Expulsion, and Two Years Later (3)
“Eden Rofas…”
Louise’s expression was twisted with rage, yet the words that left her lips were eerily calm. Her heartbeat, however, was racing. I corrected her at once.
“My name is Eren Lopez.”
“A forged identity?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“...... How shameless. A drug addict like you daring to set foot in the academy again. It seems the academy’s standards have truly fallen.”
“Indeed they have.”
Go ahead and spout whatever nonsense you like.
“How does it feel? Now that the academy is completely under your thumb, are you finally enjoying yourself?”
“Finally? The academy has always been in the palm of my hand. You were simply the only one who didn’t know it.”
“What staggering arrogance.”
Her self-confidence was almost enough to make me laugh out loud. But I wondered—would she still be able to stand so tall once the situation changed?
“I don’t know what delusions brought you back to the academy, but things won’t go your way.”
“We’ll have to wait and see about that, won’t we?”
“Haha… A filthy junkie with a loose tongue sure has a lot to say.”
“You should laugh as much as you can right now.”
Louise Violet.
“Because soon enough, you won’t have many reasons left to smile.”
Her ruin was all but guaranteed. The cards I held were countless. No matter what variables arose, I had more than enough to drag her down into the abyss. So enjoy your current arrogance while you still can. The day your status plummets to the ground, that haughty face of yours will only make my satisfaction twice as sweet.
Louise’s eyes were narrowed to vicious slits.
“Alright, everyone, please take your seats!”
At that moment, the old professor entered the lecture hall and called out. Only then did Louise withdraw her burning gaze and return to her seat.
“We’ll begin with roll call.”
The professor’s voice and the students’ replies alternated one after another. Some names were familiar. Others were completely foreign. And a few were still burned so vividly into my mind that I could never forget them.
They were people I had once believed were my friends. My comrades.
— It was him! He’s the one who distributed drugs throughout the academy!
— I saw it with my own two eyes! He was secretly trying to spike Lady Violet’s drink with drugs!
— I can only regret ever calling someone like him a friend.
Two years ago, those words spoken from the witness stand had driven an irremovable dagger into my heart. Even if the blade were pulled free, the scar would remain forever. They had planted a vicious seed of distrust deep inside my life.
...Look at them sitting there with those brazen faces.
I shook my head. I couldn’t let emotion sway me. Sentimentality solved nothing. Only cold reason and calculated action were the keys to victory. So for now, I needed to calm my mind and erase those thoughts.
“Eren… Lopez.”
The professor called my name.
“Here.”
I rose from my seat and walked down the aisle with steady steps. All eyes turned toward me. Those who recognized me sucked in sharp breaths, while those who didn’t began to murmur. Before long I reached the podium and stood before the professor.
An elderly man with deeply wrinkled brows and snow-white eyebrows. His face was painfully, unbearably familiar.
“Good to see you again.”
The professor’s eyes flew wide open. Before the shock could fully register, I placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered directly into his ear.
“I am Eren Lopez. Your supplier—Lopez.”
Lopez. The underworld’s greatest drug lord, a man who had earned the unwavering loyalty of high-ranking officials through meticulous record-keeping. He dealt only in the highest-grade merchandise, handled transactions with lightning speed, and managed an intricate, secretive distribution network that left no trail to follow. His obsession with secrecy was almost fanatical; while everyone knew the name Lopez, almost no one had ever met him in person or even confirmed his existence. His gender, age, and origin were all shrouded in complete mystery. That was why no one knew Lopez’s face.
‘Eden Rofas… is Lopez?’
Ivanov, the telekinesis professor at Joachim Academy, was no exception. He could never have imagined that the Lopez he had been dealing with was actually Eden Rofas. Yet when he thought about it, the timing lined up perfectly. One year after Eden Rofas had been expelled from the academy, the name Lopez had begun to circulate quietly through the shadows.
Moreover, the aura Eden Rofas gave off now matched that identity. The old Eden had been the very picture of a model student. But the man currently leaning close to his ear was twisted—dangerously so. There wasn’t a trace of emotion in his voice, and his faded, lifeless eyes were like mirrors reflecting everything he had endured since that day.
“To think that the great Philopon enthusiast, Professor Ivanov, holds such a prestigious position at the academy.”
Eren Lopez—no, the underworld’s colossal drug kingpin Lopez—whispered into Ivanov’s ear.
“I wonder… does the higher administration know about this?”
“......”
A bead of sweat trickled down Ivanov’s forehead.
It really is Lopez…
Three years ago, Ivanov had stumbled into Philopon by chance and had been addicted to it ever since. For the past year, after obtaining Lopez’s contact, he had bought exclusively from him. No one else in the world knew this secret. Only Lopez.
This is… blackmail.
Ivanov had played a major role in Eden Rofas’s expulsion from the academy. There was nothing to gain from letting Louise Violet’s own drug use come to light. If the duke’s daughter was revealed to be a drug addict, a massive investigation would sweep through the entire academy, and Ivanov would be exposed in an instant. So he had sold Eden Rofas out. A heavenly orphan with no connections anywhere in the empire—if Eden was taken away, the matter would quietly disappear. That was all.
He held no personal grudge against Eden Rofas. He had never even hated him. In fact, he had felt a twinge of guilt toward him once or twice.
“Don’t worry, Professor Ivanov. I already know you helped drive me out, but I bear you no direct ill will.”
Lopez’s low voice slithered into Ivanov’s ear.
“That means I have no intention of reporting your habitual drug use to the higher-ups. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Ivanov gave a small, silent nod.
“However, that doesn’t mean I’ll protect you unconditionally. I have a few things I need to accomplish… and I expect your quiet cooperation. If you understand, then greet me naturally as if you’re welcoming an honored guest.”
“Understood. If that’s enough for you.”
Only then did Lopez step back from the professor’s ear. As soon as Lopez lifted one corner of his mouth, Ivanov grabbed his hand with his right and shook it enthusiastically.
“Eren Lopez! A new student, I see! The headmaster has already informed me. Welcome to the academy. I’m truly delighted to have you here.”
“It is an honor to receive such a warm welcome.”
“If you experience any inconvenience while staying at the academy, feel free to consult me anytime. Today we’re scheduled to do practical training. Will that be alright?”
“Practical application is always best.”
“Excellent. Then let’s begin right away.”
Although he had only completed less than half the roll call, Ivanov decided to ignore the rest. The students’ grades were nowhere near as important as his own life. He immediately took out the practice materials and placed them on the podium.
“This is a simple practical exercise. Students whose names I call will demonstrate what they’ve learned so far. First—”
“I’ll go first.”
While Ivanov was scanning the room, Louise Violet raised her hand and spoke.
“Ah… then we’ll start with Lady Violet. Her skills are already well-known, so she hardly needs the practice, but still. Haha!”
While Ivanov was busy pouring out empty flattery, Louise had already descended to the podium, cane in hand. A strange glint flickered in her eyes.
“Rise.”
In the blink of an eye, Louise chanted the spell and swung her cane. At the same moment, one of the iron spheres placed on the podium shot forward with incredible speed. But it wasn’t moving upward—it was flying to the left. In an instant, the iron sphere was hurtling straight toward Eden Lopez’s face.
But it was only for a split second.
Something sliced through the air at blinding speed. The iron sphere split cleanly in two and fell harmlessly to the floor.
“...It seems you’re still rather inexperienced with telekinesis.”
Eren Lopez had already sheathed his sword and spoke in a quiet murmur.
“A human who doesn’t even know the basics of magic might think that way.”
Louise put away her cane and stared directly at Ivanov. Cold sweat poured down the professor’s forehead.
Damn it… what the hell am I supposed to do?
Both Louise Violet and Eden Lopez were people who could send him plummeting into the abyss with a single flick of a finger. As someone who knew the full story, Ivanov had to choose a side right now. But one of them was undeniably a rotten rope. Grabbing it without thought meant death. Not metaphorically—literally.
Caught between the queen of the upper world and the drug king of the underworld, Ivanov agonized.
“Both Lady Violet’s magic and Lopez’s swordsmanship are truly magnificent! With talents like these in the academy, its future looks incredibly bright! Don’t you all agree?”
In the end, he chose to grab both rotten ropes at once. It was the skill of a man who had survived decades as a professor.
...... Maybe it really is time to retire.
Ivanov thought so. Because before long, a blood-soaked war would break out within the academy. There was no reason for him to get caught up in that storm.