Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: The Revealed Truth (2)
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“Come to think of it, today’s the publication date. I hope the story about our school came out well.”
Olivia asked as she took the magazine.
Hearing her refer to it as ‘our school,’ Alpheas smiled warmly.
But the pleasant atmosphere vanished the moment he saw the cover.
A shocking story was printed in the headline.
*Breaking News! An Interview with Shirone’s Parents!*
*The Student Who Defeated Dante, the Son of a Mountaineer?*
Olivia tilted her head.
An interview with his parents, not even Shirone himself? And what was this about the son of a mountaineer?
Kyllain had a ruthless streak, but she wasn't foolish enough to publish a completely fabricated story.
A cold sweat ran down Alpheas’s spine.
It wasn’t a fabrication. It was the truth.
Currently, very few people at the academy knew of Shirone’s origins.
Of course, if Kyllain had set her mind to tracking him down, it would have been an easy task. Shirone's parents stood no chance against the investigative skills of a professional correspondent.
Olivia opened the magazine and quickly read through the article.
The process by which Shirone had subdued Dante was described in detail, complete with photographs.
She had heard the Obscura was broken, but that must have been a lie.
Yet the article was not false.
There were limits to distortion; if she had fabricated a story like this, she would be fired without a second thought.
‘It’s true? Shirone is… the son of a mountaineer?’
Olivia looked back at Alpheas, as if demanding an explanation.
Alpheas nodded with a bitter expression.
“It’s true. Shirone is the son of a mountaineer. But he was admitted through a special admission with a recommendation from the Ogent family. Even the teachers don’t know. Thadd didn't know either.”
Olivia showed a hint of disappointment.
“That doesn’t matter. Why did you hide it even from me? As the Headmaster, I should have at least known.”
Alpheas felt a bit wronged himself.
He knew better than anyone that Olivia was discreet and tight-lipped. The problem was that he never imagined something like this would happen.
“It wasn't a matter of hiding it; I hadn't even given it a second thought. A year has already passed, and no one was curious about Shirone's background.”
As Alpheas spoke with a pained expression, Olivia stopped her reproaches and fell into thought.
Shirone’s character was certainly unique. It was true that when you got to know him, his background didn't seem to matter much.
But wherever many people gathered, anything could happen.
“Honestly, you’re so naive. No matter how many allies Shirone has, there are bound to be jealous students. You should have been more mindful. If I had known, this would have never happened in the first place.”
For once, Alpheas had nothing to say.
He was excellent at nurturing students, but he had no talent for politics.
Olivia crossed her arms, pondered for a moment, then made a decision.
“Professor Thadd.”
“Yes, Headmaster.”
“Summon Kyllain immediately. Tell her to come to me the moment she receives the message. And let her know that if she doesn't arrive within 24 hours, I will go find her myself.”
“Understood.”
Thadd bowed his head and turned to leave.
@
Once Shirone’s origins were revealed, Alpheas Magic Academy was thrown into an uproar.
The teachers were shocked, but the ones making the most noise were, of course, the students.
Olivia’s prediction had been spot on.
It seemed as though everyone liked Shirone, but there was a silent minority who had been swept up in the public mood and hadn't voiced their opinions. They were the ones who envied Shirone’s talent.
When this incident broke, they began to denounce Shirone like fish in water.
The school store was teeming with students after classes ended.
The advanced class’s practical exams were over, giving them more free time, but the library was hardly a suitable place to discuss the hot topic of Shirone.
In particular, the mid-tier group from Class Four, who had occupied a corner table, were tearing Shirone down with a fervor as if they were being paid for it.
“Tsk! Is this for real? To think we’ve been attending school with a commoner.”
“Not just any commoner. A mountaineer, they say. The standards have dropped so low, I can’t stand it.”
“No wonder he seemed a bit dense at times. You can’t hide your origins. He’s only been learning magic for a year, too. That’s why he couldn’t even cast basic spells.”
Of course, they were ignoring one crucial fact.
That this same Shirone had become the best in the advanced class—no, the best in the kingdom—in just one year.
Everyone felt the contradiction, but no one dared to voice it.
What they wanted, whether Shirone was a genius or not, was to use this opportunity to bring him down completely.
Leaning against the store counter, Clozer grumbled as he watched their pathetic display.
“What a circus. As if any of them could get close to first place, even without Shirone around.”
Sabina, too, disliked the sight of them hiding in a corner and badmouthing someone.
Of course, to her, Shirone was an enemy she could never like. But the pride she took in having faced the top group head-on made her refuse any comparison to them.
“Dante, what about you?”
“What about what?”
Dante paid no mind to the gossip about Shirone and was instead staring at the menu board above the counter.
“Shirone, I mean. It’s pretty shocking, isn’t it? That he wasn’t a noble.”
Dante blinked, then turned to his friends and asked.
“Hey, what do you guys want to drink?”
Sabina raised her hand and said.
“Orange juice for me. My skin’s been feeling dry lately, so I need some vitamins.”
“Really? I’m thirsty, so I’ll have an iced coffee. What about you, Clozer?”
Clozer stared intently at Dante.
The day after his defeat in the Two-Thousand-Fold Match, Dante had skipped class to rest. The academy had been considerate since the Anti-Magic had landed squarely, but the real injury was surely to his spirit, not his body.
A day passed, and Dante reappeared.
Naturally, all eyes were on him, but he attended class with his usual demeanor, as if nothing had happened.
‘Dante, are you really okay?’
He couldn’t figure out what Dante was thinking.
If he was planning revenge, he would be preparing for another match. If he acknowledged Shirone, it would be right for him to leave the academy. The semester was ending anyway, so it was about time to start packing.
But Dante hadn't said a word about his future plans.
“Um, Senior Dante…”
A girl from Class Five approached Dante, her face flushed.
“Hm?”
Dante turned to her, a straw from his iced coffee in his mouth.
“Um, I was really impressed by your match.”
Clozer and Sabina felt their hearts drop.
How could someone be so clueless? The person involved was staying silent, yet she had to bring it up.
But the naive girl seemed to believe that anything said with sincerity was acceptable.
“Even though you lost, I don’t think you were defeated, Senior Dante. You know, like eternal rivals. I’m sure you can win the next match.”
Sabina cautiously glanced at Dante.
Contrary to her expectations, Dante showed no particular emotion. He simply blinked and said nonchalantly.
“Yeah, thanks.”
Dante’s friends were shocked.
This was Dante, who had always considered a single loss to be as good as death. Such a calm reaction was, if anything, abnormal.
‘Don’t tell me… the shock of defeat scrambled his brains?’
The girl, having received a thank you from Dante, scurried back to her friends with an excited look on her face.
Come to think of it, all the students were watching them. The chatter had died down, and the store was silent.
Dante, realizing all eyes were on him, finally looked around. Then, as if it didn't concern him, he sat at an empty table and sipped his coffee.
Clozer brought over the same coffee Dante had ordered, slammed it on the table, and sat across from him, asking in a hushed voice.
“What is wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Shirone. It’s just strange that you’re not saying anything.”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“Forget Shirone for a second. The match is over, so you should say something. Are you really going to just give up like this? You have to reclaim your title as the kingdom’s top student.”
Dante let out a small, self-deprecating laugh.
“The kingdom’s top student? I wonder…”
Frustrated by Dante’s lukewarm response, Clozer pounded his chest.
He was clearly in a serious slump.
The shock of losing to Shirone was so great that his motivation and passion had vanished.
“You really…!”
Just as Clozer, unable to bear it any longer, was about to raise his voice, the store's door opened and two people walked in.
Coincidentally, it was Nade and Iruki.
The students’ attention naturally shifted to them.
The key figures who had fought a fierce three-week battle were now reunited.
It was a shame Shirone wasn't there, but on the other hand, how could he even show his face?
Every single student in the academy was of a higher station than Shirone.
They were nobles; Shirone was a commoner.
According to social norms, Shirone was the sort of person who should lick their boots without a word of protest if ordered to.
Of course, as educated people, they knew this wasn't exactly right, but they had no intention of giving up the advantages they were born with.
Iruki, noticing the strange atmosphere in the store, looked around and spotted Dante.
Dante met his gaze without looking away.
The students held their breath, awaiting the encounter between the two, but contrary to their expectations, Iruki’s words were surprisingly mild.
“You’re here? That’s a surprise. I didn’t think you frequented places like the store.”
Dante held up his coffee.
“I was thirsty. What about you?”
Iruki had always had peculiar tastes, and he rarely bought food unless it was a special occasion. He believed it dulled the functions of the brain.
Back then, his classmates had found Iruki strange because of his age, but Dante had thought there was some logic to it.
That was why, even after all this time, he remembered Iruki’s eating habits.
Iruki shrugged and walked to the counter.
“Shirone didn’t eat dinner. I’m just getting him something.”
Dante nodded in understanding.
“I see. How’s Shirone doing?”
“Well… he’s alright. But it seems he was a little shocked.”
“Really? That’s unexpected.”
Dante was sincere.
Having exchanged information at incredible speeds during the Two-Thousand-Fold Match, he had personally experienced the vastness of Shirone’s mind. He didn't think Shirone was the type to hole himself up over something like this.
“Well… Shirone is fiercely protective of his family. He seems angry that Kyllain interviewed his parents without permission.”
Dante thought of Kyllain.
That sounded exactly like something she would do.
If his parents knew the school was in an uproar, their guilt would be immense.
Shirone was upset about that, and so he was likely waiting for this situation to blow over as quickly as possible.
“Hey, Iruki, are you really going to hang out with Shirone in a situation like this?”
James, one of the boys who had been badmouthing Shirone, shot up and pointed at Iruki.
The mid-tier group wanted Dante’s and Shirone’s factions to clash. If a war of attrition continued until they destroyed each other, it would create an opportunity for them to rise up.
But when the expected conflict didn't happen, he decided to step in and provoke Iruki himself.
“The Mercodine family is one of the best in the kingdom. Don’t you feel betrayed? Shirone is far beneath you, yet he pretended to be on your level. And you’re running food errands for that guy? Does that make any sense?”
Iruki wagged a finger, looking almost proud.
“Why wouldn’t it make sense? First of all, Shirone is my friend. And he’s currently hungry. Most importantly, we already knew about Shirone’s background. That’s what friends do, isn’t it?”
“W-What?”
James gaped, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Since the three of them were always together, it was possible Shirone had told them. But how could they still be friends even after knowing?