TN: Thank James Baily for the chapter.
Bet you weren’t expecting that one.
TL/PR: Ruminas; ED: novicelily
Iria was well-known among the students. In a short span, she had caused almost as many incidents as Ariel.
By now, every student at the academy had heard of her. In fact, there were probably more people who knew her than those who didn’t.
So, when a new rumor surfaced, it was hardly surprising: the mysterious student seen wandering around the academy on the day of the incident was, supposedly, Iria.
Of course, no one dared gossip about it openly before her. There was no benefit in making an enemy of one of the strongest students at the Imperial Academy.
Instead, they whispered in hushed tones.
They assumed Iria wouldn’t hear them since she was quite far away.
‘I can hear everything though.’
With senses far sharper than the average human’s, Iria caught every word.
“…”
As usual, she didn’t react.
It was just an unconfirmed, baseless rumor. Wouldn’t it die down after causing a brief commotion?
Still, she disliked being the center of attention. Feeling the weight of their stares, she left the lecture hall.
Today, she needed to escape this stifling atmosphere and feel the breeze.
***
People fear the unknown. This is because it is directly related to survival.
In the end, it’s instinct. Those inside the academy building on the day of the incident still couldn’t forget the nightmare.
That day, monsters they’d never seen before poured out.
Classmates, friends they’d seen just the day before, died easily, and the scent of blood lingered in the air.
It was a place where nightmares echoed.
Hiding somewhere in the building, eyes squeezed shut, students heard everything.
The sound of windows shattering, the roars of giant monsters, the fierce clashes of battle, and the horrible screams of their peers begging for their lives.
Even at an elite institution like the Imperial Academy, most students were focused on theory and had no real experience.
Only a select few could push past the fear of death and take action.
The rest? They panicked, ran blindly, or couldn’t move at all, their legs giving out beneath them.
But amidst the chaos, a girl walked toward the monsters.
She was an existence that emitted a very ominous energy from her whole body.
Judging by her uniform, she was a student at the academy. A mere student, walking toward beings even the professors couldn’t handle.
In the eyes of the other students, this red-clad girl was just as much an unknown as the monsters. They didn’t know what she was, and that made them afraid.
Was she a monster in disguise? Or a human under a monster’s control?
Fear is contagious. The unknown spread like an infection among the students.
Naturally, they whispered among themselves.
So many things had happened that day, and rumors swirled. But as Iria walked, she frequently overheard stories about the red girl.
Normally, she wouldn’t pay attention to rumors. Iria wasn’t the type to listen to idle gossip.
But,
“Um… About that rumor of the red student. Is that you, Iria?”
“Who are you?”
“I was just asking…”
“It’s not me, so go away.”
There are always exceptions. While most people at the Empire’s top institution had reasonable minds, a few didn’t.
Some couldn’t just let rumors stay rumors.
And that was why Iria’s life had become more bothersome, much like when she first took the top spot.
Most people ran away in fear at her glare, but factions that disliked her always existed.
Fame comes with both admiration and hatred. If some people admired Iria, others were bound to oppose her.
They were usually groups jealous of her skills, talent, and appearance. She had everything, even as a first-year student, and for that, they resented her.
It wasn’t that they had reasons to dislike her, they created reasons because they already disliked her.
What started as a simple rumor began to warp in strange ways once it reached their ears.
They claimed Iria was an accomplice to the monster attack on the academy.
Of course, it was a ridiculous and false rumor, but that’s the power of gossip.
You can twist any lie as much as you like.
“Hey, look over there. Iria’s passing by. How shameless. Doesn’t she feel any guilt?”
“But are we sure it’s her? Just because she looks like the red girl doesn’t mean it’s Iria. And even if it is, I don’t buy that she’s an accomplice.”
“You’re missing the point. It’s not about the truth. What matters is that I hate her—and now we’ve got a reason to.”
“Isn’t that just a witch hunt then?”
“So what if it is?”
Amelia, the top third-year student, smiled brightly as she spoke.
Despite holding the top spot, she was fully aware of her talent and strength. And though she hated to admit it, she had to acknowledge that Iria’s talent was beyond hers. That much had been clear after witnessing Iria’s battle with Sera.
Amelia had once lost to Sera in a duel, so seeing Iria defeat her meant only one thing, Iria was stronger.
That fact didn’t sit well with her.
The second-year students were famously considered a “golden generation,” but it was still a bitter pill to swallow being surpassed by someone two years below her. Frankly, it was unacceptable.
Despite having risen to the top through countless competitions, many were stronger than her.
Amelia’s skills weren’t lacking; it was just that the students above and below her were on a different level.
Still, those around her often claimed she was only in her position because of luck and timing.
Whenever she heard that her hard-earned top seat was due to “good fortune,” her teeth would clench in frustration.
So now, Amelia was smiling.
“It’d be nice if she crumbled because of this. Maybe she’ll even withdraw on her own.”
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“Who cares? Honestly, I never liked her eye color. She’s always had that ominous look.”
One thing was certain: Iria’s school life was about to become much more difficult.
In that sense, Amelia couldn’t help but feel a little excited. She was still the top student, after all, with connections and power to back her.
Today had been mild, but she was looking forward to how things would unfold tomorrow.
***
When it came to rumors, everyone reacted a little differently.
Broadly, people either believed or dismissed them. But if you looked closely, there were many shades in between.
Some believed even the most outlandish stories if they contained a hint of possibility.
And even those who didn’t believe them were still unlikely to think positively of someone targeted by such rumors.
That was what Amelia was leading them towards. To completely drag down Iria’s image within the school.
The only thing that worried her a little was Sera, naturally.
Sera’s influence was well-known throughout the school, and Iria happened to be close to her.
But now was the perfect opportunity. Sera had been seriously injured and was still hospitalized, wasn’t she?
‘As long as I’m careful around her friends, Iria should be easy to deal with.’
Iria was easy to deal with, or at least, that’s what Amelia thought.
It wasn’t that Iria lacked skills. She rarely acted unless provoked, making her seem like an easy target.
Amelia knew Iria had ties to Sera and Ariel, the academy’s strongest. But with Sera in the hospital and Ariel disinterested in these matters, there was an opening.
In fact, Amelia considered using this chance to drive a wedge between Ariel and Iria.
Ariel probably had no interest in Iria.
Why, you ask?
Because their relationship hadn’t developed into anything close to being romantic.
Everyone already knew about the rumor: Iria was like a puppy following Ariel around. Obviously, she had feelings for him, but Ariel kept his distance, only pretending to be close.
He was clearly more attached to Sera. As far as Amelia could tell, he had no real interest in Iria.
With that in mind, Amelia decided to seek out Ariel.
Finding him was easy. He spent most of his time in the swordsmanship training hall.
And so, the one-sided encounter began. Amelia spoke first.
“Honestly, don’t you find Iria a bit… unpleasant? Her red eyes make her look like a monster.”
“…”
Ariel, who had been practicing alone during lunchtime, stopped mid-swing.
She turned her head toward Amelia.
“What did you just say?”
“…Huh?”
Ariel’s expression was anything but typical.
This wasn’t the reaction Amelia had expected.
Suddenly, she felt a sense of danger.