The Besieged Crow (2)
It had been about two days since he'd taken Reina's Death List Smash to the face.
"Aizen. Come see me for a moment."
As usual, just as the lecture ended and he was about to hurry to his workshop, Professor Reina called out to him with a grave expression.
He immediately turned to the professor and shot back. "I've been behaving myself, Professor."
"Come to think of it, the librarian mentioned something about giving you a warning yesterday. What did you do?"
"I snuck a quick copy of some materials I wanted from the library..."
"...If you took them without permission, you'll have to submit a reflection essay. That's not the issue, so come here."
He hadn't realized even just copying required permission. Compared to his previous life, he'd thought this was fine, but apparently not.
But from Reina's expression, he could tell right away there was a more serious problem.
Following her straight to the faculty office, he heard Noel trailing behind.
"Lord Aizen? Did you cause trouble again?"
"I copied some library materials without permission, but she says that's not it."
"Sometimes I think our senses of 'normal' are pretty different, Lord Aizen."
He slowed his pace to match Noel's precise evaluation. Since her frail body required a cane, if he walked at his usual speed, she'd definitely fall behind and start panting.
With Reina looking so serious anyway, it seemed smart to get Noel's input too—or so he thought, when he suddenly remembered someone who hadn't shown up unusually today.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Mina around today."
"Oh? You didn't know either, Lord Aizen?"
They seemed glued at the hip, but they didn't share every class, so it wasn't unusual to go a few hours without seeing her. Plus, despite her appearances, as a saintess running her own merchant guild, she often skipped classes even as an academy student.
Yet she always made time for the workshop. 'Guess that means she finds me comfortable?'
His thoughts reached that point just as the faculty office came into view. Stepping inside, he saw Professor Reina deep in serious conversation with Professor Isarina.
They seemed lost in thought, their dialogue having just trailed off. He let Noel enter first, and Reina looked slightly flustered before composing herself.
"Lady Noel has arrived as well."
"Please call me comfortably even outside of class, not just during lectures."
Noel spoke gently, and Reina bowed her head in thanks. Then she thought for a moment before starting to pop headache pills.
"Too many pills aren't good for you, Professor."
"Want me to smack you for no reason?"
At Reina's words, he took a step back. Noel gave him a wry look, cleared her throat awkwardly, and turned to Reina.
"I heard you called for Lord Aizen earlier..."
"Lady Noel, excuse me—I'd like to say you're not involved so please leave, but that's not the case either. Let's get started."
With that, Professor Reina pulled a stack of documents from her drawer. She gestured to the meeting table and chairs in the corner of the office, so he followed and sat down. She placed the pile on the table with a heavy sigh.
"Prince Gilford has challenged you to a duel, Aizen."
"A duel?!"
"Judging by Lady Noel's reaction, it seems this was his unilateral decision without royal approval."
Reina looked faintly hopeful at Noel's shocked question.
"To be precise, this is a duel application submitted to the academy by Prince Gilford's side. The stated reason is that you, Aizen, have not shown apology or sincerity for your rudeness and insult toward the prince."
"This is the first I'm hearing of it."
"Don't worry. First time for me too."
Noel immediately started skimming the documents. He picked one up too, and a particular passage jumped out.
"Aizen placed Gilford Rex Vespa into a dirt tray and forcibly threw him..."
"Even if we bail him out, he bitches up a storm."
Noel had mentioned a few days ago that Prince Gilford was throwing a fit over being stuffed into a dirt tray like a doormat. But that was it. He'd never demanded a direct apology.
'I heard that if there's something worth an apology, the one owed it has to hint first.'
This place had its quirks, but apparently, there was a precedent where someone ambiguously prompted apologies multiple times, only for the other side to refuse and die of frustration. Rumor had it that involved an Argent Empire envoy, leading to the Vespa king's death from rage.
Either way, the key point was that between nobles—unlike commoner-noble spats—the aggrieved party usually dropped subtle hints to resolve it. With no such hint, he'd assumed Gilford would tire himself out and drop it.
"This is unfair."
"Well said."
As Reina agreed with Noel, he read on. Seeing the demands, he couldn't help but frown.
Therefore, Gilford Rex Vespa proposes the following demands:
• Aizen Arclight must scrap all golems and items created at the academy, and submit all related materials to Gilford Rex Vespa.
• Aizen Arclight's apology.
• Aizen Arclight's expulsion.
"He must really hate my guts, huh?"
The pettiness was palpable—scrapping everything came before even apology or expulsion. It felt less like a demand for remorse and more like a desire to erase all his achievements.
"Don't get any weird ideas, Aizen."
Reina's cold voice cut in.
"This duel is unjust. It permits you to use golems but lets him choose the venue and challenge with a full party—conditions not worth entertaining. It's just classist violence."
"It even brazenly claims we owe him this after the sandworm... This looks like the royals oppressing a noble unfairly. They shouldn't allow it. What are the prince's aides doing?"
Her gentle tone couldn't hide Noel's anger. Reina sighed and clutched her head.
"The academy's unique environment makes some think they're kings inside these walls."
It had extraterritorial status internally, but most students and professors were kingdom subjects, so kingdom laws and ranks still applied. The isolation turned external privileges into delusions of grandeur.
'Noel's something else.' Her ducal status rivaled royalty, yet she showed respect to professors and students alike.
"Long story short, I'm mediating to make this go away, Aizen."
"You can block it? He's royalty."
"Don't worry. Most of the faculty think this is ridiculous. You think we can't even protest?"
She said that, but if it were that simple, Reina wouldn't be so tense. Her serious talk with Isarina suggested friction. Maybe they'd compromise: accept, have him throw the duel, reject everything but the apology.
"Then let's politely draft our conditions, Lord Aizen."
"Politely?"
"Yes. We'll say the prior rudeness is water under the bridge. That frames you as willing to apologize, but the prince as hasty and rude. The academy can mediate on that basis."
"If we're being honest, that's why I called you."
High nobility indeed— she instantly calculated the smoothest path.
But... 'With this level of bullheadedness, will it work?'
If sane aides were around, they'd have advised against it, but likely ignored. Was Gilford unhinged now?
He didn't dwell. 'Dragging it out just gives them more chances.'
The moment he moved to write the conditions as Noel suggested—
Thud.
"There you are. Or rather, there you are, Mister Aizen!"
Mina burst in briskly, slipping into her formal tone upon remembering it was the faculty office.
Noel looked impressed at Mina's mask-switch, while Reina startled then relaxed.
"Mina. You're always so spirited—nice to see—but barging in without knocking is rude."
"Haha, sorry! But I heard some fun news and came to tell my friends!"
"Lady Mina, you really are a master actress..."
Noel murmured in quiet admiration as Mina approached him.
And then.
"Duel in three days, Aizen!"
"What?"
As he was about to sign, Mina shoved forward a paper nearly identical in content, grinning.
****
The faculty office erupted over Mina's document, and Reina eventually evacuated them. Back at the workshop, Mina showed off yet another copied transcript, and Noel's eyes went wide.
"Th-this is a bit..."
"Over the top, right?"
Mina dropped her mask, face calm. He checked the conditions.
Aizen Arclight (Proxy: Mina Christa) accepts the duel terms.
If Aizen Arclight (Proxy: Mina Christa) wins, the rights to a mid-to-low-grade mana metal mine owned by the royal family shall be transferred to Aizen Arclight (Proxy: Mina Christa).
"You went ahead and pushed this through on your own?!"
"Why? Got a problem? I have the authority."
Mina wagged a finger.
"I hold rights to your riding golem prototypes, drafts, and failures. Plenty of standing as proxy and stakeholder."
"W-well, that's possible, but these conditions..."
Noel looked troubled. Royal mana metal mine rights? Overkill.
"Isn't this too much?"
"They're messing with a contract item tied to the Saras Church saintess—think they'll back off now? No way."
Mina grinned slyly.
"Broadly speaking, it's touching the king's property too. You didn't just wander into the academy, right, Aizen?"
His entry was guaranteed by the palace on condition of completing the riding golem—validating the "king's property" logic.
"Wait—double contract...?"
"No idea what you mean, Duchess. Anyway, Gilford's shortsighted, but accepting those terms locked him in—he had to push the duel. No mediation possible."
Noel's expression shifted as Mina leisurely munched a snack.
"It's not Gilford. It's the malcontents using him. Guys jealous of me and Noel's good ties with you, idiots griping about favoritism, and knights feeling threatened."
"The knights?"
Noel got serious; Mina wagged her finger.
"Yup. Malcontents. Mass-produced golems that crush sandworms easy? Knights with just swords lose prestige and get downsized."
So they joined out of crisis... Got it.
"This is political."
"Not some academy spat. ...Someone's pulling strings behind the scenes. Definitely."
Mina smiled.
"So I got the intel, declared myself proxy, drafted this, and bounced."
"That's a bit too willful..."
"Good for me, good for you, good for everyone."
That face said she'd already schemed how to profit if he got the mine. Never at a loss.
"They can't win anyway."
Mina said casually.
"I've ridden the Caterpillar Golem—know its power. Party of up to ten with arm-twisting? Just bulldoze 'em to win. Easy."
Everyone acknowledged its potential after the sandworm—now a threat, Mina laughed.
"Just ride it in, grab the win and loot. Good deal?"
"Your tone says yes, but still..."
Noel voiced concern—not over the duel. She believed in victory too. No more stopping it.
"Rest up, win in three days. Simple?"
Mina said lightly, then grinned.
"Big problem though."
"What?"
Toward the belatedly anxious Mina.
He grinned back.
"Already pulled the engine."
Testing a new frame—he'd removed it already. Reinstalling meant adjustments: minimum four days...
Noel and Mina's faces changed.
"Th-then what do we...!"
"Got a fix. Right now."
Seeing Mina flustered was kinda fun.
"There is one. Advance the field test. But I can't prep everything solo?"
Grinning, he looked at Mina and Noel.
Mina got it instantly.
"You want me to round up hands."
"Blueprints done. Just simple assembly—others can handle."
He glanced at the standing frame.
"Let's get this guy on his feet."
The day was finally approaching. The large red gem in the frame's head caught the light, gleaming faintly.