---

I roughly shoved Leonard and entered the room.

Naturally, his room was cramped and shabby compared to those of instructors or students. Though it couldn’t even compare to the tent I used during my days as a low-ranking soldier.

Anyway, a quick glance around the room made it clear there was nothing particularly noteworthy inside.

However, Leonard’s reaction clearly indicated that no one was supposed to be in that room. It wasn’t hard to guess that something was hidden inside.

If he had been bribed by a terrorist organization, he would surely have left behind evidence just in case of unforeseen circumstances. He’d need insurance against the potential risk of being silenced by the organization.

He wouldn’t store evidence in places easily discoverable, like a drawer or under the bed. As I glanced at the ceiling, I noticed one of the tiles had an unusually deep groove.

That one looks like it might be lifted.

Thinking this, I stretched out my arm and touched the tile, which indeed clunked open. Leonard let out a scream as he widened his eyes.

“No, don’t! You can’t do that!”

Was there a gendarme who would listen to a suspect pleading for him to stop? Though I wasn’t one, I decided to ignore Leonard’s words and lifted the tile to peek inside, touching something with my hand.

When I pulled it out and checked the contents, it was a document detailing Leonard’s contacts with ‘The Future of the Empire.’

Where and when he met, how much money exchanged hands, what he gave in return… Honestly, this wasn’t particularly significant information. But this document was undeniable proof that Leonard was involved with the terrorist organization.

I examined the document and opened my mouth with a chilling gaze.

“Are you still going to deny everything?”

“Ugh, ugh…!”

Leonard collapsed to the floor, kneeling. He must have sensed that it was all over and hung his head in despair.

“I’m sorry… But I had no choice! My mother is sick, and I suddenly needed a lot of money, but I couldn’t find a way to get that much through my gendarme work—”

“Shut up.”

Leonard’s mouth clamped shut at my cold voice laced with menace.

His intention to save his mother might be noble, but the fact remains that his actions endangered students at the academy and incited a riot in District 8, causing numerous injuries.

Seeing his shocked reaction when I entered the room, he likely knew something might happen because of his actions.

I didn’t want to hear or be curious about the sob story of such a vile criminal.

Taking the evidence document, I asked Leonard.

“This can’t be everything.”

“Y-yes? What do you mean….”

“I’m talking about the means to contact the terrorist organization.”

The evidence here was just a document. But considering that information came in immediately about where Titania had gone, this man surely had a means to communicate swiftly with ‘The Future of the Empire.’

I was starting to get irritated, and I had already wasted enough time.

I genuinely raised my chilling aura and glared coldly into Leonard’s eyes.

“Ggh! Ggh, huff!”

With the overwhelming pressure closing in, Leonard struggled to breathe, his face contorting in anguish.

I withdrew my killing intent just before he was about to pass out.

Barely escaping my menace, Leonard gasped for air, frantically patting his neck as if he were having a hallucination that it was being severed.

For those of such a low caliber, it’s far quicker and easier to project killing intent than to perform a pat down or torture. There’s not much that’s as effective as the fear of death.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

I threateningly stepped forward. Even that simple step made Leonard recoil, his face filled with fear as he pulled something from his pocket.

“I—I have it! I have it! I’ll give it to you now!”

In a hurry, Leonard presented it to me.

It was a scroll to summon Zegler.

Zegler is the name of an artificial spirit commonly used for courier services. When the scroll is torn, Zegler appears, takes the letter, and delivers it to the specified location, making it a very convenient magic.

“Where is it going?”

“I—I don’t really know. The destination was already set, so once the letter was given, it flew off by itself. This scroll is the only clue I have—really…!”

“Did you see the face of the organization member you contacted?”

“It was a man I met at a bar… but I was so drunk that I can’t remember well… When I exchanged money and the scroll regularly, I didn’t make contact with the organization member, just accepted the items.”

Then the only lead I had was this scroll to summon Zegler.

I had obtained everything I needed.

Leonard, sweating coldly, cautiously asked, “Excuse me, Captain. What will happen to me now…?”

“You’ll either be dragged to the gendarmerie or, more likely, handed over to the intelligence agency.”

There were many rumors about the intelligence agency, but the most famous one was that criminals taken there never walked out unscathed.

Sensing his grim future, Leonard burst into tears, clutching his head in despair.

Most traitors who cooperated with terrorist organizations ended up like this. There was no sympathy to be had.

He had done what he could to save his mother, but in return, he would no longer be able to see her for the rest of his life.

With no further business with Leonard, I left his room and exited the dormitory.

*

Just as I was heading towards my destination, I heard footsteps chasing after me from behind.

“Wait! Wait a moment!”

The man desperately rushing toward me at the entrance of the dormitory wore a uniform similar to that of the gendarmerie, though it was a face I’d never seen before. It was fancier than other gendarmerie uniforms.

He must be the captain of the gendarmerie. Naturally, he’d have received reports about the commotion in his subordinate’s room and hurried over, intrigued.

Breathless from running, he gasped out, “Huff, huff…! You’re wearing instructor’s clothing, so you look like an instructor, but you’re causing a ruckus in the dormitory and plan on leaving without a word? At least explain what’s going on!”

I sighed briefly.

I had no time to be caught up explaining things when every second counted. Even at this moment, I had no idea what ‘The Future of the Empire’ might be doing targeting Titania.

But it’d be hard to believe that I could just leave without any explanation.

“I was investigating an organization responsible for terrorism aimed at my student.”

“What? Why would you be investigating that here?”

“One of the organization’s moles is one of your gendarmerie members.”

At that, the gendarmerie captain’s complexion went pale. Since the moment the word “terrorism” was mentioned, he appeared disbelieving, but once I uttered “mole,” he looked completely shocked.

I realized then that he was completely unaware of Leonard Bain’s collusion. While the captain might be somewhat incompetent for not noticing the mole among his ranks, he seemed unconnected to this incident.

The captain trembled in shock and asked, “D-did you find any evidence? Did you find any evidence?”

“Yes. He kept a record of transactions with the terrorist organization.”

“H-huh?!”

The captain’s mouth dropped open in shock at the confirmation of solid evidence.

Perhaps his mind was imagining the gallows where someone accused of treason would swiftly meet their end.

“If your curiosity has been satisfied, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Wait! Wait! That evidence…! You can’t just take it!”

What kind of nonsense is this?

Despite my chilling glare, the captain didn’t seem to want to back down, thinking his life was on the line regarding this matter.

“If our gendarmerie committed a crime, wouldn’t that be my responsibility? If it gets resolved, it should be me who resolves it! If you hand over the evidence, I’ll make sure to investigate thoroughly so you won’t have to deal with any inconveniences!”

“…This wasn’t worth listening to.”

In truth, since I needed the Zegler scroll that connects to the enemy’s base, the insider evidence wasn’t necessary after all.

However, I could already see that handing the evidence over to that guy would only result in it being swept under the rug internally. Knowing that, there was no reason for me to hand the documents over to the gendarmerie captain.

Ignoring the captain’s pleas, I turned my back without hesitation. But he, unable to let go of his desperation, fell to his knees and clung to my legs.

“Please! No! Then at least let me help with something! You need to say that Captain Hermann is unconnected to this incident and has nothing to do with treason! I have a family too; I can’t be hanging from the gallows already…!”

“……”

The sensation of him tugging my pants made my irritation rise.

If it were a monster, I could easily slash through it as I did during the war, but since this was a human, I couldn’t do that.

Anyway, asking to be allowed to help with something…

“Hmmm….”

A good idea popped into my head.

If he was so eager to help, then I could just make him do something.

 

---