TN: Thank Nepper for the chapter.
Only a few people predicted Iria’s victory in the duel with Amelia.
If comparing only individual combat power, many evaluated Iria as stronger than Amelia, but that was only when she was in prime condition.
Going to find Amelia after dueling numerous people for a day was too reckless.
Moreover, Amelia was called the bane of swordsmen. They didn’t think she could pierce through the invincible shield that physical attacks couldn’t penetrate while exhausted.
Still, as the top third-year student, it was honestly difficult to explain this matter other than saying Iria was brave to the point of excessive.
However, the result of the duel flowed completely differently than they thought.
Iria won, overcoming all those unfavorable conditions.
Formally, the result is that Amelia won, but it doesn’t change the fact that Iria came out on top.
It’s not that she barely won either. Iria played with Amelia in the arena.
She shattered the lightning shield Amelia boasted about in one strike and didn’t get hit by the fast lightning.
The skills she honed fell without even being able to react to Iria’s speed.
It was really impossible unless there was a considerable skill difference.
Amelia’s decimation was carried out slowly, and she was hit by Iria for a long time.
As if deliberately tormenting her without ending the duel.
“Isn’t that scary to that extent? Was Iria such a scary kid?”
“Didn’t you hear that? The bad rumors about Iria spreading, it was Amelia’s doing.”
“Then it’s understandable to hold a grudge. I heard the people Iria beat up were all on Amelia’s side. They actively spread bad rumors about Iria.”
“What, then it’s her own fault. I didn’t like her anyway. See, why did she mess with a quiet kid.”
Due to her previous karma, no one sympathizes with Amelia now. They were just watching the merciless violence Iria was committing.
“But seeing her like that, Iria is really strong. She seems to be on a similar level to Ariel?”
“The Academy’s level has risen a lot. How do monsters appear two years in a row?”
“We should really just put our heads down…”
The reactions of those watching the duel vary.
Some feel amazement at Iria’s strength, and some feel fear.
And another group…
“Wow… I guess she has a sadistic taste.”
“She really looks fuckable.”
“With that face and that taste, isn’t she just an open sadist?”
“Watch your mouth, man. You’ll end up like Amelia?”
“I’d like that?”
There were those who liked even this side of Iria.
Just as some dislike Iria, there are also those who like her.
They are the perverts with a particular taste who have been paying attention to Iria since her duel with Lucia.
“Is this the average of the top educational institution?”
Wouldn’t it be a big deal to mention Iria directly like this?
Surprisingly, Iria doesn’t touch them.
There was a time when she beat up someone like that while dealing with third-year students, but they liked it, so she stopped.
She thought biological disgust and emotions had disappeared a long time ago, but it wasn’t quite so.
Iria also didn’t touch them because it felt unpleasant that they enjoyed being hit.
And soon, they became the only ones who could mention Iria’s name at the Academy.
***
The sun was already setting when the duel with Amelia ended.
It was no wonder considering the duels I had today. How many times did she do it? She gave up counting from the middle.
After finishing everything, the sound that can be heard when listening closely is the usual whispers of someone.
Rumors spread by word of mouth usually go like that. It is a small noise that ordinary people can’t hear, but I could.
‘The subject of their conversations today was not me.’
The Academy was noisy today, but there was no talk about me.
The target of criticism and sarcasm had changed to Amelia.
This is the evil practice of the Academy. It’s a frequent occurrence where students gather and compete academically.
Unless special methods like mine are used, it’s impossible to stop the spread of rumors with individual power.
Amelia will probably live a school life like this from now on. Of course, I have no intention of stopping it for her, either.
Then is this fair?
“……”
It’s probably not.
Although Amelia is experiencing the same treatment she did to me, the days she will spend will be much longer than mine.
Then is my action justified?
I couldn’t find an answer to that question. It probably won’t be resolved even if I ponder deeply as usual.
Sera praised me for doing well after seeing my actions, and Ariel, well… What did he say again?
“Violence isn’t a very good means to solve problems. But in this case, your action rather served as a lesson to senior Amelia. That senior also needed to fix that personality someday.”
“……”
“You also did it with that thought, right? You waited for her to spread the protective barrier while making her feel a wall but not wanting to injure her directly.”
I did it because I thought she might die if I hit her directly.
There seemed to be a slight misunderstanding, but I didn’t bother refuting it. I didn’t have the eloquence for that and felt there was no reason to do so.
Many things happened, but anyway, today’s schedule has ended. The risen sun has set, and the darkened sky has finished preparing to greet tomorrow.
I, who returned home, was the same. I wash my body and lie on the bed without drying my hair.
I don’t dry my hair because it’s bothersome. Managing unnecessarily long hair was not easy.
So I just lie down. In exchange, I had to feel the damp sensation of wet sheets instead of the coziness of the bed.
It wasn’t impossible to sleep in this condition. I used to sleep on the street with garbage in the past.
“Is it tomorrow now?”
My thoughts were always deep, but today they were particularly so.
That’s because tomorrow was the day I promised Albert. Tomorrow I had to meet Headmaster Sertia, whom I had only heard about through rumors.
What kind of person would the mage who beheaded the Demon King be?
She wouldn’t be an easy opponent. Maybe she will be hostile to me, who possesses parts of the Demon King.
According to the literature, Sertia’s in her prime was comparable to that of the Hero wielding the Holy Sword.
It might be Albert’s plan to lure me towards Sertia and assassinate me.
Going to the Empire’s headquarters to meet her is no different from charging into enemy territory alone. I was going while taking a considerable risk.
However…
“……”
Nevertheless, there was enough value in going there.
Sertia is a person from the era when the hero and the Demon King existed. Surely she must have a lot of information about this world.
She has a high probability of knowing the truth of the world that dragged me into hell.
‘If I end up dying by going there…’
That’s not bad either.
Because death is a less terrifying punishment than pain. Death is a form of salvation.
Still, I didn’t intend to die.
In the past, I was a pitiful monster who only thought about dying, but not anymore.
If this world is a novel and the protagonist is Ariel…
“How will its ending turn out, and what kind of existence will I be in this world?”
It’s a world I once hated and still dislike…
Nevertheless, I was thinking that I wanted to see the end of this world.
Is the change in thought due to Ariel’s influence?
It might be. The protagonist in the novel, whom I closely observed, was a more amazing person than I thought.
According to Albert, she said she wanted to have a “conversation” with me.
I don’t know what Sertia means by conversation, but just as she has things she wants to tell me, I also have many things I want to ask her.
Before going to sleep, I examined the Demon King’s fragments lying around the corner of the house.
There were five, but since I ate one, four were left.
But I’m going to meet a great person, so should I eat one more?
“……”
No, let’s eat two.
It’s not because I’m hungry, but to increase my power.
I really wasn’t doing it because I was hungry.
**
This is Headmaster Sertia’s office. No, she’s not the headmaster anymore.
She greets the guest, who entered her room, with a haggard appearance.
Blue hair, half-closed eyes, and glasses covering his sharp eyes slightly.
There is only one person who visits Sertia’s room, who has officially stepped down from the position of headmaster.
“Albert. Come to think of it, was it tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Albert looks at his old teacher with a dark expression. Even in his eyes, Sertia looked considerably weakened.
She, who has death almost before her eyes, receives holy water injections into her body to prolong her life, even for a moment.
It has the effect of slowing down the spread of magic power in the body.
Sertia’s complexion, which temporarily covered the curse with a blessing, returns momentarily.
Her irregular breathing gradually stabilized. Her hazy eyes becoming a little clearer, Sertia greeted her guest again.
Sertia says to Albert,
“The place to meet her will be outside the Empire.”
“There must be a reason.”
“Because the back alley monster is an enemy of the Empire. We can’t rule out the possibility of it turning into a massacre if things go wrong. I don’t want to involve the people of the Empire.”
“……”
Albert sat in a long silence.
Because he knew what Sertia’s words meant.
If Sertia uses her power, she dies. To be precise, she’s originally a dying body, but she will die sooner.
If things go wrong, it seemed she was thinking of putting her life on the scale and perishing with the back alley monster.
It’s a sad thing, but Albert couldn’t immediately deny her words.
He just stood still and waited for Sertia’s words.
“If you leave the Empire and go east, there is my personal basement. No matter what happens there, it won’t be a problem.”
“……”
“I will wait there. Albert, can you bring her? I’ll let you know the coordinates.”
“I will.”
The night in the Empire was deep.