chapter 27
27 – Infiltrating the professor’s office (2)
Basically, Beatrice and I have a common goal: access to the magic sword.
Although the reason is quite different, it is that we have to be together until the middle of the process.
Actually, Beatrice still thinks I turned my back on Tsumei to destroy the demonic sword…….
Things might get a bit complicated the moment you stand in front of the magic sword, but that was something to think about later.
Because the more important yard is whether or not you can properly break through the underground right now.
It’s been a while, but anyway, the first thing we need to get is a brooch.
The only way to enter the upper level of the basement as a student.
‘There are at most ten professors who have the authority to hand out marks… ….’
Even if there weren’t that many full professors, there was nothing I couldn’t get.
It’s not an honorable way, but what about it?
From a professor’s point of view, isn’t it a very important item?
I’m only borrowing it for a short time, and I’ll return it soon. Really.
After exchanging glances with her once with Beatrice, I handed her one go to her.
Beatrice had a slightly uneasy expression on her face, but she seemed to accept it without saying anything.
You should know better than anyone that there is nothing good about showing your bare face.
As soon as Beatrice put on her mask, I gestured to the second floor of the building.
Beatrice raised her eyes and confirmed her target again.
Now I couldn’t see his expression because of the mask, but I thought I could tell that it wasn’t a positive expression.
From the time I delivered the plan, he seemed disapproving.
‘Well, no matter what the cause, petty theft doesn’t change.’
But what if there is no other way?
Beatrice knows that too, so even though she shows disapproval, she will be willing to cooperate.
I nodded towards Beatrice one last time.
‘Let’s go.’
‘… ….’
Beatrice did not show any reaction.
He just wrapped his arms around my waist with a shallow sigh.
I chuckled and casually put my arm around her shoulder.
Because I couldn’t use my superpowers, I was just a normal person, nothing more, nothing less, so I needed her help in order to move quickly.
I think Beatrice would understand that too.
However, instinctively awkwardness is something that can’t be helped, so he must be frowning like this.
He had the momentum to kill people with just his eyes.
‘What are you doing or not going?’
Of course I didn’t care and shamelessly nodded my chin.
Beatrice’s eyes, revealed through the cracks in the mask, burned even more ferociously, but she probably knew.
If we waste time like this now, we will be the ones to lose.
“…… Ha.”
Finally letting out a second sigh, Beatrice kicked her to the ground.
To blame!
A small resounding noise.
But with that light step, we were able to leap one floor of the building in an instant.
It’s half-attached to the outer wall of the building, but it doesn’t matter.
I opened the window and threw myself straight inside.
After hesitating for a while, Beatrice also followed me inside.
Tak!
Closing the window again in case of any unforeseen incident, Beatrice lifted the mask and looked around.
“…… There really is no one.”
“You said so.”
I shrugged and replied calmly.
I made it my target after knowing there wouldn’t be anyone here, so there was nothing new about it.
A laboratory that seems to have been neglected for a long time because it is not popular.
It wasn’t a very large space. It’s because it’s worse than the dormitory for the students in the tower.
To say that it was a laboratory given to a person at the level of a full professor, the facilities were certainly not good.
Well, the reason must be that the owner of this room doesn’t like such a useless space in the first place.
Professor Chloe Jane.
He was the owner of this lab, and one of the key supporting characters who would teach magic to the current first year students.
She is a woman with a unique aspect unlike other professors. She is a person who uses a given laboratory as a storage room while neglecting it. So, she was a good target.
No matter how much she moved with Beatrice, it was almost impossible for Professor Chung to sneak into the lab where her eyes were open and steal something from her.
If possible, it is said that we should aim for a timing when there are no professors, but it was impossible to set the exact timing unless we were really familiar with the schedules of professors.
So the next best thing was to aim for a professor who doesn’t use a lab at all.
That was Professor Chloe.
To put it bluntly, the expression ‘geek’ would be very suitable.
She rarely uses her own lab. Is it only occasionally, perhaps two or three times a month, to keep something or find something?
Unfortunately, she is a professor who regards the laboratory located in the basement of the academy as her nest…….
For Beatrice and I, who wanted to head to the depths of the underground as safely as possible, her laboratory was an ideal empty house.
As a bonus, I could appeal to Beatrice that I was familiar with various inner circumstances of the academy, so there was no downside to this plan.
“I found it.”
“Oh really?”
Even more so, it didn’t take long to find the mark, which was the goal, so everything went smoothly.
I went straight to Beatrice’s short voice.
“A small rectangular gold brooch. It looks like you said. Is this right?”
Beatrice held out two small trinkets to me, and as soon as I confirmed their shape, I nodded her head.
“Right, you got it right. Where have you been?”
“…… They were just piled up in the corner of the desk?”
Saying that, Beatrice moved her gaze slightly to the side.
As I turned my head, I saw a desk cluttered with documents and objects of unknown use, just as she said, followed by several golden brooches piled up in the corner.
“Huh.”
I laughed out loud.
Certainly, Professor Chloe’s personality is her personality, so it’s not like I didn’t think about the possibility that she’d be thrown anywhere.
‘I really didn’t expect to throw it like that.’
I didn’t expect it to be placed in a box, but this is a bit much.
It’s a pretty important item no matter how you look at it. On an inside-the-academy basis.
‘Well, did it work out for me?’
I found it unexpectedly quickly, and the quantity was unexpectedly large.
I only needed two for Beatrice and I anyway, but if they were piled up that way, there was a high probability that they wouldn’t really care if one or two disappeared.
I looked around and immediately gestured to Beatrice.
I didn’t intend to spend too much time here anyway.
As much as I found it early, I just need to leave early.
Once you get a brooch, there is no reason to hesitate.
The upcoming weekend, we’ll move on to our next plan.
“Do you have anything more to take? Are you leaving right away?”
“Yes.”
I nodded at Beatrice’s words.
It is better to leave quickly than to stay longer and get caught up in useless work.
Professor Chloe, who leaves my lab empty for a long time, won’t suddenly appear when we visit…….
Still, there is what if.
I looked back at the entrance to the closed lab for the last time and clung to Beatrice once again.
“Okay then, let’s go. Please drive safely.”
“…… Tsk.”
Beatrice clicked her tongue openly, but said nothing more.
She opened her window and I felt the cool breeze and thought.
‘It’s much easier than expected.’
Of course, I didn’t expect anything to happen.
In the first place, they moved under the assumption that the professor would be away, and as much as they found the safest way, even if they wanted to cause problems, they couldn’t.
So this is, if I had to put it into detail, the flow within the assumption.
There is no reason to be nervous…….
“…… !”
It was then.
Evil-
Something sharp, perhaps sticky.
It was as if the wind in the form of a snake was sweeping us.
Me and Beatrice reacted right away, but unfortunately we were a step behind.
Beep!
Precisely, there was no meaning.
“What…… !”
Beatrice jerked her head away. It was an unpleasantly loud alarm that pierced my ears.
The sound was coming from behind, but the exact source could not be identified.
I shouted at Beatrice.
“Why are you standing there blankly, let’s go!”
“…… Ugh!”
Beatrice bit her lip and threw her body.
I moved outside through the open window, but rather that’s why I was able to grasp something.
As well as Beatrice, at that moment, I also caught a foreign scenery in my eyes.
A single red line connecting the edge of the window.
The identity was obvious from every angle.
A defense against intruders.
It was obvious without looking at what was caught on that solid line.
Unlike when we entered, the things we were holding when we left.
That’s why, originally, it should be in the laboratory.
Broch.
As expected, the golden brooch in Beatrice’s hand was shining needlessly bright.
“No, what… ….”
Beatrice’s lips were squeezed, and a ridiculous voice leaked out.
She might not have expected this situation even for herself, and there was a clear look of bewilderment in her eyes as she looked back at me.
“I haven’t heard of this! They said there would be no problem!”
“…… No, I didn’t expect this to happen either.”
“That’s a lame excuse…… !”
Beatrice gnashed her teeth as if on fire, but she still couldn’t help it.
What do you do when you really don’t know? I was also embarrassed.
‘Is it the alarm magic installed by Professor Chloe? Or on the academy side…… ?’
Anyway, the weight is concentrated on the electrons.
Still, since I’m a mage by name, no matter how indifferent I may be, I might have put a spell or two in my lab. It wasn’t strange.
It’s just unfortunate that I didn’t know.
It wasn’t a large-scale magic, nor was it a high-level spell that required a large amount of mana to be continuously invested, so Beatrice probably didn’t even notice it.
To blame!
The moment I landed on the ground, I was separated from Beatrice and I took care of the mask.
Obviously, something unexpected happened.
But, it’s okay.
So far, the problem isn’t that big.
People may flock to the loud alarm sound right away, but you just need to leave before that.
Professor Chloe won’t be around here anyway, and it would be burdensome even for a 7th Circle mage to individually cast a tracking spell on each item.
As long as I got out of the lab like this, I don’t have to worry about being chased.
Besides, I even wore a mask in preparation for such an unexpected situation, so unless I get caught really badly—.
Stop!
At that moment, Beatrice, who was about to move ahead, suddenly stopped.
“Billion.”
As much as I followed Beatrice without thinking about her, I had no choice but to bump into her.
“Why… ….”
I couldn’t bear to express my doubts any further.
Because it was only then that I noticed the sign of another person blocking the front.
There was a reason why Beatrice stopped.
“… ….”
The black hair that seems to contain the night sky flutters lightly in the wind.
On the contrary, those red eyes that didn’t show the slightest movement were reminiscent of the color of blood at first glance.
A sword perched on her waist, and the moment she confirmed us, a cold energy began to rise from the girl’s whole body.
“…… Mask… ….”
Sureung!
With a cool metallic sound, the black blade of the sword was exposed.
What is overlaid on top of that sword is a layer of sharp sword skill.
An aura in the form of a dark flame came out and aimed at Beatrice.
“What are you guys doing?”
We couldn’t answer.
It’s because I realized that the situation is the situation, and no matter what I say, it’s meaningless.
A blaring alarm and a suspicious mask trying to get as far away from the source of the commotion as possible.
It was even more strange if I wasn’t vigilant.
‘…… It’s embarrassing.’
I had no choice but to swallow dry saliva.
Because I knew who the opponent was.
Aside from her distinctive appearance, that dark red aura that swayed from her black sword made me guess her true identity.
‘What should I do with this?’
The moment she makes a suspicious move, she will immediately swing her sword.
I will be incapacitated by that blow without showing any response.
She had the ability to do that.
‘Aria Ten.’
The granddaughter of the swordsman.
Like Beatrice and me, this year’s special admissions students.
“Take off your mask and reveal your true identity. Unless you want to be cut.”
She stood in front of me and Beatrice.