Ch.9393. Reversal (9)

From the 4th floor to the underground shelter. And then back from the underground shelter to the 4th floor.

The stairs from the 3rd floor to the 4th floor had ended, and it was time to escape from this wretched place called Dube Hall.

“Are you here?”

Senia asks as if she had been waiting for me with her arms crossed.

Come to think of it, I realized at the end that I must have spent quite a bit of time trapping Cayden’s gang in the basement.

So I thought everyone would have escaped by now.

“You weren’t waiting for me, were you?”

“Yes, I was waiting for you.”

“…Why? You should have gone down first.”

Senia didn’t particularly answer that question.

“More importantly, where did you go?”

“First floor. I had to make sure there wouldn’t be a chain explosion because of the magical beast blood.”

“…Sigh.”

I wondered why she suddenly sighed, but then Senia picked something up from the floor and held it out to me.

“What? Why?”

“Hold still. I’m just going to apply some charcoal.”

“But why?”

“Because the laboratory section on the first floor completely collapsed. If you’re going to claim you went there, you should at least lie properly.”

“Ah…”

Now I understood why Senia had sighed. Even for someone in the position of a close-combat barrier caster, it would look suspicious to emerge from a burning, collapsing building without a single smudge on my clothes.

Senia was trying to make my appearance convincing so I wouldn’t arouse suspicion from others outside.

“The time you took was much longer than what would be expected for just going to the first floor. When we get outside, follow my lead. Got it?”

“…Sure.”

It would certainly be troublesome if someone outside the building noticed this inconsistency and started questioning me. So her help is much appreciated.

But why is she helping me? On that point… I have no idea.

I thought about asking her directly, but I quickly shook my head and decided to keep quiet. I’d rather not have my inner thoughts exposed by Senia’s sharp questioning… After she finished applying the charcoal, only silence remained between us.

We were the last ones to be rescued, and all the students who had been trapped in Dube Hall managed to escape safely.

The spirit mages who had suffered high-level exhaustion from continuously squeezing out magical power as spirit hosts, along with those who were seriously injured, were immediately transported away.

What remained was the shelter, which we would examine one last time.

“There are people here too!”

“Bring stretchers, and neutralizing agents as well!”

As expected.

Even though I had destroyed the magical circulation device, I had only broken one out of four, so their limbs were intact. However,

“Cough, cough!”

“Urgh…!”

“…The poisoning symptoms are severe. This is dangerous.”

They were all in bad shape, having been thoroughly poisoned because they couldn’t properly protect their respiratory systems.

Their bodies were completely broken after inhaling highly concentrated magical toxins in that confined space.

Despite gasping for fresh air outside, their eyes remained fixed on one spot.

Those bloodshot eyes filled with resentment were focused on me. Soon, one of them started shouting.

“That bastard… that bastard trapped us!!!”

“That’s right! He blocked the shelter entrance and deliberately caused a splash-out, reducing us to this state!”

Well, even though they’re saying such things, I have nothing to be ashamed of.

If I were to be interrogated, I could simply shrug my shoulders and say, “I don’t know anything about that.” After all, there wouldn’t be any evidence.

But this time, it seems I won’t even need to do that?

“You are all under arrest as the true culprits of the Dube Hall terrorist incident. Be aware that interrogation will continue during your treatment period at the hospital. Of course, you will be sentenced as soon as your recovery is complete.”

Before I could even make excuses, things were taking a different turn.

All that time I spent thinking about how to deny each of their claims while being rescued with Senia now seemed pointless.

Moreover, it doesn’t look like Cayden’s gang will easily escape this situation, with Ophelia standing at the center of it all.

“Don’t talk nonsense! If you’re going to arrest anyone, arrest that commoner!”

“Why are we being arrested instead of the commoner who threatened the safety of nobles!”

“This is speculation! Pure speculation! We’re the victims here!!”

When people are backed into a corner, their judgment often becomes clouded.

If they were in a state of normal thinking, they would never have responded like this.

“Sigh, let’s hear what you have to say. What exactly did Junon do to you?”

When Ophelia sighed and responded as if she was just humoring their absurd claims, Cayden’s gang all raised their voices and shouted.

“He brought a bundle containing artificial magic stones and magical beast blood! Because of that, we couldn’t even use magic to defend ourselves!”

“And that’s not all! He broke the magical circulation device so the shelter couldn’t function properly!”

“And when we tried to get out, he—”

After processing the information she had received, Ophelia snorted in disbelief.

“So you’re saying that Junon here, acting alone, confronted all of you and trapped you in the shelter?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what happened!”

It’s impossible not to snort at the ridiculous claim that a single person had trapped them—thirteen people.

And that to thoroughly confine them, he broke the magical circulation device and caused a splash-out inside.

To anyone listening, this sounds insane. But as I emphasized before, these guys are not in a state of normal thinking.

“So, do you have any evidence?”

“…!”

At the mention of evidence, they fell silent.

This was always their method. Concealing evidence, secretly cleaning up or fabricating it through backdoor operations.

Then they would ask for evidence while thoroughly hiding and evading their own actions. But what about now?

They’re demanding punishment for someone else with bloodshot eyes, but they don’t actually have any evidence.

In short, they’ve played themselves into a corner.

“Not worth discussing further. Take them all away.”

“Let go! That bastard trapped us! It’s not us but that guy… ugh!”

“Be quiet.”

Ophelia personally takes away those who are no better than criminals. This incident will likely proceed toward hearing the circumstances of what these guys did.

Well, that’s fine. Although the outcome is a bit different from what I expected, there’s no major problem with this.

But… for some reason, my head started spinning.

“Junon!”

“…”

“Hey, are you—!”

What’s happening? Is this dizziness from the sudden release of tension?

…I don’t know. My eyes were closing naturally, and my body couldn’t resist it.

***

“What happened?”

“I don’t know either. He just suddenly collapsed…”

“Suddenly…?”

“Let’s examine him first.”

Although she was right beside him, Senia couldn’t understand why Junon had developed these symptoms.

‘It’s definitely not something magical…’

Since she hadn’t detected anything, he wasn’t affected by magic.

Could it be exposure to the splash-out? That’s ruled out too. Junon had taken every precaution against splash-outs.

He showed no signs of the commonly known magical toxin poisoning, even giving her that hood to wear for protection.

So what’s left…

Just then, the doctor who finished the examination reported his condition.

“He’s not showing symptoms of exhaustion. He just… seems to have overexerted himself.”

Not exhaustion?

The last possible cause was mana exhaustion. But… collapsing from overwork? This was hard to accept.

The building was tall, so the number of stairs might have tired Junon’s body, but they weren’t that strenuous.

He didn’t even look particularly tired while climbing up just before the rescue.

Even when facing berserk magical beasts and rampaging spirits, he had meticulously adjusted the placement of personnel to minimize damage, so his body shouldn’t have been under that much strain…

“We’ll take him to the hospital for now. Senia, please come to the hospital too, just in case.”

“…Yes.”

The questions about Junon only continued to grow.

***

When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling I had seen not long ago.

“Huh… the hospital.”

It’s strange enough that I was brought to the hospital, but this familiar ceiling isn’t even that bright.

Quite some time must have passed since my eyes suddenly closed, as it was now almost night. It had been afternoon when the incident occurred.

“What exactly happened…”

As I scratched my head in confusion and got up from the bed, a nurse conveniently entered.

“Oh my, when did you wake up?”

“Just now. I was a bit surprised to find it so dark after waking up.”

“We were worried because you slept for so long. So I wanted to ask, do you have any painful symptoms?”

“No, I’m fine.”

At my answer that I was fine, the nurse nodded a couple of times and said it seemed to be simple overexertion. She added that they had done most of the examinations while I was asleep, but that was all they could infer.

It does seem that way. It’s strange to be hospitalized when nothing hurts…

“Still, there’s a possibility that other symptoms from magical toxin poisoning might appear later, so please stay hospitalized just for today.”

“Hmm… alright.”

At least I won’t get scolded by any professors for missing lectures. That’s a relief.

The nurse handed me a document and asked me to press the call button immediately if I noticed any of the listed symptoms.

“Is there anything else you need?”

Anything else… ah.

“Could you bring me a newspaper, please?”

A major incident had occurred, and knowing how the world was reacting was quite important to me.

After receiving the newspaper from the nurse a moment later, I read it carefully and realized that this incident had changed significantly from the past I knew.

“…This must be plastered all over the bulletin boards at Megrez Hall too.”

—The perpetrator who committed the act at the Academy, a key institution of the Empire, is Cayden, a member of a high-ranking noble family.

—Shocking fact: The nobles who committed the crime denied their guilt, claiming one person did it all!

—Motive unknown. However, Cayden and the 12 others who committed the crime had their magic circuits completely destroyed by the splash-out and can no longer use magic…

—Officials from Dube Hall who cooperated in this crime have also emerged…

The scale has grown larger. Rather than just an oppression process being exposed, perhaps it’s because there could have been casualties, which makes sense.

First, the similarities:

Just like before the regression, Princess Ophelia presents all the evidence of this incident, revealing the full criminal process of Cayden’s gang.

The same goes for their collaborators. As evidence that had been concealed or destroyed and witnesses who had been led in unfavorable directions came to light, this incident spread nationwide in an unprecedented manner.

Perhaps as the nobles’ atrocities become known, their power will be further diminished.

Now for the differences:

Originally, after this incident, the nobles’ power would decrease, naturally leading to a reversal.

But now, the word “reversal” doesn’t quite fit.

“Those who survived under extreme conditions versus the criminals who couldn’t, huh.”

The subheading asks whether pursuing superior firepower is the only direction.

“Those who survived” clearly refers to the students assigned to Classes C and D this time. “The criminals who couldn’t” refers to Cayden’s group who were stuck in Class F. Well, they’re not even in Class F anymore—they’re criminals now.

This isn’t so much a reversal of the atmosphere as it is an overtaking.

If I had to put it…

“It’s more like an upset.”

Anyway, such articles being written holds significant value.

As the subheading suggests, it raises questions about whether the methods practiced until now were correct.

There’s no doubt that it will help fill the shortage of vanguard students and benefit the future.

Whatever the case, the gains outweigh the losses.

But… why does my heart feel so restless?

“Sigh.”

It was a day when sighs wouldn’t easily stop, despite things wrapping up well.

***

Since news of the incident at Dube Hall would spread rapidly, Senia had already asked Goden, who was present at the scene, to tell the other team members that she wasn’t seriously injured and would return soon.

“I clearly said I was fine, so why did you come anyway?”

“No matter what anyone says, you’re still my team member, haha!”

Senia hadn’t expected Goden himself to visit her hospital room.

“Did you properly relay my message to the others?”

“Of course! If I hadn’t, Charlotte or Michelle would have rushed over immediately.”

“Well, that’s true…”

But that doesn’t explain why Goden came here.

“I guess you have something you want to ask me alone. What business brings you here?”

“Hmm. You’re too perceptive as always.”

“Don’t beat around the bush.”

At that, Goden suddenly grinned and said,

“Did you see anyone there who might be worth adding to our team?”

He asked Senia with interested eyes. His discerning eye for potential team members was shining once again.