"Oh? What could it be that you want to discuss with ?"
Ash asked with innocence dripping from his every word. "I hope all is well."
"It is." Raven Nightshade added. "I’m just interviewing people who were close to the murder suspect… or rather, convict."
’Convict, huh? So they’re already sure she’s the one who did it…’
Ash smiled to himself.
This was good. It ant he made everything convincing enough that even Raven Nightshade did not doubt that Elma was the killer—or maybe he did doubt and was rely putting up a false front.
’Either way, it seems Elma is damned.’ He sighed. ’So why hasn’t she been killed yet?’
Due to the effects of the Soul Contract he made with her, he could tell that she was alive. After all, if she was dead, their Contract would be terminated and he would be able to act beyond the confines of their agreent.
However, given that those limitations were still present, it ant Elma was still alive.
’She’s probably clinging to life after being brutally tortured by this sick bastard.’ He smiled at Raven. ’I almost feel bad for her.’
More importantly, though, he had to deal with the person before him.
"I see… alright. Let’s talk."
Ash was already wondering how close Raven Nightshade had gotten to the truth, so he figured this would be the perfect ti to find out.
"Why don’t you go on ahead, Dustan?" He told the clearly nervous boy. "I’ll catch up."
"O-okay!"
With Dustan out of the way, and only two of them standing opposite each other, the tension between them both only seed to escalate.
"So… ask anything you’d like, Mister Raven."
**********
[Monts Later]
’This kid…’ Raven Nightshade narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ashfelt’s perfect facade.
After speaking to him for nearly an hour, he expected to have gotten so valuable information and arrived at least one step closer to filling the gaps in his current premises, but that was far from the case.
’I haven’t gotten a single valuable information from him.’ He marveled. ’I don’t know how he’s doing it, but he keeps skirting around many issues, and very expertly at that.’
More than that, he also never answered in excess or deficit.
He gave no room for further interrogation with his curt answers: not saying more than he had to in every single instance.
’He’s sharp! Too sharp!’ His brows furrowed in suspicion. ’I had no idea the Zephyr Household was raising a snake…’
Not many knew about Ashfelt Zephyr, including Raven himself. That was because the boy was considered unremarkable in many ways. He wasn’t good at Spirit Arts, his Familiar was imnsely unimpressive, and there were several rumors that he only got to Alpha Class through so underhanded thods.
’However, after doing my due research on him… I found a few interesting things.’
One was a direct link between Ashfelt Zephyr and Gerald Lockwood.
’It seems Gerald was going to send him off to the Northern Borders after he dropped out, but after the sudden apprehension of the White Death, he suddenly canceled that arrangent and even recomnded Ashfelt for Re-Entrance.’
On the surface, this seed like Gerald Lockwood had taken a liking to Ashfelt, but that wasn’t at all the case.
’After all, he told the judges to fail Ashfelt… but the brat did way higher than expectations.’
As a result, they couldn’t fail him even if they wanted to.
’I learned a lot of these and more, including how Ashfelt visited Gerald and then was on the Campus Grounds during the night that the White Death was apprehended. Considering the suspicious nature of him dropping out, and then returning to the Academy, it’s clear to that he did all of that intentionally… to catch the White Death.’
This assertion was corroborated by Justin Timberdrake, an Alpha Class student that Ashfelt interrogated regarding the White Death re days before he decided to drop out.
’My theory is that Ashfelt actually solved the White Death case, but chose to let Gerald take the credit in exchange for calling off the transfer and recomnding him for Re-Entrnace.’ Raven thought to himself. ’To prevent the truth from getting out, Gerald wanted to clip off Ashfelt’s wings.’
If all of this was true, then it gave Ashfelt a motive to go after Gerald.
’Normally, I’d say it’s a far stretch, but if he was the one who caught the White Death, that shows just how intelligent and resourceful he is.’
Plus, was it really a coincidence that Ashfelt and the killer happened to be close?
No! It couldn’t be!
"Are we done here, Mister Raven?" The boy interrupted his thoughts, raising an eyebrow as if he was making an innocent inquiry. "My friend is waiting for , you know? We have to celebrate his victory."
"Ahh… I see. Apologies for keeping you for so long."
Despite his slight chuckle, even going ahead to bow his head slightly to Ashfelt, Raven felt a completely different way in his thoughts.
’I don’t trust you, Ashfelt…’ His thoughts echoed. ’I’m certain that you’re involved in the murder of Gerald and those guards sohow, and I’m going to prove it.’
No matter what!
**********
[Later That Night…]
’Ahh…’
Liam lay in his bed, a feeling of self pity and powerlessness coursing through his body as he faced the ceiling.
The overwhelming pain that previously assailed his body had been numbed, and he was now stable. Despite his lack of sensations throughout his body, Liam couldn’t help the distress that he felt.
’... My life as a Mage is over, isn’t it?’
No one outrightly told him that, but Liam could tell.
’Even if I get promoted to Alpha Class, there’s no way I’d be able to keep up with everyone after spending months here…’ He sighed. ’Should I just drop out? There’s no hope for .’
As he had that thought, he heard a sudden movent in the dark.
’H-huh? What’s that?’
The only source of light in his room was the moonlight that filtered into his room, staining his bedside with dim light. If he turned slightly, he could look beyond the confines of his depressing room and see the open fields… the drifting clouds in the night sky… and—
FSHUUU
—A certain silhouette standing right next to him.
’W-what?!’
Fear imdiately took over as Liam beca reasonably shocked by the sudden appearance of a stranger in his room. The figure blocked the natural light that entered the room, allowing the dim glow to dance on his body instead.
At first, Liam could not recognize the silhouette.
Then… he did.
"Y-you? What are you doing here?" He asked with a trembling voice. "How did you get in here?!"
"Because of you… I was humiliated…"
The voice was ominous, almost as unpleasant as tal grating tal.
"W-wait… h-hold on! I had nothing to do with it! It was—"
SQUELCH!
Liam’s paralyzed body was impaled by a translucent blade before he could offer any form of resistance.
"Arrghh—!"
Before he could even finish his scream, the silhouette raised his blade and struck again, piercing another part of the poor boy’s stomach.
"Die!"
He gutted Liam like an animal, stabbing and piercing and tearing through flesh as blood spurted out without restraints.
"Die! Die, plebian! Die!!!"
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