Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: 6. External Enemies and Allies
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"No, that's not what's important. I came because I have something to talk about."
"Something to talk about? What is it?"
Realizing she had some important business after all, Lunarin handed the A-Rank Healing Potion back to Edin and spoke up.
"Edin, there are some bad rumors going around about you. You know... stuff like you're targeting female students and getting close to them."
"What? Female students... what?"
Edin blinked in confusion at Lunarin's words, asking her to repeat herself.
It was absurd.
Targeting female students all of a sudden?
Of course, Edin had no such memory, so he nearly dismissed it as ridiculous nonsense.
But then he suddenly remembered yesterday's events.
'Ah, don't tell me those guys...'
Octo, Ens, and Tom.
The three who had snapped at Riley not to cling to her.
Judging by the shameless content of the rumors about him targeting female students, it had to be their doing.
He thought to himself.
'They're acting so childish. Guess they're still young.'
But this wasn't something he could just let slide easily.
Normally, such an obvious lie would be exposed right away.
However, considering there were no witnesses present at the time, if those three stuck to a consistent story, it might put Edin in a bit of a bind.
He could probably resolve it with help from Lunarin or Mureos, but those two were the ones who had recommended him and placed him there in the first place.
Even if he proved his innocence, they might suspect it was all fabricated.
'What a hassle.'
As he was thinking that...
"Those three already made their move, huh."
"...?"
Saella smirked beside him, as if she had seen it coming all along.
"I prepared for this, Edin. No worries."
With that, she pulled out a crystal orb.
'A communication crystal?'
No, it was a bit different.
This was...
"It's a recording crystal."
Saella nodded at Lunarin's words.
"Hehe, everything you need is right here, so don't worry. If anyone claims it's fake, we can have the mages outside verify it—no tampering."
When she played the recording crystal, it captured the three male students' conversation perfectly.
"...You were there, weren't you, Instructor Saella?"
Saella flinched!
At Edin's question, her body stiffened.
She couldn't admit—even on pain of death—that she'd been there to catch him in the act of being a fraud.
Nor that she'd brought the recording crystal for exactly that reason.
"A-Anyway, use this to prove your innocence and send those arrogant brats straight to hell!"
"...Yeah, alright."
Edin eyed Saella suspiciously for a moment.
But thinking back, even in the underground workshop where he'd first spotted her, she'd been surveilling him and fell from thin air.
It wasn't too strange to assume she'd been watching him then too.
...Though spying on him in secret was pretty weird in the first place.
In any case, directly claiming he'd made the recording himself might raise issues.
So Saella decided to step up openly.
"I don't mind getting disciplined for secretly recording students' conversations. I was planning to quit teaching anyway."
She even declared she'd become his 24/7 bodyguard.
Edin pointed out he couldn't pay her like he'd hire a former S-Rank Adventurer.
"Money? I don't need that. Your very existence is the greatest reward for me."
"......"
At this point, Edin wondered if she was just messing with him.
Meanwhile, as the rumors spread further...
Saella posted the recording on the large bulletin board in the academy's central square, visible to all students and staff.
The magic bulletin board could even play video or audio captured by crystals.
As a result, every student and staff member passing through the central square learned the full extent of Octo, Ens, and Tom's conspiracy.
Regarding the baseless rumors about Mr. Edin, the new owner of the sundries shop:
This nonsense was spread by the three male students featured in the recording. They will face severe disciplinary action for damaging Mr. Edin's reputation and causing a disturbance to the entire Adventurer Academy.
Thank you.
The notice, along with authentication from Instructor Saella—who was hugely popular with students, especially the girls...
Plus testimonies from Board Chair Mureos, Instructor Lunarin, and others affirming Edin wasn't the type...
Public opinion flipped completely.
"Sh, shit..."
"We're screwed, aren't we?"
"What the hell? A recording out of nowhere?!"
Octo, Ens, and Tom were paralyzed by the reversed public opinion and fear of the heavy punishment heading their way.
Even though it was unmistakably their conversation, they started lying that the evidence was fabricated.
"But students, we've had external mages examine it. No tampering in the recording crystal. Everything is factual."
The disciplinary committee convened to punish them had already verified even the possibility of evidence tampering.
Saella had proposed it, and Mureos had fast-tracked approval with direct orders.
"N-No! It's fake! All of it, damn it—it's fake!"
"W-We’re commoners! Nobles bringing their power into the Adventurer Academy to oppress us!"
"Discrimination! This is discrimination! Commoner discrimination!"
When nothing else worked, they devolved into cries of commoner discrimination and noble oppression.
They were dragged out spouting nonsense.
"Expel them."
"Agreed."
And so the trio was processed for causing a major disturbance at the academy...
For seriously insulting a staff member...
For impersonating the academy and dragging its name through the mud...
And finally, showing no remorse whatsoever while insisting they did nothing wrong.
Based on all that, they were immediately expelled.
"Wow, what trash."
"I heard from the Intermediate Class 3 kids that those guys were the ones targeting that girl."
"And they framed the sundries shop owner? Disgusting."
The incident dominated student conversations.
They'd initially been swept up in the rumors, badmouthing Edin.
But once the truth came out, they turned on the expelled trio instead.
Naturally, talk of Edin spread academy-wide.
It firmly etched the name 'Edin' into the minds of most students, who hadn't even known the sundries shop had a new owner.
"Wanna check it out? See the new guy."
"Nah, whatever. We'll go next time we need something from the shop."
Curiosity about him grew, leading to a sudden rush of customers at the sundries shop.
It was a hectic time.
"Whoa, that's Edin?"
"He's way younger than I thought."
"Yeah. Doesn't look that strong, though."
"Well, he's an alchemist."
The shop swarmed with students.
Of course, since actual buyers of potions and supplies were few, it was mainly a nuisance for Intermediate Class 1 freshmen heading out for practical training.
They needed to buy stuff right away but couldn't get in past the gawkers.
"......"
Amid the crowd of students...
A girl with jet-black hair fidgeted restlessly.
'Mr. Edin... you're in trouble because of me.'
She was none other than Riley Gabriel, one of the rumor mill's central figures.
Worried that he'd suffered because of weird rumors involving her—and still dealing with hassle now—she'd come back.
But with the massive crowd, there was nothing she could do.
She just squeezed through the students, waiting her turn to get inside and see Edin again.
As she waited...
"What's this? Why's it so damn noisy?"
A irritated voice came from somewhere.
She turned instinctively and saw...
"Friggin' packed."
A man with dark red, bushy hair scowled, clearly displeased.
"Whoa! It's Claude!"
"What? Hero Claude?!"
His identity was a celebrity hugely popular with aspiring adventurers these days.
Hero Claude.
He flaunted himself shamelessly, so in Preta at least, pretty much everyone knew him.
All the students here recognized his face.
"Whoa! Mr. Claude!"
"I-I'm a fan! Sign this, please!"
Claude's expression softened at the swarm of fans—he seemed to like it.
"Haha! Sure, grab some paper! I'll sign 'em special."
He even forgot his original goal of meeting Edin, happily signing away.
Thanks to that, the crowd thinned a bit, and Riley finally squeezed into the sundries shop.
There, she finally met Edin.
"M-Mr. Edin!"
"Oh, Riley."
Spotting each other, Riley and Edin exchanged light greetings.
A hot-topic figure like Edin personally greeting a female student—it could've drawn interest.
But...
"Hey! Hero Claude's outside!"
"What?! That Claude?!"
The news of Claude sent everyone rushing out—no one paid them any mind.
"Claude, huh..."
Even Edin got distracted by the mention of Claude.
Not in a good way, though.
His expression soured uncomfortably.
Like spotting someone you really didn't want to see, who went out of their way to find you?
He turned to Riley and said,
"Riley, looks like you have something to discuss, but can it wait? I'm gonna be busy right now."
"Huh?"
Claude showing up meant trouble was brewing.
To keep Riley and others out of it, Edin asked them to hang back and stepped outside the shop.
Of course...
"Claude? The hero from the party Mr. Edin used to be in? I'm coming too."
Saella insisted on tagging along, ignoring protests, so Edin let her.