Chapter 24
Bien still seemed bewildered, looking back and forth between the corpse and Ethan.
Bien finally managed to speak.
"How...?"
Ethan took out a Handgun from his pocket.
"It's Terra's power borrowed from the Madowon. I have to return it."
"...I see. If it's Terra's power, certainly...."
Ethan felt fortunate that Bien didn't press further.
According to the Mazok Ethan had studied, the Mazok valued rationality and efficiency, so they readily used things forbidden to others if necessary. More accurately, the Mazok themselves did that.
The origin of the Mazok is Seshuis Serenemis, ancient mages from the southern region that has now become a Forbidden Land. They believed that to reach truth, they must first break free from the limitations of being human. So they made themselves subjects of research and underwent modifications, and were no longer called human. This is the origin of Mado.
Ethan looked down at the Glock 45.
'But whenever I faced Vine, I didn't shoot him; I shot myself in the head.'
Of course, the situations were critical each time. He was too close, and Vine used mental magic, so there was no need to take risks. Ethan could return to the exact same situation if needed, even if it was a bit tiring.
Ethan lured Vine into the Great Library Labyrinth. That part wasn't very difficult. Vine was one of the professors actively searching for the missing Maiya and Koshe. Ethan thought Vine didn't do it out of morality; it seemed he was quite displeased that something outside his control was happening at the school. This point was credible. It was because Bien had explicitly said so. Bien had to search every corner of the school with Ethan for Maiya's corpse, which they had abandoned, on behalf of Vine.
There was also the possibility that the gun wouldn't work on Vine. Magic is boundless. Rebilton had certainly called it good Combat magic, but he wasn't that surprised. Considering he was a student, it was exceptional, but no more than that. But the Glock 45 clearly worked on Moraiots, who was a Mazok. If it worked on a race born to use magic, it would have some effect on a mage as well.
'Besides, Vine's specialty isn't Combat magic.'
Ethan, who was walking ahead, pretended to have taken a wrong turn and made Vine turn around. The moment Vine turned around, Ethan pulled out the Handgun. Vine instinctively sensed something and looked at Ethan, but Ethan had already finished aiming. Vine probably didn't even know exactly what a Handgun was.
"Anyway, I think the Contract of Pasitaros should be dissolved. Don't you feel anything?"
"Is that why you asked how I felt earlier?"
"That's right."
"Was it necessary for me to come all the way here? Simply telling me would have been enough."
"Still, seeing it with your own eyes is more certain. And as you already know from doing it, 'two heads are better than one,' aren't they? The same goes for a corpse."
"What do you mean by that?"
Ethan and Bien threw Vine's corpse into the same puddle where the underground water flowed across the labyrinth floor, as they had done before. Vine's corpse seemed to sink and then was swept away by the current, disappearing below the puddle.
Bien asked to confirm.
"Are you sure it was okay to kill him?"
"Do you think I would have killed him without permission?"
"Although Vine kept his distance from the Imperial Inquisition, the reason Vine was the only formal member stationed at Yurmus Magic School was because he was that competent. Even the Madowon would have a significant burden."
Ethan thought to himself, 'So that's how it was.'
"Since they told me to do it, we don't have to worry too much, do we?"
"If everything you say is true, Ethan, then yes."
"More than that, if Vine's disappearance becomes known, other professors at Yurmus Magic School will go to Vine's workshop. Isn't there anything we need to handle?"
"...There's a lot. We should clean it up."
∞
Killing Vine itself didn't directly benefit Ethan, but there was still something to gain.
First was the method of entering Vine's workshop. It's common to restrict entry to maintain the secrecy of a workshop, and the methods vary greatly depending on the mage. In Vine's case, it was knocking three times softly, two times strongly, and then two times softly again. Otherwise, even if someone opened the door and entered, they would see an empty workshop due to an illusion Vine had created.
"Professor Rebilton doesn't have entry restrictions, though."
"Well... That's probably because he can just knock anyone down who comes in. It's not like anyone can steal Professor Rebilton's muscles."
Vine's workshop felt more like a scholar's study than a mage's workshop. Indeed, in the case of mental magic, it often focuses on the value of the academic study itself rather than various magical tools or materials, so it made sense. And Vine was effectively a 'Sulsa,' meaning he was more of a person who actually used magic in the field rather than a researcher-mage, so perhaps there was no need to keep research materials in his workshop. In fact, considering the subject Vine was researching, it was something that couldn't be kept in the workshop of an honorable magic school professor.
"These books here, as far as I know, are designated as Forbidden Books, and these stacks of papers are all Empire-related documents. Some of the books will contain Vine's unpublished papers. They were left not because they were incomplete, but because there was no place to publish them."
"The Madowon will value them."
"Are you planning to hand them all over?"
"I need to earn some points too, don't I?"
At that, Bien seemed hesitant, but then handed everything over to Ethan.
"Anything worth money?"
Bien looked at Ethan with a pathetic expression.
"Ethan, are you a thief?"
"...No. I just asked because I needed to know. If a magic school professor disappears one day, would people think they were murdered? Or would they think they got caught up in some incident and left?"
"Neither makes sense."
"But if money also disappears, people tend to think the latter."
Bien felt Ethan's words were reasonable.
"...We should go to Vine's room and gather his travel gear too. We'll have to burn that. The money..."
"We'll take it."
"It's going into your pocket, isn't it?"
"If you don't want it, I'll take yours too."
"...I know where the things worth money are."
When they gathered everything, there was about 50 Empire gold coins worth of wealth. Ethan gave Bien the gold and silver coins that could be used immediately and took the gems and valuables for himself.
Bien said.
"This kind of consideration is alright."
"I'm taking more."
"...Well, alright."
That wasn't true, and Bien knew it. Comparing the value, there wasn't a big difference, but since it was stolen goods, they couldn't be traded openly and a fee would be deducted by a fence. In essence, Ethan was doing more work and taking less quantity.
Bien said.
"...With this money, back in my hometown, I could build a palace with 99 rooms."
"Are you going back?"
"No. What use would that be? And since I owe the Madowon, it seems the Madowon will also want to use me. Isn't that right?"
"...Well, yes."
The two took the things to be burned to a small cabin in the forest. A cabin occasionally used by hunters was a place where starting a fire wouldn't cause suspicion.
"I feel somewhat relieved."
Bien said.
"When I saw Vine's corpse, so many emotions surged that I didn't even know what I was feeling. Looking back, surprisingly, just a little... I think there was a part of me that liked Vine. Even as I was filled with the joy of being freed from the Contract of Pasitaros, there was also regret and a sense of loss at not being able to see him again."
Ethan said.
"Ah, I have an older brother too, and I really can't stand him. But since he's family, I think I'd be a little sad if he died. Maybe. Isn't it something like that?"
"You mean affection?"
"Yeah. Whatever it is, that."
"It's not like Vine was always bad to me. Since he was the only person I could rely on after being sold from my hometown, perhaps it's natural."
"Still, he deserved to die."
"That's right. Thank you, Ethan."
Bien smiled. Ethan suddenly realized he was seeing Bien smile for the first time.
"Hey, wait, you've got something under your eye?"
"What?"
As Ethan made to wipe it with saliva, Bien covered his cheek and backed away.
"It's a mole, a mole! Haven't you been seeing it?"
Ethan laughed heartily. And he realized the colossal event that was about to happen.
He had tricked Bien into thinking he was part of the Madowon, kept the fact of killing Maiya secret from everyone, and now he had killed Vine and told Bien it would be okay.
But it wouldn't be okay.
Remembering how the Empire acted just because Vine's identity was exposed, the Empire would definitely act.
Ethan's deduction was clearly floating before his eyes.
[Main Quest Generated!]
[Main Quest: The End of Lies (C)]
[You lied to survive, and you lied, and lied again. But you cannot deceive the world forever. The truth will eventually be revealed. Within the near future, the problems caused by your lies will surface, and you must personally confess the truth to those you lied to. Do you have the courage to face this true catastrophe?]