episode_0190

The commotion settled down about 30 minutes later. An uncomfortable conversation began inside the Violet barracks building.

“Excuse me…”

“Whoa!”

As the inspector cautiously tried to ask a question, the Violets hid behind their friends and professors.

Daphne looked at Seijis with a somewhat wary gaze. It was like a mother hen shielding her chick, startled and fleeing from a predator.

At that sight, Seijis felt a momentary dizziness. A sheep protecting a wolf?

‘Where did it go wrong?’

The inspector was confused.

He couldn’t understand how those heroes, who had been by his side from five years later until the world collapsed, had somehow gathered around the girl who would become the villain of the future.

He examined the three girls blocking the space between Violet and himself, as well as the other students around them.

‘Even if Irene is there, it’s not just Lucian; to think even those students who will later become beast slayers are here.’

He reproached himself. For focusing on increasing his own power and neglecting the truly important students.

Two men and women in white coats placed tea and simple snacks on the table.

The atmosphere gradually lightened, showing signs of setting the stage for a conversation.

The eyes of those on Violet’s side met for an instant.

‘Let’s try to persuade him through conversation.’ ‘I’ll take the blame. Violet knows nothing!’ ‘Let’s just try to make excuses somehow. There can’t be definitive evidence, can there?’ ‘We have to protect Violet!’

The first to speak was the elderly man seated beside the students.

“Alright, you said you’re an inspector from the Inspection Bureau, didn’t you? What brings you here?”

The scarred man scanned the twin siblings with his gray eyes.

Seijis replied immediately.

“I’ve come to investigate student Violet regarding the charges of bombing Polaris Academy.”

The instructor shouted.

“Hey. First of all, that’s a ridiculous false accusation! Our student might be a bit lacking and slow to learn, but she’s not a child with bad character. And, do you have any evidence?”

“Your colleague next to you just said ‘there are circumstances.’ It seems you know something, don’t you?”

“What? What kind of…”

Frederick looked at Albert, feeling flustered.

Albert glared at him with a pathetic look.

Their gazes crossed.

‘When did you say something like that? Weren’t we going to pretend we didn’t know?’ ‘You fool! It’s obvious they came with evidence; that kind of thing won’t work against the Inspection Bureau!’

Different dreams in the same bed in the absence of the Violet network [a proverb meaning people are together but think differently], as the two professors’ attempt to protect their student ended in a comical farce, Irene cautiously posed a question.

“Inspector-nim. It’s been a while.” “…Miss Irene.”

“I should greet you first, but circumstances prevent it. First, I’ll ask my question. I saw this incident. It was shocking. But what connection does Violet have to this incident that made you come here? You even brought several people.”

“I consider student Violet Ruzilin to be the main culprit behind the bombing of Polaris Comprehensive Academy.”

Professor Albert asked.

“Evidence?”

“Student Violet’s unique ability is clone creation. She can operate up to tens of thousands of them. Their range covers the entire Rustroom.”

As his words fell, the people on the other side showed surprised expressions.

“Days before the incident, suspicious cars were caught moving on roads and nearby CCTV cameras near the terrorized destination. Suspicious cash movements were also detected. In the vicinity of this area, people of similar build wearing masks or sunglasses were frequently sighted. There are also various other pieces of data. Did you think you could hide this?”

He said that, showing a tablet screen. Violet flinched in surprise and recoiled.

‘The truth is, all of this is just based on my future memories, but…’

This was deception. Each piece of data presented as evidence was merely an isolated fact.

In truth, it was impossible to connect each piece of data to form a single deduction. There was no link.

No one in this world, except Seijis himself, could have deduced the existence of a person named Violet, understood her unique ability, and inferred that she committed a large-scale terror attack, based solely on this.

‘This is frustrating. I can’t exactly say I came from the future and that child becomes a serial killer terrorist, which is why I’m suspicious and came here, can I?’

People grew tense little by little. Seijis spread both palms as a sign to calm down.

“Don’t misunderstand, I haven’t come to arrest you. This is merely circumstantial evidence. I just want to ask. Violet, come out from behind your friends.”

The Violets softly poked their heads out.

“You caused this incident, didn’t you? What was your motive?”

Seijis asked.

He truly wanted to know. Who that child was.

‘Has she already become the Witch of Boundless Power?’

“Hey! Just because you’re an inspector? You said it was only circumstantial evidence, didn’t you? What’s with this sudden confirmation that she’s the culprit?…”

Kalia was protesting, but Violet stepped forward.

“Yep! That’s right, I did it!”

Everyone present, except for the inspector and his sister, had a diverse range of expressions.

**

As the confusion in my mind gradually subsided, I finally stepped forward before the inspector. My thoughts were organized, and I even had a script ready for what to say!

“…What if you admit it!”

“It’s fine! Daphne. I think I can trust this person!”

Leaving my worried friends behind, I confronted the inspector.

“That’s right! I did it. I blew up the academy and toppled the Magnabis headquarters! But why does it matter?”

“Why did you do that?”

The inspector’s sharp gaze pierced me.

In that terrifying atmosphere, I realized once more that he wasn’t the inspector I knew.

To think that character, who was always easygoing and kind to everyone, would change so frighteningly.

What on earth did he go through?

_He must think we’re that Witch of Boundless Power!_ _Let’s prove we’re good Violets!_

I explained.

“Magnabis and the bad chairman made the academy I attend weird! So delinquents were running wild and Daphne got hurt. But then I found out they were doing human experiments and killing students too!”

No. 789 brought the data and spoke passionately.

“Then why didn’t you report them? Even if we ignore the local police or media, the Inspection Bureau…”

“So I tried to report them, but it turns out there are the Four Great Clans above the board of directors. So everything Irene tried to report was blocked. And, they’re all bad guys, aren’t they? So I decided to kill them all and then report them.”

As I finished speaking, Sophieel stared at us as if she’d seen a ghost.

Ugh, I ended up leaving a bad impression on Sophieel.

_But we have to be honest!_

“…Is that all? Any other objectives?”

As the inspector asked suspiciously, I shook my head.

“This is everything! After destroying the academy, I planned to transfer to another academy. There was also talk that if an academy is destroyed, the Academy City rules allow students to transfer to another one. If possible, I wanted to go to Aegis Academy.”

“Do you know what your current situation is? You are currently a terrorist. You committed an act of terror, and you intend to take an entrance exam for an academy?”

At the unexpected criticism, I fell silent. Come to think of it, he’s right.

“But no one knows! There’s no evidence either.”

“I know.”

Seijis crossed his arms and observed us.

“I heard your declaration clearly. And all the evidence you presented, even the research labs. It’s all true. Magnabis is indeed an organization that needs to be dismantled. Speaking frankly, as an individual separate from my Inspection Bureau position, I believe what you did was necessary.”

People whispered. It was truly an extraordinary statement for a public servant of the Academy City Autonomous District to make.

_The inspector thinks we’re right too!_

The next moment, cold water was splashed [an idiom meaning to dampen enthusiasm].

“However, look at your actions. You blew up an academy with explosives, and you possess a large quantity of military-grade weapons of unknown origin. There’s no reason to just let someone like that go to an academy.”

I immediately became depressed.

Since when did the inspector become such a grim person?

I pointed to my friends.

“But I just want to go to the academy and have fun with my friends…”

The inspector’s face strangely changed for a moment. My friends and professors stepped forward from behind instead.

“Violet, that’s enough. Leave it to us.”

**

Several hours later, fortunately, perhaps thanks to the explanations from my friends and professors, the inspector simply withdrew.

“…Are you really an inspector? Are you truly from the Inspection Bureau? You said you came to investigate a terrorist, yet you’re just leaving? Does that make any sense?”

“…It’s only circumstantial evidence. No, it’s fine. We don’t know anything.”

“Then what about all those people outside?”

Professor Albert asked, and Sophieel answered instead.

“Don’t worry. On the surface, it’s just business to admonish and take home a delinquent awakened student who appears to be involved with a criminal organization.”

_What a relief! Yay!_

The inspector withdrew immediately after the conversation ended. The Inspection Bureau personnel pulled back.

_He looks suspicious, but it seems he doesn’t intend to say much._

The Violets could finally relax then. The more they explained, the more complicated things became.

If they were pressed, they would have had to talk about the research labs, and in the worst-case scenario, explain their possession.

_But who would believe that?_

Ugh, I’m just going to keep this a secret until the end.

It’s too complicated to explain anyway.

As I was laughing and about to return to the barracks, someone grabbed my shoulder.

“Huh?”

Irene, Kalia, Daphne. My three friends were holding onto me.

“…Violet. Let’s talk.” “Wh-what is it?”

I sensed an ominous premonition.

As soon as the words were out, Kalia punched No. 246.

“Ouch!”

“You! You! You need a beating! Why did you leave us behind? Without a word! Huh?”

I struggled in Kalia’s grasp, appealing to Daphne for rescue.

“Help me!”

Daphne approached me with a tearful expression and… grabbed my hair, pulling hard.

“Agh!”

“Violet needs to be punished! Really! Are we that untrustworthy? Huh? Why on earth…”

We were scolded by our friends for a long time. For some reason, a gloomy color was tinged on their angry faces.

“S-sorry! Agh!”

Daphne shouted, hitting my head with a staff.

“Do you think ‘sorry’ will just make it okay? Why!”

I was speechless. A clicking sound of disapproval came from behind.

“Tsk tsk, oh dear…”

The inspector’s older sister was watching us from behind with a complex gaze.

By the way, why is Sophieel still here?