Chapter 161
The Seven Mysteries of the Academy.
Just the phrase alone is surely something anyone has heard before.
It's a familiar term in school-themed manga and games.
Even in the school-based otome game 'Beyond the Rainbow Gleam', the event was no exception—it existed there too.
According to rumor... the Seven Mysteries of the Academy are sealed within a certain treasure chest.
When someone happens to find that treasure chest and opens it, seven strange phenomena are unleashed upon the academy.
What Reina talked about during lunch was one such mystery... 'The Black Cursed Book of the Library'.
It was said that anyone whose name appeared in the nonexistent book that shows up in the library would be cursed without exception, and ultimately die.
(In the game, Reina's friend gets cursed, and then she teams up with a romanceable character to solve it... Those who touch the black book can't help but write the name of someone they hate. In a way, both the writer and the written are cursed.)
Not just the library—other mysteries must have been unleashed as well.
If I think in game terms, then Reina and the romanceable character should be the ones to resolve it... but this world is no longer just a game.
In the game's scenario, no one dies and things are resolved just in time... but there's no guarantee that'll happen here.
Even though a student might die, I can't just sit back and do nothing.
(Well... I guess I should be the one to take care of it. Yeah.)
Normally... it would be unthinkable to push the responsibility of solving problems that occur within the academy onto the students.
It should be the teachers who handle it.
(I've got things to do too, like making test answer sheets and all... but, well. It's fine, I guess.)
For now, let's start by resolving what's close at hand.
After school.
Clael arrived at the music room.
For Clael, who had become the teacher in charge of music class, it was his second home ground.
Now that he was the manager of this room, he couldn't ignore the problems happening here.
"After-school music room... 'The Music Festival of the Dead', huh."
An empty school building with no one around.
As he approached the music room... he began to hear the sound of instruments being played.
Apparently, he had drawn a hit—or rather, a miss.
(It's definitely true that the Seven Mysteries have been unleashed... Seriously, give me a break.)
When he arrived at the music room, the door—though he was sure he had locked it—was open.
Peeking through the slightly ajar door, Clael saw multiple figures inside.
"............"
The ones inside the music room were picking up pianos, violins, flutes... various instruments and playing them.
The performance... though each played chaotically as if on their own, somehow formed a single harmony that created music unpleasant to humans.
And... upon closer inspection, those playing were not human.
Not humans, but shadows in human shape. Lacking joints or fingers, these things gripped the instruments with tentacle-like arms and played them wildly.
"This is... without a doubt."
"What do you mean, without a doubt?"
"No, it's definitely one of the Seven Mysteries............!?"
When someone casually replied to his muttering, Clael jumped in surprise.
"Wah!"
Clael let out a startled cry.
Behind him, peeking into the music room through the door gap, stood Reina—when had she gotten there?
Reina leaned in close to Clael's ear, peeking in just as he was.
"Ah... Lord Clael!"
"Geh...!"
Letting out a yelp, Clael tumbled into the music room.
"""""............!"""""
The performance stopped, and countless shadows who had been playing instruments glared at Clael.