Sena Easton welcomed us.
However, her expression soon clouded.
“I’m sorry. Things are a bit chaotic right now.”
She offered to serve us tea, and we moved to the room that was apparently reserved for the Hell Research Society.
We left the main classroom building for the elite students and walked to another building.
It seemed that even though it was an old structure, the Hell Research Society had the entire building to themselves. However, there were only a few people inside.
“We’ve been placed under suspension by the headmaster. Almost everyone is gone. Ah, please wait a moment.”
Inside were Lucora and a few other instructors, likely there to supervise.
Lucora sat in a chair, flipping through a leisure book. After a brief conversation with Sena, she went back to reading.
“This way. Come to the room I’m using.”
It seemed Lucora had granted her permission. … From what I could tell, there didn’t seem to be anything suspicious at the moment.
As I followed Sena, I whispered to Mastema to get her opinion.
“How’s it look?”
“Nothing unusual.”
Apparently, even Mastema didn’t sense anything suspicious.
We arrived at Sena’s room, and she invited us inside.
The walls were covered in white wallpaper. The furniture consisted of only a shelf, a desk, a chair, and a bed.
It didn’t feel lived in.
“When research gets intense, I sometimes end up staying here overnight to take naps.”
As she said this, Sena pulled out a pot from the shelf. Noel offered to help, but Sena declined, saying it would be done soon.
She lined up the cups, conjured water into the pot with magic, and then used fire magic to boil it. The whole process was done swiftly and fluidly.
As expected from an upperclassman, she handled magic with ease.
She put tea leaves into the pot to steep.
“Ah, it’s really troublesome,” she muttered while waiting for the tea to brew.
“We’ve been researching demons and hell through all kinds of means, aiming to improve ourselves as mages through the knowledge we gained.”
The tea leaves swirled in the boiling water.
“Things were going well, but part of the group went overboard. They prepared for a demon summoning ritual, and it nearly cost me my head—literally.”
Sena ran her right hand along her neck as she spoke.
“Since I’m one of the group’s representatives, it’s only natural I’d be punished for failing to supervise. That’s why we’re in no position to recruit new members right now.”
She confirmed the tea had steeped enough and prepared cups for everyone. A cup was placed in front of me.
I doubted there was poison in it, but… refusing to drink would raise suspicion. I had a ring that detects poison, but it didn’t react.
Sena was the first to take a sip of her tea.
For extra caution, I nudged Mastema with my elbow, signaling her to drink first. No poison can affect her. After confirming there was no problem, I took a sip.
It was just ordinary tea.
“It would have been nice to have some snacks,” Sena remarked.
The rest of the conversation was unremarkable.
It seemed certain that the Hell Research Society would be dissolved, and they were preparing to vacate the building. Sena’s expulsion also appeared inevitable.
However, she didn’t seem particularly concerned. Whether she was hiding her true feelings or simply didn’t care, I couldn’t tell.
From my perspective, this situation could very well threaten the survival of the entire Magic Academy.
It’s as if they had turned a blind eye to demon worshippers, just like the kingdom had. And we all know what happened to the kingdom.
That hellish scene must never be repeated.
The young headmistress would likely be held accountable as well. But that’s none of my concern.
At least for now, there’s nothing suspicious in plain sight. I finished the tea and left.
Sena escorted us to the entrance, and we departed.
I never expected to gain anything from this visit. However, I did obtain the necessary information.
Later that night, I returned to the Hell Research Society building, bringing Mastema along just in case.
In the darkness of night, the building looked completely different.
I refrained from turning on the lights to avoid drawing attention, sneaking in under the cover of darkness.
I had borrowed a spare key from the headmistress’s office. She hadn’t returned yet. I’d return it later.
To help me see in the dark, I used a magical tool that allowed me to place a thin film over my eyes.
I unlocked the door and entered.
“My heart’s racing,” Mastema whispered gleefully. It seemed she was enjoying this situation, likely recalling stories of secret infiltration from books she had read.
The inside felt much gloomier than it had during the day.
First, I headed to Sena’s room. I had confirmed earlier that she had returned to her dorm.
The door wasn’t locked.
Inside, a single cup was placed on the desk, along with a long black hair next to it.
Judging by the length, it was probably Mastema’s…
“Oh, my. What are you doing here?”
A light spell illuminated the dark room.
The white-walled room looked the same as it had during the day.
The one casting the light was Lucora.
As expected. If anyone was going to show up, it had to be her.
“You knew from the start that Mastema was a demon, didn’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. By the way, sneaking into a building is illegal in this country, you know.”
“As a practical instructor, you’ve had plenty of opportunities to observe Mastema. You’re the one who threw those missing students into the Immortal Labyrinth, aren’t you? I don’t know how you turned them into zombies, though.”
Lucora’s smile vanished.
“You know, I’m getting a little upset.”
“You also placed that altar in the room with the twisted woman. But as soon as that thing arrived, your ritual was interrupted, wasn’t it?”
“……”
It didn’t make sense for an unidentified god’s altar to house a supernatural entity.
Lucora had enough skill to be considered an advanced adventurer.
An adventurer always does their homework. She wouldn’t have overlooked that.
Perhaps she had hoped the twisted woman would wipe us out as a sacrifice. Or maybe she wanted Mastema to drive her away.
“Did you send us to the Immortal Labyrinth because the headmistress and the Hell Research Society had become too much of a nuisance?”
The altar hadn’t been hidden very well. It was as if she wanted us to find it. As if to say she had no further use for it.
“Lucora. You—”
“If only you had enrolled a year later.”
Lucora opened her eyes, which were usually half-closed with a sleepy expression.
“Sena and that old man were excited to see a real demon, but I knew from the start that it’d be a problem. As expected, you started poking around. Still, the hair was useful.”
Lucora wasn’t just an instructor; she was showing her true nature… no, something more than that.
“Oh well, this is always such a hassle. I’m always the one who has to act. But it’s fine. Soon, I’ll surpass humanity.”
Lucora was a demon worshipper. A traitor to humanity.
She wasn’t the kind who devoted herself to summoning demons, as I had seen in the kingdom. No, she sought power for herself.
Normally, one would acquire such power through a contract with a summoned demon, but that had failed. Yet Lucora exuded confidence.
“Thanks to that zombie boy, the practical test is complete. I could use more data, but I suppose it’s enough.”
Lucora pulled out a pill and swallowed it.
“Shall we begin? Empire’s strongest adventurer.”
