Later that night, Ludwig and Minerva walked through the dimly lit pathways of the academy, their footsteps echoing softly against the cobblestones. The air was crisp and cold, carrying with it the faint scent of dew and the distant rustle of leaves. The academy grounds were eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of students replaced by an almost oppressive stillness. Their uniforms were the same as any other student’s, save for a few key additions: a new cape adorned with the academy’s emblem, outlined in blue, and an armband that clearly marked them as members of the student council.
“Good idea on taking the cape,” Minerva said, pulling the fabric tighter around her shoulders as a shiver ran through her. “It’s freezing out here.” She rubbed her arms and shivered some more as she looked at Ludwig’s unfazed reaction to the chill.
Ludwig nodded, his expression neutral. He didn’t feel the bite of the cold, his undead body immune to such discomforts, but he understood the need for warmth. “It’s practical,” he said simply, his eyes scanning the shadows around them. His night vision gave him an edge, allowing him to see clearly in the darkness where Minerva might struggle.
“So,” Minerva began, her voice breaking the silence, “what do you think about all this? Any guesses on who the real killer might be?” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, a stark contrast to the grim topic at hand.
Ludwig glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. “What is it with you girls and murder mysteries?” he asked, his tone dry but not unkind.
Minerva laughed softly, her breath visible in the cold air. “Ah, it’s a fantasy, I suppose. I mean, look at me—a weak damsel in distress. What would I do if a big, bad guy tried to come at me at night with weapons in hand?” she said, her tone playful.
Ludwig raised an eyebrow. “Your eyes are betraying your tone,” he said. “And you’re hardly a damsel in distress. I’ve seen what you can do. I’d pity the fool who’d try to ambush you.”
She grinned, clearly pleased by his response. “Good answer. But seriously, when it comes to murders and… other terrible things, women tend to want to know how they happen so they can figure out ways to avoid them or deal with them. Not that anyone would ever want to suffer through something like that,” she added, her tone growing more serious.
“I see,” Ludwig replied, his voice calm as he continued to scan their surroundings.
Minerva glanced at him, noticing his lack of engagement. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
“Not really,” Ludwig said. “It’s rather… chill right now.”
Minerva chuckled at his choice of words, but her expression soon turned thoughtful. “Regardless, I feel like this is all so strange. Two students dead, and their deaths have nothing in common. One was a noble with incredible sword mastery and talent, and the other was just a commoner with no notable background or skills. What’s the connection?”
Ludwig shrugged. “Trying to find a pattern from just two bodies is difficult. For all we know, they might have just looked at the killer the wrong way, or said something that offended them. We can’t rule out the possibility that the killer is a student or a teacher, but we can narrow it down.”
“How so?” Minerva asked, her curiosity piqued.
“It’s currently break,” Ludwig explained. “Most students are back at their homes, except for a few who either don’t have a home to return to or live too far away. And then there are those who stayed because the school required it.”
“Most nobles left,” Minerva added, nodding in agreement. “Even the student council is working at half capacity. There are more members back at their homes than here.”
“Exactly,” Ludwig said. “So the killer must be one of the people who didn’t leave.”
As they approached the arena area, Minerva gestured toward the dark outline of the forest in the distance. “The forest is up there. Should we check it out?”
Ludwig shook his head. “We won’t be able to clear that whole area even if we search from dusk till dawn. It’s better to stick to the route Danny gave us.”
Minerva sighed but didn’t argue. “Right. I wouldn’t want to be there at night anyway… unless I had a strong, manly, and brave Ludwig next to me,” she said with a grin, playfully slapping him on the back.
-1 HP
Ludwig coughed, more out of habit than necessity, and shook his head. “Let’s keep moving,” he said, his tone dry.
They continued their patrol, the silence between them stretching as they walked. The academy grounds were quiet, almost unnaturally so. After the recent murders, it seemed no one was foolish enough to wander around at night.
“So, Ludwig,” Minerva said after a while, breaking the silence once more. “Do you have anyone you’re currently interested in?”
Ludwig blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic. “Interested in? As in what?” he asked, his tone cautious.
Minerva rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t play dumb. You know what I mean.”
“Ah,” Ludwig said, understanding dawning on him. “No, nothing right now. Why are you asking?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Minerva said, her tone casual as she skipped a few steps ahead of him and turned to face him, walking backward. “I was just wondering. You seem pretty close to Kassandra, though. She’s smart, but she really needs to take better care of her hair. It’s always such a mess,” she added with a smirk.
Ludwig raised an eyebrow. “I’ve told her about that, but I guess personal appearance isn’t high on her list of priorities. Regardless, I don’t have any interest in women.”
Minerva’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “Ah, one of those,” she said, her tone teasing.
Ludwig sighed. “No, get your head out of the gutter. I’m straight.”
“That’s even more confusing,” Minerva said, tilting her head. “I mean, you’re a handsome young lad—I can vouch for that. You’re not arrogant, you don’t have a terrible personality, and you’re pretty confident and brave. So I can’t see any reason why you’re not seeing anyone right now…”
Well, I can, Ludwig thought, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I’m an undead, after all. You hear stories about couples who find love despite the challenges of race and body, but for God’s sake, I’m a damn skeleton.
“It’s not on my plate right now,” Ludwig said aloud. “There’s so much more I need to take care of before thinking about romance.”
“What a shame,” Minerva said, her tone exaggerated. “You’d be dropping skirts and wetting panties if you wanted to. But I guess magic and swordsmanship come first.”
Ludwig blinked twice at her wording, momentarily speechless.
Minerva laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction. “Just because I’m a noble doesn’t mean I don’t understand the mundane man. Speaking of class, I heard a few things from a friend of mine. We all thought you came from a commoner family, but the way you acted at the Urbaf household was anything but commoner-like.”
“Damn, word spreads fast,” Ludwig said, shaking his head.
“Indeed it does,” Minerva agreed. “Gossip spreads even faster. So tell me, if you don’t mind, are you truly a commoner?”
Ludwig thought for a moment before answering. “Currently, yes. Before, not so much. But I was never a noble. Something… different.”
“A merchant house?” Minerva guessed.
“Something like that,” Ludwig said. “But my family perished, so don’t worry about it.”
Minerva’s expression softened. “Ah, sad things do happen in life. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ludwig said, his tone calm. “It happened a long time ago.”
That was a lie. For Ludwig, the loss of his world, his family, and everything he had known was no older than a month. But his emotional detachment as an undead made it feel like a distant, almost mundane memory. He knew he should feel sadder, but he couldn’t summon the emotion. It was another con of being undead—emotional imbalance and apathy at its finest.
As they continued their patrol, Ludwig couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever feel truly human again. But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. The night was long, and the killer was still out there.