CH 80

Student Council Room.

I was having a conversation with Yeniel and Astina.

"So you're saying Yeniel has been summoned?"

I asked, my face showing surprise.

"Yeah, a letter arrived through a bird yesterday."

So far, there had been no word from The Rebels, so their movements were unknown.

Yeniel had merely been biding her time by sending useless information to The Rebels.

After all, Yeniel's reason for coming to the academy was to assassinate Rie and me.

Since that plan had already failed, there was nothing they could ask of Yeniel.

As a result, all Yeniel heard was to hide in the academy without revealing her affiliation with them.

But when she was just twiddling her thumbs, finally, a new instruction came.

A letter carried by a bird.

That letter was a command from the leader of The Rebels.

"Why would the leader suddenly call for you?"

"I'm not sure either. Since they asked me to come, I guess I should."

At my words, Yeniel shrugged her shoulders.

The leader of The Rebels.

She said that she doesn't know exactly who he is.

Of course, I knew who he was.

A man with black hair who breaks and kills everything that stands in his way, slicing people apart with his absurd swordsmanship.

He's a man known as the Tyrant of the Battlefield.

There's no need to meet him now, but it was about time something happened.

"However, the sudden summons could mean they've discovered your double-agent status, couldn't it?"

Astina looked at Yeniel with a worried expression.

Astina wasn't one to be overly concerned about Yeniel, but it seemed she'd grown fond of her after spending some time together.

Yeniel relaxed her expression as if to say it was okay and opened her mouth.

"I doubt that would happen. Considering his character, if there were a traitor, he wouldn't call them aside but kill them instantly."

I agreed with her thoughts.

That tyrant wouldn't have left a traitor alive.

Upon hearing this, Astina asked,

"Then why is he calling you?"

"There must be some business. I'll have to go there to know exactly."

Yeniel said this and took out a sheet of paper.

"This is a document stating that my parents are in critical condition."

Astina accepted the document.

It seemed like she was going to apply for a leave of absence with this document.

"So, we won't see you for a while."

Even though we hadn't spent much time together, it was still sad to hear her leave without a definite return date.

At my words, Yeniel faintly smiled and responded,

"I guess I won't be back until the final exams are over."

But there was something else that concerned me.

"Did you tell Evan?"

Evan.

Recently, I hadn't seen Yeniel and Evan together.

Usually, I'd see them together once in a while, but recently, they were only seen separately.

"Ah, I've been fighting with that guy recently..."

"Fighting?"

I expressed my doubts at Yeniel's words.

"Sometime ago, I started to feel like he was changing. We had a bit of a quarrel."

"Evan has changed?"

At my question, Yeniel paused for a moment before speaking.

"He used to feel so foolishly considerate towards those around him... but nowadays, it seems a bit different...."

Yeniel said and gave an awkward laugh.

"Well, it might just be my misunderstanding. I'll go check on him."

Yeniel paused as she headed out, stopping to look back at me.

"Rudy Astria. Be careful while I'm away. The Rebels despise nobles, especially the Astria family, who can be considered the leaders of the nobility."

I nodded in understanding.

The meaning behind her words was clear.

Ian of the Astria family, or its head, is not someone the Rebels could touch.

But I was a different story.

I'm still weak.

So in Yeniel's absence, it was possible that the Rebels might target me.

"Well, I'm off now."

With that, Yeniel walked out of the room.

Watching her retreating figure, my gaze then turned towards Astina.

"Have you been feeling better lately?"

It had been a while since Astina was discharged from the hospital.

Her complexion was much better than when she had fainted, but I couldn't help but worry.

"With the principal back, my workload has lightened up, so I'm fine. Thanks for your concern."

Astina smiled at me.

Seeing her like that put me at ease.

As she put away the documents Yeniel had given her, she asked me a question.

"Are you preparing well for the final exams?"

"I've been studying as usual."

I shrugged my shoulders.

The final exam period was approaching quickly.

With so many major events happening, it felt like it was coming faster than usual.

Although I said I was studying as usual, I was actually paying quite a bit more attention to these final exams.

The midterms we had before didn't differentiate much and some subjects didn't even have exams, so they didn't weigh heavily.

Because there were subjects that didn't even have exams, our midterm grades weren't even posted.

Since I didn't know my ranking based on the midterm grades, the final exam was really important.

"Alright, then I'll be watching this time."

Astina said seriously.

It seemed like she was referring to the 'responsibility' she mentioned before.

In other words, she was telling me to come in first place.

"...I'll consider it."

I couldn't give a definitive answer to Astina's words.

All I could do was contemplate her words.

I was worried about Evan's changes that Yeniel mentioned, and about the things that might happen next.

The recent actions of the vice-principal.

I've known since before that the future was changing, but most things still went as they originally did.

However, this time was different.

I had certainly manipulated things so that Anton and Evan wouldn't meet during the joint practical.

So originally, there shouldn't have been any opportunity for the vice-principal to interfere.

But an incident did happen.

The future had been twisted.

Of course, the cause was different.

Levian's Spellbook, in Luna's possession.

Because of that Spellbook, the incident occurred.

From what I knew, this Spellbook was merely a magical tool that gave Luna strong abilities, without knowing the backstory.

Because it wasn't mentioned anywhere.

But, through this incident, it became clear.

This Spellbook wasn't something that people could simply leave alone.

It was an item worth enough to risk their own families.

And its past was intricately intertwined with many people....

My goal was survival, but I tried to survive without causing harm to others.

However, now the people around me started to get hurt due to the future I've changed.

I felt a sense of responsibility.

Astina, who had collapsed, Luna, who almost got kidnapped.

They were the ones who got hurt due to the changed story because of me.

Of course, someone might say there's no need to feel this way.

Since I didn't intend to harm anyone directly.

But I didn't want to use such a defense mechanism.

For a while, I could be comfortable, but I was afraid of what would follow.

The failure to prepare for incidents by avoiding them, and the people around me suffering significant harm.

I was too afraid of these things.

So instead of resorting to such a defense mechanism, I wanted to face the situation head-on.

I looked straight at Astina.

"Even if I can't secure the first place..."

Smiling softly as I looked at Astina, I said.

"I will take full 'responsibility'."

In Professor Cromwell's lab.

Though everyone felt relieved when Principal McDowell returned, one person was even more troubled than usual.

That person was Cromwell.

"Ugh..."

'Hey, I've marked my duty shifts on the calendar in my lab. Take care of them for me. Also, do my paperwork.'

The words Robert had said from his hospital bed.

Robert suffered severe injuries from his previous fight with Vice Principal Oliver.

Robert's magic has overwhelming power, but it wears away at his own body.

Even without receiving direct damage, his internal injuries were severe.

Now that Robert had been hospitalized, his responsibilities and duties fell onto Cromwell.

Of course, McDowell, who felt sorry for him, took some of the work, but there was an even bigger problem.

The words that Principal McDowell said to him in person:

'Professor Cromwell, could you take on the role of Vice Principal?'

"What... that's preposterous!"

Cromwell recalled that moment, and let out a cry as he stared at the ceiling.

He continued to think.

'If you decline, I understand... In that case, could you at least act as Vice Principal for now? Also...

Try it for a bit and let me know again in a month. There will probably be... a faculty meeting to allocate the annual research fund in about a month...'

"This... this is blatant blackmail...."

But he could not refuse.

The privileges that Principal McDowell had been granting him all this time.

Professor Cromwell received a much larger research fund than the other professors.

Of course, he brought appropriate research results every year.

However, it was undeniable that McDowell had been giving Cromwell preferential treatment.

"The research fund..."

If cigarettes and alcohol were Cromwell's soul, then research was his lifelong friend.

Being unable to research properly was like losing his best friend.

"Ughh!!!"

Surely, if he is promoted to Vice Principal, his free time will be reduced.

And then...

"Sophie will scold me..."

Sophie was Cromwell's wife.

More than losing his personal time, Cromwell was afraid of the scolding he would get from his wife.

"Haah......"

Cromwell let out a sigh and glanced at the shelf beside him.

"Should I have a drink...?"

His hidden stash of alcohol.

He had kept just one bottle hidden in a corner, in case Sophie came to the lab.

Alcohol reserved for stressful days like today.

After a moment of hesitation, Cromwell stood up and began rummaging through the shelf.

"Hmm...?"

However, there was no way the alcohol could be there.

That's because Robert had taken it for himself.

"This...this is odd."

Unaware of this fact, Cromwell could only search the shelf in confusion.