第３３４堀：もう一人の研究者は？ (Part1)
**Chapter 334: What About the Other Researcher?**
**Side: Yuki**
After hearing the report from Comet, I find myself lost in thought.
So, that "Light" was a fake... and the Holy Sword was something else entirely.
If that’s the case, where exactly did they find it?
According to Agil, it was in a hidden room within the Cathedral.
I should probably press Agil for more specific details.
"Hey, Agil! You in there?"
With that in mind, I head straight back to the Academy and visit Agil’s room.
"..."
No response.
I try again.
"Hey, Agil!!"
I call out louder than before.
"It seems she isn't here."
"Where could she have gone? It's already night..."
Ria and Jessica tilt their heads in confusion.
It’s strange for her not to be in her room at this hour, isn't it? Did something happen?
We have to head back to Enaria first thing tomorrow morning.
Actually, we had arranged to send out warning letters to various nations the moment we returned, and the letter for Enaria was supposed to be delivered through Agil.
If she doesn't get some sleep tonight, it’s going to hinder our departure tomorrow...
"Oh, Lord Yuki!?"
The person who appeared was Nork, the undercover female soldier who had been stripped of her gear by Steve back in the day.
Thanks to staying by Agil’s side ever since, it seems she’s been officially appointed as her aide.
Being a companion to a "Mad" researcher must be tough...
Of course, she had been following us to the Academy from the start, but she’d been so busy every day that she never had the chance to talk to us.
Well, she is just a subordinate, after all.
Fortunately, she seemed to have some aptitude; she’s been studying at the Academy and can now use a little bit of magic.
It’s a good thing, too—being a student at a Magic Academy without being able to use magic would be incredibly stifling.
"Nork. We’re looking for Agil. Do you know where she is?"
Ria asks her in a friendly tone.
It seems Ria and Nork have become friends at some point, as they talk quite naturally.
Well, Ria was a village girl originally, after all.
Jessica, on the other hand, is a rigid, high-ranking military officer, so Nork is likely intimidated by her.
"Sorry for being a 'rigid military officer'."
"Oh, did I say that out loud?"
"No. I can tell what my husband is thinking."
"Is that so? I didn't mean it as an insult, though."
"I understand that. But being unable to be of use in this situation is a bad thing for me."
My wife, Jessica, seems a bit frustrated that Ria is stealing the spotlight.
...Wouldn't it be better to just take it easy and be happy?
"So, Ria is back too?"
"Of course. I went to August with you, didn't I?"
"That's true. Oh, Lord Yuki, perfect timing. Please, tell General Agil!! She won't listen to a word I say..."
Cutting off her conversation with Ria, Nork speaks to me in a panic.
"Did something happen with Agil?"
"Yes. She’s actually still holed up in the laboratory..."
"Even though we’re heading back to Enaria first thing tomorrow morning?"
"...Yes. She insists on taking everything in the lab back with her, and she won't budge."
Ah, I see.
The quintessential "research nut," then.
"It’s not like she’s never coming back to the Academy, right?"
"No, the Principal, Lady Popuri, even said the lab would be left as is..."
"...I’ll go check on the lab for now."
"Please... if this keeps up, I’m going to be fired..."
I don't think she'll be fired physically, but professionally, she might be.
Being an aide who can't help is meaningless, after all.
Then again, it was Prism who approved Nork as Agil's aide, so maybe it's fine?
Still, a country can't afford to keep an aide who isn't useful, considering they have to pay her salary...
Reducing the waste of tax money is the same in every country and every world.
Though, I have no idea if that saved tax money is actually put to good use...
*BANG, CRASH, THUD, SMASH!?*
As I approach the lab, a tremendous sound echoes intermittently.
...Wait a minute? Does packing luggage usually involve sounds of destruction?
By the way, this lab is the room Eris "extorted" from Popuri when we first arrived at the Academy.
No, I shouldn't speak ill of Eris; she is my wife, after all.
It was handed over through firm, legitimate negotiations and out of Popuri's goodwill.
It was definitely not ripped away at the end of a threat.
And since the original cause was Popuri’s fault, there’s no problem, no issue, no worries.
Still, if she’s making this much noise, she’s going to get the room taken away.
"Hey, Agil. I'm coming in!"
I enter the room to find it in shambles, with Agil sprawled out on the floor in a disheveled state.
"Oh, hey. Looks like you're back from August..."
"Yeah. Anyway, you're leaving first thing tomorrow morning, right? What are you doing causing such a ruckus at this hour?"
I pull Agil up from the floor.
"Well, there's a lot going on. You’ve probably heard the report, right? About the unidentified magic sword wielders and the massive amount of ownerless magic swords found in this city of the Lancer Magic Academy?"
"Yeah. That’s why you’re in such a rush to get back, right?"
"Exactly. I heard about the situation from the Principal, too. They found a huge number of magic swords in August as well, didn't they?"
"And that’s why you need to warn Enaria immediately, right?"
"Because of that, there’s a very high chance I won't be able to return to the Academy for a long time. It’s too convenient to think that only August and the Lancer Magic Academy had groups hiding magic swords, don't you think?"
"I suppose so..."
If you check the reports on Hifi’s magic sword transport, they’re lurking in all six major nations.
Well, three of them are already finished or under surveillance.
"If, by any chance, that group is found in Enaria, I’ll be put in charge of researching and mass-producing the magic swords we seized. Do you think I’ll be able to return to the Academy in that state?"
"Yeah, that would be a given."
Too bad for her, the group in Enaria has already been rounded up, so Agil will happily be put in charge of the project.
"That being said, the research tools here are absolutely essential. Even if I give instructions to have them brought back later, if the Academy interferes, I won't be able to get them. And just by word of mouth, the people in charge of transport won't know which is which."
"Fair point."
"So, I want to take as much as I can with me. There’s no place with a better collection of magic tool-related items than here."
I understand the logic.
However, if she keeps packing like a maniac, my conversation isn't going to go anywhere.
"Alright. Use this."
"Oh? Is this an item bag? Wow, you have such valuable things. Are you sure?"
"Looking at it, your current item bags are completely full. I understand why you want to take all this stuff back. So, I’ll lend it to you. Make sure you return it. It’s a rare item I found in some ruins; it holds more than you’d think, so..."
"Whoa!! This is amazing!! It just keeps fitting everything in!!"
Before I could even finish, she was already tossing her belongings into the item bag.
In the New Continent, magic tools themselves are rare.
Even with someone you trust, you have to be hesitant about showing them off, or you might get your throat slit in your sleep.
I doubt this research nut would do that, though...
"Anyway, Agil. I have a question regarding all this."
"Hmm? What is it? Oh, I have to take this too..."
Telling someone like her to "sit down and listen" is the same as telling them "don't breathe."
So, it’s better to just talk while she works.
"With all these magic swords appearing, don't you think the same might apply to the Holy Swords?"
"Ah, that. I’ve started to suspect something myself."
"What’s suspicious? You were the one who found it, right? By tracing the documents..."
"Yes. I found the Holy Sword by tracing the documents. But I never mentioned the reason why I judged the sword I found to be a Holy Sword rather than a magic sword."
"Ah, I see. You wouldn't judge it based on the description alone, would you?"