Chapter 31
rWRT4D8“…How did I end up like this?”g9f
LrLVerian Kalburdern, second in the first year of the Knight Department, let out a deep sigh.4wna
cwcHe hadn’t even finished the first semester.5EqyY
vsPHis prestigious reputation as heir to the Kalburdern family and second of the year was already a thing of the past.WbnF
ZY8He had been defeated by the Armian candidate, whom the Kalburdern family needed to surpass to become a lineage of prince-electors.9rBF
F6TbIThe prince, whom he considered his strongest backing, had abandoned him. And, to top it off, he was accused of making a pact with a demon he had never seen and fell into Pellenberg’s clutches.pgz
wv0RsNot only had he fallen at the edge of the cliff just before reaching the mountaintop, but now he was rolling in the mud. Absolute misery.EOd2vCi
zPjRHc‘Aint Armian…!’QJ5r0
VWzSkHdAll the fame that should have been his now belonged to someone else.kG0l
ez5G6‘He’s doing great… damn bastard!’F9I
9W31LYesterday, Verian had seen him. He saw how Valoshi, with whom he had longed to get along, showed Aint Armian an invitation to the Yacht Club.nmhcZ3
Zraw‘That place was mine! That invitation should have been for me!’jpC
o8BVzibThe Yacht Club. A place reserved only for the sons of high nobility who had talent and lineage within the academy.20nJ
DPydVerian Kalburdern, considering his lineage and abilities, was someone who should have been there without a doubt. But after his defeat to Aint, everything was ruined.pwGlyV
WT64‘And I can’t just quit halfway…’94g
q8gIt wasn’t just any place: it was the Imperial Academy of Armiarn.
Dropping out mid-semester wasn’t an option—it was equivalent to giving up on life.j1F
MYMS“…Alright, that’s all for today’s class.”GtdYVd
BpTAs class ended and Verian slowly packed his books, a shadow fell over him.Xq7hQnn
JxD“What do you want?”oLDDAj
PiDHe frowned upon seeing Aint Armian looking down at him.JXgq34O
pXM“Want to have lunch with me?”FMe3y6
0KnuUm8“What?”mUOi
1qoZ“You look a bit lonely.”c1j
QSnrRG“And whose fault do you think that is?”Zq1BIN
UNFz9NVerian growled.WJwG8NG
9O2Since losing to Aint, Prince Ludger had started treating him coldly, and the other students, going with the flow, began to distance themselves.3dxO
FFevmEOThere wasn’t a direct act, but little by little everyone drifted away. Thus, Verian ended up completely alone.8X4Oo
mgTSG“…Is it my fault?”WMxiT4J
2vWNr“What if it is?”1eU
fjl“It’s not a crime to train hard for a duel.”cHHTa
QKMO“…Tch.”glU3iU
wnnlWsVerian couldn’t refute that. And that made him even angrier.TFiH2s
QfgO“Did you come to mock me? Don’t you have anything better to do?”81dV
mDwv“Well, if it bothers you that much, I’ll admit it was my fault. Let’s have lunch. I’m apologizing.”jUyiG
BWL“Are you joking now?”3RK
bABKJs“I’m serious.”PUnOgw
jGkWi“This is your last warning. Get lost. Unless a demon possesses me, I’ll never have lunch with you.”Ic7Q1U
yIMuAZrVerian abruptly stood up and walked away. Murmurs echoed around him.oZh1lR
rnao“…As if I wanted to be in this situation.”zVeZN0
2IAjCAint, left alone, sighed.wzg
1SST‘Do I really have to do this…?’YxlxDS
syQ— You lost to him, yes, but objectively he’s talented.g6Jn
K4Eg— The only reason you won was because this genius was by your side. If I hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have beaten him even in another life.O5U
FnP‘Of course, if it weren’t for you, Sir Gardner, I wouldn’t have regained my family’s swordsmanship. That’s obvious.’UMLP
pdkeJhAint made a resigned face.dXQ
K2YNo matter how talented one is; without the right technique, you can’t reach the top.GQjn
eTp5— What matters is that guy has talent… and no friends. Just like you.AreC2ta
7P7u‘I’m not exactly friendless…’Gh7
mLYa7of— Doesn’t matter why. The result is the same.XYwy
PYdXhDAnd in fact, the reason was also the same.RVBB
gqmKTIAint also suffered isolation because other students avoided him to not offend Ludger Schwaben.8r3EEY9
sFAAP0— Anyway, that guy has talent and good lineage. If in the future you manage to build even a moderately close relationship, he could be of great help.ML7
KR7ch— Also, he was rejected by the Schwaben usurpers. Even more convenient, right?MnlqW1
Jy50NGardner wasn’t only concerned with demons, but also the Schwaben. From his perspective, only Armiarn had the legitimate right to the imperial throne, so it made sense.7GNx1u
kLSiQ‘I’ll give it a try. I don’t know if we’ll become friends, but…’7yZ
56UnA8H— It’s not about trying, it’s about doing, you lonely fool. If outcasts don’t support each other, who will?vjKz
7qCy‘Hey…’IKOjU
ZfjazAint muttered softly as he left the classroom, trying to excuse himself.HGK6
rCh9Go***Ebg3
wttBella Hoenne, second-year student in the Knight Department, woke from a nightmare.Utb
0wdwn“…No… No!”xgxy2o9
IGh8vaVShe sat up suddenly. She was in her room, a familiar place.8rOEx
s0bTfxSweat soaked her body as if she were caught in a storm, and her clothes were completely drenched.IOo
BUxX28With a burning thirst, she instinctively reached for water.TWV6
PTWPcC“Here.”LHS50
5RlYn9“Thanks.”5rF
DRjV1uBShe took a sip of the cold water someone offered… and jumped.ohXniZ9
xtAF9G9“What? Luina? Why are you here?”vN4rx
z5LuEU“Don’t you remember?”yPJx3X
63Jsm“Remem…?”nJ9cXQd
WxN0Then Bella remembered the horrific pain she had felt, as if her whole body was on fire. No, she really was burning.BGCpnUB
6b8V“Jace, that bastard…!”ccGipn
hco5They said he was a saint? What kind of saint does something like that?8BbHky8
oMqwJBurning a person alive!ydEM
xnVF“I see you remember. How are you feeling?”nQPW
Ppn“…Bad. Really bad.”fH2L
5mVnQHGShe tried to circulate her mana, but it didn’t feel right. If the fire had been delicate enough to burn only the demonic energy, that would’ve been ideal, but it had also burned her aura and vital energy.yZmWPF1
FsMlReOIt was a destructive flame that even slightly weakened her mind. But there was an even bigger problem.OMFjfiu
nTeSJgE“I feel no strength in my body. I feel weak.”Jrurft
ezu5“Because you no longer have demonic energy.”0uSb
IzSrmkH“…So it really was demonic energy?”kuyIe
64YF1cm“We confirmed it, didn’t we?”Y2MFB
XghjNL“It could have been a trick!”Kli1OX
sqdZ“And what would the saint from the cult gain by tricking you like that?”F3D
f1uG7Bella was left without arguments and shut her mouth.4dKL
TMv“But I never saw a demon.”4Gs
vuc12“I know. It was just an accidental infection. The problem is we haven’t been able to trace what infected you.”7kvJ
dQHAt those words, Bella sighed in relief. It was a shame not to know the source of the infection, but the important thing was that she hadn’t been accused of being a demonic aberration.GXYTZbn
2xsaNEven though demons hadn’t appeared in a thousand years and people were less sensitive about it, they were still enemies of humanity.eMY
h9gU2pwAfter all, the Empire itself was founded on their eradication.mdCxxXc
BUUNlBThe rejection toward them was natural.VBd
RVTw“Then, what are we going to do now—? Wait, did I drink alcohol?”QwO
2PnBella sniffed the air.CfXOTRN
C14iThe smell wasn’t coming from afar. It was on her clothes, her hair, her body.yBjCF
Rn4iMf“That was me. I had to pretend you were drunk to bring you here.”s24oA
6FOy“But didn’t we meet at lunchtime?”y5OV
2aoOI“Yes.”b8H
syK6Gz“So I was the girl carried in broad daylight, drunk, on your back?”YH2UDPL
kJHDVUe“Sorry. At least I covered your face with a cloak.”H9D
dz1URj“Well… I guess that’s something, right…?”y7WT
4dnHnAlthough just seeing you carried by Luina, anyone could’ve guessed who you were.RCUUld
7y4cO“My life at the academy is over… Wait a second.”YpWx
Wf6As she sighed, Bella looked toward the window. The light filtering through the closed curtains was a soft orange.L2w
Tsk“…How many hours did I sleep?”cuxCKt3
cdg4k“…Sorry.”7xWN6h
McJt5V“It can’t be, right?”RaFv5
gIlf“I’m sorry.”KvzplDf
y4E9Luina looked away, avoiding Bella’s trembling eyes. Bella quickly pulled the curtains open.sZ2
ovVFaCThe sunset was beautiful.7X6vo
8iUS8L“…Tell me quickly, Luina.”lZo1WNp
YcvoLuina carefully held up her fingers.7QOu0
79l2qtV“…Two hours?”bf6
lySA9WNo, that couldn’t be. It was noon when she fell asleep. How could it be sunset at 2 PM?WNtobD
gOVLuina shook her head.OpQ0
axAywX“…Twenty hours?”f3Jj
RttOThat didn’t make sense either. If twenty hours had passed, it would be 8 in the morning. There couldn’t be a sunset.4BaI5ya
K4aB“No… That’s not true, right? I had several classes… Tell me it’s not true!”OhucSI5
3hyBella’s voice trembled at the intuition of the worst possibility. Luina, with an apologetic expression, shook her head again.VQRB
qyBfghs“I’m sorry…”uMS4X3
bb3UpH6“Two days? Really two days? I already missed several classes! If I miss more, I’ll fail! You knew that too!”tz6RJ
Ugp“I know very well.”UYIz
wGGkeCdWhat classes were yesterday? How many attendance marks did she have?hDLwv0
9TOVBella’s mind spun frantically. But unable to find answers, her face turned pale.jNB
Czcnwh3“Fernan! Jace! Damn them…!”7Fut
qtwTA“No, Bella.”iX1h
jtIEAt that moment, Luina remembered what Fernan had told her.9EN8S
kaklue— Direct Bella’s anger, Luina. Make sure it’s aimed where it should be.crO
apKi— Pushing a friend to the abyss? What are you talking about? The strange thing would be to do nothing after what that demon did to her!pAxBKk
8IM1OCI— What do you mean it’s not their fault? I’m like this because of those…!mJ4
1itLt— No, Bella. You mustn’t direct your anger at Fernan or Jace.OqoQ
73QadLuina grabbed Bella by the shoulders and calmed her. Then, she spoke clearly and firmly.xN2
948pB“They’re not to blame. If anyone is, it’s the demons and the corrupt.”r5SB
JsIN“Demons? Corrupt?”p9Q
h3wm“Think carefully. What did this to you, what infected you with demonic energy, was an aberration. Not Fernan, not Jace.”M7Rc
yahxlo“…I suppose you’re right.”ScMkcW
4rfj“I admit Jace’s method was a bit extreme.”2XD
FgM“A bit? I was unconscious for two days!”vD220bo
wlyLuina shook her head again.Sc6
uWthAJ“That’s not what matters now, Bella.”iWwDRkh
1y6UwyG“I was on the brink of death!”eKF
XJdimVP“But you didn’t die.”v0r8NP
KAfJzDU“…Luina, were you always like this?”n8mHv
K0QOShe didn’t answer the question.Lpni8
SHPk“Bella. No matter what, Jace was trying to heal you. Yes, there was pain, but he also cured you.”1rh
mXG“That… is true.”NZwu
zuqJsLR“So what matters now is setting things right. We need to catch the one responsible.”9Nv
pPH2IaFinally, Bella’s anger began to shift toward the true culprit.yxiu
C5eTv“…I’ll make them pay. For my grades!”2rwaUt
xTsdl“That’s the spirit, Bella. I’ll help you. We can do it together.”gb8
Smmxq1I“You?”WxM
gxlN“I’ve found traces of another corruption. Want to come catch it with me?”kbpQ7i
DS18TWX“Of course! I’m going to kill them all!”EofZx
qyRPbIt took Bella a while longer to calm down completely.b46Z
Hdq79BP“And where is it?”tcm2s
NhcTa42“According to Fernan, there’s a high chance the corrupt will infiltrate the upcoming Yacht Club event.”Nc0
lBo5Dl“The Yacht Club? The one I know?”H7w
q71Ad“The very same.”BmJYrG
NldzS2“But that place is full of the top students! If something happens there, it’ll be a disaster!”51cEdH
Nlq0GpM“That’s why we have to stop them.”52M
hvRLuina pulled an invitation from her clothes.JifdfC7
PqXtTSK“A Yacht Club invitation?”ASUVVr
vCcwC“Fernan gave it to me.”Ufi
dLro“Fernan? But he was the one who didn’t want you to join. Did seeing a demon inspire him to the cause?”MBu52h
0NjZ7mBBella let out a sarcastic giggle.628D
pnArHLx“Alright, I get it now. Then first we need to buy clothes.”f88mn
pr75m“That sudden?”sJzri
VGyvh1“You don’t have the right clothes for a ball.”pNQ
yvDSince entering the academy, Luina had never attended a party. She had only studied and practiced swordsmanship, without enjoying anything.qS3i5
hyZ“So we have to go shopping. Besides, this one’s a masquerade ball. We need masks too.”M5yXfta
xC2b“…Fernan didn’t mention anything about that.”mGuDm7
TGTc“What do you mean? If you don’t follow the dress code, you don’t get into the club.”Qs15v
hXCWA5Maybe he simply didn’t mention it, thinking Bella would tell her.owRS
Xdy“Anyway, let’s go shopping. I need to vent this fury on something!”xOggiN
EBE2gb“Wait, I don’t have money…”McTnWR
1aU97I9“Just come with me. I already picked out a few dresses I think would look perfect on you.”azd3hch
30JG“When…?”4EI
WoE“Every time I mentioned going to a ball, you ignored it, so I noted them down just in case.”FBEJNM
giEGc1Bella grabbed Luina by the wrist and dragged her along.3I2Ic
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