Chapter 290
Chapter 290
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 290
>Chapter Title: Time is Too Short……
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The academy audit wrapped up reasonably well.
The results were completely nullified.
The dismissed professors returned to the academy one by one, but that didn't mean the chaos had fully subsided.
Why not?
‘……The professors who sided with the Second Prince.’
And the assistant professors too.
A fair number of professors had been hauled off by the investigators.
According to the Third Princess, those taken away wouldn't meet a pretty end—and the academy students weren't faring much better.
“There will be no changes to the final exam schedule. Don't slack on your preparations.”
It was like a bolt from the blue.
The students who had been watching the audit like a fire across the river suddenly realized finals were upon them.
Reactions were sharply divided.
Those who hadn't neglected their studies amid the chaos cheered, while the others vented their complaints.
“Professor, we haven't learned anything?”
“Shouldn't we have had classes before taking exams?”
A few rebellious kids tried putting up a fight, but it ended disastrously.
As it turned out, classes had progressed steadily even during the audit.
Of course, the professors themselves hadn't covered much ground.
However……
‘……Assistant professors and handouts.’
Or even professors covering for each other.
Some students protested that “substitute professors mean the quality suffers,” but that was shot down by Parun's line: “No historian ever struggles with basic arithmetic.”
Of course, that logic only held for beginners and intermediate classes.
‘……So advanced classes switched to personal research reports for exams.’
In any case, the academy was forcibly returning to normalcy.
I ran into the headmaster senior again right after that chaotic finals period ended.
“Your complexion looks even better.”
“The treatment was top-notch.”
He chuckled at my joke, but no matter how I looked at him, he didn't seem well.
Still, the fact he could smile like this was probably…… yeah, because he'd come back safely, at least.
‘If something really bad had happened, he wouldn't be trading barbs like this.’
So, it was just a casual welcome-back joke, but the one throwing a fit wasn't the headmaster senior.
Peeep! Beep beep! Peeep—!
Look at that brat.
Fed it while the owner was away, and it doesn't even remember—just rolling its eyes and screeching…… Tch, whatever.
Guess that's why they say not to deal with dumb beasts.
Anyway, after that, the headmaster senior and I exchanged updates on how we'd been, but there wasn't much to say.
He'd have heard about me through Bellrose, and his condition…… well, his haggard appearance said it all.
With our long-ish, short-ish greeting over, a brief silence settled between us.
This awkward feeling for some reason.
Probably because…… we're both bad at expressing things.
Neither of us were the type to easily say, “Welcome back,” or “Thanks, you too.”
Even the headmaster senior, who was usually decent at it, seemed awkward expressing feelings about his own situation.
How long did the silence last?
“Um…….”
“Uh…….”
Our voices overlapped, and we both yielded the floor without deciding who went first.
“You first.”
“Hm, no. You go.”
“I was taught to respect elders. So, you first, senior.”
“You sure you learned ‘respect’ and not ‘rank’? Anyway, you first.”
What I learned was indeed ‘rank.’ But I knew ‘respect’ too……
Tch.
That's what makes a good junior.
I scratched my head and finally spoke first.
Why was this simple line so hard? Why were we both hesitating like this?
“Uh…….”
“Spit it out.”
“Welcome…… back? Glad you're? Safe? You made it back? I'm really? Relieved?”
I'd been trying to be more honest since the Aevyron incident, but this was the best I could do right now.
I'd never said anything like this before, never heard it either.
But did my sincerity get through?
A faint smile crept across the headmaster senior's lips.
“Junior, that sounded like ‘I'm really unhappy you're back safe.’ Just my imagination, right?”
“What the…….”
I was about to let out a curse from sheer absurdity.
When the headmaster senior spoke up right after.
“Kidding.”
“…….”
“And…… thanks.”
The atmosphere warmed up somehow.
I rubbed under my nose and looked out the window for no reason. The blue sky peeking through the lush green caught my eye, and a thought struck me.
“……Just words?”
“…….”
The headmaster senior fell silent.
So did I.
……Ah, I only meant to think that.
* * *
Still, my meeting with the headmaster senior ended on a good note.
‘Damn old man. So petty.’
He griped about what I expected for a throwaway line—like ripping out an organ or something.
Later, he even grumbled about bringing a land deed from his own holdings……
Did he really think I'd helped expecting repayment? He seemed genuinely miffed.
This time, I quietly took his complaints.
‘This is charity.’
Truth be told, the headmaster senior was just a bonus.
Anyway, after meeting him, faces of a few people I hadn't seen amid the chaos flashed in my mind.
Who?
……Professor Pelina and Parun.
“I should meet them soon……”
Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to.
What, no guilty conscience?
‘……None at all.’
Even if there was a twinge, it was Professor Pelina—and honestly, not even that was worth feeling guilty over.
Why?
Three reasons.
First.
‘The artifact was mine to begin with.’
Taking it without a word might've been surprising, but given the circumstances, it was unavoidable.
Second.
‘I saved her.’
Even if taking the artifact was a fault, it was more than offset by handling the whole mess.
And third was a bit of blaming her……
‘……No, Professor Pelina was away. That's why.’
Wasn't the root cause Professor Pelina leaving her lab empty? I'd gone to discuss it.
So, I was in the clear.
Totally.
I'd lived a life with no shame staring at the heavens, but this time, I truly had none.
So why was meeting those two so unappealing?
To explain, I had to start with the conversation I had with Bellrose on inauguration day.
So…… when I met Bellrose under Sir Altex's guidance.
Her one proposal to me.
- Aster, mind if I borrow your name a bit?
Not literally my ‘name.’
More like…… yeah, could she borrow the presence of the ‘masked man’ who showed up on inauguration day, overwhelmed the Magic Tower, and subdued the nobles?
This meant the Third Princess was gearing up for serious action after this incident, with intentions like this.
- It's not about claiming the throne. Rather……
……To seize her life.
Life out of nowhere.
Bellrose was considering scenarios where the First Prince might let the Second Prince off the hook.
By original agreement, the Second Prince should've been utterly crushed beyond recovery, but depending on circumstances, the First Prince might prop him up.
And how did that involve borrowing my name?
It was about retaliation from the Second Prince.
‘And it's not just borrowing the name.’
She was going to spread rumors.
- A mysterious grand mage and their shadowy group are protecting the Third Princess.
Of course, the Third Princess didn't know my exact location. It was just camouflage like that.
Honestly, one rumor didn't seem enough to deter the Second Prince's revenge, but according to Bellrose, with his faction weakened, he wouldn't move easily.
It was a decent proposal for me.
‘……Just spreading rumors, after all.’
And she'd offer fitting compensation.
But then this thought hit me.
What if enemies were piling up more and more?
‘Decullan, Salvatium, and potentially the Second Prince……’
Decullan alone was a handful, and now Salvatium? Plus the Second Prince?
Decullan had Lortel as an ally, but Salvatium and the Second Prince could force the Magic Tower to shoulder it all.
Frankly, the situation wasn't great.
Of course, that assumed the Second Prince and Salvatium learned the masked man from the incident was me…… the Tower Master. If it stayed hidden, we could skate by……
‘……How long can the secret hold?’
Forever? No, too optimistic.
Just like Decullan uncovered the second Black-White Slums, no guarantee they wouldn't.
In that case……
‘……Better to negotiate now.’
Proactively allying with Bellrose might be smarter than passively linking up.
The Third Princess hadn't built enough power to stand out yet, but as ‘imperial blood,’ she'd be solid support if needed.
That was why I hesitated to meet Parun and Professor Pelina.
“It's gotten…… too tangled.”
Bellrose knew my identity.
And if we joined hands, she'd naturally learn about the Magic Tower too.
What about Parun?
He knew about the Magic Tower but not my identity.
Professor Pelina was the opposite.
In short, these three from the inauguration each knew different pieces about me.
……Actually.
“…….”
I stopped walking and looked up at the sky.
Unnoticed, I'd stepped outside. Breakfast No. 1 flapped its wings, circling the blue sky.
It had lost its attitude but regained its energy. Watching it, I continued my thoughts.
So, actually…… this was a worry I wouldn't have dwelled on before.
‘Identity? Who cares if they know.’
But agonizing like this felt like a guilty corner of my heart.
Issues I'd breezed past as obvious started snagging at some point……
“Friend!”
I spotted Damian waving from afar and raised my hand slightly.
A thought flashed by.
‘The academy…… not much time left, huh.’
Just a year and a half done.
Just a year and a half left.
Time was too short……
Faces flashing through my mind were too many.
Even excluding Bellrose, Parun, and Professor Pelina—Damian, Chenbi, headmaster senior, and others.
Like it or not, relationships were nearing their end.
Whether it truly ended or became a new start, no one knew……
“Hey, friend.”
“Yeah?”
I gathered my thoughts and took in Damian.
“So, thought about it?”
“……?”
“The beach trip. Chenbi's in. Evelin's in. Chenbi's never seen the sea, so she's excited. Evelin's thrilled it's free. She's thinking of charging separately, though. But for you, friend, I'll make it special—free. What do ya say?”
I quietly watched Damian chatter excitedly.
He seemed oblivious…… but probably not. That look from inauguration day said otherwise.
The beach, though……
“It might be our last trip!”
Meaning maybe the last before academy graduation. But ‘last’ stuck in my ears.
Maybe that's why.
“Yeah, sure. Let's go.”
I accepted readily.
Honestly, my past life's beach memories weren't bad.