Chapter 24: Don’t worry, it’s just a fatal injury

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Translator: Soafp

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A few days have passed since the exchange students from the Hero Academy arrived.

On the first day there was a small commotion, but their presence didn't dramatically change our academy life.

I skip classes just enough, devour the forbidden library's books from one end to the other, eat lunch at the cafeteria, and at night I wander around the royal capital doing roadside healing.

Nothing about my daily life has changed.

But compared to that pure-white hospital room in my previous life, everything looks like it's shining. Humans are strange, aren't they?

“Hey hey, Gal.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Got any interesting stories?”

“Stop throwing that at me out of nowhere… well, I do have something.”

Oh, so you do have something.

“They say the Hero Academy students each have one or two quirks.”

“Well, considering there's a lion who picked a fight with a princess on the first day, I guess that makes sense.”

“Oh yeah. Is it true Princess Christina defeated all the exchange students and made them surrender naked on the ground? Senpai was being loud so I plugged my eyes and ears halfway through.”

“That rumor's really exaggerated. But she did one-shot one of the students. That part's true.”

“Dang.”

Gal nodded while chewing on his meat-wrapped curry rice ball. He still eats so neatly, as always.

Anyway, back to the topic.

“What kind of quirks?”

“Well, for example, there's a guy who sells suspicious drugs, and another who wanders around campus doing muscle training.”

“Sounds dangerous already.”

“But the worst one is the guy who's gathering the lower nobles' sons and daughters and forming a faction.”

Ah, I've heard about that.

Supposedly he's insanely charismatic and uses all sorts of tactics to corner anyone who opposes him—a cold-hearted villain, or something like that.

Christina was holding her head over it.

Yeah, I mean, having someone from another country come into the magical academy—a miniature version of the kingdom's noble society—and form their own faction is a bit of a problem.

No idea what his intention is with expanding his faction, but I hope it doesn't turn into trouble.

“Oh, speaking of that, I heard that exchange student Belchika is amazing.”

“Belchika?”

“Yeah. Beautiful, well-mannered, and friendly. No reason to dislike her.”

“For someone saying that, you look pretty annoyed, Gal.”

“…You noticed?”

“Kinda.”

Gal stopped eating his rice ball and shrugged.

“She just feels shady. People without flaws are definitely doing something sketchy behind the scenes.”

“That kind of prejudice isn't good, you know.”

“Man, you're no fun.”

But, well… that's Gal for you. Sharp intuition.

He's probably sensing Belchika's secret—that she's a chuunibyou in disguise.

Maybe it's his animal instinct.

…Oh wait, Gal wasn't a wild Siberian husky.

“Anything else?”

“Hmm. Oh yeah, they say a street slasher has been appearing in the capital recently.”

“A street slasher?”

“Yeah. If you walk at night, he suddenly attacks you. Seems he only targets adventurers, soldiers, or knights, so normal people aren't getting hurt. And between you and me, the slasher started showing up right after the exchange students arrived, so rumors say the culprit is one of them.”

“That's scary.”

Come to think of it, while I've wandered the capital at night recently, I have seen people with their backs sliced open and barely clinging to life.

Well, I healed them, so nobody died.

But if there really is a slasher, maybe I should patrol the capital more thoroughly tonight.

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Late at night.

The sun had long since set, and the people who drank after work had already gone to sleep.

I was standing on the watchtower, overlooking the royal capital.

“Alright, tonight I'll go in No-Face mode.”

I've been playing the Mysterious Heal Man too much lately. Sometimes I want to do No-Face again.

A few days ago, the king announced to the entire kingdom: “Whoever discovers No-Face's true identity will be awarded three hundred million mani.”

Christina and Victoria apparently talked him into it.

If someone identifies No-Face and wins their heart, the king will permit their marriage—or something like that.

Honestly, it's like being a cryptid.

The entire Kishirika Kingdom is now obsessed with hunting No-Face and exposing his identity.

So I've been avoiding acting as No-Face, but even I get tired of playing Heal Man endlessly.

“Now then, time to go find some lost lambs.”

I said something that sounded cool-ish, then jumped down from the tower and landed on the ground.

Then I clicked my heels and started wandering the capital.

“Hey, you there.”

“Hm?”

“You're strong. Leave your head behind!!”

“…Hmm.”

When I turned around, there was a man holding a sword in each hand.

I felt like I'd seen him somewhere before. Who was he again?

I know I've met him, but I just can't recall.

“…And you are?”

“You don't know who I am!? Fine, then I'll introduce myself!! My name is Gamlan!! The Sword Saint!!”

Ah. I remember now.

He's the dangerous guy who attacked me when I snuck into the castle to heal the king.

Wait.

Wandering around at night and demanding people's heads… isn't he the street slasher?

“Kuahahahaha!! I'll take your head!!”

The sword saint swung at me without warning.

Yeah. No doubt. He's the slasher.

“Whoa!? Sparks!? That feeling… You talk and act different, but you're that guy from before!!”

“…You remembered?”

“Of course!! Once I aim for a head, I never forget it!!”

Scary.

“Just to confirm—are you the street slasher?”

“Hah? Slasher? No, idiot!!”

“…You're not?”

“I only cut down people stronger than me!! I'm not interested in weaklings!!”

“So you are the slasher.”

Yeah, his head's definitely not screwed on right.

Even if he weren't the slasher, I don't think he should be left wandering free.

“So you're also looking for the slasher?”

“That's right.”

“Kuahahahaha!! What a coincidence!! I also wanted to see how strong the slasher is!! I've been searching for him!!”

“And then?”

“If he's strong, I'll cut his head off.”

“And if he's weak?”

“I'll hand him over to the knight order.”

For someone insane, he has surprisingly normal logic at times.

Then it happened.

Thanks to all the modifications I've done to myself, I gained superhuman hearing—and I heard someone scream.

The sword saint noticed too.

“That scream…”

“The slasher might've struck!! Your head can wait!!”

He ran off, so I followed him into an alleyway.

There, a young adventurer lay collapsed, his back deeply cut open and bleeding heavily.

“Whoa!? The slasher got you!? Hey you!! Before you die, tell us where he went!!”

“H-help me…”

“Move, I'll examine him. …You'll be fine, it's a fatal wound. Your life isn't in danger.”

“Fatal… but not… in danger…? What…?”

“Fatal wound!? Then tell us where the slasher went before you die!! I'll avenge you!!”

I healed the fatal wound for now.

“T-thank you… I don't really feel saved but… who are you two?”

“I'm the sword saint, Gamlan!!”

“I am No-Face.”

“Sword Saint… and No-Face!? The one with the three-hundred-million bounty if his identity is revealed!?”

“…Yes, that No-Face.”

Great, that's not the reputation I wanted. Well, whatever.

“Hey you!! You were attacked by the slasher, right!?”

“Huh? Ah, p-probably…”

“Which way did he go!? Hurry!!”

“T-that alley…”

The sword saint dashed into the alley the young man pointed to.

But it led only to a big water channel—used to drain household water. A dead end.

Huh? Did he get away?

“…I see. I get it now.”

“What do you get?”

“Hah? You don't see it?”

Hmm. Saying I don't see it isn't very No-Face-like.

“No, I do. I'm just surprised you figured it out.”

“Heh!! Anyone can figure it out with all this water splashed everywhere. The slasher escaped into the waterway.”

Oh. Yeah, the ground is soaked.

…Is this sword saint actually smart despite everything?

Surprising.

“But if the slasher is using the waterways, we don't have enough manpower to watch all of them…”

Still, somehow it feels like I lost to him in terms of deduction.

Time to act like a smart No-Face.

“Sword Saint, do you have a map?”

“Hah? Oh, yeah, I just happen to have one.”

“Let me see it.”

He handed me a map he somehow happened to have. I marked an X on several spots.

“What's that?”

“These are the locations where victims were found in the past few days. Look closely.”

“!? The locations form a circle!! That means the next attack will also be somewhere inside this circle!!”

I just copied something from a detective drama from my past life, but it's probably right.

Probably.

The Sword Saint went off somewhere saying he was going to search for the slasher, and since I didn’t have anything to do I decided to go back to the dorm.