Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Change
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“…Is this right?”
“There are no new students…”
The only ones gathered here were upperclassmen from eleventh grade and above, who were required to attend (which was why Shirley and Theodore weren’t present). If lowerclassmen had been there, they would have been terrified and pale as ghosts.
Even the graduates were trying to hide their bewildered expressions, but it was obvious they were flustered by the unexpected proceedings.
“What the hell? Are there really no new students this year?”
Throughout the entire graduation ceremony, the cadets’ anxious murmurs filled the air.
At times, their voices grew loud enough that even Makina might hear them.
Amid the growing unrest, Makina proceeded with the ceremony as smoothly as ever.
But even she showed faint signs of unease when the Chancellor failed to appear for his address.
–Murmur, murmur…
In the end, what had seemed like a perfectly orderly graduation ceremony began to descend into chaos.
If Sir Reynolds hadn’t arrived a step late, we might have thought this was just a rehearsal for the real graduation.
“I’m sure the sudden change in the program has come as a shock.”
With those opening words, Sir Reynolds began rambling excuses, acting as if this were the most natural thing in the world and even seeking our agreement.
Strong headwinds had delayed the ship carrying the new students, commissioning had been postponed, so the graduates would have to wait on the mainland for a while—utter nonsense like that.
‘Something’s wrong…’
The longer his explanation dragged on, the deeper our suspicions grew.
What Sir Reynolds was overlooking was that ever since we’d been granted permission to carry weapons, we’d all been on high alert.
“Then, with that, we conclude the 24th graduation ceremony of the honorable Aegis Academy.”
The murmurs that had started the disturbance were turning into boos.
It was Izmel Carol, the dormitory captain of Thorn Crown House, who raised her hand on behalf of the graduates, who should have been the happiest but had been treated with unbelievable neglect.
“Chancellor. Fine, no new students, but isn’t this too much of a slight?”
“Ha… Why is Cadet Carol here… Didn’t I tell you not to let her in?”
“What did you say?”
Sir Reynolds irritably pressed the area around his monocle with his fingers and spoke to one of the servants.
Izmel, who had been standing with arms crossed, uncrossed them and clenched her fists at the Chancellor’s words.
“The harsh weather prevented the ships from setting sail—”
“Then shouldn’t you have postponed the ceremony or changed the schedule?”
“The cadets here might not understand, but there aren’t many skilled captains who can navigate to and from Hazard Island.”
“That’s no answer at all.”
As the exchange heated up, even Izmel—who had seemed to ask out of a sense of duty at first—grew increasingly agitated.
‘What’s he thinking?’
In my eyes, Sir Reynolds’s attitude was so perfunctory it could ignite fury even in the mildest person.
It was right then, as Izmel took a step forward.
“Step back.”
“…!”
The servants standing on either side of the seats drew their swords, aiming them at all of us in the hall, including Izmel.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Judith, drawing her sword, rushed to my side in an instant.
Arthur watched us for a moment before striding over with wide steps.
She didn’t look to be in great condition, but fortunately, she didn’t seem overly shaken.
“Judith.”
I grabbed Judith’s arm, seeing her poised to swing even her ceremonial sword, which wasn’t sharp.
“Calm down.”
But as always, I was no match for reining in Judith right now.
I instinctively tried to stand, only to feel a searing pain in my foot as if the skin might peel off, forcing me back down.
“Judith, don’t. Arthur’s here too. It’ll be fine.”
But Judith refused to sheath the sword she’d drawn.
No, her reaction was entirely predictable, and I knew it well.
The servants still had their weapons trained on us, and the Judith I knew would never yield in a situation like this.
Especially not in front of someone she felt responsible for protecting, like me.
“Sir Reynolds. Is this truly how things should be?”
Judith asked in a low, accusatory tone.
Despite how furious she looked, Sir Reynolds didn’t so much as blink.
“I forgot to mention one more thing.”
“…”
“As you can see, the servants are now permitted to carry arms starting today. And…”
He even opened his mouth with an expression that seemed to look down on Judith.
“Controlling cadets through the servants is allowed, within the limits set by royal decree.”
“What do you—! Ack!”
The moment a cadet, unable to contain his rage, shot to his feet, one of the servants—the one Judith had called a “highly skilled magic swordsman”—kicked his ankle and subdued him.
“L-Let go of me!?”
The noble cadets, who usually looked down on the servants, froze like statues.
No, not just them—I was struggling to maintain my composure too.
The air in the grand hall thickened with the threat of violence in an instant, sweat soaking my still-healing palms.
“Everyone, calm down.”
At that moment, the boiling cauldron of chaos and anger subsided in a flash.
The one who could still control us was, after all, Makina.
“I share the sentiments of the other cadets, Sir Reynolds. There are procedures for everything, after all.”
“Still playing at being student council president with that flimsy title—”
“I haven’t graduated, and no new student council president has been elected. Per the new academy regulations, the student council president position in the student autonomy committee cannot be vacant, so as you say, I am still the president for now.”
With reasoning that straight, even Sir Reynolds had nothing to say.
Arthur listened quietly to Makina’s words from the podium, her eyes clouded.
Though she’d been held back a year, Makina was still Makina.
Her commanding presence was proving its power even now.
For cadets trained as reserve soldiers, control through force would only provoke backlash.
After all, wasn’t it Aegis Academy that had led us all to arm ourselves of our own accord?
‘But if the student autonomy committee steps in, it’s different.’
Even when people died, beasts attacked, heads were struck by stones, or mass food poisoning felled students, it was always the student autonomy committee that took control.
We couldn’t read their masked faces, but they didn’t seem likely to side with us over Sir Reynolds.
Before long, the hall had split into two camps: the cadets led by Makina, and the servants headed by Sir Reynolds.
“Sir Reynolds. Please understand that the cadets of Aegis Academy cannot easily accept this situation.”
Makina continued calmly, placing her hand conspicuously on the podium.
From the moment he’d already riled them up, Sir Reynolds’s defeat was plain as day.
Noticing his disadvantage, Sir Reynolds abruptly changed the subject.
“Ha, fine. Then I’ll explain—follow me.”
*Snap*
When Sir Reynolds snapped his fingers in the air, the servants who had been holding weapons on us swiftly sheathed them.
And just like that, they reverted to their previous demeanor, as if nothing had happened.
Polite, unobtrusive, emotionless—like dolls.
“Phew.”
Being so close to the podium, I clearly heard Makina’s sigh.
She glanced down at me briefly before looking away.
‘Should I let her go like that?’
According to Theodore’s prophecy-like words, there was only one graduation ceremony left for us.
At that point, Makina would graduate with me.
And all the other graduates would die.
I couldn’t even speculate on the process leading to that now.
But the cause and trigger of it all was clear: the guardian angel that had already nested on Hazard Island would make it so.
“Judith, looks like we have to follow Makina.”
“…Why you?”
“No matter how unbeatable, peerless genius Makina Christie is, she wouldn’t want to face this alone.”
“That’s meddling too much.”
Ignoring Judith’s retort, I pushed my wheelchair.
Even though I was mostly healed, my hands weren’t suited for this.
Judith watched my pathetic struggle for a moment before reluctantly taking over.
“Arthur, if you’ve got nothing to do, come along.”
Grabbing Arthur’s arm like she was buying insurance, Judith dragged the dazed girl.
Arthur followed us without resistance, stepping along obediently.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. I was just gonna dump you somewhere.”
“Oh, perfect timing—I’ve got something I want to test. Dump me at the place I mention, then.”
“…”
Judith fell silent, seemingly debating whether to actually abandon me.
If she wrecked my wheelchair now, I’d be rolling on the floor.
I tensed unnecessarily and planted my butt firmly in the seat.
Taking that as some signal, Judith sped up and caught up to Makina and Sir Reynolds.
“What is it?”
“Cadet Arma Cruise seems to have something to say.”
Judith replied in a tone so half-hearted anyone could see it.
I hurriedly racked my brain for a plausible excuse.
“I still haven’t heard any explanation about the incident at the Full Moon Festival.”
“…”
Sir Reynolds listened with a perfunctory expression before smirking.
“Cadet Arma Cruise. We’ve already informed your family, and we’ve completed all compensation procedures on our end.”
“Is that so? But the compensation process with me, the actual victim, isn’t finished yet.”
I deliberately tapped the armrest of my wheelchair.
Sir Reynolds’s words were surely a lie.
If they were true, I wouldn’t be lying abandoned in this sickbay.
My mother was the epitome of a merchant down to her bones, but I was the one blemish that made her human.
Our family wasn’t short on money, and she valued my life enough to resort to superstitions—there was no way she’d grab the dean by the collar for justice or take some paltry compensation and wash her hands of it.
I remembered the things my mother had done, clinging to superstitions she didn’t even believe in to save me.
“For one, I’d like to complete discharge procedures today and return to my room. Rather than wait here for you, who hasn’t shown your face once during my entire stay, I’ll just tag along.”
“Have you no manners?”
“Listen to the Executor?”
The moment Sir Reynolds raised his voice to insult me, the one who intervened was Izmel, who’d been arguing with him just before.
‘She’s got some agitation skills. Doesn’t look like she trusts the Executor one bit.’
Izmel looked at me smugly, grinning triumphantly.
Whatever it was, she had the attitude of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
I nodded in thanks and said,
“Of course, I trust the student council president will accompany us out of moral responsibility.”
“—Yes, of course.”
Despite the sudden intrusion, Makina accepted it with a convincing smile.
And so, Sir Reynolds and we left the grand hall.