episode_0020

The weekend has come to an end.

How many people would despair at this simple sentence?

Probably countless.

Students, workers—everyone longs for a weekend of rest.

“······Ah.”

I was no different.

Though I had taken my seat at the back of the lecture hall earlier than anyone else as usual, I found myself sighing deeply as the upcoming class approached.

In that moment, thoughts of “······Should I just give up?” crossed my mind.

The thought of giving it all up.

Considering that life is not even worth a year, should I just abandon the academy altogether?

It wasn’t entirely absurd.

After all, I was someone who didn’t fit perfectly into the purpose of the academy.

What is the purpose of an academy?

Naturally, the purpose of the academy was to exist for the cultivation of talent for the future.

The purpose of protecting people.

The purpose of nurturing individuals who will protect others.

When considering this purpose, from the perspective of the academy, I was quite shameless.

Not particularly talented.

And not here for the sake of the future, having received a deadline.

“······Not a single condition fits.”

When looking at the purpose of this place, I was the one student who didn’t fit a single condition.

Perhaps this is how the academy views ‘Lian Trice’, rather than an evaluation of me.

Instead, it seemed more like I should be showing reverence to the academy.

Being grateful.

Even someone like me, being allowed to attend the academy, should be grateful.

“···.”

A sudden feeling of worsening mood.

But what could I do?

The way people look at me has already been decided.

It was a situation akin to the unspoken question, “What can you even do?”

What can I do?

What can I do other than quietly exist like a transparent being?

Withdrawing itself wasn’t the problem.

Withdrawing was simply a matter of going to the student affairs office and filling out some paperwork.

“The problem lies in what comes next.”

The problem lay in what comes after withdrawing.

The issue of what to do and how to live after leaving the academy.

I didn’t have any particular talents to rely on for survival.

Barely capable of handling a sword, I was far from being the best. The world of the original work was filled with people who excelled in wielding swords.

I didn’t have any significant connections.

The only new connections I made here were Ellis, Tinia, and Labilaa.

– Really? You’re not lying, are you? Finally disappearing from my life?

If I were to spread the news of my withdrawal, Ellis would probably welcome it with open arms.

– I suppose there won’t be any change in how I’m treated as your junior. It’s regrettable, but I hope you live well even after my withdrawal.

Tinia might feel a little disappointed, but she probably wouldn’t try to stop me from leaving.

– Hm. Seems like I misjudged people. I thought they weren’t lacking in perseverance.

Labilaa would undoubtedly see me off with a cold gaze, collecting all the favors she had shown me.

“······It feels somewhat sad.”

Truly, it was a bitter feeling in the world.

In this regard, I felt that the original Lian was much better than me.

He’s much better. After all, he can just return to his family.

Even if the original Lian were to return to his family, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be treated well.

Lian was already covered by the image of a good-for-nothing, so it was clear that he wouldn’t be treated well for simply dropping out of the academy for no good reason.

······Or not.

Perhaps he’s so much like Lian that his family doesn’t care at all.

Suddenly, I began to think that might be the case.

From the start, the original Lian was driven out of his family not because of withdrawal, but because of expulsion, which brought shame to the family.

It must be the result of the shame of expulsion and various other incidents that had occurred until now.

Anyway.

Now, it’s not important what happened to the original Lian.

The point was that even the original good-for-nothing had somewhere to return to.

Unlike me now, who has nowhere to go even if I withdraw.

“······It’s impossible for me to return to the Trice family.”

For me, there was no assumption of returning to the family.

If I were to return to the family, I didn’t know if I would be suspected of being someone else.

It was only natural.

In fact, if a rascal who had revealed himself suddenly acted like a normal person, it would naturally raise suspicion. There must have been many people in the Trice family who had known the original Lian for a long time. It wouldn’t take them long to realize that Lian Trice had changed. This was the last thing I wanted at the moment, and even before receiving a death sentence, it was something I didn’t want. The situation where people who knew the original Lian started to doubt me. What I wanted was not suspicion but trust. Not suspicion like “Have you turned into someone else?” but trust like “Finally, you’ve changed.” This was the reaction I wanted from people. Receiving a reaction I never wanted, even now, was worse than dying. “… This is why I didn’t drop out of the academy, even though I had no intention.” There was nowhere else to go. Even if I ran away from here, there was no warm refuge for me. There was nowhere else. Even if everyone hated me, even if everyone pointed fingers at me, there was nowhere else for me to go. That’s why I endured. Despite receiving harsh glances from others and even when the academy’s classes were of no help, I endured against all odds. That was all. That was the entire reason for me to stay at the academy. “As expected, you’re here early today as well?” “… Hm. You heard me but won’t even answer. That’s really rude, you know?” Enduring was also the reason I could withstand Elise Arkstra’s irritating expression, poking at my nerves since the morning. Perhaps due to the melancholic thoughts I had been entertaining so far, I really had no energy to respond, but I couldn’t ignore Elise, who went as far as to say such things. So, I gathered all my strength to respond. “What’s the matter?” “Wow, you seem really curious about what’s going on.” “Just get to the point. You didn’t come early just to annoy me, did you, Elise?” “Is that so? Did you come early just to annoy me?” “… … Fine, I got it. I won’t joke, so please wipe off that unpleasant expression.”

Fortunately, it seemed my sour expression had been well conveyed to Alice.

Seeing her tail drop like that,

and witnessing the proud Alice react in such a manner,

she let out a deep sigh as if bored and finally began to address her own matter.

“It’s nothing much.”

“Is that just your way of saying that every time I bring something up? Blaming it on your mood?”

“······Of course it’s because of my mood. Anyway, don’t interrupt. I’m speaking.”

“···.”

“It’s nothing much, but I heard some strange rumors over the weekend.”

“Strange rumors?”

Strange rumors?

What kind of strange rumors all of a sudden?

There couldn’t possibly be any incidents from the original work happening right now, could there?

She looked truly clueless, so Alice spoke with frustration apparent in her voice.

“Yes. It’s an extremely odd rumor related to you.”

“A rumor related to me?”

“Hwang Taenyeo, and a commission. That should give you a rough idea, right?”

“······Ah.”

“There’s a rumor spreading through the academy that you took on a commission alone with the princess.”

Alice’s expression seemed to ask, ‘Don’t you know anything?’ It was a look as if weighing whether to send a soul to heaven or hell right in front of her eyes.

“···.”

“······Why are you shutting your mouth even more suspiciously?”

In front of that expression, I reflexively closed my mouth.

The reason was simple.

I had nothing to say.

It was such a clear fact that I couldn’t even deny it.

Hmm.

I never thought it would turn into a rumor.

When I took on the commission, there was definitely no one around.

Could it be the academy official who connected me to the commission spreading the rumor?

“Sigh. Seeing you not even denying it makes it seem true.”

“···.”

As she seemed to be deducing a suspect in her own way, Alice’s voice murmured with a sense of pity.

“So, what are you going to do? Just ignore it like you’ve been doing until now?”

“······If it were just me involved, I would probably do that.”

“Right. But this time, the issue involves not only you but also the princess of the empire. It’s natural for you to have difficulty making a decision.”

“So, what exactly is the problem with that? I don’t quite understand.”

As Alice mumbled, someone suddenly took the seat next to me, cutting her off.

“Speak, Alice Arkstra. In what way would my handling of the request with Lian Trice be problematic?”

“…”

“Your Highness?”

Alice’s frozen expression and the term “Your Highness.”

And the charismatic voice I had been hearing throughout the request.

With just this much information, even without turning my head, I could tell who had taken the seat next to me.

“…I greet Your Highness.”

“Well, Lian Trice, why don’t you say it once as well? What’s the problem with how we handled the request together?”

Labilaa von Felias.

The princess of the empire sat next to me, chin in hand, looking at me and Alice.

And, though I’d felt it countless times already,

“You’re wrong, Damian.”

The original protagonist’s claim that the academy was the best sanctuary was, as always, a blatant lie.