Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 277
>Chapter Title: Between Witness and Culprit
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The peaceful academy after midterms were over.
In the first-floor cafeteria of the second-year student dining hall, groups of students gathered here and there to spend their evening after dinner.
Amid the gentle music and serene atmosphere, at a secluded corner table.
Three boys and one girl sat, an oddly solemn air hanging over them.
The one who spoke first was the brown-haired boy, Chenbi.
"We will now commence the hearing. Defendant Aster."
"Yes."
"The defendant skipped academy classes without permission for exactly sixteen days. Do you admit to this fact?"
Aster nodded slightly, his face gaunt like a criminal guilty of a grave offense, eyes half-closed.
"Answer out loud."
"I admit it."
Chenbi narrowed his eyes slightly at Aster's parched voice.
It was a tone and appearance that could easily stir pity, but his gaze held a venom unlike his usual self.
"Very well. Next, witness Miss Evelyn."
Evelyn responded awkwardly to Chenbi's gaze shifting to her.
"Yes."
"The defendant Aster has called Miss Evelyn as a witness. Do you have anything to say about this? In other words, do you intend to defend Aster?"
Evelyn furrowed her brow at Chenbi's question.
"No, defend what..."
A scoff nearly escaped her at the absurdity, but that's when the silent Damian suddenly bellowed.
"Can't the criminal stay quiet!"
"..."
Clearly, she had been the witness just moments ago, but now she wasn't even a defendant—she was a criminal.
It wasn't a real courtroom, but this lack of structure was ridiculous. And calling for defendants and criminals in a hearing...
'Where do I fit in... Who even is this?'
Evelyn blinked in confusion, unable to adapt to the chaotic situation.
So, how did it come to this?
It started like this.
Early dawn, Aster burst into her room.
- Evelyn, pack your things quickly. We have to go somewhere in a hurry.
She had more than a few questions, but she didn't ask because of his trembling eyes and rigid expression.
So Evelyn grabbed only the bare essentials—money, land deeds, things like that—and left the second Black-White Slums. But Aster loaded her onto a handcart and crossed the plains.
Faster than a horse, they arrived at the city of Hazen.
"Why here..."
Aster didn't answer.
He just silently led her somewhere.
Their final destination was Jenion Academy, which left Evelyn utterly baffled.
He said it was urgent, but why the academy? And how did they breach the academy's security so easily?
Her mind swirled with questions when Aster finally spoke soon after.
- You asked why we're here?
- Yes. Is the ally at the academy in danger?
Aster shook his head.
- No way. That guy's as resilient as a cockroach, as cunning as a goblin, and has rotten character—he won't die even if you kill him.
That was the moment Evelyn pictured the Magic Tower's ally as a cockroach-surviving, goblin-hearted man.
Anyway, that wasn't the point.
- Then, to introduce me to him on this chance?
Yeah, that could be it.
The ally at the academy could be considered a founding member of the Magic Tower.
Now that she handled the Magic Tower's finances, it was right to meet and greet him eventually.
But Aster shook his head again.
- No, something even more important.
- What?
- Look over there.
Following Aster's pointing finger, Evelyn saw the sun half-risen.
- What do you think?
- It hurts my eyes.
- ...
An unexpected response, perhaps.
Aster fell silent.
But the awkwardness didn't last. He soon regained his stern demeanor and spoke.
- There are times in life you can visit only once and never return to. Know when that is?
- What does that have to do with the sun?
- It's your school days.
- No, what does that have to do with the sun?
Aster's eyes gleamed sharply.
Evelyn knew. One more word, and she might actually get hit.
So she kept quiet, and summing up Aster's words, it went something like this.
'Magic Tower's great, but... I don't want you sacrificing too much for it?'
Honestly, Evelyn had never thought that way.
She worked because the pay was good.
She joined the Magic Tower because it seemed fun. And their goals looked good too.
So, Evelyn had never sacrificed for the Magic Tower. Not until now, and not in the future.
But.
'...Fine, if that's how it is.'
Evelyn was exhausted from working all night, but she went to school considering Aster's feelings. Because it didn't feel bad.
She even attended classes diligently for once.
Second-year classes delved deeper, and having skipped some, she struggled to catch up and her head hurt, but she listened hard.
Somehow, attending classes made her understand what Aster meant.
Well, not fully understand, but it was enjoyable in its own way.
Until just before dinner.
Heading back to the dorm to crash with her sleepy eyes, Chenbi stopped her.
- Evelyn, Aster nominated you as a witness.
Witness? What witness?
Full of doubt, but such random events weren't new, and she lacked the energy to argue, so Evelyn followed obediently.
And now this was the aftermath.
"Miss Evelyn, I'll ask again. Will the witness defend the defendant?"
Evelyn's eyes twitched at Chenbi's gravely serious question, as if he were a real judge.
She couldn't hold back anymore.
"Um... just out of curiosity. Why am I here? Is Aster's absence really worth a hearing? No, what does Aster's absence even have to do with me...?"
"That's for criminal Damian to answer."
Damian was a criminal too?
Evelyn tilted her head, but criminal Damian answered brightly.
"My friend ran away. Of course I'd worry. You get that far?"
"I get it..."
"Then what should a friend do? I thought, I need to rescue my friend who might be suffering somewhere."
"Is that true? Not just wanting to leave the academy?"
"Well, that's part of it."
"..."
Evelyn clamped her mouth shut.
Fine, she understood up to there.
Aster vanished, and Damian tried to run away using that as an excuse.
She got that much...
Damian continued.
"That's why Chenbi suffered a lot. That's my friend's crime—providing the trigger."
"..."
What...
Evelyn looked at Chenbi in disbelief. Damian's nonsense wasn't new, so she needed Chenbi to interpret.
But what was this.
"..."
Chenbi nodded solemnly, lips pressed tight.
"What..."
It was true.
So, this hearing was called for the reason Damian stated.
'Wait... Chenbi looked especially tired during exams because of that?'
Evelyn, who had been with them until midterms, recalled Chenbi's exhausted look. His eyes growing venomous daily—she thought it was exam stress, but no.
Wait.
'...That was close.'
Evelyn broke into a cold sweat, snapping out of it. She'd nearly fallen for their logic.
Regaining her composure, she turned to Aster.
"Aster, why am I here? Tell me yourself."
A hearing was their world, fine, but she couldn't fathom why Aster dragged her here.
Then Aster's voice whispered into her ear.
[An excuse...]
An excuse?
[Couldn't think of an excuse...]
"..."
Evelyn fell silent.
Aster fell silent too.
Criminal Damian, bored with the hearing, slurped the coffee bought with defendant Aster's money.
In that moment, Chenbi's voice rang in Evelyn's ear.
"If you don't answer, the defendant and witness will face Damian punishment."
Damian punishment?
Damian spoke then.
"It's spending time with me."
"..."
Evelyn was speechless.
Aster spoke right after.
"Evelyn's innocent."
"Innocent?"
Chenbi tilted his head curiously.
Evelyn frowned at the unresolved expression, but Aster wasn't done.
"Evelyn, I'm fine. I'll keep your secret safe. Calling you here was a mistake. Sorry. Chenbi, let Evelyn go. You could beat me to death, and I won't talk."
Too little sleep? Evelyn's nape tingled, and she swayed briefly.
'Secret? What secret?'
Saying that made it sound like she caused Aster's absence!
About to protest her innocence, Evelyn pressed her brow with her hand to sort her thoughts.
This was Aster's sly trick. Don't panic. Damian might fall for it, but Chenbi wouldn't.
"Aster, you're trying to pin it on me right now..."
Evelyn closed her eyes and spoke calmly. But she couldn't finish.
Because Chenbi's voice echoed in her ear.
"Evelyn."
"Yes?"
"Aster's gone."
"Gone? Where..."
Evelyn ignored her throbbing headache and glanced sideways. Only an empty chair remained.
Empty chair.
Coffee gone too.
"..."
Evelyn stared blankly at the space. Chenbi's voice rang again.
"Now, Evelyn, you have to answer. What was the reason?"
"Uh, well... I don't really know?"
Evelyn smiled awkwardly. Inside, though, she was far from calm.
'Th-this...'
Maybe bringing her to the academy was for this from the start? To dodge this exact messy situation.
Anyway, academy life flowed on.
For Aster, and for Evelyn.
* * *
Meanwhile, while Evelyn suffered under Chenbi, Aster strolled a quiet forest path in the academy.
Not fleeing Chenbi. Rather... yeah, he had business with Principal-senior.
What business?
To explain what happened during his absence. And before visiting Library Director Teheman-senior, to plead for a hand.
'I thought I'd lived righteously, but I have this much karma piled up. This much.'
Morning, summoned by homeroom professor Jeira for a non-hearing hearing.
Evening, treated like air by Chenbi, enduring every humiliation.
Well... probably not really because Damian tried to run away.
More like worry. So he was angry, but couldn't say why.
That probably morphed into this hearing form.
Aster realized anew how awkward he felt receiving such emotions.
He didn't know how to handle sharp feelings born of goodwill.
Hostility, he'd counter cleanly...
Yeah, that would've been better.
'...Like now.'
Aster halted. He had to.
Shing—
Cool touch at his throat.
A man's voice whispered from behind.
"Go back. Or else..."
He didn't finish, but Aster could guess the rest.
Why?
Sss...
Killing intent exploded outward, speaking for him.
One wrong move, and the blade would slit his throat. Yet, for some reason, Aster chuckled.
Whatever it was...
"You struck first?"
"......!"
The assailant's eyes widened in shock right after.