Chapter 204: Abyss Part 5

Recently, I’ve come to a realization.

“I should just take it easy.”

Every time I try to figure something out or solve a problem, I end up with more to do.

So what if I just tossed everything aside and did nothing?

Wouldn’t that actually reduce my workload?

And the timing’s perfect.

“There’s an event going on at the Cradle, huh?”

They didn’t do anything like this last year.

Well, I guess it’d be more accurate to say there wasn’t even time for such things back then.

But this year is different.

Students were still dying, sure. But unlike last year, very few have died inside the Cradle.

Most of the ones who did die were either traitors or spies.

I was probably the only one truly suffering.

Of course, it’s not like we’re throwing a festival because people died.

“A requiem, huh…”

An event to honor the souls of those who’ve passed.

Still, the mood wasn’t all that solemn. If I had to compare it to something, I’d say it’s more like a Halloween festival. That kind of vibe.

They call it a requiem, but it’s basically a celebration.

“Guess I should report to Her Highness before I dive into the fun…”

I said I wasn’t going to do anything, but keeping something this big to myself without reporting it feels off.

Might as well just tell her and get it off my chest.

And there was no reason for me to face any retaliation either. Vidar hadn’t given me a specific time, and he’d told me everything on the premise that I might report it to the imperial family.

But if there was a problem…

“Yuna?”

Yuna had gone missing again.

Well, it was Yuna. We all knew how she thought.

It was a rare festival, after all.

She was bound to show up somewhere in disguise. Knowing her playful nature and her unmatched skills in this kind of thing, she was probably planning to tease me.

She’d turn up soon enough.

I wasn’t worried about Yuna.

What I was worried about… was myself.

More specifically, I was worried about the fact that I had to go meet Lobelia right now.

Even more precisely, I didn’t want to set foot in Class 2-S at all.

Back in the day, at least Ariel had been there. But not anymore.

Ariel might’ve grumbled and acted like she hated me in the beginning, but she gave off this sense of authority. Like she was in control of the class.

Because of that, the other students who had complaints about me stayed quiet, like background props.

But now?

I had lost the breakwater that had shielded me. Yuna, my guardian, was gone too.

And here I was, having to face a bunch of prideful, arrogant brats all puffed up with self-importance. Would any of them treat me kindly? That was the real question.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I got turned away at the door before even seeing Lobelia.

“Well, I might as well give it a shot.”

I mean, it’s not like they’d actually kill me, right?

***

When I knocked on the door of Class 2-S,

The first thing I saw… was a girl who immediately had a meltdown the moment she saw me.

“Johan Damus, I refuse to acknowledge you!”

I’d expected some pushback, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.

More than that…when had she even seen me to be acting like this?

Sure, people can be rude, but there’s got to be a limit. Even if she’s just a brat, this was too much.

“Well, let’s hear it then. Go ahead and say your piece. First, let’s clarify exactly what it is I’m supposedly being acknowledged or not acknowledged for.”

“First of all, that rude tone of yours!”

“Oh? Are you looking down on me right now because I’m from the countryside?”

“What?! N-No, that’s not it…”

“Then is it because my family’s not prestigious enough? You trying to sort people into classes based on that?”

“When…when did I ever say that?!”

“Then what is it?”

What exactly is your problem?

More importantly, who even are you to decide whether or not you acknowledge me?

“Wait, am I supposed to care whether someone I don’t even know acknowledges me or not?”

“You’re saying… you don’t know who I am?”

“That’s right. Am I supposed to?”

“Hah…!”

The girl stood frozen in place, completely at a loss for words.

The other students around her started whispering among themselves.

Even way over there, Stan who looked like he was already annoyed by me shook his head in disbelief.

What the hell? Was she someone famous or something? Didn’t seem like an imperial member, though…

“My name is Sarah Ether. Ariel’s cousin! Got it? I do have the right to call you out, you womanizing bastard!”

After all that talk about dignity, the moment she lost her temper, it all went out the window.

Wait….cousin? So she was Rascal Ether’s kid?

Unbelievable. That family never even treated Ariel like a human being, and now they’re suddenly acting like this?

I was seriously curious, but I held myself back.

I had no choice but to endure it. Any response would’ve just added fuel to the fire.

“Even if you are Ariel’s cousin, this kind of unfair treatment is completely unreasonable.”

“Wh-What?!”

“Besides, Ariel already knows about my relationship with Yuna. She forgave me herself. So why are you making a fuss over it?”

“What about Emily Robinhood?”

“……Hold on. Sarah Ether, who did you just say?”

“I saw it clearly yesterday! I saw you bastard hugging Emily Robinhood with my own two eyes!”

Wait, she saw that?

More importantly, I wasn’t hugging her. I just carried her on my back, that’s all.

I really wanted to clear that part up… but in this kind of mood, saying anything like that wouldn’t change a thing.

So there was only one thing I could say now.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

A weak, pitiful excuse.

***

Sarah Ether was an arrogant person.

Of course she was. She came from a duke’s family, and her father was set to become the next duke.

She was a noble to the core.

But precisely because she was such a noble…

“Ariel’s unbeatable.”

She knew how to respect those who were truly exceptional.

Before enrolling at the Cradle, Sarah Ether had never met Ariel. At most, she’d probably just heard a few scattered rumors.

But since she’d heard Ariel was out of the line of succession, she naturally assumed Ariel was nothing special.

However, after meeting and interacting with her in person, she came to understand.

She’s… she’s not just “average”.

No, Ariel. I understand now. You never needed the title of head of the family in the first place.

Ariel was a genius.

Sarah Ether was also a genius. She could wield advanced magic from every school even at a young age. But Ariel was simply beyond comparison.

She believed Ariel was someone who would one day become an Archmage.

Though perhaps that “one day” had come a bit too soon.

Sarah Ether acknowledged Ariel. She respected her and admired her.

So when she heard that Ariel had fallen for someone named Johan Damus, she was utterly shocked…

Still… it was her own choice, after all…

His looks were average, his grades below average, and his behavior was lazy at best, with a strong tendency to run away from things…

But no one’s perfect. If Ariel liked him, that was enough.

Or so she had thought.

“…Huh?”

Until Johan Damus suddenly ended up with a fiancée named Yuna Hermod.

That damn bastard….he had a fiancée like Ariel, and yet he was trying to bring another woman into his home.

And to make matters worse, Ariel hadn’t even been able to officially announce their engagement yet.

Sarah could tell.

She could sense that a deep wound had been carved into Ariel’s heart.

Some might call it meddling. But she was the one set to become the next head of the family.

She had no intention of standing by while someone in her house suffered misfortune.

So she decided to meet her.

Even aside from Ariel’s situation, there had already been talk about this girl suddenly emerging as the successor to the Tower Master.

She had been planning to meet her at least once anyway.

She too walked the path of magic. It was only natural to be curious.

And the result… went without saying.

“Yuna Hermod, I was wrong. You’re not at fault.”

“Uh… okay. I’m not really sure what’s going on, but I’m glad the misunderstanding’s cleared up! Let’s get along from now on, yeah?”

“Of course!”

Sarah Ether had lost to Yuna.

And not just lost….Yuna had countered every spell Sarah prepared with the exact same spell.

The one who cast second completely overwhelmed the one who cast first. That meant she was at least a step or two ahead.

Yuna had proven herself.

And…

“Honestly, I feel wronged too.”

“…I see.”

She could even understand Yuna’s relationship with Johan Damus now.

What a tangled, twisted mess this all was.

He was with someone like Yuna, and yet he still flirted with Ariel?

Sarah felt like her chest was going to explode.

But she held it in.

After all, Ariel and Yuna had apparently reached a peaceful agreement.

But then….just yesterday.

As usual, Sarah Ether had stopped by the Imperial Academy to focus on her studies only to witness an unbelievable sight.

At the time, she had stood frozen, too stunned and in disbelief to react.

But today, with her thoughts in order, things were different.

“You filthy, two-timing bastard!”

She finally exploded.

She just couldn’t forgive this crazy piece of trash who was cheating again, even after two amazing women had shown him love.

***

I almost died.

Not because Sarah Ether threatened me.

She was still a member of the Ether family.

Though she snapped at me with a sharp tongue, it was all verbal. She never laid a hand on me.

She bombarded me with complaints, grievances, and unsolicited advice, and I just had to endure it.

I wanted to explain it was all a misunderstanding, but decided to keep quiet.

How should I put it… When I look at her, I see traces of the early days of Ariel. I guess family really is family…

So then, what was the real problem?

No need to look far.

Right after Sarah Ether’s dramatic “reveal”, that lunatic Stan Robinhood started loading his gun.

If he’d just used it to threaten me, that’d be one thing, but no he actually fired.

It was clear he fully intended to blow my arm off.

If someone hadn’t stepped in to stop him, there definitely would’ve been bloodshed.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that they both care a lot about their families.”

“You don’t have to explain. Just looking at this mess says enough.”

“Ha… ha…”

The one who stepped in to calm things down was a student named Ina Florence.

Fortunately, I recognized her face too. A medical professional. That alone would be more than enough to qualify her for Class S.

In the game, she was the one who took charge of treating the injured from the rear, so even though she wasn’t a playable character or a named NPC, she still left an impression.

“You’re both getting way too heated. You’ve already decided in your hearts that Johan is guilty.”

“But that bastard…!”

“Stan.”

“……..”

She clearly had the charisma to silence someone. Even though they were classmates.

If it weren’t for Lobelia, she might’ve been the representative of Class S.

“So then, what brings you here today?”

“I came because I have something to report to Her Highness.”

“Is that so? But Her Highness hasn’t returned yet. Should I pass the message on when she does?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Ah, must be something hard to share with others. Got it. Then…”

Ina Florence gave an awkward nod.

But just then—

“Hmm? What are you all doing here? Today is the day to commemorate the souls of the dead. We should be doing our best to ensure they can return peacefully, not laughing and chatting loudly.”

Lobelia had returned.

Honestly, if she was going to show up, she could’ve come earlier.

Was it because she was also a student? Wearing a tuxedo and a mask covering her eyes, she looked like she was enjoying herself.

Well, I suppose she’s usually treated like a princess, so an event like this where she could blend in and have fun might actually be refreshing.

Even if just a glimpse of her hair was enough to tell who she was.

“Johan? That’s rare. You came all the way to Class S. Were you looking for me?”

“Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you.”

“Of course you do. You’re the type who never comes unless there’s a reason.”

“…….”

“It was just a joke. Everyone, go on now. Enjoy yourselves however you like today.”

Lobelia waved the other students away, clearing the area.

“Now then, Johan. Let’s talk while we walk.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I cautiously followed behind Lobelia, all while being hit by the glares of Sarah Ether and Stan Robinhood.

Ina Florence seemed to be awkwardly trying to calm the two down… Still, I’d better make sure not to run into them again.

“Would you like something to eat?”

“No, I don’t really have an appetite.”

“I see. Well, wait here a moment. It’s not often I get to eat street food without having to worry about appearances.”

Lobelia ended up buying something from a nearby food stall.

Sitting side by side on a bench, I watched her bite into the street food and my stomach turned.

She must see me as someone she can relax around.

I wish she wouldn’t…

“Um, Your Highness. I’ve come across some incredible information—”

“Ah, ah! Enough, enough. Let’s save that kind of talk for later. Why don’t you try enjoying yourself a little?”

“…I’d like to relax and enjoy myself after setting this burden down.”

“Let’s be honest. You’re just trying to dump that burden on me so you can enjoy yourself, aren’t you?”

“…….”

She’s absolutely right.

“Hmm, looks like I bought too much. Johan Damus, if you don’t mind, would you help me eat one?”

“I am honored beyond words, Your Highness.”

Ugh, I couldn’t exactly say no. It was given to me by an imperial member…

I politely accepted the skewer made of some unidentifiable meat that Lobelia handed me.

But the moment our hands touched—

Jolt!

My right arm trembled as if struck by electricity.

No….more precisely, the Babel Gear embedded in my right arm had activated.

“……”

Did it sense a threat?

No, this isn’t like during the Great War.

Besides, there’s no way Lobelia would suddenly try to harm me out of nowhere.

Blinking in confusion, my eyes landed on Lobelia’s arm. It was shaking.

Just like mine.

“This is…”

Only then did I realize another possibility.

It hadn’t sensed danger.

It wasn’t malfunctioning either.

“Oh dear, I’ve been found out, haven’t I?”

It was resonance.

The Babel Gear in my arm was resonating with another Babel Gear.

Gripping my trembling arm tightly, I quietly and cautiously lifted my head.

And looked at the person who had been impersonating Lobelia all along.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

First Princess Lapis was smiling radiantly, just like the first time we met.