The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound

Chapter 234: Suspicion (1)

Dolores L Quovadis, the student council president. She felt a strange mix of emotions upon hearing that the noble and clan factions, who were thorns in the student council’s side, had suffered greatly from the ‘Thrift Bazaar Incident’ this time.

Unlike the student council, which exercised its power in the official organization and campus, the noble and clan factions mainly formed their influence in the campus’ underworld. While the student council carried out its duties following legitimate rules and procedures, the noble and clan factions, in reality, used connections, bribery, insider information, and more to enhance their influence.

Thus, the student autonomy power on campus was divided into the student council, noble faction, and Clan faction. Dolores always disliked them for evading the responsibilities of an official organization and selectively enjoying the benefits of an unofficial group.

However, as the student council was responsible for gathering public opinion and formulating policies accordingly, the noble and Clan factions, who led the flow of public opinion, were always annoying opponents to be reckoned with.

…And then, they were dealt a blow by a single freshman named Vikir. The noble and Clan factions, who had been quietly expanding their influence to rival the student council, suffered a significant loss due to this incident, causing many to defect.

The weakening of enemies is equivalent to strengthening our own side. Many were disappointed with the noble and Clan factions turned away, and some even joined the student council. Thus, the executives in the student council were in high spirits day after day.

“Vikir, how bout we recommend that guy to Student Council?”

“Yeah, who wouldn’t want to control the student council’s purse strings?”

“Ha, he’s on the rise. To become a candidate for an executive position from the first year.”

“Maybe aiming for the youngest student council president?”

“Ah, that’s too much. Not the president, but still impressive.”

“Anyway, since the noble and Clan factions will both harass him and try to recruit him, we need to move quickly.”

Ironically, they were already planning to reserve a spot for Vikir as an executive candidate from the second year.

However, Dolores thought that Vikir would never accept not only an executive position but also the invitation to join the student council.

“If he were an ordinary freshman, he would jump at the chance to become a student council executive… but he’s different.”

No, he was beyond being just different.

Gathering an enormous amount of high-quality Gnoll leathers from outside and donating the entire proceeds to the scholarship foundation for academy students was no small feat.

Moreover, doing it with the audacity to infuriate the noble and Clan factions.

“Gnoll hides may not be extremely valuable, but they’re still quite precious. To burn them in front of enemies, raise the value, and negotiate. No matter how I think about it, this isn’t the courage of a freshman.”

Dolores became curious about Vikir as a person. Moreover, since the beginning of the semester, her attention had been drawn to him due to the strangely high number of demerits he received. Now, she was paying considerable attention to him because of his diligent behavior shown in the orphanage and his grace in resolving her wet incident during the drinking game.

“And come to think of it, he was also first in both the written and practical exams for the midterms.”

Good at studying, skilled, and a hard worker. They could have been even closer if he hadn’t written scathing articles about the Night Hound. It was an unfortunate situation.

And now, Dolores was feeling a slight fondness and curiosity towards Vikir’s actions.

These feelings had strengthened even more after witnessing Vikir’s boldness during the daring encounter between him and Professor Banshee yesterday evening.

“Let’s call it ‘Nymphet.'”

While Professor Banshee didn’t understand the meaning of Vikir’s words, Dolores could immediately catch on.

Nymphet. The pitiful child sacrificed in the battle against Dantalian.

Vikir still remembered Nymphet.

“Aren’t you too mean to the kid? Did you at least get a kiss?”

“I didn’t.”

“It’s not ‘didn’t,’ it’s ‘won’t’! The kid wants to give you a kiss, so take it!”

“It’s embarrassing.”

Dolores recalled the conversation she had with Vikir during their last volunteer activity at the orphanage. Vikir had refused Nymphet’s kiss, citing embarrassment.

‘Perhaps he can’t forget Nymphet because of the memories of that day?’

If that was the case, Dolores was convinced that Vikir was hiding a warm heart beneath his rough exterior.

No, she was certain.

…Suddenly!

Dolores quickly stood up from her seat. As her thoughts reached this point, she felt an urgent need to do something.

It seemed like she needed to meet Vikir right away and talk about something. It might be a sense of responsibility and indebtedness as someone who had witnessed Nymphet’s last moments alongside Night Hound in the fight against Dantalian. Additionally, there might be some inexplicable emotions that even she herself wasn’t aware of.

“Uh? Where is the president going?”

“Do you have urgent business?”

“What about today’s meeting agenda…?”

The student council executives looked at her with puzzled expressions.

“Sorry, everyone! I’ll handle the agenda even if I have to stay up all night!”

Dolores bowed quickly in apology and swiftly left the room.

She headed from the lecture hall to the dormitory building.

Around this time, most students would be there.

…But meeting Vikir wouldn’t be so easy.

“Vikir? He usually comes to the dormitory last.”

“By now, he might be in the library, right? Since he’s a bookworm.”

“He’s not in the library? Hmm, then maybe he’s in the gym. I heard he’s quite serious about exercising… judging by his body.”

“What? Not in the library or the gym? Then maybe…”

Although Dolores asked tutors and fellow students who were close to Vikir, like Sancho and Sinclaire, there was no way to guess his whereabouts.

And looking at the entrance logs of the main gate and back gate, there was no mention of him leaving. So, he must be somewhere within the academy.

“Where on earth could he be?”

Dolores stood still, catching her breath. She had sensed this even back in the orphanage, but Vikir was exceptionally good at navigating wherever he went.

“Come to think of it, even during the festival when the black mage appeared, his traces were elusive.”

A student shrouded in mystery, with everything about him veiled. Dolores felt that her various questions about Vikir were becoming more intense.

Even when she tried to smell the scent of his soul when he was close, there was nothing distinctive.

Vikir kept his emotions tightly sealed, making it difficult to find a way to confirm anything about him.

Suddenly, Dolores recalled Vikir’s record of demerits.

“It doesn’t make sense to accumulate that many demerits just for taking a wrong turn. He’s too smart for that.”

At that time, she didn’t realize it, but now it seemed odd.

Vikir couldn’t have accumulated demerits without a reason.

Dolores opened the chart recorded on the mana stone and closely examined Vikir’s demerit records.

[Vikir – Demerits (Deduction Factors)]

– Use of emergency exit on the 3rd floor of the dormitory building: -1 point

– Entry into the exclusive area for 4th-year students in the practice arena: -1 point

– Use of the central staircase on the 1st floor of the Venom Experiment Lab: -1 point

– Entry into the smoking area of the experimental demon breeding facility: -1 point

– Use of the central staircase on the 6th floor of the Professor’s research lab: -1 point

– Use of the central staircase on the 3rd floor of the Hot Department Lab: -1 point

– Entry outside of permitted hours at the gym: -1 point

– Entry into the restricted area next to the cafeteria’s food warehouse, off-limits to unauthorized personnel: -1 point

.

.

“These locations. They seem to be classified by date. I wonder how his movements would be if we look at it by location.”

Dolores, convinced that finding Vikir today was hopeless, decided to follow the routes Vikir had taken recently.

“Why on earth? If he’s just an ordinary freshman, there should be no reason to go to such unusual places and get demerits.”

And then.

After visiting each location listed in the demerit records, Dolores noticed a peculiar commonality among them.

“High and secluded places?”

All of them were facing the high walls of the academy.

Dolores looked around.

“What is this? Did he have intentions of crossing the academy’s walls?”

Otherwise, why would he choose only these places to wander? It was becoming a series of increasingly incomprehensible situations.

Just then, a notification sound echoed from the mana stone.

Dolores hastily turned it on.

[Vikir – Demerits (Deduction Factors)]

Use of emergency exit on the 1st floor of the dormitory building: -1 point

An alert popped up, indicating that Vikir’s demerits had been updated. It was just a few seconds ago.

This meant that Vikir had gone up to the rooftop of the 1st-year floor in the dormitory building, got caught by the supervisor, and received demerits.

“He was there!”

Dolores recalled that the rooftop of the dormitory building was also a high and secluded place.

Along with the question of why he only chose such locations, Dolores sprinted with all her might.

Eventually, she soon arrived at the rooftop of the 1st-year dormitory building.

However, there was no one there.

Both Vikir and the supervisor who had given him demerits had already left.

“If he was in the dormitory building, he must have headed to his room.”

Dolores hurriedly descended from the emergency exit and, after obtaining permission from the supervisor, went to find Vikir’s room.

… But even there, Vikir was nowhere to be found.

She only encountered Figgy, who was studying inside the room.

“Vikir? He came in just now and left again…”

“Oh, did he? Where did he go by any chance?”

“He said he was going to the shower. But why…?”

As soon as Dolores heard Figgy’s reply, she paused momentarily before attempting to leave the room.

It occurred to her belatedly that she wouldn’t be able to find him even if she went to the shower room.

“He’ll come back to the room after the shower, right?”

“Well, I don’t know. Vikir usually wanders around somewhere after dinner.”

“…Does he ever not come back?”

“No, that never happens. Even if it’s late, he always comes back.”

Dolores nodded at Figgy’s words.

Suddenly, her gaze shifted towards the place where Vikir stayed.

An old wooden desk. A thin single blanket and a worn-out pillow. A cheap mattress with a few springs missing.

A simple and austere living space that was hard to imagine anyone inhabiting.

Figgy’s ordinary bedding on top seemed extravagantly luxurious in comparison.

Figgy, sensing Dolores’s gaze, smiled knowingly.

“Vikir doesn’t usually keep a lot of things with him. It’s as if he’s always about to leave.”

“…Leave?”

“Oh no, not really. It’s just my feeling. But from the perspective of a roommate, it might seem that way.”

Dolores’s expression turned serious as she listened to Figgy’s words.

Around that time, a supervisor responsible for the boys’ dormitory warned Dolores not to stay too long on the boys’ floor, especially as a senior.

In the end, Dolores had to turn away without meeting Vikir.

“Well then, thanks, Figgy. See you next time.”

“Sure. When Vikir comes back, I’ll tell him that you visited.”

Dolores left Figgy’s room, glancing back several times.

…

…

And alone in the room, Figgy, left to ponder the surprising situation, muttered to himself quietly.

“No way, did the Student Council President… come for Vikir?”

It was the start of a misunderstanding.