They Won't Listen (2)
They Won't Listen (2)
Right after the connection with Claire was cut.
"Maria."
"......?"
At the sound of her name, Maria spun around, startled. Standing there was her superior, Lee Ye-sol, wearing the same playful smile as always.
"How did you...?"
"It happened at the Academy. It'd be stranger if I didn't know, wouldn't it?"
"Ah......."
Maria realized she'd been so frantic that she'd asked a question better suited to Idni.
"May I head up?"
"Oh, yes. Yes. But the Executor is also on the way......."
"In that case, I'd best resolve this before she arrives."
The moment Claire became involved in this matter, today's events would travel through countless mouths inside and outside the Academy—regardless of the outcome.
'That cannot be allowed.'
For the sake of her superior, who was only just beginning to grasp the everyday life others took for granted, and for the one who had shown her superior that everyday life in the first place—this situation needed to be wrapped up as quickly as possible.
Idni was tangled up in this mess, but the heart of the incident was Baek Ha-na. If Claire inserted herself into it, how would people perceive it?
'The professor wouldn't want Ha-na to attract attention like this.'
Ding—
The elevator doors opened, and Lee Ye-sol followed Maria's guidance down the hallway.
'Fifteen minutes at most. No, ten.'
Given the setting, her superior would surely stop by the temple to dress properly. Knowing her superior's temperament, she wouldn't violate Academy regulations, so from the maze to the temple and then here to the main building at a brisk pace—ten minutes.
'That should be about right.'
Click. Maria opened the door, and the staff members, who had been working with noticeably more tension than before, lifted their heads toward the two of them.
"Excuse us."
"Ah, yes. You may go in through there."
No one needed to ask why Lee Ye-sol was here. The staff member simply pointed to the room.
Lee Ye-sol gave a slight nod and, together with Maria, opened the door marked [Chief's Office].
The space was separated by no more than a single door and a single wall, yet the air inside was several times heavier and sharper than outside.
"May we come in?"
"...Come in."
Choi Min-sik, who had been standing with Kim Seong-won, quickly nodded and gestured forward politely. Lee Ye-sol smiled softly and stepped into the taut, tense space.
The gazes of Baek Ha-na and Idni, both stiff with anxiety, naturally turned toward her. But Lee Ye-sol paid the children no attention at all. She walked straight toward the woman facing her from the opposite side and spoke.
"It's been a while, Seon-yeong."
The woman with light brown hair cascading beneath her priestess robes, her eyes carrying a sharp edge, let out a wry laugh and nodded.
"Indeed it has. We're neighbors, yet it seems I never see your face unless something like this happens."
"If you'd like, we could take morning walks together?"
"My prayer hours run a little long."
Lee Seon-yeong.
The head of the Temple of the God of Luck's Academy branch answered with a straight face.
"More to the point, your presence here means you're aware of the situation, I take it?"
"Yes. I heard there was a small scuffle between some spirited children, so I came."
"Ha-ha."
Lee Seon-yeong, who had been stone-faced, let out a bitter laugh.
"So the Amusement side considers beating a child unconscious—a priestess who doesn't even know how to fight, no less—a 'small scuffle'? As expected of a priestess of the highest god, your magnanimity knows no bounds."
She rose from her seat and spoke to Lee Ye-sol with firm finality.
"But what to do? My heart isn't nearly so generous."
"I understand. How could every person be the same?"
The corner of Lee Seon-yeong's eye twitched.
"...So, unlike you, Lee Ye-sol, I am narrow-minded. I don't think I can just laugh this off."
"I understand that as well. So if you wish, I will bow my head right here and apologize on their behalf."
"High Priest!"
At Lee Ye-sol's unexpected reply, Lee Seon-yeong's eyes widened in surprise, and Idni—who had been grinding her teeth in barely contained fury—shot to her feet, shouting.
"I—"
"Idni."
The moment her name was whispered in that calm cadence, Idni bit down on her lip and sat back down.
With the situation settled, Lee Seon-yeong asked.
"Would you truly bow your head and apologize if I demanded it?"
"If that would put this matter to rest."
A clergy member who would never bow her head to anyone but her god and her own superior had just offered to bow in apology. To lower one's head before someone—this was the highest courtesy a clergy member could show, and simultaneously the most humiliating act possible.
But contrary to what everyone thought, Lee Ye-sol felt no particular way about bowing to someone.
No—if she had to bow her head to the person before her, it might sting a little. But that was all. The children of the Top 10 Guilds were watching. The children of her temple, the ones she was meant to look after, were watching. So what?
Even if she bowed to that priestess of the Luck God right here, nothing would materially change. Amusement would still reign above Luck, and people would always consider the god she served and revered to be the highest.
'Well, proving it was self-defense would be ideal, of course.'
But there simply wasn't enough time to establish their innocence.
Korea had a few Awakened with genuine psychometry abilities. They would easily be able to read everything that had happened at the scene.
If a telepathy-type ability had been used as well, they could even read the contents of the conversations.
But the circumstances were unfavorable this time.
The problem was that this wasn't merely a dispute between temple factions—the children of the Top 10 Guilds were entangled as well.
In a place with no notary and no proctor present, they had wielded bladed weapons—not the standard-issue armaments provided by the Academy—and used lethal abilities and magic in an unsanctioned duel.
Simply dueling outside the designated sparring arena was already enough to incur demerit points approaching expulsion. And on top of that, they had used unapproved armaments and manifested abilities and magic.
If this became public, those children would be expelled without any recourse.
The expulsion of Top 10 Guild heirs.
Truly excellent gossip material.
Public perception carried enormous weight. If news of their children's expulsion and the process behind it spread, a few of those guilds might even fall from their seats among the Top 10.
The issue was that sensitive. If psychometry were used to recreate the events at that location, their crimes would naturally come to light as well.
So they would try everything to keep the truth from surfacing, and if this side tried to hire someone, they would undoubtedly obstruct it by any means necessary.
No matter how exalted the God of Amusement's position, no one born and raised in this country would help them if it meant making enemies of the Top 10 Guilds.
And even if they summoned an Awakened from the temple, the residual mana would have dispersed by the time they arrived, making it difficult to reconstruct the finer details.
More than anything, with the Grade Evaluation approaching rapidly, the Academy would want the Training Room restored quickly. It was practically impossible to preserve the scene.
After a brief pause, Lee Seon-yeong studied Lee Ye-sol closely, then nodded.
"Very well. If you offer a sincere apology here and now, I will cleanly forgive what your child has done."
"......."
Lee Ye-sol's ever-present smile stretched long for the first time, her eyes narrowing sharply.
The shift was so chilling that even Lee Seon-yeong, who knew her well, flinched and trembled for an instant.
"What... did you say?"
"I'd like to ask you the same thing. From what I've heard, all our child did was throw a single light punch. I hardly think my apology would be such a small thing."
"...Don't tell me."
As if forgetting she had been frightened just moments ago, Lee Seon-yeong furrowed her brow and pointed at Baek Ha-na, who had been sitting with her head lowered.
"You expect me to let that female student's actions slide as well?"
"That is correct."
"Then I refuse."
The smile vanished from Lee Ye-sol's lips.
"Is it insufficient?"
"No. Not at all."
"Then why do you refuse?"
"Let me ask you in return. Why are you involving yourself in the affairs of a child who has no connection to you whatsoever?"
"......."
Lee Ye-sol could not answer.
Because Lee Seon-yeong was right—Baek Ha-na and she had no connection at all.
The only people who could be involved in this were the victims, Baek Ha-na, and Baek Ha-na's guardian.
"Forget it. It was a settled matter anyway. We will petition the Disciplinary Committee and demand her expulsion. As for your child, I'll let it slide this once as a courtesy between neighbors."
Wearing the same bitter smile she had shown at the beginning, Lee Seon-yeong rose from her seat. And at that very moment.
Click.
The lock turned with a metallic sound, and the firmly shut door swung open.
**
—demand that child's expulsion.
The priestess called Lee Seon-yeong had spoken briefly with the female student I'd knocked down, then came straight in and brought up expulsion without preamble.
It was strange.
She wasn't angry. She didn't even scold me.
I couldn't feel even the faintest hint of hostility—the kind you'd sense from anyone else.
It was as if she was just doing what was necessary.
Like getting me expelled was simply the required course of action.
'What should I say....'
It was clearly my fault.
So I planned to accept the punishment without causing trouble for that person.
I'd only enrolled at the Academy so I could go to school with my friends Maria and Idni, anyway. It wasn't for any other reason.
'This might actually be better....'
I could play with the little Fairy at home. I could spend most of my time with that person. But still.
'...He'll be disappointed, won't he?'
How would he take this? What if he became disappointed in me? That thought was terrifying.
Ha-na.
'......?'
Strange.
A voice I shouldn't be hearing in this place reached me.
"I believe I told you once before, in a situation much like today's."
At first I thought it was a hallucination.
But the voice, as clear as ice, grew steadily more distinct.
"The professor is far more remarkable than you think, Ha-na."
A warm presence settled onto my heavy shoulders.
"So don't lower your head so easily."
"Ah......."
The shadow pooling beneath the desk grew darker and deeper.
"Lift your head."
At the gentleness whispered right beside me, my head—which had felt impossibly heavy, as if I'd never be able to raise it—began to lift.
"That's it. If you've done nothing truly wrong, you don't have to bow your head."
"Un......."
I hurriedly shut my mouth.
I had to, here.
I was supposed to be just a prof—....
"It's all right."
I wanted to turn around.
I wanted to turn and see her face.
But my body wouldn't move the way I wanted.
Because if I saw her face right now, I felt like I really would revert—go back to how I used to be.
"Lee Ye-sol."
The warmth that had rested on my shoulder vanished.
"Yes."
"Take the children and leave."
"I shall."
The words had barely ended when Nam Seo-hee and Idni, seated beside me, grabbed my arms and rose.
"Let's go."
"...Let's get out of here."
My friends pulled me to my feet and guided me toward the door. Maria stood beside it, which was now wide open.
"Come on, quickly."
"......Yeah."
I stepped out of that suffocating, heavy space, and just before the door closed, I finally managed to turn my head.
The narrowing gap.
Through that small opening, I caught sight of a brown coat.
Unremarkable in every way—the same one I had seen Claire wear that day in the lecture hall.