Chapter 51

Jacqueline, Christopher, and the protesting man who introduced himself as Daniel, left campus to avoid Sean and his gang.

They found a quiet café on the outskirts of the academy district.

As they sat down, Daniel who was still glancing at his coffee cup and facing a visibly upset Jacqueline and a bruised Christopher, finally began to speak.

“They’re a kind of private guard. Like a personal militia sponsored by the academy’s student council president.”

Jacqueline frowned.

“A militia? At an academy? Is that even allowed?”

“Well, they’re not literally a militia… It’s more of a metaphor. You know how both nobles and commoners attend classes together at the Academy, right?”

“I do.”

“Noble students often use their family’s wealth to form factions. They offer financial aid like covering tuition that commoners are expected to repay after graduation, or promise employment in their family estates. In return, they expect favors. Just like what you saw earlier… a kind of hired muscle or special treatment in school life.”

“That’s messed up. It’s no different from what nobles do on their own lands. I thought the whole point of the Academy was equality between nobles and commoners.”

“That’s the principle, yes. But this is a complicated issue. Their power doesn’t come from noble status but from wealth. Jacqueline, right? You’ve seen even among commoners that some students come from wealthier families than others, haven’t you?”

“I have.”

“Then could you really tell those students that because the Academy is supposed to be equal, they can’t wear nice clothes, use good supplies, or be generous with their friends?”

“Well… that would be difficult.”

“Exactly. It’s a problem that can’t really be stopped. Still, the Academy’s ideal of equality does offer a kind of check. Even if someone builds a faction and becomes a leader, it’s not like they wield unlimited power like outside. In most cases, it’s just a way to satisfy their vanity. But the Knight Department is a bit different from the other departments, as you probably know…”

At that, Daniel looked toward Christopher.

Christopher nodded slowly and looked troubled.

“When upperclassmen give an order, you’re expected to follow it with no questions asked. It’s not like disobedience will get you expelled, but the days that follow… they’re worse than dropping out. And it doesn’t stop at graduation. Maybe not even after that.”

“That’s right. Students in the Knight Department are subjected to strict top-down obedience. That’s why I said the men you saw earlier are like a private militia.”

“I see… I think I understand now.”

Daniel continued.

“And my sister Jane was involved with someone at the very top of that faction system. A fourth-year student in the Knight Department, and also the president of the Academy’s student council. At least, she believed they were in a relationship. That’s what she told me, anyway. And then…”

Daniel paused to take a labored breath before he went on.

“Three days ago, I received word from the Academy. They told me my sister had fallen into a coma.”

***

“I wasn’t even thinking straight. I rushed to the Academy, and there she was…my sister was lying in the infirmary like a corpse.”

Daniel’s hands trembled slightly as he spoke.

He didn’t seem to notice when a bit of coffee spilled onto his hand. He simply took a hurried sip, trying to steady himself.

“The healer in the infirmary told me she’d been like that for two days. When I asked why they hadn’t contacted me immediately, they said they didn’t think it was serious. That she’d wake up soon. So I asked what had happened to her. And then…”

“And then?”

“They said they didn’t know. That she just ended up like that. And when I pressed them, all they kept saying was that they couldn’t talk about it.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

Jacqueline exclaimed in disbelief.

Daniel lowered his head slightly and let out a small, bitter sigh.

“I graduated from the Academy two years ago, so I still had a few friends here I could ask. After some difficult pleading, I finally learned the truth. It was the student council president Bernard who did that to my sister.”

“The student council president?”

“Yes. They say he and a group of others beat her, stomped on her face and broke her nose, and kicked her in the stomach until she passed out. By the time I got there, the healers had already treated her, so there were no visible signs left.”

“He did something that brutal…”

“I went to Bernard right away and demanded an explanation. He didn’t even try to deny it. He was so brazen that I began to doubt myself.”

Daniel’s voice trembled slightly as he seemed to recall the moment.

“He said my sister brought it on herself. That he’d grown tired of her and was interested in someone new, but Jane kept pestering him. It escalated into a fight and words were exchanged, then shouting, and eventually, she slapped him first. I asked him if that justified injuring someone so severely. And he said, ‘It’s fine. I brought in a skilled healer and had her fixed up, so there’s no problem’.”

“‘Fixed up’?”

Jacqueline was shocked by the attacker’s choice of words.

Christopher’s face twisted in disgust.

“When I asked if he felt any guilt, he scoffed. I told him to come see my sister, to apologize to her in person while she lay in bed. But instead, he got angry at me. What he said… I don’t think it’s worth repeating. It was the kind of thing only a true elitist could say. That was when I realized there was no point in trying to reason with him.”

“Did you report it?”

Daniel nodded.

“When I said I would report this to the Public Security Department, they told me to go ahead. So I did. And… nothing happened.”

“Nothing at all?”

“The Public Security said that anything that happens at the academy should be dealt with by the academy. And the academy wanted to cover it up quietly. They said it could damage the image of the academy and the royal family. I couldn’t agree to that. The day after I stirred things up here and there, someone claiming to be Bernard’s representative came to see me. They offered money in exchange for a settlement. They said they would pay off both mine and my sister’s tuition and even proposed some compensation.”

“Did you take it?”

Daniel shook his head.

“My sister still hasn’t regained consciousness. Taking that money while she’s in that state… how would that be any different from selling her off for money? Of course I refused.”

“You did the right thing.”

“But after I refused, the next day, even though my sister was unconscious, a summons was issued in her name by the Public Security Department. Bernard filed a countercharge, accusing her of assault, claiming there were scratch marks on his arm from when he was hitting her. At the same time, pressure was put on my workplace to have me fired. Thankfully, I’m a graduate of the theology department, and the church blocked that pressure… but for now, I’ve been removed from my duties.”

Daniel had said he was a theology graduate, and Jacqueline could see that his calm voice and measured tone suited a priest.

But beneath the surface of his still eyes, Jacqueline could tell a raging volcano was boiling.

Daniel spoke.

“After all that, there was nothing more I could do on my own. That’s why I decided to protest. So that others would hear about this injustice. If enough people find out, the academy will have no choice but to respond.”

Jacqueline’s fists trembled.

Now that she knew Daniel’s full story, she couldn’t help but feel furious.

And at the same time, there was nothing she could do but be angry.

Jacqueline already knew the answer before she asked the question, but even so, she asked Daniel with a heavy heart.

“…Is there anything I can do to help?”

Daniel, instead, stopped her.

“There isn’t. And there shouldn’t be. I’m truly grateful that you helped me today, but from now on, it would be better for you to pretend you don’t know me….for your own sake.”

“But still…”

“There’s no need for you to carry the burden of my misfortune. There are people whose job it is to fix this. Still, I’m truly grateful. Thank you for saying you’d listen. Just being able to tell someone… it really brought me comfort.”

Daniel spoke as if he were nearing his limit.

He reached for his cup to wet his throat again, but it was empty.

The bare cup, with dried coffee stains at the bottom, looked just like the state of his heart.

Without much more conversation, Jacqueline and Christopher parted ways with Daniel.

Once the two of them were alone, Jacqueline noticed Christopher was frowning deeply.

She wondered if it was from pain where he’d been hit by the upperclassmen, or if maybe he was more badly hurt than he’d let on. But it wasn’t that.

Christopher looked at Jacqueline and said:

“I’ll see if there’s something I can do too.”

“What? You don’t have to do that. You only got involved because of me.”

“I’m not good with words… but anyway, I’m doing this because I want to. So don’t worry.”

After saying that, Christopher looked a little shy, then gave a quick goodbye and left.

Left alone, Jacqueline scratched her cheek.

She thought that he really was a good guy.

***

On the way back to the dorm at sunset.

Jacqueline deliberately took the long way around.

She wanted to get some fresh air until the weight in her chest lifted.

But no matter how much time passed, the stone that had sunk into her heart didn’t disappear,

So she kept walking until the sun had set and the streetlights came on.

The campus was still soaked in a lively, indulgent atmosphere,

With people freely enjoying themselves and mingling.

To Jacqueline, the sight of them felt alien.

How could Daniel’s misfortune and their carefree joy coexist within the same academy?

Did they simply not care about the suffering of others?

But even if they did know Daniel’s situation, would anything change?

Jacqueline hadn’t been able to help him either.

What is it that we really need?

Her thoughts spun like a wrecking ball trapped in a maze with no exit,

Unable to find anything solid to crash into.

But that also meant when it did find something to hit,

No one could predict where Jacqueline might be flung.

The turning point came from a chance encounter.

Or maybe she’d just kept walking until she found it.

“Hey, what’d I tell you? The theology girls are the best. Knight department girls reek of sweat and act stiff, and the magic ones all think they’re geniuses. They’ve got zero charm.”

Three clearly drunk men were staggering down the street, talking loudly.

Among them was a female student who didn’t match their rowdy vibe.

She looked scared.

The man in the middle fiddled with her shoulder and grinned.

“Hey, be my girl. I’ve got my eye on you, so you’re lucky, you know that? If you hang out with me, your life’s gonna take off.”

“I-I came because I heard the student council was recruiting…”

“Student council? Oh, right. We are the student council. And I’m the president, babe.”

A spark lit in Jacqueline’s eyes.