His name is called 'Number Child (Numbers) "83"'.
　He has several other names, but in the organization, he is called by a number.
　Being called by a number is not very pleasant, but it is an honor to be called by one.

　The less this number is, the less it is, because it's a barometer of strength.

　Using the back alleys off the busy main street, we headed east of the royal city.
　Occasionally looking behind him to check his tail.
　83 was clearly making an alarming move.

　What they came to was the downtown of the royal capital........not.
　What was spread out was a corner lined with quiet mansions.
　These are the villas used by lords from all over the country when they stay in the royal capital.
　During festivals and New Year's celebrations, carriages come and go incessantly, but during normal times, the place is deserted.

　There is a gatekeeper in front of the house, and a guard on patrol keeps an eye on it, but if you are well dressed, you won't be stopped that often.

　The effect of the adventurer's school clothes is especially great.
　You can tell your status just by wearing it, and as long as you keep your hair trimmed, they'll mistake you for a nobleman's son and loosen their guard.
　A little flashy jewelry would be perfect.

　83 lightly tidies up his gray hair.
　He wore a metal ring on his hand and put up his stuffed collar.
　Then he steps out onto the street where the guards come and go.
　The guards bowed lightly as he smiled at them.
　It's a cakewalk.

　I walked around the back of a house and took another look around for a final check.
　They walked inside.

　This is a safe house built by the organization.
　It looks like a nobleman's mansion.
　In fact, it wasn't elaborately built, nor did it use any special magic.
　It's because if you do that, it would stand out on the contrary.

　However, once you get inside, it's different.
　It's because there are countless traps set up for you.
　There is also a device that will blow up this entire mansion.

　Disarming every one of them, 83 went to the basement of the mansion.

　Before opening the door, he notices the presence of people.
　Apparently, his friends have already arrived.

　As soon as he opened the door vigorously, 83 shouted, "Hey!

''Hey!　What does that mean?　I didn't hear any suicide bombers.

　The first thing 83 asked was about the attempted suicide bombing that took place during this year's Chapter 5 entrance exam.
　The "Revolutionary Candidate" and the "Numbered Children" are connected behind the scenes.
　Whenever a terrorist attack occurs, some kind of information is usually shared, but 83 was not informed of this plan.
　This is to avoid a friendly fire.

　And this is a safe house for the "revolutionary aspirants" prepared by the "Numbered Children (Numbers)".

　The purpose of 83 was to check on the incident.

''I see. I see," he said, "that the Numbered Children and the Revolutionary Candidates were connected in the background.

Huh?

　83 gasped.

　There was only one person in the room.
　But that familiar voice sends a shiver up her spine.

　Soon, the swivel chair in the room turned slowly.

　Soft, thin black hair.
　Deep blue eyes that seem to see everything.
　His mouth was full of confidence and composure.

　He was smaller than 83 in height.
　But the pressure that the man wore was as if he was facing a huge dragon.

''Kuu........''

　83 couldn't help but laugh.
　A burning frustration and cold doubt in his chest.
　A cold sweat could be felt running down his spine.

　Still, no matter how he looked at the situation, he had to laugh.

　The man was wearing the same uniform as 83.
　On his right shoulder, there was a 'blue rose (bouram)' blooming, indicating third class students.
　On the opposite side of it was the only one in Chapter 5 - no, the only one in Galvale - with a hoe and axe emblem painted on it.

''What are you doing, Chairman Lacelle?''

　83 speaks lightly.

'I've been waiting for you, Mattelus (sic), I've been waiting for you.

　With a huff, Lacelle Gryll Stark laughed.


　◆◇◇◇◇◇


　Mattelus Infold.
　Second class student of Chapter 5 of the School for Adventurers.
　Member of the Student Government Association.

"I started to suspect you soon after I got here.

What are you talking about, sir? I don't know what I'm talking about, but...

'The reason I doubt you.... It's because you were caught in my check when you were admitted.

What?

Let's take it in order.

　The Kowloon Cup boosted my fame, and many candidates flooded into Branch 5.
　The office staff and instructors were forced to deal with the unexpectedly large number of candidates.
　Then, they had no choice but to be lax in their checking.

　And that moment was the perfect time for the 'Number Children (Numbers)' or 'Revolutionary Aspirants' to send their agents.

'So I set up my own system of checks. One of the people who got caught in it was you.

Wait a minute. If I were a spy, why don't you guys catch me?

The reason is simple. You didn't do anything about it.

What?

'They never messed with me or my guys. So we didn't even make a move. Well, there wasn't much going on, so I got to hit one play.

The play. You're not suggesting--

Yeah. Yeah.


　The attempted suicide bombing at the admissions office was a fake incident that I set up.


To lure you in.

What--what...

　Mattelus made a fake case that he didn't know about and I explored his reaction.
　I chose the date of the entrance exam to make it look like that.
　The reason I woke them up in front of the candidates was to make sure there were no spies in this year's class.

　And as I'd hoped, I'd managed to catch the mole in this year's candidates and the materiel.

'You're a good agent. You didn't do anything this past year (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something (I'd like to see you do something)))).

　I realized that Mattels was a 'numbers kid' (numbers) and decided to let him swim.
　I wanted to see how the organization came out.

　But Mattels didn't do anything.
　He didn't make any moves.

　So we still don't know the full extent of his relationship with the organization and its full scope.
　They tried to brainwash Mattelus into confessing without telling him, but there were advanced mental defenses embedded in the system.
　Moreover, I confirmed that some of the techniques of the first magic from a long time ago were used, not the magic of the current system.
　I'm not going to be the only one who can do this, but I'm going to be the only one who can do it.

　I'm sure he's a very talented guy running the organization.

　I'm looking forward to meeting him.

So, for all his brilliance, he was upset by an unannounced terrorist incident. You had the idea in your head that this was a fake case, didn't you?　Still, you were forced to check. Because of your brilliance, I moved to keep things under control.

''Haha.......... Hahahahaha.........

　Mattelus laughs.
　He covered his face like a tragic heroine and laughed.

'Can I ask you two more questions?'

Okay. You were a student of mine, for one thing.

　I continued to be Sheila's instructor, but I was also in charge of the new second class party.
　One of them was Mattelus.
　It was no coincidence, of course.
　I talked to the school and we decided

"Number one. What happened to the fellow who was here?

''I put them all in [storage] while you were trapped in security. I didn't expect to find the roost of the 'Revolutionary Candidate' here. A nobleman's mansion, I would have thought.

Well, then.... Until I get here, this roost will be--

I didn't know that.

Are you telling me you got into this room faster than I got in here?

That's true, but...?

What kind of a monster are you, huh?

How rude. This is human territory compared to what I used to do.

　I've gotten a lot stronger in the past year and a half or so, but I'm not there yet.
　If I were to fight me when I was the strongest in each profession and me now, the former would definitely win.

''Huh..... Who the hell are you, really?

Is that the second one?

Yeah.

You know what I'm talking about.


　[Villager] It's Lacelle Girell Stark.