Chapter 102 Tidying Up the Aftermath
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It had been about half a month since Nakim’s ranking match.
For a while after the event, Nakim was something of a local celebrity. However, things had settled down to a degree, and he was now living a peaceful life at the academy. If I had to mention one change, it’s that he’s become incredibly clingy. Since we share a room in the dormitory, we’re often together anyway, but his sense of physical distance has vanished.
I noticed a few female students letting out squeals of delight whenever they saw the two of us like that.
It was impressive how much the environment surrounding Nakim changed just because Kelly Barton ¹ was gone. Incidentally, Kelly’s group of cronies received a three-month suspension from the academy. Some might think that’s a light sentence, but after three months of missing classes, they won’t be able to keep up. There’s a high probability they’ll face expulsion, which is a devastating blow for students who view graduation as a requirement for their future. Re-enrolling after an expulsion means starting over from the first year.
”Regarding Kelly Barton’s expulsion,” the Board Chairman told me later, “it’s not just the academy. News will likely spread through the streets soon. He won’t have a place left in this city.” You can’t put a lock on people’s wagging tongues. In this country of magic and meritocracy, I wanted people to understand exactly how shameful it was to be banished from the academy.
While I was enjoying those peaceful days, the Board Chairman summoned me for the first time in a while. I wasn’t the only one; Nakim, the Kijima-nee妹 ² sisters, and Kodama-san were called as well. I wondered what this was about.
* * *
”A study abroad program?” I asked.
”Yes, study abroad,” the Chairwoman replied.
The Board Chairman rested her elbows on the desk, propping her chin on the backs of her hands as she addressed us-or more accurately, addressed Nakim. Apparently, during this time of year, they conduct an exchange program with their sister school, the Academy of Sorcery Greedia ³.
”Why me?” Nakim asked, looking uncertain.
”A fair question,” she said. “Primarily because you’re an exceptional student, Nakim-kun, and I want you to learn things that aren’t taught here. Of course, this isn’t a demand. You’re free to refuse.”
She made it clear that this was strictly a request.
”That’s fine, but why did you call the rest of us here?” Mei-san asked.
”Only Yuki-kun really has a connection with Nakim-kun, after all,” Rei-san added.
Kodama-san nodded in agreement.
”Well, I want the four of you to act as guards for the student going abroad,” the Chairwoman explained. “Besides, I can’t keep you tied to this academy ⁴ forever for our own convenience.”
She was referring to our situation as Heroes. In this world, unless a Hero wishes otherwise, they aren’t supposed to be held in one place for long. We had slipped away before our formal unveiling, but we were still Heroes.
”I see… and if Nakim refuses the study abroad offer?” I asked.
”Even if Nakim-kun refuses, I still want to hire you all for a task,” the Board Chairman replied with an unfaltering smile. “If you decline, I’ll simply have to ask Yamato and his group.”
”Chihiro…” Nakim whispered. He gazed at me with puppy-dog eyes.
Damn, he’s cute, I thought. But that was beside the point.
”Nakim, you should decide for yourself. Whatever you choose, I’ll respect your decision,” I said.
”…”
Nakim looked like he wanted me to make the choice for him, but he needed to do this himself. Relying on me for everything wouldn’t help him grow.
After a few minutes of silence, Nakim spoke up. “Um, Chairwoman. How long is the study abroad period?”
”Three months. Including travel time, it should take about four to five months total,” she answered.
”I see…” Nakim murmured.
He looked down, lost in thought. This time, it didn’t take long for him to reach a conclusion. He looked up at me through his lashes. “Hey, Chihiro. Will you come with me?”
That look was practically cheating. But I didn’t mind.
”Yeah. I’m fine with that,” I said.
”Chihiro! Thank you!” Nakim’s face lit up. “Chairwoman, I’ll go.”
”Good. I’m glad to hear it,” she said, nodding with satisfaction. “Let’s get the paperwork sorted out quickly, then.”
* * *
”There we go. Here, Nakim-kun. Don’t lose this,” the Chairwoman said, handing a parchment scroll sealed with wax directly to Nakim.
”Thank you very much,” Nakim replied.
”You’ll need time to prepare, so you’re dismissed. However… Yuki-kun, could you stay behind? There’s something we need to discuss in private,” she added.
”Oh, sure,” I said.
”We’ll be going then,” the Kijima-nee sisters said in unison.
Everyone left except for me and the Board Chairman. Once the door clicked shut, the smile vanished from her face. She looked at me with a deadly serious expression.
”About three days ago, the body of an unidentified male was discovered,” she began. “The face was crushed beyond recognition, and there was nothing on the person to prove his identity. Well, except for one thing.”
”What was it?” I asked.
Serpenta Ria was relatively safe, but deaths weren’t unheard of. Even in the capital, there are slums where unidentified bodies turn up occasionally. Still, someone crushing a face to prevent identification suggested either a deep grudge or a desire to hide the victim’s status.
”A bracelet on the left hand,” she continued. “Simple design, no ornamentation. To the untrained eye, it wouldn’t look like much.”
”Wait, is that…?”
”I was the original owner. I placed it on a specific student very recently. You understand what that means, don’t you?”
There was no doubt left. “Kelly Barton…”
”Exactly. A member of the Gendarmerie recognized it as a Sealing Bracelet ⁵. I confirmed it myself with an Appraisal. It was Kelly Barton.”
I hadn’t expected him to meet such an end so soon after being banished. But why? Even for a common thief, crushing the victim’s face seemed excessive.
”It wasn’t a robbery,” she said, as if reading my mind. “A thief wouldn’t bother with the face. And if they wanted the bracelet, they would have just taken the arm if it wouldn’t come off.” She sighed. “Of course, trying to sell a Sealing Bracelet would lead the authorities straight to them.”
To remove the bracelet, one either needed to cycle their own mana through it, have the Chairwoman release it, or… remove the limb.
It was a grisly end. I didn’t exactly have warm feelings for the guy, but hearing about the death of someone I knew left a bitter taste in my mouth.
”Do you have a lead on the culprit?” I asked.
”That’s the thing,” she replied. “This has happened before. Several former students-nobles of Plaudix ⁶ who were expelled-have turned up as mangled corpses. Men and women alike. The women showed signs of s*xual assault before they were killed. They’re usually found stripped of everything. And there’s a pattern: they are always children with low inheritance rights. Third sons, fourth daughters.”
A cold realization began to sink in.
”The worst part is the families,” she said, raising her hands in exasperation. “I sent letters to the bereaved parents. The replies I got were always the same: ‘We have no such person in our family.’ Essentially, a child who brings enough shame to be expelled from this academy ceases to exist to them. It’s disgusting.”
Appearances were everything to them. They were willing to ignore the murder of their own children to save face.
”Of course, if it were an heir-an eldest son-it would be a different story,” she added.
That made sense. The family would likely retaliate with everything they had to reclaim their honor. But for me, this meant one thing: the threat of Kelly Barton’s revenge was gone. I had been staying close to Nakim specifically to protect him from Kelly’s reach.
Well, Nakim was already sticking to me like glue anyway. Now we could depart for Greedia without looking over our shoulders.
”Oh, and Yuki-kun? Don’t tell Nakim-kun about this. Or anyone else, for that matter,” the Chairwoman warned. “If he finds out, he’ll probably start blaming himself for it.”
”Haha, probably… I’ll keep it under wraps. Nakim doesn’t need that kind of burden,” I agreed.
”Good. You’re dismissed. Sorry for dragging you into such a grim conversation.”
I left the office and went to find Nakim. We had a long journey ahead of us and plenty of supplies to buy.
Two days after that, we headed for Greedia. There, I will end up changing my fate greatly-
—
Trivia:
- Nakim and Chihiro share a dorm room, which contributes to Nakim’s clinginess.
- The Kijima sisters and Kodama are officially recognized as ‘Heroes’ in this world.
- The ‘Sealing Bracelet’ was a tracking/binding device specifically owned by the Chairwoman.
- The noble families of Plaudix engage in honor killings of their own children if they bring shame.
- The group is departing for a new location, the Academy of Sorcery Greedia, which will be the next major setting
—
Character Insight:
Chihiro shows a protective yet empowering side by forcing Nakim to make his own life choices rather than deciding for him. The Board Chairman reveals a cynical, weary side, showing she is well-aware of the dark political realities of the noble houses.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author notes that Kelly Barton was killed off to move the plot forward quickly and demonstrates the inherent corruption of the Plaudix nobility. Next chapter will shift back to Natsumi.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Nakim – A thirteen-year-old boy with soft, androgynous features; the creator of the Dispel spell.
• Kelly – An aggressive student and bully who uses a claymore and fire magic. Has short blonde spiky hair.
• Kodama – Kodama Satomi. A self-proclaimed fan of Chihiro. A bronzed girl with bleached hair. She uses Lightning Bolt sorcery. Her stats are noted to be higher than a Gargoyle’s, though she is not built for melee.
• Mei – One of the Kijima twin sisters. She uses a longbow that creates arrows of light. She is part of Chihiro’s party in the Envyos Labyrinth.
• Yuki – Yuki Chihiro. Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Rei – One of the Kijima twin sisters. The eldest one. She uses a spear and acts as the frontline defense for her sister. She demonstrates ‘perfect sync’ with Mei.
• Yamato – Yamato Hina. Student council vice-president. Serious, beautiful, with long straight hair and sharp eyes.
• Chihiro – Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Ria – A beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Has a beauty mark (mole) under her right eye. Well-balanced proportions.
• Natsumi – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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