Chapter 20: Sanctuary

The weekend is over.

How many people would despair at this simple sentence?

Probably countless.

Because any student or office worker would want a weekend where they can rest.

“……Ah.”

Right away, I was the first to do so.

As usual, I took my seat at the back of the classroom earlier than anyone else, but I was sighing deeply about the upcoming class.

And then, this thought would suddenly occur to me.

“……Should I just quit?”

The thought of quitting.

Since I wouldn’t even live a year anyway, I thought of quitting the academy first.

It wasn’t an absurd idea.

Of course, that was because I was a student who didn’t fit the purpose of the academy.

What was the meaning of the academy?

Of course, the academy was a place that existed to nurture talent for the future.

The purpose of protecting people.

The purpose of nurturing talent that will protect people.

When I thought about this purpose, from the academy’s perspective, I was a rather shameless person.

I wasn’t particularly talented.

Since I had a terminal diagnosis, I wasn’t even there for the future.

“…… How come there isn’t even one condition that fits.”

When you look at the meaning of this place’s existence, a student who doesn’t fit even one of those conditions.

Isn’t this the Academy’s evaluation of the student named ‘Lian Trice’?

Rather, I should have been bowing to the Academy and going there.

Thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to go to the Academy.

“…”

My mood suddenly got worse.

But what can I do?

The way others looked at me had already been decided.

In common parlance, it was a situation where it was like, ‘What can you do?’

What can I do?

What can I do besides just quietly living like an invisible person?

Dropping out itself wasn’t the problem.

Dropping out was a matter of going to the student affairs office and filling out the paperwork.

“That’s the problem.”

The problem was what to do after dropping out.

How on earth was I going to live in this barren original after dropping out of the Academy?

First of all, I didn’t have the talent to make a living.

I can handle a sword, but the original world view is that there are many people who handle swords better than me.

I don’t have any special connections.

The only new connections I have here are Ellis, Tinia, and Layla.

-Really? You’re not lying, right?

You’re finally disappearing from my life?

Ellis will probably welcome me with open arms when I tell her that I’m dropping out.

-Nothing will change even if I stop you, my junior.

It’s unfortunate, but I hope you live well after you drop out.

Tinia will only feel a little sorry, but she won’t force me to leave.

-Hmm. I guess I misjudged the person.I didn’t think he lacked perseverance.

Layla would definitely reject all the kindness I’d shown her so far and send me off with a cold gaze.

“……It’s kind of sad.”

I felt really bitter.

In this regard, I thought that Lian from the original would be much better than me.

He’s much better.

At least he can just return to his family.

Of course, it was obvious that the original Lian wouldn’t be treated well if he returned to his family.

Lian, who was already known as a loser, dropped out of the academy simply because he had no reason to go.

……Isn’t that so?

Rather, perhaps his family doesn’t think much of his because he’s more like Lian than anyone else.

Suddenly, the thought began to occur that that could be true.

In the first place, the reason Lian in the original was kicked out of the family was not because he dropped out, but because he was expelled, which brought shame on the family.

It must have been the result of the family’s shame of being expelled and all the various things that had happened up until now.

Anyway.

I’m not saying that the original Lian’s ending is important now.

I’m just saying that the loser in the original had a place to return to.

Unlike me, who had nowhere to return to even if I dropped out now.

“……It’s impossible for me to return to the Trice family.”

I had no intention of returning to the family.

If I did return, people might suspect me of being a different person.

It was natural.

If the scoundrel who had practically given up on me were to suddenly act like a normal person, it would be natural for people to suspect me.

There would be many people in the Trice family who had seen Lian before.

It wouldn’t take long for them to realize that Lian Trice had changed.

This was the situation I didn’t want the most right now, and it was a situation I didn’t want even before I was given a terminal diagnosis.

A situation where people who knew the original Lian would start to suspect me.

What I wanted was not suspicion, but trust.

Not suspicion that ‘you’ve changed into a different person’.

Trust that would believe in me, saying ‘you’ve finally changed.’

Because this was the kind of reaction I wanted from people.

I hated receiving this reaction now, which I didn’t want to receive in the first place, more than death.

“…”

This is why I didn’t drop out even though I had no interest in going to the academy.

Because I had nowhere to go.

Even if I ran away from here, there was no warm shelter for me.

There was no place else.

Even if everyone hated me, even if everyone pointed fingers at me.

There was no place else I could stay.

That was why I held on.

Even though I was receiving harsh stares from others, and even though the classes at the academy were of no help at all, I held on, barely holding on.

That was all.

That was the whole reason I remained at the academy.

“As expected, you came early today?”

“…”

“Hmm. Now you’ve heard me, but you’re not even answering. Do you know that’s really bad?”

That was the reason I held on, even as I watched Ellis Akstra’s angry expression, who had been getting on my nerves since morning.

Maybe it was because of the gloomy thoughts I’d been thinking about, but I really didn’t have the energy to answer.

But I couldn’t ignore Ellis, who was saying such things.

I mustered up all my strength to answer.

“……What’s going on?”

“Wow, you sound like you’re really curious about what’s going on.”

“Just tell me what’s going on. Ellis, you wouldn’t have come this early just to scratch me.”

“Is that right? You came early to scratch me, right?”

“…”

“……Tch, I get it. I’m not joking, so put that disgusting expression off.”

Fortunately, my rotten expression seemed to have been conveyed well to Ellis.

Seeing her tail tucked in like that.

Seeing that proud Ellis react like that.

Ellis let out a deep sigh as if it was no fun and then began to talk about her business.

“It’s nothing.”

“That’s what you say every time you talk to me. Is it because I’m in a bad mood?”

“……Of course it’s because I’m in a bad mood. Anyway, don’t interrupt me. I’m talking about you.”

“…”

“It’s nothing, I heard a strange rumor over the weekend.”

“A strange rumor?”

Strange rumor?

What kind of strange rumor all of a sudden?

There shouldn’t be any original events that could happen at this time?

Seeing my expression as if I had no idea, Ellis continued speaking as if she was frustrated.

“Yes. That’s a very strange rumor, and it’s related to you.”

“A rumor related to me?”

“The crown princess, and a request. Do you understand what I mean?”

“……Ah.”

“There’s a rumor spreading through the Academy that you and the princess took on a request and handled it alone.”

Ellis’s expression seemed to ask, ‘Don’t you know anything?’

It was like the expression of a god contemplating whether to send the soul in front of him to hell or heaven.

“….”

It’s only natural that you can’t make a decision easily…

“……So what’s the problem with that? I don’t know.”

Someone sat down next to me, cutting off Ellis’ mutterings.

“Tell me. Ellis Akstra. What’s the problem with me resolving the request with Lian Trice?”

“……Your Highness, Princess?”

Ellis’s expression instantly hardened at the word ‘princess.’

And, the charismatic voice I kept hearing while carrying out the request.

Even with just this much information, I could tell who the person sitting next to me was without even turning my head to the side.

“……Meet Her Highness ,the Princess.”

“Yes, Lian Trice. You too, tell me. What is the problem with me handling the request together with you?”

Layla von Pelias.

The princess of the empire was sitting next to me, resting her chin on her hand, looking at me and Ellis.

And, as I have felt countless times, ‘You are wrong. Damian.’

The original protagonist’s statement that the Academy was the best place to rest was, as expected, a blatant lie.