Kiraware Yūsha ni Tensei Shitanode Aisare Yūsha o Mezashimasu! - CH 127

[Late Night Encounter]

Late at night.

In search of the missing Madeline Halman, I left the dormitory and headed to a certain place.

It was the clock tower that could be said to be the symbol of the academy.

This was where Raul and Madeline met for the first time.

Later, as Madeline’s twin brother Joel mentioned, Raul saved Madeline as she got attacked by monsters. It was then that she fell in love with him.

Recalling their conversation in the original novel, at least for Madeline, this was a special place.

Right… if we went by order, Madeline Halman was the first heroine to fall in love with Raul.

But at present Raul was dating his longtime crush, Eureka.

In this world, the odds of Madeline and Raul getting together were almost zero.

What’s more, Raul and Eureka’s closeness was well-known at the academy.

Although they had been estranged for a while due to some misunderstandings, since they’d both lived through the difficult environment of growing up in the slums, their bond had rekindled at the same time as the misunderstandings were resolved. You might go as far as to say there was no one who didn’t know that the two were an item at the academy.

…It must be painful for Madeline.

The other heroines only fell in love with Raul after he had awakened the power of the Demon Sword and began to walk the path of a hero… but only Madeline alone had been in love with Raul long before then.

Maybe the original storyline’s Madeline knew about his past with Eureka.

If that was the case… the harem route where she could get his affection—though divided—must have been a welcome thing for Madeline.

“…Well, that’s just a guess on my part, though.”

While thinking about such things, I searched inside the clock tower, but…

“She’s not here…”

The midnight search ended in vain—but, it wasn’t like I gained nothing.

Mana drifted within the clock tower.

…It wasn’t natural.

Was it evidence of a fight?

Or of a violent resistance?

Either way, something bad definitely had happened here.

――However, there wasn’t a single trace that pointed to Madeline Halman.

“Could she have… left the academy?”

You couldn’t leave the academy town without permission. However, it was possible to get out of the premises using some unlawful means. In fact, it wasn’t unheard of in the past.

But in such cases, the teachers themselves would soon find the culprits and they would either be expelled or drop out voluntarily.

The fact that Madeline had gone missing for many days worried me.

…Could it be that the Halmans were hiding something?

Judging from how worried Joel was about his sister, he seemed to have no clue. But his maid might know something.

“…Geez, way to put a damper on my plan to enjoy the festival.”

I’d got a bad feeling about this.

However, everything was still just guesswork.

——At that time…

“Fancy seeing a student out and about at this hour.”

…I turned around in a panic at the voice.

Standing there was…

“P-Principal…”

…Principal Abigail.

“Were you training? But that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“I-I wasn’t…”

“In that case—were you, like me, looking for Madeline Halman?”

“?! How?!”

Joel had said they hadn’t reported it to the academy… how did the principal know about it?! Besides, she said, “Like me”…

“…Judging by that reaction, it seems I was correct.”

“W-well…”

“But why were you looking for her in the clock tower?”

“T-that is because this was where Raul and Madeline—”

I hurriedly closed my mouth, realizing what I’d just blurted out.

There was no way I could tell her “I followed the scene from the original storyline.”

“Raul? Are you saying Raul Lorenz is involved?”

“N-no… This is Raul’s favorite place and Madeline seems to admire Raul, so I just thought she might show up here.”

“…Is that so.”

It seemed the principal believed my words for now.

“You seem to have sensed it too. The strangeness beginning to occur in the academy.”

“! Y-yes.”

“In that case… would you be willing to help me?”

“Help you…?”

The principal was asking me for help?

I wondered… just what kind of problem required someone of her stature to ask for my help?