My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 064: That True Identity

A prison-like confined space.

Each time thunderbolts roared down, lightning flashed momentarily through the small barred window.

Holding up the lamp placed on the desk, Kuroyō glared at this room’s master with a bewitching smile.

“As expected, it was you. Instructor Fūga.”

The dumpling-headed young girl flustered with a “Hawawa!”

“Whyyy is the Princess in my room?”

Spitting “how shameless,” Kuroyō rose from the desk chair. Then lightly jumping over the desk, she walked toward the room’s center.

“Well then, Instructor Fūga. Could you listen to my monologue? Don’t worry, if you don’t understand, that’s fine. Just listen. How about it?”

“Mm, I don’t really get it, but if the Princess says so, I’ll comply.”

The young girl’s face clouded as she nodded reluctantly.

Kuroyō urged Instructor Fūga to sit on the reception sofa in the center. Though looking displeased, she obediently complied and sat.

“Two suspects existed from the start. Since no transfer gates exist in dragonkin territory, those with alibis couldn’t travel to distant places.”

Fūga tilted her head as if not understanding the situation. Deflecting the young girl’s meaningful gaze, Kuroyō continued: “Or perhaps.”

“Hypothetically, suppose instantaneous soul transfer between bodies was possible.”

“Soul? Out-of-body experience?”

“Correct. Suppose out-of-body experience finished instantly, allowing instantaneous switching from body A to body B. And let’s see… while we’re at it, let’s hypothesize Instructor Meika is the culprit.”

“Huh… Instructor Meika is the culprit?”

Kuroyō also sat on the opposite sofa.

Her small, delicate body sank into the sofa from its own weight.

“In that case, using some method to prepare a different body A in Beast King Forest beforehand, merely transferring souls would clear distance problems, enabling the crime regardless of alibis. The scenario of using body A to attack Alice, then afterward operating as Alice.

But that scenario did not work. Because while operating Alice, Instructor Meika’s body would have been left in a soulless state. Naturally, she wouldո’t have been unable to conduct practical instruction. In other words, for Instructor Meika—who had been in charge of the special summer practicum held at another location from the third to the fourth day while she was operating as Alice—committing the crime was, in fact, impossible.

And this applied equally to other female teachers.

“And Seiran-dono’s aptitude attribute is water. Additionally, she couldn’t see [Sword Ki]. She isn’t Elesia Ignoosis.”

“Eclair? Pastry?”

The young girl said something carefree, but Kuroyō ignored her.

“Therefore two suspects existed from the start. But befitting Elesia Ignoosis, I should say. The final choice between two. Determining this was quite difficult.”

“Oh my? This Elesia-san must be an amazing person.”

As always, Kuroyō didn’t engage with the young girl’s nonsense.

“However, which was more suspicious was obvious at a glance. Instructor Fūga, you’re by far more suspicious.”

The young girl playing alone by tapping fingers together suddenly stopped those hands.

“Why am I suspicious?”

“Because everything was arranged to direct all suspicion toward Instructor Mion.”

Flash—lightning shone through the small barred window.

The room’s darkness was momentarily exposed by flash, then enveloped in dim darkness again.

After the delayed roar subsided, Kuroyō spoke quietly.

“The final choice between the two had been insurance prepared so that suspicion would not turn toward herself. And Elesia Ignoosis was a murderer who had carried out perfect crimes. Would someone so cunning make a blunder with an alibi operation arranged as insurance, thereby drawing suspicion onto herself? No—impossible. Which meant that you, who appeared to have no suspicious points at all, were precisely the suspect who required the greatest suspicion.”

The young girl withdrew something like wrapping paper from her dragon robe sleeve. Hurriedly withdrawing something, she put it in her mouth, making crunching sounds.

“What about me are you suspecting?”

“Everything is suspicious.”

Speaking, Kuroyō extinguished the lamp’s light. The room sank into darkness.

“Instructor Fūga, one question. Apparently you met Kishō at the tent on summer practicum’s first day.”

“Yes. I met him.”

“And you heard future plans from Kishō attempting to enter the forest depths, then overlooked him. Correct?”

“Yes. Since the Princess also accompanied, I judged no problem.”

“Furthermore, you apparently set conditions for Kishō. Return within one week.”

“Yes, I said that. Including the safety confirmation, I thought that was the point of compromise.”

Using night vision to glare at the confused young girl’s face, Kuroyō touched upon the core of the matter.

“Meaning, you knew. That we’d proceed through Beast King Forest’s northern edge. And by setting a one-week deadline, you roughly understood how far we’d penetrate.”

Elesia Ignoosis had meticulously completed preparations beforehand.

Summer practicum second day. Ramming the Storm Turtle into the main camp, thoroughly stirring things up, then feigning defeat and falling off the cliff with fellow teachers. Creating final insurance as a choice between two by both going missing together. Furthermore, getting ahead of Kuroyō and company to lure merchants into the forest and murder them. Moreover, hijacking merchant daughter Alice’s body. Afterward, hiding unconscious Instructor Mion and soul-less Fūga’s body in a safe location.

And the killer, having completed preparations, concealed herself in the overturned sail wagon.

“Carrying out this crime required grasping the target’s movements in advance. Moreover, you did not report this fact upward.”

“I don’t understand what you mean by a crime, but not reporting it upward was for Kishō-kun’s sake. If it became known that he had involved the Princess through his own unilateral decision, it would have developed into a major problem. In the worst case, expulsion.”

“Oho. Certainly mentioning Kishō’s name at the Six Consort council isn’t good. I’ll agree there.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Then why did you even hide it from Instructor Mion?”

“I consulted properly!”

“I read the Six Consort council meeting minutes.”

“Huh?”

“Practicum first day, Instructor Mion apparently searched the main camp vicinity to find me when I wasn’t visible. But if information was properly shared, she wouldn’t search the main camp vicinity for me who headed toward forest depths.”

“That’s…”

The young girl fell silent briefly, mouth moving vaguely.

“It was hard to say. I thought it’d become a big deal…”

“Quite the actress.”

Speaking coldly as if pushing away, Kuroyō directed sharp eyes toward Fūga.

“At that point, having me brought back to the main camp was inconvenient, right? So you didn’t give Instructor Mion information. Isn’t that so?”

“Wrong!”

“Oh? But either way, no one else knew our movements.”

Knowing they’d take a route north through the forest enabled getting ahead and setting traps. Conversely, not knowing the route made getting ahead impossible.

“Well then, next.”

“Don’t ‘next’ me! What is this anyway? Please explain properly.”

“Such stubbornness. Well, fine. Having you play dumb each time won’t advance the conversation. I’ll explain.”

And Kuroyō explained Beast King Forest events.

Being attacked by merchant daughter Alice. And that daughter’s body being hijacked by curse magic. Furthermore, evaluating poisonous mushrooms as “delicious” indicated the culprit who hijacked the body normally used a dragonkin body and likely lurked in this academy.

“Wait just a minute! You’re saying I’m that killer?”

“Unfortunately all evidence indicates so.”

“That’s ridiculous!? First off, my aptitude attribute is wind. How would I use curse magic? If the Princess’s deduction is correct, Instructor Mion who handles dark magic should be suspected. Besides, choosing Beast King Forest as practicum site and advising the academy director not to carry weapons were both Instructor Mion.”

At the expected rebuttal, Kuroyō couldn’t suppress a smile.

“I heard from Instructor Meika that you and Instructor Mion get along well. Always whispering together.”

“Don’t say things that make it sound bad. As those in charge of the same first-year class, we discussed our policy.”

“That’s it.”

When Kuroyō thrust a finger sharply, the young girl flustered with “Hawawa!”

“Instructor Mion is taciturn. Then necessarily, talkative Fūga would lead conversations. Then while pretending to consult, you could secretly guide conversations. And taking advantage of Instructor Mion being the one who spoke openly, you pushed suspicion and responsibility onto her.”

“Even for the Princess, that’s too much false accusation. Do you have proof I guided things?”

“No. Even hypothetically questioning Instructor Mion, straightforward and upright, she’d say it’s her responsibility. She wouldn’t shift responsibility onto you. However—”

Speaking, Kuroyō took a large breath.

The final choice between two, the greatest mystery.

—Dragonkin cannot use attribute magic lacking aptitude.

“Instructor Fūga. You’re excellent at mastering diverse studies. Especially regarding attribute factor inheritance, you’ve published many papers and been commended by Father. Actually, when Kishō was judged as having no aptitude attribute, apparently you alone insisted that was impossible. From a factor inheritance perspective, no aptitude attribute is impossible.”

Fūga’s dumpling head twitched. But no agitation appeared on that face.

“You know well. But what of it?”

“To solve Kishō’s aptitude attribute problem, I devoured related materials. And while organizing, I noticed.”

Kuroyō nodded once, then slowly withdrew a paper from her dragon robe sleeve.

Placing it on the desk. In lightless dimness, even using night vision, those characters weren’t clear.

Toward the young girl tilting her head, Kuroyō recited from memory.

“Dragonkin invariably possess six types—fire water earth wind light dark—genetic information called attribute factors. Attribute factors inherit from parent to child, and among them, the attribute factor occupying the highest proportion becomes the aptitude attribute. Other attributes exist as factors but don’t manifest.”

For Kishō’s sake, she devoured dozens of thick references. Taking notes repeatedly, deliberating repeatedly. As a result, knowledge accumulated mountain-range-like, now possessing expert-level knowledge. So she could confidently assert:

“What’s important here is inheriting attribute factors other than aptitude attribute. Meaning, even in me with a dark aptitude attribute, fire and water attribute factors exist. And among six attribute factors existing in the body, the attribute factor occupying the highest proportion appears as an aptitude attribute—so I ask here. If two attribute factors tie for highest proportion, what becomes that person’s aptitude attribute?”

The innocent smile vanished from the young girl’s face.

Kuroyō continued.

“The answer was simple. You possessed two aptitude attributes. This was quite a rare case, but the literature had introduced several real examples. In other words, the proportional factors of your wind and dark attributes were equal. That meant your aptitude attributes were wind and dark. Wasn’t that so?”

“Wrong!”

“Then why say something you don’t even believe yourself—like claiming that having a wind attribute makes you different? You should have known. As long as the possibility of multiple attributes exists, merely possessing the wind attribute does not become an exemption.”

Glaring across the low reception table. Eventually Fūga opened her mouth.

“That’s to avoid unnecessary suspicion. Actually, I’m being suspected like this now. Or do you have proof my attribute is dark?”

“No. You’ve never used dark magic during academy life.”

“Then the wise Princess should understand that’s just a false accusation.”

At words saying no proof existed, Kuroyō didn’t miss Fūga’s face showing relief for just an instant.

“Ah, exactly right. This only proves any dragonkin could be the culprit. Therefore, this single matter can’t definitively identify you as Elesia Ignoosis.”

The young girl this time clearly showed a relieved expression.

“Then don’t say things bad for my heart!”

Kuroyō secretly shifted weight forward.

“Rejoicing is premature. I said at the start, right? That I couldn’t determine easily. Meaning, now I’ve already identified you as Elesia Ignoosis.”

“That’s why! I said I’m not! Princess, you’re so difficult.”

Hmph! While gazing with cold eyes at the young girl continuing shameless acting, Kuroyō said:

“Elesia Ignoosis’s [Sword Ki] was immature.”

“Huh?”

“I crossed swords with Elesia Ignoosis and was pushed back, but that was purely due to the overwhelming handicap between a practice sword and a real one. Simply being equipped with a real blade—its inherent advantage alone—was enough. Even so, her [Sword Ki] itself was still immature.”

Slash power was determined by [[Ki] proficiency × weapon quality]. [Sword Ki] proficiency itself—Kuroyō’s far exceeded by several levels.

“Earlier, I saw Instructor Mion’s [Sword Ki] with these eyes, but that exceeded mine in proficiency. Meaning, she isn’t Elesia Ignoosis.”

“She might have held back. Acting to hide identity. A cunning killer would do that much, right?”

“Holding back? No, impossible. If Instructor Mion were that skilled with [Sword Ki], she wouldn’t fall behind us with a real sword in hand. Then that ambush was an excellent opportunity with sufficient winning chances. No point holding back, discarding a winnable match.”

The young girl’s complexion changed, speaking rapidly in succession.

“Wait, wait. Giving a hundred concessions that’s so, Seiran-sama might also possess dark attributes besides water attributes. Maybe not seeing [Sword Ki] is also acting.”

“No, that’s not so. When Kōran caused a commotion. Seiran-dono, who came hearing the commotion, embraced me. Meaning, I touched Seiran-dono.”

“……”

Fūga’s chatty mouth fell silent. Only the wall clock’s ticking echoed in the room. Listening carefully, faint rain sounds were also audible beyond thick stone walls.

Kuroyō floated her hips.

“However, all suspicions become clear if I touch you. Because touching magic formulas directly allows me to reverse-detect and analyze those formulas.”

Both moved almost simultaneously.

Kuroyō stood while thrusting out her right arm, adding her left hand to prevent wavering, aligning aim at Fūga’s chest. Opposing, Fūga didn’t stand, opening her mouth wide with a pop while sitting.

—No-time breath!

Limited to breath from mouth, breath could be released immediately without voicing concentration-heightening words. Both parties’ fortunes were greatly divided by the difference between mouth or palm.

Wind breath released from the small mouth opened maximally accompanied by vacuum wind blades, approaching Kuroyō, then—

That sharp thing severed her slender neck.