Chapter 117: Allen Amiel (7)
The next day, the Academy was in complete disarray over the previous night's events.
In hindsight, it was only natural.
A pillar of fire had shot up in the middle of the night, blazing so magnificently that it could be seen from far away.
Following that, an immense wave of energy had roared through the air, shaking the heavens and the earth.
For such chaos to erupt in the middle of the night and yet for things to remain quiet—now that would have been strange.
Especially considering that the incident had occurred in none other than the Forest of Secrets, a place already riddled with countless rumors.
Perhaps that was why?
Unusually swiftly, the Academy issued an official statement.
It announced that the perpetrators behind the series of attacks that had shaken the Academy had been successfully apprehended.
Moreover, it was stated that the entire operation had been conducted in utmost secrecy, and that none other than Yul Runberg had been assigned the responsibility of escorting the criminals—he had departed from the Academy urgently last night... or so the announcement went.
‘Well… I suppose there really wasn’t any better alternative.’
Lian could only accept it.
It was obvious that revealing the truth as it was would trigger an explosive response.
Wouldn’t it?
If it were revealed that the mastermind behind the crimes was none other than Yul Runberg, then not only the Academy, but also the Imperial family, the aristocracy, and even the general public would be thrown into turmoil.
This was no ordinary criminal case—it was something much bigger and far more complex...
It would inevitably spiral into a massive political and social scandal, causing even greater upheaval and shock.
‘They tried so hard to cover it up during the Rahma incident because of the massive aftermath. If news about Yul Runberg, that man, gets out…’
Lian gave a slight shake of his head.
Just thinking about it made his head throb.
And that wasn’t the only thing he had to consider.
One such matter was that Kyren Amiel had decided to return to his family home for recuperation.
Though he was said to have fully recovered, his wounds had been grave enough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had died.
To make matters worse, his friend had turned out to be a spy...
His mental and physical exhaustion must have been considerable.
Even so, before leaving the Academy, he had not forgotten to settle matters concerning Allen.
He had personally declared that Allen was a legitimate and rightful member of the Amiel family.
Though it happened a bit later...
From that day on, all the rumors surrounding Allen quickly faded away.
Misunderstandings about him cleared naturally, and those who had slandered him fell silent.
At the very least, no one dared to openly insult Allen anymore.
Of course, not everyone accepted this peacefully.
One student in particular, who had been the most enthusiastic in spreading false rumors about Allen, refused to admit their wrongdoing to the very end. In fact, they even went around talking louder, as if daring others to listen.
But after that student had a direct conversation with Kyren, the situation changed completely.
When they returned a short while later, they sought out Allen with a deathly pale face and publicly kneeled before him to apologize.
In front of everyone, the student wept and begged for Allen’s forgiveness, even clinging to his ankle as if unwilling to let go until forgiveness was granted.
Other students who witnessed this scene were deeply curious about what had happened, but the person in question only trembled in silence, unable to say a single word.
Thus, the incident was more or less wrapped up.
Of course, not everything had been resolved perfectly, but at least on the surface, it seemed so.
“……”
Soon after, Lian went to visit the infirmary.
That was where Cecilia, Yuran, and Lancia were hospitalized.
Yuran and Lancia, who had directly confronted Airos, were still in need of more recovery time, so visitation was not allowed.
But since Cecilia’s condition was relatively better, Lian was permitted to visit her.
A gentle breeze blew in through the window, and warm sunlight filled the room, creating a cozy atmosphere.
In that peaceful hospital room—
Lian was tending to Cecilia with the utmost politeness and respect.
“Here you go...”
He quietly reached out and stabbed a piece of apple from the plate with a fork.
The apple, carefully peeled, looked delicious even at a glance.
Maintaining a respectful demeanor, Lian brought the fruit close to Cecilia, who was half-reclined on the bed.
“Please, have some. It's an apple.”
“Uh, mm.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Cecilia slowly opened her mouth.
“Ah, aaah…”
Eventually, she accepted the apple and gently chewed.
As she did so, she glanced sidelong at Lian, who stood beside her like a servant.
The reason Lian was behaving like this was simple.
He had made a grave mistake toward Cecilia.
And that mistake was none other than damaging the treasured sword of the Everglenn family that she had lent him.
“……”
The memory of that moment remained vivid in Lian’s mind.
Despite being used beyond its intended purpose, the treasured sword had responded to the user’s trust and belief.
A normal sword would have shattered several times over, but this one had withstood it all.
However, in the end, the blade had slipped clean out of the hilt...
‘...Phew.’
Lian barely suppressed a sigh.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how he could possibly atone for such a massive blunder.
“……”
In contrast, Cecilia remained composed.
After silently chewing for a while with a hand over her mouth, she finally swallowed and spoke softly.
“...You don’t have to take it so hard, Lian.”
At her words, Lian merely blinked his eyes.
He was probably trying to be careful not to say anything unnecessary, but for some reason, Cecilia found that endearing.
“The blade itself is the actual core, and the hilt is something we’ve always replaced over time. In fact, both my brother and sister use it that way.”
There wasn’t a single lie in her words.
There was a reason that sword had been passed down as an heirloom.
Despite enduring such intense battles, not only the tip and body of the blade but also the tang that connects the blade to the hilt remained completely intact.
The only part that had broken was the hilt.
“So you really don’t have to take it so seriously.”
But even with that clarification, Lian couldn’t easily relieve the burden on his heart.
He still stayed silent, as if he were a criminal.
Seeing that, it was Cecilia who felt more uncomfortable and anxious.
“…Haa.”
At last, she let out a small sigh and said something unexpected.
“Honestly, I should be the one apologizing first.”
Lian looked at her in surprise.
She should be apologizing? What could she mean by that?
With a confused expression, he asked back—
“What do you mean?”
Cecilia hesitated briefly, then answered in a crawling voice.
“...The class with Lian.”
She averted her gaze slightly as she spoke.
“Because I kept hiding the fact that I’d made a contract with a spirit back then. I deceived Lian.”
Lian looked like he didn’t see what the problem was.
As he had told her before, hiding one's hand wasn’t something to be blamed for.
“Cecilia, I told you that’s nothing to be sorry about. On the contrary, it’s the natural thing to do.”
Lian even sounded like he was telling her not to worry too much.
“Why would that be something to apologize for?”
In response to his words, Cecilia gave a small smile.
Then, as always, she answered in a calm and quiet voice.
“Perhaps... for a reason similar to why Lian feels sorry to me now.”
“......”
Lian was rendered speechless.
As he looked at her, Cecilia added in her still quiet voice.
“And, um... the reason I hid it is actually quite different from what you think, Lian.”
Cecilia opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.
Biting her lip lightly, it was obvious she was hesitating.
But in the end, as if she had made up her mind, she barely managed to speak.
“Actually... if it became known that I’d already made a contract with a spirit... I mean...”
“If Lian... were to end our classes because of that...”
“So...”
In the end, she couldn’t finish her sentence.
Her voice was quiet as always, but the atmosphere in the hospital room stirred greatly with just her words.
Lian couldn’t say anything.
But this time, for a different reason.
“...Ah.”
In the awkward silence,
Cecilia, who had been mulling over her own words, avoided his gaze in embarrassment.
Then, wriggling, she moved as if to hide, pulling the blanket up to cover even her head.
A few strands of platinum blonde hair that didn’t make it under fluttered messily.
“I-I’m just tired, so let’s stop now...”
“...Yes, if that’s what you wish.”
With that, Lian rose from his seat.
Right now, giving her space was what he could do for her.
“I’ll come again.”
“...”
Even when Lian, standing by the door, said that, Cecilia didn’t respond.
Only the blanket wriggled a little.
Seeing that, Lian hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“Um, if Cecilia is okay with it...”
Lian carefully spoke to her.
In short, it was a suggestion that, if she didn’t mind, they could continue training together for the sake of each other’s growth.
“...!”
At that moment, as soon as his words ended, Cecilia’s face popped out from under the blanket.
Though her expression, as always, gave little away, her eyes sparkled in a way anyone could see.
“...Yes!”
She nodded vigorously.
“Youth, huh...”
The moment he stepped out of the hospital room, a voice from behind startled Lian.
When he turned around, Windy May, who had appeared at some point, was floating in the air as usual, looking at him.
“Master?”
“Mhm.”
Windy May looked pleased at the title “Master.”
Then she slowly approached, randomly placing a hand on his shoulder, poking his chest, and touching his cheek—odd behaviors with no clear meaning.
Though it was unexpected as always, Lian let her do as she pleased, as if used to it.
After inspecting him for a while, Windy May finally nodded with relief.
“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s any serious problem.”
Then, looking at Lian, she spoke.
“Well then, would you mind accompanying me somewhere for a moment?”
“Is there still something left to examine?”
After yesterday’s incident, everyone, including Lian, had undergone various physical and mental tests as soon as they returned.
Lian had been examined particularly thoroughly and for a longer time.
Naturally, because he had swallowed the Philosopher’s Stone.
He had debated keeping it secret...
But it wasn’t something he could realistically hide, and trying to would only make things worse—so he’d come clean.
“Mhm, it’s not that. All the tests are done. Thankfully, like yesterday, there are no notable issues today either.”
Even as she said that, Windy May looked at Lian and added,
“But you remember, right? In case...”
“Yes. If I feel anything off, I’ll tell you immediately.”
“Good. Such a good boy, remembering well.”
Windy May ruffled his hair with a soft rustling motion.
To an outsider, it might have looked like a child being petted, but Lian didn’t seem to mind.
“Then, what is this about?”
At his question, Windy May’s hand paused.
Her reaction made Lian feel a flicker of unease.
“Uh, so...”
Unusually, she began to speak with hesitation.
“...The Priest said he wants to talk about the item you swallowed.”
The moment she said that, Lian felt like the world turned dark before his eyes.
Right. He had forgotten about that.
He had tried hard to push it out of his mind, but now it was time to face the receipt.
“Uh...”
Seeing Lian’s reaction, Windy May carefully tapped his shoulder.
“I’ll try to explain it well on your behalf...”
Unfortunately, her reassurance wasn’t reassuring at all.
Not when her eyes were shaking that much.