Chapter 171: Fury — Interlude (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: Fury — Interlude (2)
“Aaargh! Bring that bastard here this instant! That insolent insect! Aaargh!”
“Calm down, Student Miya!”
Academy Hospital. Treatment Room.
Drenched in blood, Miya screamed, causing a violent scene. She had received healing magic, but her internal wounds were far from fully mended.
The floor was a graveyard of medical supplies and equipment, shattered after she had forcefully swept them off the shelves in a fit of pique.
Though the initial agony had subsided, Miya still felt the searing pain of her insides twisting—a sensation that continuously fueled the furnace of her ceaseless rage.
The healers stood back, arms extended in a futile gesture of peace. They were trembling, their skin crawling under the pressure of her formidable mana.
“Y-you need to heal first...!”
“Student Miya, please calm down! Your wounds will reopen!”
Miya, who viewed the healers as nothing more than bothersome gnats, glared at them with bloodshot eyes. Her forehead was flushed a deep crimson, veins bulging as if they might burst, her teeth bared like a cornered beast.
“You worthless bugs. I told you to bring him here, and all you do is bark orders at me...!”
Just then, the door creaked open.
Every head in the room turned toward the entrance.
As a beautiful third-year with shimmering golden hair stepped inside, Miya’s eyes widened in shock. The girl, wearing a gentle, practiced smile, was the last person Miya expected to see here.
It was the Student Council President, Alice Carroll.
“Student Council President? Why are you here...?”
“I heard a commotion while I was passing by, so I decided to stop in.”
Alice Carroll was one of the key figures Miya had intended to bring under her thumb. Even through the throbbing pain, Miya’s voice instinctively softened.
Alice was a powerhouse second only to Dorothy—a true force of nature who commanded the Phantom Cat Cheshire as her familiar.
With a relaxed smile, Alice walked steadily toward Miya, the girl who harbored secret ambitions of making the President her subordinate one day.
Their gazes met in a silent clash.
“Hey.”
Alice’s voice was kind. She leaned forward slightly, bringing her lips close to Miya’s ear. As Alice’s warm breath brushed against her nape, Miya’s ears reflexively turned red.
Without realizing it, Miya swallowed hard, her body tensing. Alice exuded an enchanting, almost hypnotic charm simply by existing.
The healers watched in silence. The Student Council often handled disciplinary incidents, so they were content to let Alice take control of the situation.
Alice’s enchanting voice whispered softly.
“I heard Isaac hurt you. It must be... very upsetting, right?”
Her tone possessed a magical quality that seemed to soothe the soul. Miya nodded slowly, her guard dropping. She assumed Alice was trying to comfort her, to validate her anger.
Miya swallowed dryly, waiting for more words of sympathy.
Alice continued to speak, her face still wearing that same kind smile. But the words that followed completely shattered Miya’s expectations.
“Stop your bitching and just stay mad, you brat.”
“...What?”
Did I hear that right?
Miya froze, a look of utter dismay spreading across her face. No matter how much she doubted her ears, the truth was clear: Alice’s lips had uttered aggressive, foul words that stood in jarring contrast to her gentle tone.
The healers, unable to hear the whisper, remained still and on guard.
Miya stared at Alice, stunned. Their eyes locked. Alice’s smile and her cherry-blossom-colored eyes suddenly felt like a deliberate provocation.
Miya’s expression twisted into a mask of fury. A heavy pressure settled over the room as flames of mana began to smolder around her body. She glared at Alice with murderous intent.
“You... what did you just say...?”
Boom!
A phantom impact jolted through Miya’s limbs. For a split second, she felt as if she had been struck by a physical force.
“Huh?!”
Miya quickly extinguished her flames and checked her arms and legs in a panic. They were intact. Cold sweat poured down her face like rain, and her pupils shook violently. What had just happened?
Groooooo──.
“...!”
Miya felt it then. Alice’s mana had flooded the treatment room, effortlessly swallowing her own. It was mana so dense and superior that any rational human would lose their composure in its presence.
Fear was an emotion designed for survival—a biological warning to choose flight over fight. That was the primal instinct screaming inside Miya at that moment.
Miya looked at Alice, her head shaking uncontrollably. Because she possessed considerable mana herself, she was uniquely qualified to recognize the sheer scale of the threat directed at her.
Behind Alice, a massive, bizarre purple specter formed from mana seemed to roar. It was the power of the Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Even with the Nameless Hero gone, there were still monsters lurking in this academy. And Miya realized, with terrifying clarity, that Alice was one of them.
“Ah...”
Miya understood. If she had lashed out with her flames just now, she would have faced a devastating outcome far worse than what Isaac had done to her.
Alice, regaining her noble poise, stepped back from Miya.
“It’s not that I don’t empathize with you, but I’m saying this for your own good, so remember: ‘Revenge is to be taken within the boundaries of the academy.’ For now, let go of that anger and focus on your recovery.”
Alice smiled sweetly, wagging an index finger in a playful admonishment. Her gentle demeanor made it feel as if her earlier swearing had been a hallucination.
“You’ll do that, right?”
“...”
Miya nodded weakly, the gesture coerced by the sheer weight of Alice’s presence.
“Good.”
Alice nodded in satisfaction, then waved a hand gracefully to the healers. “I’ll be off then. Everyone, take care~!”
She stepped out of the room, leaving a heavy, suffocating atmosphere behind. A moment later, Miya’s legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the bed in utter despair.
*
Meanwhile, in the hospital corridor, Alice hurried along, greeting passing staff with a practiced smile.
[Meow. Alice, that was fun.]
The voice of the Phantom Cat Cheshire echoed in her mind. Since the familiar was nearby, they could converse privately.
[Does the Priestess seem useful?]
‘Yes.’
Alice intended to make full use of Miya. The girl was arrogant and foolish, but she was the master of a powerful magic beast, the Nine-tailed Fox, and possessed decent skills.
Moreover...
‘There’s a demon hiding in her shadow.’
In the depths of Miya’s shadow, a demon was biding its time in silence.
Through the labyrinth where she could summon the minds of her subordinates, Alice had received intriguing information from Clover Paladin. She knew Isaac had defeated Miya in a duel—not just a simple match, but one charged with intense emotion.
This was a perfect setup for Alice. A Priestess with a demon attached to her, fueled by a grudge and ready to cross any line. And she resented Isaac, the man Alice suspected might be the Black Monster.
How could someone be so useful?
‘She’s too valuable to waste.’
To put it metaphorically... in the chess game against the Black Monster, with Märchen Academy as the board, Miya was a pawn on the cusp of promotion. Alice didn’t want such a valuable piece to be discarded or punished prematurely just because it couldn't control its temper.
So, Alice had broken Miya’s spirit, restraining her like one would a rampaging dog.
Thanks to the interference of Leafa the Illusive, the academy was rife with rumors of an informant. If Alice were discovered, she would be expelled, and both the academy and the Empire would turn against her. Since she couldn't act openly, a tool like Miya was invaluable.
‘She isn’t fully ripe yet. But if she keeps nursing that anger...’
Alice wanted Miya’s resentment toward Isaac to fester.
‘When the perfect opportunity comes, I’ll make her explode.’
Sacrificing Miya would be a small price to pay to confirm whether Isaac truly was the Black Monster.
Alice walked on, her expression serene. Her destination was White’s private hospital room.
*
Right before my eyes, a scene unfolded that was beyond my wildest imagination.
I was in White’s private room, practicing mana control and looking after her alongside Merlin.
Knock, knock.
There was a rap at the door. Merlin opened it, and a beautiful female student stepped inside. White stared at the senior with a mix of disbelief and pure admiration.
What is she doing here?
I was bewildered. Alice Carroll walked toward us, her light-gold hair swaying with every step. She shot me a quick smile before greeting White with perfect etiquette.
She was clearly pretending not to know me well in front of the princess, acting as if she were merely White’s mentor or a concerned senior. It was a relief, but I still watched her with deep suspicion.
“In my unworthy state, I am humbled to meet Your Highness. I am Alice Carroll, the Student Council President.”
“S-Student Council President?! Why are you here...?”
“I heard you had a difficult time during your duel. I’ve come on behalf of the Student Council to check on your recovery.”
“Ah...!” White was flustered, but her eyes shone like stars. It was clear she was thrilled to meet the famous Student Council President in person. Alice was an idol to many students, and White was no exception.
Alice placed a gift basket filled with fruit on the bedside cabinet. White looked relieved to see there were no red apples inside.
So she’s here on "official business," I thought. She was likely trying to keep things low-profile.
“How is your health?” Alice asked.
“I-I’m okay! More importantly, um...”
White seemed to realize why Alice had really come.
“If you’re worried about the fallout... please, don’t be,” Alice said smoothly. “Nothing will happen on a national level. What happens at the academy stays within the academy.”
That’s exactly what I taught her. She’s using my own words.
“It was my own weakness that led to this,” White said. “I don’t hold a grudge. Thank you for coming, Student Council President.”
“Heh. Thank you. I am deeply moved by Your Highness’s generous understanding.”
“Ah, ehehe. It’s nothing special, really...”
Merlin and I watched them blankly. A polite, heartwarming, and utterly boring conversation followed. Eventually, Alice glanced at the clock tower through the window, timing her exit.
“...Ah, look at the time. I should be going. It was an honor to speak with Your Highness.”
“Oh! No, the honor was mine!” White waved her arms so vigorously she practically left afterimages. Alice just smirked, clearly amused.
Alice bowed slightly and turned to leave.
So she’s actually just leaving. Thank god nothing happened.
That’s what I thought, until—
“Ah.”
Alice stopped at the door as if she’d suddenly remembered something. She looked back, and our eyes met.
“It was good seeing you, Baby. You’re as adorable as ever.”
Alice flashed a brilliant, mischievous smile.
That bastard. Of course she wouldn't leave without causing trouble. She dropped that absolute bombshell and strolled out of the room, leaving me to deal with the wreckage.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. A heavy, suffocating silence descended.
I couldn't bring myself to look in either direction. A single bead of cold sweat rolled down my cheek.
Because both White and Merlin were staring at me, their faces masks of pure, unadulterated shock.