Chapter 110.1
Chapter 110.1. Punishment
At the academy, on a Monday morning, in Class A.
It had turned into a place of judgment.
“I’m disappointed in you, Clyde.”
At the center of it all was Clyde von Helmut.
Confronting him were three students from Class A.
Nesty von Langheim, Rainel von Ahrens, and Annette von Marclay… The first two had been defeated by Albert and Nina in previous matches. The remaining girl had always viewed Sara as an enemy… and had similarly lost to a Class B student in the same competition.
Additionally, these three had one more thing in common: after the competition, they, like Clyde, belonged to a faction that refused to acknowledge Class B’s victory.
In other words, Clyde was now being condemned by those who had once been his allies.
“I never imagined you would resort to such vile actions behind the facade of noble words!”
“Exactly! I used to respect you as our class leader!”
“I’m so disappointed, Clyde! I can’t believe you would do something like this!”
The reason for this was obvious—evidence that Katia had uncovered over the weekend, revealing Clyde’s unfair behavior and his attempts to fabricate proof of Class B’s alleged cheating.
She had ruthlessly spread this information throughout the school at this precise moment.
She could have used it for negotiation—actually, that was the original intent—but after seeing how Clyde acted over the weekend, it was clear he would never agree to any negotiations. So, she decided to drop the bomb without hesitation.
Moreover, she understood.
The primary reason Clyde had maintained his position as class leader was neither his skill, eloquence, nor charisma—it was because he had somewhat ensured the interests of Class A.
Therefore, his influence had already significantly diminished the moment he lost the competition that was meant to satisfy their sadistic desires and pride. Those who remained with him were only doing so in the hope that he could turn things around.
If she presented undeniable evidence that any chance of recovery was impossible…
“Are you listening, Clyde? How do you plan to take responsibility for this?”
“You’ve betrayed our trust, and that’s a grave offense!”
It was only natural that he would end up isolated.
Katia had let Clyde go that day—not because of mercy, but because there was no need for her to finish him off.
As stated—she didn’t need to lift a finger.
Even those who were accusing him knew that without Clyde, they would have no means left to undermine Class B, and they would be in trouble if they couldn’t get recognition.
But now that things had come to this, they resigned themselves,
“At least let’s minimize the damage. Let’s blame everything on Clyde.” And so, they proceeded with their harsh denouncement.
… It was not a pleasant sight to behold, given how transparent their intentions were.
However, Katia judged that this was the most effective method to deal with people like them. She resolved to see it through and watched the farcical scene unfold in the center of the classroom.
And so, betrayed by his former allies, Clyde was now completely isolated.
“—Wait!”
Yet, he still refused to give up.
“You’re mistaken, you’ve been deceived! You think I fabricated the evidence, but it was actually Katia-sama who did it! How can you not see that?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! There were so many witnesses, and we even heard some of those statements ourselves! Are you still trying to worm your way out of this?!”
“Exactly! How much more insult do you think we’ll tolerate?!”
However, those who accuse others often display an uncanny persistence in dragging others down.
Clyde’s desperate excuses were immediately silenced, and he was further bombarded with insults, leaving him speechless.
“First of all, I always found it strange! How someone who’s ‘just riding on Prince Aster’s coattails’ could act so high and mighty!”
“Exactly! For someone who’s ‘all talk and no action’, how much longer are you going to keep pretending?!”
“And that bloodline magic you’re hiding—it’s probably ‘not that impressive’ after all!!”
And finally, they crossed the line.
They brought up the issue that, for some reason, no one had dared to touch upon before—the contradiction of Clyde’s presence in the academy.
Clyde, hearing this, trembled as his lips quivered in shock.
“…Why…?”
His voice was filled with anger, sadness, and pity.
“Why would you say something so cruel?! I’ve worked so hard for everyone’s sake, and yet no one believes in me! Don’t you think this is far too cruel?!”
“……”
“I’ve always said that nobles should be humble and that we should all work together! And yet, when you might lose something, you abandon me! After everything I’ve done for Class A, don’t you think you should help me?!”
No one responded to Clyde’s plea.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t—it was because they were stunned.
By the sheer audacity of him to paint himself as the victim, and by the foolishness of his empty words.
But Clyde, as if completely unaware of any doubt, continued in a voice full of conviction.
“How arrogant and selfish you all are! People like you will face punishment, just like Prince Aster!!”
At that utterly baseless and audacious proclamation, Nesty and the others who had been accusing Clyde couldn’t help but laugh.
“…Ha… What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Punishment? That’s quite the foolish thing to say. So that’s your true nature after all.”
“Oh really? Well then, why don’t you go ahead and deliver that punishment right here and now, if you can!”
Their mockery was now fully on display as the three taunted Clyde.
Backed into a corner, Clyde seemed unable to say anything more. He turned and left the classroom.
The room echoed with the three’s loud laughter.
To everyone, it seemed as if Clyde had fled the room, unable to bear their accusations any longer.
Even Katia saw it that way—but…
“…?”
She felt two odd sensations.
First, a few students in the classroom had somewhat strained expressions amidst their laughter at Clyde.
And, the second was the strange look on Clyde’s face as he passed by Katia before leaving the classroom.
But these feelings were so faint that they didn’t warrant any action or further thought. The rest of the day passed without incident, and Clyde didn’t return.
Then, the next day,
—Three seats were empty in Class A.
“……Huh……”
The missing students were Nesty, Rainel, and Annette—the three who had accused Clyde the day before.
In the morning homeroom, the teacher explained the reason for their absence.
Nesty had been caught in a landslide and was severely injured.
Rainel had been in a shop that inexplicably caught fire, leaving him in critical condition.
Annette had been hit by a stray bullet during a monster subjugation near her home and suffered severe burns.
In an unsettling atmosphere, after homeroom ended,
“—See, I told you, didn’t I?”
Clyde, who had calmly come to school, spoke with a deeply satisfied smile.
“They were punished. Those greedy, arrogant, and selfish three!”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Katia couldn’t help but shout.
“What’s that supposed to mean?! The timing and the people—it’s as if you did something! What did you—”
“Oh dear, that’s not like you, Katia-sama.”
But this time, Clyde responded with a serene, triumphant smile.
“You think ‘I must have done something’? Deciding someone is guilty based on mere speculation is foolish. Your father always says, ‘No crime without evidence.’ Surely, you wouldn’t be so dishonorable as to go against that, would you?”
“……”
“If you want to accuse me, bring concrete evidence that I did it. But of course, the previous evidence is useless. It was all a false charge to begin with. If you pursue this any further, you might find yourself ‘punished’ as well—”
His tone was so full of confidence and so eerie, and with no concrete evidence, Katia could do nothing but remain silent.
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