Chapter 104: The Disciplinary Board 3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 104: The Disciplinary Board 3
"Ah, this is the life. Don't you agree, Pillow—I mean, Senior Johanna?"
"Ugh!"
I had finally succeeded in reclaiming my pillow.
Johanna let out that strange sound again, the same one she’d made when she first saw my face. I had come to realize that this was the noise she made whenever she felt particularly embarrassed.
"Hahaha, you don't smell like sweat at all, so don't worry. If anything, you smell wonderful."
"...Really?"
"I told you before, didn't I? I don't lie to you, Senior."
Only then did Johanna seem to relax. Her eyes softened as she began to stroke my hair. It was a strange sensation; it almost made me feel like a pampered pet.
"Come to think of it, lately, whenever we're alone, we spend most of our time like this."
We spent more time with me lying on her lap than we did talking while sitting or standing normally.
"....Do you hate it?"
"Not a chance. I'm already addicted. If someone told me to stay like this for the rest of my life, I'd be overjoyed," I said with a small smile.
"I'll do it for the rest of your life, then," Johanna replied, a small smile mirroring mine playing on her lips.
"Promise? You can't run away like you did earlier."
"Urgh."
Johanna and I shared many more stories after that.
* * *
"Has it been hard lately?" Johanna asked, her fingers still tracing the lines of my face.
It was a sudden question, but I took a moment to consider it seriously.
"Well, I haven't really given it much thought. Hmm. Do you mind if I think about it for a second?"
"Go ahead. Take your time."
She continued to stroke my hair gently. Feeling her soft touch against my skin, I drifted into thought.
One thing was certain: I didn't regret any of my actions. I was sick of feeling regret, which was exactly why I moved in a way that ensured I wouldn't feel it in the future.
But that wasn't what Johanna was asking. It wasn't about regret. If I had to categorize things as simply 'hard' or 'not hard'...
"......Now that I think about it, it has been a bit tough."
Fighting Rophri, killing Mordor, and this recent clash with Darun and his lackeys—it was all taxing. One mistake, and not only would I be in danger, but those around me could get hurt too.
In the fight against Darun, I had won overwhelmingly without facing a true crisis, but that didn't mean it wasn't exhausting. Using Nightmares itself takes a massive toll on one's mental strength. That's why I only use them when I'm willing to accept that risk to make my opponent feel true despair.
The reason I went to such lengths despite the difficulty was simple.
"But the hardship doesn't matter if it's for the sake of achieving my dream."
"What is your dream?"
"One year."
"One year?"
Yes, exactly one year. Of course, the sooner the better.
"It might seem long, but in the context of my entire life, it's short. For just one year, I'm going to work hard to get stronger and endure some trouble to quickly dispose of all the annoying pests. And then..."
"And then?"
"Originally, I was thinking of traveling, like I told you before."
But my plans had shifted slightly. To deal with those pests, I'd have to travel the entire continent anyway.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"I'm just going to spend the money I've saved up and lounge around lazily. For about ten years?"
Work like a dog for one year, then play like a king for ten. That was my current goal.
"Where are you going to lounge around?"
Johanna didn't mock or criticize my plan to work for one year and play for ten. Instead, she asked with total sincerity.
"I haven't decided yet. Do you know any good places?"
"...What kind of place are you looking for?"
"Hmm. Well, I haven't thought about the specifics."
Still, if I had to choose...
"First, since I plan to spend my money on other things, I'd like a place where living expenses are zero. I don't want it to be too remote because that's inconvenient, and it would be nice if there were good restaurants nearby, and also..."
I went on for quite a while. Even as I said it, it sounded like a total fantasy. There was no way such a place existed.
Or so I thought.
"I know the perfect place."
There was?
"Where is it?"
"My house."
...Excuse me?
* * *
The Disciplinary Board was set to convene.
Loki had asked Joden to make as much of a scene as possible. However, even without Joden’s intervention, the story was juicy enough that it didn't take long to spread throughout the Academy.
A disciplinary hearing didn't just end with demerit points. Since the maximum penalty was expulsion, students hungry for drama couldn't possibly ignore the event.
'Besides, the ones being summoned are Darun Rivayden and Loki.'
Loki and Darun of the Rivayden family. Both were already celebrities within the Academy. The difference was that while Darun was famous because of the Rivayden name, Loki had become famous through his own actions.
"I heard the second-years picked a fight with him first?"
"Why would the seniors pick a fight first? I bet he provoked them just to get attention."
"Really? But doesn't Darun have a bad reputation?"
The one thing they had in common was that a fair number of students disliked both Loki and Darun. In Darun's case, it was a result of his own karma. For Loki, it was mostly simple jealousy.
".....I was there."
"Oh! Really? Then you know the truth. Tell us!"
"By the time I saw them, they were already fighting. But one thing is for sure."
"""What?"""
"Even though the second-years attacked all at once and even used artifacts, they were completely one-sidedly crushed by Loki."
Someone among the gathered students gulped.
"T-That's obviously because the seniors were holding back. Does that even make sense otherwise?"
"Are you an idiot? If they were going to hold back, they wouldn't have ganged up on him or used artifacts in the first place."
The students' speculations, lies, and facts spread through the Academy at high speed. All Joden had done was refrain from stopping the gossiping students and provide information to Simon, the president of the Newspaper Club. But that alone was enough to ensure nearly everyone in the Academy knew about the incident.
"The Disciplinary Board... it's impossible to watch, right?"
"Of course! Do you even know anyone on the board?"
Everyone wanted to witness the hearing, but naturally, not just anyone was allowed inside.
"What on earth is going on?"
"I'm not sure either."
"You're the Crown Prince and you don't know?"
"What does being the Crown Prince have to do with this!"
"L-Let's just hurry. We're going to be late."
However, the Special Class students were allowed to attend because they were in the same class as Loki. Every single one of them moved to attend the hearing, and Clara, who had been busy studying magic, was no exception.
"Is this the place?"
"This is definitely it."
"Looks like we made it before it started."
By the time the Special Class students arrived at the venue, quite a few people had already taken their seats. Professors, including Elicia and Idra, were present, as were club representatives like Johanna and Joden.
But the Special Class students were looking for only one person. Every one of them had been helped by Loki in some way, big or small. That was why they had all come the moment they heard about his hearing.
They scanned the room with worried eyes, and what they saw was Loki, dressed in a prison uniform and wearing handcuffs.
""""............?""""
Furthermore, unlike Darun standing next to him, Loki was tied to a chair with ropes from head to toe.
"Your Honor! If I have committed a crime, it is only the crime of seducing women with this handsome face of mine!"
Bound to the chair, he shouted toward the professor in charge of the committee as if he were being deeply wronged.
"""................."""
"Of course, if being handsome is a sin, I suppose I have no choice. Sob, sob."
"""............."""
"Stop playing around and stay quiet."
Professor Elicia wiped her face with her hand in exasperation, walked over to Loki, and flicked him hard on the forehead.
"Ouch! This is a classic trope, though. Professor Elicia, you really don't understand a man's romance."
"The hearing is about to begin. Stop the antics and get ready."
"It's starting already? I haven't fully enjoyed the moment yet... fine, I guess."
Grumbling under his breath, Loki untied the ropes himself, stood up from the chair, and shed the prison uniform.
"""??????????"""
While the Special Class students were struggling to process the absurdity unfolding before their eyes, Professor Idra, who had been there for a while, kindly explained the situation.
"A little while ago, he said he was bored, so he changed into that prison uniform 'by himself,' put on the handcuffs 'by himself,' sat in the chair, and tied himself up with the ropes 'by himself.'"
The Special Class students, who had rushed here in a panic over the disciplinary hearing, suddenly remembered something they had momentarily forgotten.
Ah, right. That guy is a total lunatic.
Just then, as if noticing his classmates, Loki waved cheerfully.
"Oh! Long time no see! You've come to visit me in prison! I assume you've hidden a jailbreak key inside some food—Gah!"
Of course, he was immediately smacked by Elicia.
Thanks to Loki's massive display of attention-seeking, the eyes of everyone in the room shifted toward the Special Class students.
'Why are we the ones who have to feel embarrassed?!'
The Special Class students lowered their heads in unison.
Ah, maybe we shouldn't have come.