The Weak (3)
Professor Muniher, having commenced his on-site investigation, retraced the testimonies offered by witnesses and those directly involved.
"There should be one beast near the exam grounds' entrance. Neutralized with several ice wedges."
Just as Charlotte had stated, stepping a short distance away from the entrance revealed the cleanly dispatched demonic beast. The massive rat had crushed the grass and churned up the dark brown soil in its thrashing, making it relatively simple to piece together how the engagement had unfolded.
"He deflected it multiple times. Taking an impact of this scale head-on should have been impossible with Junon's physical strength..."
Which meant he hadn't absorbed the force directly, but rather redirected it with precise parries. Tracing the projected trajectory of the beast's movements confirmed the deflection theory, and several ice wedges—the signature projectile spell of Charlotte's repertoire—were embedded deep into vital points, snuffling out the creature's life cleanly.
There was no other word for it than immaculate.
"And there was one more site, was there not?"
Advancing deeper into the terrain before taking a left turn brought him to the position where Noel and John had made their stand. What had transpired here was considerably more intricate. Two beasts lay cleanly slain in the same manner as the first, alongside four others that had met far messier ends.
Reconstructing the scene from evidence and testimony painted a vivid picture. Only one of the initial pair bore spear puncture marks, suggesting that the deficit in striking power had been supplemented an instant later by Charlotte's spells. Yet the battle hadn't concluded there. Four more beasts had charged in, and here, human blood had soaked into the dirt for the first time.
What followed matched their testimonies down to the smallest detail.
With Charlotte succumbing to a Mana Rampage and turning feral, Junon had sent Noel and John away to find help while sacrificing his own body to pull Charlotte back from the brink. Exactly how he had subdued her remained a mystery, but the indisputable result spoke for itself.
After all, a rampaging Charlotte posed an infinitely greater threat than a pack of rat-type beasts.
What catastrophe would have unfolded had she torn through the testing grounds unchecked, hunting students and tearing into their hearts to devour their mana? An execution order would have been issued for Charlotte. Countless students would have been maimed or killed. Grieving parents would have besieged the academy with pitchforks, and opportunistic factions among the faculty would have pounced on the scandal to purge their rivals.
The mere thought of that cascading nightmare was enough to make a seasoned professor wince.
Yet Junon, an ordinary student from the lowest rung, had single-handedly halted that disastrous chain of events in its tracks. The tranquil resolution they enjoyed today was entirely his doing, bought at the price of becoming the sole student critically injured in the entire Start-of-Semester Evaluation.
"Truly," Muniher murmured, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "A fellow who keeps defying expectations."
Discharge from the hospital came swifter than expected. Part of it owed to my own burning desire to get out as quickly as possible, but the final outcome was entirely unexpected.
"What do you mean, there's no medical bill to pay?"
"Just as I said. The entire balance has already been settled in full."
Having zero coin to my name, I had intended to show my Lebrant Academy student identification and request that the expenses be deferred onto my tuition account for the coming term. Yet she was telling me it was already paid? That made no sense whatsoever. I was dead broke.
"Could... could you check again? Perhaps there's been some mistake."
The hospital receptionist obliged my request, politely verifying the ledger once more.
"The patient's name is Junon, currently enrolled as a third-year at Lebrant Academy, previously assigned to Class 2-E. Is this correct?"
"Yes, that's me."
"The payment is recorded as completed. Room rental, meals, physical therapy fees—virtually every line item has been covered."
The answer remained unchanged. While Lebrant Academy boasted generous student welfare, their policies extended only to partial waivers; they never wiped out a medical ledger completely. While budgetary constraints played a part, the institution's philosophy deliberately left students with small debts to instill accountability, encouraging them to hone their talents and repay society upon entering the workforce as respectable professionals.
By that same token, accidents occurring during official evaluations incurred nominal fees on the grounds of student negligence. Yet not a single bronze coin remained on my tab.
"Is there any way I could know who paid it?"
"I'm afraid hospital privacy regulations forbid disclosing that..."
Her trailing voice told me pushing the matter was useless.
"I see. Thank you for your trouble..."
Who on earth could have footed the bill? Academy regulations strictly prohibited professors from spending personal funds on individual students; at best, they might recommend scholarships or point someone toward part-time work. A patron? Given my notorious reputation as the dead-weight vanguard of Class E, that notion was laughable on its face. Dismissed.
Which meant an acquaintance had intervened on my behalf. Running through the people I knew yielded few candidates.
Sylvia already said it wasn't her. When she had tried to hand me her allowance while apologizing that she couldn't cover the full amount, I had vehemently refused, extracting a firm promise that she wouldn't spend a single copper on my behalf. She wouldn't break that vow.
Did Michel come by to repay what she owed? Utterly impossible. She hadn't met the requirements for early graduation yet, meaning her financial troubles were far from resolved. Coming to settle her debt to me now would be absurdly premature. Besides, I had explicitly told her never to bother returning it so long as our paths didn't cross.
Renias... definitely not. She had deployed straight to the active front lines, missing the Start-of-Semester Evaluation entirely. The idea that she would catch wind of my injury from afar and remotely clear my balance was ridiculous. We weren't even that close.
That left only one person.
"Don't tell me..."
Charlotte.
As the guildmaster of the Eshrelt Merchant Guild, a sum like my hospital fees was mere pocket change to her. By pure process of elimination, no one else remained. But why did it have to be Charlotte of all people?
"Haah..."
A throbbing headache began knocking behind my temples.
"My, Sunbae. Why is it that every time I see you, you look like you're carrying the entire world on your shoulders?"
Why did that melodic voice sound so familiar? Come to think of it, there was one other person who addressed me as Sunbae.
"Is that a hospital receipt? Sunbae, were you hurt?"
I had assumed our paths wouldn't cross again after the End-of-Term Evaluation, but evidently reality had other plans.
Striking, finely sculpted features framed by porcelain skin that seemed luminous enough to reflect the daylight. Radiant silver hair that glowed with a faint, natural brilliance born of near-flawless mana circulation, paired with striking dark eyes. It was my evaluation partner, standing right before me.
Until recently, Renias had lived in a world painted entirely in bright, welcoming colors. To her, the academy was a sanctuary where peers forged lifelong bonds and prepared to step proudly into society. School life was supposed to be a final, cherished window of youth to enjoy shared memories before venturing into the harshness of the front lines or serving the Principality.
She had dreamed of hiking up the back hills with classmates to pick wild berries. She had imagined pulling harmless pranks during lectures behind the instructor's back, only to get caught and scolded with fond exasperation. She thought students would freely exchange knowledge whenever someone hit a wall, and that during combat sparring, opponents would treat each other with mutual respect and sportsmanship.
Reality, however, had proven merciless.
Far from enjoying carefree outings in the hills, certain students had to walk on eggshells just to navigate the corridors. They were barred from attending the same lectures, and cruel scoldings from prejudiced professors were part of their daily routine. Whenever lower-ranked students needed academic guidance, pressure from high-ranking noble factions ensured no one lent them a hand. Simply because they belonged to the lower classes, they were ostracized, discriminated against, and discarded.
The one who had shattered her naive illusions and pulled back the curtain on this hidden cruelty was an upperclassman burdened by relentless rumors—the vanguard of Class E. The very same senior standing before her right now, letting out one heavy sigh after another.
"My, Sunbae. Why is it that every time I see you, you look like you're carrying the entire world on your shoulders?"
The slip of paper clutched in his hand caught her attention. A simple scrap of parchment, yet there was no mistaking where it had come from—the building standing right beside them was a medical clinic. A man who had crossed mountains and forded treacherous rivers using nothing but standard-issue wooden training gear during their exam had just walked out of an infirmary holding a billing slip. That meant an incident had occurred, and he had been wounded.
"Is that a receipt? Sunbae, were you hurt?"
At the mention of the slip, his dark eyes immediately flicked toward it. Tucking the paper away into his pocket, he spoke with practiced nonchalance.
"Ah, this? It's nothing."
"Heehee... really? Did nothing happen during the Start-of-Semester Evaluation?"
"Not particularly. Just got wrapped up in some annoying bother, that's all."
"What kind of bother? Come on, tell me too!"
She found herself wanting to know. What was he hiding beneath that detached facade this time?
Yet Junon offered no explanation, tossing back an unenthusiastic question instead.
"More importantly, why did you come looking for me? You shouldn't have any business with me."
At those blunt words, Renias puffed out her cheeks in mock outrage.
"Why wouldn't I have business with you? Hmph."
In her eyes, this upperclassman was an expert liar—and a top-tier one at that.
"I distinctly remember telling you that I'd buy you a meal. You saw me waving goodbye after our exam, so how can you act like this now?"
"Hey... we both suffered through that exam together. Why would you owe me a meal?"
"Good grief, Sunbae, you are far too rigid! Let's just talk over lunch!"
Without giving him a chance to refuse, Renias reached out and firmly hooked her hand around his arm, tugging him forward.
"H-Hey! Renias! I told you I'm fine—stop pulling!"
"Just come along quietly, will you?"
Watching this stubborn, unflappable senior become completely flustered brought a small flutter of delight to her chest. With a radiant smile playing upon her lips, Renias thoroughly enjoyed his bewildered reaction—a sight that made it seem as though no one had ever dragged him along like this in all his years at the academy.
Ever since their brief encounter in the infirmary, Charlotte had not crossed paths with Junon once.
Rather, she had deliberately avoided him. Paying his medical expenses in secret was the utmost gesture of atonement she could muster. She remained terrified—terrified that the monstrous entity lurking in the abyss of her soul might swallow her whole once more, driving her to leave him drenched in blood a second time. She longed to approach him, yet knew she never should. A ticking time bomb liable to detonate at any moment—that was how Charlotte viewed her own existence.
"Goden, looks like we have a guest."
Noticing Charlotte stepping across the threshold of the training hall, Senia lowered her blade and called out to her sparring partner. As the two halted their bout, the petite girl's voice carried clearly across the floor. Though spoken by a slight, trembling frame, her single sentence held enough weight to fill every corner of the spacious facility.
"I would like to join your party."
It was a declaration fueled by the depth of her resolve—a vow never again to lose control, and never again to harm those she held dear.