Chapter 14: Class F Agitator Part 4

Right after returning to the Cradle,

I went straight to the Headmistress’s office to find Olga Hermod.

At first, I thought about just dumping the task on Lobelia,

But I decided against it, since who knew what kind of price she might demand if I left it to her.

But the Headmistress was different. If she was going to take our expensive tuition, then she should do her job.

“I’m pretty sure I told all of you at the beginning of the semester that the Headmistress’s office is always open and that you should feel free to drop by. Were you aware that was all just for show?”

“Is there anyone who wasn’t aware of that? But what’s done is done. Once water’s been spilled, you can’t scoop it back up. Even if it was just for show, what can we do? You’ll have to deal with it.”

“Haah…”

“Tea, not coffee, please.”

“Now you’re even placing orders without being asked.”

She said, but Olga Hermod still served me some tea.

A fragrant black tea, paired with sweet cookies that matched it perfectly.

For all her grumbling, she didn’t treat her guest poorly.

“Did you come here just to stuff your face with snacks?”

I chewed through the cookies that came with the tea with intense focus.

No wonder. I had gone out to eat but didn’t get a bite, and instead, all my energy had been drained. I couldn’t help it.

It was only after coming back to the Cradle and finally feeling safe that I realized how hungry I was.

“Haah…”

After replacing lunch with cookies, I explained the situation to Olga Hermod, who waited while watching me with an exasperated expression.

That someone in Class F was disrupting the atmosphere.

That their goal was a rebellion.

That there must have been outside interference.

And circumstantial evidence about who that outside party was and who the agitator in Class F might be.

“Hmm…”

After hearing my story, Olga Hermod took a sip of her tea, then let out a deep sigh.

The Class F rebellion plan—

No one would believe such a ridiculous scheme could actually succeed.

No matter how strong the students had become, it was impossible to overcome the entire teaching staff, including Olga Hermod herself.

They weren’t called experts in their respective fields for nothing.

Unless it was a non-combat instructor, most could easily fend off an attack from Class F.

So, the rebellion plan would be dealt with entirely on the student level.

Then the question was: did the ones who instigated this not realize that?

Did they really believe such a hopeless plan would succeed?

No. The essence of the rebellion wasn’t about success, but about the cost of failure.

The expulsion of Class F students.

They were targeting expelled students from the Cradle. Students who, after enduring a year of chaos, had transformed from raw stones into polished gems.

People turn to gods when they’re in despair. And Eden preyed on that despair and desperation.

Meanwhile, negative emotions like anger and inferiority were the source of a dark mage’s power.

Under Chain either recruited such individuals or used them as sacrifices.

So it was highly likely to be one of the two. And this time, I had reached my conclusion.

At first, I thought it was Eden.

Given the recent attack and not knowing the reason, I had naturally assumed they were connected.

But after meeting Kult, I realized he wasn’t targeting the students of Class F. His sights were set on the Oracle.

Then there was the other faction that came after me.

It was unfair to feel wronged about being targeted without doing anything, but if they were aiming to destroy Class F, I probably stood in their way.

“So, to sum it up: she helped student Johan with his training at the training ground, but anyway, you don’t know her name.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve spoken with her directly, and she’s a member of Class F, but you don’t know her name.”

“Yes!”

“You picked up a single strand of hair that had fallen in the restaurant and immediately thought of that girl like some kind of pervert. But anyway, you don’t know her name, and you think she might be the culprit.”

“Yes…! Wait, hold on. What exactly are you thinking right now?”

“Well, that kind of thing happens sometimes. When someone describes someone suspiciously well, with oddly specific details. It is usually a sign of emotional hostility.”

“…….”

“It’s common among adolescents. No need to be embarrassed. Though, ever since I became the Headmistress of Cradle, all I’ve seen are students worn down beyond belief. Seeing someone like you is… refreshing, in a way.”

Olga Hermod gave a gentle smile.

I’ve never seen that look on her before. But it was infuriating.

Someone’s life was hanging in the balance right now, and she was acting like she was giving romantic advice to a lovesick teenager?

“No, I’m being completely serious.”

“Yes, you certainly are.”

“I’m not joking. My life is on the line here!”

“Of course. It wouldn’t be strange to feel that way. Don’t worry; it’s not abnormal.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

What is it with Lobelia and Olga Hermod? Why do they keep driving a normally well-mannered guy like me to curse?

“I told you. I was attacked by Under Chain just a moment ago!”

“Yes, we understand. We’ll be conducting our own investigation into that matter as well. So please focus on your studies. And just in case, let me say this….be careful not to cross the line.”

“……”

She spoke like she knew everything but was just letting it slide. That’s seriously unsettling.

Was I screwed?

All over a misunderstanding like this?

Was she also crazy, really?

***

The unexpected variable I feared.

The Headmistress Olga Hermod wasn’t taking me seriously, even after I had faced two terrorist attacks recently.

No matter what I said, that crazy old woman kept twisting it into some adolescent first-love story.

So here I was, still trembling in fear.

She said she’d help, but how could I believe that?

In the end, I was right back at square one.

Still, thanks to that, I managed to cool down a bit.

Well, I felt more like being forcefully dunked head-first into ice water…

Anyway, I realized that the so-called evidence I presented didn’t mean anything.

At most, it was just a single strand of hair.

That alone wasn’t enough to confidently say the pink-haired extra was the culprit.

Yeah…

“It really was a big deal, wasn’t it?”

“……”

“But I didn’t expect to see Johan there too. Oh! Then again… the food at that restaurant is pretty good. It wouldn’t be strange if you already knew about it, right?”

Unless I had seen her with my own eyes, there was nothing I could do if she kept deflecting like this.

“But Johan is weak, so I don’t think it’s good for you to be out and about too much.”

Right after I left the headmistress’s office,

As if she had been waiting for that moment, the pink-haired extra “coincidentally” ran into me in the hallway and said,

“There’s no guarantee someone will be there to protect you next time, like they did today.”

Yeah, it felt almost like a warning.

“Well then, see you next time.”

She left, imprinting her presence on me as she walked away.

***

Now, let’s break this down.

Who was the traitor stirring up the Class F students?

So far, the pink-haired extra seemed to be the most likely suspect.

But there was one thing I had to point out here.

“Come to think of it… is there any guarantee that there’s only one traitor?”

There was still the possibility that multiple traitors existed.

If I hastily pinned everything on the pink-haired extra now, I could end up paying for it later in a big way.

So then, based on what I knew so far, there were three suspects.

First, Jeff.

Second, the pink-haired girl.

Third… what was her name again? Anyway, there was a female student who kept looking at me strangely.

Honestly, I couldn’t even really call her a suspect. She just rubbed me the wrong way.

Even so, I could now say she was completely off the list because of what happened this time.

It made sense, considering the Under Chain dark mages who attacked us hadn’t even realized Lobelia was there.

If she had been the traitor, there’s no way she would’ve left out such critical information.

That would’ve been the same as sending her allies to their deaths.

So paradoxically, she was now the only one in Class F who could be considered entirely cleared of suspicion.

Though, I didn’t think that helped me in any meaningful way.

Most people there had seen me leave with Lobelia when I left Class F.

No, there was no way they didn’t know.

“……?”

Wait a second. Something was off.

Everyone was there at the time.

Jeff was there. So was the pink-haired girl. In fact, most of Class F’s students were present.

Then there was no way they didn’t know I had been called away by Lobelia, right?

So why hadn’t Under Chain realized that?

Could it really have just been a coincidence?

Or… did it mean the traitor in Class F hadn’t completely betrayed us?

One question led to another in an endless chain.

My head was starting to spin.

And then, suddenly—

“No. I don’t need to overthink this.”

I came up with a way to solve the problem.

A truly perfect method.

***

A few days passed.

During that time, I visited the training grounds every day to practice swordsmanship.

To the point that even after most of the students had finished training and returned to the dorms, I stayed behind, still swinging my sword.

Anyone who knew the old me might’ve been amazed, thinking, “He’s finally pulled himself together!” I had even laid the groundwork for that impression.

One tear fell.

“I’ve been through two terrorist attacks. I’m sick of being powerless.”

Fire.

“Oh my god, how could something like that happen…?”

“Sniff! So that’s what you’ve been feeling… we totally understand.”

“We’ll help you, Johan!”

I had more than enough motivation. Not because I wanted it, but because it had been handed to me from the outside.

Those bastards. Eden and Under Chain.

Anyway, that’s what I told everyone when they asked why I had suddenly gotten so serious about training.

But… was that really the truth?

Unfortunately, I was the kind of person who fit the phrase “three days of resolve” perfectly.

Honestly, after the very first day of sword training, I was already thinking about quitting.

I never had a talent for swordsmanship in the first place.

And the same went for magic.

I just couldn’t maintain my focus.

And that meant it didn’t matter what I trained in. The result would be the same.

That’s right.

All of this had been a setup to lure out the culprit.

Surprisingly, I was acting like the main character in a story, using myself as bait.

And then, the day finally came.

“Hoo…”

Late at night.

I lowered the sword I had been swinging with all my effort, alone in the training ground.

The guest I had been waiting for all along had arrived.

Someone hiding in the shadows, drawing a cold, sharp sword.

With a firm expression, I looked at the intruder in the dead of night.

“So, you came.”

I knew exactly who it was.

That person had already left me with a deep wound once before.

Someone with overwhelming talent. So much so that he was the only first-year capable of defeating a second-year.

A promising swordsman Eden hoped to make into a Paladin for the cult someday.

With a trembling voice, I called out his name.

“Dietrich.”

“……”

The Sword Saint, Dietrich.

He didn’t say anything.

He just kept drawing waves of sword energy from his blade with a blank expression.

“Hmph.”

Faced with that incredible aura, I muttered under my breath.

“What the hell is that…?”

What is that thing?

How is that sword energy? That’s just a lightsaber!

It was a sight far beyond anything I had expected. I hurriedly reached out, trying to stop Dietrich, but…

Clang!

Dietrich didn’t listen to a word I said.

In an instant, he closed the distance, and the sword I had been holding snapped in half.

A sharp, burning pain shot through my palm. But thankfully, because the sword had broken, the impact wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

One way or another, I had managed to block the attack.

Now, if I could just talk things out with Dietrich—

“Wait…!”

Crash!

In the face of that menacing force, I tried once more to resist by swinging my broken sword, but once again, Dietrich’s strike shattered it completely, leaving me defenseless.

“Senior! Don’t worry! I promise I’ll stab you without making it hurt too much!”

“Wait, I said just hold on a seco—”

“One, two!”

Thrust!

A cold sensation washed over me.

Then came a dull, throbbing pain.

“Gahk!”

It was the moment Dietrich’s sword pierced clean through my body.

***

The next day.

Johan Damus, who had spent the entire night honing his swordsmanship in the training ground, was rushed to the intensive care unit after a surprise attack by an unknown assailant.

According to multiple eyewitness reports, Johan had suffered a stab wound caused by a sword, and the amount of blood he lost was said to be enormous.

He was currently hospitalized in the intensive care room and still unconscious.

…The perpetrator had yet to be caught.

“How dare they…”

Lobelia’s face hardened as she received the report early that morning.

She was in a foul mood.

The fact that someone had dared to lay a hand on her close friend didn’t sit well with her.

Of course, if Johan had heard her words, he probably would’ve had a fit, but Lobelia was completely serious.

If anyone was going to torment him, it had to be her.

“Bring the bastard who did this to me. Alive and in front of my eyes.”

Lobelia gave the order to her closest aides without hesitation.

Someone had dared to touch what was hers, and she intended to make them pay the price.