Chapter 125
Chapter 125
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: 13. Other People's Stories (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
# 125
#4 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a (Former) Student Council President.
"Ah… so even here has come to an end."
A mix of sadness and joy, regret and relief, disappointment yet the urgent need to get the hell out of this place as fast as possible.
"…the end is the right answer, isn't it?"
There's no Professor Niserwin anymore.
The Silver Devil is gone too.
Night self-study… isn't here yet either.
But I couldn't stay in a place where Professor Niserwin or the Silver Devil might return at any moment, just for the sake of memories.
"Are you prepared?"
"Yes."
I nodded to Professor Muam, who approached me with a kindly smile.
At Yuglasia Academy's graduation ceremony, as the former student council president and representative of the graduates, I had been tasked with delivering the final words to the other students.
"Alright, this is truly the end… so please, no incidents."
"Don't worry."
Seeing his kindly smile paired with eyes shaking roughly in a way that didn't match, I felt sorry and tightly grasped both of Professor Muam's hands.
On the final day of the Imperial Tournament, Yuglasia had won by an overwhelming score margin since the tournament began, raising its fame across the Empire.
A victory by thousands of points.
But what made Yuglasia even more famous than that overwhelming margin was…
"Team Kill Academy, Yuglasia… that disgraceful name ends this year."
"Yes……."
Team Kill Academy Yuglasia.
That was the nickname given to Yuglasia after the final siege battle, which had drawn the highest audience of any match in the Imperial Tournament this year—including not just the Empire's four great academies' competitions, but even adult leagues and imperial-hosted events.
Those who had watched from the start were stunned by Yuglasia's students fighting each other to the death before suddenly becoming allies.
And the spectators who came midway on rumors were shocked to learn that the intense Imperial Tournament-level battle was actually infighting between students from the same academy. They coined the nickname mockingly, saying how lame must the enemies have been for them to fight among themselves, which ironically praised Yuglasia.
"As a professor of Yuglasia… it's utterly shameful. So please, at least in front of the parents……."
To those who knew the truth, like Professor Muam, it was an unbearably humiliating nickname.
"Yep."
Anyway, things worked out afterward, and I'm getting along great with my girlfriends.
Lisen had lost several times, but true to her promise, my sister kept setting up meetings for him, so he's diligently preparing for those.
Of course, he was treated like trash at the academy for a while as payback, but with all the incidents Lisen causes, he's the one monopolizing that treatment now.
"Then… I'll trust you."
It was the face of Professor Muam, who clearly didn't trust me at all, but I'd already committed irreversible crimes against the students.
I couldn't show such a face right up to the end!
"Next, the graduating class representative will give their farewell address."
Amid light applause, I looked out at the throng of people gathered at Yuglasia.
There were students, parents, families, and friends.
What should I say to them?
"I've been at Yuglasia for four years now. Most of you graduating this year probably have too."
"And if I asked what moment from those four years stuck with them the most, I think they'd all say the same thing."
"The entrance ceremony, full of worry and excitement upon entering Yuglasia? The Imperial Tournament matches we dominated to win? Or this very graduation ceremony ending it all? None of those."
I made eye contact with each graduate one by one.
Lisen let out a deep sigh and shrugged.
Karen scowled subtly, as if she'd tasted something bitter.
The other students wore various expressions, but they all meant the same thing.
"Yes, that's right. The moment that stays with us is the Silver… no, night self-study sessions."
I nearly said "getting beaten by the Silver Devil" but caught myself, remembering the parents around, and changed it in a hurry.
We already had the Team Kill Academy nickname; saying our fondest memory was getting thrashed by a devil would be image suicide.
"It was hardship. Adversity. An unknown ordeal we'd never experienced before."
"That's why we overcame it, grew stronger, won the Imperial Tournament, and are here now."
"And that night self-study is gone from our sides forever. It's over. We… have overcome all trials and tribulations."
-Woooaaahhhh!
Cheers erupted instantly from the students' mouths.
The parents stared in bewilderment, but the students howled like subjects freed from colonial rule, ignoring them.
Now, as former president, I needed to calmly quiet the cheers and wrap up the speech.
And soon, the cheers faded as planned.
-Kabooom!
"Nerkiaaaaa!"
The problem was that the explosion came not from me, the former president, but from the current president, Lady Aris.
"Wh-what?"
"Terrorism?"
"No way!"
"Isn't that… Lady Retia?"
The parents jumped once at the sound of the grand auditorium's doors shattering, then again upon realizing the culprit was the current student council president, Lady Aris of the Retia Marquis family—known as one of the Ten Absolutes.
And then.
"I'll kill you!"
They recoiled yet again at the red spear aura she unleashed and the killing intent whipping up her red hair.
"Ah, Aris… what's gotten into you?"
The first to stop her was Professor Harian, standing near the entrance.
"Professor, please announce to the students. After today's graduation, there will be the president's funeral."
"Eek……."
Professor Harian's face paled at Lady Aris's smiling gaze.
"Wh-what happened… huh?"
'That……?'
As Lady Aris pulled something from her bosom, Professor Harian shut his mouth and glared at it.
"This… crazy?"
After seeing it fully, Professor Harian glared at me with eyes even icier than those he'd fixed on the paper.
"What's this!"
What passed from Lady Aris's hand to Professor Harian's was a familiar paper.
To be precise, the Geass Roll oath from the start of the semester, between me and Professor Niserwin.
"'Per the contract, upon winning the Imperial Tournament, end night self-study for this. Entire. Year?' This year? This year~? So… next year!"
Killing intent began to blanket the auditorium in an instant.
"What does that mean?"
"End night self-study this year?"
"So… they've been ending it until they leave?"
"Starting next year again?"
Murmurs laced with murderous intent burst from all around.
This is bad.
Parents or no, they'll rush me to kill.
So, only one thing left to do.
"It was thoroughly agreed upon in a meeting with the vice president."
Spread the target.
"H-hey, wait!"
Startled by my words, Lisen quickly summoned Loki's Shoes.
"L-lies! The one hope of the student council, Senior Karen, would never! K-Karen Senior? Senior? You're… Nerkia!"
Lady Aris's anxious eyes turned to Karen.
Lady Aris, who trusted and followed Karen—who alone stayed faithful to student council duties during the Imperial Tournament—more than anyone.
Unlike me and Lisen, who'd betrayed her countless times, Karen was her most trusted.
Her body swayed at this betrayal.
And now's the time.
"Chance."
With the wind spirit's blessing, I hurled myself at the auditorium window.
Crash!
Shattering glass shards.
Crash!
Another window breaking.
"Hey, how could you say that!"
"I've gotta survive too!"
I followed after Lisen, who grumbled as he shot ahead.
"Catch them!"
"Kill them!"
Harsh curses and shouts from Lady Aris and the students rang out.
And then.
"With this, Yuglasia's graduation ceremony concludes, and finally, Yuglasia's famous spectacle……."
Professor Muam's words dripped with resentment.
"The academy's internal team kill battle begins."
With those words, amid the water spirit king's wrath, my unforgettable academy life came to an end.
"I'll kill youuuu!"
It might end my life too, if I'm not careful.
#5 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Knight.
Their lives are over.
"Ughhh!"
I handed the magic horse in my grip to Her Highness as I gazed at the wretched corpses strewn on the ground.
"It's done, Your Highness."
"Yes. Good work, Rea."
The fallen were Swordmasters who would earn a count's title and be pillars of any ordinary kingdom, but now they were mere losers defeated by one person.
"And."
"Eek!"
As all received their punishments, trembling while watching—the cause of this operation's failure—collapsed on the spot upon meeting Her Highness's eyes.
"Iris."
"Y-yes, Your Highness……."
"Well, I know your loyalty well. This was probably to ensure the operation's perfect success."
"Y-yes, Your Highness."
Frankly, her plan was fairly perfect.
Tens of thousands mobilized to catch one person, yet they failed.
So, it wouldn't be strange to deem him a monster at the Swordmaster or archmage level.
Sir Ast's surrounding evaluations even suggested calling him a monster in some sense.
Thus, her response wasn't bad.
If I'd fallen into that trap, I'd have been captured by Her Highness.
Of course, it ultimately failed because the mana-suppression device weakened our mana-less ally Sir Ast, turning the tide.
"So, I've decided on a special punishment for you."
"A s-special punishment, Your Highness?"
Terror filled her eyes.
Her Highness's special punishment.
The mere words inspire dread.
"Yes. Namely… contacting the others."
"Pardon?"
Even I, who's served Her Highness longest, couldn't comprehend, leaving the punished one baffled too.
But her face turned ashen at Her Highness's next words.
"Yes, contact. To all those seeking your precious… Lane… I've given his location."
"Y-Your Highness!"
"Your punishment is to experience the same situation as me. Considering your loyalty… I won't take what you have. But… protecting him will be hard. So, give it your best."
"Yes, yes!"
I watched her hurried retreat at Her Highness's gesture.
"Your Highness, could you explain what that means?"
My hands moved almost automatically, pouring tea into Her Highness's empty cup.
"Well, simple. Like his master Ast, Iris's Lane guy is wildly popular."
"Well, he's handsome, at least……."
Unlike the utterly average-faced Sir Ast, his disciple Lane was strikingly handsome.
As daughter of the Empire's top house, having seen countless men, few could match his looks—I was sure.
"What, Rea interested too?"
"N-no……."
"No, Rea. You should… well, not slowly, but get married soon. You're at that age……."
"Ahem!"
Her Highness's words stabbed a sore spot, making me cough lightly.
It hurts. So much it hurts… tears welling up!
"Hmm… right. Anyway……."
Noticing my expression, Her Highness turned her head slightly and changed the subject.
"Still no location on Ast?"
"Yes, even with a perfect encirclement, we couldn't find him."
"No other escapes?"
"No."
After the questions, Her Highness sighed deeply, uncharacteristically.
"Can't catch him with this much force?"
"Well……."
Twelve Swordmasters, three archmages deployed.
Thousands of knights, hundreds of mages and magic engineers.
Tens of thousands of veteran soldiers.
Enough to crush a small nation easily?
No one could call it insufficient for one person, yet two failures already.
"We need more personnel."
"That's… impossible, I think."
Forces to Her Highness's satisfaction don't gather easily.
Even this was possible only with Howling's absorbed manpower.
Half-baked additions would just undermine discipline.
"No, there's a good place."
"Pardon?"
But Her Highness spoke with confident conviction.
"Not soldiers, but commanders—or even top cards—who wouldn't feel out of place."
"R-really?"
It tilted my head instinctively.
Her Highness wouldn't leave such talents untouched.
"And they know."
"What, Your Highness?"
"Ast's habits."
"Ah!"
Then I realized where Her Highness meant.
A place with superb skills no one had touched till now.
No, until recently, it hadn't had such outstanding talents.
But… with one person and one magic horse, they'd showcased power and talent surpassing anyone this year!
"If one Swordmaster knight order isn't enough, two, three… no, I'll make ten for you, Ast!"
I had no reply to Her Highness's cry thick with sticky obsession.
"Send all these to Yuglasia. And… mold the useful ones, send them to me. That's my punishment for them."
Thus began the mass dispatch of non-summoners as professors to the summoners' academy.