Elite Instructor at a Third-Rate Academy

11 – Salute to You, My Respected☆

Strange rumors are circulating.

Freed, who had just left the office, wanted to know the truth behind these rumors. They were about Amy—some claimed suicide, others murder, and some insisted it was a disguised killing. Especially the homeroom teachers of A-1 and C-6 classes, implicated in this incident, strongly argued for suicide.

“Will there be smoke without fire?”

Freed Bendelin was a woman who made her own judgments. If she had lived swayed by others’ stories, she would have married a reliable man and followed her parents’ advice to raise children.

Well, if she had debuted as a debutante at the ball and seduced a decent nobleman like Eosik, her life might have been better than it is now. There’s no denying that. However, she disliked a future determined in that way, ending without making any choices.

Creak──

Returning to her dorm, it seems the man from the floor above has just entered. It’s quiet all night. He isn’t someone who exercises indoors like Ivon Dikio. Honestly, she thought she had been very wrong from the start. Temulic Stained was a diligent instructor. She had seen him running every day in the early morning and late evening.

─I’ll confirm it with my own eyes.

As always, what she believed in was her own judgment.

Knock, knock, knock──

“Hey.”

When she knocked on the door and asked, there was a sound from inside. Waiting quietly, the old door screamed as it opened.

“Who are you?”

“I’m from the lower floor.”

He answered without needing her to reintroduce herself. Temulic Stained was a somewhat strange man to Freed. Handsome, yet uninterested in any woman and had no particular relationship with female students. Rumor had it that Celana Laphisardi was chasing after him, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Why have you come?”

“You, in many ways, have become the subject of rumors.”

“I’ll be careful not to cause harm.”

As he tried to close the door, Freed slightly pushed her foot into the gap.

“If it’s okay, I’d like to hear a bit more.”

“We’re still investigating.”

“Who are you to investigate? Amy’s homeroom is quiet. Why are you making a fuss?”

The man sighed. Freed felt an inexplicable sense of disgrace. Now she understood. He was scratching at her pride. Just encountering him briefly conveyed a feeling of looking down on the other person.

“We’re gathering evidence.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Just open this door for a moment.”

She forcefully pulled the door open. As she entered abruptly, papers fluttered around the room. A faint smell of sweat emanated, and when she looked at him, beads of sweat adorned his forehead.

“Do people really not exercise here?” she asked.

He merely nodded, indicating a desire for her to leave. Ignoring him, she picked up a scattered piece of paper from the floor.

“Case 103 – Murder – Defendant: XXX – Charges: Murder, Concealment.”

Reading the back, it contained precedents and reasons for the judgment. Waving it in the air, she questioned why he was looking at this. In response, he gathered the fallen papers and replied.

“I’m collecting cases similar to this murder.”

“Hey, can you be sure it’s an assassination?”

“Because of you, the school office is divided into three parts. I held back from saying that. It’s not something he orchestrated, and the division was a common occurrence in Lailan, so it wasn’t worth mentioning.”

“It’s murder.”

“How?”

In response to Frederic’s question, he brought out a notebook on the desk. The royal seal was stamped on it. Then, a clear explanation and gruesome truth unfolded. She nodded, understanding why he was so convinced.

“But?”

“Belasquez refuses to be interviewed.”

“Isn’t that the responsibility of the B-5 class teacher? Why are you stepping in?”

“It seems like it was just a formality. It happened as a kind of gesture for appearance’s sake.”

“Gesture?”

“It means they only followed the procedure for administrative purposes.”

Frederic, managing a slightly blushing complexion, asked, “He’s famous for liking girls, right?”

“I’ve heard that too.”

“Well, if it’s a pretty girl conducting the interview, he might agree, right?”

─If it’s a beauty, he won’t be able to resist meeting her.

At this, the man lowered his head in contemplation and muttered.

“Ochia is a student, so that wouldn’t work.”

[#11 – Investigation]

The imperial investigator was scheduled to arrive in the late afternoon.

It had only been three days since Amy was found, and the military personnel guarding the vicinity had come. As Ochia’s homeroom teacher, Kenneth was summoned to the faculty room. The current individuals involved in the case were as follows:

“Frederic Neph, homeroom teacher of Amy’s class.”

“Terra Simond, homeroom teacher of Genoa Van Cliffe, Amy’s friend.”

“Oswell Ithralde, homeroom teacher of Belasquez Del Torr, Amy’s lover.”

“Amy’s friend and the primary witness, Tomulic Steinnd, the homeroom teacher of Ochia.”

Among them, everyone except Kennes was placing weight on suicide rather than murder.

Up until today, they had been pressuring Kennes to retract any suspicions and allow a proper funeral. They were outraged at the thought that a young girl’s body was deteriorating because of her words.

Tap-tap–

As I quietly knocked on the principal’s office door, it wasn’t Ochia who opened it, but another female student. She had taken a sick leave due to Amy’s death. Having witnessed her friend take one’s own life, she would be inconsolable for a few days. However, the more significant problem was that gradually her name was being mentioned in connection with this incident.

“I will come in.”

As I quietly entered, four pairs of unfriendly eyes were fixed on me. They openly stared at me while I sat silently on the couch, pretending not to notice. It was Osvel, the homeroom teacher of Belasquez, who was the most hostile.

“I heard you’re the new teacher. Did I do something wrong to you?”

Kennes repeated to herself not to argue with fools.

“I have never met any of you before.”

“I have many complaints too. Because of the homeroom teacher of Class C-8, even our class representative, Cliff Youngae, had to be investigated.”

Upon Terra’s words, expressing the concerns of the Viscount, Kennes internally filed a complaint. If they wanted to compel her through writing, she could do that. Even if she had resigned from the military, the records of the Viscount’s displeasure would not disappear.

“No, you should stop apologizing. What does that mean for Amy’s funeral?”

It was Frederick, the homeroom teacher of Amy’s class. Instead of answering, Kennes focused her gaze on his eyes. He turned his head and coughed without saying a word. They all undoubtedly had an unspoken agreement to cover up this issue.

“In the worst-case scenario, an autopsy may be necessary.”

“Captain, I won’t allow that.”

Principal Helon immediately opposed.

“In the case of a murder, an autopsy is a standard procedure. Why are you saying it can’t be done for any reason?”

“Even though she’s dead, she’s still a female student. Amy’s parents would not want it, and it’s not appropriate to cut her open like that.”

─Even if it means doing that to uncover the truth.

However, Kennes would only bow her head to these corrupt powers. The investigation had already progressed considerably. Although she had done it alone, there were some clues. On the day Amy died, Kennes had given a gold coin to the person in charge of the crematorium and asked them to check if anything strange came in.

“No, this came from the men’s dormitory yesterday.”

The next day, a wig was found, although it was unknown who had discarded it. It was not a cheap item to be thrown around carelessly. At least it was worth five gold coins, so there was no need to investigate further.

The initial thought that it was a woman had expanded to now considering men as well. As a result of questioning individuals with scars on their arms, it seemed to point to Belasquez. He was a nobleman’s heir connected to Amy through their chess club activities. Among the dead girl’s fingernails, there were slight cracks on the middle and ring fingers of her right hand, but no fragments were found.

─He had no motive.

The problem lay here. Belasquez was suspicious, but there was no reason for him to commit murder. Zenoa, who was considered a friend, only appeared to have a superficial relationship with her.

The only person who could truly be called a friend was Ochia, but she remained tight-lipped. She knew something but stubbornly refused to talk, making Kennes all the more eager to examine the body of the deceased. In a previous case file, it was revealed that there was a fetus in someone’s abdomen, which became the motivation for the murder. In other words, Kennes’ deduction led to this conclusion.

─Amy was pregnant with someone other than Belasquez.

They fought, and in a fit of rage, a man accidentally committed murder. She had set up such a hypothetical scenario, and now she needed to meet with Ochia again to discuss further, particularly since Frederick mentioned having a conversation with Belasquez today.

“Behold, Lieutenant. Are you listening to me?”

At Halon’s words, Kenis finally snapped out of his immersion. He hadn’t heard anything while immersed. In reality, he wondered if what they were about to say was an attempt to bury the death of a commoner for their own sake. What if Velasquez was the culprit? It wouldn’t change anything. Even if he knew the truth, he couldn’t expose or punish it.

─ We might need private sanctions.

“I had a momentary distraction.”

“Oh, truly? Even though the headmaster is speaking, you’re lost in some detective game?”

It was Oswell. His hostile attitude seemed to have some reason behind it. Only suspicions grew, and there was no progress. As Kenis quietly sipped his tea, the sound of footsteps reached them from outside.

“The investigator has arrived.”

The girl who opened the door announced quietly. Everyone stood up. It was a high-ranking official from the imperial court. Tension filled the air. Clack──the rhythmic sound of lively footsteps, like the sound of horseshoes, echoed. A slick young man entered and greeted them.

“Chief Investigator, Warren Remelts.”

─Raven, is this also your consideration?

The successor had come as a colonel. A successful rebellion is a revolution. While everyone was bowing, only Kenis remained standing, refusing to bow. When others were surprised and gave him a hint to bow, Warren spoke.

“It’s been a while, Lieutenant Temeulic Stained.”

He completed the salute with a majestic gesture. Even the headmaster and the homeroom teachers were puzzled by the unusual gaze.

“Bring some refreshments.”

At Halon’s request, the girl brought tea and refreshments. Warren took his seat at the head. Having witnessed the events so far, he pretended to listen to the opinions of those vehemently claiming suicide and asked for Kenis’s opinion.

“It’s murder.”

“Lieutenant, do you have any evidence to support that claim?”

It felt unfamiliar to be respectful to his junior. Kenis reported even the information he hadn’t shared with anyone. When everyone’s faces darkened as if they had eaten something unpleasant, the investigator dispatched by the emperor expressed his anger.

“Murder, and a cover-up!”

Except for Kenis, the colonel asked everyone else to leave for a moment. It was a breach of etiquette to ask even the headmaster at the lieutenant colonel level to step aside. Some hesitated, but they followed Halon like sausages. Click──the heavy door closed, and when no one was inside, Warren saluted.

“Warren Remelts, Staff Administrative Officer. Nice to meet you after a long time!”

Kenis silently returned the salute and smiled.

“You were a major even in active duty.”

“It’s a salute to someone I respect.”

Receiving the emperor’s favor seemed distasteful, but perhaps Warren volunteered. Finally meeting someone with both competence and conviction, Kenis’s heart calmed. He simply asked for help to find the truth. With a sharp gaze, Warren whispered.

“What about those lowlifes?”

“I’ll handle them on my end.”

Now, even if Kenis stirred things up here, no one could criticize him. The investigator, whom he respected, would blindly defend his senior. Power tasted even sweeter in crisis, and now was the time to consume it.