Chapter 108: The Disciplinary Board 7
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108: The Disciplinary Board 7
Contrary to Loki’s assessment, Darun was neither a fool nor a simpleton.
In fact, Darun was the man closest to inheriting the leadership of the Marquisate of Rivayden, a prestigious merchant house. Of course, that was only possible because Sepia wasn't a blood relative and Lania was in poor health, but still—if he were the type to forget words he had spoken just a few hours ago, he never would have made it that far.
Under normal circumstances, Darun would have remembered exactly what he had said.
Yes—if he were his "normal" self, that is.
Darun hadn't been in his right mind since the moment he ordered the use of the artifacts. Loki’s relentless provocations, the sight of his subordinates being pushed back, the suffocating weight of the onlookers' gazes... it had all taken a toll.
Furthermore, inside the fog, he had been thrashed by Loki more times than he could count and had even been subjected to that by those men.
After being treated by the priest, nothing but white-hot rage toward Loki occupied Darun’s mind. He had obsessed over Loki’s every move, but he hadn't spared a single thought for his own words.
‘...If this keeps up, they’ll realize what I said earlier was a lie.’
Darun lowered his head in silence.
Even with his eyes downcast, he could feel the icy stares of the crowd. Those watching had plenty they wanted to say, but the video wasn't over yet.
"..............."
The spectators thought they couldn't possibly be more surprised, but the footage that followed was even more shocking.
There was only one word to describe the ensuing scenes: Overwhelming.
Loki utterly dominated everyone.
He crushed the students who tried to overpower him with brute force and instantly neutralized those who tried to launch hidden attacks. Loki systematically dismantled his opponents in the very fields they were most confident in.
The video ended with Loki taking down a student specializing in magic.
"....He’s that strong...?"
Someone spoke into the lingering silence. No one else spoke up, but they all agreed in their hearts.
‘I never thought he was weak... but still.’
Most people perceived Loki’s strength as a combination of tactical wit and clever use of magic tools. However, the Loki on screen had overwhelmed second-year students—who were using artifacts, no less—without using a single magic tool or artifact of his own.
Seeing Loki effortlessly dominate the upperclassmen, Jenna leaned over and whispered to Johanna.
"Johanna, is there any way we can keep Loki in the Disciplinary Committee?"
"...I want to, as well."
But Johanna had already half-given up on forcing him to join, choosing instead to respect Loki’s choice.
‘At least I can see him every morning,’ Johanna thought to herself as she stroked her thigh. ‘It feels empty.’
Until she had arrived here, she had felt a certain weight and warmth on her lap. Now that it was gone, she felt a strange sense of discomfort.
* * *
‘I knew I could count on Professor Elicia.’
She had accurately grasped what I wanted and edited the video accordingly. The footage stopped right before Darun began sexually harassing Sepia.
"Loki."
The professor in charge of the Disciplinary Board called my name. Unlike the other club representatives and professors behind him, his face showed no surprise—only exhaustion.
"Yes! Loki, at your service!"
The professor shot a cold glance at Darun, who was still staring blankly with trembling eyes and his mouth agape.
"Normally, I should be questioning him about the lies he told. But since he clearly isn't in his right mind, would it be alright if I questioned you first?"
For a split second, I wondered how he’d react if I said, "Please go easy on me," but I didn't actually let the words out.
"Ask whatever you like. I will answer everything I know with the utmost sincerity."
"Thank you," the professor said. "Looking at the video, you were capable of neutralizing your opponents instantly, yet you chose not to. Instead, you spent time toying with them. Is there a reason for that?"
Hmm. Did I?
I recalled my actions in the video.
“Surely this isn’t the end after putting on such a show, right?”
* * *
“Come on, do your best! I haven’t even taken my hands out of my pockets yet. If you keep this up, your master might just abandon you.”
“That’s it! That’s the spirit! Watching a bunch of you gang up on a single first-year, getting thrashed, and then pathetically trying to use artifacts to win... it’s so pitiful I can’t help but applaud.”
...I suppose I did do that a little.
‘A reason for toying with them, huh...’
I just wanted to piss them off. There wasn't any particularly deep meaning behind it. It probably wouldn't be a big deal if I told the truth. After all, I wasn't the one who started the fight or attacked first. The professor’s tone wasn't accusatory either; he seemed genuinely curious.
But telling the raw truth felt a bit unrefined, so...
‘Let’s just make sure I don't lie.’
Yes. My conscience, ethics, and sense of morality wouldn't allow me to lie in a place that was essentially a trial.
"I didn't provoke and tease my seniors for no reason."
Not just the professor in charge, but the other professors and club representatives stared at me intently, curious about my reasoning. Since I did have the "reason" of wanting to piss them off, this wasn't exactly a lie.
"I am weak."
Eyes widened and mouths fell open at my words. Compared to Professor Elicia, I am weak, so this wasn't a lie either.
"That is why I said those things to agitate them. It made it easier to dodge their attacks."
Their attacks were so slow and simple that dodging them was easy, so this wasn't a lie either. Suddenly, I felt quite impressed with myself for telling nothing but the truth.
‘Can a person really be this kind and sincere?’
I’m almost too kind for my own good. It’s hard to survive in this harsh world being this honest, ethical, and moral, but I had no choice if I wanted to protect my conscience.
While I was feeling proud of myself, the professor asked another question.
"You could have ignored them or avoided the fight altogether. Why didn't you?"
Because if I ran away, I wouldn't have been able to hit Darun. Since I couldn't say that, I sugarcoated it a bit.
"Because I thought that if I ran, Ms. Sepia, who was behind me, might get hurt."
".....Hwah?"
A brief silence followed my words, broken only by the sound of a hiccup from beside me. I looked toward the sound and saw Sepia with her head buried in her hands, her face completely hidden.
"Oh my, oh my!"
"I told you! I knew there was something going on between Student Loki and Student Sepia!"
"So Student Loki did all that just to protect Student Sepia...?"
"Well, it is common knowledge that Darun and Sepia are on bad terms."
I could hear the professors whispering in the distance. They were far away and speaking softly, so I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying.
‘Are they badmouthing me?’
I didn't think they actually were, but for some reason, the longer the professors talked, the icier Johanna’s expression became. Just as I was trying my best to avoid Johanna’s gaze, Darun, who had been frozen in an awkward posture, finally opened his mouth.
".....Actually, I-I was the one who told my friends to attack Loki. I must have forgotten for a moment because I was beaten so badly earlier..."
"Pfft—! Ah! My apologies. Please, continue."
A snort escaped me involuntarily. To think he’d claim diminished responsibility due to mental distress here.
‘Anyone would think I beat him half to death.’
Naturally, no one believed Darun’s claim of mental instability; they all looked at him with cold, judging eyes.
"It wasn't in the video, but after he took down my friends, that—that guy beat me mercilessly and made it so I was raped by men!"
"................"
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the room. Everyone looked at Darun as if he had finally lost his mind.
"Sigh... I know you made that claim before coming to the committee. Bring in the priest."
The professor let out a deep sigh and spoke to a nearby student. A moment later, a man in clerical robes walked in.
"My name is Raymond."
It seemed this Raymond was the priest who had treated Darun.
"During the process of treating Student Darun, I was able to confirm that someone had indeed struck his face severely. Fortunately, no scars remain, likely due to the use of a high-grade potion."
A flicker of hope appeared on Darun’s face at the priest’s words, but that hope instantly turned to despair at what followed.
"However, I could find absolutely no traces of him being raped by men. I even checked his mental state to see if someone had used illusion magic, but there were no traces of mana remaining."
"What do you mean?! I’m the one who went through it! What kind of nonsense is that!"
Upon hearing that, Darun completely lost his reason and began screaming at the priest.
Illusions don't just interfere with a person’s mind.
‘To put it grandly, it’s more accurate to say they interfere with the world itself.’
No matter how high-ranking a priest they brought in, they would never find proof that I used an illusion to show Darun a nightmare. Of course, the Academy professors knew enough about my illusions to know they didn't leave traces. Even so, they couldn't find any evidence that I had used an illusion to do that to him.
‘In other words, it comes down to whose word the professors trust: mine or Darun’s.’
Darun, who had lied multiple times throughout the hearing.
And me—handsome, kind, social, cool, and handsome.
Which one would the professors believe?
I had to fight back a smirk at the sheer curiosity of it all.