[Where is Madeline?]
Tayte, Jarvis, Andrei, Dorothy, and I made our way into the library together. The atmosphere inside was tranquil and peaceful, with time seeming to slow down in that space.
“It’s as peaceful as ever here,” I remarked, taking in the serene surroundings.
At first glance, there was no sign of trouble whatsoever. It was almost unbelievable that an incident involving the rumored underground library could be taking place here.
Dorothy guided us to the exact spot where Madeline had disappeared, but…
“Not a single clue, huh?” I muttered.
We attempted to investigate the area thoroughly, but our efforts yielded no particularly suspicious findings.
“But this is really where Madeline disappeared, right?” Tayte asked, seeking confirmation.
“Y-yes…” Dorothy replied weakly, her voice filled with uncertainty.
According to Dorothy, Madeline had vanished suddenly during their conversation here. The topic at the time had been the underground library, leading to her suspicion.
“That information alone isn’t enough to conclude that she entered the underground library,” Jarvis reasoned.
I agreed with Jarvis; I, too, suspected it might just be a coincidence that they were discussing that particular topic. However, one undeniable fact remained: Madeline was missing.
I was just about to suggest that we expand our search to outside the library when…
“Oh? What are you guys doing here?”
Ms. Teixeira called out to us.
“Ms. Teixeira? Ah.”
At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Um, I have something I would like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know about the underground library?”
“““““?!”””””
Without beating around the bush, I directly asked Ms. Teixeira. The others looked shocked by it.
On the other hand, Ms. Teixeira remained composed. “Hahaha, that’s surprising. I never imagined you’d believe such rumors.”
Ms. Teixeira didn’t show any sign of fluster. …Well, maybe she had heard this question multiple times from other students, so she was used to responding to it.
“So, the underground library doesn’t exist?”
“Well, at least in my five years working here, I’ve never found a place like it.”
Her response was firm. It didn’t seem like she was lying.
So, the underground library didn’t exist after all?
“If so, where’s Madeline?”
As Andrei said, this made Madeline’s whereabouts become increasingly unclear.
Miss Teixeira, who had overheard Andrei’s words, interjected with interest. “What happened? Is Madeline missing?”
“Y-yes, we were supposed to hold a meeting regarding the academy festival, but Madeline never showed up…”
“I see……”
Ms. Teixeira’s eyes began to sparkle.
Could it be that Ms. Teixeira actually believed in the rumors about the underground library? Perhaps she was contemplating using this opportunity to investigate further.
This was excellent news. If Ms. Teixeira was genuinely interested, she could be a powerful ally in solving the mystery.
I needed to secure Ms. Teixeira’s cooperation at any cost.
[Where is Madeline?]
Tayte, Jarvis, Andrei, Dorothy, and I made our way into the library together. The atmosphere inside was tranquil and peaceful, with time seeming to slow down in that space.
“It’s as peaceful as ever here,” I remarked, taking in the serene surroundings.
At first glance, there was no sign of trouble whatsoever. It was almost unbelievable that an incident involving the rumored underground library could be taking place here.
Dorothy guided us to the exact spot where Madeline had disappeared, but…
“Not a single clue, huh?” I muttered.
We attempted to investigate the area thoroughly, but our efforts yielded no particularly suspicious findings.
“But this is really where Madeline disappeared, right?” Tayte asked, seeking confirmation.
“Y-yes…” Dorothy replied weakly, her voice filled with uncertainty.
According to Dorothy, Madeline had vanished suddenly during their conversation here. The topic at the time had been the underground library, leading to her suspicion.
“That information alone isn’t enough to conclude that she entered the underground library,” Jarvis reasoned.
I agreed with Jarvis; I, too, suspected it might just be a coincidence that they were discussing that particular topic. However, one undeniable fact remained: Madeline was missing.
I was just about to suggest that we expand our search to outside the library when…
“Oh? What are you guys doing here?”
Ms. Teixeira called out to us.
“Ms. Teixeira? Ah.”
At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Um, I have something I would like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know about the underground library?”
“““““?!”””””
Without beating around the bush, I directly asked Ms. Teixeira. The others looked shocked by it.
On the other hand, Ms. Teixeira remained composed. “Hahaha, that’s surprising. I never imagined you’d believe such rumors.”
Ms. Teixeira didn’t show any sign of fluster. …Well, maybe she had heard this question multiple times from other students, so she was used to responding to it.
“So, the underground library doesn’t exist?”
“Well, at least in my five years working here, I’ve never found a place like it.”
Her response was firm. It didn’t seem like she was lying.
So, the underground library didn’t exist after all?
“If so, where’s Madeline?”
As Andrei said, this made Madeline’s whereabouts become increasingly unclear.
Miss Teixeira, who had overheard Andrei’s words, interjected with interest. “What happened? Is Madeline missing?”
“Y-yes, we were supposed to hold a meeting regarding the academy festival, but Madeline never showed up…”
“I see……”
Ms. Teixeira’s eyes began to sparkle.
Could it be that Ms. Teixeira actually believed in the rumors about the underground library? Perhaps she was contemplating using this opportunity to investigate further.
This was excellent news. If Ms. Teixeira was genuinely interested, she could be a powerful ally in solving the mystery.
I needed to secure Ms. Teixeira’s cooperation at any cost.
