[641] A Dead End (1)
Neid opened his eyes in Rize's bed and frowned as the hangover from last night rolled in.
'Rize senpai…'
He turned his head through the hazy, dreamlike memory and saw Rize asleep, only her face poking out from under the blanket.
'I should've paced myself with the drinking.'
You should remember it clearly, shouldn't you!
"Hmm."
Noticing clothes strewn under the bed, Neid blinked blearily and slowly lifted the blanket.
"Stop. Put it back."
When the half-lifted blanket slid back into place, Rize smiled and stretched.
"You little rascal. Sleep well?"
"Hehe, I thought you might be cold, so I covered you. Get up. We should go eat breakfast."
"Ugh, I can't eat. I must've drunk too much yesterday."
Rize squirmed under the covers, crawled up to Neid, pressed her lips to his stomach, and made a little popping sound.
"Wahaha! That tickles!"
"Let's stay a little longer, okay?"
Neid's smile gradually faded as he looked at Rize with affection.
"Rize."
"Mm?"
"Won't you regret it?"
At Neid's serious question, Rize's expression shifted and she sat bolt upright, wrapping herself in the blanket.
"Why would you say that? Would you regret it?"
"I'm not going to become a mage. I don't have any savings. There'll be a lot of hard times ahead; I don't know if I can really make you happy…"
Realization dawned on Rize and she laughed with relief.
"You're not the one who's going to make me happy. We'll build happiness together."
Neid had lived his whole life under the weight of duty; he didn't even know what happiness meant.
"Let's swim together. I'll work hard too."
"Neid…"
When Neid looked at her with eyes full of feeling, Rize smiled shyly and answered.
"But are you really okay with it? If you graduated second at the Magic Academy, your future as a mage wouldn't be bad."
Neid shook his head.
"This is as far as I can go. Iruki knows that too—that's why he decided to enter Yongroe. If I'm satisfied, I can't climb any higher."
"Is that so? If you won't regret it, then it's fine."
"Of course I want to be the best. But I'll never be the best through magic alone. You can see that with Shirone."
"True, that kid definitely has a different feel."
"Right. It's a subtle difference, but almost no one can imprint that feeling. It's that kind of realm. Unless you're on Shirone's level, you don't even dare to compete. The fiercest competition."
It was a contest of how much difference one could make among those who had reached the same plane.
"A pyramid of competition built on human blood and flesh. I came down from there. To walk a new path with you."
"Thank you, Neid."
Neid held Rize and looked toward the window where bright sunlight poured in, quietly cheering on his friend's future.
'Good luck, Shirone.'
* * *
Tormia Kingdom Magic Association.
"This is infuriating."
Lupist slammed his hand on the desk after returning from the special trial; the wood split with an axe-like crack.
"So it was enforced in the end?"
Jane, the chief secretary, didn't look pleased either.
"It was unanimous. Shirone cannot graduate. Criminals are stripped of the right to use public institutions."
"Criminals, huh. On what grounds?"
"What else but insulting the royal family."
"Shirone… insulted the royal family?"
The file Lupist tossed clattered beneath the broken desk, though reading it wasn't necessary.
"She's committed no fewer than twenty-three offenses. We charged everything we could—omitting honorifics, belittling the royal family, sexual harassment, assault—everything applicable."
"But that's the issue Pony accepted when she enrolled at the Magic Academy, isn't it? By that logic, other students also wronged Pony."
"The standard is vague. If the injured party felt shame from Shirone alone, that's enough. Being a commoner matters a lot."
"She didn't seem like that sort of person."
"Of course not. This is a picture politicians painted in their heads."
"...So it's to break Shirone in."
"Exactly. They don't truly plan to let him graduate. The global scouts' average trade value for Shirone is about 2.25 billion gold. There are even rumors the Jincheon Empire prepared 30 billion gold, separate from research."
Given Jincheon's recent aggressive moves in the mage community, it wasn't impossible.
"If Shirone is released on a free contract, the kingdom couldn't handle it. So they'll block graduation entirely. They're using the rule that those without graduation qualifications aren't listed on the Red Line."
"That's a risky strategy. Shirone isn't limited to choosing only the Red Line, right?"
"If he picks the Black Line, his family, friends—everyone connected to him—suffers. The White Line hasn't taken on new members for nearly four years. Even if someone considered it, who would be foolish enough to reject the kingdom's offer expecting to be world number one later?"
Shirone had set incredible records, but Tormia was, on the world stage, just one country.
"We're completely boxed in."
"We're pushing it because the upper echelons think it's solid. They'll demand a terrible contract in exchange for removing the charge of insulting the royal family. Maybe about a hundred million; the rest slips into politicians' pockets."
"That's bitter."
"As a mage, I don't like it either. But this way, the chance of another country snatching him is almost nil. Whatever terms we get, strengthening the Association's ranks benefits us. The negotiation team has probably already departed."
"Do you think Shirone will accept meekly?"
"He just has to grit his teeth and bend once. Then graduation—and his future as a mage—will be secure."
"Under the Tormia Kingdom's system, that is."
Lupist understood why Jane worried.
"He's smart. All we can do is hope he makes the wise choice…."
* * *
Back at the school, Neid found the upper-class students gathered around the central bulletin board.
"What's going on? Did something happen?"
Pushing through the crowd to read the notice, his eyes trembled and his body turned on instinct.
"Shirone! Where's Shirone?"
He opened the dormitory door to find Shirone sitting alone on his bed, Iruki and Amy at his side.
"What happened? Insulting the royal family?"
Shirone raised a tired hand.
"Come in. Did you have fun with Rize-senpai?"
"That's not the point! What do you mean canceling graduation?"
Iruki demanded.
"Don't fuss. We already handled everything while you were gone."
Neid sat on a chair and pressed him.
"How did this happen all of a sudden?"
"It's the kingdom's ploy. Pony filed the complaint. Ozent's preparing an appeal, but it won't fly. It's a special trial by royal decree."
A cold edge crept into Neid's eyes.
"Where's Pony? I'll go see her."
Amy said.
"In the girls' dorm. But it's already under lockdown. Mages from the Association's Creas branch are guarding it like a fortress. We almost got dragged off trying to force entry."
"Being dragged off is the problem! Shirone's skill should let him get in unnoticed!"
Shirone gave a bitter laugh.
"She didn't lead this. She's not that sort of person. The family must have ordered it. Iruki thinks it's a tactic to drive the contract terms down. So I planned to wait and see for now."
"No—this is the time to beg her to withdraw! We have friends in two top noble houses."
"It's a royal decree. noble titles won't help."
"Teraje! He knows you a little, right? If the Empire steps in, even the royal family can't touch you!"
Iruki shook his head again.
"This is an internal kingdom matter. If Kashan meddles, Gustaf and Jincheon will use it as an excuse to move. Do you get it? We're not students anymore. This is a real battlefield."
"Real or not, it's unjust!"
"Don't get worked up—think rationally. If the kingdom marks you, you won't be able to work in this country. If things get messier, Rize could be hurt too. Is that what you want?"
When he thought of it that way, his heart dropped and the enormous reality finally crashed in.
"My guess is they'll demand a secret side contract in exchange for graduation. They'll hold the family as collateral. The best we can do is raise the contract terms as much as possible. You don't really mind staying in Tormia, right?"
"Stay here? While they treat you like this?"
Shirone took Amy's hand and said softly.
"I don't want to leave Amy. After all, it's becoming a mage. I could even get a job at the Magic Association."
He couldn't let all the happiness—especially the memory of their first kiss still vivid—be ruined now.
"Ah, damn it! This makes me want to smash something!"
While Neid fumed, Shirone and Amy only exchanged apologetic looks.
To defy the palace was to accept that they might never be together, so neither dared speak first for fear of hurting the other.
'Yes, even if it's a bit unfair, it's fine. As long as I'm with Amy….'
There will be far more happy days than sad ones.
Someone pounded on the door.
"Arian Shirone! By royal decree! Welcome the Administrative Enforcement Officer from the Royal Magic Department!"
"I'll come out."
Mentally braced, Shirone walked to the door and glanced back at his friends.
"I'll see you later. When we negotiate, I'll want your advice."
The entire student body had already gathered in the central square, and a gilded carriage stood under guard.
Beside Ryman, the Administrative Enforcement Officer of the Royal Magic Department, Pony stood pale with her head bowed.
'She's wasted away.'
The bright intelligence that had been in her eyes was gone; her gaze was hollow, as if her soul had been drained.
Pony had resisted the palace's decision with everything she could, but she was still only a member of a royal house.
'I am a puppet. A puppet of bloodline.'
Pony's lips trembled, but Ryman read the decree in a loud, sharp voice without pause.
"Royal Decree No. 2467! The graduation exam results of Arian Shirone, who has committed the grave crime of insulting the royal family, are hereby nullified!"
Even as the many charges were recited, Shirone listened calmly.
"But!"
As Iruki had expected, there was a twist.
"Her Royal Pony, in her benevolence, has decided to treat this as the foolish mistake of a lowborn person, so kneel and apologize here and now!"
Ryman folded the decree and jabbed a finger.
"Kneel and beg pardon, you wretch! Touch your forehead to the ground and prostrate yourself!"
It was the state's intention to break him from the start, and Pony, reduced to a puppet, wished she could die.
'What am I…?'
She felt that being stripped naked would be less humiliating than this, and when Shirone's knees began to bend she grew dizzy.
'Huh, surprisingly compliant. So the judgment is already decided. One hundred million is too steep—start at eighty million.'
If they saved twenty million, maybe five hundred thousand could be spared, and she could add that to her daughter's study abroad fund.
'I hate this. I hate this kind of thing.'
Watching Shirone's hand go down to touch the ground, Amy bit her lip hard.
'Because of me, because of me…'
She wanted to stop him right then, but she could not bring herself to speak—Shirone wanted her as much as she wanted him.
"Noble royal."
Contrary to the opening address, Shirone thought for a long moment, then slowly straightened and turned his head toward the students.
"I'm sorry, Amy. I…."
Amy burst into tears and nodded over and over.
"Okay. Do it, Shirone."
Only her consent mattered. Shirone stared Ryman down and spoke.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot obey that order. I have done nothing wrong to Pony."
Ryman's eyes widened in astonishment.
"What—what is this?"
Pony, unable to bear the shame, began to sob, and Iruki muttered with a bitter smile.
"In the end, he went and did it."