The thought of fate being paid as the price was deeply unsettling.
“I would like to hear a more detailed explanation.”
I waited for the shopkeeper to speak, but no answer came.
“What exactly does it mean for fate to be the price.......”
Customer.
The shopkeeper spoke in the same voice as before.
Business hours are over.
Then something grabbed my wrist from behind.
It was the talon-like hand that had brought me here.
“Just a moment.”
Just as I had been when I entered, I was sucked out of the shop.
A faint voice echoed.
Come again.
Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the store where I had first found the stationery.
“What in the world.......”
Still dazed, I looked up at the shop.
Unlike before, no stationery was on display.
It was merely an ordinary general store that sold household goods.
An elderly owner was dozing at the counter.
I must’ve been under a spell.
I walked twenty paces to the right of the shop.
Two houses stood pressed together with less than a handspan between them.
There was nothing there.
The alley did not exist.
Had it really been the Horror Express Mystery Shop?
I couldn’t believe that brat Jelly had been telling the truth.......
Then I suddenly checked the Fortune Letter in my hand and flinched.
It had certainly depicted the Ivory Tower bathed in sunlight before.
Now, it depicted the Ivory Tower tilted at an angle against a night sky where a waning crescent moon hung.
I checked the back.
[Unfortune Letter]
Shine moonlight on the stationery, or scatter withered rose petals over it.
The Unfortune Letter tells you the time and place where an unfortunate event will occur.
The unfortunate event may be serious or trivial.
The impact of the unfortunate event may be trivial or serious.
The moment you read the Unfortune Letter, your fate is paid.
An Unfortune Letter is returned when returned, and refusal to receive it is refused.
It had called itself a Fortune Letter, and now it was an Unfortune Letter?
Had that unidentified monster bastard scammed me?
I’ll call it to account the next time I see it.
No, that was not right. I’d better not see it again.
I’ll just think of it as bad luck.
I was about to throw the Unfortune Letter away, but the last line nagged at me, so I tucked it into my breast pocket.
***
“See? I told you it was suspicious!”
“Got it.”
Ever since we returned from the outing, Karl had been going on about what he had seen, starting at the dormitory.
Marco had entered a tavern with several students, and Karl said the atmosphere had not seemed ordinary.
“You didn’t follow them inside to confirm it.”
“I could’ve been caught if I had!”
“That’s not enough evidence.”
“It was a gambling den! I told you the atmosphere was strange!”
“Places like that normally have a strange atmosphere.”
In Ark, gambling was permitted at certain licensed establishments, and the tavern Marco had entered was one of them.
It was supervised by the city government and widely known as a tourist attraction, so it was difficult to suspect Marco merely because he had visited it.
But Karl would not calm down.
“Do you know how jarring it was to see someone as nice-looking as Marco go to a place like that? What if Senior Jepi suddenly stopped dozing off and sat upright with her eyes bright and alert?”
“That would give me chills.”
“That’s exactly what it was like!”
Just how virtuous did Karl think Marco was?
“Armand, you should’ve seen it!”
I let Karl’s words go in one ear and out the other as I entered the classroom, only for Marco to appear right away.
Karl, who had been loudly talking about Marco’s misbehavior, froze.
“M-M-Marco. Hi!”
“Armand, Karl. Good morning.”
Marco spoke with a smirk on his face.
I had absolutely no idea what about that smile looked kind.
No matter how I looked at it, it was a fake smile hiding some ulterior motive.
“M-Marco! D-Did you have a good weekend?”
“Of course. It was fun.”
“Wh-What kind of fun weekend was it? I’m curious, haha.......”
Marco tilted his head as he looked at Karl.
“Over the weekend?”
“Y-Yeah! What kind of fun weekend did you have, Marco? Haha, I’m not grilling you. I was just curious!”
He was clearly trying to extract information naturally, but that only made him look more suspicious.
Unable to watch any longer, I stepped in.
“Marco, what did you do over the weekend?”
“Oh, Armand’s taking an interest in me? I’m pleased.”
“You just seem to be in a good mood.”
“Hahaha, that’s so like Armand.”
Marco shrugged.
“Yesterday, I had a little escapade with my friends. It was fun.”
“An escapade?”
“Do not ask what it was. It’s a secret among us.”
Marco winked.
“If you’re going to come have fun with us on the next outing, I could tell you. But if not, I can’t.”
Then the group following Marco began chattering.
“Karl’s no good. His expression is too easy to read. He’ll get cleaned out.”
“I think Armand would do well.”
“Come on, we won’t know until we see it. Armand might turn out to be a total dud.”
“I feel like luck will follow Karl somehow.”
“Luck? You have to do it with skill.”
Marco’s group snickered.
Karl blinked, then nodded emphatically.
“Really? I don’t know what it is, but if we get the chance, let’s go together next time! You’ll regret underestimating me!”
“My nose isn’t very big, Karl.”
“Small noses get hurt too!”
After exchanging such silly jokes, Karl and I went to sit by the window.
Karl whispered to me.
“Huh, I guess I was wrong. They probably just went to a gambling den to have fun. It isn’t illegal. They’re adults, so going to a legitimate gambling house isn’t a problem.”
“Karl. You’re naïve.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those guys left a clue. Didn’t you notice?”
“A clue?”
Karl’s eyes widened.
Just as Marco’s group had said, Karl revealed his expressions far too easily.
He would be better suited to the role of a hunting dog that assisted a detective than a detective himself.
But he was far too cheerful for a hunting dog, so he was unfit even for that.
He was the sort who wagged his tail at anyone.
“Those guys said earlier that, because of your expression, you would get cleaned out at a gambling den.”
“Yeah, so what? Gamblers have to hide their expressions.”
“At officially licensed gambling halls, you can’t play card games with other people.”
“Huh......?”
Karl’s eyes grew wide.
In gambling halls permitted by law, only games of chance in the truest sense of the word existed—games such as dealer-run roulette and dice throws, meant to prevent the harm caused by gambling.
There were no card games where one hid one’s expression and wagered money.
You could only find such things in underground illegal gambling dens.
“Th-Then Marco lied.......”
“Who knows.”
I glanced at Marco.
He had already blended into the class and was trading jokes with the other noble students.
“Whether he merely misspoke or whether there was really something more to it.”
“Then.......”
Karl’s eyes came alive.
“Uncovering that is the mission of our Mystery Detective Team!”
“That’s right.”
“Good!”
Karl burned with motivation once more.
“As a detective of the Mystery Detective Team, I’ll uncover Marco’s two faces.”
Then Karl excitedly began writing something in his notebook.
He seemed to be making a plan to track Marco down or something of the sort.
For the time being, this should be enough to distract Karl.
I felt like a dog owner tossing a toy to give his pet dog enough exercise.
Then the boy in the seat in front of me turned around and spoke.
“Armand, have you decided what you’re going to do for your Independent Project?”
“More or less.”
I looked at the boy in front of me.
“Why are you asking?”
“You know?”
The boy in front of me and I maintained the highest grades in the Frog Class.
The semester had only just begun, so the gap between us had not yet become apparent, but experts recognized experts.
The top student in the Frog Class would be either me or this boy.
However, this boy had a weakness.
He was an intellectual type and weak in actual combat, so his practical magical ability was not particularly outstanding.
In other words, he did not have what it took to threaten the top spot.
I grinned and asked.
“Do you want to work together?”
“If you’re all right with it.”
“I’d be glad to.”
“Good, Armand.”
“Fine, Front-Seat.”
The boy in front of me blinked.
“Armand, surely you don’t.......”
“I’m sorry.”
I apologized at once.
“But I can’t help it. No one has called your name yet.”
“Th-That’s true.......”
Though I had occasionally interacted with the boy in front of me, we had never formally introduced ourselves, nor had anyone called him by name.
That was why I still did not know his name.
“That’s right. I’ve no presence.”
“Out of nowhere?”
“It’s not out of nowhere. It’s an undeniable fact. No one has called me all this time, have they? It’s always been like this. When I was young, I was absent once because I was sick, but even the teacher didn’t realize I was gone. Did even the attendance roster forget me? Sometimes, I feel as though I’m air. I studied hard to impress my existence upon others, but my presence is still faint.......”
He seemed to have his own concerns about his existence.
“I’ll help you.”
“Help me?”
“If we stand together at the peak of the Ivory Tower, everyone will whisper your name.”
“That.......”
“So tell me your name.”
“Matsuda.”
“Nice to meet you, Matsuda. That’s an exotic name. Do you have Eastern blood?”
“Not Matsuda. Matsu.”
“Right, Matsuda.”
“No, no, Matsu. I said Matsu.”
“Matsu?”
“Yes.”
“All right, Matsu.”
That was how I learned the boy in front of me was named Matsu.
I had thought the way his glasses gleamed while he burned with academic zeal was rather conspicuous, but I had not expected him to be troubled by his lack of presence.
Was I the only one who recognized Matsu’s true worth?
“Matsu, you’ve heard that too much is as bad as too little, right?”
“Of course. I recently received a Superior grade on an Imperial Language quiz. My score was lower than yours, though.”
I nodded.
“The Ivory Tower’s full of people who have just enrolled and are overflowing with enthusiasm. Look at them talking about the Independent Project. They’re all making outlandish plans and saying they’ll go far away. We’ll maintain our dignity amid the thunder-brats running madly amok.”
“Surely.......”
“We’ll visit some ruins.”
“That’s too clichéd!”
“Being clichéd is the point. In a village of one-eyed people, a two-eyed person stands out.”
“Where are we going?”
“The Temple in the Dark Forest.”
“Isn’t that too easy?”
“Substance is more important than difficulty. Have you forgotten that I’m from the North? Many structures built in the ancient styles of old remain in the North. There are many temple ruins as well. We’ll compare the Northern and Imperial styles and investigate the traces of ancient magic used there.”
“That’s rather good. I understand now.”
Matsu adjusted his glasses and nodded.
He really was someone I could reason with.
“Matsu, the Ivory Tower’s undeniably an educational institution. Among the mad bastards who say they’ll kill monsters and display their severed heads, this alone is enough to earn a Superior grade.”
“Yes, you’re right. That’s remarkable insight. Armand, as expected, you’re someone I acknowledge.”
Matsu and I shook hands.
“So, will it be just the two of us?”
“No. Since we’ll handle the thinking, we need someone else to do the legwork.”
“Who?”
My Attribute was sealed, and Matsu was weak in actual combat.
That meant someone had to deal with the monsters lurking in the Dark Forest.
“He’s right here.”
I pointed to Karl, who was scribbling something in his notebook.
“Karl’s going too?”
“Yes.”
Matsu tilted his head skeptically, but since I knew Karl’s true ability, it was the obvious choice.
Karl snapped his head up.
“You guys must need me after all!”
Matsu furrowed his brow.
“Armand, will this guy really be all right?”
“What did you say? Matsu! You don’t trust me?”
When Karl called his name, Matsu looked touched, then quickly cleared his throat.
“Well, it wouldn’t be bad to go together.”
“Let’s do well, Matsu! Matsu, God of Note-Taking!”
“Y-Yes. Let’s do that, Karl.”
“Good, Matsu!”
Just how far were the corners of Matsu’s mouth going to rise?
“Are the three of us going? It’d be nice if Lumin could come too!”
“Independent Project groups can only be formed with students in the same class.”
“What a shame!”
Then Matsu tilted his head.
“Lumin? That gray-haired Lion Class student who comes by often?”
“Yes.”
Matsu thought for a moment, then spoke.
“Well, I suppose he’ll manage on his own. First, we need to make a plan.”
“Just count on me for the plan!”
“Armand and I’ll make the plan.”
That was how our Independent Project group was decided.
Good.
At this rate, we should be able to complete the Independent Project without difficulty.
While Karl grabbed Matsu and chattered away, I took the Unfortune Letter out of my inner pocket.
This absolutely wasn’t because it was less scary to look at it in a classroom in broad daylight than when I was alone.
No matter how I looked at it, it was just stationery.
It had said that if I wanted to read it, I had to shine moonlight on it or place withered rose petals on it.
There was no way a classroom in broad daylight would have something like that, so I was safe.
Yet, unbelievably, something like that appeared.
“Ah, sorry.”
Matsu, who had just hit it off with Karl, opened his bag and spilled its contents. Withered rose petals came fluttering out and covered the Unfortune Letter.
Frozen in place, I could only move my lips as I asked.
“Matsu. What in the world is this?”
“Withered rose petals.”
“I mean, why is this crap coming out of your bag?”
“Calling it crap is harsh.”
Matsu held up one withered rose petal.
“Armand, you might not know this, but I’m a member of the Alchemy Club. Withered roses are one of the common materials used in alchemy.”
Then, as though it were nothing, he gathered the withered rose petals and put them into his bag.
“They smell like roses. That’s nice too.”
I slowly lowered my gaze to the Unfortune Letter.
[Tonight, 9 PM. Glass Conservatory.]
[If you do not go, you will certainly regret it.]
That was how I ended up receiving the Unfortune Letter.
***
When night fell, a sudden shower began.
What would I normally have been doing?
Perhaps I would have been practicing magic in the Magic Practice Chamber.
Or perhaps I would have gone to the library to study.
Maybe I would have been listening to Karl and Lumin tell pointless stories.
It said it would tell me the time and place where an unfortunate event would occur, yet it also said I would regret it if I did not experience that unfortunate event.
The words saying I would certainly regret it nagged at me, so in the end, I came to the Glass Conservatory and hid in a corner.
At worst, the unfortunate event here would be an argument or someone snapping off the plants in the Glass Conservatory.
I couldn’t figure it out at all.
“Why is it suddenly raining?”
Not long afterward, the door opened and four students wearing green epaulets appeared.
“I’m soaked.”
“Let’s wait a while before we go.”
“Was there a place like this?”
“It’s nice.”
Then they began chatting about nothing in particular.
At most, they talked about where to go over the weekend, which students were pretty or handsome, who liked whom, and who disliked whom—nothing but such trivial matters.
Every now and then, they also gossiped maliciously about someone.
“By the way, wasn’t that kid creepy again today?”
“Don’t get me started.”
They burst out laughing.
Another student picked up the thread.
“So everyone thinks that way? I thought I was the only one.”
“Even his magic is creepy.”
“Did you see his expression when the subject of Independent Project groups came up? His eyes kept darting around to see where he could attach himself. It was seriously hard to watch.”
Was the unfortunate event really nothing more than gossip taking place in the Glass Conservatory?
The Horror Express Mystery Shop and the Unfortune Letter.
It was more trivial than I had expected.
That was what I thought in that moment.
“Still, he is not a bad person, is he?”
“He’s not bad himself. It just makes us uncomfortable to look at him.”
“Ah, is that how it works?”
“Do you think he stutters on purpose? He doesn’t stutter when he’s speaking properly.”
“Why would he do something like that on purpose?”
“To get attention? There are people like that, right?”
“I really hate it.”
“I want to smack him in the mouth every time he stutters. Then he’d go, ‘S-S-Sorry!’”
One student mimed striking someone, and the others laughed and clapped their hands.
They looked happy.
I didn’t find it amusing at all.
It was as though I could hear the voice from the Horror Express Mystery Shop again.
The moment you read the Unfortune Letter, your fate is paid as the price.