The students, silver rings in hand, streamed out of the professors’ lounge.
Once they had left the lounge and the door had closed, the professors inside each began to voice their impressions.
The first among them to speak was Professor Jian, who had been smiling until just moments ago.
“...They were different from what I expected.”
Professor Jian, who had been beaming brightly until earlier, widened his eyes as if in surprise and spoke in a low voice.
The playful smile he had worn when handing the rings to the students was gone, replaced by a serious expression.
“Jin Prah is the child of the head of House Prah, infamous for being that blockhead, so I deliberately acted in a way meant to grate on his personality. And yet, unlike his father, he behaved like a gentleman of the Holy Capital.”
“...I was surprised as well. Especially by how unlike a noble he was.”
Professor Jugin nodded as if agreeing with Professor Jian’s impression, then continued.
“Usually, children of noble houses—especially dyed-in-the-wool nobles of viscount rank or higher—find it difficult to shed that habit of looking down on anyone who isn’t a noble. After all, they grow up being indoctrinated that way by the adults around them from a young age. The so-called ‘etiquette’ education, you know.”
Professor Jugin shook his head and, for a moment, thought back to the losers who had tormented him mercilessly in the army for no reason other than that he was a commoner, despite them being of the same cohort.
In the end, because of the wrongs they committed and the paltry skills they could not hide behind their family backgrounds, they had failed to become generals and left the service.
“And yet he isn’t from some common viscount house, but the child of one of the few margraves in the Empire, and he has that sort of attitude? Are you sure he isn’t adopted?”
“...Professor Jugin, that was too harsh.”
“Ah, my apologies, Professor Jan.”
Professor Jan, who had cautioned Professor Jugin about the rough manner of speech unique to soldiers, looked at him for a moment before letting out a faint sigh and speaking.
“Hoo... But I understand why you would think that, Professor Jugin. We have people like that as well. In particular, among the children of nobles from regions outside the Holy Capital, many are sent to our church, except for the child who will inherit the family.”
“...What era are we living in, that they still forcibly send their children to the church as a way of sorting out heirs to preserve the family?”
“Outside the Holy Capital is still a land of barbarism. The people outside still act like those from before the Empire was founded.”
From before humanity united as one, he added, his eyes showing pity for their actions. Professor Jan remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Jin Prah was one thing, but my eyes were drawn elsewhere. In particular, to Student Isil.”
When Isil’s name came from Professor Jan’s mouth, the surrounding professors began to watch his expression closely.
Noticing their gazes, Professor Jan smiled faintly and said,
“Please don’t look at me like that. It isn’t as though I have any negative impression of her.”
Professor Jan thought of the silver-haired girl who had sat quietly in silence to Jin Prah’s left, then calmly began.
“When I first heard about Student Isil’s past, I was very worried. Professor Ran said she would take responsibility, but witches are always wicked and dangerous things, so one can never let their guard down. Every witch I have ever met was an unbeliever burning with the desire to set the world aflame.”
For someone belonging to the church, it was a rather severe statement. Professor Jugin, seated beside him, widened his eyes and asked,
“...Does that mean you think differently now?”
“...Yes. I never thought I would say this, but judging by Student Isil’s attitude and conduct, she is astonishingly unlike a witch. If not for Professor Jian’s information, I would not have noticed at all.”
Professor Jan turned toward Professor Jian, who had been looking at him.
“Professor Jian, the information you brought us is reliable, is it not?”
“I stake the career I have built until now on it. There is no incorrect information among the student records I showed you all. Especially in Student Isil’s case, since it was so unusual, I spent several times more time verifying it than I did with the other students.”
There are dozens of people who saw her living in the Black Forest of the north, he said, showing confidence in the information he had brought. Professor Jan firmly nodded to show that he believed him.
“Certainly, if Professor Jian’s information is correct, Student Isil is the child of a witch, or something equivalent. The only things alive in the Black Forest are witches, sacrifices, and the children of witches who will become the next witches.”
“...Well, surely the headmaster admitted Student Isil into Academia because he had his reasons. I may have some small talent for gathering information, but it would be absurd to think I could surpass the headmaster’s eye.”
When Professor Jian lowered his own information-gathering ability and elevated the headmaster’s judgment, every professor present affirmed it with an expression that said, That is true.
“Certainly. It is impossible to enter Academia with evil intentions while avoiding the headmaster’s eyes. Unless one sneaks in like a petty thief, perhaps.”
“That is so. It is solely because of the headmaster’s ability that there is no one with dangerous ideologies in the current Academia.”
After exchanging a few more remarks that outsiders would not have understood, the professors gradually rose from their seats to attend to their respective duties.
Since the semester had only just begun, the professors’ schedules were quite tight.
***
“...Is this really all right?”
“What do you mean?”
I tapped the dull silver ring on my index finger and let out a sigh.
“Hah... I mean, isn’t it strange in itself to tell students to resolve a mystic disaster?”
“Hmm, is it? I do not think there was anything illogical among the professors’ words that I heard.”
Sitting on a bench to one side of the road connecting Academia’s main building and the training grounds, I spoke to Hwaryeong, who was standing and looking down at me.
“When danger comes to a school, is it normal in this world to leave it to the students?”
“...I do not quite understand what you mean by ‘this world,’ but it certainly is not all that common.”
Hwaryeong gently moved her swaying tail and stared intently at the ring in her hand.
“However, since they have given us an item with which to resolve the mystic disaster, it is not as though the professors are merely being unreasonable. It is as if they have given us a blade to solve the problem.”
“Just because they gave us a blade doesn’t make this situation reasonable.”
“The world does not run on reason, Jin Prah. Much like a situation where the ringleader tried to slip away while leaving himself out of it.”
“Ah.”
I judged that if I discussed this any further, it would become disadvantageous to me, so I immediately turned my head toward Isil, who was sitting beside me.
“Isil, what do you think? Can we exorcise Jude the ghost with this ring?”
“...Exorcise?”
“Yeah. Professor Jian said we could strike a ghost with the hand wearing this ring, right? Then if we meet him next time, wouldn’t he be exorcised if we punch him in the face with the ring-wearing hand?”
“Oho, that is a fine idea. I do hope you will leave that role to me. I am confident in my punching.”
Below Hwaryeong, who agreed with my words in a pleased tone, I saw Isil’s face looking at me expressionlessly.
“...”
“? What’s wrong?”
“...Are you two thinking of resolving this mystic disaster that way?”
Isil looked at us with eyes that seemed to say, What am I supposed to do with these people? and spoke.
“...Trying to physically exorcise a ghost isn’t a good method. They are beings not bound by the laws of the living. You’ll probably only make them angry and complicate matters further.”
“Hmm, I find that difficult to agree with. Whether dead or alive, all beings ultimately yield to the violence of the strong. Especially now that, unlike before when we could not be certain our blows would be effective, we have obtained these rings. Wouldn’t resolving it through violence be even simpler and more certain?”
“...If Senior Jude were a low-grade ghost that had lost his reason, then perhaps.”
“...Hm?”
When Isil’s answer included a reason she had not expected, Hwaryeong raised her tail and approached her.
“Do you know a lot about ghosts, Isil?”
“...Yes. Compared to the people I know, it’s only scratching the surface, but still... I know a certain amount.”
Having said that in a somewhat confident tone, Isil looked at me and Hwaryeong and spoke.
“...So could you leave this matter to me? Jin... and Hwaryeong.”
As she finished speaking and looked at us, Isil’s expression resembled that of someone who had steeled herself for something.
It was not merely a request to leave this matter to her, but the look of someone who had resolved to reveal some secret of her own.