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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Visitors to the Academy (1)
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“So you knew everything from the beginning.”
“Didn’t I tell you there was no need to worry?”
After the suicide incident was resolved, many changes occurred within the academy. For one, a new director and mathematics professor were assigned.
Rumors circulated that the new director, unlike the previous one who was obsessed with money and women, was coming to the academy with recommendations from both the Imperial and Royal families.
“You should have told me sooner.”
Kanto looked at Sei-an with a hint of resentment, recalling how anxious he had been watching Sei-an step forward during the trial.
“Anyway, everything turned out well, didn’t it?”
“That’s true.”
Kanto, now understanding what Sei-an meant by stopping a true crime with a false one, let out a short laugh, once again unable to help but admire Sei-an’s remarkable capabilities.
“Ah, here he comes.”
Then, Kanto stopped his thoughts upon spotting someone rapidly approaching them. It was Glomi, who had assisted with the recent incident.
“You didn’t have to see me off…”
She spoke a little shyly, seeing Sei-an and Kanto who had come out to bid her farewell.
Glomi was leaving the academy due to the recent incident.
The academy had offered her the chance to stay, but she had refused.
With all her weaknesses laid bare, she felt she could no longer remain there.
Of course, even without that, she had no desire to stay in a place that held such painful memories.
“Take this. When you go to our guild, give this letter to my father. He’ll take good care of you.”
“Thank you so much.”
And so, Glomi, who was leaving the academy, would be working at Kanto’s father’s merchant guild.
It turned out Kanto’s father was the owner of a rather reputable merchant guild on the continent, and Kanto had introduced Glomi, a bright scholarship student, to his father’s business.
“……”
After thanking Kanto, Glomi turned her gaze and silently looked at Sei-an for a moment.
Then, she bowed very respectfully to him, offering her gratitude.
‘Thank you for saving me.’
She was truly grateful to him for preventing the death she had chosen for herself.
“Then, I hope we meet again someday.”
With that, she left her painful memories behind at the academy and departed to find a new path.
Thanks to the truth she revealed, there was another small change at the academy. The strict policy regarding scholarship students was slightly altered.
Unlike the previous system, where academic opportunities were immediately revoked if grades dropped, students would now be given one more chance.
If their grades improved by the next exam, they could continue attending the academy as scholarship students.
“Well, it seems everything worked out well, anyway.”
“Yes.”
“But there’s one thing I’m curious about…”
“Yes?”
“What did you say to Lark back then?”
Then, Kanto suddenly asked Sei-an about another question that had popped into his mind.
He had seen Sei-an approach Lark and whisper something to him during the trial.
“I asked him to grant me a few favors in exchange for resolving this matter.”
“What? You dared to ask Lark?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Kanto could only stare at Sei-an with a bewildered expression at his words, especially since he’d made a deal with Lark, of all people.
“So what were the favors you asked for?”
“The favors I asked for were…”
Sei-an smiled faintly at Kanto’s follow-up question and looked towards his classroom.
***
“……”
“……”
Inside the classroom, which should have been buzzing with various sounds and chatter, an oppressive silence hung so heavy that it was hard to even breathe.
‘This is insane.’
‘Why is he here from morning, of all times?!’
‘Tell me about it!’
The reason for this was that someone who usually showed no interest in class, only making an appearance if professors explicitly stated they’d be expelled otherwise, was currently sitting in the classroom from early morning.
“……”
A presence that drew all eyes and spontaneously instilled fear just by sitting there silently—it was Lark.
*Click!*
“Gah! He’s really here!”
“Promises are meant to be kept, after all.”
Just then, the classroom door opened, and two people entered, breaking the deathly silence: Sei-an and Kanto.
“Ha… haha!”
Kanto spotted Lark slumped over in a corner seat by the window, trying to sleep, and let out a small laugh.
‘He actually kept his promise.’
The first favor Sei-an had asked Lark at the trial was to diligently attend class.
With a suicide incident having occurred due to exorbitant tuition fees, Sei-an had asked him to attend classes regularly if he had any conscience.
And seeing Lark actually keep that promise, Kanto couldn’t help but laugh.
*Thud!*
“Ugh!”
“Laugh one more time and you’re dead.”
“…Yes.”
But at that moment, a book flew towards his face, forcing Kanto to quickly suppress his laughter. It was a book thrown by Lark, whom he’d thought was asleep.
And at Lark’s chilling voice, Kanto quickly covered his mouth and nodded vigorously.
“Thank you for keeping your promise.”
“……”
Meanwhile, Sei-an approached Lark and gave a slight bow, thanking him for keeping his word.
“Strange fellow.”
Lark couldn’t understand Sei-an. What good would his participation in class do for Sei-an that he would ask for such a favor?
Lark had expected Sei-an to ask for something grand after helping him, so he could only stare at him with a bewildered expression when he asked for something as trivial as attending class, along with other minor requests.
“Damn it!”
But now, he was painfully realizing that these trivial requests were far more bothersome to him, and his annoyance level was currently skyrocketing.
He muttered a small curse and then slumped back down, trying to sleep again.
“Heh… heheh.”
Kanto couldn’t help but let out another small chuckle.
The fact that Lark, of all people, was here just to keep a promise to attend class kept making him grin.
*Thwack!*
“Ugh!”
Though, of course, Kanto had to quickly cover his mouth again when another book immediately flew his way.
***
“Hmm, it looks like it might rain.”
The garden where Sei-an was currently sitting was the only place Sei-an, who had zero sense of direction, could easily find his way to from his residence.
Sei-an sat in the small, rarely visited garden, enjoying some rare free time.
*Thwack!*
“Ugh!”
But then, someone appeared, lightly smacking him on the head: Shainos, the Grim Reaper.
“You damned brat!”
“Why are you hitting me and cursing the moment you see me?”
“Now you’re causing all sorts of trouble, aren’t you?”
“……”
It seemed he had come because he knew about the recent suicide incident.
“You’re doing this on purpose to mess with me, aren’t you?! Huh?!”
“No, I’m not.”
“What do you mean ‘no’? Then how could you act like that, knowing how serious it is to interfere with a Grim Reaper’s duties?!”
“I don’t recall ever interfering with a Grim Reaper’s duties.”
“What?!”
“I merely acted as a human, doing only what a human could do.”
“Ha…”
Shainos was so taken aback by Sei-an’s brazenness that he could only let out a bewildered laugh. Then, Shainos smacked him on the head again.
*Thwack!*
“Ow! Why do you keep hitting me?”
“Because you’re annoying!”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, do as you please.”
“Tch! Do you know how much the Chief God, that old geezer, chewed me out because of you?! I had to handle an enormous amount of work that I shouldn’t have had to!”
“Didn’t you just argue with the Chief God and make things worse for yourself, when you could have just taken a scolding?”
“……”
At Sei-an’s calm words, Shainos’s expression stiffened.
‘He got it right.’
As if it were the first time he’d seen something like that.
When Shainos caused trouble and went to clean it up, he should have just appeased them. But he couldn’t control his temper, ended up getting angry, and came back with a harsher punishment. This wasn’t the first or second time.
“How pathetic.”
Sei-an, well aware of this fact, clicked his tongue in disapproval as he looked at Shainos.
“Whose fault do you think that is?!”
“As I’ve repeatedly said, I merely changed the minds of humans who intended to die. I have never directly interfered with a Grim Reaper’s work.”
“Shut up!”
Shainos thought that the annoying brat had become even more annoying as a human than he was as a Grim Reaper. He glared at him for a moment, then quickly vanished from the spot.
“Sei-an.”
“……”
He had spotted Kanto approaching him.
“Was someone just here?”
“…No.”
“Really? I thought I saw someone…”
Kanto cocked his head in confusion, as he thought he’d seen a blurry human figure disappearing the moment he spotted Sei-an.
“They say ghosts sometimes appear here…”
“What?”
“Let’s go.”
“R-right.”
Then, at Sei-an’s muttered words, Kanto flinched and quickly glanced around before hastily following behind him.
He was wondering if what he had just seen might have been a ghost.
‘Am I a ghost, huh?! Am I a ghost?!’
Meanwhile, Sei-an could almost hear Shainos grumbling about his comment, and he let out an awkward smile.
