Translator: Nox

19 - I Healed the Male Lead's Trauma

Episode 19

4. A Junior Needs a Senior's Guidance (4)

'Akteon in the original wasn't exactly known for his mild temper either.'

I resisted the urge to ask what he meant by that.

I knew his personality wasn't entirely composed of upright qualities.

It was my way of expressing that I didn't want to get too involved with Akteon.

But Akteon, on the contrary, didn't drop his smile, as if he wanted to appear presentable to me.

* * *

Without understanding the meaning of that smile at all, the morning finally arrived when Akteon and Hiakin, those two, would enter the academy.

It should have been a day for celebration, but I was filled with worries and in worse condition than I had been in a long time.

'…I feel like I'm being dragged to my death.'

It wasn't exactly a wrong expression.

After the entrance ceremony, Akteon would undergo his Second Awakening.

'I can't handle him. I don't want to die like in the original…. How many high-ranking Guides were there on campus?'

Can't I just not go?

'I guess not.'

If I did something like that, it would be desertion, and Hiakin would obviously suffer the consequences….

Over the past two days, I had compiled a list of high-ranking Guides within the academy.

But there weren't many promising candidates.

'They're all just students in name only; how can I bring people who are treated like soldiers and stationed on the front lines?'

It felt like I was holding a ticking time bomb.

At this rate, either Akteon would die during his Second Awakening, or I would.

One of the two.

'Is there really no other way?'

In the meantime, we moved by train to Argenta, the city where Estra was located, guided by a supervisor.

The train, powered by magic stones, dropped us off at a station teeming with students in less than half a day.

As soon as we arrived, the same pristine white uniforms I was wearing were everywhere.

"I should have gotten some motion sickness medicine from Beled. He looks really unwell."

Kashiel, who had been conscious of me the whole way, pretended to be concerned.

"It's not motion sickness."

"If it's not motion sickness, then what is it?"

"It's better if you don't know."

I waved my hand, indicating that I didn't even want to talk about it.

And as soon as we returned to Estra, I separated Akteon and Hiakin to submit the paperwork.

"I'm a returning student, so I'll just submit my return confirmation and go to the dorm. You guys take care of attending the entrance ceremony."

"Then what about you?"

"I told you, I'm going to the dorm."

"No, I mean, is it hard to meet up if we're in different grades?"

Of course, it would be harder than with classmates.

I was about to tell Hiakin, who was asking strange questions, to stop talking nonsense when Akteon asked.

"Would it be alright to come see you after it's over?"

"Yeah, that's what I was going to ask."

"You guys should hang out with your own classmates, why me…."

I was about to say, 'Hiakin, I don't know about you, but are you trying to bother me even after coming all this way?' but I stopped myself.

'The Second Awakening will have already started by the time the entrance ceremony is over, so I'll have to go check on the situation whether I like it or not.'

I couldn't bring myself to say that, so I gave my permission in resignation.

"Alright."

Only then did Akteon nod in understanding and grab Hiakin's shoulder.

"I'll take good care of Hiakin so you don't have to worry."

"Who's taking care of who? I told you to stop pretending to be innocent in front of my sister, didn't I?"

"Then we'll be going, Senior."

Akteon, smiling gently with his eyes, dragged Hiakin away as if pulling him along.

Once I was alone with Kashiel after parting ways with those two.

"…I feel kind of strange."

Kashiel, lost in pointless sentimentality, made things difficult for me again.

At first, he had spewed harsh words, trying so hard not to show any weakness.

'Okay, let's not get involved.'

I have no room to take care of Kashiel when my own future is uncertain.

I left him behind and entered the main building.

The administrators blinked, wondering if they were seeing things, as two flamboyant returning students appeared at the same time.

"Liliope? Ortiz?"

"Hello."

The first to recognize us was someone familiar.

This person, that person.

The one who snitched to our professor about my leave of absence.

"I, this person is…."

Kashiel replaced his answer by scribbling his signature on the return confirmation.

Kashiel Brondearne.

The main building was instantly turned upside down.

"Liphy, I heard your sponsoring family changed… could it be…."

"I'm sorry, but my trust in the administrator has dropped to zero. I don't really have anything to explain."

"Li, Liphy! Liphy!"

She was distressed because she couldn't figure out what was going on, but if I told her every little detail, rumors would spread everywhere.

It's better to ignore her.

There were, as expected, many students on the way to the dorms.

Everyone was in a frenzy, either getting assigned to new rooms or cleaning and organizing their belongings in advance as their roommates changed.

Someone among them spotted Kashiel and exclaimed, "Oh? Oh!" but Kashiel, like me at the main building, easily ignored them.

Instead, he called out to me.

"Ortiz. You."

"What?"

"Are you worried about something…."

I do have serious worries, but it's none of your business.

However, I wasn't heartless enough to say those words outright.

Actually, it was closer to not having the time to do so.

"It's nothing. Sorry for making you worry."

But Kashiel seemed to want to say something, then ran a hand roughly through his hair.

"I didn't ask just to hear an apology from you. Never mind if it's hard to talk about."

And he left without saying goodbye.

Did he still have the habit of checking on Claire's condition?

But even if I told him everything I knew, I would just be treated like a weirdo.

More than that, if it were anyone else, maybe.

There's even less reason to tell Kashiel.

I threw my trunk into the assigned room and immediately ran back out.

Returning students don't necessarily need to see the entrance ceremony from the beginning.

But I wasn't one of them.

'I have to check.'

Milia Ernst.

If that child hadn't come to this academy either, I had to decide what to do next.

'She was already missing in the central district. There's no way she escaped the Management Bureau's eyes, but….'

If she was even denied admission, it would become a matter of life and death.

If that happened….

'That means the most needed S-class Guide right now could die…?'

The high-ranking officials of the royal family wouldn't recklessly kill a precious S-class, but it was certain that Milia's actions could be restricted.

The best-case scenario was that she was here, just like in the original story.

To that end, I hurried my steps.

Please, let this troublesome junior be here.

'No. Whether she's here or not, neither is particularly good for Milia.'

Of course, the most urgent thing was Akteon's Second Awakening, which was right around the corner.

'In the book, after Liliope died, one A-class Guide and several B-class Guides barely managed to stabilize Akteon.'

For now, finding out who that A-class Guide was should be the priority, but there was no way to find out who that person was.

In the end, the only hope I could cling to was Milia.

'…Originally, Milia undergoes her Second Awakening later than the other students after entering the academy.'

If the timing is late, could I create a similar situation to make her awaken early?

I decided to bet on this.

'So, the trigger for that child's Second Awakening was the terrorist attack by the anti-Evolved Being Management Law faction…. It was when Akteon's magic circuit went awry, and they almost died together.'

So, if it's a similarly life-threatening situation….

Suddenly, I stopped thinking.

'What kind of garbage idea is this…. If I do this, I'm no different from those high-ranking officials.'

Trying to put someone else in danger just because I don't want to die.

It's the worst.

'Forget it. What if it fails, and only the innocent Milia dies instead of me?'

I couldn't bring myself to do something I would definitely regret.

It was then, as I was running a hand down my face in rising self-loathing.

"U-um, excuse me…. Are you a senior, perhaps?"

How many times is this now?

Why are so many people looking for me today? I tried to subtly show that I was busy.

A small hand grabbed the hem of my clothes.

When I turned around, I couldn't help but doubt my eyes.

A junior with woolly, light pink hair neatly tied up was holding onto my sleeve tightly.

The moment those clear red eyes looked up at me, I unconsciously murmured that child's name.

"Milia Ernst?"

It was the very person I was looking for.

* * *

Although I met the guy who bullied my brother again, I didn't use my authority as a senior to pressure him.

I'm clearly an adult.

Prince Isidor's appropriate punishment was enough.

Instead, I let him mistake me for someone else.

"It's going to start soon, aren't you too late?"

"Y-yes?"

"Too bad. This is the academy. It's a place where discipline is maintained. There's no good that will come of standing out from the first day."

His two eyes, shaking relentlessly, were filled with fear.

It was clear that his family had collapsed as his father, the Count, had his title confiscated and his property seized.

'Judging by his magic reaction, his rank doesn't seem very high either.'

In this place where rank and family are the only powers, this guy was nothing more than the weakest.

'Besides, he has a history of abusing pre-Evolved Beings. It's going to be the worst.'

I patted the guy on the shoulder, who looked like he was about to cry any minute.

Every time my hand touched him, he flinched as if he was about to scream.

'Still, I have to fulfill my duty as a senior, right?'

I was about to accompany him to the main auditorium to take him there.

Even though I didn't hear anyone coming close, a small voice called out to me.

"Excuse me… are you a senior?"

How many times is this already?