国产在线精品一区在线观看

So, where could he be?

I thought for a moment and suspected he was somewhere in the academy city, so I immediately headed towards the city.

However, I had no clues for my search.

As a result, I wandered through the city endlessly and ended up returning without finding Rox.

―――

The next day, after confirming that Rox was still absent from the academy, I immediately prepared to head into the city again.

However, someone called out to me.

"Oh, Aoi-sensei! Are you going to look for Rox-senpai?"

It was Shenley, who appeared from behind a corner.

I nodded and looked at the city. "Yes, it seems he is in the city, so I\'m going to search for him."

I turned my gaze to Shenley, a fellow student. "By the way, Shenley-san, have you heard anything about where Rox-kun might be? It seems he’s been going out to the city often recently."

Shenley nodded with a serious expression. "… Yes. It seems Rox-senpai is in the northern part of the city, in the North Market. There are even rumors he\'s running a shady business there…"

"North Market?" I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term.

Shenley added an explanation. "Since there are many merchants in the south, there is a street in the north called the North Market where peddlers and non-merchants set up stalls. It\'s a bit unsafe, but some boys go there for a thrill…"

Well, perhaps she felt guilty for what might seem like tattling. But if a student was straying off the right path or engaging in dangerous activities, it was a teacher’s duty to intervene.

"Thank you. It’s dangerous, so you should stay at the academy," I said and immediately left the academy.

Shenley looked like she wanted to say something but just saw me off silently.

―――

I hadn\'t been to the northern part of the academy city much, but it seemed quite different from the south. The south, with its bright atmosphere and sophisticated shops, contrasted sharply with the north\'s rougher vibe. However, it wasn\'t a dark alleyway but more like a bustling flea market or farmer’s market.

To someone like me, who enjoyed places like Chinatown, it appeared quite an interesting scene.

However, the shopkeepers at the stalls didn\'t look like ordinary people.

Come to think of it, I had heard that there were underground casinos in this city. It made sense with a townscape like this.

I decided to try entering a back alley.

From between the stalls, I could see a narrow alleyway. Unlike the bustling main street, it was dim and deserted.

The narrow alley stretched straight into the distance, giving an eerie impression.

If there were a casino in this back alley, there had to be someone keeping watch. Walking around should lead me to it.

I stepped into the back alley.

Just like the various smells mingling on the main street, the back alley also seemed to have a mix of numerous scents. However, the crucial difference was that the back alley’s smell was damp and had a higher degree of unpleasantness.

Additionally, the ground was partly cobblestone, with some sections missing and strange depressions that had puddles of murky water, lacking cleanliness.

Even so, I endured and continued, but as the amount of garbage littering the sides of the path increased, I reached my limit.

"… [Fly]." I activated a flying spell and floated like a balloon with its string cut, soon rising higher than the rooftops.

Whether surprisingly or predictably, the back alleys were quite extensive. I needed to narrow down my search.

Scanning the surroundings, I noticed a few large three-story buildings here and there.

Why would they need such large buildings if they didn’t face the main street? It was unlikely they would have a large family, so these buildings seemed more suspicious.

Continuing to search from the rooftops, I noticed a gathering of people.

I landed quietly on a roof and listened in. It was slightly chilly today because I didn\'t wear thick clothes, but I had to endure silently.

Amidst the sounds of the wind and the main street\'s noise, I could barely make out voices from the alley.

It seemed that multiple individuals were arguing. All the voices were male.

"… You bastard, do you understand that if you lie to me, I could have you executed for insulting the royal family?"

"N-no, That\'s not what I meant… I\'d hate it if I was accused of doing something when I wasn’t lying…"

"Oh? Do you have a problem with me? Do you know who I am? Say it."

A raspy voice responded dismissively to a haughty voice, which sounded familiar.

I descended silently from the sky, startling the gathered individuals who froze at my sudden appearance. Glaring at them, I approached the person I was looking for. "… Rox-kun?"

"A-A-Aoi-sensei…?! W-why are you here…?" Rox took several steps back, sweat streaming down his forehead, looking visibly flustered.

I stepped closer and looked up at him. "I was looking for you, Rox-kun."

My deep voice conveyed my anger.

But Rox looked at me with moist eyes and frowned. "… You were looking for me? Aoi, you were…?"

I was about to say \'What\'s wrong\' to him, but I swallowed my words.

"You shouldn\'t be doing such things," I warned him sternly.

Rox looked shocked and averted his gaze. "Th-that\'s… you\'re telling me not to do anything dangerous, but still, having Aoi-sensei, a woman who does dangerous things, tell me is…"

He seemed to start struggling internally.

Why would I have to do anything dangerous? Did he think I would partake in bullying?

I sighed and narrowed my eyes. "I can\'t believe you\'re still using your royal authority to bully the weak…"

Under my cold stare, Rox widened his eyes in surprise. "B-Bullying?! N-no, that\'s not it! I\'m doing what a royal should do!"

"As a royal, you were intimidating ordinary people?"

"That\'s not it! This man is involved with the illegal casino! I\'m investigating because there are students at the academy who got addicted to gambling and ended up heavily in debt…" Rox desperately pleaded his innocence.

Although Fiddiq Academy was funded by the Six Great Nations, it was territorially under the jurisdiction of the Verted Kingdom. The fact that a royal of Verted was investigating crimes within their territory made sense.

However, why wasn\'t he doing it more publicly? Looking around, there were only two men with swords on his side. Whether they were magicians was unclear, but their stance and wary eyes indicated considerable combat experience.

Thinking it through, I understood Rox\'s situation.

Many royals and nobles from various countries attended or taught at the magic academy.

If it became known that a large illegal casino operated within the academy city and students were getting heavily in debt, it would tarnish the Verted royal family\'s reputation.

Hence, Rox was acting covertly to keep things quiet.

He must have been acting discreetly, hoping that the rumors would remain vague and not escalate.

"… I see. In that case, I\'ll assist you," I said with a nod.

Rox blinked and looked at me.