After successfully completing the proposal from Chapter 3, the notification window that hadn't appeared before finally showed up.
Sometimes it transitioned directly to the next chapter after a proposal was completed, but there were also intervals between them.
The fact that it showed up now meant we were officially stepping into Chapter 4.
It seemed that everything was going correctly.
'Anyway.'
It's time to think about why the development has changed.
From Pleroma's perspective, the most significant event to change the course would be the appearance of Leo and me.
At this point, a question might arise.
Didn't the protagonist also explore restricted zones in the novel?
The protagonist disguised himself as a low-ranking noble mage, hiding his royal identity.
He even adjusted the rewards he received to avoid suspicion or attracting too much attention.
In the end, from Pleroma's point of view, he wasn't a significant threat.
But Leo's appearance is different.
Leo and the mysterious hunter using divine power have grabbed public attention.
Moreover, unlike the original story, the chimera creatures have been discovered by the royal family.
If Pleroma indeed created the chimera creatures, it would be quite problematic for them.
In any case, the conclusion is clear.
There is a high reward for handling this situation properly, considering the potential for things to turn disastrous.
If done well, it could completely turn the situation around.
As I was preparing to leave, the door burst open.
Leo came in without any greeting and asked bluntly.
"Did you see this?"
"What?"
Leo handed me a bundle of newspapers.
There was no need to flip through them. The front page was already filled with stories about Leo and me.
[Prince Leonard of Bavaria Visits Mepen's Restricted Zone]
[Sir Nikolaus' Charity Event by the 'Blue-Eyed Hunter']
[Skin Disease Disappeared Upon Touch... The Miracle of Sir Nikolaus in Mepen]
"The headlines are simple."
"…Look at you, all calm after experiencing it once before…. There are reporters outside from the local newspaper. They were interviewing people as soon as they came out."
"Well, that's fortunate."
"By tomorrow, it'll be all over the country."
Of course.
They wouldn't miss the chance to report on Leo's visit.
Plus, they got some good stories along the way.
Leo sat down heavily in the chair in front of me, fixing his clothes.
"So, did you find out anything?"
"There's been talk since two weeks ago. Someone mentioned hearing about mosquitoes around October 18th."
"That's when it started then."
"Right. Since the patients appeared around that time, it's safe to say that's when the insect contamination began. Whether contaminated or not, there are always some that breach the barrier, so the dates of symptom onset and contamination wouldn't differ much."
"Exactly."
I handed the newspaper back to Leo.
"I looked through the local papers from two weeks ago. It rained on October 17th."
"That's convenient. You mean they chose rainy days for their experiments, right?"
"Yes, that seems the most likely for now."
It's time to revisit the hypothesis I had momentarily set aside.
If they were using the restricted zones as a resurrection experiment ground, they would choose rainy days to avoid leaving evidence, whether they contaminated the entire area or an insect colony.
Especially after discovering that Leo and his attendant were entering the restricted zones a month ago, they would have been more thorough in destroying evidence.
There's no need to create unnecessary problems.
"So you believe it was done deliberately. If the insects were contaminated naturally, they would have been contaminated long ago."
"Yes."
Now, I need to figure out how to leverage this situation effectively.
I responded appropriately and stood up.
"It's already midnight. Let's go back."
* * *
We visited the baron's mansion to say our farewells, then warped to the Bavarian territory before moving to the school.
It was a decision to avoid being followed.
'I'm in terrible shape from not sleeping properly.'
I downed a headache pill with coffee.
Meanwhile, the classroom was noisier than usual.
"Leo, what was that about yesterday?"
"I saw the article! Did you catch monsters again?"
"Yes, after catching them, I stopped by the village for a bit."
"There's an article saying the Baron of Mepen is giving you and Sir Nikolaus an award. Did you hear about that?"
"I didn't know. They must have announced it after we returned to school."
What was in the local newspapers last night was now in the empire's newspapers today.
[Miracles Performed on 150 People... Sir Nikolaus' Charity Magic]
[Unprecedented Charity Magic Event Supported by 9 Families in the Empire]
[Who is the 'Blue-Eyed Hunter' Nikolaus?]
[Baron of Mepen: 'Honorary Citizen Certificate and Appreciation Plaque to be Awarded This Week']
These were the headlines I saw passing by today.
I tried to focus on my book while waiting for the morning assembly.
But it was hard to completely ignore the loud chatter in the same classroom, no matter how much I tried to block it out.
"Who is he? To use divine power for that long, he must be from a great family. He must be older too."
"How did you get to know him?"
"Narce, do you know someone named Nikolaus? Is he famous in the Papal State?"
"Not sure, there are many with that name."
Narce answered with a smile.
All good, but… they keep talking about me in the classroom, making it hard to concentrate.
I need to drink more coffee to focus.
"Can he use magic domestically as a traveler? Oh! Not that he didn't do a good thing…."
Leo shook his head at that question.
"He's a Bavarian citizen. We've hired him as a royal army mage, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Really!"
'....'
Army?
Since when?
I stood up abruptly. Leo turned his gaze towards me at the sound of the chair scraping.
Pai, who was in my jacket pocket, popped his head out.
"What's wrong, Lucas?"
I was thinking of heading out of the classroom before I spit out my coffee.
As I passed through the door, a student rushed over, grabbing the doorframe and shouting into the classroom.
"Hey! Come down, come quickly! You have to see this right now!"
* * *
Now I understand how they convinced the Wittelsbach family about an unidentified individual.
The assurance that there wouldn't be any problems means that any issue would be handled under military law, so there's no need to worry.
'This just got serious.'
Not that it matters since I won't cause any trouble.
Having a guaranteed identity to live as Nikolaus is beneficial, getting the kingdom's citizenship effortlessly is a plus.
As long as I don't cause any issues.
Pai kept talking from my jacket pocket.
"Lucas, do you know what I did over the weekend? I made a home."
"How did you do that…?"
"I stacked a lot of stones! I even put flowers in it."
"That's nice."
"Come visit later!"
"Sure, thanks for the invitation."
I responded to Pai's words almost absentmindedly and checked my watch.
It was almost time for the morning assembly.
I emerged from the park next to the lecture building and approached the main gate.
"Aaaargh!"
At that moment, a scream echoed from the empty plaza.
Approaching closer, I saw a student with crutches who had fallen. The student was muttering various curses.
"Damn rainwater... I bet I'll be out for another two weeks now."
It seemed like an exaggeration.
Anyway, he didn't seem surprised or evasive upon seeing me. I sat beside him and helped him up by supporting his shoulder.
He smiled brightly and thanked me.
"Oh, thanks. You saved me."
"No problem."
"You look familiar. What's your name?"
"Lucas."
I handed him his crutches.
He squinted at me, observing me closely.
"Hm, Askanian? You look way better than I expected. Do we know each other?"
"You might not know me, but people know you. Anyway, we're in the same class now. See you later."
He smiled, waved, and hobbled away on his crutches.
The same class?
And now?
'Never seen him before.'
Even in Luca's memory, there was no recollection of him.
No way…
As I turned back to verify who he was, Pai popped his head out.
"Lucas, aren't you going to be late?"
"Oh."
Checking the time, I saw I wasn't late yet.
I walked up the steps into the building. The lobby was crowded with people.
'Why are there so many people?'
Despite the upcoming assembly, no one seemed to be leaving.
I got closer to see what was going on.
A student stood at the center with a red face, gritting his teeth next to the stairs.
Looking closely, I saw his hands were tied to the stair railing with what looked like a school tie.
'Isn't that a school tie?'
A familiar purple fabric bound his wrists to the railing.
'Why can't he untie that?'
Many other students shared my thoughts, questioning the situation.
"Is it enchanted? Why can't he get it off?"
"Yes, it's not a normal enchantment. Even the professors can't undo it."
The student's face turned redder with anger, and he shouted at the crowd watching him.
"Why aren't you leaving?! Get lost! What are you looking at, you fuckers?!"
"Student, please stay still while we figure this out!"
"Who did this to you?"
"How would I know? Damn it, I'm so pissed off…."
"Once you're free, you'll need to come to the headmaster's office."
"Ah, shit…."
What a peculiar individual.
He must be a first-year, considering he hasn't been expelled yet despite his behavior.
The best course of action is to ignore someone like him.
I pushed through the crowd and climbed the stairs.
I had just taken my seat when the professor entered the room.
"Yes… There was some commotion this morning. Let's not concern ourselves with that and focus on our studies. Second-year, Class 2 students, please concentrate on your academics."
The professor cleared his throat and opened the attendance book.
"Agnes Michellen."
"Present."
"Gert Zeiler."
"Yes."
As the roll call was nearing its end, I straightened up and prepared to respond.
"Lucas…."
Clunk—!
While everyone else was seated, someone leisurely opened the door and entered.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."
Just like at the beginning of the term, a subtle tension spread among the students as the newcomer entered.
The student with the crutches smiled as he scanned the classroom and took a seat.
His uniform shirt was wrinkled, and his jacket was soaked with rainwater.
It was the same student I had seen earlier.
For some reason, he felt familiar.
'Not just because I saw him earlier, but for a more fundamental reason….'
The professor frowned as he looked at the student's disheveled appearance.
"Student, where is your tie?"
"I lent it to someone. Professor, am I late?"
"I haven't called your name yet, so you're fine. But what do you mean you lent it to someone?"
"Someone seemed to need it. They were screaming pretty loudly. Funny, right?"
"..."
Leo, who had been scowling since the student entered, looked even more displeased.
The professor, still looking stunned, shook his head.
"…Did you tie up the first-year student in the lobby?"
"First-year, right? I figured as much since he hasn't been expelled yet."
"Answer me."
The student's face turned serious at the professor's stern question.
"Yes, it was me."
"Are you trying to get expelled by committing school violence?"
The student stared silently at the professor for a while, then shrugged.
"They called me a crippled leg bastard."
"...."
"I wanted to break their legs too, but I restrained myself. I wanted to tie their legs, but they couldn't sit with the crutches. Do you know how hurtful that was for me?"
His expression didn't seem particularly hurt.
I alternated between his confident smile and the professor's shocked face.
"…How did you hurt your leg?"
"I fell off a cliff. The doctor's note is already in your office. Luckily, it was a short fall, so don't worry."
"Hoo…."
He kept saying things that were bewildering.
From what I know, and what everyone here knows, there's only one person who would fall off a cliff, injure their leg, and tie up a student for an insult.
And that's someone not in Luca's memory.
In our class, there's a long-term absentee who transferred from Class 1.
In the novel, there was also a long-term absentee who switched classes.
Since the story was from his perspective, it didn't feel like he was absent.
'No way….'
The professor, looking distressed, stared silently at the smiling student before quietly speaking.
"Come to my office after the assembly, Elias."
"…!"
I couldn't help but hold my breath.
Hearing his name confirmed it.
He's the protagonist of the novel.
Ding—!
**〈 Chapter 4. Constant Dripping Wears Away a Stone (2) 〉**
Proposal 1: Make 'Elias Hohenzollern' your ally. (0/1) (23 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds)
* Route 1 — **〈 Proposal 2 〉**
* Route 2 — **〈 Chapter 5. Do Not Praise the Day Before Evening Comes 〉**