<strong>Stepping Stones (3)</strong>


    [Request: All murder case files since 2009 (including the underworld)…]


    That evening, I put in a request on the 「Darkweb」 to acquire Edsi’s case files. I needed only one file, but I asked for two years’ worth of case files, randomly mixed, to avoid any suspicion.


    [Taskpleted: 2011~2013 murder/death records (including underworld records)]


    The cost was exactly 10,000 DP.


    The Darkwebpleted the request in almost three hours and sent all murder/death records for nearly three years in file format.


    “What was it again…”


    There were a tremendous number of them, but there was no need to go through each one.


    I closed my eyes for a moment and pulled up the past Memory in the 「Notepad」. Suddenly, the file number of a specific case was embedded in my consciousness.


    “Here it is.”


    [UNON-2012-19281]


    Among countless murder/death cases, there was only one that Soliette needed.


    UNON means it’s an underworld case, 2012 is the year, and 19,281 is the case number. It’s the 19,281st murder/death case that urred in the underworld in 2012.


    “How did you find this?”


    I ask with renewed admiration. Not at me, but at Soliette.


    Assuming that ‘if Knightmare didn’t die, he would surely kill at least one person while living-‘ she had examined all the murder cases of all years from after the fake Knightmare was imprisoned to the present. The evidence that Soliette, before her regression, found with a nearly mad obsession and persistence.


    I still can’t dare to guess how she looked at and analyzed hundreds of thousands of corpses with what kind of heart.


    “…Hmm.”


    [Deceased: Unknown]


    A case file where not only the murderer but even the deceased is unknown. The underworld is a ce where hundreds of people die every day, but this corpse is different.


    The body is left with countless wounds, not even leaving a form, and the types of those wounds are all different.


    “73 wounds. None of them are the same, and there are no traces of magic.”


    Then, does it mean some lunatic used 73 different weapons to kill one person?


    I’m still curious.


    Just how pissed off was Knightmare to have messed up the corpse like this?


    Anyway.


    This corpse is definitely Knightmare’s doing. That doesn’t mean Knightmare carries around 73 weapons. Surely there isn’t a psychopath who bothers to change weapons 73 times while killing a person.


    There might be a guy who carries around about 33, but 73 is too unrealistic.


    In other words, these 73 different wounds are Knightmare’s “Spectrum”.


    “Hmm.”


    I got up. I was thinking of going to the library to print this case file.


    Giving it in physical form would be more interesting to read than sending it as a file.


    Monday morning.


    The soles of my feet from the exploration still hadn’tpletely healed, and it was the first day of the third week of the college board.


    “Ah, I’m tired.”


    In the temporary residence of the old building, I woke up, massaging my body all around.


    “Magic College Entrance Exam. Now that I’ve experienced it firsthand, I understand. The schedule is literally murderous. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a cancer patient, but I’m damn tired.


    No wonder the dropout rate is higher than the failure rate.


    “…I still have a long way to grow.”


    I checked my physical condition in the mirror. I seemed to have grown about 2 cm in three weeks, but I still had a long way to go. I can’t believe I have to endure this damn growth pain for another half a year.


    On the other hand, unlike my previously skinny self, I had a fair amount of flesh and muscle. It was thanks to constantly eating meat. Since I mainly eat protein among carbs and fats, I think I’ll have a better physique than before my regression.


    “Let’s go….”


    I stepped outside my dwelling. I arrived at Clemen Hall, casually drinking a protein shake.


    But I ran into a familiar person at the entrance of the hall. My client—Soliette.


    She walked into the hall pretending not to know me, as per our contract, and I did the same.


    “Ah, Hi Solie~”


    “Hey.”


    “Huh?!”


    La greeted Soliette, and La was surprised that Soliette responded to her greeting.


    Anyway, Clemen Hall was even emptier thanst week.


    ording tost night’s announcement, exactly 80 people. That’s precisely two teams missing from the group project.


    “…When is that motherfucker Shion going to die?”


    “Seriously, he’s like a cockroach.”


    Kain and Asher muttered, ring at me. I responded with augh.


    “Just wait for 15 years.”


    “What did you say, you bug?”


    The front door of the hall opened with a creak. I quickly took my seat.


    “Nice to see you.”


    It was always the same Chedric.


    “Before we start the assignment, I have a brief announcement.”


    He ced a stack of papers on the podium.


    “This Wednesday, the college board has a special activity. It’s job shadowing.”


    Special activity. It’s not a college board assignment, but it’s like a P/F (Pass&Fail) ss where you get deducted points if you neglect it.


    “I will distribute the choices, so write down your first to third preferences. If your rejected from all three preferences, you will be randomly assigned to a job shadowing site thatcks personnel. Keep that in mind.”


    Chedric scattered the papers with telekinesis. I caught one and read it familiarly.


    [Job Shadowing Application Form]


    Among the list of avable jobs were the knight order, prison, police station, parliamentary police, magic tower, nationally recognized mercenary group, shop, agency, graduate school, bodyguard team, and many more.


    Most people would want the knight order and magic tower, and the second and third choices would probably be the parliamentary police and nationally recognized mercenary group.


    I don’t particrly want to go to such ces.


    However….


    Prison.


    For some reason, the prison caught my eye.


    I don’t know what kind of prison it is, but the most famous prison on the continent is Recordark.


    More precisely, Recordark 1~13.


    The higher the number, the harsher the environment and the worse the criminals imprisoned, and the Recordark in the capital is Recordark I.


    If it’s Recordark, the person who I owe a great debt in my previous life would be imprisoned there.


    “Again, I will be able to meet him.


    [1st Preference: Prison]


    I wrote down ‘prison’.


    Of course, it could be a different prison than Recordark, but well, who knows?


    “I will give you five seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2….”


    The rest of my preferences were the knight order and the magic tower.


    This way, I’ll most likely get assigned to the prison. There won’t be any lunatic who would put prison as their first preference.


    “1.”


    Immediately, the paper flew back to Chedric.


    “Also, today’s college board assignment will be handled by ‘Shelton’ from the magic tower.”


    Shelton… Shelton.


    Wait a minute, Shelton?


    Could it be the Shelton I know?


    “Pleasee in.”


    At Chedric’s words, the gaze of the 80 peoplended on the front door, and a disgusting man dressed in a white gown appeared with a sluggish smile.


    “Go and rest, Mr. Chedric.”


    “Take care.”


    He stood in front of the podium as if to rece Chedric. I stared nkly at him.


    I was stunned. A hollowugh escaped me.


    “Hello. I am Shelton, a magician and senior researcher in the Department of Magic Science at the Magic Tower.”


    I know him.


    He looks neat on the outside, dressed like a scientist or doctor in a gown, but he’s a bug bastard crazy for money.


    “I will be in charge of the assignments for this Monday and Friday.”


    He’s like the trumpet of the magic tower, a true gold omnipotent who doesn’t distinguish between morality, ethics, means, and methods in front of money.


    “I’m new to this role, so I might be clumsy, but I will ensure that there are no problems with the evaluation itself.”


    I’ve never seen anyone as money-crazy as him in my life, but he lived damn well until the moment of my death.


    He even built a theme park named after himself, and it was damn sessful.


    He’s like a living specimen that proves the futility of good and evil.


    “Before we start the assignment. Do you all know what an enchant is?”


    Shelton smiled, showing a hint of his teeth. There was a faint blue aura on his teeth.


    It’s ‘Mana Enchanted Grills’, something like dentures that you wear on your gums.


    Wearing it supposedly enhances the taste of food and makes your breath fragrant, but it probably costs at least a million Ren.


    A money-crazy man who has an apartment’s worth in his mouth. I want to snatch it and sell it.


    “It refers to the act of granting a magic form, or magic spell, to a regr object.”


    Of course, the answer is from Elise.


    “Correct. Many people confuse enchantments with Artifacts, but they are different. Artifacts are cutting-edge items thatbine technology, magic, and engineering. Once considered state-of-the-art, they can be obsolete in an instant. On the other hand, enchantments are antiques.”


    Enchantments are one of the research areas that the Magic Tower focuses on.


    Why?


    Because it makes money. An insane, astronomical amount of money.


    “There are no old enchantments. They’re just ssic.”


    I hate the Magic Tower. Their actions—although they justify them as rational—are devoid of emotion, like sociopaths. And yet, they’re incredibly good at making money.


    There probably aren’t many people on this continent who are like the Magic Tower. Even the magicians affiliated with the Magic Tower despise its top brass.


    “Today’s assignment is ‘Magic Capacity Evaluation I’. Show us your magical talent and passion for creation.”


    p, p-


    He pped his hands. Then, the door opened, and researchers in white gowns poured in.


    They set up three bookshelves on the spacious lectern of Clemen Hall and brought in a box rattling with magic stones.


    “Here, there are various enchantment books. There are three bookshelves, each representing advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels. All the books here cost more than 5,000 Ren each. Haha.”


    Shelton smiled when he talked about money.


    “These magic stones are all uniform C-grade. They cost about 1,000 Ren each.”


    I nced at the seniors. Many faces were worried at the mention of enchantments.


    It’s not that they’re wrong, enchantments are part of the college curriculum.


    “Don’t worry too much. Compared to what professional enchanters do, this is incredibly simple and straightforward. It’s not a magic spell, it’s a magic form. Look, purification, heater, apass, a fan…. These are essentially worthless enchantments that are independent. What can you do with just 5,000 Ren? Haha.”


    Sheltonughed and continued his speech.


    “Now, it doesn’t matter what object you choose.”


    An assignment that I thought woulde someday, purely evaluating abilities rted to magic.


    But why does the person in charge have to be this guy?


    “From 9:30 to 6:00. Enchant any object you want!”


    The 80 seniors all got up and rushed to the front of the lectern.