The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 54
EP.54 Discovery (3)
And then, I failed far more times than when I was picking the lock at the entrance to the sewer.
Of course. As the lock at the sewer might not be the most expensive, but it was still exposed to the outside. It would have been better if it had been a bit simpler but sturdier, something that could withstand being exposed to wind and rain for a long time. The person who installed that lock probably never imagined anyone would try to get in there. So, they likely chose a reasonably sturdy yet cheap lock to prevent casual entry.
But Mia Crowfield was the daughter of a Count. Not only that, but the security of the dormitory itself was excellent. Guards thoroughly checked and recorded everyone who entered, and anyone without permission was stopped at the dormitory entrance.
Although the rooms used by the noble students and those used by the commoner students were fundamentally the same in terms of facilities, it didn’t mean the level of security was lacking. This academy was the “best,” after all.
Fortunately, the keyholes didn’t use Marmaros or have any magical enchantments. In other words, it wasn’t a door that couldn’t be picked with a lockpick.
…Though I broke over thirty lockpicks in the process.
Still, if I hadn’t practiced picking various locks in the past, I probably would’ve broken more than a hundred without even opening the door. So, I reassured myself that my efforts weren’t wasted. Maybe the difference between thirty and a hundred didn’t matter when I could reset the time, but still…
…
Well, anyway.
Pushing aside the sense of emptiness deep in my chest, I opened Mia Crowfield’s door and stepped inside. I did worry for a moment about what to do if she was sleeping inside, but fortunately, she wasn’t.
“……”
The room was clean. Well, that was expected. In the original story, most of the noble students’ rooms were spotless. They’d been raised that way—to keep things presentable at all times, even for a visit from a maid or servant, let alone a guest.
Of course, there were some exceptions, but I would skip over that for now.
In any case, considering that personal maids or servants weren’t allowed inside the academy, the fact that Mia kept her room this clean was something worth commending.
The layout of the room was the same as mine. The furniture—bed, desk, wardrobe—was all provided by the academy, so there was no reason for the design to differ. No noble would complain about the quality of the furniture since everything was top-grade.
But the personal items—the books on the desk, the bed covers—those reflected individual taste.
It felt slightly unfamiliar yet oddly familiar at the same time. I had seen this setup many times while playing the game. Though the poorly rendered graphics couldn’t capture the atmosphere like reality did, it was enough to trigger my memories.
Most of the books on the desk were related to magic. There wasn’t a single book about swordsmanship or shooting.
A training staff hung on the wall.
In truth, there wasn’t much decoration, so there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about the room’s overall—
Click.
“Huh?”
I turned my head towards the sudden sound coming from the door.
At first, I thought someone else had entered behind me. Maybe Mia Crowfield herself, or someone who had seen me sneaking in. But when I turned, there was no one there.
It wasn’t the sound of a ghost or any other supernatural being, either. Well, to be precise, magic could technically be considered a supernatural phenomenon. This world, driven by steampunk and flowing in a completely different direction than actual history, made such distinctions trivial. Ghosts were even a proven existence here.
“……”
Without a word, I approached the source of the sound to investigate.
There was a strangely shaped device locked inside the door. Faintly glowing with a soft red hue, the Marmaros embedded in the device was likely supplying it with energy through its minimal heat emission. I suspected there were a few other magical components involved.
The device, which looked similar to the old door locks from the apartments in my previous world, was firmly holding the door shut with its sturdy metal frame.
It seemed like the kind of lock that would automatically engage if someone entered without permission.
“……”
This device wasn’t in the original game.
*
After several attempts to figure out how to open it, I gave up.
There wasn’t even a keyhole to work with—this was the kind of device that couldn’t be opened unless someone who knew the secret activated it. Most likely, Mia Crowfield would need to use her magic to unlock it.
“Hmm.”
Still, I wasn’t too concerned. Even if Mia Crowfield caught me, I could always have a brief conversation, gather some information, and then reset the time. Nothing lost.
“……”
Since things had already come this far, I decided I might as well investigate the room a little more.
I knew from the original story that Mia Crowfield hid something important beneath the floorboards under her bed. Although I knew what was supposed to be there, this room had a strange new locking mechanism. The contents might have changed.
Lifting the bed sheet draped over the side, I crawled under the bed. The space beneath was just high enough for a person to squeeze into.
There wasn’t even a suspicious speck of dust. Normally, when someone enters a space like this, the dust would shift, leaving marks where they moved. It was clear Mia had cleaned it thoroughly, making sure no traces remained. Someone might think she had an obsession with cleanliness, but for Mia Crowfield, this level of meticulousness was likely enough.
While there were no visible clues on the floor, I wedged a coin between the floorboards, and sure enough, one of the wooden planks lifted up.
The space underneath wasn’t big enough to hide a large item, but there was enough room for storing several Marmaros stones of different types.
“……”
And indeed, there they were—Marmaros stones, sorted by their elemental attributes.
Though they weren’t of the same high quality as the ones I’d found in the sewer chest, but they were enough to combine with a magic staff and kill a person if necessary.
It felt eerie, looking at it this way.
In the original story, Mia Crowfield was described as someone deeply interested in magic who had secretly brought in these Marmaros stones for her research. But in this world, Mia had entered the academy knowing her father’s enemies were already there. It wouldn’t be surprising if she had been collecting them for revenge, waiting for the right opportunity.
However, the real issue wasn’t the Marmaros stones.
Beside the neatly arranged Marmaros was a small handgun. It wasn’t the kind of heavy-duty revolver I used, but a small derringer. With a break-action design, it allowed two relatively large-caliber bullets to be loaded—one per barrel. It was more for self-defense than for combat.
Yet even for self-defense, if those bullets were well-aimed, it could easily kill someone.
“….”
I picked up the gun and held it in my hand. For such a small weapon, it was surprisingly heavy. Then again, it was a solid chunk of metal.
When I broke the barrel downward, I could see that both chambers were already loaded.
No spare bullets.
Did she think two bullets were enough to kill someone like me, or did she believe there wouldn’t be time to reload anyway? Or perhaps she intended to use one shot on me and save the other for something—or someone—else.
Click.
The gun made a soft sound as I snapped the barrel back into place. It felt out of character for the Mia Crowfield I remembered from the original story.
Then again, that was just my assumption. In the game, characters couldn’t equip any weapons outside of their designated main ones, but this wasn’t a game—it was reality. If she could conceal it, whether in her sleeve or pocket, hiding a small firearm would be easy. This world didn’t even have metal detectors yet.
Still holding the gun, I crawled back out from under the bed, brushed the dust from my clothes, and sat down on the edge of the bed. With the weapon still in my hand, I waited silently for Mia Crowfield to return.
*
‘I’m afraid to go in.’
Mia thought as she stood in front of her door.
Just last weekend, she had followed Sylvia Fangriffon, wondering how an assassin could act so carelessly.
But upon further reflection, something about the whole situation seemed off.
Sylvia Fangriffon, who wore such a cold and calculating mask in front of others, acted like an ordinary girl when no one was watching. Mia couldn’t understand it.
What was there to gain from such behavior?
Playing the role of a cold and ruthless assassin would only make people suspicious. If Sylvia were really someone who killed people and wanted to maintain her innocence, she wouldn’t display “assassin-like” behavior at all.
No, she would have played the role of a kind and affectionate person, building connections with others. And when it seemed like her true nature might be revealed, she would have smoothly escaped suspicion by relying on the words and perceptions of those around her.
That’s why it didn’t make sense.
Was it possible that Sylvia Fangriffon had known Mia was following her? Maybe she had been acting all along to confuse Mia’s thoughts. That explanation seemed more plausible.
Because of this, Mia had avoided even making eye contact with Sylvia all week. By the time the weekend approached, Sylvia had likely noticed Mia’s strange behavior. That must have been why she decided to take action this morning.
The academy was surrounded by residential areas. Since the Industrial Revolution, the influx of people had caused the houses to be built narrowly, side by side. The stairways were so cramped that if two people met on the stairs, one would have to step up a few steps for the other to pass.
Sylvia had climbed to the roof of one of these buildings—a space too small for Mia to follow without being noticed. The roof itself wasn’t large either. Even if Mia had waited a little longer before climbing up, she would still have been forced to face Sylvia one-on-one up there.
Sylvia had waited on that rooftop until sunset, like a spider waiting for its prey to get caught in its web. Mia, however, had not mustered the courage to follow her.
After a long while, Sylvia descended with a calm expression, as if she had been waiting for no one. She walked confidently toward the dormitory, as if completely unaware that anyone had been tailing her.
And now, she had somehow quietly broken into Mia’s room.
Though Mia had set up the mechanism to lock the door automatically if someone entered, opening the door would mean finally being trapped in a room alone with Sylvia Fangriffon.
Would Sylvia really try to kill her in the dormitory, of all places?
Then again, someone like Sylvia didn’t need to resort to killing. She likely had ways to persuade Mia without any violence.
“……”
Mia stood in front of her room, hesitating for a long time before finally steeling herself.
Fine.
If Sylvia Fangriffon wanted to confront her face-to-face, so be it. Even if it meant death, Mia would fight honorably under the Crowfield name.
She took a deep breath, pulling out her Marmaros stone from her pocket.
Click.
Unlocking the door, she swung it open, revealing Sylvia Fangriffon casually sitting on Mia’s bed, quietly toying with the gun Mia had hidden just in case.
Mia nearly fainted on the spot.