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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Proof (4)
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The day after midterms ended.
Randel and I were walking through the streets of Adelit Village.
"That's the mansion."
Randel pointed to the most magnificent and opulent mansion in the center of the village and said.
"Alphons, I have no idea what that bastard is thinking. There are so many eyes watching."
"He must be that confident. Confident he can subdue you without a sound."
"..."
"Don't worry. I'm just as confident."
I meant it. No matter how strong the person Alphons brought was, it was blindingly obvious that their head would roll with a single swing of my sword.
"That's reassuring."
When I patted his shoulder and said that, Randel chuckled and started walking towards the mansion again.
The grand exterior of the mansion grew closer.
Suddenly detecting something amiss, I nudged Randel's forearm and asked.
"Senior, something feels off. Is this the right place?"
"It is. What feels off?"
"I smell a lot of blood. And it seems deserted."
It wasn't just a little off, it was very off. No faint aura could be felt from that mansion. As if the mansion itself had died.
"..."
Randel and I silently quickened our pace, and upon arriving at the mansion, we pushed open the large main gate.
What greeted us was a yard stained with blood.
"...First, let's close the gate."
"I suppose we should."
*Creak*, I closed the main gate and once again surveyed the gruesome scene in the yard.
'...Killed in one go.'
I knew instantly. The twenty or so people sprawled in the yard had been instantly killed by an explosion, without even knowing why.
"Do you know anyone among these people?"
"They all followed Alphons."
"...Let's go inside for now."
We passed through the yard and entered the mansion through an open door.
Again, a scene painted in red greeted us.
The carpet, walls, stairs, ceiling, and so on.
Everywhere visible was drenched in blood.
"Senior Randel, did you anticipate this kind of situation at all?"
"Not at all. You, junior?"
"I expected the Cult of Chaos bastards to be here... but I didn't expect them all to be dead."
I kicked the corpse of a man in a black robe and replied.
'What is this?'
Many questions arose from this unexpected situation.
Who killed these people?
If they were indeed killed, then why?
And who possesses the power to kill them all instantly?
Is that someone an ally?
As I was lost in thought, Randel's voice came from upstairs, where he was inspecting the mansion.
"...Camel."
Following the voice, I arrived at a bedroom on the second floor.
"...Tsk."
Upon entering the bedroom, I had to click my tongue and squeeze my eyes shut.
I had no choice. What met my gaze was an old man sprawled dead on the bed in a grotesque posture, and a woman's corpse with her eyes closed, a peaceful expression on her face.
Seeing the sight, I pondered for a moment and soon reached a conclusion.
'So that's what it was.'
The old man's corpse, with his limbs and vital parts severed, and the woman's corpse, not a single hair out of place.
The perpetrator of this gruesome death had mutilated Alphons' corpse to a horrific, utterly tragic degree. In contrast, the woman lying dead beside him hadn't a single scratch.
Realizing this, I finally understood the truth of the incident.
'Envy was here.'
Having come to that conclusion, I asked Randel.
"Senior, have you ever seen this woman before?"
"No, I have no interest in Alphons' private life... Wait."
Randel, who was about to answer my question, rubbed his eyes and peered intently at the woman's face again.
"Since you were active in the revolutionary organization, you must have seen her portrait at least once. She was a person of that much stature."
"..."
"Do you know who it is?"
"...Princess Celetina."
"That's right. The one who was reported missing 12 years ago."
"Incredible..."
"But that's just her face; it's not actually her."
I placed my hand on the woman's face and pinched her skin with my fingers.
*Rip.*
And then I peeled it off. A lifelike human skin mask peeled away, revealing a face marred by burns.
"Alphons, that vile old man, must have been indulging his lust for 12 years, believing this woman was truly Princess Celetina."
"...It's flawless."
"Of course it is."
I shook the human skin mask at the dumbfounded Randel and said.
"Because this... it's real."
"Real...? That means..."
"Yes. Princess Celetina was captured by those Cult of Chaos bastards 12 years ago. This human skin mask is one piece of evidence."
"So, to summarize..."
Randel, as if his mind was reeling, continued with difficulty, hand on his forehead.
"Those Cult of Chaos bastards gave this woman, with her skin overlaid, as a gift to Alphons, and this old man, whom I considered a leader, not only gladly accepted that gift but also indulged his lust for 12 years. Is that right?"
"Precisely."
"A disgusting tale. By the way, how do you know all this, junior?"
Randel narrowed his eyes and asked me, and I replied with a relaxed expression.
"Wouldn't it be stranger if I, who even knows where the demons awaken, didn't know this kind of information?"
"...It is strange, honestly. But strangely convincing. The princess... what a pity."
"There's no need to feel pity. Because Princess Celetina is still alive."
"What? Alive?"
Randel, who had been staring at the human skin mask in my hand, furrowed his brow with all his might and asked again.
"Yes. She's living quite well, even killing people quite effectively. Like this horny old geezer here..."
"Wait, if I'm to summarize..."
"It's simple. The princess, who is still alive, met this horny old geezer for some reason. But this old geezer was playing with a woman who had her face, like a toy. So she killed him."
"..."
"And that princess is now one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Sin of Envy."
"...!"
Hearing my last words, Randel seemed greatly shocked, his eyes wide as he covered his mouth.
"Let's move for now."
Realizing that Envy, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, had begun to move, I told Randel.
"I'll fabricate a suitable story about the situation here and inform the academy, so Senior, please handle the cleanup."
"Cleanup?"
"Look, the bastard who was the leader of the 'Wings of Freedom' is dead. So, as an executive, you should take charge of the 'Wings of Freedom'. Oh, but if possible..."
I continued, looking at Randel, whose expression was as rigid as a statue.
"It would be better to completely disband them. For you, Senior, and for the revolutionaries you care about."
"..."
"Well, I think I've helped as much as I can, so I'll be going first."
Having said that, I immediately started walking.
My destination was Dian's office, because I knew about Envy and Dian's past.
****
In Dian's office, Deren was staring intently at an old framed photograph on the desk.
A photo of young men and women in cadet uniforms, all with arms linked, smiling brightly.
"Those were the days."
As Deren muttered, Dian, who was sitting on the sofa, retorted with a sharp voice.
"Mort, I don't think it's for you, who used to follow that bastard like a dog, to speak so carelessly."
"Is that so... Haha."
At Dian's sharp tone, Deren gave a bitter laugh and turned away.
Dian seemed displeased even by that, raising his mana and glaring at Deren as if to kill him.
"Don't you dare laugh. It makes me want to kill you."
"Dian. That's enough."
Hilda, the principal, who was sitting opposite Dian, stopped him and asked Deren.
"Deren. Given the atmosphere, let's get straight to the point. So, what is the Empire's stance?"
"Observation."
"Hahaha, with a Sin crawling into the cradle of learning, and a child who is clearly destined to become an important figure in the world being targeted by the Cult of Chaos, 'observation'...?"
Hilda roughly stroked his beard and continued.
"How very amusing. So, Deren, what do you think about this?"
"Shall I speak frankly?"
"Speak."
"The Empire would likely maintain the same stance even if the world were to end. Because such individuals have all but swallowed the Empire whole."
"So there's no one to trust."
Deren spoke in a very serious tone, and Hilda hummed, stopping the gesture of stroking his beard.
Perhaps he didn't like that.
Dian muttered in an even sharper voice than before.
"We thought you were one of them, too."
"Perhaps I might have been. But not anymore."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means I won't clean up after a corrupted bastard, at least."
"How can we believe that? You've already..."
"Whether you believe it or not is your choice. But the reason I'm here now isn't to gain your trust, but to devise a plan for the current situation."
Deren, his expression suddenly contorted, tapped the stack of papers placed between Dian and Hilda with his finger.
Naturally, Dian and Hilda's gazes returned to the stack of papers.
----
-Two of the Seven Deadly Sins have been confirmed to have infiltrated Adenia.
-Their target is presumed to be Cadet Camel, who is believed to be the Vessel of Sin.
-Someone resembling the princess who disappeared 12 years ago was witnessed in Adelit Village.
-The Cult of Chaos...
-...As a result of investigating...
Reporter: Zikel van Petunia
---
As Dian and Hilda hummed and remained silent, given the grave content.
"Dian. Let me ask you something."
Deren asked Dian in a somber voice.
"Can you, with your own hands, kill a woman who was once our peer, who you once loved, who once loved you?"
"..."
"Just as Mort and I did in the past."
Dian remained silent, and Deren added his last words in a voice as dry as falling leaves.
"If you can't, then don't get involved. Don't get caught by Celetina, dragged away, and corrupted like someone else."
"...Hey."
Dian, with his head bowed deep, muttered in a voice as cold as ice.
"Do you think I'm some idiot who can't tell right from wrong, like you?"
"..."
"Excuse me, but may this old man offer an opinion?"
Perhaps unable to bear the increasingly cold atmosphere.
Hilda chuckled and said to Dian and Deren.
"Both of you, stop your nonsense and get moving."
Hilda twitched his eyebrow and said.
"Find that damned pair first. You damned youngsters."
****
Dian's office.
I was sitting opposite Dian, who, unlike his usual self, exuded a heavy atmosphere.
"Cadet Camel."
*Thud.*
Dian placed a stack of papers on the desk and said.
"Let's be honest with each other."
My gaze fell.
The contents written on the paper began to be read.