Chapter 177
"Lord Clael...!"
"It's okay, Reina. It's all over now."
"I was so worried... I was really, really worried...!"
"Wah!"
Reina clung to Clael.
She pressed her face to his chest and sniffled.
"I'm sorry for making you worry... But with this, that spirit should be freed too."
Clael looked at the black book lying on the floor.
The book crumbled into blackened dust and vanished completely.
With the banshee defeated, the curse placed on the book had been lifted.
The humans whose names had been written and cursed were probably healed as well.
(That banshee should be freed too...)
Spirits do not die.
Even if they vanish, they are reborn as new spirits.
Let's believe that the banshee was reborn that way too.
Hopefully, the next time she is born, she'll be a less frightening spirit.
"Mr. Byrne... What exactly happened earlier...?"
"Huh... Did I fall asleep or something...?"
Eric, who had been lying on the floor, stood up, and Luy seemed to have awakened too.
Neither of them appeared to have any major injuries.
"That was 'The Black Cursed Book of the Library.' That's the fourth of the Seven Wonders solved."
They had passed the halfway point.
That left three. Excluding the forbidden seventh, only two remained.
"I see... So that was one of the Seven Mysteries of the Academy we were searching for. It felt like it suddenly appeared at Luy's feet..."
"Oww... I've got a bump on my head. Reina, big sis, pat me!"
Just as Luy tried to jump at Reina, a bear plushie appeared and swept his legs, making him fall again.
"Oof..."
Luy hit his head and lost consciousness once more.
He seemed to have landed in a rather dangerous way... but the plushie dragged his body away.
Probably to bury him in the schoolyard... no, more likely to take him to the infirmary.
"...Well, a book appearing out of nowhere seems like a minor problem now."
Eric said while pressing his forehead with his fingers as if enduring a headache.
As the student council president, seeing his subordinate in that state must have been quite a headache.
He even thought about firing him altogether... but Luy was still competent, and his popularity among the female students was high.
"Still... I'm glad Mr. Byrne was with us. A little more and we would've been done for. Let me thank you again."
"No need. It's my duty as a teacher."
While calming Reina, Clael responded to Eric.
"I think it's clear from this incident... The Seven Mysteries of the Academy are very dangerous. Everyone, please don't act recklessly."
"...I'll inform everyone. As student council president, I won't stop the investigation, but there may be others who want to back out."
"............"
If possible... Eric himself should back out.
It's admirable that he feels responsible, but the fact that the Crown Prince is taking on dangerous roles himself makes it hard for others to withdraw.
"Ah, right. Are you hurt... Huh?"
Eric looked around in confusion.
He had been concerned about the female student council officer... but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Where... She was here just a moment ago..."
"Your Highness! Look at that!"
A student in the library shouted.
The male student pointed outside the library window.
"Wh-What is that...!"
"Kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo!"
Outside the library window.
On the branch of a tree stood a bizarre figure.
Clad in a red cloak, wearing a primitive tribal mask on their face.
No matter how you looked at it, they were suspicious.
And... in that suspicious person's arms was the body of the female student council officer.
"Who are you... Give her back!"
"Kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo-kyo!"
Eric shouted, but the cloaked and masked figure vanished like smoke with the girl still in their arms.
"'The Witch After School'..."
Clael muttered.
That was one of the Seven Mysteries of the Academy, the elusive phantom... 'The Witch After School.'
Apparently, that girl had been kidnapped by the phantom.
"We're going after them... Hey, Luy! Wake up already!"
"Wha...!?"
"Go get Will and Vincent! We're going to catch that phantom!"
Eric took Luy and the students and chased after the Witch After School.
"Lord Clael, isn't that... strange?"
"............"
Left behind, Reina spoke to Clael, who was also left behind.
Reina looked puzzled... and Clael felt the same way.
"Anyway... shall we go after them too?"
In any case, Clael followed after them.
He knew where they needed to go.
Only one of the Seven Mysteries of the Academy remained.
"'The Thirteen Steps Leading to Hell'... That's where the witch must be headed!"
Clael took Reina's hand and hurried down the corridor.