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"What? You're being assaulted by underclassmen?"
"Yes. I barely managed to persuade him to tell me, as he kept trying to avoid the topic. I told him the family couldn't accept him back unless he explained the reason, and told him to return to the academy. Only then did he tell me."
Davian clenched his fist.
"Which bastards are..."
"I could find out if I wanted to, but I'm not investigating because Liber asked me not to."
After a long time, Davian's head started to heat up.
"That idiot... if he had told us, it would have been solved right away. Why even take a leave of absence?"
Liber's father was right in front of him, but he ended up calling Liber an idiot.
However, both Davian and Moldin knew that this wasn't really a criticism of Liber.
"That's why."
"Yes?"
"That's why he decided to take a leave of absence. Because he couldn't bring himself to tell you guys."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He felt too sorry and ashamed towards the friends who would definitely stand up for him. The opponents are just freshmen who have just entered the academy, aren't they?"
He was too emotional for a moment.
He was angry at the guys who dared to touch Liber, and he didn't consider Liber's feelings.
Perhaps.
If the roles were reversed, Davian might have made the same choice.
The friends he hangs out with are among the best in the third year.
Latia and Karin already have skills beyond the academy level.
Bonita has a feeling like she has awakened to the essence of swordsmanship.
Even the timid Luna is the best healer in the field.
And Davian, who has become the strongest magician on the continent.
How could he bring himself to tell these friends?
"I got beaten up by freshmen, please go and punish them."
"Can I see Liber?"
"I'll guide you. Whether he'll meet you or not is up to Liber."
"Liber."
"Go back, Davian."
"I heard from your father. Open the door."
"...Aish. I told him not to tell you."
"Davian Alliance's strategist. Are you really going to be like this?"
"...Sorry."
"I have a good idea. Open the door first. Now that I know, it's only a matter of time before the others find out. If we're going to find out anyway, shouldn't we find a way to solve it?"
"You won't keep it a secret if I ask you to?"
"Nope."
"...Damn it."
"I came all the way here. Are you just going to send me back? I skipped all my classes today. I'm not leaving if you don't open the door."
Creak.
Liber's door opened weakly.
"Come in, Davian."
Even though he knew the treatment was over, he examined his face first.
"What, are you looking so closely because you think there might be a scar left?"
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to."
"I practically poured potions all over myself."
"Who are they? Those sons of bitches."
"I'm not going to tell you. I don't need revenge, Davian. My friends are running around for the future of the kingdom. How can I ask them to avenge me for getting beaten up by underclassmen?"
"Judging from the fact that they beat you up as a group, they must be from the Swordsmanship Department, right?"
"Uh..."
In the end, Liber told Davian everything that happened that day.
Davian thought for a moment, then spoke.
"After hearing your story, you definitely shouldn't be staying here like this."
"Why?"
"Those guys. They deliberately targeted a senior. They even brought up the fact that I had a formal match with a fourth-year when I was a freshman, right?"
"Yeah."
"The ringleader was a guy named Werner Dyke, right?"
"Uh..."
"That bastard did it on purpose to show off his presence. So what's going to happen now?"
Haa.
A deep sigh escaped from Liber's mouth.
It was an obvious sequence of events, but how could the smart Liber not have thought of it?
The shock of being beaten up by underclassmen must have been huge.
Now that he had come to his senses, he returned to Liber Specula, who was timid but always made cool-headed judgments.
"They're going to spread rumors. Those guys."
"That's right. The rumors are probably already spreading. Since the spaces are strictly separated by grade, the rumors have only spread among the freshmen for now, but after the weekend, the rumors might spread throughout the entire academy."
"Damn it..."
"Liber. You're in the Magic Department. It's natural to lose if you get into a fight with a group of Swordsmanship Department guys on the street. You know that you're not compatible in the first place."
"But if it were Latia or Karin, that wouldn't have happened. If I hadn't just made the guy who used mental magic on me dance to make them back off quickly..."
"It's not your fault, Liber. It was an unavoidable situation. What can a magician do alone when those guys came in targeting you from the start?"
"Re, really?"
"You're majoring in mental magic. Why do you keep comparing yourself to Latia and Karin? Except for those two, the result would have been the same even if anyone else in the third-year Magic Department was in that situation."
"Re, really?"
"Let's punish those guys now, Liber."
Liber shook his head violently.
"I don't want to bring a bunch of classmates to take revenge on freshmen for getting beaten up by underclassmen."
"Did you forget what I said outside the door earlier? Where did that smart Liber go?"
Liber Specula, who remembers everything he has read once and heard once.
A genius among geniuses.
"I told you I had a good idea, right?"
"That's right. Now you're acting like Liber."
"What's that good idea?"
"Tteobeori!"
Bellum ran up and hugged Liber tightly.
She glanced at Nubes for a moment, but she couldn't help but be happy that her close friend wasn't quitting the academy.
Soon after, Luna also hugged Liber from behind.
"Welcome back, Liber."
Latia showed her happiness by tapping Liber's shoulder.
And.
Bonita Fortis, who appeared last, drew her sword as soon as she saw Liber's face.
"Which bastards are they."
In the meantime, while Davian was out picking up Liber.
Rumors were already spreading.
Although the specific facts hadn't been spread yet, rumors had spread that a freshman had assaulted a third-year.
It was also widely rumored that Liber, who had suddenly taken a leave of absence, might be the target.
"Bonita, calm down."
"Calm down? Which bastards are they?"
"I have a plan, so please be quiet for a while."
"Plan?"
Liber's leave of absence was canceled.
Instead, rumors properly spread throughout the academy over the weekend.
Rumors that Werner Dyke from a prestigious swordsmanship family and his gang got into a fight with a third-year senior and brutally beat him up.
Of course, it was all known that the target was Liber.
"Aren't they in big trouble?"
"To mess with Davian's family. They must be completely out of their minds."
"I don't know if they'll get killed by Bonita if they meet them on the street."
"To mess with Davian's best friend of all people. Tsk tsk."
Among the seniors, there were many voices worrying about the freshmen.
Even if Liber is a student specializing in mental magic, the friends he hangs out with are not ordinary.
But.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, nothing happened to the freshmen.
"What is it? Are they just covering it up?"
"His friend got beaten up by an underclassman and came back? Cover this up?"
"Or maybe Liber has never been truly recognized as a real friend? There's a big difference in skill."
"Even so. They always hang out together claiming to be close."
"Isn't Liber ashamed of being beaten up by an underclassman?"
"It doesn't seem that way since they still seem to be taking Liber around. If they were ashamed, they would have gotten rid of him a long time ago."
"Hey, if I went somewhere and got beaten up by an underclassman, would you just pretend you didn't know?"
Gradually, public opinion turned against Davian's group.
This is not an academy that studies ordinary academics.
An institution that nurtures magicians, swordsmen, archers, and fighters who will be responsible for the future of the Pax Continent.
In other words, a place where the logic of power exists.
While the freshmen who actually beat up the senior were walking around proudly every weekend, Davian's group took no action.
Rather, they seemed to be deliberately avoiding the freshmen and did not come out of the third-year dormitory even on weekends.
It wasn't just the academy students who were wondering.
"Sarah, why hasn't Master Davian come to the residence on weekends lately?"
"I don't know. He must be busy."
"It seems like something bad happened to Liber."
Originally, he should be using honorifics to Liber, who is from a noble family, but because Davian's friends had been calling him hyung and oppa for over two years, Mons had now naturally stopped using honorifics.
"I heard about that too. Is it because of that?"
"It's been several weeks already. I'm starting to get worried."
"Then send a letter to the academy."
"I think I'll have to."
Bellus, who was listening to Mons and Sarah's conversation, also lowered her head.
This was the first time since entering the academy that she hadn't seen Davian oppa for so long.
Bellus muttered to herself in a dejected voice.
"I was going to brag about how close I've become with the Supreme Spirit Sylph..."
Several weeks passed with many controversies.
Just when the talk about the act of insubordination was fading.
The mid-term exam season for the first semester of the first year arrived.
"No, Davian."
"Professor."
"No. No matter how much it's not your exam, do you think the academy's exam is a joke?"
"Professor."
"I told you no. Rather, tell me to go catch the Crazy Dragon again. I can't tolerate Davian satisfying your personal desires in the sacred examination hall."
"What is the purpose of the first-year Swordsmanship Department mid-term exam?"
"Purpose? What are you talking about. Of course, it's the first time to evaluate how much the freshmen have grown since entering the academy."
"That's not it."
Professor Stella Cloud's eyes narrowed thinly.
"Not it? Then you're saying the mid-term exam has another purpose?"
"It's a long-standing tradition of the academy. Education to make freshmen, who were said to be formidable from all over the continent, humbly attend classes."
Haa.
Stella Cloud sighed.
'It's not like there's no such purpose...'
"So wasn't that why the third-year seniors came and beat us so mercilessly? Of course, Bonita and I ended up beating the third-year because we followed Professor Stella's excellent teachings."
"Davian, you..."
This sly fox.
I had forgotten.
This guy sitting in front of Professor Stella Cloud.
Not only does he have unbelievable skills.
He is the sly fox itself.
Even while having a sharp conversation, he does not forget to praise Stella Cloud in between.
"When Nubes persevered and persevered without collapsing, I was about to cry. Some of the kids cried."
"So? Just because you've gotten a little stronger, you're going to do as you please with the academy's rules now? Well, it's not like you've only gotten a little stronger. Even so, you can't do everything as you please."
The two had been arguing for over 10 minutes already.
Davian's voice sank heavily.
"Then what about Liber? What about Liber Specula, who has believed in me and waited for me until now?"
"What?"
"He was collectively beaten up by underclassmen, and the rumors have spread throughout the school, but he is still attending the academy diligently. Do you really think this is something to cover up?"
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