Chapter 279
Chapter 279
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 279
>Chapter Title: Justice... is alive?
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The next day.
After academy classes ended, I headed to the principal senior's hideout at his summons.
'Yeah, what's the point of worrying about it.'
There had been so many incidents lately that I'd momentarily forgotten, but in the end, nothing in the world escapes the wheel of unpredictability.
The same went for what happened with Cheonbi.
Contrary to all my various worries, things with Cheonbi had smoothed over nicely.
I couldn't really give a proper excuse for my absence, but honestly, it wasn't something that needed convincing anyway.
All it took was one thing.
A straightforward apology.
That aside.
'Why does everyone look at me like I'm a madman whenever I say anything?'
Shine did it, and so did Evelyn.
People can say thank you or sorry honestly while they're alive, so why do they always react like they're staring at someone about to die tomorrow? Tsk.
Anyway, lost in such thoughts, I arrived at the principal senior's hideout, which had changed a lot since last time.
"What..."
"You're here?"
"Yeah, but..."
I stared at the hideout and voiced my question.
"Are you embezzling lately or something?"
"What?"
"Well, no wonder..."
The hideout had changed so much.
New sofas, desks I'd never seen, and even down to the tea sets and little furnishings.
If they were just ordinary luxury items, I wouldn't say anything, but these didn't look ordinary at all.
"Hah, enough with the nonsense. Sit down."
I glanced at the principal senior, who looked unusually tired, then sat on the sofa.
Our voices overlapped right then.
"First..."
"Anyway..."
We both clamped our mouths shut.
A brief silence.
"You go first."
"You say it."
"No, you first."
"Hmm."
The principal senior let out a short groan and scratched his head. His mouth opened soon after.
"First off, I'm sorry. Let me apologize on behalf of Her Highness the Third Imperial Princess."
"Hmm."
"Her Highness acknowledged that her guard went too far. In fact, she expressed her gratitude to you for holding back."
"Hmm."
"Once again, truly... I'm sorry."
"Hmm."
I unified all my responses with "hmm."
For starters, the principal senior's apology was nearly perfect. No excuses, just straight-up owning his mistake.
And as I listened quietly, I realized the situation was more messed up than it seemed.
"The imperial family's atmosphere is chaotic right now. As you know, Riheim... no, Grand Duke Muspellun has declared his return. It's stirring up the factions of the First and Second Princes."
Why would innocent First and Second Princes be rattled by Grand Duke Muspellun's return?
Basically, it was this.
'So... Grand Duke Muspellun could shake up the current succession?'
He was thought to have died long ago, but his influence lingered. The people who fought alongside him back then all held important positions.
Even after his death, the Empire had mythologized his saga, so plenty in the younger generations admired Grand Duke Muspellun.
"Right now, they're all holding their breath to gauge his intentions, but it could turn into a bloodbath if things go wrong. Yesterday's guard was overreacting because..."
"Because of all that?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm..."
I stared straight at the principal senior.
'Something feels like there's more backstory...'
He seemed to be deliberately holding back.
'But wait.'
Could this be my fault too?
If you think about it, I was the one who gave Riheim senior the opening for his return... No, no.
'I just threw the stone.'
The frog just happened to be there by coincidence.
I shook my head to clear the stray thoughts, and that's when the principal senior spoke.
"But, junior. Could you do me one small favor?"
"...A favor?"
"Yeah, a favor. Nothing grand..."
The principal senior trailed off and looked at me. I met his gaze with squinted eyes.
Did my look annoy him? He asked.
"Junior, why are your eyes like that?"
"Why'd you do that to me yesterday?"
"Do what to you...?"
"You cursed at me. Told me to shut up."
"..."
Honestly... yeah. Fine, the Third Imperial Princess aside. The guard was in the wrong, but I never expected royalty to step up and apologize.
But the principal senior? That shocked me a bit.
Shut up?
It felt like my tender heart was being shredded. Like getting your foot chopped by a trusted axe—except this was an axe I didn't even trust, smashing right into my head. It hurt.
And now? A favor?
"You're sorry, right?"
"I'm... sorry."
Of course. He should be.
"Apologize sincerely."
"Sincerely... I'm sorry."
The principal senior bowed his head slightly in rare remorse, then lifted it again.
"But could you grant me one favor?"
"A favor?"
"Yeah. Tell me what you want. As a token of my apology and gratitude, I'll reward you handsomely."
"Hmm..."
I crossed my arms and legs, tapping my foot and tilting my chin up as I eyed the principal senior. A vein bulged on his forehead, but what could he do? I held the reins here.
"Let's hear it, then?"
"Yeah... would you hear me out?"
Color returned to the principal senior's face.
Seeing that made me feel good too.
But now, what to do.
"I'm busy."
"..."
"Time for class, so I'll be going."
"Class? What class..."
I bolted from my seat before he could finish. Expectations are best when shattered against reality.
And what?
'As a token of apology and gratitude, he'll reward me?'
Who am I?
'Tower Master.'
Not to mention, I'm on senior-junior terms with the mega heavyweight Grand Duke Muspellun—who could sway the imperial succession—and tight with his disciple too.
What I wanted from academy life wasn't much.
Use Parun to set up the academy club, maneuver Evelyn to make money, and finish academy life as quietly as possible.
Wealth and fame?
'Pfft, I've got plenty.'
I lack for nothing.
And it didn't seem like a serious favor anyway.
That aside.
'...Better avoid Rapiter for a while.'
The academy's peace awaited me.
* * *
Academy life was peaceful, and everything went smoothly.
Evelyn commuted to the Second Black-White Slums every weekend but handled her tasks flawlessly, while Parun focused on club registration after agreeing to watch the professor retirement timeline.
Thanks to them, I could live with my brain on autopilot like any ordinary academy student, and now I got why Wyvern talked like that.
"Aster, food..."
"Eat, food."
"How long are you keeping up that weird speech?"
"Don't know, I."
When questioned, if you just spit out words popping into your head without organizing them, that's what happens.
What does that mean?
Wyvern basically lived with his brain off.
But wait.
'Could Damian too?'
Less than Wyvern, but Damian's speech had similarities.
Anyway, daily life was extremely peaceful.
He'd even grown a bit taller.
"Friend, grown."
"..."
Now Damian was catching up to my eye level, growing so fast he tossed and turned with growing pains every night.
Days spent studying at the academy with Damian, Cheonbi, and Evelyn; nights healing my internal injuries alone or using outing passes with the idiot trio to hit the town.
Wandering Hazen's streets, dropping into dessert shops or scouting food spots popular with academy students.
Pure daily bliss.
"What... this isn't bad."
Even workaholic Evelyn put it that way.
...But can everything always go as planned?
As finals approached.
On a rare weekend off declared by Evelyn, Cheonbi, Damian, and I—the four of us—headed to a casino in Hazen.
It was a game hall with prizes instead of cash, apparently trending among academy students lately.
We each took spots and played various games. Pretty fun time.
"Security... is tight."
Cheonbi grumbled about the anti-magic tricks, but we weren't there to cheat for money anyway.
Card games were Damian's domain.
"Can't read Master Damian's face at all. What on earth is he thinking..."
"No think!"
Victory of the brainless.
And the casino's land-grab dice board game...
"Land, more land..."
For some reason, Evelyn dominated.
Cheonbi and I traded wins and losses, enjoying ourselves.
On the way back to the academy.
"Fun."
Damian munched macarons bought with 'my money,' babbling happily. Evelyn jotted expenses in her ledger.
...Probably treating my personal funds as tower money too.
"Hey, vacation this time, we travel."
"Travel?"
"Travel?"
Damian nodded at Cheonbi and Evelyn's questions.
"Second semester busier. Third year tough. Time only now."
Basically, let's vacation before it gets crazier.
"But where?"
"Sea. Grandpa took me small. Sea pretty."
"Sea, sea..."
Cheonbi's eyes sparkled at never having seen the ocean; Evelyn seemed tempted, pondering.
Damian looked at me right then.
"Friend, how? Seen sea? Water lots."
Sea... yeah, I've seen it. Memories too. Smuggling thrill with illegal immigrants. Not bad.
Recalling those days, Damian asked.
"How? Go?"
"Not bad..."
That's as far as I got.
"...Huh?"
Cheonbi's voice rang out, spotting something.
Our gazes naturally followed hers, and soon we were gaping like her.
At the academy gates.
Soldiers in imperial-crest armor stood in formation, knights escorting an old man. And that face was fairly familiar.
'Principal... senior?'
Not just me recognizing him—the idiot trio chimed in.
"Principal teacher, criminal?"
"...What is it."
"Uh, no idea, but looks serious..."
I blinked.
The knights loaded the principal senior into a carriage and moved out. Watching it pass us by, a thought struck me.
'Justice... is alive?'
That's when.
Piiik! Beep!
A plaintive cry echoed from the sky above.
It was Breakfast No. 1.