Trap - Epilogue
Emerald eyes flew wide open as Siel senior slammed the desk with a resounding thud. "Whaaaat?! Is, is that really true?!"
The day after that incident, I'd come straight to the student council room to consult with her. Why not a faculty member, you ask? Because right now, I couldn't trust anyone in the academy recklessly—except for the few people I'd already vetted as reliable.
But damn, her voice was loud. The barrier I'd set up was gonna shatter at this rate.
"Senior, could you please keep it down?"
"Ah, sorry. But I was just so shocked! An intruder in the academy is bad enough, but they dared to lay hands on my precious junior?!"
"Your precious junior?"
What was that about? Shouldn't it be juniors? Silvena got dragged into it too.
Anyway, I nodded calmly, and a golden aura began surging around her like a fountain. The mana was so dense and sharp it made me flinch involuntarily.
"But why come straight to me? Why not tell the professors or the guards?"
"Because you're the most trustworthy, senior. Plus, if my hunch is right, there might be another spy lurking in the academy."
"Trustworthy, huh? You act all prickly, but you always say the nicest things."
"Don't get shy on me now. It's creepy."
"That's harsh!"
Harsh? What was harsh about it, you weirdo?
"Anyway, a spy... So maybe that intruder's accomplice from the class assignment exam?"
She looked scatterbrained at first glance, but as expected, her analytical skills were unmatched. That was exactly what I'd suspected.
"Yeah. The guy even said something like, 'If it weren't for that incompetent bitch, I wouldn't have had to move at all.'"
"...I see. And you think that makes him the spy from the class assignment exam?"
"Pretty much."
Of course, it wasn't ironclad proof. Could just be coincidence. But I was pretty damn sure. It was a classic cliché, after all.
"Still feels off. If they just wanted chaos, they would've tried to kill you both."
"His goal seemed to be capturing me alive. He could've finished me off at the end, but he suddenly held back."
"Hmm..."
Siel senior propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought. The info I'd given was too fragmentary; even she had limits with just this.
"Did you catch the woman's name?"
"I didn't hear it, but Silvena said it was Rozeta."
"Rozeta... First time I've heard it. Any other distinguishing features?"
"She had this creepy spiderweb tattoo on the left side of her face. And she used some kind of puppetry magic?"
"Puppetry... and a spiderweb tattoo?"
Her eyes narrowed at my answer, which she'd otherwise brushed off casually. Did something click?
"Why? Ring any bells?"
"...Maybe. Too early to say for sure."
"Who?"
If she was picturing someone from a name, description, and magic type alone, it had to be someone pretty infamous.
"You know about the clash between the Valkadia Empire and our Ruendel Kingdom a while back, right?"
"Yeah, huge story."
Even I, with zero interest in history, knew it well. It came up a few times in general studies after I enrolled.
"It's a sore spot for the kingdom, so I hate bringing it up, but apparently, they ran experiments back then to create 'undying soldiers.'"
"Isn't that black magic?"
"A bit different. Automatons—puppets that operate autonomously without direct magical control."
Fair enough. Even war-crazed, they'd hesitate at black magic. If they lost, the scandal would've been too much.
"But modern magic tech couldn't pull it off. That's when a puppeteer made a proposal: 'Let's stuff them with human souls and body parts.'"
Chilling words, but they jogged my memory instantly—the chunks of human flesh plastered on the puppets she'd summoned.
"...Sounds right. The puppets she called had skin peeled straight off corpses."
"Same old sick hobby. Heard she got kicked out mid-experiment for it. Super talented puppeteer, but her madness and weird speech patterns got her ostracized."
So she'd been nuts from way back.
"What happened to her after?"
"That's the key part. She vanished after getting booted, sparking rumors. 'Bellmora joined the Silence Followers.'"
"Silence Followers?"
Bellmora was probably her real name. The unfamiliar term made me frown.
"Nemesis's followers—the worst black mages in continental history. Named for their vow to execute orders without question or hesitation, like her slaves."
"Nemesis is dead, though."
"Yeah. Supposedly wiped out with her cult. But lately, intel's trickling in that the followers are stirring. Maybe even Nemesis herself..."
Damn this trash cliché. Bet the seal broke or she survived the hero's final blow, biding her time for revival. I could see it coming a mile away, and it ground my teeth.
"Why target me, though?"
"No idea. If they'd gone for Silvena Bronheim too, maybe brainwashing recruits. But..."
"Doubt it'd work on us."
In that scenario, I'd bite my tongue and die first. Same for Silvena.
"Anyway, I'll look into it separately. Bellmora—no, Rozeta now? She's from our kingdom originally, so with some pull, I might track her."
"Sorry to dump this heavy favor on you."
I glanced at the mountain of papers on her desk and forced a wry smile. Did student council presidents wrestle paperwork even on break? No amount of money could make me do it.
"Nah, it's fine. Protecting my junior is senior—and president—duty. Plus, if she's really from our kingdom, I can't ignore it as a princess."
"You're radiating class today, senior."
Not flattery—this was genuine. Especially when she mentioned princess stuff; her eyes sharpened with charisma, pure royalty.
I gave a quick clap and thumbs-up. She crossed her arms, nose in the air.
"Ooh, I've gone and charmed another junior! What a sinful senior I am."
"That just shaved off like ninety percent of the class."
"Ninety percent?! Aren't you too harsh on me?"
Who told you to spout nonsense? Silence is golden, especially for her—half the time she opens her mouth, it ruins the vibe.
She was cool and reliable when quiet, like a painting come to life.
"Still got ten percent left. Be grateful."
"Ugh, really...? Why'd you leave ten percent? That line was totally cringey, even to me."
"Well..."
Hard to explain when I'd said it off the cuff. But digging deeper...
"...It's just you being you, senior. That's what I like about you."
I knew she wrecked the mood a lot and was drop-dead gorgeous otherwise. But if she were just that, we wouldn't be this close. That multifaceted vibe defined Siel Balshutain.
My honest answer left her speechless.
"'Just like me,' huh."
She mulled it over, lips moving silently, then propped her chin and gazed at me soulfully, hand reaching out—just shy of my nose.
"Eek, so you see me not as student council president or princess, but as Siel senior?"
"Well, you are Siel senior. Who else?"
"Pfft, you're the only one who could say that."
"...?"
Did I say something profound? Silvena yesterday, Siel today—both throwing curveballs.
Whatever, she looked pleased.
"Anyway, got it. I'll report this to the principal only. Can't stay silent with potential follow-ups."
"Fair."
Ideally, just her knowing would've been fine, but I got it and nodded. No guarantee they wouldn't strike again, and it'd endanger other students. Best to prevent that.
"And with security lax over break, you should lay low till reinforcements arrive."
"Lay low?"
Lay low where? Outside the academy wasn't safer.
"Yeah. Our family has a villa in the empire. Perfect for summer break—hit the beach. I'll assign guards. Bring friends if you want."
"You don't have to go that far... Aren't you loving your juniors a bit too much?"
I knew she was nice to underclassmen, but villa and private guards? Overkill.
"Because you're special to me, Aren."
She called my name clearly for once and poked my cheek lightly. Normally, lines like that from a beauty would make my heart race. But knowing it was probably some vice-president scheme, I just chuckled.
"Then as your special junior, I'll gratefully accept. Tiabel's coming back soon—she'll love it."
"Yeah, do that."
She stood and bowed ninety degrees. I asked if she'd join, but she declined—too much work. Kinda disappointing. Not that I wanted to see her in a swimsuit or anything. Purely as a dutiful junior, hoping our beloved senior got some rest.