Fwoosh!
With one horizontal swing from the massive spear, a violent gust of wind swept upwards.
Lowering my posture and bringing my center of gravity down, I held on so my body wouldn't falter from the strong wind.
"I'm coming."
It wasn't even an attack. Ziggs was just repositioning that massive spear.
Kicking off from the air, he landed right in front of me. At the same time, he turned his body around and swung his spear, leaving behind an afterimage in the shape of a semi-circle.
It was a force that was impossible to take on. It wasn't even possible to lessen the blow.
I managed to dodge the first attack by basically throwing my entire body down onto the floor, but the movements I made to dodge were so large that I couldn't turn them into a counterattack. The momentum was still on Ziggs' side.
He then fixed his grasp on the spear as he came at me. However, my entire body was still low to the floor. The massive spear, coming towards me at a tremendous speed, was something I couldn't avoid.
Since it was an attack that I couldn't avoid, I had to come up with a method to defend myself and minimize the damage as much as possible instead.
Splash!
Schunk!
As if I had finished analyzing my entire situation in an instant, Lacia the Lioness, who was hiding in a nearby puddle, jumped out from the manifestation of a water source and blocked Ziggs' spear.
However, it would be more appropriate to say that she had been stabbed than to say that she had blocked the spear.
With a loud roar and a splash in the water, Lacia's summoning was forcibly canceled.
"Keuk!"
Wincing at the sound of her roar as it pierced his ears, Ziggs accurately understood the intention of the lioness that had sacrificed herself to stop his attack. It was all for the sake of creating a miniscule chance.
A spear as large as his had an incredibly wide range of attack, and an enormous power to boot, making it extremely difficult to deal with… However, it has a weakness.
It became more difficult to attack the closer one got to it.
Quickly taking advantage of the very slight chance that Lacia had given me, I forced a close-range melee battle that would be difficult for Ziggs to attack me with while using his spear. Once I managed to successfully shove my dagger up close to him, it would become difficult for him to take full advantage of the spear's strengths.
However, Ziggs was a master of duels that always excelled in any type of combat situation.
Clang!
The surge of magic power quickly gathered into Ziggs' left hand—which had been empty before—became an sword with an appropriate length, easily defending against my attack.
Casually swinging a spear larger than his body in his right hand, he held a sword in his left hand to deal in close combat against his enemy's attacks.
I clicked my tongue as I gathered magic power to cast Ignite. A blazing fire then erupted between me and Ziggs.
However, without a single change in expression Ziggs swung his spear with one big swing, making the flames of magic power his own by covering it with his own magic power.
"I see that most of your attacks are focused on blocking your opponent's line of sight, then attacking them from a different direction."
There were various different tricks to close the gap in skills with your opponent. However, there was still a limit when it came to closing a gap of pure, overwhelming power. In particular, Ziggs was an opponent against whom such tricks would rarely work.
Even if it might have worked the first time, since he allowed it to figure out his opponent's fighting style, the second or third time would be a completely different story.
"It's certainly better to bombard you with a difference in pure firepower than to fight you in psychological warfare, Ed."
Once again, the magic power that was coming from Ziggs' body started to create another weapon. From daggers to two-handed swords, all different kinds of swords began to float and swirl in the air.
Advanced Magic, Mana Armament – Sword Dance.
It was an applied magic that combined both telekinetic magic and the basic advanced magic, Mana Armament. The weapons that were created didn't need to be wielded by the caster's hand, but instead would dance in the air by themselves before starting to press down on the opponent.
Kaang! Kaang!
What looked to be over twenty different swords gathered in one place, rushing down.
I had already lost my main power, Lacia the Lioness. And by now, the amount of magic power I had consumed had also piled up enormously. It was a terrible situation.
Regardless, if I were to get hit by even one of those numerous swords, it would be instant defeat. I clenched my teeth as I drew out magic power from my body and once again, with all my might, cast the intermediate fire magic Point Explosion.
Not just one.
If I couldn't get rid of all those swords, I was bound to eventually get hit by one. That was why I cast almost more than twenty Point Explosions at once. One by one, I aimed them at each of Ziggs' swords, exploding them in an instant.
Boom! Boom! Boooooooom!
What the intermediate magic Point Explosion lacked in magic power efficiency was made up for in its incredibly fast casting speed.
In other words, relative to the amount of magic power it took, the power of it wasn't as strong. Of course, a normal person would still take critical damage with a single blow—but in the middle of combat against a real opponent, it would be rare for them to be defeated from a single blow.
After firing the same technique—which had lackluster magic power efficiency—many times over, my magic power naturally started to hit rock bottom.
Fwooooosh!
And there was no way that Ziggs, the runner-up student in the magic department, wouldn't realize that fact.
From the smoke that rose from the explosion magic, his spear flew. Since his field of view wasn't completely clear, it had barely missed.
Paak!
Not missing the opportunity, I gripped the spear that came through with two hands. A brief struggle ensued as my hands trembled.
"You've run out of magic power. You don't even have the magic power left to cast a beginner defensive spell. It's over for you."
It was an accurate judgment.
"Now, I'll finish this."
Ziggs clenched his teeth as he swung his spear with two hands, shaking mine away. My body flew through the air for a while before I managed to land far away from where I just was.
Ziggs once again used the advanced magic Mana Armament to summon various and numerous weapons. Against Ziggs, who had completely mastered telekinesis magic and had all those knives in the air dancing around him… Going up against him in close combat, anybody would struggle.
Not only that, but I was a magician that had run out of magic power completely. Even using beginner magic would have required me to clench my teeth and completely focus my mind. It was a fact that the match was already over.
A duel was something that always needed to be taken seriously.
Because that was Ziggs' belief, he would definitely deliver a final blow on me—one that would determine his victory.
A practice match was always like a real fight. No matter how different your capabilities might be, you must never underestimate your opponent. You always needed to acknowledge them and do your best at all times.
That attitude of Ziggs' really was impressive… I finally had to take out my last resort.
Clanggggg!
"What…?"
I took out the 'Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball', squeezing it tightly until it exploded.
Certainly, I was completely out of magic power—but I suddenly had a huge amount of power radiated from me. All of the swords that Ziggs had summoned had fallen apart. That was the power of magic engineering.
Fwoooosh!
In the duel, I hadn't used any magically engineered items. I had tried to win without having to use such external means.
However, if my opponent was going to treat me with such sincerity, it was only polite for me to use all means that I could in return.
"With this much…!"
All of the swords that Ziggs had summoned and used telekinesis on were blown away by the wave. But it still wasn't enough to blow away Ziggs' body. Since there was a limit to my magic power resonance, it would be difficult to surpass the level of destructive power that I could achieve through the magically engineered items I made.
"Just one… Just one decent hit in…!"
Ziggs' combat experience told him that intuitively.
A magician that had run out of magic power. An opponent that couldn't even use defensive magic.
Once he gets close to me, it is a sure win. Knowing that fact clearly, Ziggs jumped forward with his spear.
And with that, it was time for me to make my final move.
Boooom!
But Ziggs' attack was blocked with defensive magic.
"What…?"
It made sense that he was confused.
Ziggs' attack was strong enough, to the point that it couldn't be smoothly blocked with just any level of magic power efficiency. Yet, if you invested a lot of magic power all in one defensive spell, his attack could be deflected at least once.
But the problem was… I didn't have the magic power to attack, so how could I have cast defensive magic?
"Ugh!"
What was in my clenched fist was 'Glast's Phoenix Ring.'
At that point, the greatest power that I could utilize was summoning the high-ranking wind spirit 'Merilda.'
It was possible to achieve by drawing magic power from Glast's Phoenix Ring. Of course, after using it for a certain amount of time I would have to take the penalty of not being able to use even a single drop of magic power.
In a mere practice match, there wasn't any reason to take on such a penalty by fully summoning Merilda.
However, when using a high-ranking wind spirit, you didn't always have to utilize the extreme method of fully 'manifesting' them.
Many students believed that the only way an Elementalist could utilize spirits was by manifesting them to make them fight… but in actuality, that wasn't the case.
For example, instead they could simply cast a spiritual skill that would allow them, as an elementalist, to use a part of their ability much more easily.
They could also activate passive skills to help assist in combat.
In addition to all of that, there was the spirit's innate skill… For example, I could be provided with Mugg's magic to temporarily increase my fire resistance. Or Lacia's magic, which created a water source on bare ground that I could freely use…
By reducing the magic power that was being consumed, you could utilize a spirit's skills through auxiliary means.
Of course, the issue was that Merilda was a strong spirit from the beginning. So, it would still require quite a bit of magic power to even utilize just her innate skill. Still, in terms of magic power, it was much better than having to fully 'manifest' her.
To take advantage of a skill at that level… it would be possible to achieve by lowering the amount of magic power being taken. Still, it wasn't a small amount…
"Keuuuuk!"
Since my opponent was coming at me with all their might, it was only polite for me to fight back with all I had as well.
Fwooosh!
Without completely understanding how my magic power, which had been completely at rock bottom, had suddenly started to rise again… Ziggs was struck by a massive gust wind.
Maybe it was because it was difficult for him to stand up properly, but he looked back at me, trying to keep his center of gravity as low to the floor as possible. And then, at that moment…
In front of him a girl caught his eye.
A pure white dress with white hair and golden eyes.
[Is this appearance the limit of your magic power when manifesting me? Well, the environment is much worse than when you called me from the Substitute Altar. At that time, Lucy was also there.]
[Still, this much… You made quite the remarkable progress, Ed.]
Before Ziggs could figure out what was going on, the girl swung her slender hand into the air.
The high-ranking wind spirit Merilda's innate skill, Updraft.
A magic that took everything in the area, throwing it into the air. It also took away one's control of their own body.
Ziggs also had quite the skill when it came to wind magic. He tried to escape from Merilda's influence with his own magic power, but…
[It would be better for you to not put up any meaningless resistance.]
It would be arrogant to try and match Merilda's elemental wind magic. The high-ranking wind spirit Merilda had the upper hand in all types of wind magic.
Paaak!
Ziggs' body floated in the air, leaving him completely defenseless.
No matter how strong a warrior he might be, it was still difficult to fully demonstrate any power while being held in the air. His position was also locked, so there wasn't any way for him to dodge.
"Keuk!"
The moment Ziggs, who had quickly grasped the situation with near superhuman reflexes, was about to cast attack magic—
Booooom!
I cast the intermediate fire magic Point Explosion one more time.
That time, it was a direct hit.
[Alright, it's been finished neatly.]
Smoke rose from the aftermath of the magic spell. Merilda, who wasn't completely in the form of a girl, patted her skirt several times.
"I've never seen you manifest in this form, Merilda."
[The magic power efficiency in this form is much better, right? Of course, there are still all sorts of restrictions that come with it.]
"..."
[Anyway, I wanted to avoid turning into this form as much as I could these days, since some strange stalker has been sticking around and following me. Also, there's no fur on this body, so it gets cold. And there's no tail, so it's strangely difficult to balance myself. Also, why does the mouth have to be so small? It feels as if my cheeks are clenched every time I speak. Shouldn't a mouth normally be ripped open all the way to the sides of your cheeks to properly open it? Right?]
She put both index fingers into her mouth as she spread her cheeks wide, making a strange noise.
It was hard to sympathize with her as a human when she spoke about the benefits that came with being a wolf…
Boom!
From the smoke, Ziggs held a rapier made of magic power as he shot out like a bullet.
In a completely defenseless position, where he couldn't even take a defensive stance, he took a complete hit from my intermediate magic. And yet, he was still able to keep fighting.
It seemed certain that he had cast defense magic with those unbelievable reflexes of his. Even if it wasn't all of it, he was still able to absorb some of the impact.
The reason his weapon was now a rapier instead of the massive spear was probably because he no longer had the strength to lift that spear.
Boom!
With part-animal senses, she avoided his rapier. But right after, the magic power's form changed as Ziggs' weapon turned into a large, long sword.
Then, the moment the startled Merilda began to respond, the tip of Ziggs' sword had already been thrust against my throat.
"..."
"..."
[...]
A moment of silence. Ziggs was gasping for breath, the tip of his sword unmoving.
As for me, I had already used up all the means of magic that I possibly could. I even used all the tricks that I could think of. The amount of magic power that I could draw out wasn't much, so I had basically run out completely.
The result of letting a melee warrior come into close-combat range without having any magic power left.
I then raised my arms in the air as I quietly spoke.
"It's your victory, Ziggs."
Clang!
As soon as I said those words, the swords from Ziggs' hand fell. Then, when the effects of Mana Armament disappeared, the swords turned back to magic power and disappeared.
Ziggs sat still on the floor for a moment, breathing heavily. He looked completely exhausted.
"Huff. Huff… I learned a lot. It's hard to believe that you trained this much in just one year… For me, who has been training my entire life, it's quite hard to believe."
I also had a difficult time standing up properly due to the exhaustion that was taking over my body.
It felt as if I had pushed my body to the utmost limit.
***
"…Don't you think you two overdid it…?"
By the time Yennekar came out of the cave in the direction of the rocky area, Ziggs and I were both lying flat on the floor.
Both of us were sweating profusely as we tried to calm our bodies down. We looked like two boxers that had just finished a spar.
I quickly chugged the water that Yennekar had given me as I looked up at the sky, where the sun was slowly starting to set. I then wiped away my sweat.
It wasn't too hot, thanks to the cool breeze of the late spring. It was also nice to hear the crashing of waves that I could hear every so often.
Then, for about twenty minutes, I continued to lie down and enjoy the wind.
Ziggs, who had managed to calm himself and gather some energy, quickly raised his upper body as he spoke.
"This is news from inside the school. This is something that I happened to hear from the faculty members while I was visiting Trix hall to change A class' schedule."
Looking back, Ziggs did say that he came here because he had something to say.
"Kadek and Nox have escaped. The two criminals that have been labeled as your murderers, Ed."
"..."
"I don't know how they managed to break out with the strict security in Trix Hall, but… Anyway, it seems that the school hasn't made an official announcement yet. It makes sense, since any confusion going around would only cause issues with the search. For now, they're just going to try and track them down."
Ziggs let out a deep sigh.
"Because of that, the allegations against Tanya, claiming she had ordered the assassination of you, are getting harder to clear as time goes by."
"Yeah… I hear you."
"Since you're trapped here and forced to live in seclusion, you can only make partial judgments based on the information Yennekar comes to give you ever so often. I don't think you fully understand just what the situation at school is like these days, and what kind of public backlash Tanya is facing."
He came because he had something to say about Penia and Tanya.
Maybe the words Ziggs would say next would be the main point.
"Princess Penia called me, so I went to visit the royal residence."
"…I guess, in the end, Tanya did go to the royal residence to hide."
"Yes. Based on Tanya's testimony, she had asked me various other questions. She asked if I really did believe that Tanya wasn't the one behind your death, and why was I sitting still without actively testifying that fact to the school…"
When Lucy was attacking Ophelis Hall, Ziggs was the one that defended Tanya more than anyone else.
From Penia's point of view, the fact that Ziggs was keeping silent during the situation seemed strange.
"I stayed silent. I argued that I couldn't testify with only inconclusive information. Also… because right now, Ed, you are risking your life in your own way."
The reality was that there was an assassination attempt against me. If I didn't take additional measures now, it wouldn't be strange for my life to fall back into danger. In other words, I was at a crossroads of life and death.
Knowing the seriousness of my situation, Ziggs had closed his eyes and pretended to be ignorant. Even if it was unfair against Tanya.
"However, with Kadek and Nox escaping, the situation changed. If they report the situation to House Rothstaylor, they will believe that you are dead."
It was rare for Ziggs to express his own opinion.
"Considering the fact that the Rothstaylor Mansion is quite far away from Acken Island, and the fact that the school grounds are somewhat closed off from everyone else… It'll take a long time before they will be able to double check that you're dead. And that's if Tanya doesn't directly make a report through mail."
That was right. No matter how great House Rothstaylor was, they wouldn't be able to send anyone else to Acken Island, on the outskirts of the empire, just to confirm my death when it had already been reported.
If they wanted to confirm my death, they would have to borrow the power of rumors. Rumors that 'the descendant of House Rothstaylor, who had been excommunicated on Acken Island, was still alive~'
And for such a rumor to spread outside of school, it would have to be during the vacation season, where the people inside of Acken Island finally left for the outside world. If I was lucky, it wouldn't be until long after the vacation season ended that the rumors would finally reach House Rothstaylor.
From there, they would send someone directly to check if I survived. They would have to plan another assassination attempt and find justification to send even more personnel to Silvenia's school grounds… And repeat the entire process again… It wouldn't be strange for the entire process to take half a year, even if they were to start immediately.
It would take about that much time. And by that time, House Rothstaylor would have already started its downfall in to the storyline. Since the entire house would be in a crisis, there was a high chance that they wouldn't even have the time to worry about me.
"Anyway, what I wanted to say is that… I met Tanya at the royal residence."
It felt like the story he was saying wasn't connecting, but for the moment, I continued to listen to Ziggs.
"You met her in person?"
"Yes. I guess since I was the only one that protected Tanya in such a dire situation, she ended up trusting me quite a bit."
Ziggs paused for a moment as he took in a deep breath before continuing the story.
"She didn't look great. It makes sense, imagining Tanya's school life… it would be stranger if she weren't devastated. Yennekar, you should also know it quite well."
"Yeah… That's right."
Yennekar put down the water she had given me as she slowly spoke.
"I've already told you, Ed, but she's preparing for the student council president election while being investigated by the school. The public opinion of her is also at its worst, with people labeling her a murderer. Yet, she is still managing to hold on with her fist clenched. Maybe it's because Princess Penia continues to support Tanya even though she's nothing more than a political burden for her. Princess Penia's probably doing it because she felt a sense of pity at seeing her like that."
"It's just as you said, Yennekar."
Ziggs sat down on a rock as he looked up at the sky, which was slowly turning red.
"She's been pushed up against the corner for too long. It's a burden that a girl of her age shouldn't be able to bear. I think she will collapse soon."
That was what Ziggs had come to say.
"There will be an announcement of the candidates for the student council president this evening. It'll be held on the first floor of Obel Hall, next to the student's square, originally home to the student council. There, in front of the podium, she will have to deal with the student body's heavy criticism and suspicion of her."
After saying that, Ziggs didn't open his mouth anymore. He seemed to think that saying any more would be too much.
"..."
I lay still, looking up at the sky thinking.
It had a huge meaning to me that Tanya, not Penia, was the one running for student council president.
If Princess Penia became the student council president, she would eventually take a hostile stance against House Rothstaylor in the future.
Then there was Tanya, a member of House Rothstaylor, who could become the student council president.
It was impossible to predict what sort of changes that would cause in the future. And the original timeline, which had already begun to twist, would begin to completely break off from that point on.
I felt like I had reached an important turning point.
The choice was mine, and I was responsible for all the consequences that would follow.
If I took this chance to defend Tanya, who was being framed, it would only strengthen her position as student council president—making her a truly unstoppable candidate.
Publicly, she was being supported by Princess Penia. Under the surface, Lortel was also pushing for her.
It would be strange if she weren't elected.
That meant… the flow of the future that should be maintained at all costs… would be completely twisted and broken, by my own hands no less.
However, Tanya had already suffered too much.
She might just be a one-time villain that acted as a rival to Princess Penia…
Now that I was in a position that faced the ridiculous changes in the flow of fate… looking for the cause of it all, it was none other than the existence of a person that shouldn't be in the storyline any longer.
It was none other than Ed Rothstaylor's fault. My existence was the cause of all it.
Of course, I also had my own reasons. It was unintentional, and from my point of view, it was a matter of life and death.
The situation had become like that all because of my fierce battle to survive. I was not a nice enough person that I would risk my life while thinking of others.
However, even so…
The only person in the vast world that shared the same blood as me… Was it right to leave such a girl, who bore no sins, to face the storms of fate like that? At first, I thought of how wonderful it was to have a younger sister that I had shared the Rothstaylor name with.
When I weighed the flow of the storyline that had already begun to twist against that, which side should the scale lean towards?
If I managed to use the people around me and the skills I had, it might be possible to somehow persuade or induce Princess Penia into running for student president.
Whether it came from the guilt she held towards me or the hostility she has towards House Rothstaylor … There were plenty of ways to utilize and provoke her.
What I had suddenly come to realize was that I hadn't done any of those things.
"Ed."
"You don't have to say any more."
I looked up at the sky quietly. The sun was setting.
The most important choices in life were often made that way. All at once, all of a sudden.
Did he say that they were announcing the candidates for the student council president that evening?
"..."
I slowly lowered my head… and spoke softly.
"Yeah… It's about time for me to end this secluded lifestyle."
***
Suddenly, the girl's old memories started to bloom.
As was the case with old memories, the light tended to fade.
Still, gathering each scene one by one and putting it into a single memory, it wasn't all that bad a memory.
An aristocratic family, admired by everyone in the Empire. The three siblings went out to the flower garden, holding hands.
Arwen, Ed, and Tanya hummed a song… as they plucked flowers, tying them into their hair, they admired the beautiful scenery… They held hands as they enjoyed the fresh scent of spring.
In a way, you could even call it her last memory. The life Tanya faced following that was full of pressure and responsibility.
It seemed like it was truly one of her happiest moments. Opening her eyes, the dull reality weighed down on her shoulders heavily.
On the first floor of Obel Hall, the eyes of those that stared at Tanya were all full of darkness and suspicion.
Despite the horrendous charge of murder against her, she was trying to take the seat of student council president with her teeth clenched… Her eyes were like those that were obsessed with obtaining power.
Tanya stood right there, in front of the hostile crowd.
All because she was determined to not run away from it all.
Even with no way out, she continued to move forward.
Many people had said that it would be impossible for her to become student council president in such a situation, but Tanya didn't care about that.
On a rainy day at Ophelis Hall, she had witnessed many individuals that had challenged the impossible.
It might seem futile, but there had to be some worth in that desire of hers. Believing in that, she stood firm at the podium.
The public's constant booing was nothing compared to the hardships of the life she lived.
-x-X-x-
The student council president election was the most popular event that took place in the beginning of the semester.
In particular, that year the former student council president—Velos, who had been in office for two years—graduated. Although the time he had spent in office was relatively moderate and quiet, he was a good student council president that completed his tenure without any major incidents. He did all of that while effectively managing the opinions of both the school and the students all on his own.
Just what kind of position was the seat of student council president at Silvenia Academy?
While being able to exert substantial influence over Silvenia's operating politics, it was also a position in which one could personally mobilize the students, including the tops of each grade, if desired. A position that let them wield authority equal to that of the headmaster.
Also, the symbolism it held wasn't something one could consider light. Students that had served as Silvenia's student council president were often chosen as management personnel in various towns and cities, given a position within magic towers—or even the royal palace—without any other qualifications to their name.
In the case of someone with a good bloodline, it could be an opportunity to enter the political world around the emperor. A seat that every student with high standing dreamed about at least once.
The open area in front of Obel Hall, near the entrance of the student square, had already been filled with many students. The crowd was so massive that the school had personally sent over personnel to watch over the safety of students.
The podium located on the first floor of Obel Hall wasn't small at all, but it was still uncertain to say that one's voice would be able to reach the crowd to the very back. Of course, amplification magic would be used, but it wasn't perfect.
"That is all."
Waaaaaaaaaaah!
There were a total of four candidates for student council president. Among them, the two people that were receiving the most attention were Lortel and Tanya.
The heir of House Rothstaylor, who received the support of Princess Penia. And the deputy head of the Elte Company, who basically controlled the entire economy within the school's commercial district.
The battle between the two received much interest from both students and academic faculty. However, only now had the results of such interest finally been shown.
"The next term's student council president, Lortel!"
"At that age, already having the leadership to lead The Top… I'm sure you'll do great as the student council president, too!"
"There's no one more suitable for the student council president than Lortel Kehelland."
"I can feel the sincerity in your promises…! In the first place, what other reason does the person representing the Elte Company have for trying to become the student council president? It's all because you have clear and straightforward intentions!"
"Deserving of our trust and support…! The next student council president, Lortel!"
As Lortel said her final goodbyes on her way off of the podium, thunderous cheering poured out. Lortel, who showed her presence by waving her arms as she stepped down from the podium, finished perfectly by turning away and fixing that gorgeous dress of hers, which was covered in ornaments.
Lortel had no intentions of becoming the student council president.
Those that knew of that fact were, at most, a few employees at the Elte Store.
However, looking at Lortel put aside her work with a smile on her face as she accepted the cheers of the public… It wouldn't be strange to say that she had already been elected as the student council president.
Lortel, who had lived as a merchant her entire life, couldn't give up the work she was doing for the Elte Company just to focus on the work that came with being a student council president. And yet, her appearance at that moment looked as if she was doing everything she could to become the student council president.
Even the public's response was overwhelming.
She had proven her ability for a long time now, acting as the one that held high power within the Elte Company. And the promises she made during her speech seemed to have scratched the itch the public seemed to desire.
And that wasn't all. By giving an appropriate amount of political funds through the school's staff, she was able to gain the public favor of the top students.
The higher one's authority is, the more attention they'll attract when they fall.
Lortel continued to wave her hands with a smile in her eyes.
As splendid as Lortel's past actions were, she had just as many enemies. When you worked for the public, you couldn't live with just allies alone.
In particular, if there was a force that held a strong grudge against Lortel… There were many clients that didn't have a choice but to nod their heads in response to the various demands pushed by the Elte Company.
For example, if you looked at the most recent incident at Laplace Bakery, where they threatened to not deliver food. It was a case that came from the issues of a rude owner that tried to get supplies first by making excessive orders. It wasn't a pleasant incident to deal with.
To summarize… Because of the Elte Company's position as the ones in charge of the business district within the commercial district, they had used various reasons to gain full control on their business partners within the commercial district. Almost equivalent to that of a tyranny.
Most of the time, the cause was justified—but from the standpoint of the victim, that fact didn't matter.
All of them probably held a personal grudge against Lortel, but they were unable to express such dissatisfaction due to her growing authority.
Lortel was a person that even took advantage of such resentment.
By now, all of the data must have made its way around.
Lortel, who had completely left the podium, removed the ornaments on her body and clothes one by one. Blue rose-shaped hairpin, earrings with dark red beads, and ruffled laces. Every time she removed such expensive and over-the-top accessories, it felt like she was finally returning to her life as a merchant.
In front of the podium, her secretary Lienna and decoy Dunn were waiting in their respectful positions. They were both employees of the Elte Store.
Lortel gave the accessories she took off to them as she went into the first floor of Obel Hall with her hair untied.
"Kadek and Nox?"
"They escaped as planned."
"Good. What about the data leaked to the clients?"
"They took the bait. It will probably be exposed during the election period."
It was a short conversation with her secretaries. Lortel, who only listened to the necessary reports briefly yet accurately, looked at the student square once more from the entrance of Obel Hall.
A huge crowd of people chanted her name, yet Lortel's expression turned cold.
She already knew it well. Public support was like the sea. It would sometimes come in like a high-tide, only to one day wash away like a low-tide.
The data that was released from the Elte Company to its clients in the commercial district. It recorded and explained the embezzlement of company funds that had been coordinated by Lortel. Of course, it was all data that Lortel had fabricated herself.
In the first place, Lortel thought of herself and the Elte Company as one. It wouldn't make any sense for her to embezzle the company's funds.
The only thing that mattered was that she needed a weakness to pull herself down.
There was no way that the clients that harbored major grudges against Lortel would pass up such an opportunity. In order to ruin Lortel, who had built up such a capable and moral image… They would expose the embezzlement and her immorality to the entire world.
As long as their anonymity was guaranteed to some degree, there were a wide range of clients that would attack Lortel's back.
Such an embezzlement scandal would be fatal for her election as student council president, which was a position that required integrity.
It would be an opportunity for Lortel, who thus far had received wide support from the public, to fall in an instant.
If that happened, then the spotlight would surely fall on Tanya. A candidate that stood in heavy opposition to Lortel. The contrasting effect of it all would be most dramatic.
There was a strange catharsis that came with the fall of a great person.
The moment the person that was supposed to rule the entire world fell in vain was when the public all came together.
If she could seize that moment and use it as an opportunity to showcase Tanya's hard-working tendencies… Lortel was willing to turn the entire public into her enemy.
Because that was what made the most money.
"Miss Lortel, are you really okay with this plan?"
Suddenly, Lienna asked Lortel a question. An off-topic question, at that.
Lortel lived her life as a villain. She wasn't a person that would hesitate to take on the role of villain.
Notoriety and disgrace would follow her, but to Lortel that was just a part of her body.
Lortel wasn't the type of person to show her presence on the stage, basking in the light. Usually, she was someone that would stand behind the curtain.
That was why, to her, it was important to carefully select the person who will stand on that stage.
"Oh my."
There were four candidates for the student council president election that year. However, the two other candidates that spoke before Lortel had little power. Having little interest in them, it would be meaningless to take their side.
However, the person that would be next up on the podium was one that received the public's attention in many different ways.
"You seem nervous, Tanya."
Tanya was getting ready to step up on the podium after Lortel. Standing in front of her, she kept her mouth shut. The hand clenching her skirt trembled.
She had to bear with it, push past Lortel, walk up to the podium, and declare her candidacy.
In a place where the entire crowd chanted Lortel's name, she had to change all of their minds. All while dealing with the hostility and the suspicions of the public while bearing the weight of being called a murderer.
It was basically torture. And only Tanya, no one else, would be able to take care of it.
"I…"
At Tanya's following words, Lortel was a little surprised.
"I… did not kill my older brother, Ed."
Looking straight into Lortel's eyes, the manner in which she spoke was quite firm.
It had been almost two weeks since Ed had gone into seclusion.
She had run away from the royal residence, quarreled with the school's investigators that constantly doubted her, and continuously tried to prove her innocence. She did all of that, all while forcibly pushing herself to prepare for the student council president election.
She looked exhausted, both physically and mentally. However, her strong attitude showed that she still had quite a bit of vitality left.
Looking at Lortel, that trembling and exhausted appearance she once had was no longer there.
Standing upright, on equal footing to her, she spoke the facts as they were.
After Tanya finished speaking, she passed Lortel and made her way towards the podium.
***
There was a creepy silence.
The crowd of students that had gathered in the student square was massive, yet not a single word was spoken.
Comparing it to the roaring cheers of Lortel's name that came just moments before… one could wonder if it was really the same place.
Standing up on the podium and looking down, she could see the faces of all the students.
The top first year student Wade and the top fourth year student Daike were standing at the front looking up at her.
In addition to that, in the corner of the crowd was Clevius, who had unwrapped and taken off all the bandages that were wrapped around him. On the other side, Elvira's face could also be seen.
At the very back, the swordsman Taylee looked up at her with his arms crossed. His companion, Ayla, leaned her head on his shoulder while looking up at her.
There was also the master of flying magic, Onyx, the teaching assistant, Anise, the disaster alchemist, Claude, the youngest researcher of the magic tower, Joseph, the reagent conversion specialist, Dorothy, the romanticist bard, Adele, the elemental magic master, Trayciana…
It was place full of talented people, where each one was like a star that filled the sky. What was even the point of trying to list each and every single one in Silvenia?
Standing in front of all of them, Tanya opened her mouth.
"Hello. I am Tanya Rothstaylor, and I will be running for student council president this year."
Even the weak and small candidates that had come before Lortel were given a round of applause when introducing themselves.
But now, the crowd was completely silent. There were a smattering of applause that came from here and there for a bit, but the vast majority of the crowd didn't move one bit, let alone clap… And what little sound of applause there was stopped in an instant.
Suddenly, she lifted her head to look up at them all, taking a deep breath and swallowing.
Each and every one of the heavy gazes that fell on her felt suffocating. Although she wasn't being directly booed due to the prestige that came from being part of House Rothstaylor, hundreds and thousands of cold, dead eyes still fell on her, asking the same questions.
Why would a murderer run for the student council president? Had there ever been anyone so greedy for the power of the student council?
The terrifying sight she was witnessing was at a level where it wouldn't be strange if it remained a traumatic event that haunted her for the rest of her life.
"UhhHeub…"
For a movement, Tanya stopped breathing, yet she somehow managed to now show it.
Tanya continued to speak with her mental health as sturdy as a rock.
"I… Stand on this podium today to—"
And for a while longer, Tanya continued to speak.
However, five minutes passed, ten minutes passed, and still the crowd was completely silent.
It was the exact opposite of the previous attitude they held, applauding whenever there was a pause in the speech or whenever Lortel finished a statement.
Somehow, she continued to speak… but Tanya was starting to feel it. The silence had started to become an unspoken pressure weighing on her.
Take it easy and step down.
No one supports you.
No matter how much support you received from Princess Penia, or the fact that you are a descendant of a noble duke family… I don't think you will ever be a talented enough person to take the seat of student council president.
Tanya clenched her teeth and continued to speak. But up until the very end, the public didn't show the slightest response.
She forced herself to hold back her tears. If she showed herself trembling here, it would really be the end of it all.
She would only be able to continue standing if she could keep an iron will and calm her emotions, acting as if nothing was the matter.
Tanya continued to talk about the practical restoration of several student facilities, practical improvement to the financial structure of the school, expansion of the scholarship system, and various other concrete plans to help improve the treatment of students… but no one listened.
Then, the time for her speech came to an end.
"Then… In conclusion…"
"Killer!"
What kind of courage did it take? No, it would be better to say that they didn't have any courage at all.
Hiding in the crowd, taking advantage of their anonymity, voices screamed out at Tanya.
Those screams… were like a drop of poison in food. It might seem weak, but it certainly had an effect.
A feeling of pressure, as if it were choking her, stopped Tanya from breathing. Still, Tanya miraculously managed to shake her head.
"Please explain the charges of the murder!"
"There are rumors that it has something to do with an internal strife of House Rothstaylor. Are you denying it?"
"If you look at the information posted in the student newsletter… It says…"
"Do you think it's appropriate for you to run for student council president in such a situation…?"
"I don't know…! But if you're like me and enter Silvenia with the name Rothstaylor supporting you, wouldn't you also want to try and run for student council president…!"
"I see. Well, if you get elected, wouldn't that be something, huh…!"
"No, it doesn't even make any sense for you to not say a single word about the accusations of murder…!"
Then, the words of the crowd started to grow louder little by little.
Some of them whispered directly into her ear while others talked among themselves quietly… But hearing just a few of the things being said, Tanya's eyes widened as they started to tremble.
It was to the point where she started to feel nauseous. Unable to stand upright any longer, she supported her shaking body by gripping onto the podium.
In truth, it was reckless.
It was foolish to continue standing on the podium in such a situation. Still, she didn't want to run away.
The only thing Tanya Rothstaylor did since she entered Silvenia was act surprised, swayed by others, and run away. She lived her life with her head down, looking for opportunities. But when one finally came, she acted pathetic and could only tremble.
"Then… Thank you… For listening this far…"
Tanya, who managed to finish her closing remarks, grabbed ahold of her spiraling sanity. At least on the podium, she didn't want to look unsightly.
Once she finished everything, she could go back to her room and squeeze her pillow as tears flowed from her eyes. But right now, she had to remain a strong individual in front of the crowd.
Thunk!
But did things in this world always turn out the way you wanted them to?
In the end, she couldn't overcome the psychological pressure, falling to the floor. She was unable to step down from the podium properly.
It was as if she had tripped over a jagged stone… a faint laugh flowed from the crowd.
"Pfft!"
"Kekeke!"
"D-Don't laugh…! Or I'll start laughing, too…!"
Leaving behind the roaring crowd, Tanya covered her face. At the very least, she shouldn't show her tears.
Still, the grief ate away at her chest, little by little. Was it safe to say that she had now reached her limit?
At that point in time, she could believe that she had truly done enough.
One's turning point in life always comes suddenly without warning, like a gust of wind.
Fwoooooosh!
The wind blew. It wasn't just a gentle wind of the late spring, it was a massive gust of wind.
"Kyaaaaaghk!"
"Wh-What the… All of a sudden…!"
Banners decorating near the podium fluttered in the wind as all of the students grabbed onto each other's bodies.
There were some students that had fallen over, and others that were trying to fix their hair that had been mussed by the wind.
As the raging gust of wind calmed, the entire crowd that gathered had their breath taken away. Even the security guards that were supposed to take control of the situation could only stare in awe.
"Wh-What is that…!"
"Eugh… Eughakk…!!"
"D-Don't we have to run away…?"
Bigger than the already large podium… A wolf the size of a house was standing tall in front of Obel Hall.
As if it had jumped out from space, it had suddenly appeared. But it was only manifested through borrowing Yennekar's resonance.
Ahhwooooo!
The wolf's cry echoed in a grandiose way throughout the student square. On the back of it was a face everyone was familiar with, Yennekar Palerover… And next to her was a boy that was wearing a robe.
"Th-That's…"
"The high-ranking wind spirit! That's the high-ranking wind spirit…!!"
"I've seen it manifested before in the class assignment exam…!"
Some of the students had recognized the wolf's appearance.
They were the freshmen that had seen Ed summon it when at the peak of Right Mountain. In the first place, it was taken out because they wanted people in the crowd to recognize it.
The fact that he appeared alongside the wind spirit was the most direct form of proof that no one was impersonating or acting as the boy. That was because there weren't many people that could deal with the high-ranking wind spirit in the first place. Especially within the school.
Tanya had also seen the spirit manifest before. It was the same spirit that her older brother, Ed Rothstaylor, had used at the Substitute Altar.
The boy that was covered in the robe climbed up to the podium. As Tanya sat down, looking up, the blond boy's face was clearly visible underneath his hood.
She tried to say something, but her voice wouldn't come out. Even if she were able to speak, all the words would still be blocked at the bottom of her chest. Probably because of all the emotions that were rising up inside of her.
"Ah… Ehm…"
At his sudden and unbelievable appearance, she wondered if she was hallucinating…
"You suffered far too much, all because of me, Tanya. I'm really… Sorry."
As the calm, subdued voice flowed into her ears, she was sure of it.
"There isn't all that much to explain but… let's take care of this situation first."
Ed knelt down on one knee as he gently patted Tanya, who was sitting on the floor, on the back.
Wasn't he the man that she lived her entire life hating? He was the one that defiled the Rothstaylor name, and she always viewed him as someone that deserved to be condemned.
Yet, looking at his face again and feeling his hand pat her back, tears began to well up.
Ed stood up, taking off his hood. When his face was shown… the crowd that had gathered let out a sound of utter shock.
"Th-That… That person…"
"Ed Rothstaylor…! That's… clearly him…"
"I took elemental studies with him, so I know… That's really… The Ed Rothstaylor that was supposedly dead…!"
"Impersonation…? Isn't it just an impersonation…?!"
"Idiot…! Look at that high-ranking spirit…! How common do you think it is for someone to be capable of dealing with that?!"
Standing in front of the chaotic crowd, Ed straightened his posture at the podium.
Ed cleared his throat a few times and the silence returned in an instant. Everyone listened to his words, the atmosphere of the audience was overwhelmed in an instant.
What was the first thing he was going to say?
First of all, maybe it was why he was still alive?
However, that was not something that could be simply explained or revealed. That was something that needed to be taken care of slowly.
In the first place, that place was meant to declare one's candidacy for student council president. So, was it even right to talk about such a thing right now?
Above all else, what needed to be fixed right away was… the public sentiment towards Tanya, which had been shattered.
The only person that could do that in the most straightforward and sure way was… Ed Rothstaylor himself.
"Hello. I am Ed Rothstaylor."
His influence might be negligible for the student body as whole, but… it did extend to each and every top student. And gaining the support of the top students in each department was the key to winning the student council president election.
"I wasn't killed by Tanya Rothstaylor. In fact, more than anyone else, I am an active supporter of Tanya Rothstaylor."
The second year overall top student Lucy Mayreel and the third year overall top student Yennekar Palerover would also support his opinion as long as he asked them to.
In addition to them, the second year combat department's top student, Clevius, also acknowledged him on the inside. The magic department's runner up student, Ziggs, was also a given. And even the alchemy department's top student, Elvira, acknowledged his abilities.
The first year's magic department's top students, Joseph and Wade… were already aware of his skills. They at least knew of the importance of Ed Rothstaylor's support… Explaining any further would just be a waste of time.
Even with just the support of Princess Penia, it was enough to firmly make one's stance as a candidate. With his support being added on top of that… the amount of strength that will fall upon Tanya would only rise up.
However, for Tanya before such political gain…
"Please listen, so that Tanya's goals are conveyed well. I will continue to support her as I always have. Since I'm a member of her family."
Sitting on the podium, wiping her face over and over… Seeing Ed's back…
She was completely out of breath.
What came up inside of her was a memory of long ago, when they went to play in the garden together.
Maybe because for Tanya, who was exhausted and out of breath just like when she walked along that uphill road together long ago, the image of Ed holding onto her hand and leading her overlapped with the back she was seeing now.
Although they were already living in a time far from the distant past… Memories of that time had been constantly whispered to Tanya. Even though things were hard, there would surely come a time when things would get better.
The morning was bright only because the night was long. The life she lived in darkness would eventually come to an end.
Every night, Tanya whispered that to herself as she continued to survive.
-x-X-x-
The sun rose.
Was that the dawn marking the end of the long, long night? The light was so dazzling that Lucy felt faint for a brief moment.
"Good work, young Lady Lucy."
It had been thirty days since the start of her probation. After a long hardship, she finally reached the morning of her escape.
Bell Maya, who stopped by Lucy's room the moment she arrived at work, handed back the room key that she was personally managing.
And the door, which had been tightly closed for nearly a month, finally slowly opened. It was impossible to describe just how special the sunlight that came in through the crack of the door was to her.
"Your probation has now ended. You can now freely come and go from the dormitory according to your schedule. However, you still need to strictly abide by the internal regulations of the school."
"Finally…!!"
It was all the fault of a momentary lapse in her emotions, leading to a tantrum that forced her to live in a hell for nearly an entire month. Trapped in the corner of her room, staring blankly up at the ceiling, she regretted her actions over and over again.
Even Bell Maya, who had the insight to pinpoint exactly what type of punishment Lucy would suffer from the most, had grown tired of it.
Lucy herself was unaware of how profoundly that one tantrum of hers had such a massive effect on the student council election. However, she was able to recognize that after a month of not going outside, the entire school's atmosphere had changed quite a bit.
More than ten days had already passed since the day each candidate declared their candidacy for the student council president. And the period before the elections, which had many various rumors circulating for quite some time, was finally coming to an end.
The day of voting was coming closer, and the outcome had already been decided to some extent. Doing any more activities for one's campaign wouldn't have much meaning.
"The smell of flowers…"
Of course, to Lucy, who had come out to the rose garden to look up at the sky with her hat tight on her head… news about the current situation wasn't important to her at all.
Savoring the outside air that she hadn't breathed in for a long time, she stretched widely and let out a high-pitched noise.
Since she hadn't gone outside for a while, Lucy wanted to go to all sorts of different places… But the first place she wanted to visit was already been decided.
***
"Third year student of the magic department, Ed Rothstaylor."
Would I get caught up in the incident of my death, or would I return back to my normal life? As I'd been a key figure at the center of all sorts of major incidents, I'd been investigated and questioned to the point that I was completely sick of it.
During the student council president election, the number of interrogations I'd been put through easily surpasses the double digits.
I went to testify not only to the investigation and inspection departments within the school, but also to various faculty members as well. I even went to an official investigation led by the third dean, and was busy giving my testimonies and writing them down on countless sheets of papers.
Whenever I thought that the questioning finally reached its end, I needed to go in and go through another investigation. And just like that, I was forced to go through the entire investigative process over and over again. I was completely sick of it all.
Finally, when all the investigations were finally coming to an end, I followed Dean McDowell into Trix Hall as he assured me that it would be the last one I needed to cooperate with.
How the heck could he be so sure that the investigation would be the final one? I already knew how those things ended up going.
With that thought in mind, I followed Dean McDowell… before realizing that the conversation was, in fact, truly going to be the last.
Needless to say, Head Dean McDowell guided me to the largest room at the top of Trix Hall. The Headmaster's office.
"Sit somewhere comfortable."
Inside, Headmaster Obel Forsyth was seated. The one that held the authority to close all incidents within the school.
Guardian Obel.
Hair cut short with clean brown skin. Even though he was nearing his sixtieth birthday, he still looked quite young. In fact, compared to the older professors he was considered to be on the younger side. He was someone recognized for his skills rather than his age.
As I sat down on the guest sofa, Headmaster Obel gathered magic power. The tea set suddenly began to move on its own, a cup of fragrant tea alighting gently on the conference table.
Headmaster Obel was someone that believed in minimizing the need of secretarial staff as much as possible. He was the type of person to open the car door himself.
"I have read through all the documents regarding the incident. You must have gone through a lot. As you were a victim of this incident, I apologize for the inexperience of our security management within the school. I am truly sorry for the pain you experienced."
Obel sat in the Headmaster's chair as he continued to acknowledge the difficulties I went through, apologizing for the shortcomings of the school.
In fact, it was like he was giving pleasantries to try and soften my heart, even just a little. Regardless, he was being considerate of me, so there wasn't a need for me to think too harshly of him.
"No, it's alright. They had meticulously and deliberately prepared for such an assassination… It seems like it would have been difficult to prevent even with a higher level of security."
"From my point of view, I'm quite grateful that you can say that. But still… The reality is different."
On Obel's desk were piles of documents that the school had investigated and reported back to him.
He was well aware of all the testimonies I had given.
In reality, it was difficult for a person that had climbed all the way to the top of the pyramid to have a complete understanding of the smaller details.
However, Obel was a perfectionist that had read through every single report, not missing a single word.
As a member of management, he had a great attitude. But he was also a person that didn't want to be a subordinate to another. Most individuals that left their names in the history books were the same.
"After getting stabbed by the dagger that had been engraved with a deadly poison, and even falling off the cliff… You said that it was thanks to 'Dell Heim's Hourglass' that you survived? I can't even begin to ask you how you were able to get your hands on such a high-end magically engineered device. After all, it's not something that an average student would be carrying around."
"I don't have any intentions of hiding it. I made it myself."
"The methods to craft it are surprisingly simple compared to other magically engineered items, but the materials needed for it aren't easily available. Also, the amount of time you would have spent on the production process itself wouldn't be trivial."
"I asked someone I knew personally to help. And I ended up spending nearly the entirety of winter vacation making it."
After saying that, Headmaster Obel narrowed his eyes and didn't ask any further questions.
Having the insight on the level of Obel, it would be easy enough to figure out that I had some type of contact with the Elte Company when I mentioned the material procurement. He must already have figured out enough information about me.
He didn't want to end up on the bad side of the Elte Company, and he was also well aware of the fact that Lortel would only lose power the more she was unnecessarily involved in the incident.
"Since the incident, you have been adrift in a cave at the bottom of the cliff… Before being found and saved by Yennekar Palerover. And right after, you immediately went over to the podium where Tanya Rothstaylor was speaking to defend and take her side. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I will say it outright. Your explanation feels rather contrived."
Obel put down the papers, leaning back in his chair.
"To me, it seems like you had been quietly hiding yourself until things had calmed down. Does that sound accurate?"
"How should I answer that? If that's truly your opinion, then the only thing I can tell you is that you are wrong."
"The reason I summoned you for something that could have been dealt with through paperwork was with the intention to put an end to all of this meaningless back and forth."
I'd only been making consistent statements, so even if he did read through such a large pile of documents, the contents of it should have all been similar.
I was stabbed by Kadek and Nox before falling off the cliff, barely surviving by drifting away. Those were all the facts that I stated.
"I don't know the reasoning behind the internal strife of aristocratic families. Especially within House Rothstaylor. When such things happen, terrible incidents such as getting stabbed to death or the disappearance of an individual will often take place. It's an unfortunate truth, but either way, from my point of view there's no way for me to know what's truly taking place behind the scenes—or how to deal with it. That's why I don't have the desire to delve any deeper into this matter."
"However, in this case the issue is that it took place on campus. And since I am the person in charge of this school, at the bare minimum I need to accurately make a statement about the circumstances of what took place and report it to the imperial family."
"What you're saying makes sense."
"However, looking at what you did and inferring what had happened… It seems that you had wanted to remain as 'dead' on the outside… Well, even so, a few months from now, your rumors will spread from Acken Island all the way to distant lands."
He was definitely someone that had not been the headmaster for only a few days. Usually, for someone like him—who has been holding such a position for several decades—there were going to be a few snakes wriggling around inside him.
Without that kind of ability and insight, he wouldn't be able to survive.
"From my point of view, the correct decision would be to announce your survival to the entire world. The basic report of your death has already been reported to the imperial family, but we could just correct and re-report all of that."
"That is true. Even for Silvenia, a land of learning, it would still be a good idea to act as a proper example of a subject to the empire. Strictly observing their duty to report all related information to the imperial family."
"There's a much simpler reason than that. It's about us evading responsibility for this incident. It's a bit frank to say it as such, but I won't beat around the bush."
If a report were made to the imperial family, the news would be delivered to Krepin right away. After all, he held an important seat within the imperial family. From my point of view, that wouldn't be a good thing.
"Kadek and Nox, who were charged with your assassination, have escaped from Acken Island. It smells as if someone working beneath the surface has gotten involved, but I won't delve into it. The problem is that the school itself will ultimately have to take the blame for it."
"..."
"Even though you were excommunicated, a former aristocrat had still been assassinated within our school. And his younger sister was labeled as the culprit, while the criminals themselves managed to escape with the help of some outside force. But now, as things have turned out, as long as we reveal the fact that you're still alive the school would no longer be forced to take such responsibility. So, it's only natural for us to want to make it clear that there weren't any casualties."
In the end, once you reached a high position there was no choice but to react sensitively when it comes to taking responsibility,
Even Obel, who was said to have risen to the ranks of an archmage, was still a part of a bureaucratic society. Unable to avoid the weight of responsibility.
If a corrected report were made to the imperial family, the news would reach Krepin at a much faster rate than a mere rumor would.
That was because Krepin also served as one of the closest aides to the Emperor Kroel. Nearly every piece of news that came to the imperial family also reaches his ears.
"That is why I have called you one last time."
Obel's speech seemed all over the place, but in truth it was rather straightforward.
We were going to put everything aside and discuss it one final time.
Summing up all of what he said, he dropped it on me rather bluntly.
He would report my survival to the imperial family. In doing so, from the school's perspective, the responsibility on their part will be reduced.
But looking at what I said in the investigations, it seemed to him like I wanted to be recognized as a 'dead person' for the time being. That way, I would be safe for at least a few months.
But from the school's perspective, doing so would be difficult. That was why he wanted to make the report. And now he wanted to know what I thought.
He called upon me to read my intentions, understand my stance, and finally ask my opinion.
He was able to grasp all that by merely reading the reports given to him. He had a much deeper understanding of the situation than the other academic staff members.
Asking about why my family's internal strife had come all the way to the school, resulting in an excommunicated child like me to be attacked… he didn't bother with such questions. In the first place, there were already so many other different issues taking place behind the scenes in the school. He understood that fact well.
"If the goal is to finish things as quietly as possible, it might be better to defer the report of my survival."
I spoke my part coherently.
"As you might have guessed… my father, Krepin Rothstaylor, the head of House Rothstaylor and one who holds great power within the imperial family, was the one who instigated my death."
"As I told you, I have no intention of delving into the internal affairs of your family."
"What I want to say is… if my survival is made public, many other assassination attempts will be repeated. If it's something he wants, he will do whatever he can to make sure it happens… In the end, through whatever means necessary, he will accomplish his task."
In the long run, it would only increase the number of cases the school would have to deal with.
Ultimately, the only choice I had was to align my position with the school's as much as possible.
"And there won't be any issues with putting off the report of my survival until a later date. There are many excuses available to use. It took time to certify all the facts, it's taking lots of time to look over and review each and every document, the disappearance of the messenger due to bad weather… Well, things like that. If you make excuses as such, you can wait and decide at a later date whether or not you want to report my survival."
"I wonder if there's any reason to take such a risk."
"Rather, I believe this is reducing the risk. You are merely observing the situation."
I continued talking slowly as I tapped the teacup with my finger.
Close your eyes and imagine.
Krepin Rothstaylor, sitting in a royal office, looking over the documents he received.
All sorts of things were reported, but the only thing that caught his eye was… the most important piece of information. The confirmation of Ed Rothstaylor's death.
"House Rothstaylor holds a key position with the imperial family… Surprisingly, this incident won't be taken too seriously. In fact, if it's covered up no one would even bat an eye."
"..."
"Of course, the decision is ultimately up to you, Headmaster Obel. You can always make a report of my survival later on if necessary. So, is there truly any risk to it?"
After saying all of that, I closed my mouth. I was giving Headmaster Obel time to think things over.
Headmaster Obel continued to sit silently for a while… before he suddenly smirked and started to smile.
"Did you say your name was Ed Rothstaylor?"
"Yes."
"I've heard that your grades have risen sharply, and your evaluation among students has rebounded quite surprisingly."
He was no longer talking about my survival. What conclusion did he come to?
"Looking at the fact your evaluation among the top students within our school is quite good, you are definitely a son of the prestigious House Rothstaylor."
"But right now, I have been excommunicated…"
"Regardless of that fact. Also, isn't your younger sister Tanya Rothstaylor also on a winning streak these days? In fact, isn't it already safe to say that she will be the next student council president? As I always say, Silvenia is always on the side of the students. And if they're an exemplary student, that is even more the case."
It was a meaningful statement, but I didn't ask about the implications of it.
However, it felt as if I was being subtly recognized by Obel.
"I'll see you again. Any student with talent is always welcome here. I'll remember your name."
***
While I was being interrogated by the school, most of my time was spent here in the education district. Because of that, I hardly had any time to go back to my precious camp.
Now that most of the interrogations had been completed, the election would be finalized two days after the voting.
The first thing I wanted to do was fix my camp back up to its normal condition, as it had been neglected for quite some time. I wanted to quickly head back to the North Forest.
After leaving the headmaster's office, I said farewell to the head dean. Once I was told I could leave, I went down to the first floor of Trix Hall.
Trix Hall, which could be considered the center of academic administration, was always busy.
Then, the moment I tried to leave the crowd to head back to the main street of the education district—
"I was waiting for you. I was surprised to hear that the headmaster had personally called on you, older brother."
Should I say that she felt like a completely different person now? Tanya Rothstaylor, who felt even more aloof than usual, was sitting on a wooden bench in front of Trix Hall.
Fluffy blonde hair with elegant eyes.
She was neatly dressed in her school uniform and a cloak that was embroiled with beautiful golden frames. Apparently, she had been spending a lot of her time outdoors.
It went without saying, but right now her schedule should be completely full. It must have been rather inconvenient for her to come all the way here just to wait for me.
That was because Tanya's stocks had soared rather high within the past few weeks. Now that she had gained enough authority to be called the next student council president, it wasn't surprising that she had a lot of followers.
What was funny was that Kylie Eckner was the first of her followers to come back and follow her… but knowing that girl's true identity, I couldn't help but laugh…
And after constantly hearing Merilda complain about the girl, I couldn't help but remember her.
"I heard news of the election, it seems your victory is almost certain. Congratulations. The day where you can finally see the light has come."
"I can't get complacent yet."
It was rare to see Tanya smiling so brightly and innocently like she is now. She was in a position where she had to value her dignity wherever and whenever. And now that she was going to become the student council president, that was even more the case.
The situation taking place before the election seemed to have gone as expected.
In the end, three major factors played a large role in Tanya's victory.
First off, her innocence was proven.
Without succumbing to adversity, she constantly spoke of her innocence until the very end. She even continued to try and act proudly, as much as she could, in front of the public audience that loudly booed her.
There seemed to be quite a few people that were influenced by that. And it seemed that she had also received quite a few apologies from those that booed her, calling her a murderer.
Secondly, many of the top students in each grade declared their support for Tanya.
Between all four grades and all three departments, there were a total of twelve top students.
Among them, Wade, Joseph, Clevius, Elvira, Yennekar, Atalanta, and Dorothy all openly supported her. The support of the top students in each grade had much significance, as it considerably influenced the students in their departments as well.
Such a push of support had a great influence on her taking the lead.
Finally, the downfall of Lortel, who had been supported heavily at the start of the election, was the final push.
Should I say that was all the result of Lortel, who had grown up in a world of business and politics?
Lortel drove the political battle to the point where the election was only between her and Tanya in the end.
She always mentioned Tanya's name in public, and was openly conscious of Tanya as a rival… She made everyone that was paying attention to the election turn their focus to the battle between herself and Lortel.
After doing so, she resigned in a disgraceful manner by launching a scandal in regard to the embezzlement of company funds as well as the tyranny of business partners. All sorts of accusations and attacks were directed at her, yet when she stepped down from the podium I definitely saw her smirking.
As soon as Lortel left the spotlight, Tanya became the center of attention. The other small candidates didn't even have the chance to step in. And Tanya, who also had the official support of the princess, completely dominated the public sentiment.
As a result, two days before the voting… everywhere within the school, only Tanya's supporters remained.
Student council president, Tanya Rothstaylor. At that point, her title was pretty much decided.
"Since I'm busy with the election and you've been being interrogated, we haven't had much time to talk, right?"
"Still, is it alright for you to wait for me here during such an important time? We can talk again once the election is finished."
"But I think I'll become a lot busier after I become the student council president."
Looking at the bright smile on her face, I couldn't see the gloomy expression that was there before.
To me, who had only seen her as 'The lesser of two evils, the esteemed daughter' it was quite refreshing to see her like that. Her graceful and young appearance left quite the impression on me.
"I think there will be many opportunities to talk, but I think it's absolutely necessary that I tell you this."
"You've already said that so much that I'm sick of hearing it now."
During the declaration of candidacy… The image of her burying her face in her hands as she burst into tears was still vivid in my mind.
Maybe Tanya herself had also remembered that moment, as she suddenly started to blush, shaking her head.
"N-Never mind… And… Actually… I've finally been able to organize my thoughts. And since all of the relatively important work I need to do is nearly finished, I thought it was about time that I talked to you… I can't pretend like I don't know forever."
"Organized?"
"The one behind your murder…"
That's right.
Tanya… there was no way she didn't think about it.
If it wasn't her that wanted me dead, then who was it? It was obvious that within the family, there was only one person that could exert such influence over Kadek and Nox.
"Was it… Father…?"
I didn't bother to answer aloud.
Tanya was a girl that longed for the glory of House Rothstaylor more than anyone, and lived her entire life with Father as her role model.
Now that the situation had become like this, it was impossible for her to continue living without knowing the truth.
As I nodded, Tanya lowered her head.
After all, I needed to briefly explain to her the circumstances as to why I had no choice but to hide all that time.
Especially since she was someone that had direct contact with House Rothstaylor.
And to do that… I had no choice but to talk about Krepin's true identity.
"While staying at the royal residence, I talked a lot with Princess Penia. Especially about you, older brother."
However, it was Tanya who changed the topic.
"You talked about me?"
"Yes. Princess Penia… said that it looked as if you were deliberately trying to get out of our House."
"..."
"At first, I wondered what in the world she meant by that. Now, however, I'm starting to understand. Because… I feel like you were only able to find your true self after coming to Silvenia."
As I sat on the bench, I scratched my chin. Tanya's story wasn't worth listening to anymore.
"So, I just wanted to ask you. Maybe… the reason behind you trying to get out of our House by whatever means necessary… Was it related to that 'drawer'…?"
"…Drawer…?"
"The drawer… the one in your room that you never let me get close to or open. At some point, you even locked it with a key. Even now, back at the Rothstaylor Mansion, it should still be there…"
From that point, it was completely unknown territory.
In
The history of his past wasn't explained in any depth and it wasn't something one would consider very important.
So, there wasn't much I could say to that.
"Well… I don't remember."
That was all I could respond with.
Tanya looked at me for a moment before letting out a sigh. Seeing her act so calmly, I could tell that over that short amount of time she had grown.
"Wouldn't it be better to talk about what to do next rather than my depressing past? Tanya, now that you are the student council president… All that's left for you to do is enter the light."
"I'm not sure. When I think about taking office, I feel like there are still other things for me to deal with instead right now…"
Either way, Tanya survived.
Not for the prestige of the Rothstaylor name, but she took the seat of the student council president entirely for herself. There was no guarantee that the road ahead of her would be smooth, but at the very least I could give her my support.
"But still, I have a question… I thought it would be stupid to ask, so I tried to bear with it but… I can't hold it in much longer. So can I ask you about it?"
"What is it?"
"Uhm… The reason you took my side when I declared my candidacy…"
Tanya seemed embarrassed to ask such a question with her own mouth, as she blushed and glanced away from me. It was an odd question.
"If you had to keep hiding… then there shouldn't have been a reason to show yourself. It's like… you couldn't stand seeing the injustice I was going through… or something like that… Was that the case…?"
"You're right. That's what happened."
Tanya lowered her shoulders. She had overreacted.
"We're family."
"..."
"I should always be on your side."
At those words, Tanya gently closed her eyes, then smiled.
"The person that stood by my side during the biggest crisis I will ever face in my life. A connection that I will keep with me for the remainder of my life. It's a phrase I saw in a social studies textbook… It wasn't a great book, yet that phrase still stuck in my memory."
"..."
"Well, I'm the student council president now. It's probably not a great attitude to have, as I'll be taking on a lot of public work… But still it's fine to be a little biased, right? After all, I'm only human."
Tanya grinned as she stood up from the bench and turned around, still talking.
"Tell me when you're in a crisis. I will do anything I can to help you, too."
Her wide smile was far from the villainous person she used to be… I couldn't help but smile back at her.
***
"It's nice to have a family."
"…How long have you been there?"
"Since you started talking about strange things with Tanya."
There was still a lot left to do before the election.
Yet despite that, Tanya had made the time to see me. Because of that, she ended up also having to leave in a hurry.
It was only after she completely disappeared from my view that the girl sitting on the opposite bench stood up and walked my way.
On the other side of the bench that I was sitting on, a girl smiled like a fox with her hands behind her back… The deputy representative of the Elte Company, the fallen student council president candidate.
As I covered my face and let out a sigh, Lortel let out a happy laugh.
"Well, it's better to live a life only hearing the things you want to hear. It's quite a skill to pretend to not know anything when there's something you don't want to reveal."
I helped Tanya… That's right. Compared to the fated ordeal that Tanya was supposed to face, she was going through all too much.
In other words, it was all due to a feeling of sympathy… and being the only person in the vast world that I shared the same blood with. Family wasn't something that came along so easily, so when your only sibling in the entire world showed up, it was hard to let them go.
However, human behavior wasn't always driven by emotion. When I spoke with Tanya, I told her I only acted because she was family, but… If I were to say I didn't also take into account her 'value'… that would be a lie.
Tanya was a girl that lived her entire life admiring the glory of the Rothstaylors. Krepin knew that fact, too.
She was a girl with her whole life attached to House Rothstaylor. Considering her value as an insider, it was indescribable just how valuable she was.
Student council president and an insider of House Rothstaylor. She even had a direct line of connection to the house. That meant she had a great influence when it comes to controlling information going in and out of the house.
The benefits of our special relationship… I did think that I was over-calculating every little aspect of it, but I couldn't help it.
The confusing part of human relationships… was the fact that they were not made purely off of one emotion.
However, it was always better to only know the good parts of a story.
Only those that already knew about the darkness should know. For example… a girl that had lived a life of calculations ever since she was a small child.
"These days, my notoriety within the school is quite high. Tanya also doesn't seem to like me that much, so I'll just have to leave it all in your hands for the time being, Ed."
"You seem to have a bad habit of getting on the bad side of everyone around you, Lortel."
"Oh, that's just an occupational hazard. And when I get to work, I go all out you know."
"…The rumors about you are quite brutal these days. Are you alright?"
"Rumors don't affect my money, so what do you think?"
Laughing with a bright expression, Lortel leaned her back on the bench, looking up at the sky.
"Well, I am a villain. As long as I don't turn you into an enemy, then everything is fine."
The smile on her face was the same as ever. However, it couldn't have been easy.
***
Thus, the school entered a new phase.
Student council president Tanya Rothstaylor took her seat on the student council.
Princess Penia, who didn't want to take the position as president, looked up at the sky from her royal residence. No one knew what direction she would take in the future.
It all depended on the will of the heavens. How would the conflict between the imperial house and House Rothstaylor turn out?
How would the remaining three acts unfold…? All I could do was wait and see.
"It's been a while since I've been here… It's really quite special."
It had been quite some time since I'd been to the cabin in my camp, but it really was the same as always.
I really missed my camp, which now felt like my own home.
First off, it seemed the inside of my cabin was a mess, so I needed to clean that up. The campfire also needed to be cleaned up again before everything could go back to normal.
But before that…. I wanted to rest.
Creak.
As I entered the dusty cabin, the familiar smell of grass sat heavily on my chest.
Should I rest for a bit? With that thought in mind, I took off my coat and put it on the wooden desk, grabbing a blanket.
"Zzzzz… Pheww…"
"..."
Lucy, who was breathing deeply while sleeping, was already laying on my bed.
As if it were some type of treasure, she hugged the pillow I used to sleep on tightly, sleeping soundly—as if everything in the world was great. It looked as if she came back to her hometown after a few decades.
Seeing her like that, I couldn't hold back my smile.
I then threw the blanket aside, then laid down in the reclining wooden chair.
I took out a book on elemental studies from my desk, flipping through it, before putting it on my face and falling asleep.
For a while, the cabin was only filled with the sound of me and Lucy breathing.
I had finally returned to my camp. And the first thing I decided to do was get drunk off of that feeling.
Three days later, the news of Tanya's victory as student council president was announced.