The next day, I was excused from class.

The official reason was that Kilpus in the chairman’s office had sent me on an errand. Lili, my homeroom instructor, seemed suspicious, but since she herself was unable to teach due to her duty of guarding Kilpus, she didn’t press the matter too much.

The girl who had called herself Miku Orunkaim had, of course, not returned to the girls’ dormitory. The knight order had already combed through every inn in the academy city of Lehan, but they had yet to find her.

The royal capital was near Lehan, but given her fugitive status, she couldn’t use a carriage. Staying in an inn was out of the question, and traveling on foot was absurd. It was unlikely that she had left the city.

The opposite direction—if she intended to escape to the Republic, she would need a horse.

That day, it was raining.

I ran through the streets, searching for her.

The resident knights of Lehan had already reached the horse traders. Though they weren’t wearing armor, the swords at their waists made their status clear. In pairs, they monitored the customers.

There was no way she could buy a horse under such conditions.

“Where are you, you foolish cat?”

As the rain intensified, my anxiety grew.

Think. Think. I told myself.

There was no evidence of an accomplice aiding her escape. I wanted to believe that Lord Orunkaim’s border knights had captured them all, but I couldn’t be sure.

But in any case, if they were moving in a group along the highway, the knight order would have already found them.

If she had already left Lehan, then that was fine. If she could escape to the Republic alive, that was the best possible outcome.

What I feared most was that she would attempt to assassinate Kilpus again. Whether she succeeded or failed, it would be the worst possible outcome for me.

I took shelter under the eaves of a building to escape the rain.

“...No, that’s not it... She’s not so foolish as to act recklessly…”

She was intelligent. Thinking back with a clear mind, I realized that I had been psychologically manipulated by her.

When choosing weapons, she had looked at Oujin and claimed that foreign spies had infiltrated Lehan’s knight academy. Of course, Oujin was no spy. Anyone could see he was just an exchange student. She knew that full well, yet she still said it to me.

Why had she gone out of her way to mention something that would put herself at risk?

Now I understood. By speaking about spies herself, she had hoped to divert suspicion away from herself in the future.

There had been so many clues, yet I hadn’t doubted her. Worse, I had fallen right into her trap. I was angry—both at her and at myself.

“Haah…”

The rain grew even heavier. Even standing under the eaves, it didn’t seem like it would let up anytime soon.

People disappeared from the streets, leaving only the knight order.

She wasn’t here. Had she already left the city? Should I expand my search beyond the city limits?

Since the collapse incident, Lehan Dungeon had been restricted from entry. It was dangerous, but it was also a place where one could hide from prying eyes and shelter from the rain.

“Might as well check… Making me go through all this trouble…”

I left the academy city and ran through the rain.

Lehan Dungeon wasn’t far. Running, I would reach it soon.

The iron gate at the entrance was closed. I sighed and was about to turn back—but then, I stopped.

“...No way.”

I placed both hands on the iron door and slowly pushed.

With a heavy groan—it opened. It had been unlocked.

It was possible the instructors were conducting a dungeon investigation, but most of them were in class right now. Lili was also occupied with guard duty.

“Ah, damn it! I should have brought a magic lantern!”

A staircase swallowed by darkness. I couldn’t see a thing.

But I couldn’t afford to waste time going back. Besides, how was I supposed to explain borrowing a magic lantern? There was no way I could say I was about to enter the dungeon alone. Much less that I suspected the girl was hiding there.

Thanks to the rain, I couldn’t even make a torch. This was the worst.

“...Screw it.”

One step at a time, I descended into the gaping maw of darkness, keeping a hand against the wall.

Eventually, the stairs ended.

The first underground floor. The starting point for dungeon explorations.

At this depth, I could see nothing. Nothing at all. The thickening darkness clung to me like a viscous fluid.

I had to rely on my senses.

The raindrops rolling off my body splattered onto the damp dungeon floor.

Plip…

If a goblin horde attacked now, I was done for. I could handle one or two, but a whole swarm… Who knew how many were still alive down here?

Had she really entered the dungeon under these conditions? Then again, with her stealth techniques, it was possible. Now that I thought about it, she was an assassin—she would be right at home in the dark.

In complete darkness, I stood no chance against her. My only real concern was the goblins.

Feeling my way blindly.

Should I call out?

I hesitated.

I drew my gladius, keeping it sheathed, and tapped the ground with the scabbard.

Trying to gather information through sound. Trying to gauge the space through echoes. Trying to pick up scents. But the rain outside and the damp earth interfered.

No choice. There was a risk of drawing goblins, but—

“...”

I hesitated to call her name. She was not Miku Orunkaim. I didn’t know her real name.

Ridiculous. What was there to hesitate about? There was nothing else I could do.

I took a deep breath, then shouted.

“It’s me! Eremia! Are you here!?”

My voice echoed and faded into the darkness.