The Worldview Where Everyone is Destined to Die

Chapter 10: Witness in the Dark (2)

It was a dark room.

The sun was setting, but black things, such as the walnut wood table, the wallpaper, those books with black spines, and the portrait of the first president in a black suit, seemed to be absorbing the morning sunlight.

Just like the portrait of the gentleman, an elderly man in a black suit, who was the 9th president, took a long inhale of the cigarette.

The white smoke that was exhaled looked like a snake slithering into the dark room.

"In the end, the student council has taken the first step."

Snap!

The president, out of habit, hit the cigarette butt on the ashtray to knock off the ashes, but continued to bang on the ashtray as if he was distracted.

Then the middle-aged female professor sitting at the opposite table sighed.

"As always, I have no choice but to leave everything to you. When have you ever heard anything from those high-ranking young nobles?"

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Even after hearing those words, the president didn't calm down; he continued to tap the cigarette butts on the tray.

The other three professors gathered in the room with a frown, as if the situation felt annoying to them.

"Then..."

Then the youngest professor in the room, who looked too young to be a professor, spoke with a somber look.

"This is a murder case. Even though the Aegis Academy has extraterritorial power determined by the royal decree, within it, the student council is known to hold amazing power, and this is an independent investigation, but is this acceptable though?"

The sound of the ashtray being hit made the entire hall go quiet.

"<Acceptable> huh..."

The president mumbled like this felt cynical to him.

"Well, some things are acceptable."

It was an empty question. Because nothing felt acceptable.

The four adults sitting around the table ended their awkward meeting and went back to their places.

Did I think the world was too easy?

I looked down at the two handcuffs that bound my wrists--- more specifically, the ones to hold criminals.

"Are you saying I'm going to be detained like this?"

"Yes."

"There is no solid evidence though?"

"I apologize."

The only weapon I had, a gun, had already been taken away, and all the cadets around me were from the student council who were sure that I was the murderer.

"I am being imprisoned without going through any formal procedures."

"There is evidence and the situations too."

Anyways, it made no sense to arrest me without a trial. I wasn't even sure, but it seemed that the student council decided to use force on me.

Which was why I decided not to back down.

"I request relief."

A look of confusion flashed on the cadets face.

The relief is a Right to Request Relief from the student council president, Machina Christie, if a cadet of the academy commits any crime that could be tried for outside the academy.

"That... outside the academy-"

"The chapel is a religious institute. In other words, it cannot be part of the academy."

"..."

Finding legal loopholes wasn't my best suit, but I thought it was worth pushing on.

And that decision seemed to have worked.

Someone hurriedly approached and whispered something to the cadet who was in front of me, and he eventually nodded.

"Follow me."

Fortunately, he was heading to the main building of the Black Lily Hall, as if the exchange had been meaningful?

Did the policy of nurturing possible priests have an impact on the young cadets?

It felt a bit hard to believe, but even at this moment when the student council dragged a cadet who might be a criminal, the cadets of Black Lily Hall were calmly doing their training.

'I cannot get arrested like this.'

So out of habit, I tried checking for the gun on my chest, but after realizing that it had already been taken as evidence, I lowered my hands.

"This way."

The cadet holding the evidence bag led me with a swift movement.

The main building of the Black Lily Hall had a more solemn feel than a warm, cozy one, despite the sunlight coming in.

The first thing that caught my eye was the flower bed, which was filled with black lilies with a faint tinge of red, blooming as if they had been dotted with blood, probably a symbolism of its name.

And around it, the <Icon of Star Cross of the Great Being>, a sign of God made of wood, was decorated here and there.

---Praise loudly for the supreme sacrifice, praise...

In the Black Lily Hall, the hymn of Aegis, the creator god of sacrifice, whose name in the academy is <The Great One>, <The One who doesn't Sin>, and <The Supreme Victim>, rang out constantly.

It is said that Aegis was the most powerful and sacred mother who created the world by crouching on the sea and sacrificing herself to prevent the destruction that came from the <invincible>.

That is why the Black Lily Pavilion had busts of the creator god Aegis, stained glass that depicted her, sacred paintings, verses, and more scattered around.

'I never thought I would set foot in such a sacred place in this situation.'

Aegis religion, which believes in the creator god of sacrifice, is the state religion.

Therefore, most of the people here in Arcane Nation were Aegis, but the original merchant family of mine was, well, a non religious one.

Attending the Aegis Academy didn't mean one had to believe in the Aegis religion.

For example, Judith, an international student, believed in the official religion of her home nation.

However, no matter if I was religious or not, I didn't feel very good about stepping into a sacred place as a murder suspect wearing restraints.

"President Machina is waiting."

Since I applied for relief, the person I had to meet with was Machina Christie, the head of the student council and the student president of Aegis Academy.

I took heavy steps, thinking of the beautiful student council head who hadn't been seen in public since last year's hunting festival.

--Knock Knock.

When he knocked on the mahogany door that was so large and majestic, I was wondering how the student council even managed to clean it. I heard a clear voice saying 'Come in'.

--Creak....

No matter how well one manages it, wood has limitations.

It had to be sensitive to moisture since it was so enormous and amazing, and as the area expands, it will often make such sounds.

Ignoring the noise, I stood face to face with a beautiful woman who was sitting with her back to the huge window and looking at me for the first time in almost a year.

The door closed behind me and the cadets who were guarding me, followed.

"it has been a while, Arma Cruz."

"So long."

The first thing that caught my eye was the short silver hair trimmed near the neck and the silver ring decoration woven along the hair around the ears.

The eyes, shining brightly in the sunlight, were actually an ice blue color, which looked like they had been cut out from the most center part of a glacier, and the subtle mixture of colors was truly sacred.

Was this what the Great Mother Aegis, who made a sacred decision to prevent the destruction, looked like?

"I am-"

"You are."

The moment I was about to speak about how unfair my position was, Machina Christie opened her lips with a perfect timing.

"You have the right to appoint a lawyer, but the Royal Academy is extraterritorial."

This wasn't that shocking.

The Aegis Academy Student Council wasn't just for decoration.

Well, I nodded my head, trying not to get intimidated by Machina, who was just a year older than me.

"But applying for relief is a funny twist. Thanks to it, I get to greet you for the first time in a long time."

"... Isn't it illegal to put people in restraint without any kind of confirmation?"

"As there are witnesses who witnessed the scene, according to the principle, it is alright to arrest."

"There is no body as evidence"

"-For that very reason, there was also an opinion that the guilt should be decided through a trial."

Since I was a suspect wearing restraints, I was at a disadvantage from the start and had to work hard not to get caught in her words.

If there was no answer before the word of arrest came up, I would end up being judged by the council for an unfair situation.

"But--"

Machina's fingers, which had been tapping on the desk, stopped beating. And then she continued with a relaxed smile, as if to say,'Why don't you try making the excuse one more time?'

"Don't waste your time. Even if the body was not found, anyone who shed so much blood would have died. If someone deliberately hid the evidence, it wouldn't have been that easy."

As expected, the situation was going against me, and she continued to smile like she was going to hang me.

"So, I will give you two choices. Either we will retrieve the body or we will get you arrested."

"Is it possible for me to find out what the real culprit was planning by hiding the body? Is it true that you were properly informed of the situation at the time?"

"Which one first?"

Machina spread her three fingers to cut my words.

None of the three things she would even say would help me, but I decided to listen first.

"In the order they were delivered."

"First, Arma Cruz was infatuated with a cult and committed this."

"I am not religious."

"Ah."

Machina folded her hands with a fake smile, like she heard the most boring excuse she could.

"Second, Kale Ace was killed due to the confusion caused by your repeated drug abuse."

"Was it Kale Ace who died? Of the Silver Grail Class?"

"Third, Senior Arma cannot do that~"

It was three nights of having the strangest sleep.

If the truth of the case was narrowed down to the drug's side effects, which felt unfair, then I was the one at a disadvantage.

When I asked the question again to change the topic, she imitated someone in a very insincere tone.

'I guess Shirley came here...'

I might not be as great of a person as Shirley, but she always took good care of me.

Has it become a habit of hers to look after others? Rather, the people Shirley cared for included me, who was actually older than her.

On the other hand, Judith, unlike her dignified look, was dull.

"I want to make sure of one thing here."

"Yes, please feel free to confirm it."

Machina spoke as if she were giving me a chance, but in reality, it was right to consider this a last protest.

If I'm forced into a corner here, I'll be dancing the way the student council wants me to.

Will the murder case that occurred at the academy be revealed in my favor, or will it be close to the truth that they think? I felt skeptical of it.

A game designed to work against me.

It certainly wouldn't end here.

"The eyewitness, of course, and this question isn't for the confirmation of their identity. In any case, is the testimony of the witness valid?"

"Is this a trick question? I don't like it when things aren't asked straightforwardly."

"Yes, then let me make it clear. Machina Christie, do you know the location of the altar in the main chapel?"

"<Listen, my descendants, make a half square altar for me in front of the brightest and largest window.>"

What Machina just quoted now is a passage from the Aegis Temple.

Thanks to the mention of the brightest and largest window, the temple of Edith, the goddess of creation, was always built with an altar placed in front of the largest and brightest window.

The current quote was no different from Machina's answer that she knew the location of the altar.

"Machina Christie. Would you be able to recognize me in the middle of the night, with my back to the large stained glass window in front of the chapel?"

"... Hmm?"

"Is the testimony of the cadet who recognized my face against the light of the night, truly trustworthy?"

"Ah, indeed."

Machina slowly raised her hand and rested her chin.

A graceful curve was drawn over her rigid, sharp eyes.

Although it wasn't the right sentiment in this situation, she truly looked like an angel in the sacred paintings.

"That sounds right. I know the structure of the central chapel better than anyone else. Hahaha!"

What did I even say that made her laugh?

After that, Machina jumped up from her position and put her hand on the desk.

"I thought about how scared you must have been since you staggered your way away from the crime scene, but I guess that wasn't it."

"..."

I wasn't sure if she was complimenting or criticizing me.

As I closed my mouth without answering, Machina held her hand out.

'A handshake...?'

Making sure not to look any more suspicious, I extended my hand out. And her slender fingers, which were nothing like a warrior's, touched mine.

"Actually, three cadets, Shirley Spencer, Judith Taylor, and Theodore White, have informed us that they would be guarantors for Arma Cruz. In a situation where eyewitness' testimony lacks solid evidence, and with three people taking your side, we cannot continue to detain you."

"Sigh..."

I felt like I was losing strength.

If that is the case, it means that Machina said all the other things just to have fun.

I slowly shook her hand.

Although she was pale and thin, she had strong hands that didn't show even the slightest tremor.

"Then you are free for today. You will be a little busy for a while now, Arma Cruz."

It felt like I was putting myself in the mouth of a tiger. In any case, the immediate crisis was resolved.

If I am not arrested, then I have managed to avoid the worst situation.

"Even so, it isn't full freedom-"

"I realized it."

"Thank goodness. Well, then we'll meet in two days."

As soon as she said it, a crow flew up outside the window. The room suddenly turned dark as huge wings blocked the sun.

Machina Christie's smile, which never lost its shine, seemed like an unhappy prophecy of the future.