episode_0108

Daron, contrary to Loki’s thoughts, was neither an idiot nor a fool.

From the start, Daron was the closest in line to become the head of the Revyden Marquisate, a merchant family. Although it was easily possible because Sepia wasn’t blood-related and Rania wasn’t in good health, if he had forgotten what he himself had said just a few hours ago, even that would have been impossible.

If it had been the usual Daron, he would have remembered the words he spoke. Yes, if it had been the usual Daron, that is.

From the moment he told them to use the artifact, Daron wasn’t in his right mind. Loki’s incessant provocations, his subordinates being pushed back, and the gazes felt from all around. Moreover, he was hit by Loki countless times in the fog, and was even subjected to that by the men.

After receiving treatment from the priest, only rage toward Loki dominated Daron’s mind. Daron remembered Loki’s actions, but not the words he himself had uttered.

‘…If this happens, it’ll be exposed that what I said earlier was a lie.’

Daron bowed his head without a word. Though he bowed his head, he could feel the chilling gazes of the people. The people staring at Daron had much they wanted to say, but the video wasn’t over yet.

“””……………”””

The observers thought there was nothing more to be surprised by, but the subsequent video was even more shocking.

There was only one word that could describe the video that followed. Overwhelm.

Loki overwhelmed everyone. He overwhelmed the student who tried to crush him with strength, using strength. He instantly found the student who tried to attack while hiding their presence. Loki overwhelmed his opponents in their own areas of expertise.

The video ended with Loki defeating a student who used magic.

“….He’s that strong….?” Someone spoke in the silent room, but everyone merely agreed inwardly, without opening their mouths.

‘Of course, I never thought he was weak… but.’

The strength people attributed to Loki was his strategic prowess and skill in handling magical tools. But the Loki shown there overwhelmed a second-year student who used an artifact, without using any magical tools or artifacts himself.

Jena, seeing Loki effortlessly overwhelm the second-year students, whispered into Johanna’s ear. “Johanna, is there no way to keep Loki in the Disciplinary Committee?”

“…I wish I could.” However, Johanna had already half-given up on having Loki join the Disciplinary Committee, respecting his choice.

‘At least I can meet him every morning.’

Thinking that, Johanna caressed her thigh.

‘It feels empty.’ It was even uncomfortable because she no longer felt the weight and warmth that had been on her lap until she came here.

* * *

‘As expected of Professor Alicia.’ She accurately sensed what I wanted and edited the video. The video stopped before Daron sexually harassed Sepia.

“Loki.” The professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee called my name. Unlike the other club representatives and professors behind him, he didn’t seem surprised; only fatigue was etched on his face.

“Yes! It’s Loki!”

The professor, with Daron still gaping blankly and his eyes trembling, gave him a chilling stare.

“Normally, I should be asking about the lie that fellow told. But it’s clear he’s not in his right mind, so may I ask you first?”

For a moment, I wondered how he’d react if I said, ‘Please go easy on me,’ but I didn’t actually say it out loud.

“Ask away. If it’s something I know, I will answer everything with utmost sincerity.”

“Thank you,” said the professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee.

“According to the video, you could have suppressed your opponents instantly, but instead you mocked them and prolonged the fight. Was there a reason for that?”

Hmm. Did I do that?

I recalled my actions shown in the video just now.

‘Surely, after striking all those poses, this isn’t the end, is it?’ ‘Come on, cheer up! I haven’t even taken my hands out of my pockets yet, you know? If you get abandoned by your owner like this, don’t blame me.’ ‘That’s it! That’s how it should be! Seeing you all gang up to catch one first-year like me, get beaten, and then pathetically try to catch me with an artifact… it just makes me applaud.’

It seems I might have done that a bit.

‘The reason I fought while mocking them……..’ I just thought it would be good if my opponents got angry. There was no special meaning to it.

There probably won’t be a big problem if I tell the truth. After all, I wasn’t the one who picked the fight or attacked first. The professor’s tone wasn’t accusatory, but rather one of curiosity.

But if I tell the exact truth, it might be a bit much….

‘Let’s just not lie.’

Hmm. Right. Even so, my conscience, ethics, and morality won’t allow me to lie in a place like a trial.

“Of course, I didn’t provoke and tease my seniors without any reason.”

Not only the professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee but also the other professors and club representatives stared at me intently, curious about why I said that.

Since there was a reason — to infuriate my opponents — it wasn’t exactly a lie.

“I am weak.”

Perhaps surprised by my words, people’s eyes widened and their mouths fell open.

Compared to Professor Alicia, it’s true that I’m weak, so this isn’t exactly a lie either.

“That’s why I said those things to excite my seniors, making it a bit easier to dodge their attacks.”

Since their attacks were too slow and simple, I dodged them easily, so this statement wasn’t a lie either.

Suddenly, I felt a new sense of greatness in myself for speaking only the truth without lying.

‘Can a person really be this kind and diligent?’

I’m so kind that it’s a fault. Being only this kind, diligent, ethical, and moral makes it hard to live in this harsh world, but I couldn’t help it if it was to protect my conscience.

As I was feeling proud of myself, the professor asked me.

“You could have ignored or avoided fighting, so why didn’t you do that?”

Because if I ran away, I couldn’t beat Daron.

Saying it like that would be a bit much, so this time I sugarcoated it a little.

“Because I thought if I ran away, Sepia might get hurt behind me.”

“…..Huh?” A brief silence followed my words, and the silence was broken by the sound of hiccuping from beside me. I looked in the direction of the hiccuping sound and saw Sepia, her face covered with both hands, her head bowed low.

“Oh my!” “Didn’t I tell you? They’re definitely in *that* kind of relationship, Student Sepia and him!” “So, Student Loki acted to protect Student Sepia….?” “It’s certainly well-known that Daron and Sepia have a bad relationship.”

I could hear the professors murmuring in the distance, but the distance was far and it wasn’t loud enough to make out exactly what they were saying.

‘Are they perhaps talking bad about me?’

Of course, I don’t actually think the professors are talking bad about me, but for some reason, the longer their conversation went on, the colder Johanna’s expression became.

Just then, as I was trying my best to avoid Johanna’s gaze.

Daron, who had remained in an awkward posture, finally moved his mouth.

“…..Actually, I, I told my friends to attack Loki. It seems I briefly forgot because I was hit so badly earlier…”

“Ugh—! My apologies. Please continue what you were saying.” An exclamation involuntarily escaped my lips. To think he’d claim temporary insanity here.

‘Anyone would think I beat him severely.’

Naturally, no one seemed to believe Daron’s claim of diminished capacity; everyone stared at him with cold eyes.

“It wasn’t shown in that video, but that guy who subdued my friends, he, he hit me severely and made me get raped by men!”

“”””……………..””””

A moment of silence fell. Everyone looked at Daron with dumbfounded eyes.

“Haa… I know you made that claim before coming to the Disciplinary Committee. Bring in the priest.” The professor, letting out a deep sigh, spoke to a student next to him.

A moment later, a man in priest robes walked over.

“My name is Raymond.”

It seemed this Raymond person was the priest who treated Daron.

“During the process of treating Student Daron, I was able to determine that someone had severely hit Student Daron’s face. Fortunately, no wounds remained, perhaps because a potion was used.”

Hope briefly flickered across Daron’s face upon hearing the priest Raymond’s words, but that hope turned to despair after hearing what followed.

“However, I could not find any traces of him being raped by men. Just in case someone used illusion magic, I even checked his mind, but there were no distinct traces of mana remaining.”

“What nonsense! I was violated, what kind of nonsense is that?!”

Upon hearing that, Daron completely lost his reason and began shouting at the priest.

Illusions do not interfere with a person’s mind.

‘To put it a bit grandiosely, it would be more accurate to say they interfere with the world.’

No matter how high-ranking a priest comes, they wouldn’t be able to find out that I used an illusion to show Daron a nightmare.

Of course, the academy professors know about my illusions to some extent, so they know that illusions leave no traces. But that doesn’t mean they can find evidence that I used an illusion to do that.

‘In other words, it’s about whose words the professors will believe, mine or Daron’s.’

Daron, who lied multiple times during the disciplinary committee. Me, who is handsome, kind, sociable, cool, and handsome.

Whose words will the professors believe more out of the two?

I’m so curious, I almost burst out laughing.