Reversal (1)
The disciplinary committee handed down its verdict after weighing Professor Jake's eyewitness testimony, the statements from our side, and the frantic rebuttals of the opposing faction.
Even with whatever academy officials the nobles had managed to bribe, they couldn't pin down who had inflicted the most violence upon their precious persons. Every single commoner student testified without hesitation that they had charged forward, raining fists and boots upon the noble bastards' exalted hides. With everyone claiming equal responsibility, the committee was forced to rely strictly on hard, undeniable evidence.
The soundproofing barrier, a flagrant violation of academy regulations, had undeniably been erected by the nobles. The lingering traces of offensive magic also belonged almost entirely to them. As a result, we slipped cleanly past any devastating sanctions.
Two days had passed since the incident, and I found myself visiting the academy infirmary to check on John and Noel, as well as to keep an eye on how things were developing.
"How's the recovery coming along?"
"Junon...?"
"Wait, did you actually come to visit us...?"
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
I couldn't help but stare at the bewildered expressions plastered across their faces. It wasn't that they were unhappy to see me, but their eyes practically screamed, Is this real life?
"What? Is it that weird?"
"I mean, if anyone else stopped by, sure, whatever," Noel muttered, scratching his cheek. "But Junon, you... how should I put it? It's just so awkward."
"I feel it too," John chimed in. "You're always wandering around by yourself, never really making friends. Having you show up just to check on us feels completely out of character."
"Well, I suppose my social skills and interpersonal relationships leave a lot to be desired."
"H-Hey, man! That's not what I meant—!"
"Pfft. Relax, I'm kidding."
Seeing them bolt upright in bed proved their bodies were on the mend. Good. Very good. These two were the ones the younger vanguard students would look up to from now on.
"You both finally moved up a rank, so you need to be attending lectures. When are they letting you out?"
"They said we pushed ourselves too hard back then, so we ought to stay put for a few more days," Noel replied with a faint sigh. "Our bodies and mana circuits are pretty beat up."
"Still, they told us there aren't any lasting aftereffects or serious internal damage," John added, offering an optimistic grin. "A little more bed rest and we should be back in class in no time."
Hearing that eased the knot in my chest. Part of me had been weighed down by the nagging thought that if I had only arrived a minute sooner, they wouldn't have been hurt so badly.
"So, what's your real reason for coming?" Noel narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You always keep something hidden up your sleeve, Junon."
"Yeah, I was gonna ask the same thing!" John leaned forward. "You came because you've got something else on your mind, right?"
"Well... I needed to see how things stood. We already have a recent precedent, after all."
"A precedent?"
"Syl... no, Adele's situation."
"Ah. The Coutelli thing..."
Given how Count Coutelli had tried to corner and blackmail Adele, it wasn't out of the question that nobles might target these two as well. The commoners had openly defied the nobility this time, and the nobles would inevitably look for ways to crush that rising spirit. Among the commoners, John and Noel, who had manifested their magic armaments, were prime targets.
As it turned out, my worry was entirely unfounded.
"Doesn't matter to us," Noel scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "We grew up in an orphanage. There's almost nothing they can hold over our heads. That's why those bastards always try to bring up status and combat positions instead."
"When you've got nothing to lose, blackmail doesn't work," John said with a confident shrug. "Besides, even those scumbags wouldn't be stupid enough to pull the exact same kidnapping stunt twice, would they?"
Neither of them showed the slightest tremor of anxiety or fear. I had come all the way here worried they might already be caught in some sinister trap, but it seemed there was no need for concern.
"...Still, you're really something else, Junon," Noel murmured, looking at me with genuine respect.
"Me?"
"Yeah. Let's be real—the only reason the other guys found the guts to stand up was because of you."
"And it's not just this time either," John added earnestly. "We survived the joint practical training in Tbeshar thanks to you, and we made it through the Orthoptera defense by following your orders. At this rate, I feel like all we ever need to do is just follow your lead."
"..."
I was grateful they had kept my actions quiet so far. But getting closer than this... that was dangerous.
"I should get going."
"Already? Stay and talk for a bit."
"Yeah, man! Tell us how you train, give us some pointers or advice."
"I'd like to, but it looks like you've got another guest."
"A guest?" they asked in unison.
Seeing that neither had sensed the presence outside, I reached over and swung the door open.
"Ugh..."
Holding a woven basket brimming with freshly baked, steaming bread, a girl stood frozen in the doorway, caught red-handed.
"Oh, it's Henna! Wait, does that mean..."
"Bread! It's bread!!"
"I come all the way here to visit and the first thing you care about is bread?!"
"Aaargh! Hey, we're injured patients!"
"Isn't hitting patients a crime?!"
"I don't care! You two deserve it!"
With visitors like her looking out for them, they would be just fine. I pulled the infirmary door shut against the sounds of their playful bickering and made my way out of the medical ward.
The previous two rampages had been thwarted. Even though the third-year expulsion period—infamously dubbed the "Devil's Year"—had passed, the number of third-year students had not dropped.
Of course, the vast majority had still failed to manifest their magic armaments. Yet rather than falling into despair and withdrawing from the academy, they had chosen to stay, learn, and grow. That alone was a monumental victory. My primary goal had been achieved.
...Even so, you shouldn't blindly follow me, Noel.
Because I had already failed once.
If they knew there was a timeline where blindly following my lead had ended in total ruin, they would never utter such words again.
"Right. The failed version of me needs to walk a different path now."
A path different from back then.
I had resolved not to join Team Tembris and to resolve these crises with my own hands instead. I knew the road ahead would be treacherous, but the time had come to resume walking the path I had set aside.
...Or so I grandly told myself.
While the world was shifting along a different trajectory from my previous life, my body was still acting on ancient muscle memory.
"...You've got to be kidding me. I walked straight to the Class E lecture hall on instinct."
I had completely forgotten that the Class Assignment Exam had bumped me into Class A. The lecture rooms had remained unchanged for years, so my feet had naturally carried me here out of pure habit. Thanks to that, I had even caught an unwanted glimpse of those annoying noble faces again.
Navigating somewhere familiar was one thing, but figuring out where a brand-new class met gave me an immediate headache.
"Guess I have to check the pamphlet. Let's see... the map says... past this wing, take the right path..."
"If you're heading to that lecture, you shouldn't go that way. You need to loop all the way around and take the side path behind the adjacent building."
"Oh. Really? Tha—"
...Wait a second. I knew that voice.
And this situation felt eerily familiar.
Sure enough, it was Renias. At this point, her appearing out of thin air without a sound hardly surprised me anymore.
"I was wondering what you were doing staring into space for so long... Were you actually looking for your classroom, Senior?"
"...Yeah. I've never been to this part of campus before."
"Huh? Why?"
"Well... I used to be in Class E, remember?"
"Oh, right...! I just took it for granted! Hehe."
Renias flashed an embarrassed grin, finally understanding my predicament. After that, all I had to do was follow her lead. She even offered to point out the paths to the other lecture halls I would need to visit later.
Walking beside her, it almost felt like she was the senior here, despite my age and grade.
"Here we are. Shall we go in?"
Wait. Go in together?
"Are you taking this lecture too, Renias?"
"Ah?"
I thought she had just kindly guided me to my destination, but apparently, she was attending the same class. Otherwise, she wouldn't have naturally suggested we enter together.
"Y-Yes! Me too! Somehow, I ended up enrolled in this lecture as well! Ahaha, haha..."
So that was it. No wonder she knew the room's location without me even mentioning the course title. Then again, this particular lecture was open to anyone who hadn't landed in Class F, regardless of year or section, so it wasn't impossible.
Once we stepped inside and found our seats, Renias sat down right beside me without hesitation.
"What's the matter? Am I not allowed to sit here?"
"No, it's not that..."
It just felt distinctly odd seeing Renias sitting in the back. She seemed far more like the model student who sat front and center, diligently absorbing every word from the professor. But perhaps that was just my own bias, so I pushed the thought aside and changed the subject.
"How is Adele doing?"
"Oh, that reminds me, I haven't told you yet! The two of them are..."
According to Renias, mother and daughter were living peacefully without facing any significant threats. While bringing them directly to the main Lantana Ducal estate in the Empire would have been an option, the authority of the Lantana Duchy carried plenty of weight within their Principality territory as well.
Ironically, despite having no immediate danger to fear, they had been quite restless. Unwilling to sit around doing nothing, they had immediately sought out work.
Adamant about not becoming free-loading burdens, they had tried offering their help around the estate, though their domestic skills fell hilariously short of the professional maids' standards. Eventually, drawing on their past experience managing a merchant guild, they had stepped in to resolve a pricing crisis that arose in the territory and ended up landing squarely in the commercial sector.
"And do you know what the most surprising part is? Lady Adele discovered she actually has a natural talent for it!"
Like mother, like daughter.
Adele had quickly taken on an indispensable role, living up to her family's mercantile heritage.
That's wonderful.
It was infinitely better than being dragged through the academy against her will. Now she had a purpose and responsibilities she genuinely enjoyed. The past timeline, where she chose to end her life to escape a forced engagement, would never haunt her again. It was a change for the better.
As I listened to Renias share these stories, time flew by, and the lecture soon got underway.
"Hey... what the hell do we do now?"
"I don't know. Don't ask me."
"My father was furious. He said we got completely played and walked away with nothing..."
"Will you shut the hell up?!"
"..."
At the frantic whispers behind him, Kayden whirled around, glaring with bloodshot eyes as he barked the command.
What went wrong?
He still couldn't wrap his head around it.
Bribing the academy staff should have been effortless. A handful of gold and a few shiny trinkets were normally all it took for officials to write reports slanted favorably in the nobility's direction. When it came to disciplinary measures, a subtle shift in framing was usually enough to push through policies that protected aristocratic privilege.
Even if they broke school rules by setting up a soundproofing barrier, and no matter how mercilessly they tormented worthless, insignificant commoners, as a noble, he was supposed to get whatever he wanted.
Yet this time, the outcome had been entirely upside down.
We gave all our statements and testimonies! So why?!
Normally, you conceal the evidence, claim insufficient proof, and blur the line between victim and perpetrator until both sides are ruled equally at fault. That was how you made the commoners taste bitter despair. There were countless ways to handle it, but the sight of a commoner hanging their head in defeat had always signified a noble's victory.
So what happened here?
The nobles had taken a brutal beating, yet no proper punishment had been handed out to their attackers. Far from falling into despair, the commoners had proudly admitted their actions with heads held high. And despite the commoners turning into the assailants, the committee had completely refused to overlook the soundproofing barrier the nobles had erected.
Not a single part of this outcome brought Kayden the slightest satisfaction.
Worst of all, Junon—the one who should have been branded the ringleader—had escaped suspension entirely, walking away with nothing more than light cleaning duty.
It was a pitiful slap on the wrist. All that effort, and they had gained absolutely nothing in return.
"What are those bastards doing right now?"
"Huh? Apparently, ever since that day, they've been constantly drifting in and out of Dubhe Hall trying to manifest their magic armaments..."
"Ha...!"
What? They had the nerve to carry on with testing as if nothing had happened?
Kayden ground his teeth until they nearly cracked.
"This can't stand. I won't let it."
Consumed by an overwhelming sense of defeat, Kayden had already completely lost his mind.