Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Even If I Cry, I Won't Fall (2)
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"Excuse me."
Rias knocked on Professor Selene's private office door and pushed it open, her face twisted like she'd chewed on something rotten. They weren't personally close—in fact, their relationship was one-sided, full of pointless bickering—so the very idea of bowing her head to ask a favor made her skin crawl.
Forcing her twitching lips to relax as much as possible, Rias was greeted by Selene, who wore a slightly troubled expression paired with an ambiguous smile.
Selene quietly set down some tea and spoke first.
"Honestly, I think I know what this is about. Shall we talk it over?"
"Do as you wish."
"Good. Since aside from being Julius's fiancée, I don't really know you at all."
Lie.
She probably knew everything from the rumors already. Her shameless poker face pretending otherwise was utterly infuriating, but Rias knew that losing her temper here would only hurt herself. She did her best to straighten her lips before they could curl.
Unaware—or perhaps fully aware—of her efforts, Selene poured black tea with a relaxed expression, took a leisurely sip, and then spoke.
"Truth be told, I've been curious about you in a lot of ways. You're Julius's fiancée, but I haven't seen you two together much."
"...Julius always has so many people around him."
"That's true. Back when he was at the academy, he was at the center of every bit of gossip."
"It was genuinely troublesome in many ways."
"I bet. It couldn't have been easy for either of you."
Either of you, she says.
It felt like a blatant way of saying Julius had suffered because of her, stirring up Rias's irritation once more.
Just as suspicion crept in that Selene was deliberately prodding her, knowing she couldn't snap back, Selene flashed a sweet smile and continued.
"Honestly, I think at least half the reason Julius left was because of you, Student Rias. Which is why it's hard for me to figure out why you've come to me."
"...Professor. Even so, statements like that..."
"What statements?"
"I don't think Julius leaving was that simple of an issue."
"It wasn't simple, no. There were all sorts of problems tangled up, and you just happen to take the biggest share."
"...That might be true, but..."
Feeling her patience fraying to its limit, Rias cut straight to the point.
"Anyway, I want to talk to Julius. Could you arrange a place for us?"
"What kind of talk now, after all this time?"
"It's a personal matter, so it's hard to say."
"Then it'll be hard for me to mediate."
Damn bitch playing mind games again.
In her grinding fury, the handkerchief clenched under the table tore slightly with a faint rip.
As if she'd heard it, Selene laughed with utterly refreshing cheer and issued what amounted to an eviction notice.
"I have my trust with Julius too, you see. I have no intention of making him meet someone who won't be any help. If there's nothing else, please see yourself out."
"...Ex, explain."
"Pardon?"
"I'll explain what I was thinking."
"An explanation? I believe actions speak louder than words."
Damn bitch thinks she knows everything.
Anger surged again, curses nearly spilling out, but Rias forced down her trembling lips and squeezed out the words.
"I... had... my own circumstances too."
"What circumstances?"
"Personal... matters."
"Ah."
Selene shut her mouth with an expression of understanding, and Rias finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Does a professor get a thrill out of toying with her students and threatening their fiancées?"
"Oh my. Julius and I don't have that sort of relationship."
"Isn't it common knowledge that Julius treated you specially? You're the only one he never called 'Student' after your name."
"That was because I decided it was necessary to respect you as one human to another, rather than professor to student."
"And that human-to-human isn't man-to-woman?"
"Yes. It isn't."
"That's really believable. Just like all those bugs swarming around Julius."
As Rias began spewing words tantamount to double curses, Selene burst into genuine laughter—not mockery, but as if she'd seen something truly hilarious. She laughed for a good while, nearly dropping her teacup of black tea before finally composing herself.
"You can't undo people's actions. If you fumble the first button, you often don't even get a chance to fix it."
"That's not for you to say, Professor. That's for Julius."
"No, no. I didn't mean to mock or insult. It just made me realize people are all the same in the end. Seeing you drop the act raw with someone who can reach Julius actually makes you trustworthy. Alright. I'll at least make contact for you."
"What does that mean?"
"I figured you'd put on some phony act and just bawl in front of Julius."
So she'd been testing just how ugly Rias could get, flaws and all? Contrary to her reputation for looking after students well, she seemed far more calculating and black-hearted than expected.
And the meaning of that earlier laugh. Rias didn't know precisely, but it didn't sit well.
"Julius might turn it down, but I'll ask with all sincerity. You can trust me on that."
"...Based on everything you've shown so far, I don't trust you at all."
"Come on. I keep my word. I know full well how terrifying betrayal can be."
"Ah, yes."
Before she could launch into another bizarre tirade, Rias glanced at the cold black tea in front of her, downed it in one gulp without a care for etiquette, and stood.
"Thank you for your help."
"I'll do my best."
"Yes."
Rias closed the door behind her and left.
Watching her go, Selene muttered with an utterly exhausted expression.
"She'll have to grovel completely. Compared to not even getting a chance to kneel, it's a few times better."
Click.
She turned off the mana-powered teapot and fiddled with the speaker playing classical music.
With no trace of emotion from the elegant strains flowing out, she closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.
**
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"Really! I'm so sorry!"
The academy was swamped with cleanup, so classes were canceled for the day. Karin showed up at the cafe and—neither a full dogeza nor a grand jeté—prostrated herself in some bizarre head-to-floor pose.
And of all places, right in front of Lana, who's recently under suspicion as a demonkin.
I made her a warm milk cocoa as a signal to keep any weird talk quiet.
True to her latent piggy tendencies, she agonized over the sweet aroma but couldn't resist drinking it. Once confirmed, I quietly beckoned her to the back of the shop.
"This isn't public talk, so later. And calling me was the right call, so that's fine."
"Eung. But it feels like I've only been a total nuisance so far."
"True enough. But if you keep helping out, something'll come up, right? Space teleportation's a rare talent—might need your help with that sometime."
"Yep. If there's anything, I'll help no matter what."
For now, I praised her courage for sending her friend instead of rushing in herself, patted her apologetic back firmly to say it was fine, and returned to the cafe.
Leimi sis and Mina sis were absent, busy making contacts. Dras and Cosetica sis gave Karin a lukewarm welcome as she dabbed at her eyes.
Those few tears melted away at the sight of the hot chocolate anyway.
"Lately, I've been thinking of picking up mercenary work on the side."
"No, no. That'd break the rules. It's an unwritten law in that business—anyone too strong doesn't do mercenary gigs."
"Eh? There's a rule like that?"
"Yeah. If mercs fight mercs, everyone's just taking losses in someone else's war. They keep it to a measured exchange before settling it, but if you're there, it'd turn into a real brawl."
"Aha."
No wonder there aren't any ridiculously strong mercs. The Lebedev family never trusts outsiders like mercs or external hires—excellent mindset for a border military house. I'd never even spoken to one.
Mercs are basically mid-tier strong folks doing WWE.
If a total beast joins, it becomes UFC, so the unwritten rule makes sense.
"Guess cafe manager it is, then."
"Mm. Suits the manager role."
"People here don't harp much on the responsibilities of great power."
"If what you're good at isn't what you want to do, just do what you want."
"Ooh."
"Speaking from experience. Hammering metal suits my temperament best."
Was Dras under pressure from those around him to do something else too?
I'd figured there was some story behind a dwarf ending up in central Astraea of the empire, but it seemed more than simple dwarf faction infighting.
"Manager. For now, Professor Selene's handling the mediation, but depending on the situation, it might be good for you to quietly visit the academy."
"Yeah, probably. You're the only one who knows the full story from start to finish, and any analysis of the power I used or enemies I handled needs my testimony as the one who fought them."
"Anything good I should say on your behalf?"
"Ask them to prepare a location with no students or Lebedev people around."
"Yep. I'll make sure it's handled."
Karin suddenly seemed all disciplined and military-like—unfamiliar sight.
I'm used to her grinning dopily over cocoa.
Well, growth hits when you least expect it, in ways you can't predict.
Maybe this was her own kind of growth.
Surviving a life-or-death fight unchanged would be the real issue.
I took a sip of my own coffee.
No matter what anyone said, no matter how the world around me changed, the taste of the coffee I roasted and brewed myself remained the same.
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