A Brother’s Fury and a Principal’s Secret

“Madam Fuli Aiwen, please observe proper etiquette. It is exceedingly ill-mannered to address someone by their name without an honorific. You owe Miss Miller an apology.” The old principal’s voice remained even, his authority palpable despite the lack of overt anger.

The woman, identified as Fuli, shot Yali a piercing glare before offering a reluctant apology.

“Now, Miss Miller, please put the recent unpleasantness out of your mind. Let us proceed. Regarding your physical condition, it appears to be…”

“Principal, inquiries into a student’s family background constitute a crucial aspect of this process. Should these matters remain unclarified, it could potentially hinder the allocation of welfare benefits and the awarding of scholarships.”

The old principal remained unperturbed. “I am the one overseeing this review,” he stated. “You have no authority to dictate which questions I pose.”

“You are correct. However, I will truthfully report to the committee your deliberate circumvention of specific questions during this interview.”

Yodel discerned the distinct sound of something snapping, a sound that emanated from the old principal’s vicinity.

Fuli Aiwen once again pivoted to face Yali, her nostrils flaring conspicuously.

“Miss Miller, should you decline to answer these questions, any subsequent complications will be entirely your own responsibility.

“Surely, you wish to avoid such an outcome, do you not? Therefore, for your own good, I shall pose the questions on the principal’s behalf.

“My first question is this: why were you accompanied by your brother for this registration, rather than by your parents?”

Confronted with such an overtly malicious question, Yali found herself instantly speechless, her small hands clenching tightly onto the hem of her skirt.

“I… they… they all…”

Before anyone else could even register a response, the woman pressed on with her next inquiry.

“If you are unable to answer, we shall proceed to the next question. It appears you have two elder brothers. May I ask why your first brother is not present?

“Is the brother accompanying you actually related by blood?”

This time, Yali offered no sound, simply bowing her head, allowing her long hair to cascade and conceal her features.

The harrowing image of her brother collapsed in a pool of blood, her parents existing only as distant childhood recollections—all these deeply buried memories surged forth once more.

Moments later, a single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek to land upon her tightly clenched hand, producing a soft, muffled plink.

“If you are unable to provide an answer, then…”

“Madam Fuli Aiwen, I demand that you leave!”

Heliq slammed the stack of documents he held onto the desktop, and the principal’s office door sprang open with a resounding thud.

“Very well. Regarding your expulsion of me from this investigation, I shall report it truthfully to…”

“Out!”

The woman was cut off once more, yet she appeared unwilling to yield.

However, precisely as she prepared to resume speaking, her eyes locked onto a gaze of chilling intensity.

This piercing stare belonged to the brother who had remained largely silent throughout.

The brother’s lips parted slightly, and in a voice barely above a whisper, he spoke but four words:

“Do you wish to die?”

A shiver ran through the woman, instantly draining her of any remaining courage to persist in her torment. She snapped her mouth shut and scurried out of the principal’s office, the door closing automatically behind her.

The room, now occupied by only three individuals, fell into an immediate hush, and Yali’s soft, suppressed sobs became strikingly audible.

Yodel knelt before Yali, drawing her into his arms. As he felt his shirt dampen against his chest, he gently stroked the crown of her head.

“You still have me…”

“I will always remain by your side…”

The old principal remained utterly silent. Drawing upon his decades of life experience, he instinctively knew that Yali’s brother’s threat was far from an idle boast.

Furthermore, even as Yali’s brother held his sister close, murmuring comforting words, his face—hidden from Yali’s view—was a mask of chilling coldness, stark and ashen.

The old principal approached the siblings, bowing deeply. “I am profoundly sorry to have subjected you both to such an ordeal,” he offered. “I will arrange for reparations and personally call upon you to express my apologies.”

“This is not your fault, Principal. You are not the one who bears the burden of apology.”

Every wrong has its source, every debt its claimant. Yodel was no fool to misdirect his anger onto an innocent party.

“Brother…” Yali, her face still nestled within Yodel’s embrace, suddenly murmured.

“I’m here, I’m here. What is it?”

“Brother… don’t…”

“Alright, alright, I won’t go. I’ll always be right here.”

Yet, upon hearing Yodel’s words, Yali shook her head emphatically. “Brother… please don’t be angry on my behalf… don’t provoke Madam Aiwen because of me…”

“Yes, yes, your brother will heed your wishes.”

The old principal observed Yodel’s countenance, instantly discerning that he harbored no intention of forgiving Fuli Aiwen; he was merely pacifying his sister for the time being.

Consequently, he, too, half-knelt, speaking softly beside Yali. “If you are still willing to enroll at Leicester University, know that should you face any difficulties in the future, be they personal or academic, you are always welcome to seek my assistance.”

It was only when Yali’s sobs subsided that the old principal resumed speaking.

“Mr. Yodel Finn, if I’m not mistaken? I have a few matters I wish to discuss with you privately.”

He clapped his hands, and one wall of the principal’s office shimmered into an illusion, unveiling a concealed chamber beyond. Within, bookshelves brimmed with a dazzling array of books, meticulously arranged.

“Miss Miller, you mentioned earlier that you have a fondness for history books, did you not? This is my private study. Feel free to peruse its contents at your leisure, and if any particular volume captures your interest, please take it home with you.

“For now, I have an important matter to discuss with your brother.”

Yali glanced at Yodel, who, after scrutinizing her for several long seconds, finally offered a nod of assent.

“Thank you, Principal.”

Having received her brother’s approval, Yali expressed her gratitude and stepped into the private study.

The old principal clapped his hands once more, and the private study sealed itself off, vanishing from sight.

“Now, Mr. Yodel, I have cast a sound-dampening spell. No one will overhear our subsequent conversation, not even your sister.

“I shall not mince words. Your identification documents are fraudulent.”

“You are correct,” Yodel responded, his expression utterly unfazed. “I obtained these false credentials through the Hymn Church.”

This candid admission caught the old principal off guard, yet, as a seasoned veteran, he swiftly adjusted to Yodel’s straightforward manner of speaking.

“The Hymn Church, you say? If those righteous individuals, who abhor evil, assisted you in obtaining it, then your fabricated identity paradoxically serves as proof of your good character.”

“Thank you for the compliment. If it’s not too much trouble, I would appreciate knowing precisely where my identity documents failed to pass muster, and how you managed to discern their falsity?”

The old principal stroked his long beard with a mysterious air. “Haha,” he chuckled, “this old man was once the Kingdom’s Chief Mage. While my valor may not be what it once was, the myriad connections I’ve cultivated over the years remain firmly in place.”

It was little wonder, then, that he could enact reforms despite the formidable pressure from the nobility; he was, indeed, no simple man.

Nevertheless, the recent exchange revealed that the influence of the nobility was not to be underestimated. Even a figure as formidable as the old principal had found himself constrained by that woman.

“While your fabricated identity might suffice for daily life, it would never pass muster under the scrutiny of internal government reviews. This, incidentally, was another reason I specifically sought out Miss Miller—I harbored concerns about you, given your suspicious nature…”

“However, observing the dynamic between the two of you just now, I realize that my concerns were, in fact, unfounded.”