Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Strange Atmosphere (1)
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"Dylan!"
Dylan had collapsed, leaning obliquely against the steps in front of the Black Lily House entrance.
There were no obvious external injuries at first glance, but upon closer inspection, blood from his scalp had trickled down and stained his collar.
"What happened?"
"This looks pretty serious to call it nothing."
"Is this the time for jokes?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just don't shake me..."
Dylan flashed the same affable smile as always, but he couldn't hide the pain, his brows furrowing.
I worried he might have a concussion, but for now, just as he said, there was nothing to do but leave him be without shaking him and watch over him quietly.
"Who did this?"
"Uh, well..."
Dylan hesitated, holding back his words.
But the weather was too ominous to wait for him to speak first.
I flicked my eyebrows to urge him on, and Dylan sighed as if he had no choice.
"Honestly, I have no idea. It was a sudden attack; I didn't even have time to react. All I saw was a figure fleeing and the hem of a black robe."
"A black robe? Then—"
"Yeah. Black robes are what Thorn Crown House majors wear. The problem is, that could be a ruse too."
Dylan had a point.
Any cadet with a normal mindset wouldn't think to attack another cadet they knew within Aegis Academy.
"No, an attack? Why would anyone assault another cadet inside the academy?"
"The only thing I can say for sure is that this isn't the first time something like this has happened."
It was a remark with some bite to it.
I mulled over Dylan's words and belatedly realized one fact.
'When it comes to getting attacked, I'm the pioneer, huh.'
In other words, attacks by cadets on other cadets weren't entirely new.
There was already a guy throwing stones at people for no reason, so why wouldn't Dylan get clocked in the back of the head while minding his own business?
Of course, both cases were beyond common sense.
"With your precedent, I can't say it couldn't happen to me. Arma, sorry, but could you help me up? I'm feeling dizzy."
"Sure."
Dylan was taller and more solidly built than me, an adult man, and staggering from vertigo to boot.
So I boldly ditched the umbrella, wrapping one arm around his waist and the other around his arm to sling it over my shoulder.
"How about stopping by the chapel?"
"The chapel...? Why?"
"There's a student council briefing. We can report the situation on the way and catch the culprit too."
"The student council will catch the guy who threw a rock at your head too?"
"Well..."
They hadn't...
Not only that, but the incidents before and after remained completely unresolved.
We'd found Cale Ace's body, but no one had pinpointed exactly who killed him, and the matter of the unregistered beast that attacked me was still pending.
I still didn't know where that beast had come from, how it infiltrated the academy, or if there was someone behind it.
'The situation's turning ridiculous.'
That day, Dylan and I had swapped positions.
Dylan seemed to think the same, chuckling wryly before continuing.
"You're right. The student council's too swamped to handle individual cadet issues. I realized that after seeing what you went through."
That day, it was me who'd insisted on handling the literature club incident alone, citing the student council's overload.
Dylan had argued we should formally report what was happening to me to Makina, but now that he'd been attacked, he was saying the exact opposite.
"That's totally different from what you said back then. Plus, unlike my case, this has already happened, so going public should be easy."
"Self-inflicted wound, I guess. But the student council's blatantly overworked right now. Makina's a genius, but she lacks support. All she can do is cover things up to a manageable level."
"..."
Dylan had unwittingly hit the nail on the head.
Something he didn't know, but I did.
It was the existence of the "Guardian Angel," Yvon.
With Yvon feeding on fear to build power in this academy, Makina—who was unaware—was fighting an invisible enemy.
"Ccovering it up is the best they can do."
Makina never showed weakness, seeming flawless as a cadet.
The words "overworked" didn't suit her or the student council, but given their recent actions, it wasn't wrong.
'Enoch Clark looks busy too. And he's an upperclassman, so club activities should be tough for him.'
From around age 10 to 24, the first 7 years are lower division, the latter 8 upper.
Starting next year, Theodore and Enoch Clark would be upperclassmen.
At this stage, cadets dive into military training, naturally cutting back on club participation, and in the final semester, they're practically outsiders.
That's why Dylan's persistent push for me to join a club had seemed odd.
"But Dylan, we need to patch up that hole in your scalp too."
"...Am I bleeding a lot? It hurts like hell."
"Yeah. Still pouring out."
I ran my hand, which had been supporting his waist, over the back of his head.
"Argh!"
"See?"
I pulled my hand out from under his armpit, now soaked in blood, and showed it to him. Dylan recoiled in shock at the sight.
"Gasp."
"It's serious. Why don't you wait here, and I'll fetch Arthur or someone?"
"No, no. I don't want to get tangled up with Arthur Usher or Theodore White. Besides, I got caught off guard earlier—"
Even staggering, Dylan kept chattering nonstop and extended his freer hand.
"What are you—"
*Snap!*
Dylan ignored me and snapped his fingers.
*Splash!*
The muddy water in front of our feet sprayed forward in a semicircle, as if sliced by an air blade.
"Ooh."
"Eh, smaller than I expected. I'm rusty. Anyway, the magic ban's lifted now. If push comes to shove, I'll use magic. Consider it like getting a sharp sword."
I wielded a gun, not a sword, but honestly, guns were useless against magic anyway.
"Just hold on tight so you don't pass out."
"With all this water, passing out might be tough."
I would've loved to shield Dylan with the umbrella, but circumstances didn't allow.
The rain pouring down was frigid winter rain, cold enough to steal our body heat in moments.
A little time passed, and Dylan could walk somewhat on his own, so we reached the Tree Cross dormitory faster than I'd thought.
"Huh, what happened?"
We ran into Eliya at the entrance steps, bundled up in coat, raincoat, and umbrella, ready to head out.
Eliya rushed over and took over supporting Dylan from my side opposite, rolling her eyes.
"So the time has finally come. Dylan does have that punchable face."
She'd come out to check on him because she was worried, yet she had to phrase it like that.
Eliya's own way of showing affection, I suppose...
While Dylan and Eliya bickered, we finally made it to Dylan's room.
"Isaya. Toss a ton of logs in the stove. Heaps."
"Dylan! Oh my god."
Just ten-odd minutes in the rain, and our body heat had dropped so much our fingertips were freezing.
Our lips and fingers had turned blue, and seeing our wretched state, Isaya hurriedly shoved logs from the stack by the wall furnace into the fire.
"How did this happen?"
As the room warmed up, Dylan's tension eased, and he groaned, flopping face-down onto the bed.
That revealed the dried blood starkly matted in his red hair.
Dylan had acted nonchalant, but he was someone who'd taken a heavy blow to the back of the head from a stranger.
Isaya's face drained to the same pale blue as ours from the winter rain upon seeing the wound.
"He got attacked at Black Lily House. I said we should tell the student council, but Dylan refused."
"Dylan's got a case of student council distrust. No, but this is too much! At least go to the infirmary, Dylan."
"Urgh, I'm fine. Leave it... I'd rather jump out the window than go to the hospital."
"Did I mention Dylan distrusts the school's entire system?"
Isaya quickly fetched a towel soaked in warm water and wiped Dylan's wound.
Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, but seeing the blood on the white towel soured my mood again.
"From what I heard, multiple cadets in Thorn Crown House robes attacked him, but it happened so fast he doesn't know more."
While Isaya went to wring out the towel, I approached Dylan sprawled on the bed.
Blackened blood still clung between strands of red hair on the back of Dylan's head.
"Dylan. You really won't say anything?"
"Nope."
Dylan answered without even looking my way, face buried in the pillow.
His nose muffled, he sounded like a sulking kid.
Or maybe he was deliberately avoiding my gaze.
"Why? Is there a reason you can't go public?"
"The student council's overworked, you said—"
"None of the attackers were someone you know?"
"Guh."
"..."
My hunch was right, it seemed.
Isaya, back with the rinsed towel, stared at me with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Seems one of the attackers was an acquaintance of Dylan's. He was dizzy but still managed magic—that's some skill. Doesn't it seem off that someone like him got jumped?"
"Sharp as ever..."
In the end, Dylan was the first to wave the white flag.