Switching to my «Ninja» Skill in a secluded spot, I use my enhanced senses to search for Rosalie.
I considered switching to a detection Skill like «Clairvoyance», but I didn’t want to lose my vision while there might still be monsters lurking nearby.
With the «Ninja» Skill, I can both detect and fight, though the range is limited.
“Where are you, Rosalie!”
Calling out, I searched the area where the stands and stalls had been. The people who had gathered were being guarded by the Royal Knights Order and gathered in one place, but Rosalie was not among them. And among the injured who had collapsed due to the lack of medical care, I couldn’t find anyone who looked like her either.
That pink hair and drill twin-tails shouldn’t be hard to miss…
I asked the people I passed, but no one had seen anyone resembling Rosalie. Maybe she has a magic item that changes her hairstyle and hair color like Rouge…?
No, even if that were the case, with the «Ninja» Skill’s insight, I should be able to recognize her just by looking at her face. Rosalie wasn’t among the evacuated people or the injured.
…Should I go back to Cicely-san’s place? I don’t think I’ll find her by searching aimlessly. Alissa-san will be there if I go back, and it seems I could safely use detection Skills near Alissa-san.
When I returned to the original spot, Cicely-san had been carried into a nearby makeshift tent. Inside, Cicely-san was lying on a rug, and Rouge, Lily, and Alissa-san were by her side.
“Ah, Hugh! What about Rosalie!?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t find her. I came back thinking Cicely-san might know where she is.”
“I see…”
“Is Cicely-san asleep?”
“Yes. Lecty treated her, but she was bleeding badly… I think she’ll wake up soon…”
She was seriously injured… It’s amazing that Lecty healed her without leaving a single scar.
“Speaking of which, where’s Lecty?”
I had seen the other members of our class helping the injured several times before I came here. But I hadn’t seen Lecty, so I thought she was here…
“Lecty was called by the School Nurse to treat the injured. Idiot is with her just in case, so it’s okay.”
“I see. That’s a relief…”
If Idiot is there, he can handle any monsters that attack. He would protect Lecty with his life, and I trust him more than anyone as a bodyguard.
I don’t know when Cicely-san will wake up, so should I switch my Skill to «Clairvoyance» and look for Rosalie…? I don’t want Alissa-san and Rouge to see me switch Skills, so I’ll go outside for a bit.
Just as I was about to turn around,
“Ugh…”
Cicely-san groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
“Oh, you’re awake. Good morning, Cicely-chan?”
“Ah, Alissa-senpai…? Huh, what…?”
Cicely-san looked confused as Alissa-san peered into her face.
Wait, senpai?
“Cicely-chan and I were senpai and kohai back in the Royal Academy. She was exactly one year below me, and I taught her swordsmanship, just like Hugh-shonen is doing now. I invited her to join the Royal Knights Order, but she became a Holy Knight, such an impudent kohai.”
“T-That’s because you beat me up every day, senpai—but that’s not the point!”
Cicely-san jumped up in a panic and looked around frantically.
“Where is the girl with the «Holy Maiden» Skill…? Hugh-sama, Rouge-sama, there should be a girl with the «Holy Maiden» Skill here! Where is she!?”
“C-Calm down, Cicely-san! Lecty went to treat the injured!”
“—! P-Please find her immediately! The Church… Cardinal Malicious is planning to kidnap the girl with the «Holy Maiden» Skill!”
“What…”
Cardinal Malicious is after Lecty…?
I had certainly considered the possibility that the Church would target Lecty, but the timing is too good. Prince Slay and Marquis Hortness’s plan to kidnap Lecty, the monster attack, and now Cardinal Malicious is planning to kidnap Lecty…
“It’s okay, Idiot is by Lecty’s side. I don’t think anyone, no matter how skilled, could take Lecty away from him.”
“Well, I don’t know about that.”
Alissa-san, with her hand on the sword at her waist, disagreed with Lily’s words.
“I admit that Idiot-shonen’s abilities are outstanding. If we fought head-on, it would take me a while to defeat Idiot-shonen, even if he was on the defensive… But if I took advantage of our teacher-student relationship and caught him off guard, I’m confident I could finish him in an instant.”
“Catching Idiot off guard…?”
“—! The School Nurse herself came to call Lecty, right!?”
“Y-Yes. She said there were seriously injured people and that she needed to come right away…”
“Isn’t that strange…? Why did the School Nurse come to call Lecty herself…?”
“Huh… Ah!”
The School Nurse has healing Skills. With so many injured people outside, it’s unnatural for her to come and call Lecty without treating the injured, no matter how serious they are. She could have just asked a Royal Knight or someone nearby to deliver the message.
…Of course, it’s possible that she was flustered or that she was just someone who was bad at prioritizing things.
But what bothers me is the Divine Blessing Church’s Sacred Scripture that was in the infirmary.
The School Nurse was such a devout follower of the Divine Blessing Church that she kept a Sacred Scripture at her workplace. If she had been related to Cardinal Malicious from the beginning…
“Damn it…!”
I jumped out of the tent and asked Brown and Anne, who were nearby, where Lecty was.
“Lecty went into that tent with the School Nurse and Idiot-sama a little while ago.”
“What’s the rush? Did something happen?”
“I’ll explain later!”
I thanked the two of them and rushed into the tent that Anne had pointed out.
Lecty and the School Nurse were no longer there,
“Idiot!”
Only Idiot was left, collapsed on the floor.