WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 139: Javert’s Iron and Justice (6)

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Meanwhile, a restless mood hung over the faculty.

Purgatory's 70th floor had been cleared without authorization, and now even the 80th floor had suffered the same fate.

It hadn't become known outside the academy, but it was enough to make every professor furrow their brow.

"Just what happened here...?"

At the faculty meeting, everyone gathered was unable to hide their bewilderment.

While they slept through a single night, Purgatory's defenses had been breached and the 80th floor cleared.

And it had all happened within a few hours.

The faculty had no choice but to raise question after question.

"...Is that even possible? The 80th floor was cleared overnight?"

"That's absurd. The 80th floor is where the [Owner] resides."

"They must've been at least as powerful as the undead dragon on the 70th floor..."

"Come to think of it, it was the same then. The dragon on the 70th floor had been lying dead, split in half."

The professors couldn't help but take the situation seriously.

It was someone's doing.

The [Special Floors], which could be called the heart of Purgatory, had been cleared one after another.

The biggest problem was that they couldn't even begin to guess how it had been done.

"How did those tight defenses get breached? Didn't we triple the personnel stationed in Purgatory after the last incident?"

"According to the guards on duty, they didn't see so much as an ant all night."

"Does that make any sense? The 80th floor was cleared right under their noses..."

"We reviewed the surveillance crystal balls as well, but they hadn't recorded anything either."

"There must be a passage we don't know about! There's no other explanation!"

"That's a reasonable point. We must send out a search party immediately and comb through every floor of Purgatory..."

Opinions flew back and forth.

As they did, a faculty member serving as secretary summarized the situation.

"A faculty member encountered the culprit behind last night's unauthorized clearing of Purgatory."

Chief Investigator Javert.

A few faculty members' gazes briefly settled on her red hair.

With lifeless eyes and her usual blank expression, she looked no different than normal.

"According to Chief Investigator Javert's testimony, this was the work of a lone culprit. The culprit wore a robe that concealed their face, build, voice, and other features. They also admitted to being the same person responsible for the unauthorized clearing of the 70th floor."

Based on Javert's testimony, the secretary explained the situation to the faculty in detail once more.

Naturally, they left out what the culprit had said to Javert.

She hadn't submitted a separate report about that.

Javert remained silent throughout the meeting.

"..."

Her mind was hazy.

It was hard for her to focus on what lay before her.

Several sentences repeated in a dizzying loop through her foggy consciousness.

"Why do you want to verify it?"

"Is there someone inside this robe who shouldn't be?"

The mysterious figure in the robe.

And then,

"If the principles tell you to turn against the things you treasure, love, and wish to protect... must those principles still be upheld even then? If so, what are those principles for, and what is upholding them for?"

The boy who had looked up at her, full of concern.

Black eyes like the night sky.

And within those pitch-black drops, a reflection of herself.

Javert squeezed her eyes shut, but the whisper only grew clearer.

"If being bound by principles makes you oppose the things you love... isn't that irony?"

Irony.

Why did that meaningless word keep lingering in her mouth?

Javert stayed quiet without even trying to find the reason.

She tried to cast aside as much of that troubling thought as possible.

"Investigator."

She felt that if she learned the answer, something would happen.

Like the convictions she had always believed in would shatter into pieces.

It felt as if heaven and earth were shaking.

"..."

A sinking silence.

The meeting continued even so.

Once the secretary finished the briefing, the headmaster spoke next.

"I understand that this is a somewhat confusing situation. But the role entrusted to all of us faculty has not changed."

Valter Droit.

Javert's adoptive father.

The elderly man with graying hair spoke.

For only a moment, his gaze seemed to pass over his daughter.

"We will strengthen Purgatory's defenses. And our instructions concerning the culprit remain unchanged."

His aged voice continued.

"Execute the culprit on sight."

The dry order rang in her ears.

Javert let the meeting wash over her.

* * *

That day.

After our intense conflict, Javert seemed to be avoiding me.

'She hasn't called me in for work, and whenever I visit her lab, she's absent...'

She didn't even attend her classes.

Other professors appeared as substitutes during Javert's lecture hours.

I didn't know whether she was consciously avoiding me or doing it unconsciously, but...

'It's a good sign.'

It meant she was shaken.

I kept looking for Javert.

More precisely, I asked the surrounding faculty about her.

I wanted word to reach her through them that I was looking for her.

'Can't give her time to forget.'

I had to keep myself on her mind.

The advice I had given her, and the provocation I had left behind on Purgatory's 80th floor.

I wouldn't give her time to rest.

I would make her agonize over it without end.

Four days passed like that.

"Well... I didn't see her even once over those four days."

Javert had hidden herself away like a ghost.

I waved a white flag in surrender.

A few students around me had begun to wonder as well.

Javert hadn't come to teach her regular classes for several days now.

"Sir Viktor! Do you happen to know where the Chief Investigator is?"

"I'm only asking because I was wondering whether something had happened to her!"

"Someone as diligent as her wouldn't cancel class for no reason."

"You're her personal teaching assistant and see her often, Sir Viktor, so I thought you might know!"

Ranne asked brightly.

"Um... why would Javert skip class?"

"She doesn't take days off or anything. She's always working..."

"It happened so suddenly, s-so I'm a little worried."

Alice voiced her concern.

"What... you don't know what's going on either?"

"You're the one closest to that investigator, aren't you?"

Caitlin asked, tilting her head.

Seeing people look for her everywhere showed just how respected she usually was.

Javert had always done her duty toward the students.

Though she was frightening and cold, many students still appreciated how dutifully she treated them.

'Even in the original story, the procession mourning her was especially long...'

That meant she had been a respected educator.

Javert might not know it herself, but she was someone who cherished precious things.

For now, it was hidden beneath the shell of her principles, but there had to be warmth within her.

'Poor woman.'

Her heart was plated in steel like a shell.

That was why no one could see its color.

She seemed to believe her own heart was silver, but I believed hers was red, just like everyone else's.

"...Still, today is the climax."

I let out a quiet breath.

My steady breathing scattered along the lonely corridor.

The corridors around Purgatory's 80th floor were especially cold.

My white breath bloomed in little clouds.

[The air is cold.]

"It is."

A silver bat wriggled on my shoulder.

I answered softly.

My face was bare, without even a mask.

With calm steps, I made my way toward the center of Purgatory.

As I savored the chill in my breath, the princess asked with concern.

[You didn't bring Lua today either.]

"I feel bad for her."

[Fortunately, she seems to have fallen into a deep sleep.]

"That's a relief. Honestly, it would've been difficult if she said she wanted to come along..."

I wasn't sure I could keep myself from making her cry today.

I smiled bitterly.

The princess only nodded.

Shing.

I idly ran my fingers over my dagger.

It was the weapon I had used to fight Javert a few days ago.

[Will you not wear the robe? I thought you wore a robe that concealed your identity last time...]

"It's fine. Today is a day when I don't need something like that."

[Why?]

"Well..."

I soon reached the entrance to the 81st floor.

I stopped before the massive door.

My breath cooled in the frigid air, and only a brief murmur remained, as though it were the heart of the matter.

"Because today is the day I bring a grand story to a close."

Click. Click.

My footsteps had stopped, yet the sound of heels continued behind me.

I didn't turn around.

I only gently brushed my hand over the door to the 81st floor.

The approaching footsteps stopped a short distance behind me.

"Ahem."

Only then did I turn my head.

Standing opposite me was a woman in a crisp uniform.

"..."

"..."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Her red hair was neatly tied back.

Eyes like summer greenery.

She stood there, her pupils wavering.

"...Student Viktor."

After a moment, Javert parted her lips and spoke my name.

As though answering her call, I gave her a warm greeting.

"Chief Investigator."

Javert had been carrying out an undercover mission in Purgatory.

That was why her lectures had been sparse over the past few days.

And even knowing that, I had appeared here.

Even knowing she was following me, I had led her all the way to the end of the corridor.

"Right now, this is..."

"It's a fine night."

It was an abrupt remark.

I neither explained nor denied the situation.

"Student Viktor."

"No."

"..."

"Shouldn't you call me something else right now?"

The unauthorized clearing of Purgatory's 70th floor.

The unauthorized clearing of Purgatory's 80th floor.

The culprit behind both incidents.

At the same time, a death row inmate under an execution-on-sight order within the academy.

"Congratulations."

"..."

"You've finally uncovered the culprit's identity."

"..."

In the corridor filled with white breath, Javert and I stood at the center of that gloomy space.

Footnotes:

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