C27: Werewolf (2)
After that, I went on patrol, captured nearly 20 students, penalized them, and forced them back to their dormitories.
Why do these bastards keep walking around at night? They’re freshmen, so they’re immature but seeing sophomores also involved is giving me a headache.
‘That means everyone is interested in this werewolf incident.’
The sun has already set, and darkness is all around. Although there are security guards and teachers patrolling, there are still quite a few students hiding inside this beautiful property.
‘Students are children who can use magic, so ordinary users will not be able to find the hidden ones.’
That must have fueled their sense of adventure even more. To be honest, I was going to just ignore it and pass by, but every time I pass by, one or two stand out.
‘A lot of them.’
Most of the students were obsessed with their own ambitions to capture the werewolf because an official notice came from Leathervelk. Anyone who could kill or capture an werewolf would be rewarded.
‘In addition to wanting to become a hero, if they catch it, Leathervelk will pay them money and increase their reputation, there is no one who will turn away from such a chance.’
For commoners who lack money, the bounty obtained by defeating the werewolf must be very attractive.
In the case of the commoners, there is a system that provides them scholarships within Theon internally, but that doesn’t mean they will receive all of the magic textbooks and other supplies. There are many things wizards need money for and it’s the same for students.
If they become heroes and get noticed by some rich people they might get sponsored by them.
Some boys seem to have done this because they couldn’t beat their youthful energy just to get the attention of the opposite sex.
‘It seems that I have sent everyone back, so I have to start tracking the werewolf again.’
I wasted a lot of time. Besides, I realized that the situation was more serious than I had thought. I had no idea that there would be so many students.
The other teachers will feel something strange and work harder. If someone other than me finds the werewolf first and discovers that it’s been created in a lab the situation will get out of control.
‘So before that, I’ll take care of it.’
I headed to the sewage treatment plant, the most likely route for the werewolves to sneak into Theon Academy.
As Theon has a vast site, it uses quite a lot of water, so there is a huge sewage treatment facility on the outskirts of the campus. A place that draws in huge amounts of water from the Lemzier River and at the same time discharges a large amount of water through huge earth pipes.
Considering the size of the werewolf I encountered at that time, there is a high probability that it came through the earth pipe.
‘Fortunately, no one seems to have come this far.’
Most teachers go on patrols and send students back just in case something goes wrong. No one, like me, wondered where the werewolf came from and followed its tracks because that isn’t the wizard’s way, but the hunter’s way.
After wandering around the darkened sewage treatment plant, I finally found a trace.
‘Footprint.’
The footprints clearly marked on the bushes looked like they had been engraved for several days. When I got closer and wiped it with my hand, it was clear.
‘Comparing the size of the footprint, it’s slightly smaller than the one I saw at that time.’
But there was one problem. There were two types of footprints.
Everyone believes that there’s only one werewolf but there might be 2 of them inside Theon.
‘I thought there was only one, but looking at the imprints, it seems that the guy who ate people from Leathervelk came all the way here.’
I moved slowly and followed the trail of footsteps. The two footsteps moved in the same direction at first, but then split in two directions, small ones to the right, large ones to the left.
I didn’t expect these guys to separate here. Wolves are pack animals so werewolves who inherited that tendency are the same. Normally, they should have stayed together.
I don’t know why, but they started to move apart so I had to make a choice.
* * *
‘It’s late.’
Rene, with her ash gray hair color, which is rare even in Theon, was running around the lot with a magic textbook in her arms. It had been a while since she fell asleep while studying in the library.
She looked out her window, pulling the hair clinging to her cheeks, and, seeing the sun set, hurriedly ran out of the library. As she ran towards her dorm, Rene had no choice but to blame herself.
‘You idiot! Why did you fall asleep there?’
Over the past few days, while reducing her sleep time, fatigue has accumulated due to immersion in homework and study.
The teacher decided that students should go back to their dormitory after classes but she fell asleep in the library. It is the duty of the students to control their physical condition. Just because she fell asleep doesn’t mean it’s not her fault.
If the teachers caught her she had no excuse for getting penalized.
‘Still, it’s a bit painful to receive a penalty point.’
Running out of money, she was living on her scholarship. However, if the student has a penalty point, the amount of the scholarship will be reduced. In some cases, the scholarship application would be rejected when the student has too many penalty points.
She hoped that she wouldn’t be penalized so badly for this incident, but the fact that she would be penalized was a burden to her.
‘But can’t I just go back to the dormitory as soon as possible before I get caught?’
She had to avoid the dormitory supervisor’s eyes, but in the case of the non-teachers, she was confident that she would not be found out. She already thought that the penalty points were certain. There was a glimmer of hope that she might not get caught, as she hid her body in the dark.
‘Even so, it was too much. How can no one wake me up?’
After thinking about that, Rene sighed deeply.
Originally, it was the basic thing for students attending the academy to make friends and get to know each other, but in fact, from the beginning of the semester, she had a quarrel with an aristocrat and was swept away by turmoil.
Because of that conflict she was targeted by the noble students and other commoner students stopped approaching her. Still, there were some boys who asked if she was okay the next day after the incident. They were all enamored with her appearance and approached with certain thoughts.
She said that she didn’t want to be friends with people like that.
‘The librarian was also absent. They didn’t even want to wake me up in the first place.’
Perhaps the person who works as a librarian is also on the side of the aristocrats. Feeling embarrassed about her own situation, Rene bit her lip.
It was at that moment when she vowed to go home and wash up and organize the contents of today’s class.
──Crush.
“Hey, why are you there?”
Rene unconsciously stopped his steps and shook her body. The fact that the grass beyond the darkness, where the trees were planted moved wasn’t her imagination.
“Come out otherwise, I will call the teachers.”
The rumors of a werewolf that have been circulating recently had been well heard by Rene and she couldn’t dismiss it as a mere rumor since 2 students have been injured. Thinking that the werewolf was real a chill ran down her spine.
Rene moved her trembling feet and stepped back. At that moment, the rustling in the darkness came swiftly towards her and something popped out from a bush.
Rene squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
“I have no taste at all! If you eat something like me, you will only get a stomach ache!”
But the wolf’s cry was not heard. There was no pain either.
Rene opened her eyes and the first thing she saw in the light of the street lamp was blonde hair.
The student had leaves all over her but her nobility never faded. She put her hands on her waist and stared at Rene with a curious gaze. She was a year older than Rene and was a princess of this country.
“Aren’t you too rude?”
“Uh, huh?”
Rene immediately recognized who was in front of her.
“Wow, Princess?”
Third Princess Erendir von Exilion.
Rene saw her in Rudger class, so she immediately shook her head. But when Rene tried to bow her head, Princess Erendir stopped her.
“No, it’s ok.”
“But……”
“It was my fault that I surprised you in the first place but this is Theon and in Theon, everyone is equal. You and I are the same.”
At Erendir’s confident words, Rene opened her mouth without realizing it. She didn’t know that she would hear Theon ideology from the princess.
“Uh, why is that princess here……?”
“Don’t call me princess. Are you in 1st grade? Then you can just call me Erendir-senpai.”
“Me, me?”
“I’m more comfortable with it. In the first place, I have no intention of arbitrarily using my position in Theon. Junior, did you say that your name was Rene?”
“Huh? Do you know me?”
“You’re taking the manifestation class together. I have a good memory.”
“That’s great.”
“Well, actually, the class is very special. It remained in my memory quite strongly, and most of the students in that class remember it. And you are quite conspicuous.”
Is she talking about hair color? Rene smiled brightly. The color of my hair attracted the attention of the princess.
“So, why is junior Rene, wandering around here late at night? Didn’t the teachers warn you?”
“Well, that’s……”
Rene candidly answered why she was moving alone this late at night.
Erendir, who had heard everything, widened her eyes.
“What? Nobody woke you up? Isn’t that too much?”
“In the end, it was my fault for falling asleep.”
“No! I can’t let this go. Why are they doing such a boring thing? I will talk with the librarian right now……”
“More importantly, what are you doing here?”
Rene hurriedly changed the topic.
“Oh, you mean me? I am currently in the role of finding and returning students who have not yet returned to the dormitory. Everyone is so noisy now.”
“Huh……Aren’t seniors also students?”
“You do not have to worry because I am moving with permission.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Anyway, let’s go back. Oh, if you keep going like this, there will be a teacher, you should go back this way so you won’t be found out.”
“Ah yes! Thank you!”
It was at that moment when Rene nodded and was about to leave.
“Crung”
Rene and Erendir heard a strange sound.
“……Rene. Step back.”
Erendir stared into the darkness and pulled out her staff. Two red eyes appeared in the darkness and slowly approached the two of them.
A werewolf appeared in the light of a street lamp.
“……Werewolves are real.”
“The rumors, weren’t they fake?”
“What are you surprised about? You were surprised when you first saw me.”
“Oh, that’s…everyone is surprised when something pops out of the dark!”
“Anyway, this is a big deal.”
The werewolf in front of them didn’t look weak at first glance. There was an obvious murderous intent in its eyes.
Neither Rene nor Erendir showed it but they were afraid. Still as rank 3 wizard she couldn’t lose without doing anything.
“──Get out of the way.”
At that moment, a strong fire broke out in the air. A high-temperature flame engulfed the werewolf and burned him.
“Kyaah”
The werewolf screamed and rolled on the floor. He didn’t die perhaps because of the beast’s instinct to avoid fire, but his flesh and skin burned and melted, so he could not escape the blow.
The wound was also recovering quickly, but they had enough time. Their eyes turned to the place where the magic flew. A man was standing there.
Rene called out his name without realizing it.
“Mr. Rudger!”
Rudger Chelici.
Rudger’s ice-cold gaze moved from the werewolf and turned to Rene and Erendir and slowly opened his mouth.
“Rene and Erendir von Exilion.”
“Yes!”
“Yes, teacher.”
They were glad that Rudger had come to the rescue, and waited for his next words.
“Both of you will receive five penalty points.”