Book 4 Chapter 26
Chapter 100
The Grand Chancellor's office of <Delighten>, which was said to have been created by Emmitsa Page, the progenitor of magic, was a place where light poured in through octagonal arched windows.
When I came during the day, I felt a grand sensation in my chest from the baptism of brilliant sunlight, but coming in the evening like this, perhaps because of the saturation of moonlight, I felt somewhat eerie.
No, it wouldn't be because of the moonlight.
It must be because of Grand Chancellor Madelia Page, who was sitting in that chair, staring at us sharply.
“You yourselves know well why you are here right now, do you not?”
The three third-years, who had always maintained an arrogant posture wherever they were, were now nervously fidgeting, as if intimidated by Madelia Page.
“……”
Why were these four people, including Rein, dragged to the Grand Chancellor's office, still clad in their sweat-soaked activewear?
To explain that, we have to go back 30 minutes in time.
* * *
The whistle blew, and exactly three heartbeats later, a roar so intense it felt like the gymnasium would collapse enveloped the entire hall.
“Wow, crazy!!!”
“Is this for real? The invincible Griffin Valor lost?”
“To a team formed only ten days ago?”
Logan vigorously ran towards Rein and Hubert, who were panting and silently staring at each other, slung his arms around their shoulders, and burst out laughing, "Ahahaha."
[Wow haha, they won this lolol]
“That was really fun!★”
Nora and Kayden exchanged smiles beside them.
'As expected, there's always laughter around this guy…'
Lillian, who glanced enviously at the scene from afar, looked up at the gymnasium ceiling and dreamt of a distant future.
'Will I ever be able to become someone like that in school or within the magical academies?'
At that moment, a smile also formed on Balencidis's lips, who was applauding like the other spectators.
'If it were a typical noble, they would have brushed off that hand, calling it rude, but…'
His attitude of treating everyone like a friend, regardless of their social standing, must have been genuine…
'That guy, he really did it.'
Christa, who had watched the entire situation from beginning to end with a wry smile, saw her fists clench unconsciously and became certain.
Yes, that's right.
I came here to cheer for him, not Griffin Valor…
“See, I told you Rein would win!”
Kasena shouted to Doran with an excited face, but…
Huh?
Doran wasn't there. He had appeared without a trace and disappeared without a trace.
“This can't be…”
“It’s impossible…”
Unlike the Griffin Valor players who expressed their bewilderment by holding their foreheads or muttering blankly on the bench, Elin Ludwig couldn't express her feelings right now.
'In the end, that pathetic fool caused trouble…'
With this, Griffin Valor, which boasted a long history, would be disbanded during my generation… But why do I feel more proud than resentful?
- Hey, did you hear? Professor Elin's six-year-old nephew is supposedly terrible?
- Nah, no way.
- It's true. That's why his nickname is 'Genius (天災) Master'! They say he can't use magic at all?
That guy, who was like that, came in first place twice in the first-year exams and now he's beating second and third-years in magic volleyball?
'I'm quite the person, a disqualified coach…'
It was exactly then, as she silently wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes with a self-deprecating smile.
“By whose permission did you cause such an outrageous thing?”
It was a cold voice, filled with power that instantly froze the heated atmosphere in the hall.
A wave of overwhelming magic power, strong enough to make bodies tremble, swept through the hall, and the commotion instantly subsided.
There were only two people in the school who could unleash such terrifying magic power, capable of making one's hair stand on end.
Everyone, forgetting even how to breathe, watched the formidable woman enter the hall, her light purple hair majestically fluttering.
“Gr-Grand Chancellor…?!”
Professor Ibon, who had been the referee, barely managed to utter, but Madelia Page's eyes shone coldly.
“Tell me. Why did you, a professor, not think of stopping this outrageous situation and instead took on the role of referee?”
“Ye-yes? Th-that is…”
“Elin Ludwig, you are no different. Both of you would have nothing to say if I handed down a suspension. I will see you both separately in the Grand Chancellor's office later.”
Kasena then stepped forward urgently, leaning on her crutches, as if wanting to explain the situation.
“O-Oh, Mom! This is, well!”
Madelia raised a hand, lightly dismissing her daughter's protest.
“I know the situation completely. So there’s no need to explain.”
She pointed at Rein, Maya, Yors, and Lowinbelt one by one.
“Therefore, the four of you, as the instigators, follow me. Right now.”
* * *
“The three of you misused the regulations created for the self-correction of clubs to ruin this seasonal festival. Is that correct?”
Madelia looked at them one by one, as if daring them to protest, but no one dared to meet her gaze.
“Grand Chancellor, I merely tried to uphold the dignity of nobles.”
When Maya Snark faintly voiced her protest, Madelia let out a cold snort.
“Dignity of nobles? You should be ashamed. How dare you utter such words?”
“…?”
“You should have remembered the humiliation of not taking first place against someone with no foundation for the rest of your life, and used it as a stimulus to move forward. Instead, you cooked up such a scheme because you couldn't accept the result?”
Maya eventually fell silent and averted her gaze.
Then Madelia’s gaze moved and fixed on Rein.
Compared to when she faced the three of them, her gaze was incomparably softer, but her voice was equally cold.
“And Rein Ludwig, by what right did you escalate this so much?”
“Huh?”
“There must have been other ways. Most importantly, withdrawing from the student council is not something you can do at will. It requires the Grand Chancellor’s approval.”
Is that so? But what is it? Nobody said it was impossible, and it seemed to have proceeded smoothly…
Madelia sighed and placed a metal object on the desk with a click.
It was a badge, the symbol of a student council officer, with the three-headed dragon Asura intricately embossed in gold on a silver plate.
“In short, it means you haven't resigned from the student council.”
“…?”
“Therefore, according to the rule that 'student council officers cannot interfere in disputes between clubs during the festival period,' your act of forming a team and challenging Griffin Valor to a disbandment match is also nullified.”
While this might seem to completely negate Rein's achievement, this was in fact the best solution Madelia could offer Rein.
Rein was a noble. And a successor of the powerful Ludwig family at that.
Such a person, not only leaving the student council, but also joining forces with disciples of the Eight Great Academies to disband Griffin Valor?
'Griffin Valor is a royal club with immense solidarity among its alumni even after graduation… A great deal of resentment would be directed at Rein, and more than enough.'
If that happened, it would inevitably be a fatal blow to Rein, whose support base ultimately had to be the nobility.
The standing of the Ludwig family, which Skalg and Kaybon had solidly built, would also be shaken.
As he is a clever fellow, someone I've marked as a potential son-in-law, I hope he understands this intention…
“Of course, that doesn’t mean what those three did is undone. I will impose a five-month suspension as punishment for this incident.”
The eyes of the three nobles trembled with fear.
Five months…?
That was the highest level of punishment <Delighten> inflicted on cadets. While it was called five months, it meant missing an entire semester, which was equivalent to being held back a year.
“Gr-Grand Chancellor?!”
“We were wrong. We are truly sorry!”
The fact of being held back a year at <Delighten> as a scion of the Ten Great Noble Families would become an indelible stain for life, completely shattering their position as a successor.
So they desperately pleaded for mercy, but Madelia firmly shook her head.
“It’s already decided. Such matters must set a clear precedent to avoid future problems.”
But, incredibly, there was someone who then came forward to protect the three: Rein Ludwig.
“Thank you for your words, but if the Grand Chancellor makes such a decision, the meaning of my ten days of playing magic volleyball disappears.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had no intention of punishing those three or disbanding Griffin Valor in the first place.”
Madelia tilted her head in bewilderment at the unexpected answer, but it was the three third-years who looked at Rein with even greater confusion.
What did he just say…?
Then why did he challenge them to a disbandment match, even leaving the student council? Rein chuckled and gave the answer.
“I just wanted to show the true meaning of magic and its potential.”
“The true meaning of magic…?”
“And its potential…?”
“You guys, if you saw my team, you'd know there's no high or low in magic. No noble or humble either. They can use magic just as well as you can.”
That's what magic is.
It doesn't matter who a person originally was. It doesn't matter if they were an orphan, a commoner, a civilian, a merchant, or a noble.
Only if one has the will to learn, it allows them to become whoever they wish to be. That was the meaning of magic Rein had seen and learned.
“So, from now on, don't look down on others just because you're a noble or you use magic a little better right now. What is a wizard, if not based on skill? You should compete with magic skills; if you start considering social status, you'll never become a great wizard your whole life.”
The three exchanged blank glances, unaware of the reason for the strange resonance echoing in their chests.
It was odd.
In a normal situation, they would have felt resentment at a mere young child, a scion of a powerful family, giving them advice…
“Alright, promise.”
Rein chuckled, approached them, and held out his hand.
This is…?
Maya looked up, unable to understand the meaning of the gesture, when Rein clasped her hand and shook it.
“You're promising, right?”
“…You're not angry?”
“I wasn't angry in the first place. Thanks to you guys, I also learned how fun magic volleyball is, so let's just consider it a good experience for everyone.”
Rein giggled and gave a thumbs-up, and Lowinbelt let out a wry laugh with an astonished expression.
Is this the true dignity of a noble?
How dare he tell us, who dared to defy him, to continue with magic? If I were in the same situation… I felt a sudden lump in my throat, and my eyes became slightly warm.
'So he orchestrated this whole situation to teach those three the true mindset a wizard should possess…'
A soft smile blossomed on Madelia Page's face as she watched the conversation unfold with her arms crossed. No one saw it due to the backlighting.
“I understand your intentions well, Rein Ludwig. However, if there isn't a punishment as an example, many others will make light of school regulations in the future.”
“…?”
“Therefore, I will impose a one-month probation on the three of you. You are to remain quiet during the festival period.”
Then, Lowinbelt and Yors' faces brightened, and still children at heart, they bowed repeatedly, on the verge of tears.
“Thank you, thank you!”
Even the stoic Maya bowed to Rein, which showed just how generous and lenient this punishment was.
“What you've done for us today… We won't forget it.”
Why are they making such a fuss again?
There was nothing to be angry about in the first place. In this era, 300 years later, most wizards were, in Rein’s eyes, just cute juniors.
After the three had left, Madelia handed Rein the student council badge and said in a voice that held a lingering regret.
“You really must become our family’s son-in-law. Now, I don’t think I could be satisfied with anyone else but you.”
This pattern again?
He had developed immunity by now. Rein chuckled as if nothing, subtly changing the subject as Brim had taught him before she left.
“Hahaha…”
“Didn’t the power of the Black Yangrin make you change your mind a bit? You must let your children see that power too; you wouldn't monopolize it for yourself, would you?”
“Um… May I leave now?”
He couldn't leave.
Because Kasena Page burst into the Grand Chancellor's office as if she had been waiting for the three to leave.
“Mom, you properly scolded those bad guys, didn’t you?! And Rein didn’t do anything bad!”
“I know. Don't worry. I was just strict earlier because there were eyes watching.”
“Rein really taught them a lesson today! Everyone’s expressions were priceless every time he just whooshed the ball!”
“Hmm, that's why I was strongly encouraging him to become our son-in-law once again.”
“W-What?! Rein is sixteen! His status is much lower than mine! I’m too good for him!”
“That’s true, but the Ludwig family is a prominent lineage. He is by no means lacking as a son-in-law.”
“Th-That's true?! No, not true! Anyway, I don't want to!”
Taking advantage of the Page mother and daughter's boisterous chattering, he stealthily slipped out of the Grand Chancellor's office. An unexpected person was waiting outside.
Christa Warden.
She had her hand on her chest, taking a deep breath, and her eyes fluttered when she unexpectedly met Rein without being mentally prepared.
“What? Do you have business with the Grand Chancellor too?”
“N-No? Not that kind of thing?”
“Then what are you doing here?”
Christa tried to say something for a moment, then exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw the student council badge in Rein's hand.
“Seeing that… it seems to have gone well.”
“Somehow, it ended up that way.”
Just when he thought the conversation was over, Christa, whose face was flushed red, stammered severely unlike usual and darted her eyes everywhere.
“Th-That time… I mean, during the executive committee meeting! I-I… I to you… Th-That is to say…”
She wanted to clearly convey her apology, but Christa, who was not accustomed to such situations, felt her entire body burn as if on fire.
“Ah, that time, that thing?”
But then, Rein chuckled, ending her agonizing situation.
“Don't worry about it. I didn't really mind it either.”
“Uh, w-why, how…?”
“Why explain every single thing? Anyway, since it’s like this, let’s work hard on student council duties together starting tomorrow.”
As Rein waved his hand and walked away, Christa's hand, which had been aimlessly hovering in front of her face as she tried to string together her complicated story, dropped to her chest.
He just dismissed it so simply…?
And then, with a relieved smile that completely cleared the worry that had hovered over her face for the past ten days, her fist, which hadn't been able to grasp anything properly, clenched powerfully.
“Yes…!”
Then she ran up beside him, matching his pace, and began to playfully argue (or rather, pick a fight?) about all the things she hadn't been able to do for the past ten days.
“What was that serve earlier? If it were me, I would have aimed for the net even more perfectly?!”
“You're so good, you know.”
“And your receive was completely off too?! That one earlier, you know that was a receive that interfered with the spiker, right?”
As they walked side by side down the corridor beautifully lit by moonlight, the girl's face, throwing incessant criticisms, was filled with a smile that had never appeared during those ten days.