CH 25.2

Arsene Academy has several affiliated organizations. The Student Counseling Division, which was a part of the Academic Affairs Office, was one of these organizations.

The role of the Student Counseling Division was simple — To take in, guide, and correct students who break rules or do wrong.

The current head of the Student Counseling Division, Philippe Ernok was a veteran among veterans who had been in charge of this role for over twenty years.

He had seen a lot of troublemakers over the years, and  knew that most issues could be resolved just by his involvement. 

But this time, something was different.

‘Ulan Bator.’

A barbarian from the fringes.

A hunch told him that Ulan must have caused a significant incident. As the reports of Ulan's actions poured in one after another, Philippe's expression became increasingly grim.

"You knocked out over a hundred people, including students and professors, in the middle of …..'s entrance ceremony, smashing all the windows and part of the stage?"

What on earth had happened?

First of all, there should have been security guards at the entrance ceremony. Why had they let the situation escalate to this point?

All sorts of questions flooded his mind.

But only for a moment.

Philippe soon regained his composure. After all, there was only one thing to do now. And that was to investigate Ulan's motive for his behavior.

"It's hard to believe that such an incident would happen right from the entrance ceremony. You really caused quite a commotion."

The room was small and dark.

Only a single candle on the table dispelled the darkness of the room. The walls were painted a dull gray, and the entrance was sealed by a heavy iron door.

This was the farthest corner of the Student Counseling Division. It was designed to investigate troubled students who had done something grave.

"Why did you do such a thing? What was your purpose?"

Philippe glared at Ulan.

Currently, Ulan's body was bound with thick rope. His hands were tied behind his back, leaving only his legs and head free.

In response to his questioning, Ulan opened her mouth.

"I merely gave a speech."

"What? A speech?"

Philippe's eyes widened in disbelief.

As if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Because of your speech, the auditorium is scheduled for major renovations. On top of that, there are over a hundred wounded who have been taken to the hospital!"

What kind of speech could lead to such a result? Philippe slammed the table in frustration.

"And after witnessing all of that, you have nothing to say?"

He glared at Ulan, his eyes fierce.

Philippe expected Ulan to say something formal, at least offer some formal apologies to the victims. But what came out of Ulan's mouth was completely unexpected.

"It seems like they were all rather weak."

".......What?"

"They need to toughen up."

Shamelessness was one thing.

Philippe's face contorted in a mixture of anger and disbelief. Yet, he hadn't lost his composure completely. Instead, he sighed and took a seat across from Ulan.

"It seems like you haven't grasped the situation yet. The Student Counseling Division has reported this incident to higher authorities."

It was a somewhat realistic threat.

"If the higher-ups issue an order, not only will your admission be revoked, but you'll also face a trial according to international law. In essence, your life could be ruined."

". . . . . . . ."

"However, I'm willing to consider mitigating circumstances if you cooperate with the investigation. So, start by telling us why you committed this act."

With this, Philippe believed Ulan would understand his current situation, what he needed to do to minimize his sentence.

But Philippe didn't know.

He didn't know that Ulan was a stonehead.

‘International Law? Mitigating circumstances?’

Ulan had no idea what Philippe was talking about.

So, he decided to change the subject.

"More importantly, when can I get out?"

"You're not leaving!"

"My class assignment is about to start."

"That's none of your concern anymore!"

"Why is it none of my concern?"

"Argh!"

Philippe lost his composure.

Who was this guy? Did he even understand words? There's a limit to pretending not to understand!

He was consumed with the urge to bash Ulan's head against the wall. If it weren't for the rule about not touching students, he would have done it.

As he wasted time with these thoughts...

Clang, clang, clang!

The iron door that had been firmly closed suddenly opened.

Philippe frowned.

"What the... I distinctly ordered not to open this door until the investigation was finished..."

He began to grumble irritably, but before he could finish his sentence, his mouth fell silent. It was because of the attire of the man who had entered through the door — a uniform that looked like a military uniform. On his chest was a star emblem emblazoned in silver. 

Philippe's eyes quivered when he saw it.

‘.......Inspector of the Military Studies Department.’

The identity of the man currently in front of him.

In Arsene Academy, there were a total of five Heads.

These were the individuals with the most power following the Principal. Each of them led a specific department.

The man in front of him was a member of the Inspectorate, an organization directly under head Berge, the de facto ruler of Arsene Academy.

Click, clack!

Without any restraint, the Inspector entered the room.

He glanced briefly at Ulan and asked, "Ulan Bator, correct?"

"Yes."

"You're free to go. Come outside."

"What, what?!"

The words caught Philippe off guard. And for good reason. To release him so suddenly like this.

The Inspector, on the other hand, remained steadfast.

"Class assignments for the new students are currently underway. Go to the Lions' Hall on the second floor and follow the instructions."

"Wait a minute! Who do you think you are, just barging in and..."

"This is an order from higher authorities."

Just as he was about to argue, the Inspector suddenly thrust a document into his hands – a crisply stamped seal. The seal of the Head of the Military Studies Department, Mr. Berge.

Philippe read the document with a tense expression.

How much time had passed?

His expression grew increasingly rigid.

After a moment, he clenched his lips tightly and said, "Release the ropes."

"Yes? Ha, but……!"

"Untie him. This is an order to release him immediately."

Looking at the panicked guards, Philippe repeated his order, and the silent Ulan jumped to his feet.

"There is no need."

That was all he said.

The thick ropes binding Ulan's body snapped like threads.

Wait, did he just break those with sheer strength?

Everyone, including Philippe, stared at Ulan in disbelief as he effortlessly tore through the ropes, which were as thick as a finger joint.

"By the way, where is the Lion's Hall?"

"It is in the big building next to the main auditorium. There's a lion statue in front of it, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it."

"And where is the main auditorium?"

".........Follow me. I'll show you."

Sighing, the inspector turned away.

Perhaps he thought that if left to his own devices, Ulan would lose his way. So, Ulan followed the Inspector out of the room.

As the guards watched them disappear into the distance—

—they began to question.

"What on earth did the letter say?"

"What could be written in it that led to such an easy..."

"He’s related to an individual in the Imperial Military High Command."

"..........Huh?"

"That, that terrorist?!"

Philippe nodded wordlessly.

Then he thought back to the contents of the note that had accompanied the orders.

『 I have determined that Ulan Bator's actions during this entrance ceremony were not motivated by malicious intent, and therefore I have decided that he will not be prosecuted.

In addition, he has been designated by the Imperial Military High Command as a《Level-1 Management Target》, meaning that if anything similar happens in the future, report to the Military Studies Department before arresting him.』

A Level-1 Management Target.

This was by no means a common designation.

It applied only to individuals regarded as extremely important by the Imperial High Command.

Philippe knew this well, having once been a part of the Imperial Military himself.

‘I don't know what the purpose of the military is, or why he's been designated for management, but…..’

Philippe's eyes narrowed.

"...Arsene is going to be quite lively this year."

In more ways than one.

He glanced in the direction where Ulan had disappeared. Somehow, he had a feeling they would meet again sooner or later.