Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Hubert Graham

In the end, over the weekend, I went and bought an item to give Kaen.

I thought she would like that item quite a bit, with its stylish appearance.

Its specs were decent too, so the price was fairly high, but Kaen’s growth would surely end up being a great help to me, so it did not matter.

Soon, the weekdays arrived, and an ordinary routine began again.

“Eisel isn’t here.”

I thought perhaps she was simply late, but even after Edward’s class began, Eisel showed no sign of appearing.

In the end, in the middle of class, I watched Edward’s reaction, then whispered to Yuri.

“...Why do you think Miss Eisel is not coming?”

“Hm? Since both Eisel and you hadn’t been seen since the weekend... I thought maybe the two of you were spending some cozy time together ‘without me’ again. Was that not it?”

Yuri asked me back, emphasizing “without me” in the middle.

Recently, many things had happened in situations where Yuri was absent.

It seemed she felt a little disappointed about that.

I smiled bitterly and opened my mouth.

“I have not met Miss Eisel this weekend either.”

“Well... Maybe she is skipping class somewhere. She does tend to disappear somewhere without saying anything all the time. She did that during the sparring match before too.”

Yuri said this while fiddling with her neatly braided hair.

Eisel in the game would sometimes skip class too.

If anything, the fact that she had been attending class diligently until now felt strange, since she had not skipped at all.

“She was absent the entire weekend...”

As a regressor, as “Eisel Ludwig,” she must be facing enemies she needed to eliminate.

It had been the same the last time she came to me covered in blood.

Eisel was strong.

As a regressor, she would not easily rush at dangerous opponents either.

“As long as she does not overdo it, nothing should happen...”

As I worried over this and that, Edward’s class had ended before I knew it.

Just in case, I checked my status window, but there was no change.

...Well, I was used to it by now.

At this point, the class rewards were so poor that it made me wonder whether they were random at all, or if Edward was deliberately stopping my growth.

Still, the contents of the class were not poor.

Edward’s classes were simple, yet they made the students think for themselves.

Class ended like that, and just as I was wondering what to do next.

“Student Zeto? This way for a moment.”

Edward, who had been about to leave the classroom, was calling me.

“What could this be?”

Yuri, sitting beside me, wondered.

I had the same question.

Soon, as I approached Edward, the corners of his mouth rose broadly.

“I still cannot get used to that smile.”

The suspicious smile I had seen countless times in the game remained just as uncomfortable.

Soon, the suspiciously smiling Edward left the classroom, so I followed him for now.

As soon as we left the classroom, Edward began continuing the conversation.

“Student Zeto, I have been watching your recent activities with great interest. Especially that sparring match this time... it was nothing short of absurd.”

“Yes...”

“That was praise.”

At my hesitant answer, Edward turned his head and emphasized it.

Soon, Edward turned his head forward again, walking ahead as he continued speaking.

“That aside... Student Zeto, you have quite a few secrets, don’t you?”

At Edward’s meaningful words, I grew tense, if only slightly.

“There was so little information that I had my doubts... but to think the chairman admitted you, haha.”

Edward said this as he continued walking down the corridor.

“The chairman admitted me?”

Innocence Academy, founded by the Sage.

Even this Innocence Academy had a chairman.

Hubert Graham.

The man currently serving as chairman.

Perhaps because the Graham family had deep ties to the Sage since long ago, they had maintained the chairman’s seat through the generations.

As described in the game, there was not much information about the family itself, so it had a strong air of mystery.

Should I call it a feeling similar to the rich people who often appear in conspiracy theories?

To put the Graham family simply, they were the academy’s source of funds, so I knew they overflowed with money.

In the game, the chairman, “Hubert Graham,” was a character who only appeared occasionally.

That meant his presence was not very large.

The reason the player enrolled in the academy was related to the chairman.

One could confirm that in the intro scene that played when starting the game.

“Does that mean the same thing applied to me too?”

When I entered this world, my admission to the academy had already been scheduled, so I had no way to know the details, but judging by what Edward was saying now, that seemed to be the case.

“He is not someone who comes to the academy very often, so even I was surprised to receive the summons so suddenly.”

Edward said this in a doubtful voice.

“It seems the chairman has called for me.”

“That is correct.”

After answering my words briefly, Edward stopped walking in front of a door.

On the wall beside the door, I could see a sign that read “Chairman’s Office.”

“Will he give me some kind of reward?”

The chairman’s summons was something one could occasionally experience in the game too.

He would suddenly call the player, say various words of praise, and give different rewards depending on the timing.

Soon, Edward knocked on the door.

“Chairman, I have brought Student Zeto.”

A deep voice from inside the room said, “Come in,” and Edward opened the door wide.

Following Edward’s guidance, I entered the chairman’s office.

Directly ahead, I saw Hubert sitting at a desk.

Beside Hubert stood a woman who appeared to be something like his secretary, assisting him.

Then, as soon as Edward closed the door and left, Hubert’s mouth opened.

“Student Zeto, it has been some time!”

Hubert greeted me with a hearty laugh.

He already knew me.

But I was seeing him for the first time.

***

“Student Zeto, it has been some time!”

The Sage was currently disguised as Hubert Graham.

Changing his appearance was not very difficult for him.

Although there were “restrictions,” using polymorph magic itself was not a major problem.

“It has been a while, Chairman.”

When the Sage greeted Zeto warmly, Zeto also bowed his head in greeting.

“As expected, he seems to know Hubert...”

Hubert Graham was the Sage himself. The Sage had no memory of meeting Zeto. And yet Zeto knew the chairman.

Just as the Sage was about to tell Zeto, who was standing in the room, to sit, the voice of Ithea, who was beside him disguised as a secretary, rang in his head.

[...Master, I remember Hubert Graham being slightly less frivolous. Please be careful. ]

It was a kind of communication magic.

After examining Zeto, the Sage had judged that his senses other than sight were extremely developed and had specially prepared this magic.

“...”

At Ithea’s words, the Sage shut his mouth tightly.

Ithea often helped from beside the Sage when he acted as Graham.

“Which number Graham was Hubert again...”

Every chairman who had ever existed at the academy, in other words every Graham, had been the Sage himself.

To avoid suspicion from people, he had assigned a personality and traits to each Graham.

If Hubert Graham had a bright personality that made him seem friendly, then the Graham before Hubert, Altair Graham, had been an extremely cold and rational person.

However, as the Sage’s life as Graham continued for so long, even he had begun to confuse them.

That was also why the Sage did not often wander outside while in the form of Graham.

“Perhaps it is time to truly create something called the Graham family.”

The Sage wondered whether he should adopt a child who would become Graham, then looked at Zeto and opened his mouth.

“Sit comfortably.”

Zeto sat on a sofa in a suitable position.

The senses revealed through his rather natural movement had reached an astonishing level.

“At this point, it almost seems like he can see everything.”

The Sage nearly made such a silly joke, but stopped and swallowed.

“I rather like the design of the necklace you are wearing.”

The “Necklace Containing the Hero’s Protection” on Zeto’s chest entered the Sage’s eyes.

Things like design held little meaning to Zeto, who had become the owner of the necklace.

However, the Sage, the very one who had made it, thought the necklace’s design looked more and more pleasing the longer he saw it.

“Ah, I obtained this by chance when I went to the Labyrinth. It seems to be an item containing magic... I think it is all thanks to the academy. Haha.”

Then Zeto scratched his head and laughed.

“Hoho, how fortunate. Thanks to the Labyrinth, many students gain good experience and rewards. That aside, it feels like it has been quite some time since I last saw you... Was it perhaps three months?”

The Sage, having begun with trivial talk about the necklace, immediately entered the main point.

The Sage had never met Zeto.

The same was true as Hubert Graham.

However, the man before him with bandages around his eyes behaved calmly, as if he had met Hubert before.

Thus, the Sage decided to probe him.

In Zeto’s documents, it was recorded that Chairman Hubert had approved his admission three months ago.

Then the time he had met him should have been around then.

At the Sage’s question, a smile formed around Zeto’s mouth, and he opened his mouth.

“...I still remember it vividly. Chairman, you were riding a carriage toward a city. The place you were going to was... ‘Millivrium,’ I believe?”

At Zeto’s following words, the Sage was flustered.

He was not flustered because he had never gone to a city called Millivrium.

It was because the Sage remembered taking a carriage to Millivrium in Hubert Graham’s appearance.

That had surely been around three months ago.

Even so, this man named Zeto was still not in his memory.

As the Sage fell silent in order to hide the bewilderment rushing over him, Ithea’s voice rang out again from beside him.

[ Master, after checking my memories, it seems I was not beside you at the time. ]

Ithea was a golem.

Unlike the memories of humans, a golem’s memories could be “stored” precisely, but if Ithea had been beside him at the time, then at the very least, Ithea would have remembered this man named Zeto.

Even Ithea could not understand why she did not recognize Zeto... The story fit together frighteningly well.

“Did I truly forget him...?”

To deny this, the Sage spoke to Zeto.

“...I never imagined I would meet you there.”

“It was fortunate. The carriage you were riding was under attack by bandits... and I happened to be passing by beside it. I never imagined that would become the reason I entered the academy, though.”

“Hohoho, yes, that was how it was. That was how it was. A nostalgic story indeed...”

The Sage laughed heartily like that and hid his suspicions toward Zeto.

“I remember going to Millivrium, but... I have no memory at all after riding the carriage. An attack by bandits...”

It was strange.

It felt as if someone had cut the thread of his memory midway.

Either the Sage had lost his memories, or someone had manipulated them.

However, he was the “Sage.”

Not only had he never heard of magic that tampered with memories, but if anyone dared manipulate the Sage’s memories, they would have to bring the Chief God along.

“At this point, I do think I truly forgot him.”

When such a detailed story had come out, he could not simply say he did not remember and suspect Zeto.

Just as the Sage accepted the reality that he had forgotten and wanted to sigh, Zeto spoke first.

“...So, for what reason did you call me?”

“Huu... yes. I heard that you have recently been showing outstanding achievements within the academy, so I came to see you once.”

The Sage answered that way and tapped the desk, sending a signal to Ithea.

Even after conversing directly with Zeto, the Sage did not detect anything particularly strange. In other words, it seemed certain that the Sage had forgotten.

A person on the level of the chairman could not suddenly summon a student merely to chat.

This was a suitable pretext for the conversation.

Ithea confirmed the Sage’s signal and held something out to Zeto.

Zeto, having received a key, tilted his head and opened his mouth.

“What is this?”

“The first-years will soon be going on a field trip, yes? It seems they will ride an ‘airship’... This is the key to the cabin I used on that airship. It will be far more luxurious than the other rooms, so the trip there should be comfortable. I heard you already received reward money from the academy... As someone who has nothing but money, I am sorry this is the only thing I can do for you.”

Soon, after quietly listening to the Sage, a smile carved itself onto Zeto’s mouth.

“No, I am only grateful for your consideration. An airship... I am looking forward to it.”

“I would like to talk more, but I am rather busy, so that will be difficult. You may return now.”

The Sage decided he would watch Zeto more carefully.

In any case, based on the circumstances, Zeto was presumed to be able to converse with souls, so to the Sage, he was a person who required special attention.

He was probably not a Saint... but it was certain he had some special power.

Then Zeto bowed his head and left the chairman’s office.

After Zeto left, silence hovered in the room.

Ithea, standing beside the Sage, quietly spoke one sentence.

“Master, shall I search to see if there is an elixir that improves memory?”

“...”

The Sage turned his head and looked at Ithea’s serious face.

He could not think of anything in particular to refute.

“If such an elixir exists... it may not be bad to drink it...”

***

The short meeting with Hubert ended.

As I had expected, it seemed the same event as the game’s intro had happened.

In the game’s intro, the chairman’s carriage was attacked, and the player helped him, allowing them to enter the academy.

The moment Hubert mentioned three months, I realized it.

It matched the time when that incident from the intro would have happened.

“Even though I have no memory of it.”

I did not even know whether that incident had truly happened.

It seemed I had managed to gloss over it well enough that he did not suspect me.

“One question that comes to mind is...”

I had been wearing bandages around my eyes from the moment I first entered this world.

Hubert did not find the bandages around my eyes strange either.

Two possibilities came up.

The first was that a person named Zeto, who wore bandages around his eyes, had been living in this world.

The second was that when the person named Zeto appeared in this world, some unknown “force of fate” or the like had been applied. In short, Hubert’s memories had been manipulated.

I did not know which one it was.

However, the former seemed unlikely.

Zeto was a character I had made myself through customization.

It would have been difficult to realize that the bandage was an item called the “Blindfold of Piercing Insight,” so the idea that “Zeto,” who should not have lost his sight, had gone out of his way to live with bandages around his eyes...

...was a little strange.

I wore it because I knew very well that it was an item.

To sum it up, it seemed more accurate that the transcendent being that had thrown me into the game world had intervened in this situation.

The reward Hubert gave me this time was the key to the most luxurious cabin on the airship we would be riding during the field trip.

As Hubert said, the first-years were soon scheduled to go on a field trip to a region far from the academy.

At the place we visited during that field trip, one could meet the second main boss after the lycanthrope.

I remembered receiving this key in the game too.

It was not an extremely useful reward.

I remembered that stamina recovered better in the cabin and that one could see special events with various characters.

In any case, after the interview with Hubert ended, I returned to the dormitory and immediately prepared to go out.

No matter how much I thought about it, “Varsium” continued to bother me.

Even if he was a character who had not appeared in the game, I judged there was nothing bad about making preparations.

Varsium was a high-ranking vampire.

Vampires were included among the undead.

In other words, the effect of the “Necklace Containing the Hero’s Protection” hanging around my neck, light-attribute attacks, would be greatly effective against him.

But I did not think the necklace would solve everything.

Chapter One had its limits.

It could send slashes flying toward distant enemies without sword aura... but if an opponent had experienced Chapter One and wanted to respond to it, they could respond as much as they liked.

After all, where I intended to cut was visible to the opponent’s eyes.

Chapter One was ultimately useful for surprise attacks, or meaningful because it allowed attacks from range.

Therefore, since I had conveniently leveled up, I intended to learn Chapter Two of Rebellion Against Heaven while I had the chance.

In truth, rather than learning it, it was closer to raising the skill points, but as long as Sierra existed, it was right to go through the process of receiving instruction from her.

I had already used the skill points.

I invested four points into Demon Swordsmanship, and Rebellion Against Heaven’s skill level rose to level 4.

My current location was a quiet forest located outside the academy.

It was the place where I had learned and mastered Chapter One of Rebellion Against Heaven before.

As I sat on the stump left behind after cutting down the tree with Chapter One last time, Sierra approached me.

[ You said you wished to learn Chapter Two. Hmm... It seems your progress is fast, but as your master, I cannot let my disciple’s talent rot. ]

“Chapter Two was time, yes? Then time...”

[ You defy it. To be precise, you defy the flow of time. ]

Sierra cut in and added her explanation.

“The flow of time...”

Before, when she said it defied time, I thought perhaps it would turn back time.

As I listened to Sierra’s explanation, I began to clearly understand what Chapter Two felt like.

The status window was a great help.

Chapter Two of Rebellion Against Heaven defies the flow of time.

It makes the flow of time slower only for the caster.

When Chapter Two is activated, everything except the caster feels as if it has slowed down.

Should I say one can experience a world turned into slow motion?

Strictly speaking, it means the caster’s speed becomes that much faster.

[ However, as for how long your current body can endure it... even I do not know. ]

Sierra, who had been staring steadily at me, said this in a worried voice.

“...My body?”

Even as I voiced that question, another thought came to mind.

It would be stranger if there were no penalty.