All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 66

33. Don’t Do Good Deeds for Free – 2

While Ian and Kirke checked on Leila’s condition, Paul stopped bestowing divine power.

Treatment using divine power didn’t seem to have a significant effect.

“Hoo… Lady Leila. I cannot provide any further treatment at my level.”

“Please, at least maintain her current condition.”

“Of course. And I’ve already made a request to the main order, so please wait a little longer.”

“Understood, Father Paul.”

“And the Archbishop from the Solar Church will also be coming.”

He was busy with the Grand Prayer Meeting but somehow managed to use his connections to make a request.

The pale-faced girl, forcing a smile at Eldan’s words, looked at Ian and Graegin.

“Are you Ian?”

“Yes. You’re Leila, right?”

“Yes. Nice to meet you. I’m sorry I can only greet you sitting down like this.”

She bowed her head slightly, unable to even stand up.

Eldan and Paul, feeling sorry for her, excused themselves to let them talk.

As they left, Leila looked bitter.

“I’m in such a state that I can’t even properly express my gratitude. About Instructor Hastings’ matter, you were the one who resolved it, right?”

“You could say that. Anyway, shall we talk about what’s going on here?”

She closed her eyes.

“I don’t know what to say either. But there’s one thing I can predict.”

Taking her words, Graegin opened his mouth.

“Tiger.”

“Yes, that’s right. The tiger that was in this area, eating people. They say that if you become prey to that tiger… this is what happens.”

Those who become prey to the tiger lose their vitality and gradually weaken.

They become unable to move and are lured outside by the call of the dead to become food.

“Helrid, how’s what I asked for coming along?”

“Here.”

As he handed her a notebook, Leila carefully tried to open it.

But she didn’t even have the strength to hold the notebook, and she dropped it.

“I’ll open it for you.”

Helrid calmly opened the notebook.

Leila sighed as she read what was inside.

“I knew it… Ian, Graegin, you said you investigated the Curtid Ruins, right? What was there?”

“The third basement level? There was a temple of the Snake God.”

“I see. Was there anything else? Something symbolizing the power of the moon, perhaps…?”

“Why do you think so?”

“I heard from Father Paul that a man named Karl took the Crescent Moon Necklace? And he went into the Curtid Ruins.”

Why would he take the symbol of the crescent moon?

The crescent moon is the weakest of all the moon phases.

She didn’t just think it was a key to enter the third basement level of the Curtid Ruins.

Her reasoning continued, and it was almost identical to what Ian and Graegin had found.

“There are some slight differences, but it’s almost the same as what we found out. Amazing?”

“Hehe. I admired Colomb, after all. Colomb’s specialty is deduction through clues.”

Pausing for a moment, Leila looked at her thin arm.

“But at this rate, I’d be Epsilon, not Colomb.”

“What’s that again?”

Without Haroon, there’s no one to explain.

As Graegin looked puzzled, Helrid smiled bitterly.

“It’s the protagonist from another detective novel. Someone who can’t move like Colomb and just sits in bed all day.”

“Whether it’s Colomb, Epsilon, or Sherlock Holmes, that’s not important.”

Ian got straight to the point.

“If we leave you like this, you’ll die. It seems like you’re maintaining your condition with divine power, but that’s not enough.”

At his assertion, Leila was calm, as if she already knew.

“According to the records, that’s what will happen. I’ll become unable to move, and in a few days, I’ll be lured outside…”

“You’re not thinking of just dying, are you?”

“Of course not. But I can’t escape.”

Just like how the Sphinx becomes stronger depending on the answer to its question.

The tiger could also strengthen its power by using such restrictions.

Ian could also become stronger through restrictions, and he was doing it, so it wasn’t particularly special to him.

“According to legend, if the tiger’s target escapes to another place, everyone living there will be attacked by the tiger.”

At Leila’s words, Helrid began to add an explanation.

“So far, four people have died in the territory due to similar incidents.”

“Really?”

The first was a charcoal maker living in the mountains of a small village.

Next was the wife of a forest ranger living in the forest.

Then a mercenary.

Finally, the head of a small village.

The three of them gradually weakened and went outside.

And the next day, they were found torn to pieces.

However, the village head, who knew the legend of the tiger, was terrified and called for relocation, but the village ignored him.

In the end, he took his family and fled the village, reporting to Eldan and surviving.

But in return, on the night he arrived.

Everyone in the village he had lived in died with wounds in the same spot, as if bitten by a huge beast.

And now, the tiger from the legend has made Leila its prey.

“There might be a way for me to live. I could run away with my family like that village head.”

But she couldn’t escape.

She was in the direct territory of the Baradis County [a region or district governed by a count].

How many people live here? She couldn’t put everyone at risk just for her to live.

For now, she had prepared everyone in the direct territory for evacuation, just in case.

But what if the tiger targeted someone else again?

That’s why, despite her worsening condition, she was resisting without running away, trying to find a way to fight back.

“So? Have you thought about how to resist?”

“…No. But I heard that people from each order are coming, and my brother will also come.”

Her brother, Wiltre Baradis, was a Master [a high-ranking warrior or mage].

So she thought that if he, Eldan, and the clerics from each order fought the tiger, it might work.

Until then, the only resistance she could offer was one thing.

To somehow survive without becoming the target of another.

And she was desperately doing it.

“Ian, is there no way?”

Wouldn’t he, the greatest mystery of Fredon Academy, know something?

Helrid asked with a desperate heart, and Ian, who was not a straw but a lifeline, replied nonchalantly.

“There is a way.”

As Ian spoke, Graegin tapped his staff.

“Then I’ll prepare a barrier, just in case.”

“Then I…”

Getting up from his seat, he held up the Crescent Moon Necklace.

“I’ll go report first.”

Paul was sitting in the garden on the first floor with a serious expression.

Ian went to him and said with a smile.

“Father Paul.”

“Ah, Saint Ian. I’ve heard the story. You conquered the Curtid Ruins? That’s truly amazing.”

“There’s something even more amazing.”

He held out the Crescent Moon Necklace he was holding.

Not one, but two.

Paul was startled to receive them.

“Why two?”

“There are more. The Archaeological Society has them now, so ask for them later.”

“I see… Hmm. Could they have disappeared from other places besides our temple?”

“I don’t know. And Karl is already dead.”

“Is that so…”

It was unfortunate.

As he made the sign of the cross, Ian held out his hand.

“When can I receive the holy relic?”

“I’d like to give it to you right away, but… if I leave my post now…”

It would be difficult to respond if Leila’s condition worsened.

He felt like he had to stay here until another priest from the main order came to support him.

“I think I’ll have to stay here for a few days. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll take care of things here, so please prepare the holy relic with peace of mind.”

Ian, who had slightly bowed to the puzzled Paul, walked into the garden.

When he arrived at the garden with a window connected to Leila’s room, Kirke spoke to him.

And Mya Ne, who was on Ian’s shoulder, jumped down and went there, bristling her fur.

“Shaaaack!!”

Ian reached out and picked it up, tilting his head.

In his hand were three strands of long, white, silver hair like silk.

“Graegin!!”

As he shouted loudly, the window opened.

Graegin, who had finished preparing the barrier, flinched and shrugged his shoulders at the sight of the hair in Ian’s hand.

“This is…”

It’s the same as what was found in the ruins.

If so, it’s evidence that the tiger that was captured in the Curtid Ruins and escaped is the tiger here.

Graegin groaned briefly and then said.

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t we reactivate the ruins and seal the tiger?”

“Is that possible?”

“According to the analysis yesterday, the answer is that it’s possible if we use a proper Full Moon Necklace.”

But if that happens, the third floor of the Catid Ruins will be sealed again and access will be prohibited.

It was a shame, but it couldn’t be helped.

Research is good, but we can’t let people die, especially the young lady of the Baradis County.

“Everyone in the society will agree if we tell them.”

Ian, who had been thinking with his arms crossed after hearing Graegin’s words, asked.

“If I catch that tiger, will they give me the necklace?”

“Uh. Um. Would that work?”

“Why don’t you ask the Moon Order and the society?”

“I’ll go check. The Baradis County is also a major sponsor. And the society will acknowledge your skills, so they’ll accept it.”

Ian caught the monster and guardian in the ruins.

The Archaeological Society knows that, so they will try to negotiate with the Moon Order to investigate the ruins.

If Ian solves this problem, he will be able to continue the investigation of the Curtid Ruins.

“Okay. Please do me a favor.”

Graegin left immediately, and after a while, a voice was heard from inside the window.

“Ian! Graegin! Come in and have some tea!”

“Okay. Sure.”

Only Ian came in, and Leila looked puzzled.

“Where did Graegin go?”

“To the Archaeological Society.”

Ian showed her the silver hair he had picked up earlier.

Leila made a strange expression when she saw it.

“What is that?”

“Tiger hair.”

Leila, having heard the information shared by Ian, fiddled with her dry lips.

“So, this could have happened because a man named Karl released the seal of the ruins.”

“I don’t know. There were quite a few corpses there besides him.”

Ian replied as if he didn’t care.

Meanwhile, Leila continued to think, fiddling with her dry lips.

“Drink your tea.”

While sipping the tea given by Helrid, Mya Ne, who was on Ian’s shoulder, came down.

Mya Ne, who was tapping the cookie with her front paw, munched on the cookie, and Leila pointed at Mya Ne.

“Can I touch her?”

“Go ahead.”

“Myaa~.”

As Ian sent her over, Mya Ne climbed onto the bed.

Mya Ne cried softly at the weak touch stroking her back.

And then she munches on the cookie she was holding again.

Whether it was cute, Leila smiled weakly and sighed.

“I’m worried about how strong that tiger will be. That… Seeker of Knowledge, you said?”

The other monster sealed by the snake.

A monster that can use human language and find answers.

She mentioned the Sphinx and continued weakly.

“And you and Graegin caught it. The problem is that the Seeker of Knowledge was weak.”

“Don’t you think I’m strong?”

“Ah. Of course, I’ve heard that you’re strong. But what bothers me is why the Seeker of Knowledge remained there, and the tiger came out.”

“I don’t know.”

“Here’s what I think. The tiger had power, so it was able to take advantage of the gap and come out of the ruins, and the Seeker of Knowledge was trapped there because it didn’t have power.”

The two monsters were caught in the same place.

Rather than cooperating with each other, they fought to take each other’s power, and the tiger won.

As Leila speculated, Helrid looked uncomfortable.

“Is that possible?”

“This is just my speculation.”

But if you think about how easily the Seeker of Knowledge was caught by Ian and his party, that might be the case.

At her words, Ian smiled.

“That could be the case.”

“Ian, if you’re thinking of fighting that tiger, you should be careful.”

Leila said very seriously.

But instead of worrying, he just replied in a nonchalant tone.

“Why don’t you worry about yourself? I’m telling you, you’ll die if we leave you like this.”

“Didn’t you say you had a way to catch the tiger?”

“Catching the tiger isn’t the problem. There’s a saying that you can live if you just stay conscious even if you’re bitten by a tiger, right?”

“Is there such a saying?”

“There is. But not everyone actually lives.”

What about the wound from the tiger bite?

Right now, Leila has been properly bitten by the tiger.

Even if he catches that guy, she will definitely die if he doesn’t properly heal the wound on her soul.

Leila’s complexion became even paler after hearing his explanation.

“I don’t want to die yet…”

“Can’t you get help from other clerics?”

As Helrid asked urgently, Ian shook his head.

“I don’t know. It might be possible. Of course, it might not be.”

She looked at Ian, who was sipping tea.

“The reason you said that sounds like you can do it. Is that right?”

Hearing the voice filled with anticipation, Ian nodded.

“Of course. But there’s also this saying.”

He smiled at the two who were nervous.

“Don’t do good deeds for free.”