episode_0050

Two days had passed since Celdianne had been rejected by the nobles in the square.

I thought that there would be a big uproar in the Academy after she, the head of the nobles, turned the entire nobles into enemies.

But surprisingly, that didn’t happen.

The first reason was Celdiane’s silence.

No matter how unreasonable her claims may have been and how much she aroused the wrath of the entire nobility, the Elkonza family is a prestigious noble family on par with the Brood.

It was clear that if Celdianne started to properly explain the humiliation she had suffered in the square this time, the nobles would not lose in public opinion, but would be embroiled in a rather troublesome fight.

If the two sides start a confrontation without backing down, it is clear that neither side will win and a bloody war will ensue.

Considering Seldianne’s personality, which was usually full of pride and arrogance, she would never let something like this shatter her pride.

But for some reason, Celdianne didn’t hold anyone responsible and just left the events in the square unattended.

It’s as if he’s shouting with his whole body that he’s going to show a really different side of himself this time.

And the second reason was that the nobles were also just watching and not touching Seldianne any more.

The nobles, for their part, were somewhat alarmed at the great insult to the Elkonja family in the square.

At that moment, they were all swept up in anger and mob mentality and together they insulted the Elkonja family, but when they dispersed as individuals and looked back calmly, they must have started to worry about what would happen in the future.

The opponent was Seldianne, who was considered more hard-line than any other noble.

Although all the nobles were united to keep her in check, if the power of the Elkonja family were to lose its senses and run wild, it was natural that the damage to the noble union would not be insignificant.

If a truly angry Celdianne chooses to fight the nobles, then from then on, things will be like a wasp invading a beehive.

Wasps are far more powerful predators than bees.

There is an inherent gap between two creatures that can never be overcome through fighting between individuals.

But even if you are overwhelmingly strong, that doesn’t mean you are invincible.

In order to eliminate such a powerful being that even their stingers cannot penetrate, bees will use a strategy of attaching themselves to a wasp in countless layers and flapping their wings to generate heat and simmer to death together.

That is, bees also have a way to overcome their natural enemies.

The problem was that it had to be done at the expense of a number of sacrifices.

If the Noble Alliance truly opposes the Elkonja family, some families may have to prepare themselves for destruction.

That is why they could no longer easily lay hands on Seldiane.

This could be called mutually assured destruction.

Either way, if a war is to be started in earnest, both sides must suffer great casualties.

And if that actually happened, there would never be a winner.

It only causes miserable and tragic damage to each other.

Knowing this unproductive future, both Celdiane and the nobles were showing no signs of making the situation worse.

Celdianne tried to manipulate the nobles as she pleased in order to relieve her emotions.

The nobles rebelled against her and momentarily crossed a dangerous line.

Neither side is without fault in this incident.

Either way, there is a justification for taking a step forward, but the consequences are so dangerous that we are stuck.

It’s literally the calm before the storm.

The tension that was born that way was causing a heavy silence in the academy.

The commoners, who were quick to hear the news, were quite concerned that two great powers were in conflict within the noble camp that controlled the majority of the Academy.

Two days after the incident in the square.

On the surface, it seemed like nothing was happening and everything was flowing smoothly, but

In fact, all the students at the academy were anxious that something might happen sooner or later.

―

This is the current situation of the Academy, as summarized by Heidiera after spying on the students’ conversations.

As someone whose name has been mentioned as the main reason for the conflict, I just hope that unnecessary sparks won’t fly.

My honest feeling is that I just want to be completely forgotten by them now.

I couldn’t understand why Seldianne and the nobles were apologizing to me now, and why they were fighting over money.

The nobles’ heads were stiff all the way to the end, which was naturally within the expected range, and I never even expected to receive an apology from them in the first place.

But one thing that was surprising was that even after what happened in the square, Celdianne still hadn’t given up.

She no longer summoned students or gave orders as a representative of the aristocratic class.

It was obvious that such behavior was no longer possible.

The moment she raised her hand for the common people, her once strong power was shattered and disappeared.

But that doesn’t mean he stopped preaching the idea that I should apologize.

Celdiane Elconza.

What did she do as she descended from the head of the nobility to a mere problem child, an ambiguous position that was not welcomed by either the commoners or the nobility?

“You there! Wait! Won’t you please apologize to Erto student together with the lady? Please bow your head like this!”

It was just an act of facing others alone as a student.

Before class, during break time, during lunch time, after school,

I spent all my time going around the academy,

“Please listen to the lady’s story for a moment! We have work to do!”

One person, one person, that I see in front of me,

“Please, I beg you! Please give your strength to Erto’s students!”

I was trying to persuade with all my heart, within arm’s reach.

“… Excuse me, Miss Elconza.”

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

“Sorry, but that’s not a topic of interest to me.”

Students passing by no longer listen to her words.

Now, there was no student, including the commoners, who Seldianne had never spoken to.

To them, who had no intention of changing their attitude, Celdianne’s protests now sounded like nothing more than noise.

Although Celdianne was met with outright rejection, she seemed unwilling to stop until at least one person joined her cause.

There is no way I wouldn’t realize how pointless this struggle is.

Because the students who passed her had obvious annoyance in their eyes.

But, what on earth was Celdianne thinking? She bowed her head and admitted her mistakes in front of everyone until the very end.

I couldn’t tell if it was for me or for myself…

At least it seemed clear that she was willing to apologize to me no matter what.

“The lady will shoulder all the wrongdoings and kneel before him! Please, just be willing to be with me…! So that I can be a little more comfort to Erto student…! Please… Please…!”

―

――

“Tsk, it’s still acting up today.”

Lunch time.

Senior Perjena clicked her tongue as she looked down from the rooftop at Seldianne protesting against the students passing by in front of the main building of the academy.

“Don’t worry about it, senior. It’s not our business anymore.”

I, who was eating in front of her, didn’t bother to check the scene, but I couldn’t help but hear Seldianne shouting.

“It’s already been two days since I fought with the nobles… If someone doesn’t stop me, there could be another uproar, you little disciple.”

My senior turned to look at me with his eyes wide open in discontent.

After defining Seldianne as a man, I was thoroughly drawing a line, but it seemed that the deep-hearted senior Perjena was worried about her safety.

“Are you just going to leave it alone?”

Although he was a senior who usually hated nobles, I understood because we trained together for over a month and we had a lot of exchanges.

“Well, that’s only for a day or two. Now that you’ve realized that it’s not working, you’ll probably just get tired of it and quit. If you want to apologize, you can just do it alone and end it.”

“That’s true, but… The more they make noise, the more the eyes of the commoners and nobles seem to get fiercer… Before something happens, Erto, can’t you suggest finishing it off first?”

“Um… ”

What my senior said made perfect sense.

Aside from the fact that I don’t want to worry about Seldianne, if something bigger were to happen at the Academy because of my problems, I wouldn’t be able to just leave it as it is.

If I could eliminate that possibility with just a little movement on my part, I might be able to step forward with the mindset of preventing forest fires in the first place.

Should I ask Celdiane to finish the story with just the two of them?

Such worries were beginning to arise as Senior Perjena spoke.

As I frowned and sat there lost in thought, my senior took a deep breath through his nose, shrugged his shoulders, and said.

“What, I don’t intend to force you, so make your own decision. Honestly, since that bitch hit you in the back of the head first, you can consider it as paying off your karma. My gut just doesn’t feel good about it~ That’s all.”

I nodded at my senior with a bitter smile.

“Okay, senpai. If you keep doing that tomorrow, I’ll go and stop you. It’s a problem that the two of you can resolve quietly.”

“Okay.”

So, I decided to leave just one day for a reprieve and finished my dinner with my senior.

Ignore it to the extent that I can ignore it, and if there is still no sign of it ending, I step in to mediate it myself.

That was the compromise I reached with my senior’s advice.

Would anything happen if we just watched for one more day?

That was the thought.

*

That night―

A dark hour when the city lights are going out one by one.

In a secret cave in the back mountain that towers over the academy’s backdrop.

A group of people dressed in thick robes were gathered at the place that Kelg Durakal had made his hideout.

The number is about ten.

They covered their bodies with black robes to avoid being noticed by others in the darkness, but when they arrived at the hideout, they took off their hoods and revealed their faces.

Boys and girls with neat and tidy appearances who still look young but have grown up well.

They were children of noble families who dominated the top ranks of the Academy rankings.

Inside the luxurious hideout decorated with luxurious furniture, under the soft light of a chandelier, the group of nobles were looking at the man sitting in front of them.

“So… you’re saying you’re just going to leave it alone?”

Kelg Durakal, a blond man sitting cross-legged on an ornate chair as if serving the group, rested his chin on his fist and glared sharply at the boys and girls on the other side.

“That, that…! It’s not like they’re forcing it on us, they’re just talking to themselves… We don’t have a reason to stop it…! If we make one wrong move, we could face backlash…!”

The male student at the front of the robed nobles spread out both hands and politely expressed his opinion.

But Kelg Durakal looked up at the ceiling and sighed in frustration.

“Haa, you pathetic guys. Don’t you have any brains to think?”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Duracal!”

“Elkonja, one of the culprits who made me like this… You can’t even complete the simple task of isolating her from the noble society? Even though she’s showing her weakness? And you still call yourself a union of upper-class families?”

“Huh, but… After all, the opponent is the opponent… It’s true that it’s difficult for us to move without a clear justification… !”

“Ah―Have you ever seen such a bunch of idiots? Should I just kill them?”

At Kelg’s carefree words, the nobles’ faces turned pale and their bodies inside their robes trembled.

His dark eyes scanned their faces one by one, emitting a murderous aura.

“Joe, just a little more time…!”

As the boy in the lead muttered, as if begging for mercy, Kelg leaned forward, the corners of his lips curling up in a bitter manner.

“Hey, open your ears and listen carefully.”

“Yes, net!”

He propped his elbows on his knees and gave advice to the nobles with a wicked expression.

“You are students of the Academy. So you should use the rules within it. There are good means that are very legal and traditional, and you have no choice but to accept the results.”

“… !”

Kelg’s smile became even more bloody as the nobles looked at him with eyes that seemed to know his intentions.

“If she sets a condition that she can accept, whatever happens will be considered an internal affair of the Academy. There is no room for the powers of the outside world to interfere. Do you understand?”

“Okay! As ordered!”

The noble students all knelt before him and obeyed his orders.

“Heh heh heh… ”

Under the soft light of the chandelier, dark laughter echoed.

*

“Lord Lotto! We’re in trouble!”

“Erto! Did you hear that?!”

The next day, when I attended the academy, I heard that the Noble Alliance had challenged Seldianne to a duel.

“Yeah, I heard… What the heck is going on?”

The duel itself was a traditional practice at the Academy as a means of reconciling differences of opinion between students, but this time it was different.

It wasn’t just one person who challenged Celdiane to a duel.

The opponents are twelve noble students ranked in the top 20 of the academy rankings.

They proposed that they fight only one person at a time, Celdiane.

There was no rule that a duel had to be one-on-one, but this made no sense.

Of course not. 12 to 1.

Even though Celdianne had been ranked third in the Academy until recently, it was difficult for her to deal with twelve of the top students at the same time.

This was not a duel, but a legal execution.

A clean, malicious mob lynching that leaves no aftereffects, as long as everyone agrees to it.

It was certain that the leaders of the noble union had been using the discipline within the Academy in a wicked way to take revenge on Seldiane.

“Professors and directors? Is there no mediation in this unconventional duel?”

Heidi answered my question with a clenched fist.

“I have already investigated, but… they are keeping silent. I guess… ”

“The chairman must have been involved.”

Lucica was also biting her lip with an extremely unpleasant expression.

I knew from the time I urged them to drop out that the upper echelons of this academy were in cahoots with the chairman and Kelg Durakal, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.

But there was still one variable left.

As with Lucica’s rampage, duels are customary only if the other party accepts.

If only Celdianne had refused this attack, the situation could have passed without incident.

“What did you do, Celdiane? Heidiera.”

When I asked with a skeptical tone, Heidi slowly shook her head.

“Elconja accepted the duel. He said he would not take responsibility for the outcome.”

“What? Why?”

When I asked again with a frown, Lucica grabbed my arm and said,

“The nobles… made a condition that if they were defeated, they would apologize to you together.”

“What is that…!”

“That’s why that guy Elconza accepted even though it was unfavorable… because he wanted to apologize to you properly!”

“Haa… ”

I placed my hand on my forehead and shut my eyes tightly.

What the hell.

If I had known that such an absurd situation would occur, I would have stopped Seldianne yesterday, as Senior Perjena had said.

This foolish story should have been put to an end before the nobles could legally assault Seldianne with outrageous terms.

Why didn’t I make a decision a little earlier?

This was my fault.

“… When is the duel?”

“Since Elkonja has accepted, it will begin without delay! Shall we go together? Lord Leto!”

I nodded immediately at Heidiera’s question.

“Of course I should go. I can’t stand this kind of bullying over something related to me. I have to go and make sure that Seldianne surrenders right away.”

“Okay, let’s go quickly!”

Lucica grabbed Heidiera’s hand and pulled her along.

We ran down the hallway like other students and headed to the podium where the duel was taking place.

*

And there, a tragedy was already unfolding.

Twelve noble students with top-tier skills.

Although they were no match for Celdiane individually, they were relentlessly pushing her forward with overwhelming numbers and overwhelming attacks.

“Ahh… !”

Seldianne’s automatic defenses were out of control as magical attacks poured in from all directions, and wounds were constantly being carved into her body.

Blood splatters on the grass.

Her golden bun hair was stained red here and there, and her school uniform, which she always wore neatly, was tattered and exposed her bare skin.

“Elconza!”

I pushed through the crowd of people gathered in the auditorium and shouted at the girl who was vomiting blood in the center of the stage.

I saw crimson eyes glancing at me amidst a storm of magical powers shining in all sorts of colors.

bang!

“Ouch!”

Because she blinked, more magic ended up penetrating her body.

Her body is already a mess.

There was no time to delay any longer.

I took a deep breath and shouted at her so that everyone on stage could hear.

“Stop fooling around and surrender―!”

The students in the audience all turned their gazes toward me, and the nobles fighting inside the podium also stopped attacking for a moment and focused their attention on me.

I paid no attention to them and continued to shout, looking only at Seldiane.

“Why are you doing that! Stop it now!”

“E… Leto.”

Seldianne, covered in blood, called my name with difficulty, breathing.

A look of conflict flashes across his crimson eyes.

But the next moment, she raised her rapier again with a determined expression.

“Please watch! The lady will definitely apologize to you together with the noble who won!”

And then she stopped looking at me and started charging towards the nobles in front of her.

The nobles laughed at such a Seldianne and launched a fierce attack, and once again blood flowed onto the grass.

“That idiot… !”

I could only grit my teeth and look at the gruesome sight.

Of course, the nobles won’t kill her or anything like that.

Those wounds would be completely healed with magic at the Academy’s hospital, but

Even after this moment of barbaric execution has passed, it will be remembered as just a passing incident.

Even so―

I couldn’t understand it at all.

Instead,

why.

Seldianne. Why did you go to such lengths to apologize to me? Why.

“Aaaaah!”

I can hear her screaming in pain.

My head gradually dropped, and I could no longer watch her get hurt.

He just clenched his fists and expressed his anger at the incomprehensible choice.

And so, the time dotted with crimson finally ends.

The duel ended in a miserable and deserved defeat for Celdiane Elkonja.

The cause of death was fainting due to excessive bleeding.

She never admitted defeat with her own mouth until the very end.

In the end, Celdianne was lynched by the noble alliance and achieved nothing.

Seriously,

I couldn’t understand it.

*

That night.

Celdiane Elkonja opened her eyes in a hospital bed at the Academy Hospital and stared blankly at the ceiling.

‘Ah, I lost.’

A feeling of utter helplessness and pain filled her whole body.

In the end, he achieved nothing.

I wanted to sincerely apologize to Erto.

No one took his side, and instead, he turned all the nobles into enemies.

Am I really beyond help?

It was a result that could not help but make me feel that way.

Maybe all the bad behavior I’ve always done has come back to me as karma.

So where did things go wrong?

From the moment I fell in love with a boy named Erto?

Or, a little further back?

Maybe from the moment he was born, his life was destined to be twisted like this.

Born with everything, but never got what mattered most.

I just wanted to tell him that I liked him.

Right now, his own shame was so bad that he couldn’t even laugh.

He ruined everything with his own hands, and even tried to pick it up again, but failed, and ended up sinking it deeper into the swamp.

‘Failure, failure again. Such is the life of a lady.’

I thought that it would take a lot of heart to heal the wounds inflicted on the boy in the square that day.

Because he felt that he alone was not enough to comfort his heart.

Even if I apologized to him alone now, it wouldn’t make any difference.

I struggled to gather my strength to somehow restore the trust I had broken that day.

But it ended up being a complete failure.

Now, he has no Miyu or Juri, who used to follow him so faithfully, no friends, no rivals, no one he liked.

A loner without limits. That was the most accurate assessment of Seldiane Elkonja at the moment.

‘Maybe… the lady knew this would happen.’

Celdianne moved her arm, which was in excruciating pain, and covered her eyes.

“Black―”

A stream of liquid flowed down beneath the dark shadow.

‘What a truly stupid woman.’

A proper apology to Erto was no longer possible.

That failure was clearly his own karma.

but,

There was still one last thing left to do.

The final sincerity of Celdiane Elconza, who had been prepared from the beginning.

I know it doesn’t mean anything, but

Erto feels so deeply that he will no longer look at him or call his name gently like Celdian.

Still, there was something I wanted to tell him.

I hope that voice can reach you.

With that kind of prayerful heart, Celdianne waited for the coming morning sun.

*

A new day has dawned.

The morning at the Academy went on as usual, as if nothing had happened.

Even though there was such a big incident just yesterday, the story ended up being concluded due to turmoil within the academy.

It was a duel that was thoroughly agreed upon between the two parties, and the result was not one that the outside families had to forcefully get involved in.

If you were to blame your opponent for losing a duel you accepted, that would be against the honor of a nobleman, so you couldn’t do that.

Just one of the many incidents that occur at the academy.

Yesterday’s bloody duel was also something that would be remembered only to that extent.

But what happened from now on was an unexpected change that went far beyond the students’ expectations.

A female student walked in front of the students who were doing morning training on the podium.

Again, again, again

A woman with bandages wrapped all over her body, walking with difficulty.

An aristocratic school girl whose golden hair flows down to her waist in curls, as she fails to properly tie up her hair as usual.

Celdiane Elconza.

She, who was not yet in a condition to be discharged from the hospital, appeared in front of the entire school, staggering.

The students around her started to look at her with different expressions and start to chat with their friends.

Seldianne no longer heard such words.

That wasn’t really important.

What matters is what you tell him today.

And before that, this was the last matter to be dealt with as a great noble Elkonza in this academy.

Ki-ki-ki-ki!

Entering the podium, she cast her crystal magic, just as she had done in the square, to create a high platform.

Again, again, again

Celdianne climbed up there, her heels making a sound, cleared her throat, and shouted loudly.

“Attention everyone!”

Even without saying so, all the students were already focusing their attention on her.

Could it be that he came to file a lawsuit against the noble alliance that injured him?

This was the thought that was most prevalent in the students’ minds.

But what came out of Celdianne’s mouth was a completely different topic.

“Lady, Celdiane Elconza has committed an irreparable sin against Erto student!”

iced coffee.

Is it Erto’s story again?

Are you saying we should apologize together again?

In an instant, the students’ eyes were filled with annoyance and contempt.

Celdianne looked back at their faces and smiled faintly.

“So I tried to apologize to him along with all the nobles, but even that failed.”

He saw a black-haired boy with crimson eyes looking at him from afar, and female students on either side of him.

Thank goodness it’s there.

You are looking at me.

With such relief, Celdianne began her heartfelt declaration to the crowd.

“I will reveal here the reason why the lady was so eager to apologize to Erto.”

The students perked up their ears and focused on what she was saying.

and,

“The reason is, in fact, that the lady has been in love with Erto student for a long time.”

omg-

A collective gasp echoed throughout the podium.

The students’ eyes widened at the shocking confession, but Celdianne continued speaking with an indifferent expression.

“The lady was in love with Erto student, but she also bullied him. She was in a very wrong kind of love.”

A constant, self-deprecating smile appeared on her face.

“And finally, when the Academy tried to kick out her beloved, the lady ended up betraying him in order to secure her position as the representative of the nobility.”

The inside of the podium was as quiet as a mouse.

No one tried to interrupt Celdiane’s voice.

“I kept thinking. What would be a proper punishment for the lady to share in the pain he had suffered―”

She took a piece of paper out of her jacket pocket.

It was a piece of paper that every student had seen in the square at some point.

“Since she was the one who tried to banish him from here, if punishment is necessary, then she should receive the same.”

Resignation letter.

That was Celdiane Elconza’s conclusion.

“This is the confession of a wicked woman who wants to get back the wounds she gave him.”

There was no trace of regret in those crimson eyes.

She declared to all the students with a truly refreshing expression.

“I, Elconza, hereby withdraw from the Academy as of today. This is my apology to Erto, and it is my sincere apology.”

――

The students sitting in groups of three or four on the podium were dumbfounded as they watched her last appearance.

“I’ve been happy while staying here. I hope you all stay safe.”

After exchanging such a brief greeting, Celdianne lifted the hem of her skirt, bowed her head, and walked down from the stage that was disappearing into dust.

Again, again, again

No one spoke to her back.

Because Celdiane Elconza was now a complete loner.

The students simply regained their composure and began to engage in noisy discussions with those around them about the current situation.

Seldianne Elconza has dropped out.

It was provocative gossip in many ways.

But in reality, no one was paying attention to him.

So Celdiane Elconza walked along the road and disappeared.

*

Again, again, again

A girl walking with difficult steps was leaving the main academy building and passing through an empty square.

“Ah.”

The crimson eyes that had been looking down noticed something in front of them and looked up.

There stood a boy who had run ahead of her.

“Huh, I’ll see you again soon.”

Celdianne smiled and waved at Erto.

Erto just looked at her without saying anything.

There were countless emotions in those two yellow eyes.

Among them, of course, Celdiane knew, were anger and hatred.

She laughed self-deprecatingly again and began to speculate as to why he had followed her.

“It’s just as I said. The lady was in love with you. No, is that still the case? I can’t tell anymore. It’s all a mess. Hehe.”

Erto doesn’t say anything.

“To harass and send away the person you love, is there another crazy woman like this in the world? She’s really hopeless, haha!”

Erto doesn’t say anything.

“This is a fitting ending for such a bad woman. This time, the lady has clearly realized that she is not worthy of what is precious. So, don’t complain.”

Erto doesn’t say anything.

“Did you come here to laugh at this pitiful sight of a lady? Or did you come here to spit on her? Or did you just want to keep your eyes on her for a while longer?”

Seldianne continued to hurt herself with words, as if she were practicing asceticism.

Because there was someone right in front of her who she had to atone for.

Finally, I felt like emptying everything out and leaving.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t convince the nobles. But I hope you recognize that I tried. ”

Erto’s two eyes continue to look at her face.

As if there was nothing more to say.

“Whew… I’m starting to feel weak now.”

Celdianne lowered her head and slowly moved her numb legs to pass Erto.

“I’m really sorry. Please don’t forgive me, lady.”

She let out the sincerity she had wanted to convey for so long, and disappeared from the sight of her lover.

‘now’

‘really’

‘You’re a loner.’

In my flickering consciousness, such a thought came to me―

“Celdianne!”

At the shout coming from behind,

“in…?”

The worn-out crimson eyes opened wide.

Slowly she turned around,

“What is the lady’s… name…?”

The boy approached the girl who was about to leave and placed both hands on her shoulders.

He spoke to her with a weary smile, his eyes filled with sadness, regret, and pity.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why…?”

The girl questioned the boy’s actions with a blank expression.

The boy put aside all the complicated stories and just spoke about his true feelings at this moment.

“I want to forgive you. Will you forgive me too?”

“Ah… ”

The girl’s head tilts down as she sighs.

And then slowly it comes back up again.

With both eyes filled with overflowing joy.

“Ahh… Really… Really forgive me, lady… ? Erto… ?”

The boy nodded without hesitation.

The girl asked his permission again in a trembling voice.

“Can I… continue to love you…? Really…?”

The boy nodded again.

That was enough.

Even if I don’t get anything in return,

Even though I know this love will never come true,

just-

Just hearing him call my name was a bliss beyond compare.

“Erto… One more time… Call my name… ”

She spoke in a trembling voice, barely able to hold back her surging emotions.

“Yeah, Seldianne.”

“Ahhh… Aaaahhhh!”

The moment he called my name again,

With a bright smile, she shed tears of joy.

At this very moment, I am not a noble Elkonza,

As a girl named Celdianne who still cherishes her first love.