The Semester Begins Anew
One dark night...
Amidst a cacophony of voices, a man pushed his way through the crowd.
He was a sturdy figure with black hair, lifeless brown eyes, and dark circles etched beneath them.
A carelessly grown, patchy beard framed his face, and a lit cigarette glowed faintly between the bristles, emitting a wisp of smoke.
"Sigh..."
With a short sigh, he exhaled a puff of smoke and approached the fence erected to keep people out.
"Unauthorized civilians are not allowed to enter the crime scene."
"Fernand de Parcel, former Deputy Chief of the Royal Capital Security Force's 1st Division."
The soldier guarding the fence blocked his path, prompting the man to pull out a small badge from his pocket.
The badge depicted a laurel wreath and handcuffs within a shield.
It was a symbol proving his affiliation with the Security Force, the guardians of peace in the Royal Capital of Friselium.
"Deputy Chief Fernand, I apologize. My mistake."
The soldier stepped aside after seeing the badge, and Fernand, after stubbing out his cigarette on the ground, stepped past the fence.
Amidst the bustling crowd, he reached the scene of the incident.
It was a deserted alleyway.
"How gruesome..."
A low groan escaped his lips as he took in the scene before him.
The alleyway was stained with blood.
A man lay sprawled on the ground.
Judging from his appearance, he was in his mid-thirties.
His name, occupation, and family relations were all unknown, suggesting he was likely an illegal immigrant or a vagrant.
The cause of death: murder.
The body was riddled with wounds as if pierced by something sharp.
Even if, impossibly, he had survived the attack, the massive blood loss from the wounds would have ended his life shortly after.
"Ugh...!!"
A seemingly rookie soldier started vomiting at the sight, and nearby comrades quickly pulled him away from the scene.
"These youngsters these days..."
Fernand clicked his tongue as he watched them.
As a member of the 1st Division, they were bound to witness countless scenes like this in the future. To react this way to something so minor...
"Hey! Fernand! You're here?"
Just then, a man nearby spotted him and waved with a cheerful voice.
He had short blond hair and a friendly face.
His characteristically narrow, almost squinted eyes were a notable feature.
"It's that guy again, isn't it?"
"Probably? He's been quiet lately, but it seems he's started up again."
The man nodded in response to his question.
The unidentified serial killer known as "Thorn."
He had been active since the beginning of the year, but his activities had recently subsided. Now, he had resurfaced.
His primary victims were unidentifiable vagrants and illegal immigrants.
The number of victims had already exceeded dozens.
If one were to include the unreported crimes, the number would be far higher.
"Stakeouts are useless, no clues, no witnesses, and the worst geography. In my 10 years with the Security Force, I've never seen a case like this."
The Security Force had been tirelessly working to apprehend him, but they had made little progress.
His elusive nature and the labyrinthine back alleys made it virtually impossible to track him down.
That's why he, the former Deputy Chief of the 1st Division and current homeroom teacher of Class A-1 at Pilsberg Academy, had come here.
"There's no such thing as a perfect crime. As long as they're human, they'll leave traces."
Responding to the man's words, Fernand began to examine the crime scene.
"..."
Although the scope of the crimes was currently limited to slums and back alleys, attracting little attention, he was certain that it would soon expand beyond this area.
Indeed, if one plotted the locations where the bodies had been found, it was clear that the crimes were shifting towards the outskirts of the slums and back alleys.
Even though he was no longer part of the Security Force, as someone who had once served, he couldn't simply stand by and watch this happen...
"Sigh..."
With a short sigh, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.
However...
"Damn... I'm out of fuel."
He clicked his tongue in frustration as he looked at the lighter that wouldn't ignite and put the cigarette back in his pocket.
* * *
Summer break at Pilsberg Academy had ended, and the second semester had begun.
"Today, I'd like to introduce you to a new friend."
Fernand de Parcel, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, looked up from the paperwork he was listlessly reading towards the boy standing beside the podium.
He was a boy with a striking, wild appearance, characterized by dark, tanned skin, red eyes, and sandy blond hair.
It was Kurt.
"Introduce yourself and take a seat."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Kurt Kasha. I'm a Nord from the Plains of Eternal Winter."
A murmur rippled through the classroom as he spoke.
The Nord tribe had a reputation within the Kingdom as being nothing more than battle-crazed raiders.
Students from regions near the border, who were constantly harassed by them, openly expressed their displeasure.
Of course, Kurt paid no mind to their glares and made his way to the empty seat behind Rudell.
"Don't ostracize him just because he's new. Get along with each other. That's all for the morning assembly."
Fernand left the classroom after concluding the assembly...
"Leje El Lagrind. I need to speak with you for a moment."
"Understood."
Leje nodded in response and rose from her seat.
"...?"
Did something happen?
Rudell watched Leje as she headed towards the hallway, wondering what it could be.
Meanwhile...
"Are you really a Nord? You speak the language incredibly well for one."
"I heard that place is crawling with man-eating monsters. Is it true?"
"They say all Nords are battle-crazed maniacs. You don't seem like one."
"Have you ever raided the Kingdom?"
The students bombarded Kurt with questions, some bordering on racial insensitivity, without hesitation.
Even if the Nord tribe's image was that of battle-crazed raiders, it wouldn't resonate deeply with those who hadn't experienced it firsthand.
"My mother and father were Nords. I am a Nord."
"Magical beasts attacked us at least once a month. Sometimes we couldn't sleep for days because we were fighting them off."
"Fighting is a way of life for Nords. But I've learned that's not the case here."
"Only the strong tribes raid. Our tribe is weak. We hunt magical beasts to survive."
Kurt, however, seemed unfazed and answered them calmly.
Well, it seems like he'll fit in well enough.
Rudell observed the scene, thinking to himself.
Just then...
"Young Master Rudellheit."
"...?"
Rudell turned his head at the voice behind him to see a group of noble girls from his class.
"What is it?"
"We heard that the Weinstein family has been promoted to the rank of Count. Congratulations."
"Ah... Thank you."
Rudell nodded, understanding why they had approached him.
Recently, there was hardly a noble family who hadn't heard of Weinstein County.
After all, they were under the patronage of the Lagrind Dukedom, had prevented the assassination of the Princess, and had even slain a magical beast that appeared in their territory.
They were nothing short of a rising star among the nobility.
For these girls, a connection with Rudell meant a connection with the Weinstein County, and potentially even the Lagrind Dukedom.
He was an easy target for those seeking to build such ties.
"If you're free, would you like to join us for tea during lunch? We'd love to hear about what happened in your County..."
"About that incident? Well..."
This might be a bit troublesome...
Rudell trailed off, his voice laced with awkwardness, as he was about to politely decline their invitation.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible."
A familiar voice interjected, and as Rudell and the girls turned their heads, they saw Leje, her face etched with displeasure.
"A-Ahem!! If Princess Lagrind says so..."
The girls excused themselves, sweating nervously under her sharp gaze.
Leje clicked her tongue and sat down.
"What were you talking about with them just now?"
"Nothing much. You came at just the right time."
If I had even exchanged a few words with them, things would have gotten really complicated.
Rudell replied with a chuckle...
"Really?"
Leje narrowed her eyes, questioning him again.
"There's no reason for me to lie to you."
Leje's expression softened as Rudell answered with a low laugh.
"By the way, what did Professor Fernand want to talk about?"
"Well... it's a bit complicated..."
"What do you mean...?"
Rudell tilted his head, looking at Leje's troubled expression.
What could it be that made her react this way?
"Let's talk about it after class. Okay?"
"Hmm... Alright."
Well, I guess I'll find out when I hear the details.
Thinking so, Rudell began preparing for class.
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