“…!”

Adelbert’s face crumpled.

He must have been shocked to see the life drain from the professors’ faces.

Leo, on the other hand, was unfazed, seemingly used to it after seeing it a few times already.

‘It’s incredible that a single line of spell worked on nearly 30 people.’

What the hell happened to those Pleroma bishops then?

Even those appointed as professors fall to a single line of spell. If it’s like this, we have no hope.

More importantly…

‘…This is unexpected. I didn’t think I’d hit a wall right here.’

There was no answer from them.

I pressed my lips together and brushed the edge of my mask.

I deliberately didn’t ask ‘Are you in contact with Pleroma?’. I thought it couldn’t be that simple.

But there’s also the possibility that I’m overcomplicating things, so I should try the standard approach.

“In that case, I’ll change the question. Have any of you ever met or communicated with Pleroma, even just once?”

[…….]

“Have you ever visited Magic Department Dormitory Building 1 last night?”

[…….]

“Have you ever visited Lucas Rene Askanian’s room last night?”

[…….]

None of them.

‘This shouldn’t be happening.’

Access permissions to the detailed warp coordinates needed to infiltrate my room, the neatly installed warp magic on the floor.

Putting this together, the only possible candidates are the professors.

But none of them?

Not only me, but Leo and Adelbert also seemed slightly flustered.

After waiting for a long time with no answer, I retracted the staff.

“As expected, it’s not working.”

[…Hm?]

[Just now… ]

The professors suddenly raised their heads and looked around.

A professor who first grasped the situation protested.

[Your Excellency, even if you have received an imperial order, shouldn’t you give us time to prepare?]

“There’s nothing specific to prepare, but I apologize for not giving you ample time. My consideration was lacking.”

I replied as gently as possible, in Nicolaus’s manner of speaking.

“However, I would appreciate it if you would understand that I cannot provide detailed information about the timing of magic use during an interrogation. So, to state the conclusion, based on the use of magic, there was no one who was in contact with Pleroma, nor anyone who said they went up to the dormitory yesterday.”

[Then you mean there is no one here who is suspected? Just as I initially surmised.]

A professor asked.

“Yes. The possibility has increased. It might really be the case that the culprit isn’t here.”

Leo’s and Adelbert’s gazes turned towards me.

Adelbert, in particular, clearly looked shocked. It was natural, given that I had confidently asserted ‘The culprit must be here’ based on various pieces of evidence, only to now be backing down like this.

“May I ask one question to the professors here?”

[Speak.]

“I understand that all professors have access to detailed warp coordinates. What procedure do you need to follow to get the coordinates?”

[It’s not really a procedure… You just need to provide a valid reason. For example, if a student is in their room and seems involved in a magical crime, or if the door is locked by magic, if you say something like that, the operations team will provide the coordinates. But such dangerous things rarely happen, so we usually wouldn’t know about it.]

“I see. Do the professors contact them directly?”

[That’s right. Warp coordinates are strictly managed due to safety concerns, so they aren’t given out if requested by an assistant or a student.]

“That’s thorough. In that case, where do the individuals who check and provide those coordinates to the professors belong?”

[They belong to the dormitory operations team.]

Actually, it seemed a bit lax since the curfew was practically nonexistent and one could warp outside anytime, but there is indeed a system in place. Of course, outsiders can’t warp here normally, even if they know the coordinates.

“Thank you for the answers. As the professor mentioned, detailed coordinates can be found by students experimenting by pulling the coordinates one step at a time, and dormitory operations team staff can also find them if they want to… Perhaps there’s a possibility that I set the premise incorrectly.”

[Yes, that’s why there’s no reason to detain only us professors and interrogate us like this. Now that Your Excellency understands why we are protesting, I feel a burden has been lifted.]

The professor who spoke earlier replied with a smile.

No matter how I think about it, there’s no reason for my prediction to be wrong.

It’s not baseless confidence. It’s because there are still parts I need to consider that I’m doing this.

‘Then I just need to start with smaller hypotheses and work my way up again step by step.’

I smiled similarly and said something to the Headmaster, who was standing at the end of the platform.

The Headmaster relayed my words to them.

“Your Excellency Ernst will return in an hour. You may be very tired, but please wait here.”

As we went outside, the Headmaster’s attendants, who had been waiting by the door, fell in beside us. I said to one of them.

“Sir, I would like you to gather the people who work in the dormitory operations team in one place.”

“The dormitory? Understood. I will set up a place in this building, so please wait.”

One attendant warped somewhere and disappeared.

Leo quietly asked.

“What are you planning to do?”

“…….”

The reason for the question was obvious.

It was asking what I would do now that there was no answer.

“I am also curious, Your Excellency. Didn’t you clearly say that the culprit was likely in there?”

Adelbert chimed in, his face still showing signs of confusion.

“It’s nothing much. It felt awkward just interrogating the professors, so I thought I’d try conducting interrogations elsewhere as well.”

“I already know that you didn’t come out for such a simple and leisurely reason.”

Leo said without blinking an eye.

This guy…

He understands too well.

Leo opened his mouth.

“Let’s assume, as your investigation suggests, that the revelation, which is akin to telepathy, is controlling people. If a revelation like ‘Fall from a high place’ was given, you believed that ‘the victim would have no memory up until the fall’. I’ve synthesized what you’ve said, and is my conjecture correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, if, by the time they have fallen and are on the verge of death, the one who gave the revelation conveys, ‘This is actually the result of you feeling pessimistic about life and contemplating falling for over 10 minutes, this is the truth,’ wouldn’t that person completely believe it?”

In other words, the thought was manipulated one more time through a revelation close to brainwashing.

That is to say, that’s why none of the professors answered my question affirmatively.

“That is correct. It feels as if Your Highness has entered and exited my mind.”

“…….”

For a moment, I saw Leo suppressing a smile that was about to form involuntarily.

Leo cleared his throat and spoke.

“…*Ahem*, in that case, why didn’t you consider that on the spot and ask again? Even if the staff have access to the coordinates, the one who installed the magic is likely not a staff member.”

“Oh? Why does Your Highness think so?”

It’s entertaining to hear him wring out thoughts like this after a long time.

It’s also good to review it one more time through someone else’s mouth.

“Because that warp magic was installed by someone with no ordinary skill. Half the staff are Old Humans, half are New Humans. Among the New Human staff who handle simple clerical work, there are no skilled individuals capable of using such magic. …Though Your Excellency, being an outsider, might not know that.”

Just by seeing the warp magic in front of my room, he knew it wasn’t ordinary skill.

Yet I called Leo while I was being baptized just to figure this out.

“But what else should I ask? I already asked four times, and there wasn’t a single person who matched any of them.”

“Then you must have come here to find out what else to ask.”

He’s accurate. This guy knows too much now.

I merely replaced the answer with a smile.

At that moment, Adelbert, who had been listening attentively to our conversation beside us, spoke seriously.

“Your Excellency, there is something I am curious about. May I ask?”

“Of course.”

“You asked if they had ever visited Magic Department Dormitory Building 1, and if they had ever visited Lucas Rene Askanian’s room. I would like to know why you asked what are essentially the same questions twice.”

“…….”

He’s sharp.

It’s not for nothing that Adelbert always receives favorable reviews when compared to the Crown Prince.

“I will tell you later. Since I am still only at the hypothesis stage, I think it would be better to tell you after it’s confirmed.”

“I see…. But why are you really trying to interrogate the staff? As Senior Leonard mentioned, if the magic installed for the crime was sophisticated, the culprit shouldn’t be among the staff, but does Your Excellency have a different opinion?”

At that moment, the Headmaster’s attendant who had disappeared earlier warped to the end of the corridor.

I turned my head back to Adelbert.

“Let’s watch now.”

* * *

There were about twenty dormitory operations team staff members.

I thought there would be maybe five or six at most, but there were much more than expected.

In any case, they would be much easier opponents than the faculty.

“Your Excellency Nicolaus?”

“Huh?”

When someone they hadn’t heard about entered, surprise appeared on their faces.

Looking at the bewildered faces of the staff, I uttered the formal phrase I had spoken hundreds of times at the Police Bureau.

“There’s no time, so I request your immediate cooperation.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, what…”

—Enter through the narrow gate.

This time, I need to get specific answers, just like when I interrogated the Senior Old Human I met at Primrose Path. To do that, I need to bluff a little, like I did before when I said there were 5 hours left until support when there were only 5 minutes.

I snapped my fingers to slightly awaken their consciousness, then, looking at their hazy eyes, I opened my mouth urgently.

“I need help.”

“…?”

At the sudden, unexpected words, Adelbert glanced at me.

“I am a professor of the Magic Department, 2nd Year, Class 2. There’s a problem in a student’s room, and I need to know the warp coordinates right now. Do you happen to know the detailed warp coordinates for Lucas Rene Askanian’s room?”

“…!”

“Ah.”

Leo let out a short sigh.

‘Come out.’

If they don’t come forward here, I’ll have to make a new hypothesis.

Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long.

Tug―

Someone standing at the end of one wall twitched their fingertips.

As if to signal something to me, he raised his hand.

However, perhaps because their consciousness wasn’t fully intact, the speed was excessively slow. I acted with an urgent voice and urged him on.

“Are you the one telling me, sir? I need the accurate coordinates as quickly as possible.”

“233.3…”

“…….”

“…808.3:000.1. What exactly is the matter?”

“…….”

I smiled beneath my mask.

I saw Leo’s face stiffen. He checked the veracity, following along.

“That is correct.”

“Sir, do you know the warp coordinates for the student Leonard Wittelsbach?”

At my words, he let his unfocused eyes wander, then muttered slowly and sluggishly like before, his voice sounding drained of strength.

“No. I would have to check. But didn’t you say it was urgent?”

“Excellent. How would you know the coordinates for warping into the room of a mere student, right here, without any ledger?”

And only my room, precisely.

That must mean he checked it frequently enough to memorize it.

Also, wouldn’t it be clear in his memory because he confirmed and handed over the information just yesterday?

I checked his status window.

[Gloria Klein]

‘Good.’

I snapped my fingers again, erasing his consciousness entirely.

—Enter through the narrow gate.

“Did you move to the corresponding coordinates and install the warp magic?”

“…….”

“If not, have you ever informed someone of Lucas Rene Askanian’s warp coordinates and given them a command?”

“…….”

He continued to shake his head.

Meaning he never gave a ‘command’.

He’s a simple informant.

“Alright. Then, have you ever checked the room coordinates for the students Adelbert Hohenzollern and Elias Hohenzeller?”

A different reaction than before.

He nodded his head.

CRASH―!

I struck the desk once, dispelling the magic.

Of course, the conversation that just happened had to be erased from all of their memories.

I internally repeated the keywords to erase, and injected new memories.

“It is finished. You may return.”

I gestured with my head to the Imperial Mage who had been standing behind me the whole time.

While the Mage approached Gloria Klein, who was standing there with a bewildered look, I went out into the corridor.

Adelbert asked urgently.

“Your Excellency! This… I mean! Did you catch him just now?!”

“No. The person who installed the warp magic and sprinkled the drug in your room is someone else. As I mentioned earlier, it requires a skilled individual who can use magic cleanly.”

Only then did Adelbert seem to recall what I had said earlier.

“Ah… right. It’s the first time I’ve seen Your Excellency Nicolaus—no, Your Excellency Ernst—resolve a case like this… My thoughts became a bit heated. So, that person was just the one who passed on the information, correct?”

“That’s right. Now we’ve caught one of the two culprits.”

In that case, it’s time to use this information to find out who the ‘skilled’ culprit is.

Now it’s just a matter of time.

I said what I hadn’t been able to say earlier.

“Your Highness, you asked earlier why I asked the same question twice.”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Memory doesn’t rely on facts, but on what the person has perceived. Let’s say I ate an apple. If I was taught that an apple was a grape, I would nod my head to the question ‘Did you eat a grape?’ rather than ‘Did you eat an apple?’”

“Hmm… It’s a situation where it’s difficult to get correct information even using magic.”

“That’s right. Furthermore, if the ‘revelation’ is a command powerful enough to override the subject’s will, the subject may not properly perceive their own actions. You could see it as a state of being a living corpse, with only one goal floating in their mind.”

“…It’s similar to brainwashing.”

“Seeing that it can be used remotely, it’s not a mental-type magic using Divine Power, but it is similar.”

I took a breath and continued speaking.

“Let’s say someone in that corpse-like state had coordinate numbers injected into their mind and received a command to move to that location. Then they would believe that they had never set foot in Magic Department Dormitory Building 1, nor in Lucas Rene Askanian’s room.”

“Ah, now I understand. You asked the same question twice because you didn’t know how they might have perceived it.”

Adelbert said, his eyes shining.

He understands well.

I explained it at length on purpose, but it seems I can just speak roughly from now on.

“However, Your Excellency. Isn’t there one problem?”

“What is it?”

“As Senior Leonard mentioned earlier, if a command dominates the brain and creates a period where the actor has no memory, then if information like ‘I was only in the lab tonight’ is injected, that blank memory would be filled in with a post-facto judgment, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Adelbert asked cautiously.

“…In that case, even if we found the informant, not being able to find the actor is the same situation as before, isn’t it? Furthermore, the informant and the actor aren’t directly connected, and if someone else gave the revelation, it seems they wouldn’t know even if we asked using the informant’s identity.”

Since earlier, he’s only been throwing out questions that make you want to nurture him.

Making a guy like this into a villain is a tremendous waste.

We entered the small auditorium again.

As soon as they saw us, a few professors asked with tired faces.

[Didn’t you say there were no suspects? What are you trying to do now?]

“This is the last time. If no one comes forward this time, I will report to His Majesty that the Imperial Second Academy faculty are completely without suspicion.”

After appeasing them, I cast a soundproofing spell and spoke to Adelbert.

“Even if memories are overwritten through a revelation, there’s a problem here. Let’s say a command was given, ‘Move to coordinate A and install the magic’. Then, after finishing the work, the memory could be overwritten by saying ‘You did nothing tonight’ or ‘You never moved to coordinate A and installed the magic’, right?”

“Yes.”

“The biggest problem here lies in this. Even if you try to overwrite it with another command, the preceding command has already been given regardless. Whatever comes next, the record remains.”

Adelbert’s mouth gradually fell open as he stared into space, lost in thought.

“…Ah.”

“Unless the memory is wiped with mind manipulation magic as if using an eraser, it means that information has already been processed in the brain. In that case, we can finish this with just one question, can’t we?”

I folded my fingers to count and opened my mouth.

—Enter through the narrow gate.

“Between 8:30 PM last night and before midnight, have you recalled the coordinate ‘233.3:808.3:000.1’ even once? If so, answer.”

Leo and Adelbert looked forward without making a single sound.

Silence continued for a long time.

[…—.]

A faint voice leaked out from somewhere.

It wasn’t understandable words, but it was a clear answer.

The moment I confirmed who the voice came from, Leo’s brow furrowed.

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