Karma (2)
"No matter how many people she may have killed, Yuna is my friend. Whenever I was in danger, she was always the one who came to my aid. If I can't even stand up for a friend, how could I ever hold my head high?"
Olga Hermod looked surprised by my resolute reply.
"Is that so?"
Her staff flared with light.
Ah. So this is how I die.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself for the end.
"If even the selfish Student Yohan goes that far to defend her, then I suppose that must be the truth."
"Excuse me...?"
Yet Olga spoke casually, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred at all.
The light had merely undone Yuna's bindings. The unconscious girl lying on the floor now looked noticeably more at ease.
Was she testing me? Or did she want reassurance about Yuna's character through my reaction?
"Take her with you. I have already prepared a student identification card, so tell her to walk with her head held high from now on, instead of sneaking around like a stray cat."
With those words, Olga tossed an object in my direction. It was an identification card bearing Yuna's name.
"...Is this really all right?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Am I not an educator? Even if I cannot guarantee she will be guided onto the right path, I certainly shouldn't bar the doorway, should I?"
Olga gave a faint smirk before taking her seat behind the desk once more.
"I have seen far too many terrible things. Children killing their parents out of starvation, or parents murdering their own children were common enough sights. That is why."
She was a mage who had lived through the horrors of war.
I knew she was a woman of high moral character, but I never imagined she was like this. To let someone like Yuna—who was practically a walking hazard—go free without any strict measures or sanctions...
In fact, seeing that she had already prepared a student ID, she might have intended to take Yuna into the Cradle from the very beginning.
"That is why I chose to take this position: not because I coveted this petty authority, but simply to prevent others from turning out like me."
I had underestimated Olga Hermod. She respected and cared for her students far more deeply than I had assumed.
Yuna was a danger. That was why she captured her.
Yet Olga also harbored the intention to rehabilitate her. Hearing my defense must have been what finally cemented her resolve.
"...Thank you."
"I have already spoken to the dormitory supervisor. Inquire with her, and she will assign a room. Be sure to let Student Yuna know once she regains consciousness."
"Understood."
Gathering Yuna into my arms, I stepped out of the Chancellor's office.
Behind me, Olga Hermod sat at her desk, resting her chin in her hand, lost in thought.
Is this truly the right thing to do?
Even though she had made up her mind, the doubt lingered in Olga Hermod's thoughts.
Yuna was dangerous. She was someone who solved the vast majority of her problems through assassination. Of course, the people she killed were scoundrels anyone would agree deserved death—a blade raised on behalf of the weak, cutting down those who abused power and authority to oppress them.
Yet that unbending conviction could easily put everyone around her in peril.
There was a vast chasm between turning a blind eye to her deeds and actually taking her under her wing. As the Chancellor, Olga Hermod's paramount duty was to protect the students of the Cradle.
"If your true identity is ever exposed..."
When that day came, Yuna wouldn't be the only one in danger.
Olga Hermod, who had looked the other way, Yohan Damus, who had vouched for her, and every student who would eventually call her a friend—all of them would be swept into the crosshairs.
Yuna had far too many enemies.
Even now, countless nobles were scouring the continent for her. Among them were those who had lost friends, kin, or lovers to her blade, not to mention scheming opportunists seeking to exploit her lethal prowess for their own ends.
Could Olga truly keep Yuna hidden? Could Yuna truly blend into this peaceful world and mask who she was?
"...In the end, as it has always been, there is no choice but to deceive everyone."
Olga let out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle. As a master of illusion, her entire life had been spent pulling the wool over the eyes of others.
And she already knew the answer.
Olga slid open the drawer of her desk. Inside lay the items confiscated from Yuna, including an assortment of daggers. Reaching into the drawer, she pulled out a single item.
"I suppose I must believe that the day will come when this dream-like illusion becomes reality."
Olga tucked the clown mask into her robes.
Olga Hermod had resolved to show compassion to her students.
However...
"Oh dear... I'm terribly busy right now and simply can't spare the time to keep watch, so Student Yohan, could you explain everything to her instead?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, you're the one who brought her here, aren't you?"
It seemed Olga hadn't extended that same compassion to the faculty's workload.
I had hauled the unconscious Yuna all the way to the dormitory on my back, only for the woman managing the female dormitory to immediately shove the responsibility off onto me with a troubled look.
"Now then, let's see, her name was... Ah, yes. Student Yuna. You and Student Yuna are close, right?"
"Uh... well, yes."
Barely ten minutes ago, I had boldly professed my devotion to friendship in front of Olga Hermod. Normally, I would have caught on instantly and concocted some plausible denial, but a lingering trace of that macho bravado must have still been rattling around inside me.
When asked if we were close, I unconsciously nodded.
"I've been briefed on Student Yuna's circumstances. But think about it: if you woke up in a completely unfamiliar place without a single soul you knew in sight, how would you react?"
"Wouldn't she... just stay put quietly?"
"No, she would not. Student Yohan, even if you find this troublesome, at least offer an excuse that makes sense."
Savage.
"Still, this is the female dormitory, isn't it? Wandering around as I please wouldn't exactly look appropriate."
"Coming from someone who previously kicked down a door and barged straight in, that really carries a lot of weight. And just so you know, the reason I'm so busy right now is that I have to file a requisition for maintenance because someone broke that door."
"..."
She wasn't making this easy.
Her deflecting skills were world-class. Then again, hardly anyone who survived a year in the Cradle had all their screws tightened properly.
"I'm counting on you, Student Yohan. Just in case you run into other students along the way, hang this pass around your neck. Think of it as your lifeline."
"My lifeline?"
"Yes. If an unfortunate misunderstanding occurred, you could very well end up in the afterlife, you know? Kids these days are frightfully violent~"
With that parting cheerful quip, the supervisor smoothly made her exit.
I tried to reach out and stop her, but her speed was absurd. Her physical stats were clearly nothing to scoff at either.
Yuna's room was austere, but considering the move-in had been arranged on a whim, it was practically a blessing. The room was well-maintained.
"Phew..."
First, I laid Yuna down on the bed.
I'd noticed recently that my physical stamina had been improving—though the mental exhaustion remained as suffocating as ever.
"Haaah..."
Sitting down on the floor, I decided to wait for her to come around.
Sitting alone in the stillness, listening only to the steady rhythm of Yuna's breathing, an odd awkwardness crept over me. Seeking to dispel the self-inflicted unease, I pulled a textbook from my bag. I figured I might as well prepare for tomorrow's exams.
I spent some time pretending to read words that refused to register in my brain, until Yuna stirred, tossing and turning as she surfaced from sleep.
"Mmmgh..."
Good grief, why are her sleeping habits so...
Things were bound to get awkward if she stayed tangled like that, so I decided to pull the blanket over her. The moment I reached out to grab the edge of the blanket—
Whoosh!
My vision spun, and suddenly I was staring directly at the ceiling.
And then...
Thud.
The feel of the bedsheets against my back, paired with a soft, yielding warmth pressing down on my thighs.
In a certain sense, sensory experiences didn't get much better than this, but the present circumstances offered zero cause for celebration.
Crack!
Yuna's fist cratered the mattress right beside my neck.
It was a purely mechanical, reflexive movement born of years of ingrained habit. Her thumb pressed firmly against my Adam's apple. A single ounce of pressure from that hand could crush a windpipe or send someone straight to the grave.
Fortunately, before she applied lethal force, Yuna seemed to register reality. She tilted her head, blinking in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Uh... Yuna? Are you awake? Mind taking your hand off me?"
"Hi there!"
She beamed with a silly, goofy grin.
Only then did I let out a breath of relief.
When she had looked down at me in that half-asleep, predatory trance, she had been terrifying—yet breathtakingly gorgeous. Quite a treat for the eyes, but an experience I'd rather never repeat in this lifetime.
"Where is this?"
"Listen carefully, Yuna. I'm going to explain your situation. You probably have a lot of questions, but trust me first and just sit tight, okay?"
"Okay!"
"Good girl. You listen well."
Sometimes Yuna felt like an aloof cat, and other times like an obedient puppy. That unpredictable contrast made her all the harder to pin down.
Fortunately, she listened to the entire story without interruption.
When I finished explaining, she uttered only a single sentence:
"...So, I have a home now."
A bashful smile touched her lips. She didn't ask anything else. Somehow, she seemed to understand why Olga Hermod had made that choice.
"Is it really okay for me to stay here?"
"Who knows? But at the very least, the Chancellor deemed it acceptable."
Still, she seemed weighed down by plenty of thoughts. To someone who had spent her life drifting without roots, suddenly having a place to belong had to evoke overwhelming emotions.
"Anyway, get some rest and think it over at your own pace. Oh, wait, what about your classes? Do you have to attend tomorrow?"
"Hmm, do I?"
"No clue. Just ask the dormitory supervisor later. Since it's exam season, I doubt they'll make you sit in class starting tomorrow."
"Okay!"
"Rest up, then. Take your time figuring out what you want to do."
"...Yeah, I will."
I quietly slipped out of the room so she could think in peace.
It definitely wasn't because I couldn't be bothered to stay longer. Definitely not.
"Hnngh..."
The moment I shut the door to Yuna's room, I stretched my arms overhead.
Well, somehow, another day had reached its end. Disasters erupted every single day without fail, making it a minor miracle that I was still keeping my head above water. Still, the crises of today seemed roughly resolved.
All I could do now was pray that tomorrow would be uneventful.
As I trudged down the quiet hallway...
"Good evening, Sir Yohan."
"..."
The moment I rounded the corner, I bumped into Ariel, who stood waiting silently in a shadowed recess of the corridor. Wait, was 'bumped into' even the right term? She looked as though she had been waiting specifically for me.
"Ah... greetings, Lady Ariel."
I stammered for a split second, struck dumb by the sheer suddenness of her appearance.
A sense of wrongness. Yes, an eerie sense of dissonance. How in the world had she known I would be passing through here?
"What a coincidence, to run into you in a place like this."
"...A coincidence?"
"Yes."
Was she seriously trying to push the coincidence card?
Lobelia's warning from earlier this afternoon flashed through my mind. Be careful of Ariel, she had said. But what exactly was I supposed to be careful about?
Because of that shadow, I couldn't even read her expression. Today, I finally understood the secondary purpose of her oversized witch's hat. She didn't wear a wide-brimmed hat just to conceal her animal ears—it was also perfect for hiding her face.
"Sir Yohan, I have a dilemma weighing on my mind... Would you mind lending an ear?"
"...I'm rather exhausted right now, so I really should be getting back."
"Is that so...? What a shame."
I attempted to casually step past her.
Or at least, I would have, had she not reached out and clung to the hem of my coat.
"S-Still... I just wanted to properly express my gratitude..."
It wasn't inexplicable. Judging by the faint tremor in her voice, she simply seemed bashful. Just in case, I slowly turned around to look at her face beneath the brim.
The cheeks hidden under her oversized witch's hat were flushed a vivid, undeniable crimson.
"Th-The thing is, um... That is, what I was trying to say was... W-Wait just a moment! I'll remember it right away. Goodness, what is wrong with me today...?"
Unfortunately for her, I wasn't some oblivious idiot. Ariel Aether harbored romantic affection for me.
There was nothing strange about it. I never belittled the value of my own actions. I had saved her life, becoming the person who fundamentally altered the trajectory of her existence. Sure, falling for me made total sense. Besides, it wasn't as if my face was an eyesore.
This was well within the realm of expectations. Despite Lobelia's urgent warning, I had already anticipated something like this transpiring.
"Lady Ariel."
Which was why I could handle the situation with relative composure. It wasn't that I disliked Ariel's affections, but if I became entangled with her in earnest, having ten lives wouldn't be enough to survive the fallout.
"I find this a bit overwhelming."
I drew a hard boundary immediately.
"Eh...?"
Ariel's eyes welled up with tears.
The effect was instantaneous.