I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 136

 

My gaze naturally turned toward the garden, where Dobby would be playing by now, but I shook my head.

 

Dobby was a normal pet. It was nothing like a demon that doesn’t even have genitalia.

 

…Genitalia? Wait a minute.

 

Demons are incapable of reproduction.

 

They could only be born through the unconditional coalescence and twisting of mana.

 

So there was only one explanation for the appearance of the same disease among demonic mosquitoes across the empire.

 

“Caon.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“This disease, I think it’s a disease that humans artificially created and spread.”

 

“…If it’s a demon, it must be.”

 

How could they do such a horrible thing?

 

“If you think about it, don’t you think it was quite a deliberate experiment? It was in Abascanthus where the disease first spread.”

 

Abascanthus was hotter and more humid than Lagras.

 

It’s not surprising that mosquitoes and other insects would thrive there.

 

As a result, mosquito and other insect bites were a daily occurrence.

 

This made it even more difficult to identify the cause. The initial symptoms were similar to the common cold.

 

“If it had started in Lagras, we might have realized sooner that mosquitoes were the cause.”

 

We only have mosquitoes in Lagras in the summer.

 

“That’s not to say I wish it had started in Lagras.”

 

Carson listens to me silently, then frowns as if he’s remembered something.

 

“Come to think of it, isn’t one of the founders of MoTo-Club, Professor Walter?”

 

“Crazy…”

 

He was right. It was no secret that Professor Walter was the founder of MoTo-Club.

 

I wondered why a mosquito was related to Professor Walter’s organization.

 

Moreover, why did Professor George, who was always with Professor Walter, get sick?

 

I don’t want to be suspicious, but the evidence points to him as the culprit.

 

Had Arcandus foreseen this when he told me to stay away from Professor Walter?

 

A lot to think about. But I couldn’t stay silent. I didn’t have any hard evidence, but this wasn’t normal, and I had to do something.

 

“Caon, do you think you could go to Professor Walter and cast a tracking spell on him? Or better yet, bring him here, I think that would put my mind at ease.”

 

In fact, the day I met Professor George, I immediately looked to see if Professor Walter was still at the Academy.

 

He was still going strong, so he wouldn’t have run away unless he was being stabbed.

 

If Professor Walter was indeed the culprit, I would have to cast a tracking spell so that I could catch him at any time.

 

At my impatient glare, Carson quickly averted my gaze.

 

“Actually, I already have.”

 

“What?”

 

Has he already cast the spell?

 

Why? This was obviously the first time I brought up Professor Walter in front of Carson.

 

“Caon, I think you owe me an explanation as to why you put a tracking spell on Professor Walter.”

 

“…Are you going to be mad, are you going to hit me?”

 

He tilted his head quizzically, his voice teasing.

 

What the hell was he doing, condescending like that?

 

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

 

Carson’s eyes widened at the flat answer. It had been a while since he’d been smacked in the face.

 

‘Ugh. That’s foul play.’

 

I slapped my cheek a couple of times to regain my composure before meeting his eyes.

 

The result was, well, you get the idea.

 

It wasn’t long before the white-flagged Carson caught my eye and began to speak.

 

“…The tracking spell was cast around the end of the first year of the Academy, I believe.”

 

“That long ago?”

 

It was a long enough period of time that I was beyond surprised.

 

“That’s when I overheard Arcandus talking to you. I thought I should be prepared for anything that might happen.”

 

He’d overheard the conversation?

 

“Oh…”

 

In other words, he was worried about me.

 

Carson’s reluctance to tell me this was probably because of what he had done with Jane. I’d told him back then that I felt terrible being watched.

 

I let out a small sigh and placed a hand on each of his cheeks, lifting his head, which was downcast.

 

“I won’t blame you. I was just asking you to cast a tracking spell on Professor Walter without any evidence.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Why, do you want me to smack you if you don’t?”

 

Carson stared at me, his face deeply troubled by something.

 

“Caon, you’re not troubled by the fact that I smacked you with my lips before, are you?”

 

He blushed profusely and shook his head dismissively.

 

“It’s not like that…!”

 

No, your reaction was telling me you were lying.

 

I smirked, stroked his hair, and implored.

 

“I’ll believe you, but could you please bring Professor Walter here?”

 

“…When?”

 

“As soon as possible. Better now.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Carson, who had already recovered from his heated reaction and returned to his normal self, flicked a finger at me.

 

Snap—!

 

I almost screamed when I saw Professor Walter suddenly appear in front of us.

 

What a lunatic!

 

I thought it would be a nice teleport to bring him back, but no!

 

The only good thing was that it was the weekend, and he was napping, even though it was broad daylight.

 

I poked Carson in the back with my elbow.

 

“Hey, what if the professor was in the bathroom or naked!”

 

It’s a situation that makes me giddy just thinking about it. No, even imagining it made me gasp as my sympathy levels surged.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I had to consider the criminal’s privacy, but I almost hurt your eyes.”

“…That’s not the point, and we don’t know who the culprit is yet.”

 

As I said that, I gazed at Professor Walter in his pajamas.

 

He snores and scratches his belly, sleeping soundly.

 

Carson snuck into my line of sight and asked, “Do you want me to wake him?”

 

“To spill water?”

 

Carson made a shy face and scratched his head.

 

“Leen knows me too well.”

 

Please don’t get all excited about that. I shook my head. Better to wake the professor myself.

 

I took a deep breath and called out to him.

 

“Professor Walter!!!”

 

“Ugh, five minutes…”

 

As I watched him bury his face in his pillow, I had mixed feelings.

 

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t imagine someone so pathetic… No, I couldn’t imagine a person so carefree spreading the plague.

 

“Why don’t you take five minutes to get up and take a look around.”

 

“This is my house, what do you mean… what?”

 

I gasped. Professor Walter’s eyes flicked around the room, and he stared at me and Carson with a bewildered expression.

 

He rubs his eyes, still in disbelief at what’s happening.

 

“Is this a kidnapping or something?”

 

I slid the lock on the door and closed it behind me.

 

“And incarceration.”

 

“…A real kidnapping?”

 

His eyes narrowed in disbelief.

 

“What’s in it for you to keep me locked up, and who the hell paid you to do it?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

 

“You owe me an explanation, at least.”

 

“Again, I can’t tell you, I’m sorry, I just need you to stay until I can make some sort of judgment.”

 

If it were really Professor Walter who was responsible for spreading the plague, that would be a different story.

 

Professor Walter’s gaze lingers on Carson for a moment, then drops.

 

His body slumped. He realizes that defiance alone won’t get him out of this.

 

“…How long is this going to take?”

 

“I don’t know, days, weeks, months.”

 

Professor Walter’s mouth gaped open at the mention of months.

 

” Are you going to make something of me?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Professor Walter rambled on, as if he understood that we weren’t going to hurt him.

“…Even if it weren’t, my father said I couldn’t be a soldier, so I dropped out and became a professor I don’t even like.”

 

I exchanged a silent glance with Carson.

 

Hmm…

 

“Don’t worry about getting fired, my prospective mother-in-law is quite capable, isn’t she, Caon?”

 

Excited about the mention of a prospective mother-in-law, Carson quickly nodded.

 

“She is.”

 

Professor Walter’s brow still furrowed, as if he didn’t believe me.

 

Well, he was free to believe it or not.

 

“Also, I promise to be as accommodating as possible until we have a definitive conclusion.”

 

“You mean, depending on the case, that might not be the case.”

 

I didn’t answer his question.

 

“Then let me show you to your room, Professor Walter.”

 

I hope you prove your innocence again and return to the Academy.

 

🍃 

 

I’ve decided to keep Professor Walter’s imprisonment in the Duchy a secret from Professor George for the time being.

 

He’s going to be shocked. I’m not certain, but I’m sure the mere fact that he has a serious condition worries him.

 

I examined the mosquitoes that Carson had captured for the cure with Professor George.

And these mosquitoes…

 

“They don’t die.”

 

Professor George and Carson nodded in agreement as I spoke.

 

It may be small, but it was a powerful creature, and it didn’t die easily.

 

Even if you cut off its legs, it regenerated quickly, even if you submerged it in a glass jar full of water for a whole day.

 

I even sprayed it with pesticides, but it was resilient.

 

Picking up my deadly weapon, the Major’s book, I slammed it down on the mosquito whose limbs were tied to the glass plate.

 

Bam!

 

The mosquito’s body, which had been squeezed by the book, gradually returned to its original form.

 

“This is crazy…”

 

What’s the point if they don’t reproduce?

 

If they don’t die, the living mosquitoes would continue to spread the disease.

 

Although it varies from species to species, most mosquitoes feed on nectar or fruit juices.

 

The reason for bloodsucking stems from the fact that it provides the protein needed to lay eggs, so only females do it.

 

However, this mosquito was different.

 

They didn’t distinguish between males and females, and they all sucked blood.

 

No, they weren’t just bloodsuckers. They were feeding exclusively on human blood and nothing else.

 

Just then, Carson, who had been watching my progress, spoke up.

 

“Fireball.”

 

And with that, he created a giant, colorless ball of fire and trapped the mosquitoes inside.

Fascinating.

 

Inside the fireball, the mosquito turned to ash.

 

“Good thing they’re not good with fire.”

 

But…

 

Wizards aren’t exactly common, and that means I would have to swing a torch or something to kill this mosquito.

 

“It’ll be faster to set the area on fire than kill the mosquitoes.”

 

I sighed heavily and slumped back in my chair, looking up at the white ceiling of the lab.

 

Maybe I should take a moment to meet the man who used to be part of MoTo-Club. It didn’t take long.

 

I eventually declared a short break and found the room where Professor Walter was being held.

 

It was magically barricaded, so safety was not an issue.

 

And, I found him there, greeting me with a glass of orange juice in one hand and a novel in the other.

 

An adult romance novel, no less.

 

“Hey, you’re back.”

 

“…You’ve only been here for a day, but you’ve adapted well.”

 

Professor Walter said, looking genuinely happy.

 

“It’s so nice here. I don’t have to work, the food comes on time, and no one says anything when I sleep.”

 

“I’m glad you like it.”

 

“In all seriousness, have you ever thought about raising a grown man, Leen?”

 

“…”

 

“They don’t shed, and they cover up their poop.”

 

This guy said that now.