Chapter 259
Chapter 259
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 259
Chapter Title: The Truth Revealed (4)
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But Shirone shook his head.
Less than a month remained until the end of the semester.
The practical exams were over, and only the written exams were left.
Starting next semester, he would be in the graduating class, which meant this was his last chance to reinforce his fundamentals.
That was the logical conclusion, but his emotions wouldn't listen to reason.
Shirone was usually unshakable, but with his parents involved, there was no way he could focus on his books.
That was also why he had come straight to the society room after class, only to be lost in idle thoughts.
Nade opened the door to the society room and came in.
"Hey, Shirone, we're here."
Iruki placed a bag of bread on the table and sat on the sofa opposite Shirone.
"We brought some food. You must be hungry, so have some if you want."
"Yeah, thanks."
"We ran into Dante at the store."
"Oh? How's he doing?"
"How is he? He's raring for a fight. Looks like he's staying at the academy. Said he's going to beat you in the graduation exam and graduate at the top of the class. I told him to tell you himself. He'll probably declare war on you soon, so you should start thinking of a good comeback to shut him down."
Despite his troubled mind, Shirone let out a laugh.
That was Iruki for you, thorough as ever. Now that Dante and his group had become rivals, he was already on a war footing.
"Alright, I'll think of something. You made me laugh."
At Shirone’s words, Iruki gave a bittersweet smile. It was clear that even if he didn't show it, he was also feeling down.
Nade, who had been trying to think of a way to ease Shirone's mind, remembered a rumor and spoke up.
"I heard this afternoon that Headmaster Olivia summoned Killain. She'll probably come up with some kind of solution. Don't worry too much."
"Yeah…"
Shirone had also heard the rumor that Olivia might be staying at the academy.
But with the damage already done, he wasn't sure how much help she could be.
The most frustrating part was being unable to do anything.
A rumor has no physical form; you can't fight it and win, nor can you slap handcuffs on it and throw it in jail.
All Shirone could do was hope this storm would pass without causing any further incidents.
@
Having been summoned, Killain took a carriage that night and arrived in Creas.
Olivia held the position of inspector, one of the highest ranks in the Teachers' Society, so a clumsy response could lead to disaster.
Packing only the essentials, Killain found a random inn to sleep in and headed for Alpheas Magic Academy first thing in the morning.
Students who recognized her whispered amongst themselves.
The article interviewing Shirone's parents had clearly caused a stir. And whatever their feelings toward Shirone, none of these students would view her favorably.
Killain had a feeling that today would not be easy.
'It doesn't matter. I was prepared for this, anyway.'
By revealing Shirone's background, Dante's star power would be maintained.
Not only had she one-upped the other correspondents scrambling to find a new star, but she could also keep her livelihood intact.
Olivia would surely want Dante to succeed as well.
Given her social standing, she wouldn't condone such a sensationalist article, but it would likely end with a few words of admonishment and nothing more.
Killain straightened her clothes and stood before the headmaster's office. She cleared her throat and announced herself in her usual cheerful voice.
"It's Killain."
"Come in."
Olivia's voice was the one thing the correspondent envied most.
If God allowed it, she would choose Olivia's voice over the title of a Grade 2 Archmage.
But today, it sent a chill down her spine.
As an authority on Command Magic, her voice possessed a special power that could pierce a person's heart.
From the sound of it, her mood was anything but good.
Upon entering the office, she found Olivia sitting with a frigid expression. Uncharacteristically, the former headmaster of Alpheas was seated beside her, and across from them sat Shirone.
"Hello, Ms. Olivia, Mr. Alpheas. Oh, and hello to you too, Shirone."
Killain made eye contact with all three and greeted them warmly.
No one responded. Olivia, in particular, didn't even tell her to sit.
"This article… Can you explain it?"
Olivia threw a magazine at Killain's feet.
It was never pleasant to see an article of hers tossed on the floor.
But Killain didn't let it show. The atmosphere was far worse than she had anticipated.
"Reporting the facts is a correspondent's job and calling. Is there a problem?"
Shirone's brow furrowed.
Correspondents had a duty to report the facts, but they weren't the only ones in the world entitled to pursue their precious values.
Even if a clear line couldn't be drawn, if one had a duty to fulfill their calling, they also had a responsibility to uphold.
Killain held her head high, unflinching as she met the gazes of the three.
Did they think this was her first time facing this kind of pressure while covering aspiring mages?
High-ranking nobles had lobbied her for favorable articles, and occasionally, some unknown group would attack and ransack her home.
She had overcome all those hardships to get to where she was today.
Moreover, Olivia knew that better than anyone.
Having weathered countless threats from competitors to make Dante a star, there was nothing Olivia could do to her.
"Of course, I anticipated that Shirone's interview would cause a social stir. But Ms. Olivia, it couldn't be helped. I simply transcribed the contents of the interview. It's not my fault that Shirone's background is different from others."
Olivia's eyes crinkled into a smile.
*Is that it?* Killain genuinely thought it was over.
But her smile vanished in an instant.
"You've gotten bold, Killain."
Killain's face stiffened.
"To think the little rookie who couldn't even speak to me when she first joined the Teachers' Society is now not only talking back but trying to play word games with me…"
Killain sensed things were taking a strange turn, but her livelihood was on the line.
She would rather die here and now than see her ten-year career go up in smoke.
"Heh, did I? It was so long ago, I can't quite remember. I suppose that means you've gotten that much older too, Ms. Olivia. I never would have imagined such an unrefined tone from you in the past. The winds of time are harsh, it seems."
Olivia and Killain's gazes clashed head-on.
Alpheas, unable to watch any longer, spoke up.
"Ms. Killain, no matter how important an article is, there must be a sense of responsibility when documenting a person's life…"
"You stay out of this."
Olivia cut him off.
*What a frustrating old fool.* How could he try to persuade someone as venomous as Killain with a lecture on morality?
Her use of informal language in an official setting was a calculated move to pressure Killain.
Alpheas fell silent, looking awkward, but the effect was profound.
Killain still maintained her smile, but her face had gone as pale as a sheet.
"Have you lost your mind, Killain?"
Killain couldn't breathe. In contrast, her heart was frantically pumping oxygen throughout her body.
Even a child knew she was no match for Olivia if she truly intended to crush her.
She couldn't understand why Olivia was treating her with such hostility.
This was also for Dante's sake, and it was true that Olivia had tacitly approved of similar situations in the past.
"I apologize if I was rude. But Ms. Olivia, this couldn't be helped. Even as an inspector for the Teachers' Society, you can't exert external pressure on an article. If this fact were to be revealed, I won't be the one in trouble."
Killain had a point.
No one in the Teachers' Society had the authority to demand revisions to a correspondent's factually accurate article.
The only exceptions were if the royal family declared martial law or if illegal corruption was discovered in the article's creation process.
"No, Killain. You're the one whose career as a correspondent is over. That interview with Shirone's parents, how exactly did you get it? According to Shirone, his parents would never carelessly divulge such matters."
Killain flinched slightly.
Honestly, she hadn't expected Olivia to pursue her so relentlessly, so she had been somewhat complacent on that front.
Of course, she hadn't threatened them or created a coercive atmosphere. She had merely taken advantage of a parent's concern for their child.
"Well… I just kept asking, so they told me. They must have been nervous since it was an interview. There are a lot of people like that."
Olivia smiled, an expression of sheer disbelief on her face.
"Killain, do you think I don't know you?"
Killain pressed her lips together firmly and glared resentfully at Olivia.
Olivia knew her reporting methods down to the bone. After all, they had worked together for ten years to make Dante a star.
That made it all the more unfair. She felt like crying from the pressure when she should have been receiving an award for her contributions.
"They're commoners, dazzled by the world of magic, so you only needed to emphasize one thing, didn't you? The Teachers' Society. You used Shirone's status as a student to sell the authority of the Teachers' Society, didn't you? From a parent's perspective, they would have had no choice but to agree. They must have thought that a student marked by the Society was finished."
Shirone's eyes hardened.
If she had truly pressured his parents like that, it was something he could never forgive.
Killain felt like a cornered rat. Olivia was clearly determined to take her down today.
But she still had one more weapon left.
Self-destruction.
Shedding her mask of pretense, she looked aggrieved, her eyes welling with tears.
"Yes, I did. So what? You know it too, Ms. Olivia. Everyone does it. If you won't even let me do that much, I can't write any articles at all."
Killain's words contained a veiled threat. She was implying that the same had been done for Dante.
But Olivia didn't even bat an eyelash.
Of course, if one dug deep enough, Olivia would have some faults of her own.
But it was a delusion to think that an inspector of the Teachers' Society, a Grade 2 Archmage of the Red Line, was on the same level as Killain.
"Killain, I'm not blaming you as a correspondent. I am here to punish you for betraying the trust I had in you for so long."
Killain felt her world collapsing.
It was a challenge: *Bring it on.* It was a threat, a dare to see who would be left standing after they tore each other apart.
If she were dealing with someone like Alpheas, she would have nothing to fear.
But Olivia was worldly and possessed a certain degree of pragmatism.
For such a person to also be a genius meant that Killain never stood a chance from the start.
"What did I betray? I'll be honest. I thought you would be pleased, Ms. Olivia. Dante lost. I was only trying to help your student succeed."
Only then did Olivia's expression soften.
Now that she had stripped away every last shred of Killain's pretense, the real conversation could begin.
"I appreciate the thought, but you've overstepped your bounds. And it wasn't for my sake, it was for yours. Without Dante, your position in the Teachers' Society would be shaken. But not mine. Dante lost, but Shirone won. Shirone is also my student, so I have nothing to lose."
"What? What did you say?"
Killain looked dumbfounded.
How was Shirone her student?
She glanced at Alpheas, but he too wore a blank expression, as if he had no idea.
"Shirone is your student? But you're in a temporary position, Ms. Olivia. I was under the impression you would be resigning as headmaster soon."
"I was going to, but I've had a change of heart. I'm staying at Alpheas Magic Academy. Starting next semester, I will be taking the position of vice-headmaster. That makes you a traitor who deliberately tried to ruin the future of my student."
Killain still couldn't comprehend her words, her eyes darting around in confusion.