Chapter 49
“What are you going to do about that commoner hurting our child?”
“Didn’t he just fall?”
“Our child said they were assaulted!”
“Understood. Hainsman Faltis, did you go to Elpini’s house yesterday?”
Faltis tensed up sharply.
“Uh… yes. N-no, I went to visit.”
“And the names of the students who went with you?”
Without hesitation, Faltis betrayed them all. To avoid confusion with people of the same name, he even listed their hometowns, families, and the high-ranking positions those families held. It probably wasn’t necessary to mention that his cousin was the chief officer of the Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister.
“So, according to Willemina Olgos, all those students were beaten by these two?”
“No… that is…” Faltis stammered.
“Then, what exactly happened?”
“Uh… I’m not really sure…”
It was only natural that he didn’t know. The divine lightning had struck and vanished—what could he have seen?
“Now, Hainsman Faltis.”
Vice Principal Poras spoke.
Faltis, alternating between Willemina’s expectant gaze, Irix’s glare, and mine, shouted:
“I fell!”
Willemina was shocked.
“Traitor!”
“I really did fall!”
Mrs. Olgos interjected.
“This cannot go unchallenged!”
“I’ll listen, ma’am. Please speak.”
“It seems, teacher, that you’re biased in favor of the high-born. It’s reverse discrimination! Just the other day, Willi said that professors were teaching harmful ideologies!”
“What specifically are they teaching?”
“That all lives are precious and that human rights are equal!”
…The vice principal’s face muscles slackened completely.
Mrs. Olgos spoke confidently.
“Because of these anti-hierarchy teachers, our children are at risk of being influenced by anti-hierarchy thinking.”
“Anti-hierarchy thinking?”
“Yes. Therefore, they should be punished for violating the hierarchy. Social rank is part of this nation’s constitutional order.”
The vice principal muttered weakly, “Well, there’s no such law, and it has nothing to do with the constitution…” before responding:
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Not wanting to waste more time, he said it roughly. Mrs. Olgos, interpreting this as a victory, spoke even more forcefully:
“Please use this incident as a lesson and separate students of unclear birth ahead of time. And!”
She looked around, as if revealing a secret weapon, then spoke meaningfully:
“The child’s father is very angry too.”
Everyone fell silent, forgetting even to stir. The “secret weapon” was indeed a secret weapon. No one had words to respond.
“Are you saying you won’t accept the judgment?”
The principal asked, still gentle.
“Don’t assume I won’t accept it.”
“So… you will accept it?”
“That’s up to me.”
“So… it might not mean you won’t accept it, but it could mean that you won’t?”
“I don’t know what basis you have for that interpretation.”
“I find your statements hard to understand.”
The vice principal said, still smiling.
Mrs. Olgos laughed exaggeratedly.
“Good heavens, how did someone so lacking in understanding become a teacher? I’ll send a protest letter to the parents’ meeting.”
Would that letter even be read at the meeting? Nobody even knew the academic affairs manager’s face. Now that I think about it, they might not even recognize the vice principal.
In the end, I stood up. Just leave. This was the best option. I couldn’t go alone, so I pulled Irix with me.
“Why?”
“Let’s go.”
“Now?”
“Yes. If we leave, this will be over.”
“They won’t just let you leave.”
As expected, Willemina yelled.
“Why are you standing up!”
“It’s over.”
“It’s not over!”
“It is. You were found to have just fallen, so it’s over. We’ll clear the room, and your petition on the hierarchy can be handled by your mother.”
“Who are you to decide that? Stay there!”
“Who are you to stop me from deciding?”
Willemina scoffed.
“Elpini, and you, commoner. If you ignore me here, I’ll get you expelled! It’s not over until then!”
“Why are you the one to decide that?”
“And you have the position to do it?”
“Because I’m me. I can decide.”
“Oh, really?”
To expel Irix would require a family with enough influence to shake the entire school. No family in the empire, not even the royal family, could have that authority over the heir of House Berckhart.
“You’re going to expel me?”
Irix was genuinely curious.
Willemina said confidently:
“I am the daughter of House Olgos! We are a family with enough standing to easily drive out someone like you or Elpini!”
That was impossible. The novel had never even mentioned Olgos. It was a completely unheard-of family—and would remain so.
“Can we consider that statement a threat?”
Zephyr asked. Really surprising—Zephyr had stepped in. This was getting serious.
Naturally, the academic affairs manager and vice principal watched us nervously. Willemina ignored the change.
“Yes, you. I’ll crush you. By any means necessary! Be prepared!”
“Is that possible?” Zephyr asked sincerely.
“Of course not.”
Irix stepped forward.
“Hey, Willemina Olgos.”
Willemina glared at Irix and huffed.
“Are you threatening me and my senior?”
“Yes! It’s a threat! Just wait and see what happens, commoner. I will win.”
“You’ll use illegal means?”
“Why would someone like you, a lowborn, need laws? If House Olgos wants to crush you, we’ll crush you! You’ll beg on the ground in no time.”
“Oh, I see.”
It was basically a promise to stomp a dragon to death, but to Willemina, it seemed unimportant. Once she went mad, she was the type to go berserk.
“I’ll crush your limbs, smash your face. Especially you, you’re the problem! You will be destroyed!”
She pointed at Irix.
I asked Irix:
“Why does she hate you so much?”
“I don’t know. I met her for the first time today… or that day.”
Ah, I see. Being hated that quickly is a talent of its own. No wonder she became the secret mastermind.
“By the way, you really don’t have friends, do you, Irix?”
“Why mention that here?”
“Why does nobody recognize you? You’re the heir to the dukedom and the son of the prime minister, after all.”
“I just don’t do the frivolous act of flaunting status at school.”
“That’s respectable.”
Irix frowned.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Zephyr said:
“So you are threatening Gongja, right?”
“Yes. I feel so threatened and terrified that I cannot move a step. Fix this—it’s your job.”
“Do you mean connect with Deputy Hainsman?”
Zephyr pointed at Faltis, who trembled violently.
“No. Find someone who knows the Olgos family. We’re being threatened by Willemina Olgos, so try to persuade them.”
“I’ve never heard of the Olgos family.”
“Me neither. But if we dig, there must be someone out there who knows them.”
Zephyr did their job well. Even someone like that had a reason for surviving as a duke’s aide.
Before afternoon, Willemina arrived and banged her head in apology.
“Sorry!”
I wanted an apology, but not while eating lunch, and not in public.
We were at a student-registered cafeteria, eating meatballs reputed to be delicious. After breakfast with Meimon’s fresh seasonal vegetable scraps, lunch had to be good.
Irix liked it, but I didn’t. The sauce was too strong. The herbs tasted like soap.
As I stirred the meatballs with my fork, Willemina appeared and shouted:
“I’m really sorry!”
But she bowed toward Irix. Irix didn’t even look at her.
“There’s nothing to apologize for to me.”
“No! Accept it! I’m so, so sorry! Please forgive me!”
“I told you, there’s nothing to forgive. I’m just angry with you.”
“Sorry for making you angry!”
…
Irix put down the fork and glared at Willemina. Her gaze intimidated Willemina, so she looked at me instead:
“Elpini, you’re a good kid. Tell Berckhart I’m sorry!”
Why me? I said casually:
“No.”
“What do you mean no! Do it now!”
“No.”
Willemina scoffed.
“Oh, I see. That’s it. Narrow-minded, huh. Fine, I’m sorry now. Is that enough? Apology made?”
I had to catch the snake about to lunge at Willemina.
