42 - The Victim of the Academy

### Changing Lives (4) Bandages wrapped tightly around her body. A weary-looking expression. Slumped over on a bench. These were enough to give me a sense of what had happened to her. Recently, Lobelia had left the crib and headed for the imperial palace; she must have endured the death of her sibling and returned. Despite having gone through such a horrific experience, Lobelia appeared as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It was a sign of danger. "Johan. What were you doing during class instead of listening?" "There’s a misunderstanding, Your Highness." "It seems like you’re the one misunderstanding. I was merely asking. I’m not trying to scold you." "Yes." Good. "Of course, depending on your answer, I might still decide to punish you." Not good. "I had a compelling reason." "Let’s hear it." "I was kidnapped by that lunatic Stan Robin Hood and just managed to escape and return." "Oh, Stan? I’m curious about what happened. He doesn’t usually kidnap someone without a reason." "He said it was because I spoke with his sister." "Ah, so that was it. I must apologize on his behalf. Stan can be overzealous when it comes to family matters." "It wasn't just 'a bit' though." "I’ll apologize for that too. It’s true; he's extremely obsessive." "Yes." Can I leave now? "But why are you just standing there like that?" I immediately knelt down. I felt the cool earth seeping into my knees. "…You have quite the talent for catching me off guard. I meant for you to sit next to me. After all, aren’t we classmates?" "Um, well..." "Sit down." "Yes." I crouched down beside Lobelia. She extended her arms across the backrest, naturally wrapping one arm around my shoulder in a half-embrace. It felt like she might demand some kind of payment. I was trembling, hands and feet alike. "Can’t you sit a little more comfortably?" "Yes." "Hmm..." Powerful people are intimidating. However, those who wield both power and authority are terrifying. That’s right. Often, I found Lobelia more intimidating than the Cult. Naturally, my demeanor became more deferential. "Johan, I lost my sibling yesterday. Unable to accept it, I went on a rampage and ended up like this." Lobelia explained to me what had happened at the palace the previous night. I didn't know why I was listening to this or why she would tell me. I could only guess that Lobelia was struggling in many ways. It's the kind of story one would find hard to share with a close aide. Hence, she chose to confide in someone relatively uninvolved like me. "Perhaps I could have saved them. If I had taught them not to dare challenge the imperial power, maybe they wouldn’t have been murdered." This moment was the turning point in her life. The despair felt from her sibling's death. And the subsequent death of Ariel, her closest friend and loyal confidante. The cracks in Lobelia's mental state were only set to widen. Of course, she might overcome it, which is why one might consider her the protagonist... "What do you think the right answer might have been? I’m surrounded by people who wouldn’t hesitate to risk their lives for their dreams, so I’m curious about the opinion of someone like you, who fights to survive." I believe a few words or experiences won’t drastically change a person's life. "Do you think Valentin, my naive sibling, would have willingly risked their life for a dream?" It’s simply that the environment surrounding a person changes. And people gradually do the same within that environment. "Well, I’m not sure. But I strive to survive to achieve my dreams." "Survive to achieve dreams… right. Generally, that makes sense." "It might be the correct answer. I believe the response depends on the ideals one harbors." Ariel Ether was prepared to risk everything, even her life, to support Lobelia. And the Cult would sacrifice everything to realize their dream. The difference isn’t in the person. It lies in the nature of the ideals they hold. "I regret your sibling’s passing. However, I do not presume to understand their innermost thoughts. Assuming I can know someone’s mind based on a single aspect is arrogance, is it not?" "… Is that so." Thus, I don’t dare to judge Lobelia rashly. I have already been burned once. Knowing the future? I was wrong. I only know trivial things. So I refrain from arrogance. I lack the luxury, strength, or power for such an attitude. "Therefore, Your Highness, don’t force yourself to understand others. Trying hard to find reasons when you barely know the situation will only result in an incomplete understanding riddled with holes." Nothing is more unsightly than pretending to know everything. If you don’t know, then you don’t know. If you tried to understand and couldn’t, then that’s that. Forcing understanding will only end in deceit. "Haha…" Lobelia laughed emptily. Then, after momentarily touching her eyes, she spoke. "To think… I’d receive advice from you…" How incompetent does she think I am to react like that? "You’re right. Your words and actions have enlightened me. Perhaps I was arrogant." With those words, Lobelia released her arm from around my shoulder. "Off you go. You have your own matters to attend to, so I shouldn’t keep you any longer." "I am most grateful." "But you should drop that strange way of speaking. It doesn’t suit you." "But of course." Ah! Freedom! * * * Even after Johan left, Lobelia remained on the bench, organizing her thoughts. Arrogant. It was Lobelia's wake-up call from Johan’s straightforward words. Because it was Johan who said it, it held more significance. He had always acted like a sly flatterer, watching from the sidelines. "But you, huh…" Many risk their lives to reveal their convictions to the world. And there are many who bend their principles to preserve their own lives. Johan was among the latter. That’s what made his words all the more meaningful. Had someone else said such things, it wouldn’t have been as shocking. It was startling because it came from someone who seemed least likely to say it. Indeed, it was significant because the coward had summoned the courage to speak. "Haha…" It was only then that Lobelia could see her own immaturity. She realized she had thought she could understand everything. "His Majesty knew." Abraham had told her she was closest to the throne. "Because I was the most like you." It wasn’t because she was better than other contenders. She resembled the emperor himself. Had she continued believing she could understand everything, she would soon have become just like Abraham. Yes, like how Abraham presumptuously decided Valentin wouldn’t survive in the harsh imperial palace. "Ha…" It’s time to admit it. She was arrogant, an idiot unaware of her own arrogance. Therefore, she needed to change. It’s the path to becoming a different kind of emperor than Abraham. Now that she realized the need for change, Lobelia thought: "I need Johan." Lobelia had always surrounded herself with followers who believed in her ideals. Sharing the same vision was great, but they couldn't point out Lobelia's flaws. That's why... "It seems I needed someone to speak harsh truths to me." She needed an advisor who viewed the world from a different perspective. * * * Ariel Ether was nothing but a burden to the Ether Dukedom. The Duke didn’t particularly hate Ariel, but he wasn’t interested either. 'Now that I think about it, Father must have been afraid to love me.' It’s said that the Duke of Ether, Tronius Ether, was a righteous man. He was genuinely in love with Ariel's mother, a beast race woman ostracized by the public at the time. Yet even such a man was changed by... War. As a wizard, Tronius Ether had to kill countless enemies during the war. There was no righteousness in it; there was only a man who discarded his beliefs to protect his family under the emperor’s oppression. He returned to his family as a war hero but was no longer the same person. The man who had bent over backward to protect his family found he couldn’t even love it. When Ariel’s mother died giving birth, it’s said he didn’t shed a single tear. Ariel had overheard the servants speaking within the dukedom once. 'I was nothing to Father.' He didn’t hate, but he didn’t love either. He merely fulfilled his duty as the head of the family, and Ariel grew up amidst that indifference. She wore fine clothes, ate good food, and learned valuable things. But the servants of the dukedom didn’t see her as a person. There was no small talk; once the work was done, they left without looking back.  At first, Ariel thought this was normal. As a beastkin, she had little chance of becoming the next Duke. The next Duke would be Rascal Ether, Tronius’ brother. Thus, she could only remain a burden to the dukedom. 'I am just one of the prized possessions belonging to the dukedom.' It was only then that Ariel realized that she wasn’t being revered as a member of the duke’s family; rather, she was being managed. She was just an asset. This realization came too late. So, how did Ariel feel upon this realization? 'I was young and thought it was okay.' Nothing changed. She didn’t really think or act beyond being a displayed artifact. However, there was someone who couldn’t stand it. Someone who felt anger on her behalf. - Duke Ether, you should manage your family better. Lobelia boldly entered the dukedom to say this to the Duke. Even though she knew it wouldn’t be of any help to Ariel at the time. Ariel was deemed worthless. A beastkin who couldn’t do anything, she seemed just pathetic. But Lobelia took her hand and pulled her out into the world. Nothing immediately changed. - If you don’t know how to live, then live for me, Ariel. Change wouldn’t come, I thought... "Your Highness." A person’s life changes from a small trigger. After that day, Lobelia visited the dukedom daily to talk to Ariel. She played with her. Lobelia treated her like an ordinary person and paid attention to her feelings. "That’s more than enough for me." Normally, Ariel might not have felt anything even now. She wouldn’t have thought the sunshine was warm. She wouldn’t have considered today’s meal delicious. She wouldn’t have thought of parting from friends as sad. "Now, I will give you wings, Your Highness." In front of Ariel were scattered sheets upon sheets of paper. Written across them were formulas, magic circles, and a plethora of magical knowledge, haphazardly scribbled. Her ability, telekinesis. If she could consolidate this versatile power into a form of magic, it would doubtlessly be of great help to Lobelia. "Ahh..." She was slowly approaching death. That fact didn't scare her. Scratch, scratch. However, at some point, the pen that had been making endless sounds while gliding over the paper came to a stop. "......" As she went to reach for a new sheet, her eyes caught on the hat she had set aside—a large witch’s hat she always wore while wandering outside. As soon as she saw it, she remembered. "Sir Johan." She recalled the person who was likely making medicine at that moment to save her. The phrase he had said while jokingly putting on the hat came to mind. - Just because it doesn’t suit me doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try it on, right? Johan had done something uncharacteristic. Even though he had tried to avoid her, he had made a proposition to her. She knew that he was clinging to the impossible even now. "......I'm sorry, Sir Johan." But Ariel no longer desired that. She was no longer afraid of death. Ariel smiled, then picked up the hat and stood. * * * By the time I had skipped class to head into the workshop, I discovered something unfamiliar at my usual experimental station. As I got closer, I recognized what it was and could roughly guess why it was there. "Foolish." It was Ariel's witch hat. Beside it, she had left a carefully handwritten letter. Of course she would go to such lengths. I put the hat on my head for a moment. "Hmm, as expected, it doesn’t suit me." I set the hat down and tucked it away in the corner. Then, I immersed myself in the usual research for making the medicine. "I said I’d make it even if it meant sheer stubbornness." I understood the significance of this hat. There was no need to read the letter she had left behind. Who would want to go around with a memento that felt like a parting gift? "I should return it to her later." So, just you wait.