The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knight’s Rampage Through Another World
A few days had passed since Gaston’s attack and Eliza’s lecture (?).
“I found the ‘wild boar.’”
I looked around at the group gathered in a corner of the student cafeteria—Twina, Nora, and Eliza—and said that.
“No way… So a ‘wild boar’ really does ‘live’ on campus…”
“That’s exactly it. Unfortunately.”
I replied to Nora, who was sitting diagonally to my right, looking grave.
…The reason she was there was that I couldn’t very well leave her out while Twina and Eliza were working together to find the demon.
Besides, since she ends up spending almost all her time with me and Twina anyway, it’s hard to keep it a secret, and there’s no point in doing so.
“Hmm… From what you’ve said, there are at least a ‘male’ and a ‘female’ ‘boar,’ aren’t there? Which one is it?”
“The male. It was easier to find that one.”
This time, I answer Eliza, who is sitting across the table from me.
Of course, “wild boar” is a code word for “demon.”
There are only a few other groups besides us in the student cafeteria before dinner, but it would be a hassle if someone were eavesdropping.
…That said, even though my room would be ideal for a private conversation, I couldn’t very well invite everyone there.
Bringing girls into the boys’ dorm would inevitably draw attention.
And that’s especially true if they’re Nora and Twina, who are among the most beautiful girls in our grade.
Well, as for Eliza… it would lead to bad rumors in a different sense.
Conversely, it’s the same if I were to enter the girls’ dorm.
Either way, I’d have to apply for permission from the dorm mother, which would be a hassle.
So, what about the woods, or the dorms, or behind the classroom building?
There are actually more people around here than you’d think.
For example, couples wanting to make out, or groups of kids hanging out trying to act like delinquents.
Getting involved with either of those groups would only lead to trouble.
That’s why, even though there are a few people around, the only place where a group of us could gather without raising suspicion is the student cafeteria.
“So, where is this ‘Wild Boar’ guy?”
“I already knew the male one was nearby.”
I shrugged my shoulders and replied to Twina, who was sitting to my left.
In the end, pinpointing the male demon was easy.
After all, inside the boys’ dorm, I can set up as many magic circles as I want.
“The location is… right here.”
I pulled a pen and a scrap of paper from my pocket and wrote down the three-digit room number, followed by “Dan Carcheli.”
“No way… The Carcheli family are barons. Surely not—”
Nora’s eyes widened in shock at the words, and she was speechless.
Then she hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand and looked around nervously.
It seemed she had let out a gasp, but fortunately, no one was nearby.
At most, there was an older woman in the kitchen preparing dinner and a few groups of female students chatting far away from us.
None of them seemed to be listening to our conversation.
After checking her surroundings once more, Nora muttered apologetically, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’s popular, you know. I hear he has a fiancée, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he had a ‘girlfriend’ here at the academy as well.”
“I-I do seem to recall hearing a rumor like that.”
I quickly pretended it was just a romantic conversation.
Nora caught on immediately and, blushing, played along.
It felt like we’d jumped from a conversation about boar hunting to love talk without any context, but topics change frequently during after-school chats. It shouldn’t be a problem.
That said, I can’t say I don’t understand why Nora was so flustered.
A baron… It must be hard for her to accept that someone of her family’s equal standing has turned into a demon.
“Dan Karikari… Hmm, I’ve never heard that name before…”
“Well, I only know his face, name, and family background myself.”
While answering Twina, who seemed utterly uninterested in love stories, I was secretly relieved that the man wasn’t a major character.
At this point, the fact that I haven’t “fallen into darkness” and haven’t been pestering Klaus means a different history from the “main story” is already unfolding.
I have no way of knowing where or on what scale these changes are occurring.
That said, I’ve done a quick background check on him.
Dan Calcheri.
The eldest son of a baron’s family.
A second-year student, one year my senior.
His elective courses are Kingdom History and Dungeon Studies.
He’s skilled in swordsmanship and was the runner-up in the school’s martial arts tournament.
He’s handsome and cheerful, and is popular with girls across all grades.
He’s what you’d call a “social butterfly” or a “jock.”
“Hmm… the Calcheri family, is it? I seem to recall they were a prominent family in the northeast.”
“And it’s a region known for grapes and wine.”
Nora adds.
Come to think of it, the northeast region has vast highlands and a cool climate.
It seems she judges family lineage based on crops.
“…In any case, is it an individual or a family? It looks like we’ll need to investigate further.”
“In my opinion, I think it’s an individual.”
“Oh? Why do you think so?”
Eliza looked at me.
“This is just a guess, though.”
After making that disclaimer, I shared my thoughts with everyone.
That said, it’s not exactly a complicated story.
Not only is Dan-senpai popular with the girls, but he’s such a womanizer that rumors have already spread among us.
He’s particularly good at getting close to girls who don’t fit in with their peers and becoming “friends” with them.
He has the “senpai” attributes of being capable, handsome, and charismatic, and on top of that, he pays attention to girls who feel like lost lambs.
Most girls would open their hearts to him without a second thought.
But among them was a wolf in sheep’s clothing… no, a venomous snake.
That’s the situation.
“Hmm… True, if it happened right when they enrolled… then we’d know immediately. I can understand the logic, but… is that guy really that much of a womanizer?”
Eliza asked me that, her face a mix of confusion and revulsion.
“From what I’ve heard, five girls in our grade have already ‘gotten close’ with him. There were even a few guys whose childhood friends or fiancées got stolen away, and they were foaming at the mouth, screaming, ‘I’ll kill him!’”
“…He’s the enemy of women, isn’t he?”
Nora muttered in a voice so cold it seemed to freeze the air.
And her eyes were scary.
With pupils like abysses, she looked as if she were about to go and deal with Dan-senpai at any moment.
“Anyway,”
I looked around at everyone before continuing.
“I plan to subtly let Dan-senpai know that I’m looking for the Demon Lord.”