#40
“Well…”
“Huh?”
“It doesn’t seem like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“The power remaining in the magic circle wasn’t a circle.”
Even without asking further, I understood what the sword was saying. It meant that the magic circle wasn’t drawn by demons, but by humans.
“I thought humans couldn’t use it?”
“Yes, they can’t. That’s why they needed a medium. And while they were at it, they increased the scale too. But I couldn’t tell what that medium was. They didn’t leave a single trace.”
I wondered who could have done such a thing. I tried to recall if there were any suspicious people in the original story. But no particular figure came to mind.
When the Duke used demonic power to throw the world into chaos, most of the teachers at the school fought against him. There were some nobles who tried to join the Duke, but the Duke didn’t accept anyone except Yutis.
The number of magical beasts he could control was already enormous, so he probably didn’t need humans.
According to the sword, the Duke, who handles demonic power, would be able to control not only square power but also circular power. The metaphor seemed cute, but the reality was utterly horrifying. The Duke in the original story, who wielded both powers, was extremely threatening.
“You’re trying to do something unnecessary.”
“Huh?”
“Andelion. Please, I beg you, stay still. Adults will take care of things like this.”
I didn’t give any answer to the sword’s words. If I could have done that, I would have.
I could have stayed by Iria’s side and watched what would happen to her, or I could have lived quietly like Andelion in the original story. But once the desire began, it wouldn’t subside no matter what.
I wanted not only Iria but all the people I liked in this game to be happy. For this, I could endure some difficulties and risks.
“Yes. I understand.”
While answering like that, I decided to look at the drawn magic circle once more. I thought I might notice facts I hadn’t realized if I looked at what the magic circle was. I felt guilty about lying to the sword, but it was necessary if I wanted to see the future I desired.
* * *
This is really the worst.
I held back those words that were about to pop out of my mouth. This was a class I had decided to take after much contemplation. This subject, with the difficult name of Political Science, was the first gateway to Persis’s route in the game.
I had actually considered not taking Political Science because I didn’t want to keep clashing with Persis. But I was afraid things might turn out differently from the situations I knew. There had already been several instances where things I didn’t know about had happened, so there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again.
In the end, I ended up taking Political Science. I felt good when I first arrived at the lecture hall. Iria, who recognized my face first, greeted me with a bright smile, and soon after, Persis arrived in the class as well, making me think everything would flow according to the original story.
If only Rikin hadn’t followed Persis. I had to hold back the words “Why are you here?” that were about to burst out.
“Ana!”
When Rikin waved his hand with a bright smile, Persis’s face, who was standing beside him, instantly distorted. I wish he wouldn’t call me Ana in front of Persis. I wondered what I should say to make Rikin come to his senses. My feeling of frustration continued to deepen because of his sudden appearance.
Rikin was a third-year student. Basically, his classes differed from ours, the first-years. So why had Rikin come all the way here? It’s not like he was attending to Persis.
Rikin left Persis behind and approached me in one step.
“So you’re taking this too?”
“What brings you here, senior?”
I was so surprised by Rikin’s sudden appearance that I blurted out the most formal honorific.
“I’m here to attend class.”
Yes, but why you? I almost blurted out exactly what I was thinking. Rikin, completely unaware of my frustrated feelings, was busy smiling brightly in front of me.
“Isn’t this a class only for first-years?”
“No, this is a common class.”
What does that mean? It’s the first time I’m hearing that this class is a common one. Does that mean anyone from first to third year can take it?
But it wasn’t a lie, as looking around, I could see several students who appeared to be older than me.
I really didn’t like Rikin’s bright smile as he said he didn’t expect to meet me here.
Not even noticing Persis’s fierce gaze as he sat far away from us, Rikin kept chattering beside me, asking if I was attending classes well. I half-ignored him and half-gave perfunctory answers.
I couldn’t tell how Rikin, who had suddenly appeared, would act as a variable, but since neither the original Rikin nor the current Rikin who had slightly changed from the original was the type to step forward, I didn’t think there would be any significant issues.
However, I would soon realize that I had been too optimistic about the situation. With so many differences from the original that I couldn’t even count them, I was foolish to think things would go smoothly.
***
“That’s not right, senior.”
“Why do you say it’s not, junior?”
Political Science began its first class with a debate. It might seem a bit sudden, but that’s fine. It was necessary in the original story too. In this debate, Iria engages in a heated discussion with Persis, whom she meets for the first time. The two fight fiercely, each asserting different points.
That’s when Persis first learns about Iria as a person.
The quick exchange of opinions was the same in reality as in the original. The problem was that the person conversing with Iria had changed.
“Everyone has obligations. Are you denying that as well?”
The one rebutting Iria’s words in a cool voice was none other than Rikin.
I wasn’t used to Rikin’s serious face. Having only seen him always laughing and chattering, such a face was very unfamiliar. It somewhat resembled the Rikin from the original story, but what he was doing now was something neither the original Rikin nor the current Rikin would typically do.
Due to his family’s teachings that they should only play the role of a shield without holding power, the original Rikin preferred to protect Persis from behind rather than standing at the forefront. I had thought Rikin’s personality had changed from the original, but I didn’t expect him to show such a radical approach.
“I’m not denying that there are obligations. However, there’s a limit to the damage an individual can recover from.”
“That doesn’t mean the royal family has an obligation to help repair that damage.”
The two were debating on “whether it’s the state’s responsibility to compensate and support individual damages.”
“No. That is the royal family’s duty. The royal family exists to protect the lives of the citizens. As they receive taxes from the citizens, the state must protect them.”
“The responsibility for one’s actions should be borne by the individual. Just as one can have wealth, happiness, and pleasure according to one’s efforts, poverty, pain, and sorrow should also be endured by the individual. If the royal family takes responsibility and manages everything, the autonomy of the citizens will gradually fade.”
“You mentioned autonomy, but we commoners must unconditionally obey the nobles. Their words come before the law. There are people who lost their jobs overnight on a noble’s order. Are you saying the royal family can’t take responsibility for such people?”
“That’s a different domain from what we’re discussing now. Our empire takes the laws set by the royal family as its principle. Nobles who break the law are currently problematic and I believe it’s something that must be corrected. The ‘state responsibility’ we’re debating now is about whether the royal family should be responsible for individual failures. It’s too much for the royal family to be responsible for the pain caused by individual mistakes.”
“The affairs of this world can’t be judged as all or nothing. If we judge everything precisely, there will be unfortunate matters that are missed.”
“The more ambiguous the attitude of the royal family making the judgments, the more ways there are to escape. You shouldn’t miss that.”
The exchange between the two continued endlessly. Rikin was precisely presenting the arguments that Persis had made in the original story. The two exchanged words so quickly that other students had no chance to intervene.
In the game, all of Iria’s statements proceed as choices. At that time, you had to choose the right words to catch someone’s interest. That someone was none other than the teacher who had initiated the debate from the first class.
The teacher, who had been watching the entire situation with great satisfaction, finally spoke.
“Both of you seem to have given a lot of thought to this. Very good. However, there are still unrefined opinions. You need to understand various factors better and organize your thoughts. Discuss together and prepare for the next class. I believe you two will do well.”
Before the dumbfounded Iria and Rikin could rebut, the teacher added several points they hadn’t considered. It seemed they had no choice but to organize their opinions by the next class.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
