Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru - Volume 11 - Chapter Pr

Prologue

It was almost unheard of for the entire student body to assemble at Kimberly.

The reason was quite simple—no one saw the need. Most decrees were handled via the campus broadcast system, and the faculty were reluctant to distract students from their pursuit of sorcery. Students holed up in their labyrinth workshops to conduct research would have to interrupt that to attend such an assembly. Kimberly consensus held that one should not waste their time with trifles.

“Your attendance is appreciated.”

That custom had been turned on its head. Nearly all students were in the great hall that day.

This feat had not been accomplished overnight. Word had gone out a week in advance, with severe penalties outlined if one failed to attend. All the students knew something bad had gone down.

“No one moves until I say you can.”

This icy voice echoed through the silent hall. A witch descended from the podium, moving through the rows of students, her eyes gleaming.

“ ”

Her gaze flitted over him for a fraction of a second, yet it took all of Oliver’s willpower to remain impassive.

When she completed her review, the witch’s lips fluttered:

“……Six.”

Moments after that assembly, the headmistress ordered a faculty meeting on the third floor.

“As you’re all aware, Aristides has vanished.”

Esmeralda sat at the head of the elliptical table, as if upon the throne of the school itself. Everyone present looked tense.

“…That is quite some news…”

“…Someone got past his primal incantations? Even in this room, only a handful of us could manage that solo.”

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha! I would not fancy a try even if I still lived!”

The Enrico dummy’s peal of laughter echoed through the room as all eyes turned to the same woman.

Vanessa Aldiss had her hands folded behind her head, leaning back in her chair.

“…Shoulda known,” she said with a snort. “I’m the prime suspect, yeah? Me and the geezer had a li’l spat not too long ago.”

“…If you’re aware, then defend yourself, Aldiss,” the magiflora instructor, David Holzwirt, growled. “Save me the headache of figuring out how to return you to the soil.”

“Defend myself?” Vanessa spat. “For what? You wanna stick this on me, help yourselves. Ain’t no use discussing shit.”

She flashed a grin, her right hand transforming—and clenching tight.

“I mean…if y’all wanna throw down right here and now, then I’m game. I’ll take ya on.”

“…You’re an animal,” David said, a vein popping on his temple.

Their mutual hostility swelled.

“Stop that this instant!”

A new voice cut through the tension. Not an instructor, but the school librarian, Isko Liikanen.

“This is not the time for silly bickering! Instructor Demitrio is gone. A great mage who kept this school—this world—safe! This isn’t just Kimberly’s problem. Do you not understand? This is a threat to our whole planet!”

Her clenched hands shook, and not entirely from fear of the superior mages whose company she kept. She was a librarian, curator of Kimberly’s knowledge, and she’d had infinite admiration for the late philosopher. Working at the same institute had been an endless source of pride, and she knew for a fact much of what she’d learned had come from the trails he’d blazed.

Thus, she grieved for him. Grieved for the loss of a great mage more than any other faculty member present.

“Deep breath, Isko. Don’t worry—everyone here is well aware.”

The man next to her put a hand on hers. Ted Williams, the alchemy instructor who’d replaced Darius. The newest hire here, it took a lot of guts for him to speak at all. But he could not afford to hesitate. Not after Isko had found her courage first.

“I gotta agree with Isko here,” he said. “Given the gravity of the situation, this line of inquiry is flippant at best. I highly doubt we’re here to bicker among ourselves. Or do we want Instructor Demitrio spinning in his grave?”

Harsh words, chastising the tone of the meeting.

“Right you are,” Frances Gilchrist, spellology instructor, said with a nod. “Darius, Enrico, and now Demitrio—their losses are incalculable. Demitrio’s inclusion affects me personally—I had deemed him worthy of carrying the next thousand years.”

Unprecedented praise from a witch who’d lived exactly that long already. Vanessa snorted but did not attempt to argue. Emotional reactions might have varied, but all present grasped the gravity of what they’d lost.

“Aristides went missing shortly after the election,” Esmeralda said, filling the silence. All eyes turned to her. “The scene was almost certainly the field around the fourth layer—where he went to meditate. I paid a visit there shortly after we lost contact with him and found only scorch marks. Not the residue of a magic battle, but work done to cover all signs of what went down. We had the Deus Ex Machina that had been left behind in Enrico’s case; this time, far less evidence remained.”

Everyone’s brows creased. They all knew—that location was Demitrio’s home turf, even more so than his own workshop. No one had imagined he could lose a battle there. In other words: They had underestimated their enemy’s power.

“Meanwhile, the combat league final was a no-holds-barred brawl. Godfrey’s and Leoncio’s teams used every resource they had and required considerable time to recover. Linton’s Poison Hands were lopped clean off, and Beltrami grappled with those head-on—he was in no better shape. Ingwe ran until her legs shattered, and Albschuch altered her very body with forbidden arts. Both leaders expended massive reserves of mana and were in no condition to tackle an instructor afterward.”

This was a plain truth. The strongest fighters among the students had been incapacitated—and that had implications.

“We were monitoring other upperclassmen above a certain power threshold. We could not trace every action taken within the labyrinth—but what matters here is whether they had the opportunity for a large-scale assembly during the period when we believe Aristides was lost. Our conclusion—that was not feasible. The maximum number they could have slipped through our net was not a force sufficient to take out an instructor.”

Here, the witch fell silent.

Digesting this information, David asked, “…Aristides would not have gone down without a fight; they’d have lost several as well. Anyone unaccounted for in the assembly?”

“Six students failed to show themselves. Despite the penalty that would incur.”

That number made the part-time instructor, Theodore, fold his arms.

“…Not enough,” he said. “Instructor Demitrio should have taken out far more than that. That number would make more sense if they’d been holed up in their workshops and never heard about the assembly or lost their lives to some unrelated cause. Even if all six have perished, that’s well within the margin of error for our annual fatality rate.”

“You mean the culprits are unlikely to be students? Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

The Enrico dummy put into words what the others would not.

Well aware the odds were tipping that way, Esmeralda added, “We can’t rule it out entirely. The absent students include Janet Dowling, editor of the third paper, and Carmen Agnelli, a promising necromancer.”

Theodore frowned. Those names didn’t seem to connect.

“That is odd,” he said. “Ms. Dowling’s paper has been running wild with the missing-teacher story, and Ms. Agnelli should have been desperately curious about the results of Mr. Rivermoore’s research. I see no good reason why either would fail to appear.”

“We can assume Dowling’s efforts were an attempt to manipulate conflict between faculty members, but we lack even the circumstantial evidence to narrow things down. Should we at least raid the third paper’s office?”

“Already on it,” said Esmeralda. “I’ll be interviewing their staff after this.”

With that, she glanced around the room again.

“Nonetheless, with Godfrey, Echevalria, and the upper forms’ elites eliminated, I cannot deny we lack evidence to focus our suspicions on the student body. While it may not be feasible for the students alone to gather a sufficient strike team, the involvement of even a single instructor shakes up that premise,” Esmeralda told her colleagues. “Only three of you have a strong alibi during the time of Aristides’s disappearance: Gisela Zonneveld, Isko Liikanen, and Ted Williams. The first two are always on duty in the infirmary and library respectively, and I’m aware of their movements. Williams—you largely refrain from entering the labyrinth and make frequent contact with other instructors, diminishing the time you’re unaccounted for. Hard to imagine you managed to slip down to the fourth layer and go after Aristides.”

Ted furrowed his brow, a mix of emotions on his face. He’d certainly done the things Esmeralda just mentioned out of precaution, but he didn’t exactly welcome them paying off.

“Which means,” Esmeralda added, “the rest of you are all suspects. Not just Vanessa. My subsequent investigation will be in light of that fact.”

Baldia Muwezicamili, the curse instructor, shot Vanessa a shit-eating grin.

“You’re gonna get grilled, Vana!”

“Ooh, you gonna rip off my nails? I got plenty of spares.” Vanessa cackled, growing several sharp claws on each hand.

Esmeralda point-blank ignored this.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said. “As I was formulating plans, outside interests got involved.”

This bombshell changed the tone immediately. They’d all seen this coming. The loss of three great mages was no longer a matter for Kimberly alone to deal with.

“Aristides was in frequent contact with the Gnostic Hunter HQ. When that petered out, they suspected foul play. With Kimberly down three instructors, they proposed an on-site investigation. Refusal was an option—”

“But you already did that with Darius and Instructor Enrico.” Theodore sighed, interrupting Esmeralda. “A third rejection would certainly infuriate them. For the sake of future relations, best to accept it here.”

Kimberly had the clout to ignore most outside influences, but that was partially built upon the reputations of the mages they had lost. Three pillars fallen in succession had cast a shadow over them. Coordination with the Gnostic Hunter headquarters was not something the school could afford to lose, so they were forced to allow the intervention.

“Specifically, a staff adjustment. We accept a few outside mages as substitute teachers and send a couple of ours out to the Gnostic front. Vanessa, Baldia, that’s you. Go out and wreak havoc for the next year.”

“Woo! Just the two of us, Vana!”

“Ha! Makes sense. Fine, I’ll just call it a vacay.”

Ted failed to conceal his relief at the headmistress’s selection. Vanessa’s poor rapport with Demitrio had certainly made her the prime suspect, but Baldia had been close with Vanessa since they were both students, which moved her up the list as well. Worse, Vanessa’s own behavior antagonized the rest of the faculty. It seemed wise to remove them for a while before tensions spilled over. That said…this would diminish the faculty’s strength substantially, a fact that could not be ignored.

“We’d need to fill the gap Aristides left either way. It irks me, but I’ve elected to turn it to our advantage. We’re getting three new mages. Two of them are my choices and known quantities. Ensure the last one does not stir the pot unduly.”

Esmeralda’s warning made all faculty members nod. Spying an opening, Ted chose this moment to get a word in.

“…Headmistress, if you’ll forgive me for speaking out of turn, I have a question.”

“Speak, Williams.”

Her glance alone nearly made him wither, but Ted summoned his mettle and voiced his concern.

“Darius Grenville, Enrico Forghieri, and Demitrio Aristides. Three disappearances in a row. Headmistress, are you aware of any reason they’d be targeted beyond that ‘Kimberly instructor’ bracket?”

The tension in the room grew thick enough to cut with a blade.

“…Why do you ask?” Esmeralda said, eyes narrowing.

“I cannot believe this is indiscriminate. I’m the weakest fighter here, and yet I’m safe and sound—and that clinches it. We have to assume the culprit is intentionally tackling powerful foes. In which case—there must be a suitable motive.”

Ted felt a bead of sweat roll down his back. Well aware he was in dangerous waters, he forged on.

“To that end, there’s a sinister rumor going around campus. One I’d normally dismiss out of hand, yet—”

“Say it.”

The gleam in her eyes was enough to kill. Ted paused to take a deep breath.

“—they claim Chloe Halford still lives. That she faked her own death and has returned to Kimberly, slaying Darius, Enrico, and Demitrio in turn. A wild theory, to be sure—yet on some level, it does add up. In life, Two-Blade could have vanquished all three, and it’s not that hard to imagine why she’d want to.”

He chose not to speak further, gauging the instructors’ reactions. Esmeralda was already speaking.

“You imply they went after Chloe Halford once, failed to finish the deed, and their successive disappearances are the result of Two-Blade coming back for revenge?”

“I’m merely reporting what the rumor mill says.”

Ted wiped the sweat from his brow.

There was no end of speculation about how Chloe Halford had met her demise, but the truth remained a mystery. It wasn’t even certain that she was really dead. People wanted to believe she was still out there—and many stories clung to that wishful thinking. Yet the current rumor was of an altogether different character.

“I’m sure it’s a bunch of hot air,” Ted said. “But even if it’s the longest shot in town, if there’s even a chance we’re up against Two-Blade—we’ve got to be prepared for that. I’m sure you all know why.”

A grim silence. Everyone knew Chloe could well topple this edifice. She could have taken out all three missing instructors—and claimed more. Chloe had the strength and the means and had been feared as much as she was admired. She’d been one of a kind, capable of rocking the balance of power in the magical world.

“I’m not trying to confuse the investigation with a remote possibility. I’d rather eliminate this possibility right away. That’s why I feel the need to dig into the past and how she came to die,” Ted explained. “Can you tell us if our missing teachers killed—or attempted to kill—Chloe Halford?”

Beating around the bush further would be futile—he went for the direct question.

Here, Theodore spoke before the headmistress did.

“Chloe’s death was the result of a Gnostic ambush. I inspected the scene myself and must insist upon that fact. We discovered several traces on the scene that could only have come from Gnostic hands. If what you say is true, that would mean Instructor Demitrio teamed up with Gnostic followers to attack her.”

“…I agree that’s out of the question. But could that evidence have been faked? Or could he have betrayed them after helping with their attack?”

“Aha, there is always the possibility I’m a blind idiot. Still, even if this was Chloe’s doing, the mess we find ourselves in feels entirely out of character. Two-Blade would never have hidden in darkness, acting like an assassin. If she wanted revenge, she would roll up in broad daylight and punch everyone in the face. No matter who she was up against.”

That silenced Ted. He’d brought this up but could not deny it felt wrong. It was true Chloe Halford was capable of assassinating all three missing instructors. Yet at the same time…she would never choose that approach. Even if she held a powerful grudge. Her character alone engendered a nigh-ironic degree of faith.

“And…I also think if she were still alive, our world would be a much brighter place.”

Theodore managed a sad little smile. When Ted pursed his lips, Theodore continued.

“I will bear the ‘Chloe’s alive’ theory in mind. But the facts of the case suggest it does not merit attention over any other possibility. The ongoing campus monitoring will help determine the truth. Or is that not enough?”

“…It is. Just—once again, if we can determine the common motive behind these disappearances, I think that will be invaluable in our investigation. Knowing why they were targeted casts the whole thing in a new light…and tells us who’s likely to be next.”

With that final statement, Ted rested his case. He’d made his point and need not pursue it further. Thus far, they’d been on the receiving end—their first order of business must be determining what their enemy’s goal truly was.

“A-are you sure you should talk like that, Teddy? Maybe I went first, but one false word with that lineup…”

The meeting had ended as grim as it had begun, and Isko caught up with Ted in the hall. It took him a few seconds to respond.

“…They killed Chloe,” he muttered.

“Huh?”

“Too little interest in the survival theory. They know better than anyone it’s not true. I’m betting it wasn’t just the missing trio—the whole cabal was in on it. That’s why she sent Vanessa and Baldia away. Isolating suspects and narrowing down the next target.”

Ted’s speculation was turning to conviction. He’d been aware of this cabal before: a select group of faculty who regularly met in private. An opportunity to direct the darker side of Kimberly—things they did not want new hires like himself involved in. It was easy enough to surmise that Darius, Enrico, and Demitrio had all been members—and that their association had begun with the murder of Chloe Halford.

Isko could not believe her ears. Ted shot her a look.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Isko. Whatever the truth is, I’m not about to rebuke anyone. I imagine the choice did not come lightly. I don’t know the full picture, and part of me can never be on board—but I am a Kimberly instructor. Which means I’ve gotta back their decisions.”

With that, he turned and walked away. Isko hustled after him. Soon they spotted a colleague up ahead—one who’d taken a different route, until Ted called out to him.

“Instructor Hedges!”

The man stopped and turned to face them. Small of stature, the broomstick flying instructor, Dustin Hedges.

“Ted?” He frowned. “You’re awfully aggressive today. Get too eager, and you won’t live long. You’re surrounded by monsters here…”

“I’m aware. And it’s true I’m the weakest instructor at Kimberly.”

Ted wasn’t a fan of that fact. He’d never imagined he’d be called on to fill the hole Darius left behind. He might be a passable instructor, but as a researcher, he could not begin to compete. Still—he had a job to do. A job only the weak could pull off.

“That’s why I want a monster on my side. Care to join us?”

Isko gasped, gaping at him. “Teddy!”

“You’re in, right, Isko? We all want to protect Kimberly.”

Ted sounded sure of himself. Dustin glanced around. They were in an open corridor, without even a sound dampening spell cast. Ted clearly didn’t care who heard him, and so Dustin verbalized that.

“You chose to bring this up here, huh? Okay, I’ll hear you out. Whatcha after?”

“I want us leading a search with an eye to putting a stop to things. The headmistress and her cabal are hiding too much. That itself is fine, but they’re also so busy suspecting each other that the investigation might well grind to a halt.”

Deep down, Dustin agreed. If their suspicions were focusing on the faculty, then they’d be spending the bulk of their time watching each other. And those same suspicions would make them wary of taking action. Which meant it was time for the exceptions to shine.

“I wanna narrow it down to those I can trust and search the campus on our terms. Isko and I are pretty much entirely unconnected to the faculty power struggles. You aren’t quite in the same position but like to stay out of things, so the result in the same. Instructor Hedges, I think you’ve got the character required to be part of our alliance.”

Dustin made a face. “Of all the words to use here… Allied against what? The headmistress?”

“Not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact: I’m convinced this is what she needs most right now. If she proposed it herself, then we’d be under her thumb. Starting this of my own accord is the point,” Ted replied. “And there’s one other factor the three of us have in common. We aren’t placing much emphasis on our own research. The rest of the faculty have to isolate themselves to dig into their respective disciplines. We don’t. You and I focus on teaching, and Isko’s primarily a librarian. We’re in a position to carry out those duties while keeping an eye on each other and the other staff.”

Dustin nodded and took it one step further. “You don’t think that’ll solve anything, though. You’re making yourself bait.”

Isko gulped. There was a weighty silence.

“My actions will be a thorn in the side of the culprit here. Why would they not come after me? After all, I’m way less of a challenge than anyone they’ve killed,” Ted said. “I’m done losing the irreplaceable. If our enemies come after me instead, won’t that be better?”

“……”

“If you tell me to suit myself, so be it. But against anyone capable of burying three of our finest—well, I’ll just end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Isko alone won’t change that. But if we’ve got an aerial combat hero in our camp—that would make a difference.”

Meeting Ted’s gaze, Dustin spoke slowly.

“What’s in it for me? Why would I agree to this?”

Ted flashed a grin. “I figured you’re about ready to shake off the funk you’ve been in since you lost Ms. Ashbury.”

Dustin’s frown deepened. He said nothing. Ted clenched his fist and piled on.

“I’m doing this with or without you. Darius recommended me—I owe him that much.”

The man was resolute, and Dustin heaved a very long sigh. He didn’t like letting colleagues go to their deaths.

“You got me there. Okay, fine. I was getting tired of moping around, staring up at a sky she’s not in.”

Dustin rolled his shoulders, refocusing. Then he thumped Ted on the chest with a grin.

“Let me in this alliance. If I got a good broom, a balmung, and a sky to fly in—I’ll be liable to cut down God.”

“I did not expect Ted to hold his ground like that.”

“The man’s got mettle. He acts all mild-mannered, but he was like this as a student, too.”

Theodore and Garland were walking down a different hall, discussing Ted’s behavior in the meeting. Their colleague was soft-spoken, so having him kick up a fuss had made quite the impression—and the specifics of it were not something anyone could laugh off.

With that in mind, Garland said, “Losing Instructor Demitrio puts us in crisis mode. Think I’ll be invited to this cabal anytime soon?”

“Good question. Instructor Gilchrist may well propose it, but I imagine the headmistress will reject the notion. She’s got very particular ideas about you. And frankly…I don’t think it suits you.” Theodore shrugged, then put a hand to his chin. “Still, the idea that Chloe’s alive? Given my position, I had to argue him down, but in truth, I’m not nearly so dismissive. Naturally, I don’t think that’s the actual truth.”

“Meaning?”

“She had as many sympathizers as she had enemies. Even among the current student body—and I can’t rule out there being some among the faculty. If someone like that’s behind this, then their choice of targets adds up. Though that would make you our chief suspect—you were her student.”

He made that sound like a joke, but Garland folded his arms, taking it seriously.

“Trying to avenge Chloe by mowing down the teachers here? Yeah, you might have a point. That does sound like something I’d do.”

“Please don’t get any ideas. If you joined the fray, it would make things rather difficult for me.”

“I won’t; don’t worry. But lemme turn this back on you: If we’re talking vengeance for Chloe, surely you’re ahead of me in line.”

Garland’s question provoked a long silence. No emotion showed on Theodore’s profile.

“We won’t be inviting you to the cabal,” Theodore said at length. “But we likely will be calling on your skills. Our foes are good enough to take out Instructor Demitrio. I can only speculate as to the means—but odds are high they overcame the fifth.”

That shut Garland up.

Eyeing the man’s lips, Theodore muttered, “Best to hide that smile, Luther.”

Garland clasped a hand to his mouth, then winced.

“…Hate to admit it, but no matter how old I get—I just can’t control myself.”