"... So, Ken Notis has the ability [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] and has not reported it to the academy?"

"Yes, and I believe he used that ability to frame Nozomu."

Irisdina and the others, and school officials including Jihad, face each other in the head instructor's office.

After Jihad finished asking about the truth of the rumors that had spread in this school two years ago and about the person who had brought down Nozomu Bountis, he gritted his teeth as he squeezed his beard.

[Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] itself is a very rare ability. Because of its rarity and ability, it was rarely shown, and Jihad and the others had subconsciously excluded it from their thoughts.

Actually, there is still no established means to directly detect the abilities possessed by an individual.

For example, Tima's [Four-Scale Concerto] can be inferred to some extent from her own magical aptitude, but Irisdina's [Immediate Deployment] can only be detected when it is used.

Until ten years ago, each country conducted its own research on abilities, but there was a limit to that. Not all people were capable of manifesting abilities, and the scale of research in a single country was limited.

With the completion of Arcazam ten years ago, it finally became possible for each country to conduct joint research and share information, but this did not mean that the number of people who could manifest abilities increased.

In addition, it was difficult to unify the will of each country, and it could not be said that sufficient results had been achieved.

"Ms. Inda, have you received any reports that the current holder of that ability has entered the academy or Gloaurum Institute?

"No, that has not been confirmed yet."

"If so, have you noticed any suspicious magical activity at any of the facilities around the school recently?"

"Please wait a moment, I'll check it out."

As he watched Inda leave the office, Jihad thought about what he had just heard about the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask].

That ability is particularly useful for espionage. It could help the user change shape, invade, and take information with it.

It was extremely difficult to identify someone who could use such an ability, and if they didn't use it, they were no different from normal people.

"She said she would check it out ... Do you have any records of such a thing?"

"Of course. This city has a lot of people coming in and out, and some people think of doing something bad. The school has strict security measures to catch and repel intruders. The school has many facilities for this purpose, though we have never publicly announced them."

Every day, a large number of adventurers, merchants, travelers, and government officials from various countries come and go in and out of Arcazam.

There were so many of them that it was difficult to identify each and every one of them as they entered and left the city.

And since we can't directly detect the abilities themselves, we have no choice but to take secondary measures to check the effect of activating abilities on the surroundings.

This was why the school had thoroughly fortified its defense against abilities suitable for espionage, such as [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask].

The security level was so high that it was almost morbid, especially at night when the students were away, the security system was like a fortress. Moreover, it is absolutely impossible to know from the outside that such a security system exists.

Even some teachers were assigned to specialize in repelling spies. In addition, the facility is equipped with the appropriate equipment and magic tools developed by the Gloaurum Institute.

Moreover, they do this in secret so as not to let the students know about it. This is also to prevent information from leaking out from such inexperienced students.

"I mean, are you sure it's okay to tell us about it?"

"It is already a well-known fact in many countries that the security on this place is much different than in the city. Also, there's no problem since you don't know the details... But, even so, I don't want you to talk about this conversation to the others so thoughtless."

Jihad nailed Mars with a jittery, sharp look in his eyes.

A chill of sweat ran down Mars' spine and he gulped.

"The alarm is turned off during the day because of the students, but if anyone tries to break into this place at night, the entire school will immediately detect it and soldiers will rush to the scene. Of course, Inda-sensei and I will be there as well."

No organization would think of sending spies if they knew that this man would come running. And not only Jihad but also the rest of the people with high ranking abilities.

Because such elite people gathered in such a place and because the most advanced magic technology was used, the center of Arcazam, including Solminati Academy, had become the most impenetrable fortress on the Arkmill Continent.

"Perhaps Ken Notis hid his abilities so well that he only used them to frame Nozomu Bountis. This school? is so well protected on the inside, but because of that, there are only limited things we can do on the outside."

On a continent where magic and Qi techniques were the backbones of society, there was a limit to what could be done without using magic and Qi.

The problem was that if the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] was not used, it would be impossible to know who the user was.

This ability caused water containing magic power to be applied to the user's body, and when used, it only released a weak amount of magic power, so if the ability was not used, it would be very difficult to recognize it.

If he had used it on the school grounds, they might have been able to recognize him in some way, but because he used it outside the school, where strict security was impossible to be implemented, Jihad and the school officials were unaware that he possessed [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask].

Although it was uncertain whether Ken himself knew about the security of the school or not.

While they were having such a conversation, Inda came back to the office while holding a stack of papers. The bundle of paper was probably the latest report given to the school.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. At midnight on the day of the crime, it was reported that a very faint magic reaction was detected in the men's dormitory. However, the dorm master confirmed that there was no shadow of a suspicious person..."

"The fact that there were no traces of a suspicious person means that the magic reaction is likely to be someone from the dormitory and has something to do with this case."

"Nozomu-kun can't even use magic~, so he's less likely to be the culprit~."

It's not completely proven that Nozomu wasn't the culprit, and at least there's a possibility that there are other real culprits, so they still need to continue the investigation.

"I see. For the time being, let's contact Mauzu-dono and talk about the possibility that there are other culprits."

Anyway,? it would be necessary to talk to Mauzu, the current captain of the guard, and let him know about this fact.

Hearing Jihad's words, Irisdina and the others expressed their relief.

The case wasn't completely resolved, but if the investigation proceeded with this, they may be able to prove Nozomu's innocence.

Jihad got up and went to the military police station where Nozomu was being held and interrogated then put his hand on the knob of the door.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the office and the door opened. A young woman appeared.

"Excuse me"

Jihad and everyone else's eyes widened at the beautiful woman who appeared in front of them.

Dressed in a black outfit reminiscent of mourning, the beautiful woman wore a gentle smile on her face and slowly walked into the office.

"Mekria-dono, we're in trouble. You came without any prior notice. We weren't ready to give you any hospitality."

"I apologize for the rudeness of my visit. I had an urgent business."

While showing a smiling face, her eyes narrowed, and a tense feeling filled the room.

"I'm here to ask you about the incident caused by the student of this school. Could you please explain?"

"That's still under investigation."

"I knew it, it was about that" Jihad thought so, gritting his teeth as he replied to Mekria's question without changing his expression.

However, Mekria smiled in mockery of Jihad's words, as if she already had some idea of what was going on.

"It's strange, I heard the culprit has already been captured?"

"There's a possibility that the captured student is not the real culprit. It's still too early to draw such conclusions. I'll let you know the result of the investigation."

Jihad was about to walk past Mekria, but she interrupted him with a natural, flowing movement.

"But I can't ignore this matter either. If a student of the continent's famous Solminati Academy has been involved in a scandal, I can't help but make sure of it."

With her hand on her elbow and her white fingers elegantly combing through her hair, Mekria further pressed Jihad for an answer.

The tone of her voice sounded like she was driven by a sense of fulfilling her mission. Every word she said indicated that she had no intention of letting Jihad go.

If Jihad showed any signs of weakness, it was as if she would cut his throat. It was a sense of intimidation that even made the others feel threatened.

"And you have read the letter from my Lord, have you not? Please give m a full explanation."

"As I explained earlier, we are still investigating this matter, so the details are still unclear. The student who was thought to be the culprit may not be the real culprit."

However, Jihad's stance did not change.

He did not avert his gaze from Mekria, who was closing in on him, and took the pressure head-on.

For a brief moment, their gazes collided in midair.

A strong sense of pressure dominated the office, and silence drifted in.

"This is Arcazam, so I don't need to explain everything to Mekria-dono. This is not the country of Foskia. I'm sure Mekria-dono fully understands the meaning of this, right?"

Arcazam is a neutral place that does not belong to any country. No matter how much power they have in their country, they cannot behave as they please in this city.

It was a covenant made when this city was founded, and it was a pledge that could not be violated by any means.

"... It can't be helped. I will wait for the results of the investigation to be announced by the school."

Mekria was well aware of that. She exhaled heavily as if to say, "I don't have a choice.", then she turned on her heel and walked out of the office.

"Then, I hope it will be resolved as soon as possible."

Mekria smiled, bowed, and disappeared behind the door. Her expression no longer showed the intimidation that she had shown earlier.

As soon as the door was closed, the heavy atmosphere that had filled the office dissipated.

"Now then, I have to go to the military police station and talk to Mauzu-dono."

"We'll go with you."

"Jihad-sensei, do you mind?"

Irisdina and the others approached Jihad, telling him to take them along to the military police station with him.

They must be worried about Nozomu, after all. Jihad decided that it would be better if they, who had detailed information, came with him, and he readily gave them permission.

"Yes, that would be better. Anri-sensei, please lead the way."

"I understand~! Then, everyone~, let's go~!"

Anri-sensei, with her slow-paced voice, became enthusiastic and left the office, accompanied by Irisdina and the others.

After Jihad was sure that they had left the room and the door was completely closed, he whispered something to Inda-sensei.

"Inda-dono, as you know, Mekria-dono seems to know that the culprit has been caught, but we don't know how much she knows about the truth."

"That's true. We don't know if she really has detailed information or if she was simply trying to get information by playing such a trick ..."

Regardless of the truth, as long as Mekria knew that a Solminati Academy student had been involved in a scandal, she would probably find a way to blame Jihad and the others.

They didn't know what actions Mekria would take in the future, but at least they wanted to avoid a situation that would give them a headache.

“I don't know what she's going to do, so I want you to keep an eye on Mekria-dono. There is a limit to how much we can do outside the academy, but we need to at least know where she's staying at and where she's been today."

"I understand. I'll carefully select a few of our people to keep an eye on her."

Nodding at Inda's response, Jihad cleared away the materials scattered on his desk, pulled a stack of papers from a shelf, and gave them to Inda.

"Have this ready for me. You'll probably need it."

"...... Understood. I'll get right on it."

Inda quickly looked over the stack of papers, nodded, and left the office at a fast pace.

After Jihad saw Inda off, he locked the office and headed out of the school to find out the truth behind this incident and to protect the school.

=================================

When Jihad and the others had finished talking in the office, Nozomu looked at Camilla, who had appeared in front of him without warning, with a startled expression.

"Why are you here...."

(Why did she come here? And why does she have such a sad expression on her face?)

All sorts of questions bubbled up in Nozomu's head, only to be squashed by other bubbles.

Camila opened her mouth with a self-deprecating smile, perhaps because she saw Nozomu who looked anxious.

"When I asked the military police officers about you, they were strangely tense, and they wouldn't let me see you unless I said I was your girlfriend ..."

Apparently, she told the military police officers that she had come to see Nozomu. She told them that she was Nozomu's lover while crying.

The trace of tears on her cheeks and the red swollen eyes clearly showed that she was not faking it and that she was really crying.

Camilla's continued to speak with a sad expression on her face to such dismayed Nozomu.

"Are you okay? Did they do something to you?"

"No, they didn't do anything violent towards me. It's just that their comrades were harmed and I had no alibi, so they wouldn't listen to me. When I was taken out of the interrogation room, I was only able to tell them the name of [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] ..."

"I see...."

There were no particular marks on Nozomu's body that looked like he had been beaten. His answers to her questions were also clear.

Camilla had been crying, but when she saw that Nozomu was safe, she felt relieved.

Camilla was smiling at the fact that he was safe. However, her smile was soon replaced by a sad expression, and the air began to feel heavy again.

"Did something happen?"

Puzzled, Nozomu asked Camilla what had happened.

Suddenly, Camilla bowed deeply towards Nozomu.

"Ca, Camilla?"

Nozomu was confused, not understanding what was going on.

He tried to ask her again, but Camilla's stiff cheeks peeking out from her hanging hair and her shrinking figure as if frightened made Nozomu hesitate to speak again.

There was no one else in the dungeon but Nozomu and Camilla, and she could only face her head down, unable to say anything, with her eyes downcast in regret.

The time between the two of them stood still was as if it were a painting on display.

As the time around them passed, Camilla slowly opened her mouth.

“........, orry..”

"Huh....?"

Just one word. Camilla's mouth moved slightly in response to the words she was trying to say. But the words she squeezed out from the inside of her throat were too small to reach Nozomu's ears.

But Nozomu could hear her trying to say, "I'm sorry."

Her trembling shoulders, her clenched lips, and her swollen eyes told him that this was not her usual behavior.

Nozomu was unable to think straight due to the sudden thing that happened in front of him, but he tried to open his mouth to say something.

However, her words were interrupted by Camilla's next voice, after she lifted her face.

"Wait here a minute. I'll tell the military police what happened and at least try to get you out of jail."

Camilla wiped away the traces of tears on her cheeks with the sleeve of her uniform and spoke with a determined look on her face that she would somehow persuade the military police to let Nozomu out of jail.

"Wait a minute ..."

"It's okay. When I came here, I got permission from the captain of the guard, and he looked like he was having some difficulty with his research. Probably it was because Nozomu told him about the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask], and when he looked into it, he realized that there was a possibility that the appearance of the culprit in the report might not be reliable. If I tell him that Ken is the holder of the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] and that he was trying to frame Nozomu, it would raise the possibility that another suspect emerges! Even if we can't clear their suspicions of you, there's still hope!"

Her voice strangely strained, she didn't wait for Nozomu's reply but turned on her heel as if she was in a hurry and tried to run.

"That's not needed"

However, Camilla's attempts to run were stopped by a loud voice that echoed through the dungeon.

In the entrance of the stairs leading to the underground where the voice came from, the captain of the guard, Mauzu, was standing there with a mysterious expression on his face.

Mauzu approached the jail where Nozomu was being held with a stern look on his face.

As Nozomu and Camilla stare at him in wonder, Mauzu reached into his pocket and used the key he had taken out to open the lock of the jail.

"Get out"

In a resentful tone of voice, Mauzu urged Nozomu to leave the jail.

"Umm, what is the meaning of this?"

“..Well, just as the young lady said, it is likely that another suspect has appeared."

Nozomu was not sure what was going on, but he figured that at least something had happened, so he followed Mauzu's instructions and left the jail.

As he passed through the doorway of the jail, a greater sense of freedom enveloped Nozomu than he had expected.

Nozomu stretched his back to loosen his stiff body. Although he was still underground, surrounded by stone walls, the feeling was incomparable when he was behind the iron bars.

"There's something we still have to talk about, so we can't just keep him in jail like this. However, you're still one of the suspects, so we have to keep an eye on you..."

Mauzu scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression.

He was probably feeling bad that he had assumed that Nozomu was the only suspect. However, since Nozomu's suspicions had not been completely cleared, he couldn't apologize honestly.

"... Anyway, let's just focus on solving this case for now."

Nozomu figured that Mauzu was probably caught between his position and his emotions, so he decided to put aside the fact that Mauzu had put him in jail for the time being.

"So, what are we going to do now?"

"We will talk about that now."

"Jihad-sensei, and also behind him are ...."

A calm voice echoed in response to Nozomu's question. When Nozomu and the others turned their attention back to the stairs, they saw a man in silver and white armor standing there.

Behind him, Nozomu could see the friends he wanted to meet.

"I'm sorry we are a little late. It took us a while to tell Jihad-sensei and the others about the situation and ask them to help us."

Irisdina and Shīna rushed towards Nozomu with worried expressions on their faces, while Mars, who shrugged, and Feo and the others, who were smiling wryly, walked after them.

"Well, I wasn't too worried, since it's you we're talking about."

"That's right. He's not in a dangerous situation compared to when we were in the forest, so I'm sure Nozomu can handle it, right?"

"Good grief. You're being unscrupulous, both of you ..."

"Could you guys say something more approriate~?"

And as soon as they confirmed that Nozomu was safe, Tima and Mimuru let out a bitter complaint to Mars and Feo, who had thrown unscrupulous words even before they arrived here.

Behind them were Tom, who was smiling bitterly, and Anri-sensei, who was jumping up and down, expressing joy with her whole body.

When they checked on Nozomu's condition, their reactions were different, but they all had the same relieved expressions on their faces. Seeing his friends, a smile returned to his face.

"Earlier, Shīna said that you guys told them about the truth, then ..."

"Yeah, we've told Jihad-sensei, Inda-sensei, and Mauzu-dono all about your feud with Ken, Lisa, and the others. And, of course, we also told them about the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask]."

According to Irisdina, Jihad and the others who knew what was going on came to the military police's office and explained the situation.

They shared the information with Mauzu, who investigated the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] and realized the possibility that there was another suspect besides Nozomu, and as a result, they decided to cooperate in order to uncover the truth behind this incident.

"That's what we're talking about. If this case gets any bigger than this, it will be.....”

"The school will cooperate in all aspects in this case. We can't overlook this situation."

There was a user of [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] in the school, and they were unaware of his existence.

Even though this ability itself is rare and there are no established means of detecting it, it would be very bad if they make another mistake like this incident. Just recently, they received a letter of intent from a troublesome person, and one of his subordinates was still staying in this city.

"But the question is, how do we check the man's abilities and identify him as the culprit?"

Mauzu stroked the stubble on his chin while pondering.

"[Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] can change a person's face and even their physique to be exactly the same as the target of the transformation. It is very difficult to detect the impostor just by looking at its appearance."

Inda flipped through a handful of documents and explained while stepping forward.

"But if we know it's an imposter, it's actually not that hard to spot the change. Therefore, I want all of you to carry this with you."

As she said this, Inda showed everyone a blue stone that could fit in the palm of her hand.

A deep blue color reminiscent of a clear lake. Nozomu felt as if he had seen it before.

"This is?"

"This is [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] that have been modified by the Gloaurum Institute and is known as [Transmuted Magic Stone]. It can be used to send a voice over a small distance by putting magic power into it."

Inda waved her hand after she said so, and the military police officers brought a large stone on a wooden platform.

The stone was the same deep blue color as the [Transmuted Magic Stone].

"This stone is made from a block of stone called a Curbstone, which is also the material for the [Communication Magic Stone] and the [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate]. Curbstones are stones with magical connections, and by applying magic to these huge curbstones, it is possible to exchange words between the curbs."

According to Inda, this [Transmutation Magic Stone] is still in the prototype stage, and even though the power output is low, if there are magicians supporting it, it seems to be possible to transmit voices in any direction of the city.

"Also, this magic stone turns red when it is filled with magic power, but it is a little too sensitive and changes slightly based on the surrounding magic elements. [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] covers the user's entire body with water filled with magic power, so if we get close to the suspect, the stone's color will change in response to that magic power."

"I see, so it could detect whether the other party used an ability or not.."

"Hee, That's a very well thought out~"

Mauzu and Feo, impressed by Inda's idea, nodded repeatedly in admiration. The bespectacled and intelligent teacher continued her words.

"And we will release Nozomu Bountis for lack of evidence. If the culprit is really Ken Notis, he will try to take some action after Nozomu has been released. We will come over to the scene and arrest him when the time comes."

“But isn't that dangerous? Our opponent is someone who belongs to rank A and he can change his appearance, it will be difficult to monitor him. Even if we come to the scene, how are we going to arrest him?"

Mauzu complained about Inda's suggestion.

Although the other party was a student, he was someone recognized by the academy as a swordsman worthy of an A rank.

When they were monitoring him, they had to be careful not to be detected, and when the suspect acted, they had to move quickly. This is the reason why Inda prepared the [Transmutation Magic Stone]. However, they cannot respond quickly without someone who can convey Ken's actions. However, currently, no one is suitable for this role.

It was impossible for military police offi to roam around the school, and it was unnatural for a teacher to be attached to one student at all times.

"I will do it."

A voice echoed and a hand was raised by a girl who hadn't spoken a word since Jihad and the others arrived.

Everyone in there looked surprised at the sudden suggestion.

Dressed in the same white uniform as Irisdina, she was a student who belongs to the highest class of the 3rd year in school.

She was indeed a close friend of Ken Notis, so her role was appropriate, but Inda and Mauzu hesitated, wondering if it was okay to leave the role to a student.

Jihad stared at Camilla as if trying to figure out her true intentions, and Camilla met Jihad's gaze head-on.

"I also want to do something about this case. No, I have to do something about it! Please, let me help with the investigation!"

However, Camilla did not back down. She straightened her back, bowed her head deeply, and begged clearly as if to convey her own determination with all her heart.

=========================================

After Nozomu was released from jail, the students were told by Jihad to return to their dormitories. He would probably be talking about the details with Mauzu and the others.

Nozomu and his friends went home early, but he stopped Camilla on the way home and walked with her to the outer edge of the city.

Inda and Mauzu were hesitant when Camilla announced that she was going to spy on Ken, but Jihad said, "Let's leave it to her," and they decided to trust her.

Irisdina and the others also expressed their desire to cooperate with Jihad in the investigation, but they were opposed by Inda and Mauzu.

It was understandable. Certainly, some guild requests were indeed about espionage and information gathering, but only adventurers who had earned the trust of the guild and had a solid track record could accept such requests. Irisdina and the others, who were still students, did not have that kind of track record or trust. That's why Camilla's case this time was special.

However, they were not willing to give up. They were determined to persuade Inda and Mauzu by fully promoting their own skills and magic, as well as the results of the requests they had completed so far.

Irisdina told them about the responsiveness of Immediate Deployment, while Shīna told them about the usefulness of large-scale magic, including spirit magic.

Tima showed her tremendous amount of magic power, Mars showed his information network in the commercial district where he lived, Mimuru showed her agility peculiar to a beastman, Feo showed his various skills, including his ability to use magic, and Tom showed his knowledge of alchemy, which was endorsed by Torgrain.

Both Inda and Mauzu were tense, and it was very strange to see adults being pressured by boys and girls and getting shaken.

In the end, recognizing their achievements and usefulness in their abilities, Jihad and the others gave them permission to pa-->>

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