List of Changes: Beldament has been changed to Berman,
* * *
After the dean hastily left to check the backups, we were left idly waiting, lost in our own thoughts.
"..."
Ares remained silent, glaring at me, while Rin looked down between us, her expression uneasy.
With the tense atmosphere and Hayun, usually a woman of few words, meditating with her eyes closed, I felt distinctly uncomfortable.
'This is so awkward.'
My body and mind were both uneasy.
I regretted not taking a shower yesterday, and though I sniffed myself, I couldn't tell if I smelled due to familiarity.
'I should have showered right away.'
Sighing, I moved away, worried about any possible odor, causing Rin to approach me in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
She looked worried, thinking something might be the matter, but I assured her it was nothing.
'I'm feeling a bit better now.'
Despite the nagging pain in my chest, Rin's eyes were kind, reminiscent of the friendly village girl I remembered.
Maybe I was getting used to all this.
'From Rin's perspective, I must seem awful.'
Knowing the details of the incident and how I apprehended the culprit, Rin might have questioned why I didn't save her sooner.
Had it been Rin, not Ares, who had confronted me, I might have agreed with her.
In the midst of Ares's constant glares, I asked Rin a question with a sigh.
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"Huh?"
"That I just watched you dying."
"Oh, that. You knew I wouldn't die, right?"
"…Yes, but."
I tried to fumble my words, but Rin smiled and said,
"Remember when we used to keep that stray dog?"
"The skinny one? You and Ares sneaked some meat from home to feed it."
It was a significant memory for me.
Because.
"You said we had to kill it. We cried and tried to stop you."
That was the first time Ares hit me. Despite our resistance, I tried to stab the dog but ended up being bitten.
"It turned out the dog was diseased. I suffered for weeks because of that."
It was a near-death experience for me.
The children cried, apologizing to me, but I was too delirious in bed to remember, only hearing about it later.
"Yeah, that's when I started to realize. Your actions always had your own reasons behind them."
Rin continued with a slight smile.
"Like when we played secretly at the windmill, or the tavern owner's orc barrel incident. Your actions were odd, but you always had your reasons."
"..."
"Was it the same this time?"
Despite having felt the excruciating pain of fangs piercing her body and her arms shredded, she smiled at me without a trace of resentment.
"You can't tell me the reason, can you?"
I was speechless.
Her boundless trust in me as an 18-year-old girl sent shivers through my body.
"It's okay, I'm still on your side."
Rin gently embraced me, her face slightly flushed. The pain in my heart, pierced and torn, seemed to fade with her comforting touch.
*Thud!*
*Sniff sniff.*
"We've caught them!"
The sudden opening of the reception room's door revealed not the dean, but Heini Rosales and her knights.
They entered and subdued Ares and Hayun, who were unarmed. Approaching Rin and me,
*Sniff sniff.*
I pulled Rin behind me, pressing her against the wall, and stepped forward.
"What is this about? I was told our arrest was postponed until tomorrow."
Heini, with a mocking sneer, replied,
"It's strange to look for evidence when you've been caught red-handed at the scene."
*Sniff sniff*
This person.
It was clear they had come here, unable to find proper evidence at the scene.
"Think about it logically. If we were caught during the crime, where's the so-called treasure? It should have been with us. But now, we're in this mess because the treasure is missing."
"..."
"Someone has cast a spell over the entire school, causing confusion in people's memories. To break the spell…"
Sniff, sniff.
Interrupting me abruptly, Heini scoffed and tapped her rapier on her shoulder, saying, "Rather than telling such absurd stories, it seems more realistic to assume you guys used magic to hide the treasure. What do you think?"
"Damn it, that's why I'm saying call a mage to verify!"
Frustrated and raising my voice, Heini's expression hardened as she pointed her rapier at me.
"Watch your mouth, kid. You're a criminal right now."
"You be careful. It's obvious you're trying to rush to a conclusion."
Sniff, sniff.
Being detained and dragged away now would mean the end of everything. We would be executed without a chance to argue. Not just any royal treasure, but the deceased king's treasure would certainly warrant the harshest punishment.
'When will the Dean finally arrive?'
For now, we just needed to hold on until the Dean came.
Sniff, sniff, crunch.
"Ouch."
As I pondered how to break through the encirclement, pain shot through my back. Turning slightly, I saw Rin had accidentally bitten me while chewing on my shirt.
"..."
"..."
With her nose pressed against me and fumbling, Rin slowly met my gaze. Her face flushed as if intoxicated by a drug.
"Is it, tasty?"
"Uh…?"
In this situation, I wasn't sure what to say. Having lived in the Demon Forest for ten years, I simply asked honestly.
Rin quickly came to her senses and shook her head.
"No, that's not it! It's just that your sweat smell made me feel dazed, like I was drugged…"
[T/N: 0_0 ]
Regretting my question, I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. It reminded me of the time I was nearly devoured by a beast, and I gently pushed Rin away.
"Ah…"
She looked momentarily disappointed, but I ignored it.
"I'll protect us, so support with your magic. We just need to stall until the Dean arrives. Got it?"
"Yep! Understood."
Thus, Rin and I began to confront the approaching knights.
***
In the corridor leading to the Dean's office.
Unfortunately for Daniel and Rin, the Dean was barely standing, leaning against the wall.
The Dean's office was on the 5th floor.
Since there was nothing else on the 5th floor, coming here meant visiting the Dean's office. A strange drug seemed to have been sprayed in the corridor.
'What in the world?'
Even through his blurred vision, the Dean tried to cast a spell, but he was more of a bookworm. Although a brilliant mage, he was better at academics than combat, earning his title for scholarly excellence rather than battle prowess.
"Ha, how amusing."
A male student's voice echoed distantly. Slowly retracing his steps, the Dean recognized it as the voice of Fenil Leiros, a notorious fourth-year delinquent.
"Why… why?"
Watching Fenil with a bewildered expression, not understanding why he had set this trap at this moment, a gang of Fenil's followers noisily ascended the staircase.
"Wow, look at the dean squirming."
"Just like a bug."
"Ha! A bug!"
"He should've known better than to show off. Hey, take your revenge with this one."
Encouraged by Fenil Leiros, the students excitedly suggested their ideas, pulling out various tools – a blunt mace, writing pens, and even a lit cigarette.
It seemed like a deep grudge was held against the dean for the month-long suspension they had faced.
Suddenly, more footsteps echoed from the staircase.
This time, the number was significantly higher. The dean despaired, but Fenil's expression also turned serious.
"You pieces of shit!"
With a baseball bat slung over her shoulder and a lollipop in her mouth, the dean's niece, May, stood at the center of a large group of students. Flanked by Berman from class D and other notorious third-year troublemakers, May had remarkably united all the third-year delinquents in just three days.
"Touching family, you heartless bastards!"
May's robust laughter as she charged forward was followed by a united advance of the third-year students.
A fierce brawl erupted on the fifth floor. The third-years had the advantage in numbers, but the chemicals spread in the corridor turned the tide. While the fourth-years had magical protection, the rushing third-years were caught off guard and succumbed one after another.
"Break the windows!"
At May's command, students near the windows smashed them, allowing fresh air to dissipate the chemicals. The third-years regained the upper hand.
'Why would they go to such lengths for a mere month-long suspension?'
May wondered about the source and intent behind these meticulously planned and bold actions.
As May lay pinned by Fenil, about to be strangled in his frenzied state, a loud clang resounded.
"Phew!"
With her blonde hair flying, Tana Krista shook her hand in pain, while Eve, holding a thick book like a shield, checked on May.
"You guys?"
Daniel's friends were the last people May expected to see.
"Daniel told us. If May goes somewhere with a crowd, we're to follow and report back to him."
"…What?"
"Since Daniel was taken, Tana and I came instead. Were we of any help?"
As Eve asked awkwardly, May could only nod in disbelief.
"Head! Smash his head!"
Tana, now wielding a shovel, relentlessly attacked the unconscious Fenil.
"Nutcracker! Nutcracker!"
Relieved that Daniel's technique, 'Vital Point Strike for Men,' had worked, Tana wiped her sweat, content.
"Daniel taught it to us during our morning exercises."
With an embarrassed look, Eve explained on behalf of her friend.
"Tha… thanks…"
Confused yet grateful, May was about to thank them when the dean's drugged mumbling caught their attention.
"To… to Daniel…"
"Dean?"
"Yes, tell us!"
Eagerly listening to the dean's faint whispers, they heard:
"Behind the bookcase… a record I entrusted to Daniel."
"A record behind the bookcase for Daniel? Got it!"
The trio rushed to the dean's office, where the discovery of the record transformed their expressions from confusion to icy contempt. They looked at the contents with a chilling, disdainful gaze.