The Overpowered Cult Leader at the Academy Chapter 34

Chapter 34

On (3)

“What is that.”

“It’s sothing to drink~ You know, refreshnts. A symbol of rest, right?”

“Yeah. Drink a lot.”

Canis, who had seated herself across from Winter without asking, pulled out a set I had no idea where she had produced from.

A teapot patterned with black stripes over a vividly bright blue base. Along with what seed to be a matching teacup set, she skillfully brought out chocolates that gave off a sweet aroma.

Letting out a dry chuckle, I sat down in the rocking chair I had bought relatively recently.

“Co here and have a cup.”

“What is it.”

“Black tea. ‘Darjeeling.’”

“Don’t know it. Sothing like that.”

“Hm. You don’t know Darjeeling? That ans half your life’s been a loss~”

If you judged it that way, most of the Empire’s citizens would be living at a loss. Just looking at the leaves she took out from the silver foil, you could tell from their dried state and fragrance that they were expensive.

How could ordinary citizens afford to drink sothing like that? Still, since she offered it, I didn’t refuse. Poison? There was no need to worry about sothing like that.

“You’re just drinking it?”

“You gave it, so I drank it. Did you lace it with poison? Well, if you did, it can’t be helped.”

“Are you trusting ? That makes happy.”

“Trust you? I trust my body. If you want to kill with poison, bring Hydra’s venom. No, more importantly, there’s no lunatic in the academy who would lace soone’s drink with poison.”

“That’s quite the confidence~”

I hadn’t had much black tea before, but this was no joke. Passing through the warm steam and settling in my mouth, a gentle bitterness wrapped around my tongue, followed by the crisp fragrance of green grapes.

A flavor that made gasp in admiration without realizing it. An enchanting quality that captivated a person from the very first sip. From the second sip onward, I rolled the tea around inside my mouth.

The roof of my mouth, beneath my tongue, my gums. No matter where it touched, it delivered a satisfying depth of flavor.

“Seems like you like it?”

“It’s the best thing you’ve ever done.”

“……Is it really to that extent? I’m pretty sure I made a huge contribution in protecting Winter.”

I lightly trampled over Canis’s complaint. She hadn’t even stepped up on her own, yet she was taking credit. Perhaps it had been a joke, as she quietly resud enjoying the refreshnts.

“So, have you thought about my proposal?”

“Thought? I clearly gave you my answer back then.”

“You did. But you never know, right?”

Canis asked persistently. I narrowed my eyes sharply and examined her.

She didn’t seem bothered by the rejection either. The fact that she kept sticking around, and that she brought up a topic that had already been concluded.

I could see she had sothing up her sleeve. What made it more ridiculous was that she didn’t even seem to care about hiding it. She took a graceful sip of her tea and ford a faint smile.

“I suppose I should give you so good information. Maybe then you’ll lend an ear?”

“Go ahead and try. If it’s good, I’ll give you a reward.”

I crossed my arms and jerked my chin at her. It ant go on, let’s hear it. She elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“You do walk around the academy, don’t you?”

“I’m not stuck here all the ti.”

“Then you must know how the students look at Dabi.”

“Of course I know very well— …Wait. Dabi? What is that filthy….”

“But haven’t you felt that sothing’s a little strange?”

I was about to object to the nauseating nickna that slipped into the conversation. Instead, Canis cut off.

A voice with pull, a tone full of conviction. Part of her rhetoric that naturally drew in attention and focus. I furrowed my brow while mulling over her words.

“I’m not sure what you an.”

“Oh? You’re rather insensitive in this area? Well, I suppose that’s why you’re managing to live so well like this.”

“…That sounded like an insult. Am I right?”

The way she spoke carried the nuance of, ‘It’s because you’ve got that much shaless thick skin that soone like you can survive academy life.’

Canis shrugged and gave an irritating smile. It twisted my mood.

“Even if Dabi’s a piece of human trash destined to go down in history, this recent attack wasn’t small at all~”

At this point, I started to suspect that this bastard simply wanted to insult to my face. Only after my brows hardened sharply did she continue.

“No matter how well Beni did, Dabi’s contribution was enormous too, you know?”

“Beni— don’t tell that’s Bereninche? You’ve completely decided to run wild now. You can’t even look people in the eye prope—”

“But strangely~ the children’s gazes are the sa, aren’t they? Huh? Even so, shouldn’t they have changed ju~st a little?”

“……”

“Think about it. Setting aside the subjugation, it wouldn’t be wrong to say Dabi handled all the rescues, right? Not only the second-years who joined the rescue team, but most of the first-years saw ‘that,’ didn’t they?”

Was it really that strange? And yet, there was a faint stench to it. What Canis ntioned definitely had sothing worth thinking about.

Infamy didn’t change easily. But human psychology was truly complicated.

If soone who did 99 things right failed at 1, people felt imnse disappointnt toward him. Far more than they would toward soone who did 50 right and 50 wrong.

The reverse was the sa. If soone who failed at 99 things succeeded at 1, that one success was viewed very largely. A bastard like this pulled that off? Or, he can do sothing this kind once in a while? That was how people saw it.

In other words, what I did fell into the latter category. Even if it wasn’t dramatically effective, it could have confused people or left a positive impression on a small number of them.

Co to think of it, Soloven’s attitude had shifted subtly. Perhaps it was part of that.

“And not long ago, you went on a mission ‘alone’ with the Imperial Knight Order, didn’t you? That’s no easy feat, is it?”

“I returned today.”

“Ah~ so that’s why you look so tired~ Anyway. Doesn’t it feel a little fishy?”

Her drawn-out tone was helpful for once. It was a decent point in its own way.

Though whether it was useful was another matter. Episode 2 was, in the end, largely about tearing Davide apart.

I hadn’t anticipated suspicion to this degree, but it wasn’t at an unreasonable level either.

“It feels like there’s soone behind it.”

“Behind it? Behind it? So you’re saying there’s soone pulling strings to stop my reputation from rising?”

“I just feel that way~”

And what Canis said next was sowhat shocking. Soone behind it. Soone who wanted this controlled situation and was maintaining it.

There were many people who disliked . Those who had suffered direct harm, those who had suffered indirect harm. Or those who simply detested my beast-like disposition.

There were plenty of reasons, all understandable in their own way. Plenty of people who would hate to see my reputation improve.

“This feels a little different.”

“That’s what I’m saying~ It’s a plan I considered too~ It’s like soone beat to it~ Though maybe it’s better that I didn’t go through with it?”

Watching the vicious smile form on my face, Canis added her remark. It was a sche even she had thought of.

To exaggerate a little, that ant soone with power on a level similar to Canis was acting with a similar objective.

For example, preparing the groundwork to recruit , or to turn into sothing usable.

“So that’s how it was.”

Sohow, I felt like I had experienced a similar sensation before.

***

The Academy Director was busy. Extrely busy. She handled several hundred docunts a day. None of them could be carelessly overlooked.

Each and every one of them dictated the academy’s vast future. That was why, even as a white-haired old woman, she shut herself inside the director’s office and stayed up through the night.

—Knock knock.

“Please, co in.”

That was why she couldn’t welco the presence she sensed outside. A sigh escaped her naturally.

That person was soone she had absolutely no grounds to refuse, and every matter she brought imposed imnse stress on the mind.

“You must be working very hard.”

“Not at all. I would wish to properly receive a guest, but as I am so busy, I ask for your generous understanding regarding my lack of hospitality.”

“It was I who ca without warning. So please, do not trouble yourself.”

With her black hair neatly tied back, she wore a gentle smile that contrasted with the cold aura she exuded. The Vice-Commander of the Imperial 6th Knight Order.

No matter how much authority the Academy Director held, she could not treat soone of this stature lightly. All the more so if she knew her true identity.

“I have co at the risk of discourtesy to offer a proposal.”

“……I hope we can resolve this as gently as you appear to, Vice-Commander.”

Sheila wore her usual soft yet firm smile as she handed over a bundle of docunts. The Director, who took them almost reflexively, examined the stack with a puzzled look.

She read through them quickly, yet ticulously. Then, at so point, a glint flashed in her eyes.

“You are not soone who would normally do this, Vice-Commander.”

“You wound . Though it pains my heart, I too must fulfill my duty as a subject, must I not?”

“……This is the Imperial Princess’s handiwork.”

The Director let out a sigh. The bundle of papers was plastered entirely with information about a single student. A figure who had recently beco a hot topic among the faculty.

Soone who had made great contributions during the subjugation of the Guardian of Museion Island, and who had even achieved remarkable results in rescuing first-year students of the Combat Departnt during the unprecedented attack.

Davide Duhein, who displayed conduct that could hardly be believed to belong to the delinquent, the maniac of old. Now expelled and referred to simply as Davide, a male student.

The Vice-Commander of the Imperial 6th Knight Order still wore a benevolent smile.

“This is troubling. Truly troubling.”

“……”

“Museion Island belongs to the Empire, and I am a noble of the Empire, so I extend due courtesy. However, this crosses the line.”

The Director’s voice turned solemn. Her posture was so firm it was hard to believe she possessed an aged body.

The intense aura that emanated from the Director was not violent. It crept in subtly, pressing down upon the Vice-Commander with a powerful sense of pressure.

And yet, the person before her did not even blink.

“Please, quell your anger. We have no intention of standing in opposition to you, Director.”

That was precisely why it was puzzling. Why would soone like this—or soone above her—set their sights on Davide?

Was he such an important talent that they would even apologize first for an act of discourtesy?

“Forgive my frankness. By my standards, this docunt is no different from asking to sell a student.”

The Director tapped the papers as she spoke.

Information regarding Davide. From his past to his current movents, it was docunted in excessive detail. The real issue was what adorned the title of the docunt.

[Selective Career Experience Student Application Form]. It was a system established to scout graduating fourth-year students in advance.

Yet here was the Imperial Knight Order directly naming an ordinary second-year student to the Director. It was no different from telling her to hand the student over.

“We simply happened upon an exceptional talent and wished to make the first move.”

“The fact that you approach like this, despite it not being an authorized action, suggests you have your reasons.”

The Director looked weary. Davide. He had been a constant headache since long ago. Just when it seed he had finally quieted down, he troubled her again in this manner.

“I will grant approval. As it is the Imperial Household, I only hope the matter I am considering does not co to pass.”

“We are grateful for your leniency.”

It was a losing battle to begin with. The Director did not bother hiding her fatigue as she stamped the approval seal. In any case, if Davide did not wish for it, even the Imperial Knight Order could do nothing.

Sheila bowed deeply, showing the utmost courtesy, and disappeared.

“How exhausting.”

Vice-Commander Sheila. It was her status prior to becoming Vice-Commander that posed the problem. Being shown deference by soone of that standing was a burden.

Her expression that never collapsed, her gentleness that did not yield even under oppression. She was not young, yet still young.

That soone of such an age could be this exhausting. The Director gestured at her overheated body.

The Director’s window flew open, ushering in the cold air from outside.