TN: Thank James Baily for the chapter
A considerable amount of time had passed after the 68th duel ended.
Iria had been kicking Amelia for a very long time. Although she controlled her strength, the impact was still enough to lift her body into the air.
The duel only ended after Amelia rolled around on the floor. She tried to surrender several times in the middle, but she couldn’t.
Whenever she tried to say something, Iria would stuff her shoe into Amelia’s mouth to shut her up.
Iria, who was always looking into Amelia’s eyes, knew the timing when she was about to surrender.
That’s how she prolonged the duel for a long time.
Amelia is the student who endured the longest against Iria. If you only count the time, it’s even longer than Sera.
It could be seen as an achievement worthy of a 3rd-year top student.
And…
“I surrender.”
The duel ended with Amelia’s victory.
It was because Iria, tired of kicking, declared her surrender even before Amelia.
As Iria left the arena, Amelia, who had remained there in some form, became the winner in terms of judgment.
The loser, Iria, had no injuries, while the winner was in tatters and passed out on the arena floor.
The long duel was over. Iria, who felt more mental fatigue than physical, left the scene.
***
In the end, Amelia became the first person to win against Iria.
However, it’s uncertain if Amelia, unconscious when Iria declared her surrender, is aware of it.
So if asked why she surrendered a duel she could have won, there’s no particular reason. If Iria had to point out something, maybe because she felt sorry for her.
Giving Amelia the victory was a kind of compensation.
Even if it was a duel that started because she picked a fight first, it was too much this time.
Iria wanted to stop dueling after today. In the first place, she was not on a level to be compared with students.
Even the professors at the Academy were no match for her.
The top student in the third year was ultimately just at the student level.
How could it be a fight?
“……”
But to stop dueling, she had to leave a definite impression on those watching.
Amelia was an example for that.
Seeing Amelia getting beaten up for such a long time, she felt a bit concerned.
Maybe she went a bit overboard against a student.
Unlike Iria, Amelia probably had no tolerance for pain.
So with a bit of an apology, she handed the victory to Amelia. Iria was not obsessed with winning, and Amelia seemed to have a strong obsession with it.
She wondered if a victory no one acknowledged had any meaning, but accepting such treatment was also a sin and punishment that Amelia had to take.
Sometimes there exists a victory more miserable than losing.
As she finished the duel and came out, Ariel stood there as if he had been waiting.
He handed Iria a towel. Even though she hadn’t particularly sweated.
“Good work. How’s your body? Not tired?”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief. Actually, I was a bit worried.”
At Ariel’s words, Iria tilted her head.
This reaction shows that receiving such treatment is unfamiliar to her. Among those who worry about Iria, there was Rena, but it was a different kind of worry.
It’s like he somehow sympathizes more with her.
Since she couldn’t read Ariel’s thoughts, she also didn’t know what emotions he approached her with.
“Worried, about me?”
“Is there a problem?”
Iria shakes her head.
If he comes out like that, she doesn’t know how to react. Human relationships were difficult for her.
She just walked. Out of the cramped indoors, to the outside of the Academy building.
As she walked like that, Iria noticed how Ariel and Rena were specifically different.
The emotions the two felt towards her might seem similar at a glance, but to Iria, Rena was transparent while Ariel was not.
It seemed to be the difference in being unable to read his thoughts. Iria always looked into the eyes of people approaching her to understand them.
It was the first time for her that a human whose emotions she couldn’t read approached her.
Since it was an unknown thing she had never seen before. Naturally, her attitude toward Ariel had to be different from Rena.
Although both of them showed goodwill towards Iria.
“That was a bit too much earlier, Iria. Why didn’t you end the duel quickly?”
“……”
It was what Ariel, who was walking side by side next to Iria, said. He was also watching Iria’s duel from the spectator seats.
Iria didn’t bother answering. It’s not that she ignored Ariel’s words, but she was deep in thought, no different from usual.
“Was your grudge against Amelia that deep?”
“No.”
Iria shakes her head. Although they ended up having a duel, Iria doesn’t think much about Amelia.
This duel was only because she thought it was necessary.
She had been feeling uncomfortable attending the Academy recently anyway, and she thought it would be nice if that would quiet down with this incident.
Though she doesn’t know if it will go as planned.
“Then why?”
To Ariel’s question asked again, Iria pondered deeply and answered.
“So the same thing doesn’t happen again.”
It was a word mixed with several meanings.
Ariel didn’t continue speaking for a while. He just looked at Iria and blinked his eyes.
His black hair flutters. His blue eyes were so clear that it was dazzling, so Iria slightly turned her head.
Because she doesn’t want to make eye contact with him.
“That’s right, you have a point.”
Ariel nodded as if he understood, though it was unknown in what sense it was conveyed.
“Come to think of it, I heard Sera is being discharged today. Faster than I thought? There are also rumors that she tried to escape several times already, and they just let her out because they ran out of beds.”
“Hmm……”
“So about that, she’s probably coming here. It seems she heard the news that you were having a duel while in the hospital room.”
Iria suddenly turned around at the anxiety that rushed in. This is a sensation that Iria, who is sensitive to presence, felt in an instant.
And the ominous premonition is somehow never wrong. She saw the red-haired woman running.
“Iria!!!!!!”
“……”
The speed at which she runs is frightening. It was hard to believe she was someone who ran out of the hospital room with a body that hasn’t healed yet.
Is she trying to hug her? She’ll pass on being lifted up like last time.
Iria nimbly avoided her. With no one to catch Sera, who ran without thinking about the consequences, she loses her balance and falls.
“Eek, uwaaaaah!!”
With a loud thud, a big sound rang out.
Sera fell spectacularly and miserably in the end. It felt like that was also just like her.
She’s a terribly consistent person. Iria thought to herself as she watched her fall.
“It hurts……”
“Are you okay?”
“Of course it hurts! You should have caught me!”
“……?”
Iria looked down at Sera with cold eyes.
It wasn’t an action with much meaning, but for some reason, her gaze only felt cold when Iria did that.
“Eep, it’s a joke, so don’t look at me with those eyes?!”
“What’s wrong with my eyes?”
“Anyway, long time no see! You don’t know how much I missed you, do you?”
“……”
Iria grabbed Sera’s hand and lifted her body up.
Sera, who stood up on two legs again, seemed calmer than before, but she was still expressing her joy to the point of being violent.
Just what happened in the hospital room?
Iria recalled the memory of going into the hospital room with Sera. She definitely escaped in less than a day after expressing suffocation.
Perhaps keeping Sera locked up somewhere might be a punishment akin to torture. Although it was natural for her to stay in the hospital room because she was a patient.
“I heard you caused a flashy incident this time? I heard from the staff unnie.”
“Was it flashy?”
“Of course, no one at the Academy doesn’t know? They said a 1st-year student turned the entire 3rd year into enemies. But then you won against them too.”
Did I become that famous?
Iria scratched her cheek.
“So you’re on your way back from a duel with Amelia now? Did you win? You won, right?”
“Yes.”
“Ahahaha! I knew it, I had a feeling she would get beaten up badly one day! Actually, I didn’t like her either. She only talks behind people’s backs even though she’s a coward who can’t step forward.”
Sera said with a bright laugh.
She seemed to be in a very good mood, perhaps because it was right after she escaped from the hospital room.
“But isn’t a third-year your senior? Is it okay to speak casually?”
“You don’t call me senior either, do you?”
“But I was still formal.”
“You can speak casually, you know? How about calling me unnie on this occasion? Come on, try saying it. Unnie.”
Sera put her arm around Iria’s shoulder and actively expressed intimacy.
It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but it also felt a bit burdensome.
Iria poked Sera’s wound with her finger.
“Eek?!”
While Sera was stunned by the pain, Iria was able to escape from her arms.
***
After a considerable amount of time had passed, Amelia was able to open her eyes in the hospital room.
Her whole body ached, and her head was dizzy.
But what was more painful than that was being beaten one-sidedly by Iria, whom she had looked down on.
Her pride was crumpled and trampled on. Just briefly recalling that memory made her whole body tremble. As if the fear of violence was engraved throughout her body.
“Ugh……”
Amelia, who couldn’t move from that spot for a long time, mulled over the feeling of defeat.
Should I wash my face for a bit? Maybe this icky feeling will get a little better then.
I don’t know. At least it seemed better than just lying still like this.
Amelia slowly puts her feet under the bed.
“Is that her? The girl who got beaten like a dog by the first-year.”
“I heard she got that because she was spreading false rumors. It’s all karma.”
“What a piece of trash. I guess she’s not even ashamed.”
“But she won. Anyway, let’s have a drink.”
And she goes out of the hospital room and hears the public’s evaluation of her.
Most of them are sharp criticisms. Maybe they were actions she might have done, no, actually had been doing until now.
‘Why am I being treated like this……’
The voice of someone talking behind her back was heard better than she thought.
When she mentioned her name behind her back, did Iria feel like this too?
If so, this too shall be another fairness.
Amelia was still feeling the weight of fairness. It will probably continue in the future too.
The scale of fairness has already tilted and added to the karma she had been accumulating.
Until fairness becomes unfair, all the arrows of criticism point toward Amelia.
Now that the dust has settled, Amelia had no right to criticize them. She had to accept it even if she didn’t like it.
Because that was her sin.
Amelia’s day passed in the hospital room.
Translator’s Corner
Big announcement. I’m no longer gonna take extra chapters for this novel. Cause there are no more chapters to sponsor. The original has ended, and there are enough sponsored chapters to cover until then.
-Ruminas