RATH 93

TL: Eevee

11. Not a myth, but a legend (6)

#6 Their story: Aris ril Letias story.

The imperial festival was all but Yugrasias to win.

Although we failed in our initial objective of total victory, that was only due to the unexpected fortune for Marcis named Ria el Nermia.

Coming into the final day, Yugrasia was in first place at 114 points.

Arucia, one of the strongest contenders to win was on 0 points, in joint third with Mercaria, also on 0 points.

Realistically, none of the other schools could catch up to Yugrasia.

Even if the final event was worth 80 points, the greatest number of points in imperial festival history, and even if, somehow, just somehow, we managed to lose that!

Even if the school who won that event was Marcis, in second place, Yugrasia would still have an overwhelming victory of 114 to 87.

Yes, thats what it should normally be

The maximum number of points 4000?

An unbelievably ridiculous rule was revealed to us on the morning of the event.

[Each academy will be in charge of defending 10 castles. And every time one is stolen, 100 points to the taking school.]

That meant that the maximum number of points a school could earn was 3000.

Although of course this was on the assumption that all the other schools were defeated within the time limit, but in the worst case scenario where Yugrasia failed to capture a single castle with everyone getting out, then we could finish this imperial festival in last place.

The favouritism of the administrators had far overstepped their boundaries here.

In order to lodge a complaint about this, officially, the student council, and the student council president, in particular, needed to make a move.

And so I went to find our stuco president but

Is that a problem?

The most important president was taking this catastrophe far too lightly.

Is that a problem? This is an unprecedented situation in the history of the imperial festival! This is a rule made purely to target us!

So?

What do you mean, so?! Our night study is on the line here! We cant get tied down because of a stupid rule like this!

I yelled at Pres hard enough for me to turn red, but Pres only smiled gently.

Lady Aris. What was our objective?

Of course that was to end this hell-like night study!

Yes, but we also had a secondary objective. To show how much we grew in the depths of that hell the objective of total victory.

Thats

I wasnt going to deny that the total victory was one of our goals coming into the imperial festival.

But two defeats had already made that an impossible goal.

This is our opportunity. A chance for us who lost to those children who barely play for a few hours at their schools, to revive our pride!

As Pres looked at me with a determined face, he quietly, yet clearly said.

By taking all of their castles, and not allowing a single one of ours to fall.

And thirty minutes after the start of the event.

The f*ck?

I swore like youd expect from some third-rate back alley thug.

[Come at me, Yugrasia!]

What was happening, the man who just this morning, personally said that we would not lose a single castle in our victory to uphold our pride, was personally annihilating one of Yugrasias castles and declaring war on us.

If that had been all, then it could have ended as just a slip of the tongue on my part.

Were we too harsh during yesterdays event?

That probably was a bit too far.

But you cant say that Nerkia is blameless either, can you?

As the student council and a number of other students that had gathered to stop the invasion of the other schools said things as if theyd known of the presidents betrayal in advance.

Haa, this stupid as hell academy.

If it were me from just a year ago, I would be in chaos if I were thrown into a scenario as ridiculous as this.

But having been dyed in Yugrasias colours, I could calmly make an assessment of the situation.

Yesterdays match if I recall right, Pres used his lover the Arucia vice-president to secure victory

When I looked back at the magic video tool again, the students standing behind Pres were definitely Arucia students.

Seeing as the Arucia students would never trust our Pres that betrayed their vice-pres unless theyd gone insane

It was a misunderstanding.

A clear misunderstanding, and judging by what I could hear around me, this was a misunderstanding created by our allies.

And to clear up that misunderstanding and to punish the Yugrasia students that created said misunderstanding to begin with, the Pres had betrayed Yugrasia.

Mm. fine. I can totally.

How the hell am I supposed to understannnd thiiiiiiiissss!

L, Lady Aris?

Milady?

Ignoring the shocked looks of everyone else around me, I clutched my head and screamed.

Just what the hell did you do to the Pres for him to do that?!

Hiik!

Everyone around me was doing their best to avoid meeting my livid glare.

Most of them are seniors but nows not the time to care about that.

Just what manner of insanity did you guys do, that our Pres betrayed us and is fighting for the other side? Ahh? If you have mouths then could you speak?

Uh Lady Aris? Were still your seniors

Ahhnnn?

Im sorry!

After I glared at and shut down one of my seniors who put up his hand with something to say, I started looking around at everyone else.

Honestly, seriously, normally Id never say this sort of thing, but right now we can actually lose at the last minute? Although some people are going home next year, I have to stay here for another three years you want me to do this f***ing night study for another three years? Isnt this just humanely not right?

As I grit my teeth and glared at everyone, one by one their gazes aligned to a single point.

Very well, just what did I expect. The situation we found ourselves in being what it was, if that human wasnt around I might actually have missed him.

And as everyones eyes fell onto him, the person suspected of causing all this, the vice-president, Risen proudly puffed out his chest and said.

That asshole was pissing us all off with his flirting so I simply made them break up?

What kind of retarded

Understandable.

I tried to deny the cause of this nonsensical stupidity, but I heard a voice beside me actually accept that excuse.

Siir?

Siir whose character had been slowly changing lately, and in a very bad direction as well, was looking at me with a serious expression.

Lady Aris, no, Aris.

Mm?

Even when Id kept telling her to speak casually with me as friends, shed kept using polite language again and again, and yet here she was speaking casually to me.

It couldnt be helped. No, on the contrary, the people who got I the way of the Press love affairs yesterday were brave enough that they could be called heroes.

Siir? Just what on earth are you saying?

I had no clue just why interfering with the Press love life was worth calling people a hero for, but Siir was serious.

Think about it, Aris. Have you ever had a boyfriend?

N, no, I havent?

I hesitated slightly at the unexpected question.

There was no talk about an arranged marriage as of yet, and it wasnt like there was a boy I liked, either.

Indeed, not even Lady Aris, daughter of the Letia marquisate had a lover, and yet just Pres dares to

Siir? I dont think thats a proper reason

Siir really was being ruined.

Lately Id heard that the vice-pres Risen had been making contact with Siir, and something finally blew up.

Siir had always maintained a demure and elegant appearance as youd expect of someone from a Count household, and yet her eyes were darkened as she emitted an incredible aura of rage.

And yet hes flirting so openly in public, and moreover turning traitor for Yugrasias enemies

Siir, youre weird right now. Really weird! You werent this type of character!

Characters and whatnot are irrelevant right now, Aris! As a solo, I am burning with anger!

Thats it, thats the attitude! That sort of attitude is perfect for my successor!

Off to the side, I saw the vice-president nodding his head in satisfaction.

So it was that human who ruined Siir after all.

Just what the hell have you been bullshitting to our Siir, you damn vice-president?!

And successor? That humans successor?

It wouldnt have been weird if Siir had cut ties with me after she followed me to Yugrasia to experience the silver devil.

And if she became that weird vice-presidents successor, then I would be facing the resentment of the Reia family for the rest of my days.

Anything but that!

Youre popular, Siir! If you want you can take anyone you want as your lover!

Siir is actually very popular.

As the eldest daughter of a high-ranking noble, unlike me, she was quiet and elegant, the perfect ideal of men!

Aris. Is that claim one confirmed by the boys?

N, no, but

The problem was that all these conclusions were things that Id heard from other noble ladies in the same faction None of us had much to do with male nobles after all.

Yes, thats it Aris. We were simply comforting each other Have any of us ever been confessed to since we enrolled into Yugrasia?

No, but

Despite starting academy life where it was countless confessions were said to be exchanged, neither of us had been confessed to.

But wasnt that because of the night study?

Even if there was none of the love letters in shoeboxes or desks, or boys waiting for you after school that wed only ever heard about from high society gatherings!

But we had the night study.

We trained and strategized purely for the sake of surviving against the silver devil, none of us even had the space of mind to confess to anyone!

But what about Pres? Even while Pres was doing the night study he had a lover?

Th, thats

But Siirs counterattack shut my mouth up once again.

Aris, dont try to make excuses for him. Even in that chaos Pres had a lover. No matter how much he couldnt leave the academy, even if he couldnt so much as get a glimpse of her face during the holidays. Pres still had a lover!

Kghhh

How do you feel right now, Aris? Annoyed? Do you feel something burning raw from deep within? Yes, that is what you should be feeling. We did our best purely for the academy, yet in that time the man we called out student council president wasted time on a relationship, and moreover betrayed us at this crucial moment where our night study is on the line.

He did

I could slowly feel something burning deep within me.

Now, think about it. Right now, Pres betrayed us under the excuse of his lover. He fooled you, Aris, he fooled us he fooled the academy and he chose his lover.

Yes, Pres had fooled us all

I nodded to Siirs words.

It was true. Whatever the cause, the fact that Pres had betrayed us hadnt changed.

Now, think about it, Aris. What is it that you have to do? Is it admonishing our allies that gave Pres an excuse to betray us, or execute the traitor that abandoned our trust, became the slave of a girl from a different academy and raised his blade against us?

Well of course, it was.

Execute the traitor!

Yes, yes, thats it, Aris!

Siirs expression brightened as she embraced me, and whispered into my ear.

The only person that can punish the Pres that betrayed us the only one that can punish our student council president, the Elemental Army, is you, our swordsmaster, Aris.

Yes Something only I can do

We need to end the night study, right? Weve got our second year, third year, fourth year ahead of us, right? You dont want to keep doing the night study, do you?

No. I dont want to get hit anymore. I dont wanna fight the silver devil anymore

I hated it. I wanted to just quit this academy and transfer to a different school but Father wasnt letting me.

That meant I would have to attend Yugrasia until I graduated and I had to keep doing the night study the entire time?

Yes, end it. With your own hands, Aris. The night study and the life of the traitor.

Mm. Ill end it. I will the night study and the Press life!

I realised afterwards that something had gone wrong, but that was only something that happened afterwards.

And much later on, when the imperial festival had ended, when I looked back at this particular scene through the recordings of the magic video tools

To be precise, when I saw Siir, exchanging thumbs up with the vice-president Risen with an evil grin on her face, even while she was embracing me, I realised.

I had been playing perfectly into Siirs hands the entire time!