Remind him of someone?
My brow raised. What was he talking about?
“Haha, well. It’s an old story. I’ll tell you more about it when the time comes. For now, I’m just here to talk about a few quick things.”
“Oh.”
Although I was a little confused about his words, I still nodded my head and quickly forgot about them. It didn’t really interest me in the first place.
Someone like me?
No way.
Nobody could be that much of a pain in the ass.
“The first thing I’d like to talk about is the recent incident that involved you. I’ll just skip through the boring and unnecessary parts for now and just go straight to the point. The investigation has been put on hold given a few circumstances I cannot share. Added to what they’ve previously told you, you do not need to worry about anything. You’re essentially in the clear.”
“…I see.”
I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his words.
Since he was present during the time when the Cleric was chaining me up, I knew about Professor Hollowe’s involvement in the situation.
His words held weight on the matter.
‘I don’t see a reason why he would lie to me anyway.’
“Looks like you’re pleased to hear the news.”
Raising my head, I scratched the back of my head and put on an embarrassed look.
“Yes, truthfully I’m quite pleased. It was stressing me out a lot.”
I was more than stressed.
“Well, I’m glad we got that out of the way.”
Hollowe smiled before taking a glass and taking a sip.
“Now, onto the next thing.”
Placing the cup down, Hollowe’s expression turned serious.
“It is likely that we will be sending your year out of the Academy soon.”
My face fell at his words.
Sending us out? What? Why?
“As of late the Mirror Cracks have been rather unstable. The Academy, alongside the Empire, has deemed it fit to send you guys out to a safer place while they handle the current situation.”
“Wait, what do you mean the Mirror Cracks are unstable?”
“You’ll know once you look at the Academy’s one. The situation is not good. It seems like we’ll be in for a bad few couple of months.”
“…Oh.”
I honestly didn’t understand at all what he was saying, but I didn’t see why he would lie to me. Staying quiet, I decided to check the situation for myself when I had time.
Getting to the Academy’s Mirror Crack wasn’t hard.
“Where will you be sending us then?”
“About that…”
Professor Hollowe’s expression turned a little weird. Then, covering his mouth, he sighed while mumbling,
“It’s highly likely that the Academy will send you out of the Empire. While the place may not be exactly safe, given your skills, you should be fine. Either way, it’ll be a lot safer than staying within Empire grounds.”
“Uh?”
Out of the Empire?
Were they going to send us to another Empire?
“No, think bigger.”
“Eh?”
Did he just read-
“We’ll be sending you towards the land outside of all four Empires.”
My mouth stopped, and my expression changed.
“…You will be sent to the Kasha.”
***
There were four Empires that existed within the world. They were the foremost powers that were yet to be claimed by the Mirror Dimension, which corrupted any land at an alarming rate if left unchecked.
Kasha; otherwise known as The Land Beyond-was any land that was situated outside of the Four Empires.
The Land wasn’t completely inhabited. In fact, the population outside the Four Empires was just as big, if not bigger.
There existed many kingdoms outside the four Empires, all with their own hierarchy and order.
Of course, their powers were nothing compared to the four Empires which were still capable of agriculture unlike those in the land beyond, but their power wasn’t anything to scoff at. With them constantly fighting against the ‘Children’ of the cracks, their prowess was nothing
to scoff at.
One could even argue their individual strength was greater than that of those who lived within the Empires.
Of course, nobody truly believed this, but nobody had faced those from the Kasha before so whether the texts were right or wrong, nobody knew.
However, if there was something that everyone was certain of was the relationship between the Kasha and those from the Empires.
In a few words…
It wasn’t good.
Neither part could stand the other, oftentimes leading to small conflicts. Julien had read all of this in the past and hence why he looked surprised upon hearing Hollowe’s words.
He was just about to open his mouth to speak when Hollowe smiled.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’ll probably be filled in on the information soon, but they were the ones who proposed this idea. Not us.” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
“Wha-”
“Ah!”
Jumping up from his seat, Professor Hollowe checked his pocket watch and moved back into
the kitchen.
“Forget about what I said for now. The meal is ready. Make yourself comfortable!”
***
Scratching the back of her head, Kiera glared at the paper in front of her.
“Ugh, shit. I’m so close to solving this problem. I know I can solve this. The answer is at the
tip of my tongue. Damn it!”
“Yeah, no.”
Aoife suddenly interjected all the way in the corner of the common room. Scooping from her
tub of yogurt, she mumbled,
“You always say that but in the end you always end up being so far away from the answer that
it’s almost comical.”
“Are you picking a fight?”
“No, I’m just telling the truth.”
“Fuck, I’ll fight you!”
“You’re just looking for an excuse to not study. Mid-terms are coming soon. Are you sure you
want to fight me?”
“No, that…” “Don’t lie to yourself. You know damn well I’m right. Now get back to studying.”
Aoife scooped another spoonful of yogurt. As she did, she looked towards the sofa areas and
spotted a figure throwing the pillows aside with a frustrated look.
Curious, Aoife blinked her eyes and tilted her head.
“Evelyn? Are you looking for something?”
“Ukh, yes.”
Evelyn answered with a flat look.
“What are you…?”
“My textbook. I left it over here somewhere but I can’t find it. Damn it!”
“Oh.”
Thinking about it, Evelyn was a clutz. She tended to lose things here and then.
“Have you tried looking in your room?”
Rolling her eyes, Evelyn stopped and looked at her.
“Yes, of course I have!”
Throwing her hands up, one of the pillows flew out of her grasp by accident.
“Ah, oh!”
“Akh!”
Hitting Kiera right in the face.
Evelyn froze at that.
“Oh, crap.” The pillow slid down from Kiera’s face as though it was moving in slow motion. That was
when Evelyn hurriedly moved behind the sofa. Her entire face grew pale.
“Right, Kiera. It was an accident.”
“An accident…?”
Grabbing the pillow, Kiera smiled.
“Accidents. Well, your parents must feel the same way.”
“Right? Haha. You’ll forgive me, uh, wait?”
Evelyn tilted her head in shock. What did she just-
“Die!!”
“Kyaaaa!”
The pillow hit Evelyn straight in the face. It hit her with enough force to send her stumbling
backward.
“Akh! Kiera!? What the hell was that for?! Did you inject mana in the pillow? Are you out of
your min-Kuuut!”
Another pillow came flying toward her face.
Holding onto two more pillows, Kiera casually walked toward Evelyn who was lying on the
ground.
Holding her hand out she started begging for her life.
“T-that… You’ve already hit me hard enough. I… just let me live.”
“Crazy bitch. What are you mumbling about?”
Throwing another pillow at her face, Kiera stood on top of Evelyn.
Meeting Evelyn’s gaze, she t urned her There, sitting on sofa with an impassive look
was Theresa. She had been quiet the entire time, but she was there all along.
Meeting Kiera’s gaze, she slowly blinked her eyes.
The entire room fell into silence at that moment. All eyes were focused on Theresa who
brought her fist forward.
Like an ancient emperor, she indifferently looked around the room.
Evelyn’s breathing stopped at that moment.
The room grew tense. Then, as Theresa’s fist slowly unfurled to display a thumbs up, Evelyn’s expression
brightened.
“T-than-!”
Only for it to crumble the next moment when Theresa’s thumb lowered.
At that, Kiera smile’s turned wicked and her attention once again returned to Evelyn who was
pale all over.
“The Emperor has spoken! Kyakaka!”
“Ah, no!!”
Wam-!
“Akkhhhh!”
Evelyn’s heartwrenching cry echoed throughout the entire common room.
Despite her cries, Theresa’s face remained cold and immaculate. As if her cries meant nothing
to her.
“Justice..”
She softly mumbled to herself.
“Want some?”
Appearing behind Theresa was Aoife. With a tub of yogurt in her hand, she brought her spoon
near Theresa.
Staring at Aoife and then lowering her gaze to look at the tub of yogurt, Theresa’s eyes
squinted. Her expression seemed as though she was looking at a bug.
“Yuck.”
“That’s not nice. You shouldn’t say such things. There are people out there that can’t eat
food.”
“That’s not food.”
“Picky, aren’t you?”
Theresa didn’t answer her and turned her head away from Aoife.
How repulsive. “Hmm.”
Aoife’s eyes squinted. After which, she smiled.
uju
Theresa’s head flicked.
Her shoulders trembled at the sight of Aoife’s expression.
“What?”
“Hm~ Nothing.”
“Oh.”
Supporting her little body with her arms, Theresa tried to get up but just before she could two
hands pressed her shoulders.
“Stay with me.”
“!”
Sitting down next to her, Aoife leaned her head against the back of the sofa.
“You said you wanted to watch your favorite show, right?”
Nod…?
“Do you still want to watch your favorite show?”
Nod! Nod!
Of course! What kind of silly question was this?
“Then…” Aoife’s eyes fell on the tub of yogurt in her hand.
“…!”
Theresa’s expression crumbled.
Her entire body shuddered on the spot.
“So, what do you say?” Smiling, Aoife passed the tub her way.
“If you can eat one spoonful, I’ll let you watch Justice Man. How does that sound?”
“!”
Theresa’s fingers spasmed. At this very moment, Aoife’s words sounded like whispers of temptation. A part of her wanted to refuse the temptation, ‘No, don’t fall for the evil witches’
plan.’ while another said, ‘With great risk comes great reward. No justice is fought without hardship.’
What a dilemma.
No, I must resist.
She couldn’t fall for the witch’s temptation. She wouldn’t allow herself to! Her dignity simply
wouldn’t let her…
Uwawawawawawa.
Before she knew it, the spoon was already in her mouth.
Her expression crumbled and her face twisted as the acidic taste of the yogurt reached her
tongue.
“Hahahahahaha.”
Slapping onto the sofa, Aoife laughed.
Splat-!
And the yogurt slid out of Theresa’s mouth.
Yet again, the poor child suffered at the hands of the most powerful Demon King. Blankly
staring at the yogurt that stained the sofa, Theresa muttered,
“…What is life…?”
The world suddenly seemed so bleak.
“You’re cleaning that up later.”
“You got that?”
“…”
“Got that?”
“Stop nagging me.”
“Ho~ Ho~”
Theresa shuddered all of a sudden and she hurriedly nodded her head.
“I clean. I clean.”
“What a good child.”
Click-!
Just then, the entrance door opened and the entire room fell into silence. Everyone hurriedly
looked up at the entrance.
There, coming in with a serious expression was Julien who glanced around the chaos and
walked over the sofa areas. He looked strangely unbothered.
His actions were enough to make all of the girls look at each other in confusion.
‘Something is up.’
‘…Is he sick?’
Usually, Julien would berate them and throw a look of scorn at them before leaving. The fact
that he wasn’t… However, such thoughts left their bodies when Julien suddenly sat down next to Theresa who
froze in her seat.
Flick. Flick. Flick.
Flicking her head rapidly between Julien and the sofa, Theresa very slowly and deliberately
scooched to the side.
Careful, very careful…
“Hm?”
All of a sudden, Julien frowned and brought his hand down. Theresa’s face turned completely
pale.
“…. Why is it wet?”
When he stood up to check why the bottom of his pants felt wet, Theresa hopped off the sofa
and trotted away.
“Waa.”
Looking up, he saw Aoife looking at him from the side. Her face was red and her body was
trembling. Seeing her expression, his face twitched.
“Laugh. You can laugh.”
And she did.
“Hahahaha.”
She laughed so hard she started cramping a minute into her laugh.
“Akh, help me!”
Ah, I shouldn’t have voted for her.
No, wait…