Chapter 25: Evidence
Tonight, if possible, I’d like to have dinner with Jun, Neese, and Sanner, the people I met yesterday. So, I want to finish my business with Diva-sensei quickly and return to the dormitory. With that in mind, I hurried toward the chapel.
When I reached the chapel, guards standing at attention, like sentinels, guarded the door, creating an imposing atmosphere.
What on earth could have happened? Has something occurred that requires the chapel to be guarded?
As I thought that, I approached the door and spoke to one of the guards.
“Um… I was told by Diva-sensei to report here. May I go inside?”
“I understand. Please, go ahead.”
The guard, acting courteously, opened the door for me. Though I found it odd that they let me through without any inspection despite standing guard, I bowed my head to the guard and proceeded into the chapel.
Inside the chapel, another guard was stationed in front of the door that led to Diva-sensei’s office. Maybe yesterday’s relaxed security was unusual, and today’s is the standard.
I walked to the door beside the altar and repeated the same interaction with the guard as I had at the entrance of the chapel.
“Please, proceed.”
With this level of security, I almost felt like I wasn’t going to see my teacher but rather an audience with the king. Though, considering Diva-sensei often had a stern expression, it felt more like I was going to meet a demon king…
Once I passed through the chapel’s door, I found a corridor leading to Diva-sensei’s office. As expected, there was another guard here. In fact, the one stationed before the door to Diva-sensei’s office seemed to be of a higher rank than the previous guards. I wondered what on earth Diva-sensei had done to warrant such security, and whether I’d even be allowed to enter the office.
As I approached the entrance to Diva-sensei’s room, a soldier clad in silver armor glanced in my direction.
“What business do you have here, young lady?”
The man speaking was older than the previous guard. Though he called me “young lady,” his sharp eyes showed no signs of laxity—he was all business.
“Um, Diva-sensei told me to report after class. If they’re busy, should I come back later?”
“Hm, no, you may enter.”
With that, he stepped aside and made way for me. I knocked on the door.
“Diva-sensei, it’s Rachel. I’ve come to report regarding the matter of the spirit. May I enter?”
I called out from the other side of the door, and after a brief rustle, a voice came from within.
“I grant you permission to enter.”
Upon receiving permission, I opened the door and stepped inside. To my surprise, another guard stood right next to the entrance, identical to the one who had been outside. Turning my attention forward, I saw that, just like last time, there was a chair near the door, and Diva-sensei’s desk was by the window. Between us, the same reception set was arranged. Everything was as it had been before.
However, unlike last time, there were guards behind me near the door, and in front of Diva-sensei’s desk. These guards seemed to be of a higher rank than those stationed outside the chapel or by the altar. In fact, they looked more like knights than mere guards.
“First, take a seat in that chair.”
Diva-sensei commanded, his face stern as usual, with his monocle perched on his eye. I obediently sat down as instructed.
“Now, regarding the spirit, the matter at hand—you’ve brought it with you, haven’t you?”
“Yes, Leaf, could you come out, please?”
At my call, Leaf emerged from my hair.
“What is it, Rachel? Are you introducing me to a new friend?”
Her words left me at a loss. Leaf often brought out my more childish side, and I almost responded, ‘Yes, a new friend!’ But given that the people in the room were a stern-faced Diva-sensei and imposing knights, calling him a “friend” seemed like it might earn me a scolding.
“No, there’s someone here who wants to learn more about you, and I’d like to introduce you.”
“So, you’re the spirit who’s Rachel’s friend?”
Diva-sensei interjected.
“Yep, that’s right! I’m Leaf.”
Leaf, unfazed by Diva-sensei’s stern expression, flapped her wings cheerfully as she responded.
“I am Diva Cole Regrias, a teacher at this academy. I have some questions I’d like to ask you. Would you mind coming over here?”
“Sure!”
At Diva-sensei’s request, Leaf happily chirped and fluttered over to him, landing on the desk in front of him. It’s good that she’s so cooperative, but she’s definitely not shy enough around strangers.
“Hmm, according to the rumors, you’re a spirit that dwells in trees. Is that correct?”
“Yep, that’s right! I used to live in a tree at Rachel’s house, but after it got cut down, I moved into the sapling in her room.”
“To cut down a tree where a spirit resides… how sacrilegious…”
At Leaf’s words, Diva-sensei’s brow furrowed deeply in frustration.
“I deeply apologize! The tree was cut down without knowing it was home to a spirit. Once I realized, I’ve been raising the sapling myself.”
Since I hadn’t spoken about Leaf to anyone until now, I didn’t know how spirits were treated in this country. However, judging by Diva-sensei’s reaction, they are clearly regarded with great care. It even seems like cutting down a spirit’s tree might be considered a crime, so I made sure to defend my family just in case.
“I see. If the tree was felled unknowingly, it cannot be helped. But make sure to check more carefully in the future before cutting down any trees.”
“Yes… I will deeply reflect on this…”
I felt like a parent being scolded by a stranger for raising their child the wrong way.
“Now, regarding the treatment of spirits within the academy, there are no strict regulations. You are free to take the spirit with you wherever you go.”
His words brought me a small sense of relief.
“However, using a spirit to spy on others’ lives or follow them around is strictly prohibited.”
Ah, I see. That kind of use is possible too, isn’t it?
“And what we’re most concerned about, especially in the academy, is during the ‘Midterm Examinations.’ During this period, we do not rely on individual conscience, and the academy enforces strict regulations.”
Diva-sensei took out a brass bell-shaped birdcage from beneath his desk.
“As a precaution, to prevent cheating or spying during the ‘Midterm Examinations,’ the academy collects all spirits and familiars that could potentially aid students. I asked you to bring Leaf today so that we can test how well this containment system works.”
I see. With Leaf, something like that would definitely be possible. Given what he mentioned about spying and now about cheating, the academy’s measures seem quite reasonable.
“Now then, Leaf, would you mind stepping into this cage?”
“Sure!”
Without any hesitation, Leaf fluttered right into the cage when the door was opened. Isn’t she being a little too cooperative?
“How is it? Can you get out?”
“Hm, nope!”
Leaf touched the bars lightly before answering. Although it looked like an ordinary brass birdcage, there must be some kind of magical mechanism at work. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if simply relying on Leaf’s word was enough to verify its effectiveness.
“Alright. The actual ‘Midterm Examinations’ last for three days. Will you be okay during that time?”
“Three days?! The metal floor is cold, and there’s no place to sleep!”
“I understand. I’ll see to it that improvements are made before it’s put to use.”
It was nerve-wracking watching someone like Diva-sensei being begged for such requests.
Just then, a person who seemed to be a military officer appeared from a different entrance and whispered something into Diva-sensei’s ear.
“I see… It was our oversight not to prepare a warrant in advance… However, this is merely a precautionary measure, so there’s no need to worry.”
Diva-sensei whispered back to the officer, briefly glancing at me. Then, without a word, he calmly locked the cage with Leaf still inside.
“Now then…”
Diva-sensei turned his attention back to me. In that moment, the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift.
“Shall we get to the real reason you’re here?”
He said this as she took a knife from one of his desk drawers and placed it on the desk for me to see.
“This knife was in the possession of a certain young lady who was brought to the chapel yesterday.”
I struggled to keep my shoulders from twitching at her words, but my heartbeat sped up rapidly, approaching its limit.
“And this is the textbook you exchanged with me recently—the one whose cover was slashed.”
Diva-sensei pulled out my textbook, its cover still slashed, and placed it on the desk beside the knife.
‘I’m still okay! He hasn’t found out! There’s no way there’s any evidence that connects that knife to the textbook!’
I tried reassuring myself, but my heartbeat continued to race, and I could feel beads of cold sweat beginning to form on my forehead.
“At first glance, this may seem like an ordinary knife, but if you look closely, you’ll see that the tip of the blade is chipped, perhaps from improper use.”
Diva-sensei raised the knife for me to see. It was too fine for me to make out anything from where I sat. What was he about to say? I swallowed hard, waiting anxiously.
“And if you take a close look at the slashed cover of your textbook…”
He carefully scraped the edge of the torn cover with his nail, and a tiny glint of metal fell out.
He picked it up with a pair of tweezers.
“This is a very small piece of metal, but… well…”
Holding the tiny metal fragment in one hand and the knife in the other, Diva-sensei slowly brought them closer together.
I held my breath, eyes wide open, watching the scene unfold.
Click…
The two pieces fit together perfectly right in front of my eyes.
“Now, why don’t you tell me what happened that day… Rachel-kun?”
