Mistaken for a Masked Munchkin

Javert's Iron and Justice (2)

Javert Droit.

The church's Chief Investigator, and one of the faculty members who represented Grandia.

She was also Valter Droit's adopted daughter, and the person known as the academy's de facto second-in-command.

'Monster.'

That description suited her perfectly.

A woman who had taken part in Cultist subjugations from a young age, leaving behind so many achievements that it was hard to count them one by one.

They said she had worked in a pair with the headmaster while he was still active in the field, ripping thousands of dark mages apart.

'Since she was even younger than the academy freshmen...'

There had even been a bizarre rumor that her red hair had been dyed with the blood of Cultists.

That was how peerless she was when it came to Cultist subjugation.

Many people had no doubt that she would eventually succeed Valter.

'But.'

Valter suddenly announced his retirement.

After putting his past work behind him, he stepped away from all duties related to Cultists.

On top of that, he even took office as the headmaster of Grandia Academy, which had been vacant at the time.

'Was that four years ago now?'

They said many people had found it strange back then.

Valter might have been old, but he was not so weak that he needed to retire out of nowhere.

If anything, he outperformed most of the investigators still active in the field, and his results were still good enough to rank within the top five every year.

At minimum, he had seemed like someone who would remain on duty for another twenty years.

A person like that had set everything down and left.

'And he took Javert with him.'

Right before his retirement, Valter suspended his adopted daughter's duties.

He had half-stripped her of her position.

Because of that, Javert could no longer go out on subjugations as an investigator.

Afterward, Valter transferred her to Grandia and made her teach children at the academy.

'Chief Investigator.'

A position suspended for well over four years.

In truth, her situation was no different from retirement.

Even so, there was only one reason Javert was still consistently called an investigator.

'Because she's strong.'

It was a position maintained in name only, but there was no one who would point that out.

It would only stir up trouble.

Who would want to make an enemy of her?

She was treated as Grandia Academy's number two at the mere age of twenty-three.

Aside from the Head of the Imperial Knights and a handful of other powerhouses, she was also one of the strongest people in the empire.

"By the death-on-sight order presented by the headmaster, the culprit of this matter shall be held responsible for disrupting order, regardless of reason."

And,

I was clashing with such a woman in real time.

"I will carry out the execution."

Fwaaaak-!

A pure white flash struck right before my eyes.

After leaving behind those brief words, the woman vanished from my sight.

'I lost her! When did she...?!'

Kwaaaang-!!!

The next instant, a fist drove in from the side and exploded against me.

A blazing white wrapped around my whole body as if it would burn me to ash.

She was so fast I could barely even follow her with my eyes.

"Kugh...!"

"Hm."

Only her fluttering red hair shimmered in my pupils.

Even as my steps staggered, I flapped my robe and shook off the light.

Ding-!

[Item 'Evil God's Mask' has activated.]

-Remaining uses: 2/3

-Time remaining until use recharge: 49 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds

A blue screen appeared, then vanished.

If not for the mask's effect, that one blow would have cremated my entire body.

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

I swung the dagger in my hand in a wide arc.

It was to shake off the woman who had gotten within a hair's breadth.

'Wait.'

Shwaaaak-!

The silver blade cut swiftly through the space at my side.

In less than a second, it was a counterattack born from a quick decision.

But.

'...She's gone?'

The dagger only passed smoothly through empty air.

I felt no collision and no deflection.

It had only cut through innocent rays of light.

The woman was nowhere in sight.

Immediately after, a meteor fell from above my head.

-Droit-Style Martial Arts, Fifth Form-

'Incineration'

The space turned pure white.

A headwind surged in, and only red existed in that world.

The green light carried a wish for my death.

The radiance flashed like a spiral storm.

As if trying to strip bone from flesh, an overwhelming dawn swallowed the night.

Ding-!

[Item 'Evil God's Mask' has activated.]

-Remaining uses: 1/3

-Time remaining until use recharge: 49 hours 59 minutes 50 seconds

The status window appeared once more.

The mask's effect had been cut down twice.

It had happened in a mere ten seconds.

Without even a chance to react, I had died to the woman once every five seconds.

'Damn it! She's beyond what I imagined...!'

I stepped back.

Following the red afterimage, I opened my eyes wide so I would not lose sight of the woman.

'I need to stay sharp.'

I would die.

That instinct licked my cheek wet.

Even as I swayed for a moment, the corner of my mouth twisted into a thrilling smile.

'Her Highness.'

[I know!]

Was she trying to deny me even a moment to breathe? Her fist came flying in next.

I called Carmilla inwardly.

Immediately after, the inner fold of the robe where she had been hiding squirmed.

Sticky fresh blood seeped out and spread into a thin, condensed Barrier before my eyes.

-Blandir-Style Bloodcraft, Seventh Form-

'Red Blood Half-Heaven'

Kuuung-!

The fist that had been about to drive into my abdomen was blocked by the Barrier.

It cracked slightly, but it looked like it would need at least five or six more hits before it broke.

'It's a Barrier that even blocked Dragon Breath, after all.'

Thanks to that, I bought time.

I opened up a long distance and rummaged through the inside of my robe.

Grasping a shard of the Broken Crown, I immediately placed it above my head.

Ding-!

[Broken Crown]

-Category: Accessory

-Grade: A

-Status: Destroyed

-Description: The crown worn by the Black Queen, sovereign of the Nightmare. Now destroyed, only her remnants remain. Can be worn for up to 15 minutes per day. When equipped, the skill 'Nightmarification' becomes available.

The crown's category was accessory anyway.

If I covered myself with the robe, it would be hidden by the [Stealth] effect and not be visible.

Feeling my breathing grow much calmer, I turned the dagger in my hand into a reverse grip.

'Calmly.'

My opponent was the strongest among the faculty.

If the headmaster was excluded, she was a predator who could be counted first without a shred of doubt.

'According to plan.'

This fight was not meant to be won anyway.

It was only a process for building up provocation and anguish.

A little buildup toward the goal, you could say.

Well, the scale of the collision was a bit too noisy to call it little...

"Ha."

A short sound slipped out.

Maybe thanks to the robe's effect, even my voice was cleanly altered.

I quietly cleared my throat and watched Javert, who was blocked by the blood-colored Barrier.

Crash-!

The woman was ripping that curtain apart by force.

Between the shattering pieces of the Barrier, mechanical eyes stared this way.

[...Seeing her like this, she truly is frightening enough to take one's breath away.]

'I agree. I guess she really was being kind to the students.'

[So? How do you intend to escape this situation?]

'I have a plan for everything.'

I answered calmly.

Before I knew it, Javert had pierced through the Barrier and was walking toward me.

"Chief Investigator Javert."

"......"

It seemed she still did not know my identity.

I kept acting so she would not find out.

This was also why I had not brought Lua today.

No matter how much of a Stealth effect there was, Lua was far too distinctive as a weapon.

'She would've caught on right away.'

Right now, the important thing was to stay just barely on the safe side of the line.

With a composed breath, I even changed my way of speaking and tossed out a few words.

"I heard you've been looking for me all this time."

"What are you referring to?"

"The incident that happened roughly five months ago. Haven't you been searching for the culprit?"

"Is that an admission that you are the culprit behind the Purgatory Floor 70 Unauthorized Clear Incident?"

"Well, I suppose you could see it that way."

A tense conversation.

Javert erupted with force, but she did not recklessly charge in.

Had it bothered her that her attacks had been blocked in succession?

It seemed she had decided to proceed carefully.

She would not have been able to gauge my full strength.

Whether she did or not, I continued the conversation I had started.

"I never expected you to be waiting for me to appear on Floor 80. Did you know I would come?"

"I had no certainty. I simply did not rule out the possibility of repetition."

"So... what do you plan to do now? Kill me here?"

"Yes."

"For what reason?"

"I am only following principle."

"Principle. How funny."

Whiiiiii-.

Radiance wrapped around the surroundings as if it had become wind.

Beyond my flashing vision, I stared at the fluttering red hair.

"Does that mean it must be protected? You'll kill me without asking or weighing anything? Why are you so obsessed with principle?"

"Principles are fences. If they are not upheld, society falls into chaos, and countless people get hurt."

"Oho, is that so?"

"I have a duty to protect the academy."

"Then what will you do if I am one of the people you must protect?"

An answer that was practically the model response.

I had been waiting for that.

"For example, one of the students you teach."

"......"

The sentence stretched out meaningfully.

Immediately after, the flash of light wavered strangely.

Her eyes seemed to have realized something.

At the end of those blazing rays, the woman was staring this way.

Whiiiiii-.

A silence held inside her characteristic expressionless face.

Still, Javert quietly parted her pale red lips.

"...As I thought."

"......"

"Are you Student Viktor?"

"...Pfft."

I burst into laughter.

Across from me, her green eyes were faintly shaking.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!