"Ah, damn, is that the head supervisor?"
"You'd better count yourself lucky."
"Let's go. If we get caught, it'll just get annoying again."
The delinquents left in an instant.
Luca watched Kirius Blavon march over, fists clenched, with an expression that said, 'Of course, just as expected.'
― He had nearly shaved hair, cropped short.
― Even that looked almost completely white, making it hardly visible.
― Wrinkles creased his face, making his age apparent.
― But the massive fra and scars all over his face made it clear that for him, age was rely a number.
― His na was Kirius Blavon.
― He was the student head supervisor at Hernan Academy.
He looked exactly as Luca rembered from the description.
Taller than any student around, his forearms were as thick as another person's face.
He was so intimidating that even the worst delinquent would beco ek in his presence.
'Seriously, he's more of a gangster than a professor.'
Kirius Blavon, the student supervisor, was a character close to a villain.
Not a complete villain, but a recurring side character who would occasionally show up to hassle the protagonist.
'He'd pop up now and then, whining that the school's discipline was collapsing because of the protagonist, ranting to expel him and recording everything.'
He was clearly a character ant to highlight the protagonist's actions here and there throughout the story.
'But why is he showing up here?'
The minor side character Luca had expected was soone else.
No—to be exact, he thought it would just be so one-off character.
'Those delinquents, and anyone who rescued us from them, should all be Demon's henchn, right?'
He knew that the delinquents picking a fight, and soone stepping in to protect them, was all part of Demon's set-up—a stage play.
That's why he was at the festival, provoking their scenario in the first place.
'Step one: ignore their warning notice to provoke them. Step two: shadow the henchman they send to interfere. Step three: once they realize I'm on to their plan, they'll finally send a true mber.'
Luca looked at Kirius.
"Luca Traverse... Are you trying to start trouble again...!"
"...?"
Kirius both seed to know him, and looked quite infuriated.
'Did this guy co here by coincidence? Or did the scenario shift and make him one of Demon's henchn now?'
In the original, there was never any depiction of Kirius as one of Demon's henchn.
He just seed to dislike Luca because of all the trouble the protagonist caused.
'But I've only ever been on the receiving end—pretty much the victim. Why would he hate ? Did Demon do sothing to him?'
Right now, Kirius was radiating intense anger at Luca.
He was breathing roughly, his arm muscles twitching like he could strike at any mont, and the fury burning in his eyes was almost murderous.
He looked ready to attack Luca at any second.
'Well... Not that weird, I guess. There was Herote's case, after all.'
After all, Herote, who had barely any interaction with the protagonist through the late ga, had beco Luca's ally now.
So it wouldn't be strange for a minor side character like Kirius to beco a full-on villain too.
Grab!
"?!"
Lost in thought, Luca suddenly found Kirius grabbing him by the collar.
It was so sudden that Luca didn't even resist before being hoisted up.
Because of their size difference, Luca's feet dangled off the ground.
'He's really going to do this in front of everyone?'
No matter what, using force like this in plain view seed impossible.
Unsurprisingly, he could sense the agitation from the surrounding students.
"K-Kirius, why is he acting like that?"
"That's... Luca Traverse, right? Did sothing happen again?"
"Even so, corporal punishnt... and to do it out in public like this..."
"And during the festival? Does it have to be now?"
"I don't know. He must be crazy."
Of course, no good comnts ca out.
Even if Luca really did sothing wrong, publicly humiliating soone in front of everyone would be impossible here.
Let alone grabbing a student by the collar like this?
'He's lost control.'
This didn't look like a situation that could be resolved by words.
Luca quietly t Ottbo's anxious gaze.
"!"
Ottbo hesitated for a mont, but then he steeled himself and took a step forward.
"Kirius, please! That's—"
"K- Kirius, student head supervisor! What in the world do you think you're doing!"
At that mont, soone else stepped in.
It was not a student, but a teacher.
He was a young man in casual clothing, and since Luca didn't rember him, he must have been from a departnt other than Swordsmanship.
"Professor Latik?"
Ottbo clearly recognized him.
Despite Latik's intervention, Kirius refused to release Luca.
"Do you have any idea how much damage you've done to our academy because of you!"
"...?"
Kirius pressed even harder, causing Luca to panic.
'What's with him? Has he gone mad? Or is this part of the act?'
Even wracking his brain, the only things he'd done wrong were the entrance ceremony, and smashing an armored soldier in the Pia Forest.
But in both cases, the real issue was, first, the marquis's son (whose na Luca barely rembered) being at fault, and second, the armored soldier attacking him.
'So why is he going off at ?'
A pure anger began to boil inside.
Kirius's words didn't add up.
'Wait? Isn't Luca Traverse's inner self about to burst out at tis like this?'
Now would be when the impulsive, emotional Luca Traverse would surge out, but he was strangely quiet.
'Co to think of it, he hasn't shown himself even at several other likely monts, has he?'
Only now did Luca realize this, feeling puzzled.
'... I'll think about that later. First, I need to deal with this guy.'
But for now, he had to handle the imdiate situation.
Kirius's condition was deteriorating rapidly.
"To think I'd have to listen to sothing like this when I'm just the victim. Ridiculous."
"!"
Kirius's eyes went wide at Luca's remark—but imdiately twisted into a fierce glare.
"You... You aren't even sorry...!"
"Professor Kirius, please! Calm down! Whatever it is, you can't do this here!"
Latik glanced around nervously as he tried to restrain Kirius.
But Kirius was unstoppable.
Crack!
"Urgh!"
As Kirius increased his grip, the pressure on Luca's collarbone grew dangerously strong.
With a chilling crack, Luca groaned in pain.
"Professor Kirius!"
Whack!
Unable to stand it, Latik forced Kirius to let go of Luca.
"Luca!"
Ottbo caught the collapsing Luca.
'Ugh. How did Luca Traverse endure pain like this?!'
When Martin attacked, Luca's inner self had shielded him from the pain.
During treatnt, dicine and magic minimized the agony.
During the eve of the festival, the uniform's protection and Whistle's cloud kept him unhard.
But now, with just a single squeeze from Kirius, pain flared in Luca's collarbone.
'Guess I really wasn't fit to attend class.'
Now he finally understood why they told him not to participate in class.
His body really was that broken.
It was a wonder he'd had no problem during the Herote incident.
"Wasn't that too much?!"
"... Professor Latik?"
With Latik's protest, Kirius finally snapped out of it, his expression dazed.
He glanced at the collapsed Luca and the glaring Ottbo, and flinched.
"This... well..."
"It was always a problem to lay a hand on a student, but especially with Luca—he's not even well right now! How could you!"
Kirius seed lost, at a social loss for words.
Even the murmurs of the students nearby chipped away at his confidence.
"Wait, Luca Traverse is injured right now?"
"You an he did that to a injured student? Wow, savage."
"Yikes... now that's a head supervisor for you. Scary."
With each remark, Kirius shrank back further.
Looking around helplessly, he bit his lip and fled.
"K- Kirius?"
"... Ottbo. Help up."
"Huh? Oh, right!"
Ottbo helped Luca to his feet.
Luca turned to Latik, who still looked rattled by Kirius's behavior.
"Thank you for your help."
"Huh? Ah, no! It's just that... this was a mistake by the faculty, I guess..."
Latik fumbled, looking lost.
"Professor Kirius isn't usually like that! It's just—well... the festival! Yes, he's just so busy during the festival now! That must be it!"
"... I understand."
"Thanks, I appreciate your understanding! Even if the mood's soured, I hope you enjoy the Foundation Day!"
After saying this, Latik hurried after Kirius.
"Whew! Good thing Professor Latik was here!"
"You know that teacher?"
"Yeah! He's from the Magic Departnt! Since he's part of the Magic Design Studies, I know him a bit!"
Watching Ottbo's cheerful reaction, Luca's expression turned mixed.
"By the way, Ottbo. I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Is the news that I'm injured... that public?"
― Especially since Luca isn't in good health right now, how could you!
Latik's remark stuck with him.
* * *
On the rooftop of the Magic Departnt building, overlooking the festival stalls,
A boy with violet eyes had been watching the commotion between Luca and Kirius. He scratched his cheek.
"Hmm... At tis like this, my talent is really scary. For his emotions to spiral so far out of control..."
Even the violet-eyed boy hadn't expected Kirius's sudden behavior.
Beside him, Donovan—who had been observing cautiously—asked in confusion.
"Young master, doesn't your magic control other people's minds? Why wasn't that man acting according to your will?"
"The spell I cast on him only amplifies certain emotions toward a specific target. It doesn't dominate his mind. Only my father could fully control soone at a teacher's level through magic."
"As expected, master...!"
While Donovan admired him, the violet-eyed boy groaned.
"But this is trouble. Putting pressure on Luca Traverse is fine, but acting this violently is drawing attention. I'd rather not stand out just yet."
"So what should we do?"
"Well... Now we just have to trust Latik to tidy things up."
Just then, soone appeared on the rooftop.
"Miros, what's going on here!"
The violet-eyed boy—referred to as Miros—smirked at the newcor.
"Oh~ Latik. Thanks to you, things smoothed over nice enough."
"It's not about smoothing things over! What did you do to Professor Kirius? This won't be so easy to dismiss!"
Scolding him, Latik's tone was sharp. Miros frowned.
"Latik. Who do you think you're raising your voice to right now?"
"!"
Latik shuddered and bowed his head slightly.
"S-sorry."
"If you want to join our family once I graduate, watch your mouth. You wouldn't want to finish life as so no-na academy professor, right?"
"... Yes."
Biting his lip, Latik hung his head.
Miros grinned, turned back to where Luca had been—but now Luca was gone.
"Tch. Where did he vanish off to?"
While Miros clicked his tongue, scanning the area, Donovan asked warily,
"Young master, wouldn't it be bad if this incident went to the faculty assembly?"
Objectively, the situation didn't look good.
Miros shrugged.
"It's fine. If the terror plot works out, this'll all blow over. We just need to set up Luca Traverse as the culprit."
"But young master, in this situation, is it even possible to lure Luca Traverse into searching for the bomb...?"
"We've already t half the objective."
The original plan was for Luca to get in a fight with the delinquents, then be scolded and barred from the festival by Kirius.
With the festival already ruined for Luca, half the plan was complete.
"We just need to raise his awareness about the bomb."
"Raise awareness...?"
Donovan's reluctant question made Miros turn to Latik with a sly grin.
"You get it, right? Latik."
"What do you an...?"
Latik took a step back, but Miros stepped closer, wearing an innocent smile.
"What's the matter, Latik? You know what I want you to do."
"B-but..."
"It's fine~ Whatever happens, our family will take care of it. The worst that could happen is you get kicked out of the academy, right?"
While speaking, miros grabbed Latik by the shoulder, looking straight into his eyes.
"If you're expelled, you can join our family right away. You'd be able to do your research however you want!"
"Re... search..."
Latik's eyes lost focus.
Before anyone knew it, a square-shaped magic circle appeared behind his neck.
Miros whispered in his ear,
"You can do all the research you couldn't do at the academy—anything you wish. So you'll do what I ask, right?"
"... Yes."
Once Latik replied, miros let him go.
"Good. Then, on my behalf..."
A chillingly bright smile crept over Miros's lips.
"Throw the academy into chaos."
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Hmm, Latik slipped...
Noone should have known that Luca was injured.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
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