laughed pleasantly.
“Doesn’t it suit me?”
“Not at all.”
“This appearance is quite helpful for gathering people.”
“Don’t we not need to gather more forces?”
“Well, that’s true.”
In fact, Jin Chung’s organization didn’t have many students with great martial power. Talented individuals who had developed their abilities like me were rare. There were a few students who could handle weapons ordinarily, but since they had learned after meeting Chung, their skills weren’t exceptional.
However, their abilities weren’t important. Because Chung possessed the ability to overthrow this school single-handedly. If his purpose had been simply to destroy this school or escape in the first place, there would have been no reason to create this organization.
“But it’s not the right time to make a move. Besides, connections are better the more you have. Don’t we need to plan for when you ascend to the emperor’s throne too?”
“……That damned timing.”
If it were up to me, I would want to leave this school immediately. But Jin Chung kept telling me to wait for the right time.
In a way, even if Jin Chung hadn’t intended it, it was no different from having received his help. If Jin Chung had caused a disturbance before I came to this school, I wouldn’t have been able to come to this school. If that had happened, I would have lost my life without fail.
“Did you eat?”
At Chung’s question, I pulled out a crumpled sandwich package from my pocket. The already small sandwich looked even smaller on my hand. Jin Chung looked at it and smiled brightly.
“How cute.”
Without answering, I stuffed the sandwich into my mouth in one bite. The things that man provided were trivial, but they were one of the necessities. If I had originally been a weaker being, I would have been easily led……
As I was about to fall into such thoughts, the smile disappeared from Jin Chung’s face and doubt appeared. He was someone who never lost his neat smile in any situation. It was clearly an abnormal phenomenon.
“What’s going on?”
Starting with his murmur, sounds from outside the barrier began to be heard little by little. Since sound was normally completely blocked, the students also noticed the anomaly and listened outside.
The sounds flowing in on the wind were ominous. People’s screams and urgent footsteps. Some students even broke out in cold sweat, terrified by those sounds.
“Jin-nim, th-that……”
“It’s okay. Everyone, continue what you were doing.”
However, they all felt reassured by Jin Chung’s calm words and soon immersed themselves in their tasks. To them, Chung was already a more perfect leader than anyone else. If he gave the order to die right now, they would probably die without hesitation. In any case, he was a guy with incredible skills.
Following the commotion outside the barrier, people were running in one direction with shocked faces. I couldn’t help but be surprised to see not only students but even professors running. Because those who always valued appearances didn’t run unless there was a student escaping like me.
After exchanging glances with Jin Chung, we ran after the people.
Whether we were getting closer to the destination, the screams became more frequent and louder. The garden where people usually rested and where I labored. That place was crowded with people to the point where its usual appearance couldn’t be found.
“……Huh?”
And between them lay something that couldn’t be seen until now. A giant bronze cup ostentatiously placed at the garden’s entrance.
If it had been just that, there wouldn’t have been such a commotion. From that giant cup, much larger than a person, red blood overflowed and flowed onto the ground, and a human body was contained inside, cut into pieces. Moreover, words were boldly written in blood.
[Obtain the Holy Grail and seize victory, loser. The spider has the Holy Grail.]
“Kyaaaah!!”
A severed head rolled out from the cup with a thud. That head, miserably stained with blood, was a familiar face I had seen somewhere.
“P-Professor Ruto.”
A professor called out the name in a weak voice filled with fear. It must be the owner of the severed head. Only then did I realize that the deceased was one of this school’s professors.
At that moment, a subtle sense of exhilaration surged within me. Not sympathy or horror at someone’s death, but joy. The death of a perpetrator was always welcome. It seemed it wasn’t just me, as a distorted joy subtly settled on the students’ faces.
“What is that?!”
A professor shouted. Hundreds of sheets of paper were falling from the sky. The students and professors unknowingly picked up and read the white papers that fell like snow. I also picked one up and read it.
[Professors are also just human.]
Looking at other papers, they all had the same content written on them. Something was beginning.
Chapter 8 Connubium (1)
“Last time you seemed to have gotten lax, but this time it’s fine.”
Evening. Jay was submitting his report for his free time. The report he had submitted in a rush last time due to Persona’s error was a mess. Because of that, Jay was very tense today, and Vinoshu was sharper than usual.
“I apologize. Last time—”
“Kyaaaah!!”
Just as Jay was about to make an excuse to Vinoshu, a scream was heard from somewhere. Vinoshu couldn’t help but frown at that sound. Commotion in Connubium was something that couldn’t happen except when a student was escaping.
“What on earth is this……”
Before Vinoshu’s irritated words could finish, the scream was heard again. It even grew increasingly noisy. Jay had never seen Vinoshu this angry before.
“Tsk, what on earth has happened!”
Finally, Vinoshu was about to storm out, unable to contain her anger. The door burst open.
“Professor, Professor. Professor Vinoshu!!”
A professor drenched in sweat came running in noisily. It was a commotion of an entrance. Their usual elegance was nowhere to be found as they appeared completely disheveled, covered in sweat. That appearance was something that far crossed the line for Vinoshu, an eyesore itself.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Well…… well……!”
From their appearance, unable to even speak properly and rambling incoherently, it could be immediately known that something ominous had occurred. Jay carefully approached the flustered professor.
“What happened?”
“Ruto…… Professor Ruto……”
“Professor Ruto? Professor Ruto was just here earlier.”
Vinoshu spoke calmly, not knowing what had happened. Perhaps finding that frustrating, the professor couldn’t calm down and finally stamped their feet. They even thumped their chest.
Just before Vinoshu was about to shout at that frantic state, the professor finally managed to spit out the words.
“They’re dead!”
Even though Jay clearly heard it, he couldn’t understand. I too stopped thinking, shocked by the sudden event I hadn’t anticipated.
Accidental death? No, if it were an accidental death, there wouldn’t be this much commotion. It wouldn’t be death from illness either. Death from illness also wouldn’t cause this much disturbance. Above all, the professor who came to deliver the news was extremely terrified.
Then there was only one thing that could be expected. Murder.
“Dead? They were perfectly fine when they came to report just earlier—”
“Dead! I’m telling you they’re dead!”
The professor wasn’t in their right mind due to fear. They were shouting enough to cut off Vinoshu’s words, who was a senior professor managing them. Vinoshu was briefly flustered by the professor’s behavior but soon calmed down and passed them to leave the room. Jay and the other professor followed behind.
Perhaps because he hadn’t been there, Belly crawled out from somewhere and slipped right into the pocket. Jay anxiously kept stroking Belly with his finger.
The commotion outside didn’t subside. Rather, as they got closer to the garden, white papers fluttered from the sky, making it even more chaotic.
“Ha.”
Vinoshu read that paper and let out an empty laugh. In a situation she hadn’t thought of, she quickly arrived at the scene where the corpse was abandoned. Even Vinoshu was left speechless at the more terrible sight than expected.
But that was only for a moment. Thinking that she had to clean up this messy scene, she shouted loudly.
“Everyone return to the dormitories! Professors, control the students immediately!”
