I Became the Academy’s War Hero Chapter 64 : Three Hands (1)

Chapter 64: Three Hands (1)

It had been thirty minutes since Michel sent the two of them out of the Chairwoman’s office.

Waiting in the corridor felt awkward, so the two had moved to the Dean’s office for the ti being.

“Phew…”

Walter tapped the desk for no reason, trying to calm his confused mind for quite so ti.

Frederick, on the other hand, maintained a relatively composed stance.

Even if it had been long ago, he had firsthand experience of the battlefield—death didn’t shake him much anymore.

“What do you think is happening right now?”

Walter’s question finally ca after a long hesitation.

“…Let ask you one thing first.”

Instead of answering, Frederick asked back.

“Which side are you on?”

“……”

“No matter which side you choose, I won’t say a word. Everyone has their own position and goals.”

But—

“I can’t show all my cards to soone who’s not on my side, can I?”

That was Frederick’s honest feeling.

He knew well that Michel Bernhardt wasn’t as bad a person as her reputation suggested.

And Eugene Carter—after returning, he had shown a completely different side of himself, one that even made Frederick want to root for him.

But that was as far as it went.

Neither of them were stable enough to follow unconditionally without any compensation or reason.

“…I’d like to ask sothing as well.”

This ti, Walter was the one to start.

“Dean, are you on Carter’s side?”

“I have no intention of taking anyone’s side.”

“Then why did you ask that question? Don’t tell soone like you is still testing the waters?”

“…However.”

People should listen until the end—Frederick brushed a hand over his lips and continued,

“At least for now, I want to be on Carter’s side.”

At that answer, Walter let out a sigh and stared into the air.

“…It’s not that I have any good feelings toward that guy. But this isn’t right. This ti, I intend to help Carter too.”

Then there was no need to lay all their cards on the table.

Whatever cards they held, their current stance—to join forces with Carter—wouldn’t change.

With that, Frederick abruptly stood up from his seat.

“No need to waste any more ti. Let’s go together.”

“Where to?”

“The Chairwoman’s office. She told us to co back in an hour.”

“Then that ans the Chairwoman also…”

“She might’ve been doubtful until yesterday… but now, she probably has no choice.”

When the two n returned to the Chairwoman’s office, they found an unexpected figure standing there.

“……”

It was Dale Wedyer, the Director of Planning and General Affairs.

The head of the Bernhardt faction within Karbenna.

Since the last special Faculty eting, his relationship with Eugene Carter had also turned rather sour.

“Director!”

As Walter snapped to attention in surprise, Frederick strode forward.

“What brings you here so early, Dale?”

“With such a serious incident, I couldn’t just sit still, could I? You must’ve had a rough ti too—especially being on the scene.”

“……”

“But what were you doing there, anyway? I doubt you had any reason to visit the servants’ rest area at that hour.”

He struck right at the core, but Frederick didn’t even flinch as he crafted an excuse.

“For the sa reason as you. I ca to the Chairwoman’s office to make my report, but she wouldn’t open the door. I thought sothing might’ve happened, so I went looking for a servant.”

“Hmm…”

Though Dale still looked full of suspicion, he couldn’t press further and held his tongue for now.

Just as his gaze shifted toward Walter—

Click.

The locked door swung open.

“So it was the Director who ca.”

Michel’s firm voice resonated from within.

“Ah, Chairwoman. You were inside.”

Ignoring Dale’s formal greeting, she gestured coolly.

“All three of you, co in.”

This developnt was unexpected.

Frederick quickly scanned the three people in the room.

Walter tried hard to keep a poker face, but he couldn’t completely hide his confusion.

Michel, in contrast, looked as if nothing had happened from the very beginning—though her weary eyes betrayed her fatigue.

Lastly, Dale was glancing around the room with a suspicious expression, suppressing a gulp.

The first to break the silence was Michel.

“I’ll speak with you two later. Director, what brings you here?”

She wanted to ask what he had discussed with the other two, but now wasn’t the ti.

Better to get to the point before the atmosphere turned strange.

The fact that a servant of the Bernhardt family had chosen an extre act implied orders from the main family.

And since the allied houses hadn’t received word of it, the plan must have been ant to proceed in secret.

‘Whatever they were scheming, it doesn’t look like they achieved their goal.’

Just from Michel’s composed expression alone, that much was clear.

If things had gone awry, that ant their preparations had been insufficient—and that suggested the whole thing was planned on impulse.

Compiling all of this information, one could reach only one conclusion—

‘…It must have been Chloe Bernhardt’s doing. And her target… was Michel.’

If that was the case, it was easy enough to infer why the two n were here.

Frederick wasn’t exactly on good terms with the Chairwoman, so it was quite possible he’d simply been caught up in the ss.

As he’d said earlier, he probably ca to make a report and got involved by accident.

The real problem was Walter Clark.

He wasn’t a participant of the Imperial Summit, nor did he have any particular connection to the Chairwoman.

‘A middleman… that’s what he must be.’

He’d been serving as the bridge between Michel Bernhardt and Eugene Carter all this ti—no doubt about it.

He was, after all, a forr Special Task Force mber and a classmate of Eugene Carter.

Being well-versed in herbology, he would also be familiar with ergency response thods.

The fact that things had gone wrong probably had a lot to do with him.

And behind him, of course, stood Eugene Carter.

“…Have you heard the news?”

The words he threw out were ant to turn his hypothesis into fact.

Of course, Michel would naturally deny it, but the rest could be deduced just by observing the reactions around her.

However—

Her answer turned out to be the complete opposite of what Dale had expected.

“You an the news that my servant committed suicide?”

“Ah… you already knew?”

“With all that noise outside, how could I not?”

“……”

He hadn’t expected her to admit it so easily.

It was almost enough to make him feel flustered instead.

Trying to maintain his composure, Dale subtly glanced to both sides.

The other two showed little change in expression.

“That’s strange. Only two hours ago, she brought so tea, and now she’s suddenly dead by suicide?”

“…Did you happen to speak with her about anything?”

“Nothing at all.”

After giving that curt reply, Michel took a quiet sip of coffee from her cup.

“……”

The entire exchange felt strange to Dale.

Why was she admitting everything so readily? She even volunteered the fact that she was the last person to see the servant alive.

When the investigation began, that would put her as the primary suspect.

‘…Could she actually be doing this on purpose?’

Was she implying that once the investigation started, the situation would actually work in her favor?

Lost in thought, Dale fell silent for a mont.

anwhile, Michel gestured to Walter, handing him the envelope that had been sitting atop the desk.

It was her written reply—to be sent back to Eugene.

“I’ve organized my stance. Please make sure it reaches him as soon as possible.”

“Ah, yes! I’ll see to it right away!”

Walter hurriedly tucked the envelope into his coat and stepped back.

“Director, do you have anything else to say?”

“…I’ll return another ti. Please stay safe.”

“Those words carry a sting, Dale.”

“Hmph.”

In truth, he didn’t want to withdraw like this, but he couldn’t read what Michel was plotting.

If he acted carelessly and their own plans were exposed, it would be disastrous.

With the Imperial Summit just around the corner, he had to proceed with caution.

So Dale left the Chairwoman’s office after a brief farewell.

The mont he stepped out, Michel imdiately locked the door again.

“As expected of the Director—he does have a sharp sense about him.”

Had he stayed a little longer, they would’ve been forced into sharing the sa fate.

As she muttered to herself, magic circles began to bloom all around her.

“This is….”

Both n flinched as Michel raised her wand toward them.

“Geas of Silence.”

The mont the word “Geas” left her lips, the two instinctively stepped back—but there was no room for refusal now.

“From this mont, you are forbidden to speak of what will be discussed here.”

Michel smiled faintly at their uneasy faces.

“The term is two weeks. Do you agree?”

“Then I’ll take it that matter’s settled. Don’t change your tune later.”

“Sa goes for you. Don’t go back on your word about providing support when Dellowell is invaded.”

I nodded, stuffing my mouth full of at.

Gustav sighed lightly and filled his glass with wine once more.

After all the training earlier, my body was exhausted, and no matter how much I ate, I couldn’t seem to get full.

At the long banquet table, no one sat beside except Rubia.

Rubia, too, had an uncomfortable look on her face throughout the al.

“…Is it because of the fasting rule?”

Glancing sideways, I asked carefully, and she slowly shook her head.

“My current affiliation is Karbenna. There’s no reason for to observe fasting days… but I can’t help feeling bothered by it.”

The Magic Tower under Duel’s jurisdiction required one fasting day each week.

In Mallet’s case, it coincided with Sunday—the Sabbath of the Ribenian Orthodox Faith.

The only difference was that Imperial citizens celebrated the Sabbath with a feast rather than a fast.

Turning my chair slightly, I said,

“I’ll be returning to Karbenna tomorrow.”

“…Because of the Summit?”

“Yes.”

It was about ti I shared my plans with Rubia as well.

Had Mallet not chosen to cooperate with Karbenna, she would have had no reason to concern herself with the discussions at the Imperial Summit—but things had changed.

Now, we couldn’t afford to be unprepared.

Mallet was her spiritual holand and her first foundation.

And the Inquisitor who would one day beco the greatest threat to Mallet was a person entirely incompatible with her.

At the very least, I needed to awaken the talents that had been suppressed within her.

So that when the ti ca, Rubia Magnus could stand against Karen Rosefield.

Setting down my knife and fork carelessly, I rose from my seat.

“Before I leave, co with for a mont.”

“Ah, yes!”

She stood up reflexively at my words, then belatedly asked,

“Um… but where are we going?”

“You rember when I said you had an aptitude for sothing?”

“…You an aptitude for Combat Magic?”

“Yes.”

A frail constitution and a gentle nature—both were disadvantages in combat magic.

But if those qualities were channeled not “to kill the enemy” but “to protect allies,”

then she could beco a formidable combat mage.

As I quickened my pace, I added,

“The simple test I ntioned back then—let’s do it now.”