“That’s the same damn question I have for you,” Hoyo said, his voice low as he peered out into the corridor. “Who’s that guy?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he glanced back at Ludwig.
“A bastard who works for the Black Tower,” Ludwig replied, his tone sharp. “What the fuck is going on here?”
Hoyo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he gestured for Ludwig to follow him. “Come on, we can’t stay here. That guy’s crazy, and Professor Vastion just got offed. We need to move.”
Ludwig hesitated for a moment, his instincts screaming at him to be cautious. But with Evan hot on his heels and the academy in chaos, he didn’t have much of a choice. He followed Hoyo up the stairs, his mind racing with questions.
‘Something isn’t right…’ Ludwig thought, his unease growing with every step.
“Ludwig, what the fuck is going on?” Hoyo asked as they reached the top of the stairs, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and urgency.
“The Holy Order is here,” Ludwig replied, his tone grim. “They’ve attacked the Black Tower. Van Dijk’s holding them off, but it’s bad.”
Hoyo’s reaction was immediate. He froze for a second, his eyes widening in shock, before quickly pushing open the door to one of the classrooms and dragging Ludwig inside. He pressed his hand against the floor, summoning a spell that created the illusion of footsteps echoing down the hallway. Then he closed the door, sealing them inside the room.
The sound of two sets of footsteps echoed through the corridor, growing fainter as they moved away. Ludwig could hear Evan’s heavy footsteps as he sprinted past the door, chasing the illusion Hoyo had created.
“Okay, good, we’re safe,” Hoyo said, letting out a breath of relief as he leaned against the wall.
“Tell me,” Ludwig said, his voice low and demanding. “What the hell is happening inside the academy?”
“The hell would I know?” Hoyo replied, his tone defensive. “They gave strict orders for everyone to move to the dorms, and then the teachers sprinted out of the academy.”
“Not all of them…” Ludwig muttered, his mind flashing back to the gruesome sight of Professor Vastion’s corpse.
“Ah, yeah…” Hoyo said, his expression darkening.
“Why didn’t you go to the dorms?” Ludwig asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Hoyo’s face.
Hoyo frowned, his body tensing. “You don’t think I’m the guy who did that, do you?” he asked, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and disbelief.
“Just answer my question,” Ludwig said, his tone firm and unyielding. He wasn’t in the mood for games or lies.
Hoyo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The bedding, man. The fucking beds are hard as rock. You can’t expect me to—”
“Stop the bullshit,” Ludwig snapped, cutting him off. “I know you’re the one who killed the professor.”
Hoyo’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Ludwig. “You seem rather sure about that… Care to tell me why you suspect me as the murderer?”
Ludwig couldn’t simply tell him the truth—that he could see something new on Hoyo’s screen, something that revealed far more than Hoyo wanted anyone to know. But he didn’t need to. The evidence was piling up, and Ludwig’s instincts were screaming at him that Hoyo was involved.
—
Name: Hoyo Drak
Title: Fallen Noble
Level: 15 (+100)
HP: 1500 + 100,000
Currently under the status effect: [Grafted]
[Grafted]: Upon grafting an appropriate organ onto one’s body, one would gain the power of said organ.
– {Harpy Liver}: Increased mana regeneration and disease control.
– {Heart of Fakery}: Increased control of minor illusion and body-altering magic.
– {Shadow Heart}: Unique Magic [Shadowmancy].
– Sword Heart}: Mastery of Swordsmanship.
– {Black Mage’s Heart}: Mastery over Sealing Magic.
—
“Well, I wouldn’t have figured it out if it wasn’t for a few things,” Ludwig said, his hand hovering near his ring, ready to summon his sword at a moment’s notice.
“Such as?” Hoyo asked, his tone casual, but his body language betrayed his tension. He was relaxed, almost too relaxed, as if he didn’t see Ludwig as a threat.
“The time that Von Hubert died, you had an injury on your body,” Ludwig began, his voice steady. “Kassandra said it must have been a noble who bullied you, but I doubt anyone would have even come close to you when they know you hang out with me. It was her mistake for thinking you’re too weak, though I didn’t give it much thought at the time.”
“Circumstantial,” Hoyo said with a shrug. “That’s no evidence at all.”
“When the names for the participants of the academy tournament were revealed, you left to ‘eat,'” Ludwig continued, his eyes locked on Hoyo. “Soon after that, Esteban was missing.”
Hoyo’s expression didn’t change. “He went home. There was even a letter that was found that says so, so what does that have to do with me?”
“No one mentioned anything about him going home or a letter, that was only shared among the student council members,” Ludwig countered.
Hoyo hesitated for a second, his mask slipping slightly. “Maybe I heard it from someone else. You know, students talk, and a lot.”
“When Kuro disappeared, you also went missing immediately after,” Ludwig pressed, his voice growing sharper. “And you came back the next morning with a fat-looking face.”
“Like I said, it’s the bedding,” Hoyo replied, his tone dismissive. “C’mon, Ludwig.”
“You’re not the only one who sleeps on those beds, but you’re the only one who had a face like that,” Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing. “It looked like it was swollen from something, like a fight, then covered up with magic.”
Hoyo frowned but didn’t respond.
“Not to mention, you knew exactly where the corpse was when I arrived at the crime scene yesterday,” Ludwig said, his voice rising. “The building has three floors, but you told me something happened on the bottom floor. Meaning you already knew where the corpse was found without even being at the crime scene.”
“C’mon, man, you’re reaching,” Hoyo said, though his voice lacked conviction.
“And finally,” Ludwig said, flicking his finger, “the shadow spell you used earlier… That was something only Kuro could use. Unique magic.”
Hoyo’s expression shifted, his casual demeanor slipping away. “You sound pretty confident…”
“Yeah, I was on the fence about you,” Ludwig admitted. “After all, you’re my friend. Who would have expected the cowardly Hoyo to be a serial killer… even I thought it could have been Professor Vastion who committed the acts. The magic [Dark Erasure] was a unique magic of the Vastion family.”
“You said it yourself,” Hoyo replied, his voice calm but his eyes sharp. “It’s a unique magic of their house. How could I ever dream of getting it?”
“Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t,” Ludwig said, his tone cold. “But remember, you were caught by the Holy Order before. They were the ones who destroyed the Vastion noble house for dabbling in dark magic. So, would it be too far-fetched to think that you, who was once a prisoner of the Holy Order, had access to their archives? Access to magic that wasn’t yours? I mean, you did escape the Holy Order… So, I’m pretty confident in saying that all the evidence points to you. Not to mention, I can see all the additional ‘hearts’ you’ve planted on yourself.”
Hoyo’s entire aura seemed to change, his casual demeanor replaced by a cold, calculating expression. “Ah, now that’s a good deduction,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. “All of what you said before could be argued against, but the fact that you’re able to see the four hearts…” He chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. “Not even the Dean could see through me. I was worried at first when you saw the Harpy Liver I had on me, and I missed out on consuming a few hearts that I had obtained before.”
‘Must be the corpse of the first guy who was murdered…’ Ludwig thought, his mind racing.
“But seeing your lack of action gave me more confidence in completing my small… endeavor,” Hoyo continued, his smile widening. “Not bad.”
“I could have gotten Vastion’s heart and slipped right away without being found out. While for you, I wanted to save your heart for a later time,” Hoyo said, his tone almost conversational. “But sadly, now you know too much. What a shame… What a shame…”
[You’re facing someone you cannot defeat. Run!]
The notification flashed before Ludwig’s eyes, but it was too late. Hoyo’s smile turned predatory, and Ludwig knew he was in grave danger.