episode_0035

The high mountain behind the academy stands like a wall blocking the storms heading towards the academy.

From the highest peak there, which is considered a famous spot among students to watch the sunrise,

Under the soft moonlight of a full moon, not the sun, two girls were facing each other.

The person standing in front of the steep cliff is a silver-haired, elegant beauty who gives off an aura that feels like a halo, reflecting the moonlight.

Tirissia Brewery.

The person standing in front of the hill and looking at her like that is a girl with cherry-colored twintails and haggard eyes with red sparks flying from her entire body.

Lucica Rapisle.

The two people, who had been friends since their childhood days, were staring at each other with indescribable emotions.

“Lucica… ”

Tyrisia called her friend’s name, placing a hand on her throbbing chest.

“Tirisia, explain to me. Why did you do that?”

Lucica also called her friend’s name as if she were handling a precious object and asked a pitiful question.

“Lucica, now… ”

“No? There must have been some mistake?!”

The moment Tirisia was about to say something with an anxious expression, Lucica spread her arms and shouted.

“That’s not it?!”

She was shouting with eyes that believed in her friend whom she had been watching since childhood.

There’s no way a human named Tirissia Bruard would do that.

Tirisia, who had been praised by everyone for her purity and modesty since childhood,

There’s no way he would do something so dirty.

It’s clear that there were some unavoidable circumstances.

This can’t happen otherwise.

Lucica swallowed the swirling confusion and demanded the ending she wanted from Tirisia.

“It wasn’t your will, was it?! Tongue, you were threatened! You said you were going to attack Erto, huh? That guy’s really strong, so you forced him to do it with force, right? Or did you say you were going to expel Erto? Oh, whatever! You had no choice but to do what that human told you to do in order to protect Erto, right?! Right?!”

“Lucica… Wait a minute… ”

Tirisia tried to stop her by raising her hand, but Lucica continued to make an appeal that was almost like a lament with her trembling mouth.

“Ah, or maybe you were just raped, Tirisia?! Weren’t you always manipulated after your weakness was discovered?! You threatened to reveal your shame to the world! So you had no choice but to do as you were told!”

“… ”

Tirisia waited with a resigned expression for her friend to finish speaking.

“There were definitely unavoidable circumstances, right?”

Lucica hoped that she would agree with her guess as soon as possible, and she made all the wishful thinking she could as a friend.

“T, Tirisia, you’re not that kind of person. You’d never do something like that on your own! You’re not the kind of person who would betray Erto with your own hands!”

“I… ”

Deep sadness appears in her jade colored eyes.

But the answer Lucica Rapisle wanted never came out of her mouth.

It was an impossible task.

Because what Lucica Rapisle was talking about was just a pipe dream, her wishful thinking that was contrary to reality.

“… ”

As Tirisia remained silent, Lucica collapsed on the ground, her body exhausted from hours of searching losing its strength.

dump!

Lucica sat down with both knees on the ground, placed both hands on the ground, and looked at her friend in front of the cliff with pleading eyes.

“Tirisia… Please… Say I’m right… Okay? Please… ”

The magical energy disappeared from her pink eyes, and instead, tears welled up in her eyes.

“You loved Erto… for a long time… for a long time… there’s no way you’d betray him… ”

Thud, thud,

The tears welled up and streamed down my cheeks.

“I, I believe you… I believed that you and Erto truly loved each other… ”

Two lines, three lines,

Unable to wipe away the tears that flowed down to the ground like raindrops, she denied the reality before her eyes.

“Please… Please tell me you weren’t sincere… It’s not that hard… Okay? Just nod once, please… ”

His jade green eyes gazed intently at her pleading.

Lucica shouted one last time to her friend whose sight was blurred by tears.

“Tell me something bold―!”

―

A brief silence fell on the mountaintop.

and,

“I understand what you said, Lucica.”

With her back to the light of the full moon, the silver-haired woman nodded at Lucica with compassionate eyes.

“… Yes, Tirisia!”

Lucica looked up at the girl on the cliff with eyes filled with hope, as if receiving a revelation from a goddess.

Even a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

Ah, finally, finally, you’re giving me an answer, Tirisia.

Come on, come on, come on, nod your head to confirm that I’m right.

please.

Please, please.

and-

“… I’m still sorry.”

Tyrissia shook her head quietly.

It was a simple gesture that denied everything Lucica had poured out.

And she turned her back on Lucica with a tired face.

“I know how much you must have been hurt. But right now, Lucica, I have nothing to say to you. I don’t feel like talking about it with anyone.”

“What…?”

The light and focus disappeared from her pink eyes.

She stared blankly at the back of Tirisia’s head as if she had become an inanimate doll.

The last words were spoken from the back of that figure, who seemed to have become a different being than my old friend.

“Let’s talk again later.”

Phew―

As I stepped off the cliff, Tyrissia’s figure disappeared into the mist.

In that quiet place, only a girl was left, sitting on the floor and shedding tears.

“Ah,”

A groan of pain began to echo from the top of the mountain where the full moon had risen.

“Ahhh!”

Lucica clutched her chest with both hands and crouched on the floor, screaming endlessly as the reality finally hit her skin.

“AAAHH …

Nothing has changed.

Everything was as bad as it could have been.

*

After the incident in the square, the Academy was in turmoil.

The nobles gathered in groups and discussed future measures, while the commoners exchanged their own reasoning, recalling over and over again the sight they had seen in the mirror that day.

The story that all the students in the academy were talking about began to spread at an uncontrollable speed even to those who were not present in the square that day.

Upon hearing the news, the directors and faculty recognized the seriousness of the situation and convened a committee to prepare for the aftermath.

This included the Academy Director, Kelg Durakal’s mother, which meant that the person in charge of the entire Academy was putting effort into solving the problem.

Of course, it wasn’t just that small world that was shaking.

Even in cities outside the academy, this incident caused quite a stir.

The incident where the next heads of the prestigious Bruard family and the Durakal family, the owners of the academy, betrayed and insulted a commoner student, and their corruption was exposed in front of the entire school.

This was an unprecedented scoop for the various media outlets and a sensational topic of gossip for the general public throughout the city.

In just one day, the front pages of every newspaper were covered with stories about the incident, and rumors and gossip spread like wildfire throughout the city.

Naturally, the most violent reaction was from the aristocratic class, which suffered indirect damage.

The fact that Bruard, who could be said to represent the face of the nobility, and Durakal, who was in a very special position as the owner of the academy, were engaging in a love affair that would only be suitable for back-alley thugs came as quite a shock to the nobility.

In an instant, all the noble families were hell-bent on holding the Bruards and Durakal families accountable for what had happened, and were demanding clear accountability and punishment for bringing shame upon the entire noble society.

The commoners, encouraged by the nobles’ momentum and using their vastly larger numbers to call for action to resolve the situation, were raising their voices.

Among them, there were those who harbored resentment against the nobles who had treated them poorly, and who took the lead in trying to tarnish their reputation as if they had been waiting for it.

The incident itself was problematic, but there were quite a few people who looked for something to chew on for the sake of pure gossip and fun, regardless of the nature of the issue.

The whole world was condemning Tirissia and Durakal, and if no immediate action was taken, there was a possibility that it would ignite into a bigger fire, such as protests.

All of this happened overnight.

“Hoo… ”

I sat in the corner of the academy lecture room, looked out the window, and let out a heavy breath.

I felt uneasy seeing the world turned upside down because of something related to me since morning.

Although I had not committed any crime, my name, Erto, was also being sold as a victim involved in the heart of the case.

I had a rough idea of how people would evaluate my actions.

A kind-hearted commoner who sacrificed himself to protect the honor of his childhood friend and lover even after they were taken away from him.

Or a weak-willed, foolish bastard who can’t say a word to his girlfriend and bows his head and surrenders to the man who stole his lover.

What the world thought of me was their freedom, but there was one thing that concerned me.

Just in case there was speculation that Tyricia had kept me by her side from the beginning to toy with me.

That possibility disturbed me more than the punishment she might receive.

No matter how it ended, what Tirisia and I had built up until now was the undeniable truth.

I hope that time will not be denied in the future.

It was while I was looking out the window with that thought in mind.

“Duke Leto, Duke Bruard didn’t show up at the academy today?”

Heidiera, who was sitting next to me, asked as if it was something she had expected.

I nodded as I recalled what happened on my way to school today.

“Yeah, I stopped by their house on the way here… but I didn’t see them come out. I’m not even sure if they’re home in the first place.”

“I see… I hope she doesn’t have any frivolous thoughts.”

“I don’t think she’d do that… Honestly, I don’t know what Tirisia is thinking right now. I don’t know who she’s talking to or what she’s talking about… ”

“Ahem,” Heidiera nodded and started talking about someone else.

“I heard that Duke Elkonja has gathered nobles and commoners to urge the Academy’s directors and faculty to discipline Duke Brouard… A disciplinary committee meeting is expected to be held in a public place, perhaps as early as tomorrow.”

“I see… I guess so.”

As everyone is on edge about resolving the situation, decisions will be made about Tyrisia and Kelg’s fate as quickly as possible, ignoring minor procedures.

And the judgment will be held in the presence of all students of the Academy.

It seemed like it would be a more formal and grand execution than the one where Seldiane cornered me in the square.

“Well, I guess I’ll just let it flow.”

As I looked out the window calmly and blurted out the words, Heidiera grabbed my hand.

“Lord Leto… It’s not my place to reveal this incident, but is Lord Leto okay with the situation going this way? I have no regrets about my decision, but it wasn’t a judgment that took Lord Leto’s feelings into consideration. So… I think he must be feeling uncomfortable.”

I said with a bitter smile to the girl who was looking at me with worry and apology.

“Heidiera, there was no reason for me to stop your actions. I was cornered, too… and I had neither the power nor the will to stop you and Celdianne. So this happened naturally. It was the natural price that Tirisia received for her actions… and I do not blame anyone for the results.”

“But… Lord Leto kept his mouth shut to protect Lord Bruard’s honor. Was it okay for someone else to arbitrarily destroy that? I’m worried that I’ve made your determination meaningless.”

To Heidi, who repeatedly expressed her apologies, I held her hand tightly and shook it, comforting her.

“Of course, I basically agreed to protect Tirisia’s honor and remain friends with her. That’s what I wanted to do. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll move for Tirisia until the end, no matter what crisis it faces. It just means that I’ll maintain a neutral stance and let her swing around as she pleases.”

“Dropping out…was that included in neutrality?”

“I didn’t expect Durakal to try so hard to get me off, but… I had no intention of going against the flow. Right now, I’m just going to… watch everything happen. That’s still the case. I didn’t stop you, Heidiera, from standing up for me, and I’ll just watch if Tirisia suffers any damage other than my actions. I won’t support you, nor will I interfere. That’s my own consideration for Tirisia.”

At those words, Heidiera nodded heavily as if she understood something.

“The Lord of Leto… wants to know the ending of the Lord of Brood.”

“To put it simply, yes.”

I nodded in agreement, and she let go of my hand and smiled as if finally relieved.

“You are indeed a strong man, Lord Leto.”

That was when.

Knock knock-

The classroom door opened, and a person appeared there.

Everyone inside turned their attention to her standing in the hallway.

“… Lucica.”

I called out the name of the girl who was standing there with her shoulders hunched.

“Lapis Ball.”

Heidi also covered her mouth and called out her name in surprise.

The reason she was surprised was because Lucica’s appearance was beyond words.

“Lucica… What’s wrong with you?”

“… ”

The girl with the cherry-colored twintails entered the classroom silently, stumbling along, and stopped in front of me.

Her twintails, which were always tied neatly, were almost all messed up, and their shape was so bad that the hair tie could barely be said to be hanging on.

Not only her hair, but her overall appearance was a mess, as if she had been to a war zone.

Dirt and dust all over the body.

A ribbon tie that is loose and hangs down under the collar.

The front of the blouse was open and the buttons were nowhere to be found.

Sore knees.

Trembling fingers.

“You… Didn’t you come home by any chance?”

In light of her behavior that was completely out of the ordinary, I asked her one of the guesses that came to mind.

From behind her messy cherry-colored bangs, dark-circled eyes, as if she hadn’t slept a wink all night, looked at me.

“… !”

There was no light in her eyes. There was no sense of focus. There was just a stare of inorganic light directed at me.

“E… Leto.”

My name leaked from pale, dry lips.

“I… I… Okay,”

As emotion slowly returned to her complexion, the moment she was about to say something―

“Woof!”

Lucica crouched down and covered her mouth with both hands.

“Lucica?!”

I instinctively got up from my seat to check on her condition,

“Woooosh!”

Percussion!

Lucica turned around and shook off my approaching hand.

There was an unknown emotion in her eyes.

A look of terrification, almost like fear.

“Lucica…what’s wrong with you?”

“… Ugh!”

Blame blame blame!

Lucica couldn’t stand the nausea that was about to burst out, so she quickly ran out of the classroom again.

Everyone there was looking at her back with dumbfounded expressions.

“Lotto Ball… ”

Heidi looked at me with a worried look.

“Why are you doing that…?”

I also couldn’t understand English.

*

The day after the incident in the square, a disciplinary committee was held in the Academy regarding Tirissia and Kelg.

Normally, disciplinary action against a student who has caused trouble is carried out on a small scale, such as in a single classroom, but since this incident is unprecedented, it was decided that the disciplinary action would be carried out in a public setting by setting up a separate podium in the auditorium.

This was largely due to pressure from the student union led by Celdiane and the noble families outside.

The logic was that since he had tarnished the honor of the nobility, he should be made an example of by being publicly executed in front of all the students rather than being punished quietly in a secret place.

It was morning, and the sun had not yet reached its zenith.

The academy’s podium was filled with a large crowd, creating a noisy atmosphere.

In front of the podium set up at the edge, reporters from various media outlets were lined up and sitting on the grass, while behind them, students were standing in groups facing the podium.

The seats on the podium side were filled with spectators from outside.

Parents or related persons of noble material students attending the Academy.

Ordinary citizens of the city who are able to attend the disciplinary committee as observers due to the special circumstances of the external opening.

And on the podium, just like during the performance, the board of directors and professors were sitting.

The chairman, mother of Kelg Durakal, was not seen on the podium.

In fact, it was a given.

Because in this situation, as Kelg’s parent and as the Academy’s chairman, I would have no face to show.

Whether out of shame or pride, the chairman seemed to have decided not to show his face at this event.

I was standing in front of the podium, right behind the reporters, with Heidiera and Senior Perjena, waiting for the disciplinary committee to begin.

“It’s almost time.”

Heidiera said, checking the large clock hanging on the wall of the main building.

“Those bitches are about to pop out.”

Senior Perjena looked towards the entrance to the podium with her arms crossed and her feet tapping busily.

“That’s right, I wonder what the parties will talk about today… ”

I too waited silently for the protagonists of the uproar to emerge between the two.

And soon,

“Look over there… It’s a Durakal.”

Thousands of eyes were focused on the man who appeared at the entrance of the podium.

There stood a large man with dark skin and dull blond hair.

“―Tsk.”

He walked silently along the edge of the podium and climbed up onto the podium with a nervous expression on his face.

After that, a butler who appeared to be the spokesperson for the Durakal family accompanied him.

“Hey you rascal!”

“Do you really want another man’s woman that much?!”

A torrent of insults were hurled at him from the audience and from the students standing on the lawn.

Kelg must have decided that there was nothing to be gained by getting upset here, so he kept his mouth shut and frowned.

Soon after, the person receiving the most attention in the current situation appeared at the entrance to the podium.

“Brewed!”

A few people shouted, and the thousands of eyes that had been focused on Kelg moved back towards the entrance.

I also looked at the silver-haired girl who appeared there with a calm look in my eyes.

“Tirisia… ”

Like Kelg, Tirissia entered the podium with her head bowed, accompanied by a spokesperson in a tuxedo rather than a member of her household.

Her expression didn’t seem particularly sad or fearful.

Rather, there was a firmness in those emerald eyes, as if they had decided on something.

“This rag bitch!”

“The shame of nobility!”

As Tyrisia passed the edge of the podium, unlike when Kelg passed, something flew towards her from among the students.

Bam!

The raw egg that fell on her silver hair shattered, spraying its contents over her face, hair, and clothes.

“No!”

“Ahh?”

Heidiera and Senior Perjena opened their eyes wide.

About half of the people present also held their breath and expressed their bewilderment.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Pak pak!

A few more raw eggs flew in from the crowd, making it difficult to see who had thrown them.

What was thrown next was a small bag of flour.

Passus-

Flour was added to the scattered eggs, and Tyrissia’s body became covered in white lumps of filth.

I don’t know if it was an order from the family or what, but the spokesperson she brought with her didn’t block any of the thrown objects.

“… … ”

Tirisia paused for a moment, looked back at the students, then quickly averted her gaze and quietly climbed up onto the podium.

Even though she was a mess, there was no voice calling for the disciplinary committee to stop.

“Okay, now that both of you are here, let’s start the disciplinary committee without delay.”

The senior professor in charge of running the meeting instead of the chairman took the microphone and declared.

Tyrissia and Kelg stood before the podiums each had prepared for them, looking out over the crowd.

“Before we hand down the disciplinary action, I will give both of you time to speak so that we can get the full story. First, Kelg Durakal, please speak.”

“―Hmm.”

At the senior professor’s command, Kelg put his mouth to the microphone on the podium.

and,

“I just did what Tirisia told me to do. I am also a victim. She forced me to follow her by coercing me with her power.”

He started to shift responsibility in a way I never imagined.

“What is…?”

“That kid…?”

The girls on either side looked at Kelg in shock.

Kelg, just like at the awards ceremony for the Yeonmu Festival, pleaded his innocence with a kind and innocent expression.

“I, Kelg Durakal, can swear on the name of the Durakal family that I did not want to participate in such a vicious and vulgar act. It was all ordered by Tirisia. I also felt extremely pained by insulting Erto’s student.”

“Tirisia… ”

As I listened to Kelg’s words, I checked the face of Tirisia standing next to me.

Her complexion didn’t change at all.

“I am an innocent victim. Please understand the circumstances and show mercy. That’s all.”

“Wait a minute, Durakal student. Aren’t you the winner of the dance festival? It seems contradictory to say that you were oppressed by the power of the Brewery student.”

He nodded and looked back at Tirisia in response to the senior professor’s question, which relayed the questions that had been on everyone’s minds.

“I think her comment will answer that.”

“… Okay. Let’s listen. Student Breward, speak up. ”

“… Yes.”

It’s Tirissia’s turn.

She declared this in front of thousands of people who were waiting in silence for her to speak.

“Everything Duracal says is true. I threatened him and forced him to follow the plan. And I gave him power in the Yeonmu Festival to make him a great person and make Erto feel even more defeated, and I made him lose on purpose and become the winner. ”

-omg.

A gasp echoed throughout the podium.

“No, what the heck is this…!”

“That bitch has finally lost her mind.”

Heidiera and Senior Perzena looked at Tirisia with even greater shock on their faces than when they heard Kelg’s remark.

“No… Is that really true?”

When the senior professor asked in a bewildered voice, Tirisia nodded without hesitation.

“It is true. Since everything has already been revealed, I will reveal the truth on the basis of my pride as the last remaining noble. Kelg Durakal is nothing more than a tool used for my personal desires. He does not bear the same responsibility as I do in this incident. It was all my doing. ”

“Wait a minute… What do you mean by a student’s personal desire?”

“It is the sense of betrayal when I betray someone who loves me more than anyone else. For that pleasure, I deceived Erto’s students and used the Durakal Army. This is the truth.”

“Oh my… This is a really shocking confession. Okay, I understand.”

After the senior professor finished speaking, the podium became so noisy that it felt like it was going to explode.

“That crazy bitch!”

“That woman has the name of Brewed!”

“Duracal was just a victim? Oh my god!”

From the audience and from the lawn, all kinds of curses and insults were hurled at Tirisia.

“Luto-gong… What should I do with this…?”

“Leave it alone, if they tell you to get punished and get out, that’s all there is to it.”

While the two people standing on either side of me were expressing conflicting opinions, I was quietly staring at Tirisia’s face.

“―”

I felt the jade eyes on the podium also recognize me.

She stared at me with an indifferent face, then quickly averted her gaze.

“… ”

Everyone in the podium was confused by Tirisia’s shocking confession,

I could tell somehow.

That she was lying.

Her eyes, her expression, her mood.

Those subtle changes that I could tell because they were childhood friends were showing Tirisia’s lying habits.

Why.

Why are you surrounding him, Tyrissia?

Is that guy that precious?

I stared at her face quietly, then lowered my head.

Yeah, if that’s your choice.

I will admit that Tirissia Brouard chose the path that would have made her the happiest.

Just like it has always been.

“… Then, we have confirmed the statements of both people, so now we will decide on the level of disciplinary action. ”

The senior professor, who had a brief conversation with the board and faculty, took the microphone again.

“Tiricia Brouard has caused a great deal of controversy in the Academy and has caused shock to society as a whole, and after review by all members of the administrative committee, it has been determined that expulsion is appropriate.”

“Get out of the Academy―!”

“We don’t need a rag like you here!”

“Get out! Please get out!”

The students shouted in anger, and the senior professor raised his hand to silence their voices.

“Also, the spokesperson for the Brood family will also reveal the punishments imposed at the family level here.”

At the professor’s gesture, the old man in a tuxedo standing behind Tirisia stepped forward and read the paper in his hand.

“Ahem… Miss Tirisia Brouard, after being expelled from the Academy, will be placed under indefinite detention at home. We ask for your understanding.”

“Indefinite… pension.”

Now, once Tirisia returned home, she was not allowed to go out without her parents’ permission.

Could it be that she was born with the greatest talent in Brewery that she was not kicked out of the family register at all?

It was interpreted as meaning that he was still considered valuable as a wizard, so he would be kept at home for the time being and plans for the future were made.

If that’s the case, this might be the last time I see Tyrissia’s face.

“Now, I will reveal the details of the disciplinary action taken against Kelg Durakal student.”

The noisy podium became quiet again and people waited for the senior professor to speak.

“Kelg Durakal student is the one who caused the controversy, but considering that he was a victim who was forced to join by intimidation, I will suspend him for three months.”

Groan, groan, groan—

Although it was a relatively light punishment compared to Tirisia’s, the people inside the podium did not cause much of a backlash, although they were noisy.

This was because the facts he had falsely exposed and Tirisia’s clean confession were intertwined to erase all suspicions.

Kelg Durakal.

If even this is according to his intention…

I thought that Tyrissia was cooked really well.

“This concludes today’s disciplinary committee meeting, so we ask that those gathered here wait for further information.”

The moment the senior professor finished speaking and was about to leave the podium,

Kwaaang―!

An explosion occurred at the end of the stage, accompanied by a shock wave.

“What the?!”

Everyone present was shocked and looked at the place where the explosion occurred.

There,

Urrr

There was a girl with red lightning shooting out from her body.

“Lucica… ?”

Her mood was unusual.

A huge bolt of lightning shooting high into the sky from a small body.

It was on a completely different scale from the magical power she usually knew.

“That, that! It’s the magic circuit’s outburst!”

Heidiera, who noticed the strange phenomenon, shouted urgently.

[Tirisia Brewed!]

A roar that echoes with lightning.

Lucica, with an expression filled with an unprecedented anger, shouted at the silver-haired girl standing on the podium.

[I challenge you to a duel right here and now. Come down immediately.]