I Become a Secret Police Officer of The Imperial Academy

Chapter 9

After arriving at school, I unpacked my things in the empty classroom, exchanged a brief greeting with Theo, and then moved to the conference room.

When I told the Count and Countess that their daughter was actually alive, their son was unharmed, and that they would both be released soon, they absolutely refused to believe it.

When I mentioned that they would be sent back to the mansion in a few days, they fell to their knees and begged me not to kill them. It was honestly a bit embarrassing.

Unless it’s a demon, we don’t kill people so easily.

Anyway, the demons who dragged them away must have locked them up safely in the livestock pen.

Once I’ve captured them, my work is done.

I heaved open the heavy iron door with a grunt and stepped into the room where Julius was being held.

He was lying comfortably on a bed, nibbling on a snack while reading a book.

At first, I’d thrown him into a barren solitary cell with nothing, but then I slowly improved his treatment. It’s far more effective than treating him well from the start.

“One day, or was it two days?” he asked with a slightly tense expression.

Was it because of the threat I’d made to him last time?

I don’t resort to such barbaric acts, but to think he’d taken it so seriously.

“Thanks to selling out your parents, you’re alive, your parents are alive, and your little sister is alive too. Smart choice. How could the value of blood relatives ever be the same as that of demons?”

“…So, you captured them all in the end.”

“Of course, they’re all caught.”

“Would you tell me how my parents are doing?”

“Other than your father losing a couple of teeth, they’re both in good health.”

“…I see. So you saved the family by handing over the children.”

“Children? Your family’s humans really have a strange way of thinking.

Anyway, I’ll be letting them go in a few days.

The official story is that while you were searching for your missing parents, you collapsed at a cottage on a sorghum farm.”

“That doesn’t sound like a very convincing excuse.”

“It’s the official story, so who cares? Just don’t go around blabbing about it.

If you do, one of my subordinates might bring you back and pull out your tongue.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, his face a mix of bitterness and relief.

Since I wasn’t the one directly handling the interrogation, I didn’t feel much guilt even while looking at Julius’s face.

“You’re not hiding anything else, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Congratulations on making it through this whole thing with all your limbs intact and not a single scar. Let’s never see each other again once you’re out of here.”

With that, I grunted as I shut the door once more.

Next, I had to go speak with Ethel.

I really didn’t want to. Just thinking about seeing her face or talking to her drained me.

How am I supposed to face her every day like this?

Ugh, maybe I should just drop out of school.

Since my parents, who sent me to this place, are dead, I suppose it wouldn’t really matter.

Regardless, I entered Ethel’s room and greeted her.

“Ethel, it’s been a while.”

When I entered the conference room, Ethel was seated there, draped in the kind of pure white cloth that counselors usually wear.

Not that it made a difference since the lights were off, and it wasn’t like there was anything to do.

“Ellen, what now…?”

“I came to tell you that I’m letting you go.”

Normally, when people hear that kind of news, their faces brighten, and they start bowing and thanking me profusely, but Ethel only raised an eyebrow slightly.

“…Letting me go, you say?”

“Do you have a problem with that?

You’ll be released soon anyway, so I’ll answer most of your questions if you have any.”

At those words, Ethel sneered and shot me a sharp glare.

“Looks like your big demon-hunting operation went well, huh?”

“Yeah, it went smoothly. They were hiding underground on your family’s farm like maggots.”

“…So you locked me up and tormented me just to catch the people who used to work for my family?”

“People? No, they were demons that had to be captured, of course.”

“You see a few horns and a bad temper, and you immediately think they’re demons, huh?”

I felt a bit caught off guard.

Up until now, Ethel had been acting like she didn’t know anything, like she didn’t even understand why she was here. But that version of her was nowhere to be seen now.

“You knew, huh.”

She’d been feigning ignorance, playing the innocent.

Not that it was surprising.

To figure out something like this, you’d have to have a long, drawn-out conversation, bit by bit.

If I’d done that, maybe I would’ve been the one who broke down first.

“Of course I knew. I’d have to be an idiot not to.

Ellen, you’re completely insane. You’re nothing but a lunatic,” Ethel said, her voice quivering as she began to cry.

Crying wasn’t going to help in a situation like this, though.

“Lunatics are your family, not me.

What were you even thinking when you decided to hide those guys?

If you’d just confessed everything, you’d have been released immediately.”

It’s not like labor is irreplaceable.

“Confess to what, you crazy wench.

If someone like you, a raving lunatic threatening to kill all the kids playing on the farm, came to me, would you honestly expect me to tell you anything?”

“Kids,” huh. She sure talks as if they were people.

Honestly, with this many people around who just don’t see things my way, it’s exhausting.

“Ethel, I haven’t released you just yet, so maybe you should watch your mouth a little,” I said softly in a quiet, gentle tone, and her words were free of curses this time.

“…Even demons wouldn’t do something as twisted as kidnapping a friend and using them to hunt down humans.

The students who went missing from the academy—aren’t they all in your basement right now, Ellen?”

I was about to say something but stopped when the image of the librarian sister suddenly came to mind.

Seeing that, Ethel seemed to gain confidence and resumed speaking.

“Did you ever think of me, the kids, or Theo as friends while attending the academy with us?

I… haah… I trusted you.

You laughed and joked with us on the surface, but behind our backs, you were thinking about locking us up in this basement all along, weren’t you?”

It wasn’t about locking them up. It was about monitoring, observing, and recording persons of interest.

At least, it had been—until all of this happened.

“…I did think of you as a friend. I’m not sure anymore, though.”

Seeing me hesitate slightly, Ethel finally brought up the heart of the matter.

“If we’re still friends, at least spare the kids you caught this time.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why not!?

Those kids weren’t even in the city that night—they were just working on the family farm!

They’re the ones I grew up with since we were little… So please, I’m begging you.”

“That doesn’t matter.

The only thing that matters is that they’re demons.”

“You really are insane.”

“As long as my sister doesn’t come back to life, there won’t be a single demon left alive in this empire.

Even if they exist, I’ll track them all down and kill them.”

I stepped right up to Ethel, jabbing my index finger in front of her face and spitting out my words.

I have no idea how I look right now.

The prophets, who once spoke of reforming demons through labor after capturing them, had said:

—”As long as they remain demons, they have no right to live among us.”

Honestly, it was far too generous a policy.

Letting them work on farms, eat, and even have children was far too merciful.

They were even allowed to beg on the streets or do manual labor in the city.

Even dogs and cats understand gratitude, yet here we were, showing mercy to ungrateful beasts.

It was excessive.

Eventually, the Empire and the enraged people proposed the final solution to the demon problem.

—”Demons have no right to live.”

“Ethel, your whole family is still alive, aren’t they?

Your brother, your parents—they’re all alive.

How is a person supposed to stay sane?

The one person I thought gave meaning to my existence in this world died, you know?”

So why am I not smoking, drinking, or taking drugs?

Why am I not even crying?

Why am I still alive, without tying a noose around my neck and ending it all…?

Why do I play these stupid little games every day, pretending like it’s just another task on my to-do list?

Alicia wasn’t some “heroine” or “character” in a story.

She was Ellen’s precious, cute little sister, born into this world.

I didn’t need to “grow closer” to her or “try to get along” with her.

She was a child I could love unconditionally from the start.

“…Stop making excuses. In that case, you could’ve just killed the ones who caused the disturbance back then.

But you’re going to kill kids who had nothing to do with it too, aren’t you? You’re nothing but a deranged murderer.”

“You keep talking about killing, but who said I was going to kill them all?

I’m just going to carve a spell into their necks so that if they resist even a little, they’ll explode in an instant.”

The mages have been having a rough time lately because of this.

That’s why the grand head of the house was so surprised when they sent a magician.

Half of them end up dying during the process, but that’s only because they resist.

If they’d just sat still and accepted the procedure quietly, none of that would’ve happened.

“If only Alicia were still alive, I wouldn’t care about demons or whatever.

But that’s not how it is, is it?

Just don’t get in my way.”

“In that case, maybe you shouldn’t let me out of here.

If you do, I’ll run straight to Theo and tell him exactly what kind of person you are.”

Was that supposed to be a threat?

“Then, at least the way he looks at you might change a little…”

I cut off her clumsy threat mid-sentence.

“Go ahead.”

“Huh?”

“Do it. Tell him.

Then I’ll lock you up here again, along with Theo and anyone else who hears the story.”

“…What are you even talking about?”

I don’t care.

Let her tell him, or don’t.

Let her get caught, or don’t.

“Ethel, your fingers and toes are all still intact.

Your arms and legs are all perfectly fine, too.

You don’t even have a single scar on you.

I’m treating you like a friend, you know. You should be grateful.”

I pulled out a pistol from my coat and poked at the parts I’d just mentioned with the muzzle.

“But next time, what do you think will happen?

How do you think I’ll treat Theo? Or Isabel? Or Lea?

I guarantee it won’t be as gentlemanly as it was this time.”

Ethel seemed to be afraid of the gun, so I put it back into my coat.

Then, I wrapped my arms around her and whispered softly into her ear.

“Ethel, you didn’t see anything. You didn’t hear anything.

I didn’t say a word, did I? Now, nod your head.”

Tears streaming down her face, Ethel nodded.

“Even after you leave this place, we’re still good friends, right?”

This time, she nodded again.

Her whole body was trembling, though.

I felt a little guilty.

“…Heh, good girl.”

Out of sheer spite, I flicked her on the lips like a playful punishment.