Ch.8585. Reversal (1)

Professor Jake’s eyewitness account, our testimonies from those who were present, and the rebuttals from the opposing side were all compiled to determine the disciplinary action.

However, even with the people they bribed, it was impossible to determine who had laid hands on the nobles the most.

Everyone testified that they had all rushed in without exception, punching and kicking the nobles’ precious bodies.

Thus, we had no choice but to believe the concrete evidence.

The nobles were responsible for the clear violation of school rules by setting up a sound barrier. Most traces of magic deployment were also attributed to them.

As a result, we naturally escaped the more severe disciplinary measures.

Two days had passed since then, and I decided to visit John and Noel in the infirmary, partly to observe how they were doing.

“How’s your recovery going?”

“Junon…?”

“Don’t tell me you came to visit us…?”

“But.”

What’s with these expressions they’re giving to someone who came to visit them?

They don’t dislike it, but their faces show confusion, as if wondering if this is really happening.

“What? Is it strange?”

“If other guys came to visit, I wouldn’t find it particularly odd… but with you, Junon… how should I put it… it feels awkward?”

“I also feel it’s awkward. You’ve always been a loner who doesn’t make friends. It’s bound to feel strange when someone like you comes to visit.”

“I guess my social skills and interpersonal relationships aren’t great.”

“Hey, man! That’s not what I meant…!”

“Heh, just kidding.”

Seeing how quickly he sat up, it seems his body is recovering well. Good, good. That’s how it should be. After all, these two are the ones that other vanguard students should look up to from now on.

“You’ll need to attend classes now that you’ve moved up a rank. When are you getting discharged?”

“Since we pushed ourselves too hard back then, they said it’s better to stay a few more days. Both our bodies and mana circuits are a mess.”

“But they said there are no aftereffects or major internal injuries. So I think we’ll be able to attend classes soon after resting well in the hospital.”

Hearing that puts my mind at ease. I had a lingering regret in a corner of my heart, wondering if these guys would have been less injured if I had arrived sooner.

“But what’s your real purpose here? Junon, you always hide something.”

“Oh, I was about to ask that too! Did you come with something else in mind this time as well?”

“Hmm. Actually, I needed to monitor the situation. There was a precedent recently.”

“Precedent?”

“I’m talking about Sil… no, Adel.”

“Ah, that incident at the Cutelli Count’s estate…”

There was a case where Count Cutelli threatened Adel, so these two could also become targets of the nobles in some way.

This time, commoners openly rebelled against the nobles, so it’s inevitable that they would try to break that power.

Among them, John and Noel, who manifested battle auras, were the most likely to be targeted.

But this turned out to be an unnecessary worry.

“It shouldn’t matter. We’re orphans, so there’s not much the nobles can use against us. That’s why they always bring up our status and position.”

“We have nothing to lose, so we can’t be blackmailed. Besides, they’re human too—would they kidnap people the same way again after what happened?”

Both of them show not even a speck of fear, let alone trembling with anxiety.

I came here wondering if they might have already faced a similar situation, but it seems they’re fine in that regard.

“…More importantly, you’re really something, Junon.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. To put it bluntly, the students changed their minds because of you.”

“And not just this time. We survived the Tveshar joint training because of you, Junon, and we survived the Osoftera defense battle by following your instructions. At this point, I think we just need to listen to and follow what you say.”

“…”

I’m grateful to them for overlooking these facts until now.

However… I shouldn’t get any closer than this.

“I should get going now.”

“Why? Stay and chat a bit longer.”

“Yeah, man. Tell us things like how you usually train. Leave us some advice too.”

“I’d like to, but it seems we have a visitor.”

“‘Visitor?'”

Since the two didn’t seem to notice at all, I deliberately opened the door.

“Ugh…”

A girl stood there with a basket full of freshly baked, warm bread, looking like she’d been caught.

“Oh, it’s Hena! That means…”

“Bread, bread!!”

“You guys notice the bread before me?!!”

“Aaaagh! Hey, we’re injured people!”

“How could you hit patients?! That’s too much!”

“I don’t care! You both deserve it!”

Since they even have visitors coming to see them, there shouldn’t be any problems.

I closed the door to their room where Hena was hitting them and left the hospital.

The previous two incidents of rampage came to nothing, and even after the notorious third year—known as the year of expulsion—had passed, the number of third-year students hadn’t decreased.

Of course, most failed to manifest battle auras, but instead of giving up and choosing to drop out, they chose to learn more and grow at the academy.

That’s good enough. With this alone, my goal has been achieved.

‘…But it’s not good to just follow what I say, Noel.’

Because I’ve failed once before.

If they knew there was a world where following my words led to failure, they would never say such things.

“Right. Having failed, I should now walk this path.”

A different path from back then.

I decided not to join Tembris and to resolve problems with my own strength.

Although I know this path will be difficult, it was time for me to walk my own path that had been paused for a while.

…Or so I thought.

Unlike before my regression, the world was progressing differently, yet I was still repeating the same actions as back then.

“…This is ridiculous. I instinctively came to Class E.”

I had completely forgotten that I was promoted to Class A in the class placement exam.

The classroom had been fixed in the same place for years, and I had stepped in there out of habit. Thanks to that, I even saw the faces of those guys I didn’t want to see.

If it were a place I went to every day, it would be fine, but having to go somewhere new for the first time was giving me a headache.

“I’ll have to find it using the guidebook. The map… let’s see, from this wing, take the right path…”

“For this lecture, you should go straight, circle around, and take the path through the back door of the adjacent building.”

“Oh, I see! Thank y—”

…Wait. This sounds very familiar.

The situation also feels like one I’ve experienced before.

Of course, it’s Renias. By now, I’m not even surprised by her approaching silently and speaking to me like this.

“I was wondering what you were doing standing here for so long… Were you looking for the classroom?”

“…Yeah. This is my first time here.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well… I was originally in Class E.”

“Ah, right…! I was taking it for granted. Hehe.”

Renias now looked like she understood why I was standing there.

After that, I just had to follow Renias. She said she’d roughly show me the way to the other lecture halls I’d need to attend later.

Being in this situation makes it feel like she’s the senior, even though I’m older and in a higher grade.

“It’s here. Let’s go in.”

Hm? Go in together?

“Renias, are you also taking this lecture?”

“Huh?”

I thought she was just kindly showing me the way to the classroom, but it seems she came to attend the same lecture. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suggested going in together.

“Yes, yes! Me too! Somehow I ended up taking this lecture?! Ahaha, haha…”

I see. So that’s what it was. I was wondering how she knew the classroom location without me mentioning which lecture I was attending.

Well, this lecture is available to anyone regardless of year or class division as long as they’re not in Class F, so it’s not strange.

After finding seats in the classroom, Renias promptly sat down next to me.

“What? Can’t I sit here?”

“No, it’s not that…”

It’s just that Renias sitting in the back row looks awkward to me. She seems more like an exemplary student who would sit in the front row and attentively understand the professors’ lectures.

But that could be my prejudice, so I put these thoughts aside and changed the subject.

“How is Adel doing?”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you. The two of them……”

It seems the mother and daughter are doing well without any major threats. It would be fine to take them to the Lantana Duchy in the Empire, but the authority of the Lantana Duchy naturally shines even in the provincial territory of the Principality branch.

However, despite the absence of threats, they were restless, looking for work because they didn’t want to be idle.

She said she wanted to be helpful rather than just consuming food, but her skills fell far short of the maids’—which was a small point of amusement.

Then, using her experience running a merchant guild, she resolved a price issue in the territory and is now involved in commerce.

“But do you know what’s really surprising? Adel’s sister also found that field suits her!”

Like mother, like daughter.

Adel’s role has also grown in importance, living up to the saying.

‘That’s good.’

This is much better than forcing her to attend the academy. Now she has goals and is in charge of work.

The past where she chose suicide to refuse a forced engagement will no longer come to Adel. I think this is a positive change.

Time flew by as I listened to various stories from Renias, and soon it was time for the lecture.

***

“Hey… what are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know. Don’t ask me.”

“My father was furious about this. He said we gained nothing this time…”

“Will you shut up?”

“”…””

The one who was still denying reality glared and snapped at the whispering voices.

‘What went wrong?’

For Cayden, it was still incomprehensible.

Bribing someone from the academy was easy. Just hand over money and a few plausible valuables, and they would naturally record things in your favor.

In other matters related to treatment, they would subtly change the subject and advocate policies favorable to nobles.

Therefore, even if they set up sound barriers in violation of school rules, or bullied useless and worthless people, nobles like himself could get what they wanted.

But this time, a completely different result unfolded.

‘We all testified and gave statements, so why!’

There were many methods: concealing evidence and citing lack of evidence to blur the line between victim and perpetrator, or declaring it a mutual conflict to make the other side taste defeat. But the face of a commoner dropping their head in despair always meant victory for the nobles.

But what about this time?

They were beaten thoroughly, no proper punishment was imposed, and instead of being frustrated, those guys were proudly admitting their guilt.

And the fact that they had set up a sound barrier wasn’t overlooked despite them being the aggressors. Nothing about this situation felt satisfactory.

Especially Junon, who should have been identified as the ringleader, got away with just cleaning duty instead of suspension.

It was like a slap on the wrist—just a waste of time with nothing to show for it.

“What are those bastards doing now?”

“Huh? I heard they’ve been going in and out of the Dube Hall since that day, saying they’re going to manifest battle auras…”

“What…!”

They’re doing what there? Adding insult to injury by acting like nothing happened and going for tests?

Cayden’s teeth ground audibly.

“This can’t continue. Absolutely not.”

Cayden was already out of his mind, consumed by a sense of defeat.