Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 583

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 35.
The Princess and the Detective (35)
In the Dining Hall where they had been just moments before, there was only one other person besides them—those who had been sleeping until Maximian left. Where had they gone the moment they woke up, if not the Dining Hall?
“They probably went for a morning walk. Anyway, this is the letter. Take it.”
As Tichiel accepted the letter, Maximian immediately tried to return to his bedroom. But Shelly, who lived in the adjacent villa, opened her door and peered out. Upon spotting Tichiel, she grinned and waved in greeting.
“Hey, Tichiel. How’s it going? But Maximian, what’s with you heading out this morning and coming back? Did you even come to the villa last night? Don’t tell me you drank somewhere else and slept there?”
The way she glanced back and forth between them suggested she was eager to indulge in unnecessary speculation. Maximian narrowed his eyes in response.
“When the morning sun rises, one should wake and eat breakfast. You should go get yourself three of those pancakes that supposedly cure hangovers. They’re ridiculously delicious.”
“You damned fool, you eat potatoes!”
Shelly, who had been about to gesture emphatically, quickly stopped when Tichiel fixed her with a look that said, “Are you out of your mind?” She pretended it was just a magical gesture to smooth things over. When Tichiel was angry, it was always the other person’s fault. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she spoke again.
“By the way, didn’t those Research Students come barging into your villa earlier? They were kicking the door down like crazy.”
“Research Students? You mean the graduate program seniors?”
As Tichiel asked for clarification, Maximian suddenly became wide awake. Research Students?
“Yeah, the seniors were furious about something. So Boris and Lucian got dragged away just now.”
Tichiel looked at Maximian. Maximian was staring intently at the wall across the corridor. Or rather, he wasn’t really looking—he was thinking. Research Student seniors came chasing after them in anger this morning? To this room?
Only then did Maximian glance around the corridor and return to the villa to examine various places. In Lucian’s bedroom, which stood wide open, he spotted pajamas carelessly tossed aside. The signs of a hasty departure were unmistakable. As Maximian came back out, he yanked the door shut so hard he nearly tore it from its frame. He barely managed to refit and lock it before turning to Shelly and shouting.
“Where did they go? The Map Room?”
7. Keepdust
And so the Map Room suddenly became crowded.
Professor Bridget Koller, who oversaw the Map Room, was a symbol of perseverance—having finally achieved full professorship after fifteen years of serving as both teaching assistant and associate professor. Yet she also seemed like someone who had broken down somewhere along the way. Her thin frame was held up by roughly a dozen pins beneath a tangle of frizzy hair that looked ready to collapse at any moment, yet it never did. As a result of this unfortunate synergy between her appearance and her name, the students called her “Professor Broccoli.”
When Maximian and Tichiel arrived, Marisa and the Research Students had already explained everything to Professor Koller. In summary, it was this:
Between 10 PM and midnight last night, Marisa’s herbal medicine thesis disappeared from the Raven Villa, which she shared with Elze.
Since the deadline was only five days away, rewriting it was impossible.
However, traces of “uncommon magical substances” led from the Raven Villa to the Acorn Villa.
Therefore, someone in the Acorn Villa must have taken the thesis.
Professor Koller nodded and spoke.
“Is that so? That’s quite a perfect argument. Like a scenario that Imperator Jo wrote and then discarded.”
Imperator Jo was the nickname of Joshua von Arnim, one of the Four Great Mysteries of Nenyaple who enrolled in 992. “Imperator” was also the title of a performance that Joshua himself had directed, written, composed, and produced, but judging from the unrealistically grandiose nickname, he was notorious as someone who caused the most catastrophic damage to anyone who came near him. In just this year, the number of victims had already exceeded five. Yet he still had many followers, and surprisingly, Professor Koller was one of them.
Hearing this, Maximian bristled and spoke.
“Would he write something this trivial?”
“That’s exactly what I meant.”
Then Marisa’s brow furrowed.
“What do you mean, Professor? Are you saying there’s a flaw in my account?”
“The problem is there’s no flaw. It’s too perfect. So, did you find the thesis in these children’s villa?”
Professor Koller’s manner of speaking often resembled Imperator Jo’s—meaning one had no idea what she was saying, but had to accept that the listener’s comprehension was lacking and simply move on. Marisa suppressed her irritation and responded.
“No, we haven’t searched yet. If you give us permission, Professor, we’d like to search now.”
Hearing this, Maximian’s instincts stirred.
Marisa should have been most concerned with recovering the thesis. Given the approaching deadline, that is. Yet the Acorn Villa wasn’t even sealed off, and here she was, having chased them down and sitting around. What if someone spirited away the thesis or whatever it was in the meantime?
In other words, she seemed more focused on proving that someone had taken the thesis than on actually finding it.
Moreover, thinking back, last night Marisa had tried to burn that thesis. But it was only postponed because she went to Professor Hoiock’s wine party. And yet such a thesis conveniently disappeared overnight. Had it run away crying because it was hated?
That couldn’t possibly be true….
But I couldn’t say such things now. To do so, I would have to confess with my own mouth that I entered that villa last night. It was all because of Juspian, but precisely because of that, it was difficult to explain without dragging Juspian into it. However, Juspian had told me to keep secret about going to the Land of Mortals last night.
Fine, let me just wait a bit longer and see how this plays out.
Maximian chose to sit beside them wearing a bewildered expression instead of explaining the situation and sending Boris and Lucian away. I felt sorry for my friends for being misunderstood, but I could always buy them each a Roglantang pie later to make up for it.
At first, Lucian regarded Maximian with suspicion, but when no explanation came, he began to mimic Maximian’s expression. According to the wisdom of life that Lucian had learned thus far, when you didn’t know what was going on, the best course of action was to follow Maximian’s lead.
As Boris observed the expressions of the two, Professor Koller asked again.
“By the way, this ‘uncommon magical substance’ you mentioned—what exactly is it?”
“That’s rather difficult to explain, sir….”
“What’s so difficult about it? You said that was your evidence, and you think you can determine the truth of this matter without even revealing what it is?”
Marisa turned to look at Elze. Elze shrugged as if to say there was nothing to be done, then spoke.
“It’s Keepdust.”
In that instant, Professor Koller’s expression changed completely.
“What did you say?”
Maximian, Boris, and Lucian had no idea what that was. However, seeing the professor’s reaction, Marisa and Elze faltered and looked at each other. Professor Koller glared at Marisa and Elze fiercely, as if he had forgotten all about the problem he had been discussing just moments before.
“Why on earth was something like that in your villa?”
“W-we don’t know, sir. How would we know? We didn’t bring it there; it’s merely evidence….”
“So you’re saying those children, who aren’t even Research Students, obtained Keepdust from somewhere and scattered it about the campus? Do you really think that makes sense?”
“But….”
Professor Koller turned to look at the three who now wore equally bewildered expressions and issued a command.
“You three, return to your chambers. This matter is concluded.”
“Professor!”
Marisa started to jump up but barely restrained herself as she cried out. However, Professor Koller’s expression remained cold.
“If you want to spout more nonsense about Keepdust coming from a regular student’s pocket, go write a petition for academic probation, Marisa Bedella. I find it far more plausible that you scattered it evenly from your villa to those children’s villa as an excuse for your missing papers. I have no idea why you wanted to make those children your scapegoats, but I’m curious—would you like me to investigate that point?”
Marisa shook her head, her eyes reddening. Around that time, Maximian gestured to his friends to leave. The three of them exchanged cursory farewells and exited the Map Room.
Tichiel, who had been waiting outside the Map Room, hurried over and asked.
“What happened? You’re coming out already?”
“It’s over. Let’s go.”
“What, really? The investigation is concluded?”
Lucian nodded and exclaimed.
“Yes! It’s all finished. I told you justice was on our side! Justice prevails!”
Boris glanced at Lucian and muttered.
“Was that really the issue?”
The person waiting outside wasn’t just Tichiel. Tim and Septimus also looked bewildered.
“It’s over? Then what about the papers?”
At that, Lucian replied smugly.
“I suppose they walked on their own legs straight into the fireplace! Anyway, we’re not curious anymore. Farewell!”
With that, he strode triumphantly down the corridor. The other three, lacking Lucian’s straightforward and blissfully simple nature, left the spot somewhat cautiously, offering something like a polite farewell.
Before parting ways to their respective dormitories after leaving the South Tower where the Map Room was located, Tichiel spoke.
“I’m going to my chamber to do some investigating. Let’s meet at the Dining Hall at lunch. All three of you. At noon. Understood?”
Maximian’s expression showed admiration, though not in a positive sense.
“How do you eat all that and still have room for more three hours later?”
“Well, I have tons to do over the next three hours! It’s all your fault!”
After Tichiel entered the East Tower, Maximian muttered with an expression of disbelief.
“Is she mocking me? Surely not Tichiel?”
After spending a year at the same Academy, we inevitably learned from one another. In any case, Maximian and Boris climbed toward the North Tower. As Maximian reached the front of Acorn Villa and stretched his hand toward the door handle, Boris suddenly spoke.
“Something happened, didn’t it?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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