Chapter 61
"Suspicious people?"
Pastel, who was diligently working in the student council, greeted a visitor.
An upperclassman unfolded a map of the library interior and pointed to a section circled in red.
"We heard there were signs of activity in the library at night, so we investigated with some kids and found an underground passage. It turned out to be a sewer when we checked. We didn't explore deeper since it was deep, but I think outsiders might be sneaking into the academy through a separate external passage."
Eeng.
Intruders when tournament preparations are finished.
"I know that place. We discovered an entrance while constructing the new dormitory. They said it was remnants of the demon race holy land. When we explored a bit, there was even an ecosystem formed inside."
Pastel drew mouse whiskers on her cheeks with her finger.
"Squeak squeak~"
Squeaky friends.
The upperclassman was slightly flustered by the mouse sound effect then asked:
"What measures were taken?"
Pastel crossed her arms with a serious expression.
"We sounded out opinions at the professor council, but since it's too wide complete burial is impossible."
Nod nod.
Nod nod.
"So we decided to just block the entrance. The professors said they'd handle the external passage and entrance but..."
Pastel paused speaking and tilted her head.
But the entrance remains intact in the library. Have the professors not finished measures yet? Well it is very wide.
"I understand! Our student council will check it out!"
Pastel headed alone to the library where suspicious outsiders were said to be.
Entering the large library building, a high ceiling and wide space was visible. Bookshelves reaching the ceiling stretched as far as the eye could see.
The pink girl's mouth fell open.
"Uwaa, the smell of study study! I've never smelled it since enrolling!"
『That's not something to be proud of.』
The demon in formal wear looked around and spoke.
Pastel fanned herself. The library smell was sensed.
"Mm~! This mustiness of book dust! A guardian telling me to breathe this air that worsens respiratory health must surely be a bad person!"
『Don't say you don't want to study in that way.』
The demon's palm pressed down on the pink head.
"Hut, how did you know?!"
Pastel's face became shocked.
Then she flinched receiving a glare from a passing librarian.
Ah, that's right!
You have to be quiet in the library!
She pressed her index finger to her lips then suddenly raised her hand and firmly pressed the demon's lips.
Quiet!
The demon was flustered as his lips were squished.
『Why me too-』
"Ah!"
Pastel shouted in frustration at the demon who didn't know basic etiquette.
"Shh! Shh! Quiet! Quiet!"
The girl's voice echoed in the space.
The departing librarian turned around creak and looked back and forth between the girl and demon.
"Please be quiet in the library."
Huk, I got scolded!
Pastel's mouth fell open. When the librarian left, she turned to the demon with an unjust expression.
Unfair! Unfair!
The demon was dumbfounded.
『Why are you getting angry?』
Pastel gestured for him to hurry and bend down. The demon bent down. She opened her mouth by his ear.
"I got scolded because of demon."
The girl whispered whisper whisper.
『How is that my fault.』
The demon was dumbfounded.
"That's, that's..."
Pastel tried to explain but blanked out not knowing a proper reason.
Silence fell.
She subtly moved away and waved both arms.
"I-I don't know! I don't know! Let's hurry and check the underground passage!"
She grabbed the demon's arm and ran.
Of course, she had to walk after getting scolded by the librarian again.
"Uwa, because of demon again!"
Completely unfair!
『So why is that my fault again.』
"The problem is you don't understand!"
They passed through the general reading room freely used by outsiders and students and entered deep inside.
After gaining entry permission with student council status and going underground, they arrived at an archive densely packed with various books.
When the guiding librarian left, Pastel cautiously looked around. She scanned various books with a sharp gaze.
"Is this the top secret archive storing forbidden designated magic books?"
Uurgh!
I feel powerful magic...!
The demon answered casually with hands in his pockets.
『It's just an ordinary book storage. A place to pile up books with too few uses due to lack of popularity.』
"It's not a secret archive?!"
『What were you expecting.』
Uwa.
There's no adventure atmosphere at all.
She moved to a corner in disappointment and saw a hole where floor tiles were removed.
She poked her head out and looked. The hole dug as if someone shoveled led deeply to sewer ground. There was a sewer smell.
"It's a hole perfect for infiltration no matter who looks at it."
Academy security, is this really okay?
Why on earth did they build the academy on top of a perfectly fine sewer without burying it.
There must have been bad intentions for doing so. Maybe they did it to use as a secret passage themselves. For various crimes and corruption.
Pastel was thinking then recalled the fact that it was Craft who built without burying the sewer.
The Craft family who sold future residents' safety for their own crimes and corruption.
Ancestors...!
Uwaa.
My conscience while just standing still...!
The demon looked at her as she fidgeted restlessly.
『What's wrong?』
"N-nothing. Just missing the squeaky friends so much."
The demon nodded.
『Well the squeaky friends will miss you too.』
Oing.
Pastel's eyes went round.
"Really?!"
The demon brought his face close as if threatening. Red eyes flashed.
『To eat your flesh and blood, that is.』
"Huk, flesh and blood!"
Come to think of it, the squeaky friends nom nommed even a huge snake in an instant. Someone like me would really be gone in the blink of an eye.
The girl trembled tremble tremble tremble.
"D-don't tell me they still hold a grudge for massacring squeaky friends with knife friend last time?"
『They might.』
The demon smirked.
Uwaa.
I'll definitely apologize when I meet you squeaky friends...!
Pastel went down the hole to apologize. The hole was deep but had grooves carved so it was unexpectedly easy to descend.
When she almost finished descending the hole, she looked down at the sewer. Since it was a hole pierced in the sewer ceiling, the sewer situation wasn't properly visible.
Probably no one around?
She jumped and landed on the sewer ground. When she turned on the magic stone lantern with completely expensive fuel costs, the magical light source illuminated the dark sewer.
She whispered toward the magic sword at her waist.
"Seems like no one's here, right?"
『Reduce the light source. It's troublesome if it's noticeable from other corners without even going near a corner.』
She adjusted the magic stone lantern and carefully looked around. Since the sewer itself is a damp place, she could find traces of people left on the sticky floor.
Outside intruders.
"There are a lot of footprints. Seems like multiple people, right?"
What could their purpose be.
She further reduced the light source and quietly moved following the traces. She planned to look for a hideout. They probably wouldn't dangerously break through this wide sewer infiltrating from outside every time.
Squeaky friends are scary.
The tense Pastel took out knives and hugged them tightly. If there are scary people I'll escape whoosh~ riding the knives.
Not long after, she found a place that seemed like a hideout. There was an iron door on one side of the passage wall, perhaps originally for sewer managers. It was a place with an iron door. The door was rusted but looked sturdy.
『The door gap is damaged. There are traces of work to open it since it wouldn't open from being abandoned too long.』
Oing.
A real proper hideout?
I thought it would be temporary lodgings made in cracks or such places in the sewer, but they're using proper facilities.
Pastel whispered.
"Seems they're not ordinary intruders."
『It could be coincidence, but there's a high possibility prior investigation was done.』
Totally suspicious suspicious wicked wicked.
Pastel narrowed her eyes and stared at the iron door.
Suddenly the iron door made a noise.
Eh?
Pastel quickly turned off the lantern.
Complete darkness came and the iron door opened. The bright light source inside was slowly revealed.
The person holding the door spoke in an excited voice.
"Do you think it's easy to grasp the ducal daughter's guard schedule?! If you're so dissatisfied, go out and check yourselves!"
A finger pointed at the sewer. Unfortunately it was in Pastel's direction so she froze.
"If you bring back something worse than what I checked going out several times, you'll die!"
"Hey hey! I get it so calm down! If you shout the rat bastards will come! Just close the door first!"
When someone inside restrained him, the person at the door stopped speaking while breathing heavily. Then he roughly closed the door. The door closed with a noise then slightly opened again. Light leaked through the thin door gap.
Oing.
Pastel who was completely frozen approached hesitantly. She looked inside through the door gap.
There were about five or six people in a square room of moderate size equipped with furniture. They all seemed to be demon race with pointed ears.
When she listened closely, conversation was heard.
The content was not to rush guard schedule identification since they'll kill human students too by poisoning the academy water source while poisoning Elsior anyway.
Ducal daughter assassination and indiscriminate massacre.
Pastel's eyes went round.
Uweee?
Th-they're really scary people.
Her body trembled.
Uwaa.
I-I should run away first.
She took hesitant steps backward then paused.
But is it okay to leave such dangerous people alone even for a moment?
What if they escape and indiscriminately spread poison gas or something? Only bad people who would do such things use poison.
Uwa uwa.
I have to fight to protect my friends.
Her mind spun.
I have to fight such scary people?
Why am I facing such a trial...!
Uwaa.
Pastel who was grabbing her head took out a glass bottle with trembling hands. Yellow liquid sloshed.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Demon give me courage!
She shouted in her heart and flung open the door. The pink girl was enveloped in light and gazes focused.
"Ba-bad people who would spread poison gas!"
Pastel shouted with her eyes tightly shut.
"Punish evil and reward good!"
She threw the glass bottle with all her might. The yellow liquid rotated and vaporized.
The glass bottle hit the ground and yellow paralytic poison gas exploded. The interior was instantly covered in gas.
The demon race coughed and screamed at the sudden gas attack. Some who came to their senses grabbed weapons and ran to the doorway. They looked fierce.
Uwaa!
Pastel trembled in fear.
Do I have to fight?
Do I have to fight against people who think nothing of indiscriminate massacre?
"Sa-save me!"
She roughly closed the door with trembling hands. The door closed completely with a loud noise. The demon race who ran over seemed to try opening the door.
"Uwaa!"
Pastel screamed while pushing the door. The door rattled then forcibly closed with the girl's superhuman strength.
"I'm sorry~! Please spare me!"
When a demon race inside collided, the door rattled roughly. Each time, poison gas and screams leaked through the gap.
Uwaa!
Pastel closed the door again in panic. A loud noise rang out. The demon race trying to push the door was bounced back and the door closed.
Uwaa!
"Spare me! Spare me!"
I'll live well from now on!
No, I'll live badly from now on...!
I'll only do bad things~!
Chaotic time passed.
After a while, it became quiet beyond the door.
The exhausted Pastel collapsed with a thud.
Huaa.
Completely bad people.