Great Teacher in a Defense Game

#34 When Will I Ever

Orban suddenly spewed out a curse.

Enoch, dumbfounded, asked back.

“Why are you looking for your car from me?”

“Because you wrecked it!”

“Then you shouldn’t have threatened me in the first place. Weren’t you the one who started it?”

Why take it out on me now of all times.

Enoch, in disbelief, clicked his tongue openly.

Orban, unable to say anything in response, inhaled sharply.

“Hah, hah…!”

“What, if you want, I’ll give you the repair costs. How much do you want?”

Enoch said this while putting his hand in his pocket.

Since the money he had was presumed to have come from Orban’s safe.

Money that would eventually return, making a full circle.

A momentary shift of position, one could generously overlook.

But perhaps Orban had sensed Enoch’s leniency.

He refused the offered money, erupting in a fit of pique.

“Keep it! I don’t need your two-bit scraps, you little shit!”

“Grumbling even when offered something. Suits me just fine, though.”

“Keuh-heuk, Keuh-heueuk…”

Orban shuddered, a guttural sound escaping his throat.

He looked on the verge of frothing at the mouth.

Clarena, unable to bear it any longer, spoke.

“I understand… your plan, more or less. But is it really necessary to go to such lengths?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Orban asked, his hand pressed to his forehead.

Clarena continued.

“I don’t understand. With the recent monster attacks and whatnot, isn’t the nation already in turmoil? It seems like you’re just needlessly stirring up trouble on top of everything.”

“Hah. Trouble? Listen here, you junkie. Have you ever even bothered to look at the slums? The Empire’s security has *never* been good. They’re just masters at sweeping things under the rug. And wielding their authority without rhyme or reason.”

“That’s because you’re pointlessly instigating conflict. I don’t think the Empire’s authority is quite as incompetent as you make it out to be.”

Clarena met his gaze head-on.

Orban clapped his hands, mocking her.

“A patriot, are we? You actually trust the authorities these days? Do you even *know* how useless they are?”

“Useless? Give me an example, then.”

“Gladly. I have plenty. First, they can’t even conduct a proper investigation. Recently, my vault was robbed, you see?”

A flinch.

Enoch’s body gave a slight tremor.

Orban didn’t notice.

He hammered his chest, as though his lungs were about to burst.

“Those damn government b*stards couldn’t even catch the thieves who raided my vault. Do you have any idea how much was in there? A year’s worth of the Imperial Defense Department’s budget! And it happened twice! *Twice*!”

“…That does sound rather…unfortunate.”

Clarena’s tone softened.

She didn’t know what to say.

If that was the truth, he had every right to be furious.

“……”

Enoch merely listened in silence.

There was naught else to say.

But Orban seemed to yet have words unspoken.

He shouted once more.

“Think that’s all there is to it? Just lately, even the Archmages have been lodging complaints, one after the other!”

“Archmages? Who?”

“That witch of the Water Tower and the old coot from the Tower of Frost!”

“Huh? Why would they be doing that?”

“I don’t know! Suddenly contacting me, spouting nonsense about keeping my nose clean! How am I supposed to know why? They wouldn’t even give me a straight answer when I asked! Just blathering on about how they’re always watching! They just don’t like me, that’s all! And you expect me to trust the Empire after all this?! Huh!?”

Orban, as he spoke, punched the air with clumsy fists.

He seemed deeply wronged.

“……”

Enoch quietly averted his gaze.

Just drank his liquor.

There was no other choice.

@

A short while later.

Orban had finally exhausted his strength.

He leaned back in his seat, panting heavily, catching his breath.

It seemed there was quite a burden he’d been carrying.

Enoch saw no need to disturb him.

He felt a pang of pity.

And a little bit of guilt, too…

“Hold on. Stop the carriage.”

“…What? Why all of a sudden?”

Orban asked, seeking the reason.

Enoch waved his hand lightly, as if swirling the contents of his cup.

“My throat’s parched. Need to buy something to drink.”

“We have liquor here, you b*stard.”

“One does not slake a thirst with liquor. Pull over at once. I’ll be back in a flash.”

Enoch spoke matter-of-factly.

Orban agreed without much fuss.

After all, even should he run, he could be caught swiftly.

And besides, they were, for the moment, in a relationship that demanded cooperation.

Such a minor request was easily granted.

-Screech-

“Go on. I’ll wait here.”

“You won’t come? I could fetch you something as well, if you like.”

“Forget it. Coffee and all that… I just need a moment’s respite.”

Orban reclined in his seat, seeking rest.

He kept his eyes closed.

To see that gaping roof would only reignite his fury.

“Then I shall be back soon. Ms. Clarena, will you accompany me?”

“Certainly. I find myself on an empty stomach.”

“……”

“Bloody hell. As if she weren’t some addict…”

Those who take narcotics often neglect their meals.

The thought that Enoch merely considered, Orban blurted out without filter.

Was this retaliation?

Clarena slammed the door with excessive force as she exited the car.

-Bang!

“Easy there, you mad b*tch!”

“Let’s go.”

“…Very well.”

The two ignored the outburst and continued on their way.

A short while later.

They realized there wasn’t a café in the immediate vicinity.

“The location is rather inconvenient. Of all places to be stranded…”

“Let us simply purchase whatever we can find and return. I dread Orban’s nagging should we linger.”

“Fine. I, too, have no wish to hear that man’s whining—”

Clarena ceased speaking.

Her gaze had become fixed upon a single point along the street.

A vending machine.

“Let’s just buy some there and go.”

“A vending machine? Good. I shall purchase them.”

Enoch strode forward.

He slipped his hand into his breast pocket, then examined the machine.

However, there was a problem.

“…?”

“What is it?”

“This vending machine, it seems to be in a slightly peculiar state. I see no place to insert coin.”

Enoch was taken aback, slightly.

There was no slot to deposit paper currency into the machine.

Only strange, unfamiliar apertures.

“Really? That can’t be… Ah! It only accepts coins, I believe.”

“Coin…?”

Enoch’s mind went blank.

Coins.

Did such a thing even exist in this world?

“Yes. Coins. Perhaps you are without funds?”

“I am… without funds, you ask…?”

“It is possible, is it not? I will simply buy it. There is only coffee; bitter, or sweetened, which do you prefer?”

“…Sweetened, I suppose.”

Enoch said, his voice lacking strength.

He felt a slight swaying in his body.

Clarena immediately inserted coins and pressed a button.

With a *ding-a-ling* sound, two cans of coffee appeared.

“Here. I’ll give you the change. Use it when you have need of it later.”

“…Thank you.”

“What is this now. You *are* our investor, after all.”

Clarena offered the coins with a laugh.

Enoch clenched the received coins tightly in his fist.

Somehow, his pride felt wounded.

This was all Orban’s fault.

If only that scoundrel had put a few coins in the safe…

@

The two of them drank coffee in front of the vending machine.

Since they were already outside, they planned to return at a leisurely pace.

“Clarena-ssi.”

“What is it?”

“There’s something I’d like to ask, is that alright?”

Enoch inquired tentatively.

Clarena readily agreed, without much thought.

“I don’t mind. What is it?”

“Do you happen to know about any drug that melts down the brain?”

“…The brain?”

“Yes. More precisely, I want to know if there’s a drug that causes brain fluid to leak out through the nose or ears.”

Enoch asked matter-of-factly.

He followed with a supplementary explanation.

The content pertained to the homeless man from a while back.

The culprit who had detonated his vehicle. He had been found dead inside the guard’s jail, brain fluid streaming from his nose and ears.

As things stood, they couldn’t even accurately pinpoint the cause.

Magic was the most likely possibility, but there was also a small chance it was a drug.

Enoch tossed the question out of worry that it could be something else.

“Brain fluid… Hmm. There are a few things that come to mind… Are there any more clues?”

“There are. The amount of blood in his body had decreased by more than half.”

“Blood? That’s a bit unexpected.”

Clarena pondered deeply.

She finally opened her mouth again.

“First of all, there’s no drug that simply melts the brain matter itself.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In the first place, the brain itself only cooks when magic is involved. To be precise, it’s more accurate to say it’s due to the brain overheating, no? My thought is, perhaps we need to reverse the cause and effect here.”

“Reverse…? You mean the brain matter itself isn’t the cause?”

Enoch asked in quick succession.

Clarena nodded as if she had given the correct answer.

“Yes. At least, that’s what I think. Surprisingly, there are quite a few people who die while leaking brain fluid. Mostly in only one circumstance, though.”

“And what is that?”

Clarena tapped her head lightly.

“Magical Awakening. Forcibly inducing magical awakening, and the body can’t withstand it, so the brain cooks.”

“Awakening… Is it possible to know the cause?”

“Roughly. The answer isn’t a drug. It’s a narcotic.”

“A narcotic?”

Enoch’s eyes widened slightly.

Clarena continued.

“Yes. In the first place, didn’t you see it earlier, Enoch?”

“…Angel Dust? Could it be that?”

“Yes. Angel Dust has the effect of maximizing the user’s senses. Or more accurately, it affects the Stardust, you might say. Controlling the concentration of Stardust to a level that doesn’t burden the body, that’s the commonly seen magical awakening potion.”

“The one sold on the market, you mean.”

“Parents are rabid for anything education related, after all.”

Clarena shook her head, letting out a derisive chuckle.

The nuance was strongly sarcastic.

Enoch, listening to her words, fell into thought.

Angel Dust.

He had certainly heard it was circulating in the Empire.

He never thought it would connect like this.

‘This isn’t just a venting of anger. It feels like something big is brewing.’

Enoch belatedly regretted it.

He should have secretly taken the Angel Dust when it appeared earlier.

If he had, the investigation would have been much easier.

“Angel Dust. I suppose I should look into it at some point.”

“Hm? Do you perhaps need some? Shall I give you some?”

“Pardon?”

Enoch was taken aback.

For a moment, he didn’t quite grasp the words.

In that fleeting instant, Clarena produced a paper packet from her pocket.

…Angel Dust, it was.

Even the very same one Orban had pulled out earlier.

“…Why is this in your possession?”

“You seemed uninterested, so I secretly tucked it away. Do you know how difficult Angel Dust is to obtain? Besides what’s requested for laboratory use, they don’t even import it, you know?”

Really, the security is just too thorough.

Clarena clicked her tongue, grumbling.

Enoch, without realizing, secured his pocket.

If nothing else, in her presence, he’d best be mindful of his belongings.

‘…Wait, does Orban know about this?’

@

The same time.

Inside Orban’s car.

“Shit! Where did the drugs go again! If they’re rolling around in the car, they’ll just scatter everywhere, damn it!!”