Chapter 69: Chapter 69 – Two Sides (7)
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"Did you witness the bullying with your own eyes? Aside from the fact that she simply followed him around?"
"…..No, sir."
"Or has that child testified to being coerced in her actions?"
"No, but…!"
"You neither witnessed the bullying, nor did the child herself testify, nor are there any other witnesses. What right do you have to interfere in someone else's business?"
"Ummm…"
A deathly silence hung over the classroom. Only the voice of Erasmus chastising Eugene and Eugene's occasional attempts to refute him broke the silence.
Seeing Eugene unable to provide a satisfactory answer, Professor Erasmus sighed lightly.
"Eugene, no matter how I look at it, you seem to be the one most responsible for this commotion. You will receive 30 demerit points and 16 additional hours of community service."
Head bowed in acceptance of his punishment, Eugene nodded. Professor Erasmus surveyed the class before continuing.
"None of you did well. A conflict broke out on campus, and instead of trying to stop it, you made the fight bigger. And yet you call yourselves noble intellectuals? Those who sided with and fueled the conflict will receive 20 demerit points, and those who retaliated with discriminatory remarks will also receive 20 demerit points. There are no exceptions."
"Professor! This is ridiculous!"
"How can you do this…"
As soon as the professor finished speaking, a loud outcry erupted from the students. Ironically, students from both sides were filled with complaints. No one was satisfied with the punishment, but Erasmus didn't bat an eye.
Only those who did not participate in the fight and Cecila of the Holy Kingdom escaped the brunt of it, and she sat in the corner and sighed in relief.
"That's enough. You should be grateful that I'm ending things here. Do you really want me to convene a disciplinary committee?"
As Erasmus mentioned the disciplinary committee, the students who were expressing their dissatisfaction faltered.
"With the entire kingdom in turmoil due to the appearance of demons, you students are engaging in unnecessary disputes? The academy is a place of learning, not political strife. If I see you doing such things in the classroom again, it will not end as lightly as today. Keep that in mind."
When the atmosphere seemed to have completely calmed down, Erasmus turned back to Eugene's side, "Now, all of you, back to your seats. And Edwin, you'll accompany me to the office after class. Sigh…"
Eugene received the heaviest punishment, and the rest were also duly punished. Those who had criticized me now wore expressions of discomfort. Meetings after such incidents typically resulted in severe repercussions, hence the visible distress on Professor Erasmus' face.
* * * * *
"Edwin, I cannot dictate the affairs between you two, but wouldn't it be wise to exercise some restraint?"
"Yes…?"
Professor Erasmus' office. When I asked again, unable to understand the gist of the question, he spoke again and explained it.
"I'm talking about the close relationship between you and Ellie. I can't interfere in a student's personal life, but if I leave you two alone, it's clear that this kind of commotion will continue to happen. So I can't just ignore it."
I came prepared to hear a harsh scolding, but his bombshell words left me speechless and I couldn't speak properly. How did Erasmus find out about…?
"Just to avoid any misunderstandings, let me say this upfront. The Thornbush Garden is one of the most heavily guarded areas inside the Academy. It's quite secluded, and the vigilant eyes of Lavarnus are always watching," Erasmus continued.
The Thornbush Garden, where Ellie and I often retreated for private conversations, was a place of seclusion. But to hear it was under heavy surveillance…
"Then the reason why the professors didn't say anything to us when they saw us was because they already knew everything…?"
"When you and Ellie first started hanging out together, there was actually some talk among the professors. We kept getting reports about you through the guidance department."
In direct contrast to my burning feelings, Erasmus's expression was calm.
"But since the person involved didn't say anything, it must have been frustrating for the guidance team as well. To someone who doesn't know the situation, it would definitely look like you were bullying Ellie in a more vicious way," he added, wiping his glasses with a cloth.
"So, in my capacity as the professor-in-charge, I decided to check on your behavior myself. But whenever you had a free moment, you would go to the garden and stay there. So at first, I thought you were doing something terrible there. So I checked the Lavarnus Eyes, but… well, that's how it happened."
Erasmus shrugged his shoulders and reached out to pat me on the shoulder.
"Edwin, as a professor of this academy, I am very pleased with what you are showing me now. No matter how strong the punishment, a person's true nature does not change easily. But the fact that you were able to overcome such a difficult situation is truly a joy to me.
I said that before because I am in a teaching position, but I cannot completely ignore political relationships. Even though you are a student. I wonder if that's why you're hiding your relationship with Ellie, but I won't pry."
"Um, Professor. Then, just in case, this…"
Thinking that someone must have heard the conversation between me and Ellie, my face flushed. In response to my cautious question, Erasmus waved his hand as if to tell me not to worry.
"Don't worry about that. It is our policy not to interfere in students' personal lives, and this conversation is quite unusual to begin with. And the professors are completely forbidden from doing so. You can't talk about it unless you're involved."
"Well, that's a relief…"
"Yes. And I'll try my best to convince the Disciplinary Committee as well. That girl, Patricia, is a bit of a problem…"
Patricia Austin. It's been a long time since I heard that name. She's always been a good match for Eugene with her strong sense of justice, so if she hears about this, she's definitely not going to sit still. Erasmus sighed, as if he was having a headache thinking about how to persuade Patricia.
"However, as I said before, I don't think your current actions are a very good idea. Although Eugene tends to be impulsive, you know by now that there is a clear basis for his actions, right? And to those who don't know the circumstances, his words will sound like the truth.
I think you should reconsider your current approach. As I mentioned before, as long as you and Ellie are in that kind of relationship, conflicts will continue to occur. If things get this big every time, won't you be too tired? Of course, this is my opinion, and the decision is ultimately up to you. Even if you choose to stick with your current approach, I can't force you to do anything."
"No, I've been feeling that way to some extent lately too. I'll keep in mind what you said."
When I expressed my agreement with what he said, Professor Erasmus relaxed his shoulders.
"Yes, it's a relief that you're listening to me. Well, let's leave it at that for now, and let's talk about the punishment. In any case, this is all because of your inappropriate actions, so you should be punished accordingly. Edwin, you will receive 10 demerit points. In addition, you will be punished by cleaning the student council's record room."
10 Penalty points and cleaning of the records room.
Considering the circumstances, it was a surprisingly light punishment compared to what others had received. Those with high pride might find cleaning to be humiliating, but I don't really feel that way right now…
I came prepared for a major punishment, so this seems like a pretty good deal.
"Since the purpose is punishment, not cleaning, you must not use magic and wipe everything with a cloth. You can start right away without delay. The key is hanging next to the door, so take it with you when you leave. I will check the results myself, so don't even think about trying to cut corners. Now get out of here. I'm tired of listening to your complaints."
"You've worked hard. Then…"
"Okay, go ahead and go."
Erasmus waved his hand at me as if to tell me to hurry up. Through the closing door, I glimpsed him sighing and putting his hand to his forehead.
"Oh, why did I have to get involved with that kid… It's a headache, a real headache…"
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* * * * *
The Student Council's records room was located just above Erasmus's office. As soon as I went up the stone stairs, I saw a shabby wooden door on the left side of the hallway. I unlocked the door with the key and went inside, and I could see all the objects in the small room at a glance.
Stacks of documents with signs of wear and tear, rusty plaques, and even portraits of past student council presidents that were so covered in dust that you couldn't even tell who they were. I started cleaning right away, thinking back on the conversation I had just had with Professor Erasmus.
As I told him, I wasn't unaware of those problems either. The rumors spread much faster than I had initially thought, and in the middle of it all, I got caught up in the demon summoning. Those factors worked in a negative way, and now I feel like I'm creating more bad feelings than necessary.
Although I had once rejected Ellie's advances, it was time to tie up loose ends. As Estelle had warned me in the past, it seemed like I really needed to exercise caution now.
Lost in thought, I absentmindedly worked, and before I knew it, the cleaning was almost done. The only thing left was a portrait tucked away in the far corner, covered in thick layers of dust. As I wiped away the dust with the cloth, I noticed the familiar faces of two individuals.
"Huh?"
One was a young man, and the other, a young woman.
They both bore a resemblance to me, but the young man had a softer demeanor, while the young woman, with her impressive curly black hair, maintained a more aloof expression; the male student was smiling brightly, and the female student was trying to maintain a blank expression, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
I lowered my gaze to read the inscription beneath their portraits.
—Albert Reed, Vice President of the 63rd Student Council, and Grace Breegan, Secretary General, in their prime.
* * * * *
'My father and mother were students at the same academy… ?'
On my way back to the classroom after finishing cleaning, the portrait of my parents I saw earlier kept flashing before my eyes.
I have no memories of my mother since I was a child, and stories about her were taboo in our family, so I don't remember ever asking about her. I also didn't know anything about why she died. All I know now is that my father loved her very much. That's why he's been living alone for over ten years.
I didn't really care about it before, but seeing the two of them together suddenly made me curious.
'Should I ask him something when I go home during vacation…'
I opened the classroom door, expecting it to be empty, but there was Ellie sitting there waiting for me. She, who was sprawled out on her desk playing with her hands as if bored, turned her head as soon as she heard the sound and came in to check it out.
And when she realized it was me, a bright smile appeared on her face. She spoke with her mouth open, "Ed, are you okay? You weren't scolded, were you?"
When I responded with a smile, she let out a deep sigh as if she was relieved. Then she lowered her head, walked behind me, and lightly grabbed my collar.
Just as we were about to leave the classroom together to grab a late lunch, a voice rang out in the quiet hallway, cutting through the air like a crystal-clear bell.
"Edwin Reed. Do you still think you can keep doing such ridiculous things?"
Unfortunately, it seems today is not my day.
It was Patricia Austin, the 2nd year disciplinary committee member, blocking our path. Her long, snow-white hair shimmered in the sunlight, casting a dazzling glow.
She stepped in front of us, her animosity blazing brightly.
If you want to read the first 25 chapters for free and read up to the final chapter for a cheap price patreon.com/Makima02
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