Chapter 35

Like a wall preventing the tempests aimed at the Academy, the towering back mountain rose up high.

On the highest peak of that place, regarded as a popular spot among students to watch the sunrise,

two girls stood facing each other under the gentle moonlight of the full moon.

One of them, standing in front of a steep cliff, was a graceful silver-haired beauty exuding an aura that felt like a halo reflecting the moonlight.

Tirisia Bruerd.

The girl gazing at her from the hill, with a tired look and red sparks flickering all over her body, was a girl with cherry blossom-colored twin-tails.

Rusika Rafisle.

These two, friends since childhood playtimes, stared at each other with indescribable emotions.

“Rusika…”

Tirisia placed her hand over her throbbing heart and called out her friend’s name.

“Tirisia, explain! Why did you do that?”

Rusika, treating her friend’s name with the care of a precious object, asked a heart-wrenching question.

“Rusika, right now…”

“No way, right?! There must have been some misunderstanding?!”

Just as Tirisia attempted to speak with a nervous expression, Rusika spread her arms and shouted.

“It can’t be that way!?”

She was crying out with a trusting gaze toward her friend, whom she had watched since childhood.

No way could a human named Tirisia Bruerd do such a thing.

The Tirisia, praised for her purity and composure by everyone since childhood,

couldn’t possibly engage in such filthy behavior.

Clearly, there must have been some unavoidable circumstances.

If not, it wouldn’t have happened.

Rusika swallowed the swirling confusion and demanded the outcome she wished for from Tirisia.

“It wasn’t your will, was it?! You were threatened, right? They said they’d attack Erto, right? That guy was really strong, so you were forced to do it, weren’t you? Or did they say they’d expel Erto? Ah, anyway! You did it against your will to protect Erto, right?! Right?!”

“Rusika… wait a moment…”

Tirisia raised her hand to intervene, but Rusika, with trembling lips, continued her near-pleading.

“Or did you get raped?! Ever since they got hold of your weakness, you’ve been tossed around, right?! Threatening to expose your shame to the whole world! So you had no choice but to follow their orders, right?!”

“…”

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

“There must have been some unavoidable circumstances, right?”

Rusika hoped her friend would agree to her speculation as soon as possible, listing every hopeful observation she could as a friend.

“Ti, Tirisia, you’re not that kind of person. You wouldn’t do such a thing willingly! You wouldn’t betray Erto with your own hands!”

“I…”

Deep sadness lingered in her aquamarine eyes.

But the response that Rusika Rafisle wanted never flowed from her lips.

It was an impossible thing.

What Rusika Rafisle said was an unrealistic dream, only her hopes contrary to reality.

“…”

As Tirisia remained silent, Rusika lost strength in her weary body from hours of searching and collapsed to the ground.

Thud!

Dropping to her knees, she leaned on the ground and looked up at her friend before the cliff with pleading eyes.

“Tirisia… please… say I’m right… okay? Please…”

From the pinkish eyes, the aura of magic disappeared, and in its place, shimmering tears welled up.

“You loved Erto… for a long time… You wouldn’t betray him…”

Flick, drop,

the filled tears turned into streams and poured down her cheeks.

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

Not wiping away the tears flowing down like rain, she denied the reality laid before her.

“Please… please say it wasn’t true… It’s not hard… okay? You just need to nod once, please…”

The aquamarine eyes gazed blankly at her pleading.

Rusika shouted one last time at her friend, whose face was blurred by tears.

“Have some courage—!”

—

For a moment, silence fell at the mountain’s peak.

And,

“I understand your words, Rusika.”

Turning her back to the light of the full moon, the silver-haired woman nodded sorrowfully at Rusika.

“…Yes, Tirisia!”

Rusika looked up at the girl on the cliff with eyes that seemed to discover hope, as if receiving divine revelation.

A faint smile even appeared on her lips.

Oh, finally, finally, will you give me an answer, Tirisia.

Hurry, hurry, please nod and say I’m right.

Please.

Please, please.

And—

“…I’m sorry, though.”

Tirisia quietly shook her head.

It was a simple action that denied everything Rusika had poured out.

And with a weary face, she turned her back to Rusika.

“I know how much you must have been hurt. But right now, Rusika, I have nothing to say to you. I don’t even feel like sharing what happened with anyone.”

“What…?”

From the pinkish eyes, light and focus disappeared.

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

That back, no longer the old friend but almost like another existence, uttered the last words.

“Let’s talk again later.”

Whoosh—

Tirisia’s figure stepped out beyond the cliff, disappearing like mist.

In that tranquil place, only a girl sobbing on the ground remained.

“Ah,”

the agony began to echo on the mountain top where the full moon had risen.

“Aaaaah!”

Rusika clutched her chest with both hands, crouching down, and finally screamed endlessly at the harsh reality that swept over her.

“Aaaaaaaaaah—!”

Nothing had changed.

Everything remained as the worst.

*

Since the incident in the square, the Academy had been thrown into great turmoil.

Nobles gathered in groups to discuss future measures, while commoners recounted and theorized the scenes they witnessed in the mirror that day.

The stories all students at the Academy were buzzing about began to spread uncontrollably to those who weren’t present in the square.

Even the board members and faculty, upon hearing the news, realized the situation’s seriousness and called for a committee to address the aftermath.

Among them was the head of the Academy, Kerg Durakal’s mother, indicating that the person in charge of the entire Academy was making efforts to resolve the issue.

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

In the city outside the Academy, chaos erupted due to this incident.

The heirs of the prestigious Bruerd and the ruling Durakal families had betrayed and insulted a common student, exposing their disgrace before all the students.

This was unprecedented headline material for various media outlets, and it was also juicy gossip for the general public throughout the city.

Within a day, the front pages of all newspapers were filled with articles about the incident, and rumors buzzed uncontrollably around the city.

Unsurprisingly, the noble class, which suffered indirect damage, reacted the most vehemently.

The fact that Bruerd, the face of the nobility, and Durakal, the Academy’s lord, had engaged in a scandal fit for a back alley thug shocked the nobles considerably.

In an instant, noble families were frantically probing Bruerd and Durakal for answers, demanding clear responsibility and punishment for the disgrace inflicted on nobility as a whole.

Commoners, fueled by the nobles’ momentum, raised their voices to urge actions toward resolving the situation, using their significantly larger numbers.

Some among them, harboring grievances toward the nobles who had always looked down on them, stepped forward to carry out their plan to tarnish the nobles’ reputations.

The incident itself was problematic, but there were also plenty who sought to relish in the pure gossip and entertainment of it.

The entire world was condemning Tirisia and Durakal, and there was the possibility that if swift action were not taken, it could escalate into protests or an even bigger fire.

All of this happened overnight.

“Hoo…”

Sitting in a corner of the Academy classroom, I sighed heavily while looking out the window.

Seeing the world turned upside down by matters related to myself since morning didn’t sit well with my heart.

Even though I hadn’t committed any crimes, the name Erto was also being sold alongside me as a victim deeply involved in the heart of the incident.

I could roughly predict how people would evaluate my actions.

A kind-hearted commoner who sacrificed himself to protect the honor of his childhood friend and lover after losing her.

Or a weak fool who couldn’t defy his girlfriend and bowed to the man who took his lover away.

Regardless of how the world perceived me, that was their freedom, but one thing was concerning to me.

What if there were speculations that Tirisia had been keeping me around just to toy with me from the very beginning?

That was the possibility that troubled my heart more than the punishment she would face.

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

I just hoped that, at least that time, it wouldn’t be discredited in the future.

As I was lost in such thoughts while staring out of the window.

“Erto-kun, it seems the Bruerd-kun hasn’t attended the Academy today?”

Haidiera, sitting next to me, asked as if it was expected.

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

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

“Is that so… I hope she doesn’t have any foolish thoughts,” she said.

“I don’t think she would, but honestly, I also don’t know what Tirisia is thinking right now. I don’t know who she’s talking to or about what…”

Haidiera nodded thoughtfully and then brought up another subject.

“I heard Elconja is rallying the nobles and commoners to urge the board and faculty of the Academy to discipline Bruerd… It seems that a public disciplinary committee may be held as early as tomorrow at a public venue.”

“Is that so… I guess so.”

Since everyone was keeping a close eye on the situation, they would bypass trivial procedures and quickly determine the disposition of Tirisia and Kerg.

And that judgment would take place in front of the entire student body of the Academy.

It looked like it would be an even more official and grand execution than when Seldienne cornered me in the square.

“Well, for now, I guess I’ll let things flow as they come.”

As I spoke calmly while looking out the window, Haidiera held my hand.

“Erto-kun… I know it’s not my place to say this since I am the one who exposed this incident, but are you okay with how things are going? I don’t regret my decision in the slightest, but that wasn’t considered with your feelings in mind. So… I think your heart may be uncomfortable.”

I looked at the girl who was gazing at me with worry and regret and gave her a bitter smile.

“Haidiera, there was no reason for me to stop your actions. I was in a tight spot too… I had neither the strength nor the will to stop you and Seldienne. So this was a natural occurrence. It’s an inevitable consequence of Tirisia’s actions… and I don’t blame anyone for that.”

“But… weren’t you silent to protect Bruerd’s honor? Was it okay for someone else to ruin that at will? I worry that it has rendered your resolve meaningless.”

I tightly held her hand and shook it to comfort her reaction that displayed worry again.

“Of course, I initially intended to protect Tirisia’s honor and agreed to remain friends with her. That was where I was headed. However, that doesn’t mean I will act for her no matter what crisis she faces. It just means I didn’t plan to go against the flow and simply decided to watch everything curiously.

That still holds true. I haven’t stopped you from acting for my sake, and whether Tirisia suffers any losses unrelated to my actions, I’ll just observe. I won’t support or hinder. That’s my way of considering Tirisia.”

Haidiera nodded slowly, seemingly understanding something.

“Erto-kun… you want to know the outcome for Bruerd, don’t you?”

“In simpler terms, yes.”

As I nodded affirmatively, she finally released my hand and smiled as if reassured.

“You are indeed a strong person, Erto-kun.”

Just then.

With a creak—

The classroom door opened, revealing someone.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the girl standing in the hallway.

“…Rusika.”

I called out the girl who stood there with her shoulders drooping.

“Rafisle-san.”

Haidiera also gasped in surprise, covering her mouth.

The reason she was so shocked was that Rusika’s appearance was in disarray.

“Rusika… what happened to you?”

“…”

The cherry blossom-twin-tailed girl walked stiffly into the classroom, stopping just in front of me.

Her once neatly tied twin-tails had come undone, with her hair tie barely hanging on.

Not just her hair, her entire appearance looked like she had just returned from battle.

Dust smeared across her body.

Her ribbon tie had loosened below her collar.

Buttons popped open, leaving her blouse gaping.

Her knees were scraped.

Trembling fingers.

“Did you… not go home?”

In that overall disheveled state, I asked her a question that arose in my mind.

From within the messy cherry blossom bangs, her dark circles showed someone who hadn’t slept a wink for a night stared at me.

“…!”

Her eyes held no light. There was no focus. Only an inorganic gaze directed at me.

“E-Erto.”

From her pale, dry lips, my name leaked out.

“I… I—,”

As emotions began to return to her face, just as she was about to say something—

“Uugh!”

Rusika recoiled, covering her mouth with both hands.

“Rusika?!”

I instinctively stood up to check her condition when

“Uuuugh!”

Thud!

Turning away, Rusika swatted my approaching hand away.

Her eyes contained emotions I couldn’t perceive.

Fear resembling terror, brimming with fright.

“Rusika… what’s wrong?”

“…Ugh!”

Thud thud thud—!

Rusika couldn’t hold back the nausea threatening to spill over and rushed out of the classroom.

Everyone there stood with stunned expressions, gazing at her retreating figure.

“Erto-kun…”

Haidiera looked at me with a worried expression.

“What was that about…?”

I, too, had no idea what was happening.

*

The day after the incident in the square, a disciplinary committee regarding Tirisia and Kerg was convened within the Academy.

Normally, disciplinary actions for students causing disturbances would be held in a single classroom on a small scale, but since this was an unprecedented case, the decision was made for the committee to be conducted openly in a separate venue within the auditorium.

This approach was largely due to the pressure from the student alliance led by Seldienne and the external noble families.

Since they had tarnished the name of the nobility, instead of receiving punishment discreetly in a hidden location, they should face an open execution before all students to set a precedent.

Still before the sun had reached its peak, the auditorium was filled with a throng of people, buzzing with noise.

In front of the platform, journalists from various media outlets sat on the grass, and behind them, students formed groups, facing the podium.

Auditorium seats were filled with outside observers.

Parents of noble students currently studying at the Academy or related individuals.

The general public of the city, allowed under this exceptional circumstance for public attendance of the disciplinary committee.

And on the platform, just like during the martial arts competition, the board members and professors took their seats.

Kerg Durakal’s mother, the chairwoman, was not present in the auditorium.

This was, of course, to be expected.

It seemed she had decided not to show her face this time, as she would have nothing to demonstrate as Kerg’s mother and the chair of the Academy.

Whether it was due to humiliation or pride, she chose not to reveal herself in this circumstance.

I stood with Haidiera and Perjena senpai in front of the podium, waiting for the committee to begin.

“It’s almost time,” Haidiera said, glancing at the large clock on the wall of the main building.

“Soon those kids will show up,” Perjena senpai said, tapping her feet conservatively as she glared at the entrance of the auditorium.

“That’s right, I wonder what the parties involved will say today…”

I also fell silent as I waited for the protagonists of this uproar to arrive.

And soon,

“Look over there… it’s Durakal.”

Thousands of gazes fell in unison upon a man emerging at the entrance of the auditorium.

There stood a hulking man with dark skin and dull gold hair.

“—tsst.”

He walked silently along the edge of the auditorium, his expression fraught with tension, heading up to the platform.

Following behind him was what appeared to be a butler representing the Durakal family.

“You, scoundrel!”

“Are you so tempted by another man’s woman?!”

Shouts flew from both the audience and among the students on the grass directed at him.

Kerg seemed to have come to the conclusion that showing agitation here would yield no benefit, as he frowned deeply while keeping his mouth shut.

Then, shortly after, the most talked-about party in the current situation revealed themselves at the entrance of the auditorium.

“It’s Bruerd!”

Some people shouted, and the thousands of gazes focused on the entrance again, drawn away from Kerg.

I too observed the silver-haired girl who made her entrance, maintaining a calm demeanor.

“Tirisia…”

Just like Kerg, Tirisia entered accompanied by a butler in a tuxedo and bowed her head.

There was no particular sadness or fear on her face.

Rather, her aquamarine eyes shone with a resolve as if she had made up her mind about something.

“You filthy girl!”

“A disgrace to the nobility!”

When Kerg passed by without any remarks, but as Tirisia made her way alongside the edge of the platform, something flew toward her from between the students.

Smack!

A raw egg fell on her silver hair, splattering its contents across her face, hair, and clothes.

“No!”

“Ahhh?”

Haidiera and Perjena senpai’s eyes widened in shock.

About half of those present drew their breaths in astonishment.

But that wasn’t all.

Smack smack!

From within the crowd, it was difficult to tell who had thrown them, but more raw eggs came flying.

The next object thrown was a small bag filled with flour.

Splash—

As the flour rained down on the smeared egg, Tirisia became a white, doughy mess.

Whether it was due to family orders or something else, the butler accompanying her didn’t protect her from any of the projectiles.

“……”

For a moment, pausing to look back at the students, Tirisia finally turned away and quietly walked up to the platform.

Though her appearance had become a complete disaster, no voices rose to call for the committee to stop.

“Now that both parties have arrived, we will begin the disciplinary committee without delay.”

The head professor, who took the place of the chairwoman, took the microphone and made the announcement.

Tirisia and Kerg stood before the audience, looking out over the crowd.

“Before delivering punishment, we will provide each with the opportunity to state their case to ascertain the accurate facts. First, kerg Durakal, please speak.”

“—Ahem.”

Responding to the senior professor’s directive, Kerg brought his mouth to the mic on the podium.

Then,

“I just did as Tirisia ordered. I am also a victim. She intimidated me into following her.”

He began an unexpected blame-shifting.

“What the…?”

“That bastard…?”

The girls beside him stared wide-eyed in astonishment at Kerg.

Kerg pleaded his innocence with a pure and innocent expression just as he had at the martial arts award ceremony.

“I, Kerg Durakal, can state in the name of the Durakal family that I did not wish to participate in such malevolent and vulgar deeds. Everything was coerced by Tirisia’s orders. I was also deeply pained to insult student Erto.”

“Tirisia…”

I listened to Kerg’s words while checking Tirisia’s expression beside me.

Her complexion showed no change.

“I am an innocent victim. Please, understand my circumstances and kindly request leniency. That is all.”

“Wait a minute, Durakal-kun. Aren’t you the reigning champion of the martial arts competition? Your claim of being oppressed by a Bruerd student seems contradictory.”

In response to the question posed by the senior professor that echoed in everybody’s mind, Kerg nodded and looked back at Tirisia.

“That will be answered by her statement.”

“…Understood. We shall hear from Bruerd-kun.”

“…Yes.”

It was Tirisia’s turn.

Standing before thousands waiting silently for her words, she declared.

“All of Durakal-kun’s words are true. I threatened him and forced him to follow my plans. I even elevated him as an impressive figure to give student Erto a greater sense of defeat during the martial arts competition, deliberately losing to make him the champion.”

—Gasp.

The whole auditorium filled with the sound of held breaths.

“No, what the hell…!”

“That girl has finally lost her mind.”

Haidiera and Perjena senpai looked at Tirisia, their faces filled with even greater astonishment than when they heard Kerg’s claims.

“No… is that really true?”

As the head professor asked in a flustered voice, Tirisia nodded without hesitation.

“That’s true. Now that everything has been exposed, I will stake my last remaining pride as a noble and reveal the truth. Kerg Durakal-kun was merely a tool I used for my private desires. He does not bear equal responsibility in this incident. Everything was orchestrated by me.”

“Wait… what do you mean by private desires?”

“That is the guilt of betraying someone I love more than anyone else. For that pleasure, I deceived student Erto and used Durakal-kun. This is the truth.”

“Whoa… that’s a shocking confession. Understood.”

The head professor finished speaking, and the auditorium flared into chaos as if ready to explode.

“That crazy girl!”

“How could such a girl bear the name Bruerd!”

“Durakal was just a victim? Goodness!”

From the seats and among the students on the grass, all sorts of curses and insults were directed at Tirisia.

“Erto-kun… what should we do about this?”

“Leave it be; if they’re to be punished, then that’s that.”

The two standing beside me offered conflicting opinions, but I quietly kept my gaze on Tirisia’s face.

“―”

On the podium, I could feel her aquamarine eyes recognizing me.

She looked at me with an expressionless face before soon turning away.

“…”

Everyone in the auditorium was thrown into chaos by Tirisia’s shocking confession, but

I somehow understood.

That she was lying.

Her gaze, expression, and atmosphere.

The slight changes I recognized from our childhood were revealing her habit when she lied.

Why.

Why are you covering for him, Tirisia?

Is he really that precious to you?

I kept staring at her face, eventually lowering my head.

Yes, if that’s your choice.

If Tirisia Bruerd has chosen the path that makes her happiest, then I will accept it.

Just as I had done until now.

“E-Then, now that the testimonies from both parties have been confirmed, we will decide on the severity of the punishment.”

The head professor of the board, after conversing briefly with the professors, once more grabbed the microphone.

“Due to causing a great uproar at the Academy and shocking society as a whole, Tirisia Bruerd-kun has been deemed subject to expulsion according to the review of all administrative committee members.”

“Get out of the Academy―!”

“Someone like you is not needed here!”

“Leave! Please leave!”

Students roared with fury, and the senior professor raised his hand to quiet the crowd.

“Furthermore, I shall announce the punishment the representative of the Bruerd family will impose.”

When the professor gestured, an old man dressed in a tuxedo, standing behind Tirisia, stepped forward and began to read the paper in his hand.

“Ahem… After the expulsion from the Academy, Tirisia Bruerd will be subjected to indefinite house arrest. We implore your understanding.”

“Indefinite… house arrest.”

This meant that once Tirisia returned home, she would not be allowed outside unless granted permission by her parents.

It seemed that she hadn’t been completely disowned because she had been born with the strongest talent of the Bruerd family.

It was interpreted that they would lock her away for now while planning her future considering her potential value as a sorceress.

Thus, this might be the last time I see Tirisia’s face.

“Now, I will disclose Kerg Durakal’s punishment.”

The clamorous auditorium fell quiet once more as everyone awaited the senior professor’s words.

“Kerg Durakal, despite being central to the uproar, will receive a three-month suspension in consideration of being a victim who was coerced and forced to participate.”

Chattering—

Although this punishment was exceptionally light compared to Tirisia’s, no great backlash arose in the auditorium despite the commotion.

That was because his deceitful revelations, intertwined with Tirisia’s neat confession, had erased all doubt.

Kerg Durakal.

If this was all part of his plan…

I thought that he had really cooked Tirisia’s goose well.

“With that, we conclude today’s disciplinary committee, so I kindly ask those gathered here to await further updates.”

Just as the senior professor wrapped up his remarks and was about to step down from the podium,

BOOM—!

A shockwave erupted from the far end of the podium.

“What?!”

Everyone present gasped and turned their gaze toward the source of the explosion.

There stood a girl, engulfed in crimson lightning unleashing from her entire body.

“Rusika…?”

Her aura was alarming.

The small frame was alight with a tremendous surge of lightning reaching skyward.

It exhibited a magical energy scale completely unlike what we had always known of her.

“That, that is! A surge of mana circuit!”

Recognizing the strange phenomenon, Haidiera shouted in a panic.

[Tirisia Bruerd—!]

With a voice echoing with lightning, Rusika, her face filled with unprecedented rage, shouted at the girl on the podium.

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

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