Chapter 106: The Disciplinary Board 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 106: The Disciplinary Board 5
Johanna watched Loki in silence as he whispered to the pink-haired girl.
The light was slowly fading from Johanna’s sapphire-blue eyes.
I can’t hear them.
She desperately wanted to know what Loki and that woman were saying, but they were too far away. Their hushed whispers made it impossible to discern the content of their conversation.
If she reinforced her hearing with mana, she would be able to eavesdrop, but the other professors would surely notice the fluctuation.
...In the end, he never gave me an answer.
She had suggested her own home as the perfect place for him to laze about, but Loki had only offered an awkward smile, skillfully avoiding a definitive response.
Why?
Loki’s requirements for a place to idle away his time were incredibly specific.
It had to cost nothing, it couldn't be in a secluded area, there had to be good restaurants nearby, and there should be no dangerous elements in the vicinity.
Those were his conditions. Johanna believed that no such place existed—except for her own home.
She wouldn't dream of asking Loki for money, and the Freya Ducal Estate was hardly a secluded backwater. The mansion always had top-tier chefs on standby, and if anything dangerous dared to appear, she could simply order its immediate removal.
".....Hanna."
When she first heard that Loki’s goal had shifted to traveling and lazing around for ten years, she had been taken aback. But soon, she realized it might actually be for the best.
If he traveled, who knew what kind of women would swarm around him like pests?
However, if he stayed put and just relaxed at her home, she wouldn't have to worry about other women clinging to him. Moreover, if they lived under the same roof, she could see him whenever she wanted. Always.
The same house...
If they lived together, they would wake up together every morning. They would eat the same meals, spend their days together, share dinner, and when night fell...
".......Hanna?"
And then... in the same bed... the two of them...
"Johanna!"
A sharp shout from beside her snapped Johanna out of her fantasies.
"Wh-what?"
"What on earth were you thinking about? You couldn't even hear me talking right next to you!"
The person speaking was her friend and fellow Disciplinary Committee member, Jenna Suguro.
"Gasp, you're not sick, are you? Your face is bright red!"
"......It’s nothing."
* * *
The professor presiding over the Disciplinary Board looked between Loki and Darun.
"I am somewhat aware of the situation, but hearing the accounts of the parties involved is a different matter."
The professor’s sharp gaze turned toward Darun.
"First, Darun Rivayden. Tell us in your own words how you ended up fighting with Loki."
Before Darun could speak, the professor paused and addressed Loki.
"You, keep quiet for now. I will give you time to speak once Darun is finished."
"Yes, understood! I’m quite confident in my ability to stay still. Silence and chatter—both are my specialties."
After delivering that contradiction, Loki placed his hand on his mask and slowly stroked it from top to bottom. As his hand passed over the smiling porcelain, the mask transformed into an expressionless, blank face.
"Lucas, is he really allowed to act like that at a Disciplinary Board hearing?"
"I don't know. At this point, even I don't know anymore."
Earlier, Lucas had felt embarrassed and mortified because of Loki, even regretting coming at all. Yet, despite the headache, the Special Class students couldn't help but worry about him.
Even if his playful attitude didn't result in a direct penalty, the other professors might take a dim view of his lack of gravity.
"Seeing how confident he is, it doesn't seem like he did anything wrong, does it?"
"I agree. Looking at his school life, he seems like a good kid. Perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding?"
Contrary to Lucas’s expectations, the professors didn't seem to dislike Loki.
This was largely due to Loki’s usual conduct.
Although Loki was academically disastrous—to the point of scoring zero on written exams—he was unlike other failing students. He never once fell asleep during a lecture and always maintained an attentive, eager attitude. Furthermore, while other students avoided professors in the hallways, Loki would approach them first with a loud, cheerful greeting.
Professors were human, too; it was only natural for them to favor a student who was polite and bright.
Thanks to this, in the eyes of the faculty, Loki had become a "likable madman"—a nutcase who was terrible at studying but always tried his best. The "madman" part, of course, stemmed from his terrifying performance during the recent practical exam.
"Darun, speak. How exactly did this fight begin?"
"I personally went to find Loki because I 'had something to say' to him."
Having received several hours of treatment with Sacred Power from a high-ranking priest, Darun was finally able to speak. However, that didn't mean he was in his right mind.
His desire for revenge was burning so fiercely it was practically consuming him.
"So, I reached out my hand to greet him and be friendly, but this guy kept his hands in his pockets! He just looked at my hand and asked, 'Are you telling me to grab this?' He completely ignored and insulted me!"
"He ignored your greeting. Anything else?"
Unaware that the presiding professor’s expression was souring, Darun continued.
"I held back my temper and asked for his name, but then he gave me a fake name—"
As he spoke excitedly, Darun finally noticed the professor’s darkening face. His voice grew smaller and smaller until it vanished entirely.
"Sigh... That’s enough for now."
Letting out a deep sigh, the professor looked at Loki with eyes shadowed by heavy dark circles.
"Loki, do you have a rebuttal to Darun’s statement, or is there anything you wish to say?"
"Everything Senior Darun said is the truth!"
Loki admitted it casually, as if it were of no consequence.
It was a clean admission without even a hint of denial.
That swift confession surprised not only Sepia and the presiding professor, but even Darun himself.
Of course, there was a reason why Loki admitted it so readily.
"But everyone, please think about this logically for a moment."
Loki spoke not just to the professor, but to everyone present, his tone becoming theatrical.
"Ignoring a senior’s greeting and giving a fake name? Of course, if we’re discussing whether that was right or wrong, it was obviously not the proper thing to do."
Unlike Darun, who spoke as if consumed by rage, Loki’s voice was calm and articulate, possessing a natural power that commanded the room's attention.
"However, do you think that is a valid reason for more than ten seniors to attack me all at once?"
Loki paused, giving the audience a moment to process the weight of his words.
"Well, ignoring a greeting isn't exactly polite, but like Loki said, it’s hardly a reason for a group lynching, is it?"
"That’s true. He seems like the type who would listen if you just talked to him. Resorting to violence is a bit much..."
"Besides, ten seniors attacking a junior just to 'teach him a lesson' is a serious violation."
"In the first place, they aren't even part of the Disciplinary Committee or the Student Council. Do they even have the right to 'discipline' anyone?"
While only the presiding professor held the power to decide the punishment, very few people could ignore the collective murmurs of a crowd.
"That’s..."
Darun opened his mouth, forgetting that he no longer had the floor.
"I believe I told you to remain silent."
At the professor's cold reprimand, Darun shut his mouth instantly.
He had so much he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. It was true he was angry about the ignored greeting, but what infuriated him most was the realization that Loki’s talk of selling magic tools had been a complete mockery. However, he knew that bringing that up wouldn't help his case.
"Then, if you knew that ignoring a greeting or giving a fake name was wrong, why did you act that way?"
The presiding professor spoke to Loki in a chilly tone, but Loki responded immediately, unfazed.
"I was on my way to class with Miss Sepia when someone called out to me. To be honest, I wasn't surprised that someone spoke to me."
It seemed like a random comment, but the professor didn't interrupt. He realized that the "someone" Loki referred to was Darun.
Loki tapped his mask, which had somehow returned to its original, smiling state. It was a ridiculous yet eerie visage that covered his entire face.
"Honestly, when you're wearing a mask as eye-catching as this, it would be stranger if no one spoke to you."
The presiding professor stared at Loki, who had successfully captured the gaze of everyone in the room.
In his time overseeing many Disciplinary Board hearings, he had seen many students try to manipulate the situation in their favor using money, power, or threats. Of course, none of those worked here.
But Loki was dominating the room with nothing but his silver tongue.
Even if Loki hadn't spoken so eloquently and had just stated the facts plainly, the professor likely would have reached the same conclusion.
But the other club representatives and professors over there wouldn't have.
While Darun was only thinking about the current hearing, Loki was already managing the aftermath.
"Ah, that’s right. Now that I think about it, Senior Darun said it earlier, didn't he? That he personally came to find me."
Darun had claimed that Loki started the trouble. Internally, Loki admitted that. The reason he ignored Darun’s greeting and gave a fake name was simply because he didn't like the guy.
"But you see, behind the person who spoke to me, there were more than ten people armed with swords, bows, and staves."
But so what? There was no proof he did it out of spite.
"Isn't it only natural to be on guard? To not recklessly reach out or give your name when faced with such a situation?"