episode_0131

000

A new morning at the academy after the three-day festival. Originally, each department should have been slowly erasing the traces of the enjoyable days and proceeding with the withdrawal process.

However, along with the academy professors’ story that an emergency situation had occurred, the top students of each department and the professors gathered to hold a meeting.

Of course, not only Laila, but also Alulu, Riomes, and everyone Cleon knew were called to the meeting.

The group’s preparations to leave the academy in earnest were also put on hold.

“The 12 Elders… annihilated? Who on earth? How?”

The students are greatly agitated and murmur at the story delivered by the professors. Only Laila maintains composure among them.

Alulu and Riomes seemed to have noticed something from Laila’s reaction, but they didn’t say it out loud and observed the situation.

However, they weren’t the only ones with good sense. Those gathered here were students who had reached a certain level in their respective fields.

The top student of the Department of Political Science speaks while looking at Laila.

“Laila Flamewatch. Perhaps, do you know something?”

As expected, a man who has somewhat mastered political science, which can be called a war waged with people’s psychology. When he opens his mouth to question Laila, she slowly nods and answers him.

“Of course. I know. I watched their end, because it was me.”

The students start to stir greatly once again at Laila’s bombshell statement.

Some of the professors prepare to subdue Laila immediately, but the professor in charge of the magic department to which Laila belongs, that is, Laila’s teacher, prevents it.

Mrs. Ryu, a professor in the Theology Department. Just these two stopping them made it impossible for other professors to move easily.

“…Laila. You wouldn’t say that you killed them, would you?”

At Alulu’s words, Laila turns to her and quietly opens her mouth once again.

“They didn’t die. They’re just sealed. Of course. If that seal lasts forever, it’s as good as dead.”

“Who on earth did such a thing! Laila, even if you’re the most proficient student in magic in this academy, it’s impossible to harm all the elders!”

The top student of the Political Science Department raises his voice after hearing the absurd facts. However, Laila makes a gesture of plugging both ears in front of him and answers with a tired expression.

“Well, because I didn’t do it. All I did was send them to the prison they had to go to. The one who carried out the sentence wasn’t me, but-”

“It is. I.”

The moment Laila finished speaking, a chill that seemed to freeze everyone gathered here dominated the space.

And, the one who opened the gap in the void and revealed her appearance was a noble-looking woman with blue hair, wearing a sky-blue dress.

Horns growing on her head, and scales visible on her skin. A blue tail like the deep sea water, just like her hair.

All of that was telling everyone that the being in front of them was a life form far beyond human.

“Dragon…?”

“Why is a dragon in the academy…?”

Most of the students gathered show fear or hostility in front of the dragon, but the professors carefully lower their posture and take care not to provoke her.

If she had appeared with hostility, more than half of the humans here would have turned into ice on the spot.

“The stillness of the cold. Lady Anatis.”

The professor of the magic department recognizes the identity and calls her name. Then, Anatis nods and turns her blue eyes to her.

“The academy is an institution created through my contract with humans in exchange for studying numerous disciplines and accumulating knowledge so that humans can maintain the balance of the world. However, the 12 elders have long turned this place into a place to resolve their desires. Therefore, the contract with them has been terminated. Those who betrayed me will receive the punishment they deserve in the eternally unmelting ice.”

Anatis says so and places her hand on Laila’s shoulder. The hand was like ice, or even colder than ice. It was as if there was no warmth in her body.

Laila, touched by the cold, flinches without realizing it, but erases the change in her expression while swallowing saliva to avoid showing weakness.

“This human child only helped me. Along with my old friend.”

Anatis’s words silenced the mouths of others this time. The meaning of what she was saying was, in other words, a declaration that she would protect Laila Flamewatch.

One of the five dragons, and a dragon related to the founding of the academy. Anatis’s friend was likely another dragon.

In other words, Laila now had two dragons attached to her at the same time, protecting her.

Of course, the others couldn’t know, but that other one was the storm of annihilation, Ruthios.

She is currently a dragon who has taken on the appearance of a girl who is the guild master in an adventurer city in the countryside under the alias of the Wind of Happiness.

Ruthios also didn’t have good feelings for the academy. She dispatched the Execution Department to kidnap Albein, and the Execution Department tried to control the guild at will with the past of herself and the guild staff.

Therefore, with the dragon ring she received from Lethios as an opportunity, she reconciled with other dragons, informed Anatis of the current situation of the academy, and helped her to purge the 12 elders.

Anatis, like other dragons, basically entrusts all troublesome tasks to humans and likes to study in her cave, so she didn’t know until now that humans were doing as they pleased under the contract she had made.

“The 12 elders are gone. I would like to make this academy itself, where their rule has taken root, disappear. But, it’s not fair to treat you all as one…”

Anatis said so, raising her finger and pointing to the students and teachers.

“The stillness of the cold declares here. None of you humans are entitled to be at the top of this academy in my standards. They are all powerless, weak, and insignificant beings with a lack of knowledge.”

Her cold voice echoes inside the space. It’s such an arrogant statement, but there was no human in this space who could protest the statement. The cold, like a swirling blizzard, covers all the students and teachers.

“Therefore, you must all cultivate and maintain this place in an equal position. This is a new contract. If anyone in this school, including you, tries to exercise dominance or power over this place. You will face the same ending as the 12 elders.”

As a voice containing the dragon’s magic, a new oath – Geass – is executed on all the figures in the academy.

Soon, when the magic subsides, the cold that had frozen the body also disappears, and everyone looks at Anatis with a bewildered face.

“… This should be warning enough. Instead of wasting time on such useless criminal searches, read one more book and gain one second more of experience.”

Anatis said so, turned her body with a still expressionless face, and opened the gap in space as when she appeared.

And, she glanced at Laila and sent telepathy.

[That human Ruthios mentioned…. That’s also part of the contract. Let her know that I will visit when this side is ready]

Laila sweats coldly on her back after hearing the story, but nods without showing it on purpose. Sorry Cleon. It seems like an appointment has been made without permission. While thinking the same thing.

When it seems that the situation has somehow been resolved, Laila gets up from her seat. Then, she flicks her fingers and burns the emblem of the magic department hanging above her seat.

“W, What are you doing!”

When the top student from another department raised his voice, Laila raised the corners of her mouth and replied.

“Isn’t it strange that the reason for being the top student is the qualification to be above someone? Are you going to hang such grand emblems and hide and have secret meetings forever? It’s no different from the elders.”

Once again, silence flows in the space at those words, and a student from the political science department stands up and tears off the emblem of his own department.

“You’re right. Laila Flamewatch. If a new order is established, we must follow it.”

“…Unexpected. That you would stand up first.”

When Laila said that, he laughed and replied.

“That’s politics.”

“Maybe.”

001

When Laila returns home safely, the group who received a rough story from Ruthios welcomes her.

Quon was restless, wondering what to do if something went wrong and something happened to Laila, but Inis, who should be most concerned about her safety.

“Hey, if it’s Master, she can turn all the humans there into ashes and still have leftovers. I’m just waiting and doing it with Daddy!”

She is reflecting in the underground workshop for saying the same thing.

Quon rushes out to the entrance and welcomes Laila, and Laila is in pain because her face is pressed against her chest of the one who hugged her.

Sasha sighs in relief as she watches the scene. And Ruti and Perdia, who only peeked their heads out of the living room and were careful.

And-

“Laila.”

Cleon walks from behind Quon and approaches Laila. When Laila hears Cleon’s voice, she hits Quon’s back and barely gets out of her restraint.

After taking a breath, she organizes her messy bangs and looks at Cleon.

“Yes.”

And then, she answers briefly. As if asking what’s wrong.

“You did what you wanted to do.”

“Of course.”

“You don’t have any regrets.”

“There’s no way.”

“Is that, your revenge?”

“Yes.”

Cleon closed his eyes for a moment after hearing Laila’s answer.

Starting with himself, Lubella, and Laila.

They finished their revenge, and they had no regrets.

They felt more like they had to do what they had to do.

And, for a while, he felt empty.

Cleon could understand why Laila’s answer was too short.

She must have two emotions swirling inside her right now.

One is that she has finished her revenge. Turning the academy, which was the garden of knowledge cultivated by her grandfather, into a place for power struggles, insulting him.

Gathering students under the name of the Execution Department and using them as private soldiers, then being deprived of it by the Black Church. Joy, elation, and satisfaction for presenting the 12 elders who hurt Beatrix in the process with the ending of retribution.

And the other was the emptiness that came with achieving that revenge.

Revenge is like a fierce flame, burning itself until the goal is achieved.

When revenge, which was the purpose and driving force, is over, a feeling of emptiness inevitably comes to the heart, feeling the void of the extinguished fire.

Cleon and Lubella were able to fill this with the presence of those who were by their side.

“… …”

Cleon’s hand reaches out and is placed on Laila’s head.

He remembers hearing from someone before that it’s a violation of manners to touch a woman’s hair carelessly.

But right now, he wanted to make her feel at ease.

“W, What…. My hair will get messed up….”

Laila puts her hand on Cleon’s hand, but she doesn’t try to remove it.

For a moment, she feels the big hand, blushes, and answers shyly.

“Well…. But. It’s okay today.”

“T, Then me too!”

“What? Are we all going to stroke Laila? Then me too~”

Sasha and Ruti were about to rush in, but she yelled and kicked them out.

002

[zzz…]

The quiet breathing of the sleeping holy sword, coming from Cleon’s waist.

“Then…. I guess this is it.”

Two days after the day a new contract was made at the academy.

The group, who had finished all preparations to leave the academy, said goodbye to their long life at Laila’s mansion.

However, it wasn’t like this place was completely empty.

“Be sure to contact me! Take care of yourself! You have to get along with Daddy too! Master!”

Laila’s homunculus, Inis, who also works as a housekeeper, was to protect this place while her master was away from the academy.

When everything is finished and she graduates from the academy, she will return to Helis with her.

And, one more person.

“Bea. Are you sure you don’t want to go with us?”

“Yes. Of course, I want to go with you, senior, but. I have several years of magic department classes piled up. If I want to be helpful to senior, I have to start by catching up with Laila.”

Beatrix says so and looks at Cleon.

“…Thanks to senior, I was able to come out of the endless darkness with my friend. I will definitely work hard to become a proud junior of senior and come to see you.”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“…So, can I hug you before we part?”

When Beatrix speaks carefully, Cleon nods.

Then, she hugs him tightly as if not to forget Cleon’s touch even while they are apart!

When the slightly long hug ends, Quon looks around and expresses doubt.

“Huh? Where are the people from the theology department?”

“The farewell party was already over yesterday. I told them not to come because I didn’t want it to be a strange atmosphere.”

“I see…. Everyone must have been sad?”

Cleon remembers the events of last night at Quon’s words.

“Is it true that Fire and Rougelee are pregnant, Instructor?”

“It’s unfair! Why only those two and not us!”

“According to rumors, even with the top student Riomes…”

He was pushing away the students who were rushing at him, saying that they wanted to do it even once before breaking up, and somehow protecting his pants.

“Instructor. I will never forget a friend named Instructor. A friend of the soul, Instructor Cleon, who has the same blond hair and blue eyes fetish…”

“Should I dye my hair blond and visit you next time…? Just kidding.”

He safely said goodbye to Demis and Riomes siblings.

Sasha was still wearing the arrowhead necklace she received from her friends, and she seemed to have some regrets about school life.

He said that it would be no problem to stay here if she was okay, but she decided that she hated breaking up with Cleon more.

And- another student who leaves school with them.

“Everyone! I’m glad you haven’t left yet.”

The one who appeared in clothes that were easy to move in, having thrown away her uniform, was Arulu Tromeia.

“The servants were sent ahead first. I want to go with Cleon.”

She sweeps back her blonde hair, which shines in the sunlight, and goes closer to Cleon.

If you listen to the story, it seems that she had a call from her mother, and she will return to the capital a little faster because it is almost time for the vacation to start.

“With this, we can be together for a while again. Cleon.”

Laila stops Arulu, who is saying that and is about to link arms with Cleon.

“Wait a minute. Of course, I’m grateful for providing a place to stay in the capital, but we should leave soon, so don’t stick too close.”

“Laila. The right side is empty. Use that side.”

But Arulu naturally says that, and Laila is briefly embarrassed, but stuck to Cleon’s right side as if she couldn’t help it.

“What are you doing. Both of you….”

Quon sighs while looking at Arulu and Laila. Sasha was about to go back to Cleon’s back, but stopped moving at Quon’s words and scratched her head.

“… Let’s get on the carriage soon. We can’t keep Lubella and Iona waiting any longer.”

Iona, who returned to the capital one step ahead, was investigating the incidents happening in the capital with Lubella, but it seemed that she was having a hard time.

She was no longer a journalist for the intelligence agency, so she didn’t need to devote herself to the kingdom.

Still, it seemed that she couldn’t leave Lubella alone.

The group says their goodbyes and gets into the carriage heading to the capital.

Gradually moving away from Beatrix and Inis, who are waving their hands from behind.

At the same time, the scenery of the academy also passes by the window.

“It was a good place.”

When Cleon said that unintentionally, Laila, who was sitting in front of him, blinked her eyes.

Then she answers with a bright smile.

“It will be a better place.”

Even when compared to the bright sun shining on a summer day, she was not inferior.

Fresh and light, like the breeze flowing in through the slightly open window.

It was the honest smile of a lovely girl.