Ch. 22 - 【Another PoV】 Witch of Terror?

【Strass】

Rumors about the Witch of Terror had spread not only among the students but also among the teachers.

Some said she was a witch of justice who disciplined an arrogant royal with her power. However, others believed that a commoner daring to shout at a royal was an offense where the death penalty was too lenient.

The opinions of the teachers were also greatly divided.

Some, fearing retaliation from the Verted Kingdom, chose to stay out of it or tried to teach Aoi about the ways of royalty and nobility. They were still the better cases.

There were also those who believed Aoi should be handed over to the Verted Kingdom to prevent the academy from being destroyed.

What was common among those who harbored ill feelings towards her was that they all called Aoi the Witch of Calamity.

"Because of that witch's unbelievable actions, the king of the Verted Kingdom is bringing the royal guards."

"The academy will be destroyed!"

"No, the principal is a noble of the Verted Kingdom. The academy should be fine. But the principal might have to take responsibility."

Discussions like those could be heard all over the academy.

Most people feared or avoided Aoi, but it seemed no one complained to her face.

Perhaps due to the commotion, Rox had disappeared for about three days. On the other hand, Aoi continued to attend classes as usual, seemingly unfazed.

"… A three-way meeting, I can't believe she would summon a king."

"Is he really coming? There's no way, right? The king of a nation, just for something like that…"

"I heard he's already in the neighboring city."

"Eeek?!"

Hearing Eliza’s scream, Aoi looked slightly surprised. "The royal capital is that close?"

"That's your concern?!" Eliza stood up and retorted.

Then Speyside, who was drinking tea at a distance, stood up and walked over. "I remember telling you before to please be quiet in public. Do you have a rule that you must be noisy when eating?"

Speyside's sarcastic remark made Aoi immediately bow her head.

"Sorry, we'll be quiet."

Perhaps not expecting such a straightforward apology, Speyside seemed slightly taken aback. "Your humble attitude is admirable. Even senior teacher Konominato-dono is frightened at the thought of the king actually coming…"

He tried to laugh, but noticing Aoi looking straight up at him, he tucked his chin in and tightened his expression.

Then he smiled wryly.

"… Excuse me. You weren't that noisy." Speyside shrugged his shoulders and narrowed his eyes. "… If it might help, I'll use my power as a marquis to assist you. Just this once, though."

Unusually, Speyside left a supportive remark for Aoi and walked away.

Eliza was wide-eyed in surprise.

No, even Aoi was wide-eyed. It was quite unexpected, and the scene of her and Eliza exchanging silent glances was a bit amusing.

While everyone was anxious about the king's visit, I wasn't too worried.

Knowing the king's character and considering Principal Glenn's influence and authority, I didn't think it would become a big issue.

The problem might be within the academy itself.

With that thought in mind, I took a sip of fruit water.

【Shenley】

What should I do?

Because of me, Aoi-sensei… It was my fault for going against Rox-senpai, and Cote-senpai got hurt…

As I kept thinking about bad things, my thoughts spiraled downward, and my self-loathing worsened.

"If only I weren't here…" I whispered, almost in tears.

Then a gentle voice reached my ears. "Even if you hadn't done anything, matters would have ended up like this for Aoi-sensei one day. There's no need for regret."

Cote-senpai stood beside me.

I was standing in the courtyard with my back against the building wall. How did Cote-senpai find me?

When I looked up at Cote-senpai, he returned my gaze with a smile.

"I believe Aoi-sensei cares about her students. She won't hold a grudge against you, Shenley-san, so it's okay."

But I couldn't bring myself to think positively. With my head down, I blurred out my feelings. "I'm useless. I shouldn't have skipped a grade and should have stayed in the junior section, but I got carried away because I learned magic quickly. I was excited about getting into the senior section and made the mistake of thinking I had great talent… But now I know I'm out of place in this academy…"

Pathetic.

Showing my true, weak self to someone else was so embarrassing and pathetic that I wanted to disappear.

But I couldn't hold back. I hated myself so much. I was so pathetic… Maybe I wanted someone to listen.

Would he be disappointed? Would he laugh at me? Would he hate me? Anxiety darkened my heart.

However, Cote-senpai's smile didn't fade.

He smiled kindly and nodded. "It's okay. Look."

When I raised my head and looked at where he was pointing, I saw Aoi-sensei running towards us.

"Is something wrong?" She kneeled in front of me and looked at my face with concern.

"Ah, n-no… It's just, I feel pathetic… It's nothing…"

Her genuine concern made my tears unstoppable. However, saying that reminded me of something important.

"I… I'm sorry…! Be-because of me, Aoi-sensei…" I apologized, thinking I was being selfish at such a time.

But Aoi-sensei sharply shook her head. "Shenley-san, you are not at fault. Rox-kun was too violent, so I decided to call his parents."

"But…"

"Don't worry about it. This is just a three-way meeting. Titles like prince or king don't matter. So, Shenley-san, you don't need to worry about it." She gently placed her hands on my shoulders.

Looking into Aoi-sensei's eyes up close, I saw a powerful light in them. Was that what they called conviction?

For some reason, listening to Aoi-sensei and looking into her eyes made me feel like everything would be alright.

With Aoi-sensei, any crisis could be overcome. With Aoi-sensei, I could be saved too.

Thinking that, I smiled.

Aoi-sensei was amazing. She was my hero.

Comments