Disguised As A Teacher In Magic Academy

Chapter 45 - Nightcrawler/Night explorer (1)

Ricksen's mansion was filled with tension after Terina Lionhowl and her two lieutenants appeared.

The police who were inspecting the scene noticed Terina and saluted as they quickly stood up.

"Ma-Marquise Terina! It is an honor to meet you! My name is Inspector Teboran!"

"Oh yeah. You've worked hard."

"May I ask, if you don't mind, what brought you here, Marquise Terina?"

"Didn't you hear the news? From now on, all investigations into the murders in Ricksen's mansion are under the control of our security department."

"S-the security department, you say?"

Inspector Teboran who was moustached and long-mined swallowed his saliva.

He also did not believe it was just a casual murder case, but if the security department came forward, it meant that the case was extremely dangerous.

The security department took no action unless the case was really serious.

“Please...please forgive us! Everyone, retreat!"

The inspector and his subordinates immediately fled the scene.

All they had to do was block the reporters who looked like hyenas, crowding in front of the gate while still watching the events inside the mansion.

As those staring eyes disappeared, the young-looking female Knight of the male and female lieutenant who followed Terina relaxed her shoulders.

“Fieh. I have trouble setting the mood."

“Oho. Enya. You should still show the honorable behavior of the Nightcrawler Knight Order, even if no eye is paying attention to us."

The female knight, Enya, scowls at her senior, Lloyd, nagging.

“Yah, Senior. But still, we don't have to act that way right now."

“Enya you..”

“Stop, Lloyd. You just have to be like that in front of other people."

"seeing. Even the Captain said that."

"This little junior is really ..."

Deputy Lloyd finally shook his head and waved a white flag.

The Nightcrawler Knight Order was a place where only elites gathered, like the Knights were supposed to guard the center of the Empire, but it was also a place where they spoke comfortably among seniors and juniors.

It was all because Terina herself, the Knight Commander, liked such an atmosphere.

However, that does not mean their own regulations are loose.

It was also a long tradition of the Nightcrawler Knight Order to handle what had to be done in a more certain way than anyone else.

Most importantly, the fact that the Nightcrawler Knight Order did not collapse was proof that their current Captain, Terina Lionhowl, possessed great command power and charisma.

"Don't forget about the purpose for which we came here."

"Yes." Yeah."

"Yes." Yeah."

Instead of being a regular case, the incident was judged to be a serious issue that even the security department had to take part in the investigation.

In particular, it was not just an ordinary 'serious case' because Terina, the Knight Commander, had stepped out on her own in the relationship between Cryptids and Black Magic.

"So far it's just a rumor, but Belfort's dead man is a suspicious man and on the list of people we, the security department, have to keep an eye on. It's not just a coincidence that he was suddenly killed by a monster."

Lloyd and Enya nodded at Terina's words.

The three immediately began investigating Ricksen's room.

—The broken window that seems to be caused by an intruder and a black stain that could be said to be a sign of a burning monster.

—And the blood that should have belonged to Belfort scattered about.

Witnesses said a monster appeared, and Ricksen was killed.

Given that all their statements were identical and consistent, they did not consider the witnesses to be lying.

After more than 10 minutes, they moved in search of possible clues, but there were no signs of anything.

But as soon as Lloyd was about to say something after he thought that he had searched everything…

It was then that Terina, who was thinking hard with her arms folded, suddenly stepped onto one of the walls.

"Captain?"

"So here."

What Terina saw was a painting hanging on the wall.

As one of the richest men in Leathervevelk, Belfort decorated his spacious rooms with all kinds of colored artwork.

"Captain? What's with the painting?"

"There's room behind it."

Before asking if it was real, Terina's fingertips, which were covered in white gloves, touched the middle of the wall.

Then the wall opened with a crackling sound as if it was pushed to the side.

—The secret room that has a length and width of only one meter.

"What the fuck?" Enya asked as she stared at the empty space with a curious look.

Terina raised her voice in an apathetic tone while folding her hands.

"Based on its size and location, it might be the place where its secret vault is hidden."

"Confidentiality?"

"Belfort Ricksen is a rich and evil businessman. There must have been money he had hidden to avoid taxes and some black money to evade the Empire's oversight."

"Is this the safe where he kept the money?"

"But there's no safe..."

Lloyd opened her mouth with a heavy face upon realizing something.

"Someone took it, I understand."

"Yes." Yeah."

"Then who took it? Mansion officer? Should we interrogate the butler, who's the most suspicious first?"

Terina shook her head hearing Enya's already passionate words.

"No. That wouldn't mean. The butler had nothing to do with this."

"I'm sorry?"

"There's no way a person like Belfort could reveal his secret funds to anyone else. He might hide it so thoroughly that only he knows it."

"But it's empty here."

"Just because he didn't tell everyone, doesn't mean no one knows about it."

Didn't Terina also directly find the secret room?

"Employers, millionaires, and traders all have the same idea. They are not very happy to open a bank account. They always want to keep valuables or gold coins within their reach for the time being—only that way they will feel comfortable."

"Then who took it?"

"We'll find out now. It's just a guess, but the guy who stole the safe must have something to do with Ricksen's death."

"But they say Belfort Ricksen was eaten by werewolves."

"I doubt it was a werewolf. Look at the trail left. Almost half of the floor in this huge room was on fire. It was burned by magic, so it did not escalate into fire. It was just the exact distance from the fire covered and burned, but it was still that big."

"That means…"

"Cryptids and werewolves, no matter how big they were, were only three meters tall. They are also very big, but if you burn them to death, there will be no sign of that size"

And it is said that those who actually watched the werewolf initially thought he was a 'monster'.

Since it was already dark and people were frightened, they might have some sort of illusion.

That's not the case, judging by his footsteps.

“The result is someone involved in the death of Belfort Ricksen.Unnatural death, the appearance of monsters, and even bad rumors about Belfort—There is still a lot to check.”

What bothered Terina the most was the ability of the mysterious intruder to retrieve the safe that was supposed to be inside without leaving a trace.

He lit his eyes and tried to find a trace, but the intruder left no evidence—as if he was a professional.

It was as if the safe had not existed from the beginning…

'Impossible. There must be a safe here. And it was here until last night.'

The proof for that is that there is no dust at the base of that empty space.

No matter how closed the room was, air and dust would definitely enter.

"Then who took it?"

His feeling as if he was trying to withstand a blurry mirage with his hands was nothing foreign.

'I've gotten so used to it that I feel like this is deja vu.'

It is undeniable that Terina Lionhowl brought up the memories of her past all of a sudden.

A few years earlier…