I Became a Murderer in the Academy. Chapter 107

Only a handful of people had predicted Iria's victory over Alia in their duel.

Although many considered Iria stronger than Alia based purely on individual combat ability, that was under ideal conditions.

Going to face Alia after dueling so many others in a single day was reckless in the extre.

Moreover, Alia was known as the nesis of swordsn. Her invincible barrier was impervious to physical attacks, and no one believed that Iria, in her exhausted state, could break through it.

Still, as the top-ranked third-year student, Iria’s actions were seen as excessively courageous, bordering on reckless.

But the outco of the duel unfolded in a way no one had anticipated.

Despite all odds, Iria erged victorious.

Technically, Alia was declared the winner, but it was clear that Iria had won in every aningful sense.

She hadn't just won by a hair's breadth. Iria toyed with Alia on the training ground.

She shattered Alia's vaunted lightning shield in a single blow, and refused to let herself be hit by Alia's rapid strikes.

The swordsmanship Alia had painstakingly honed was useless, as it couldn’t even react to Iria's speed.

It would have been impossible unless there was a considerable gap in their abilities.

Iria’s duel was drawn out, taking ti and drawing attention. Alia had to endure prolonged strikes from Iria.

It seed as if Iria was intentionally prolonging the fight to tornt her.

"She’s scary at this point, isn’t she? I didn’t think Iria was this fierce."

"Didn’t you hear? Apparently, Alia started so nasty rumors about Iria."

"Well, that makes sense then. I heard the people Iria beat up were all Alia’s cronies—the ones spreading those rumors about her."

"So it’s karma, huh? Not that I ever liked Alia anyway. Seriously, she shouldn’t have provoked a quiet person like that."

Given her past actions, no one felt sympathy for Alia now. They simply watched Iria’s unrestrained violence in silence.

"But it does seem like Iria is pretty strong. She might be on the sa level as Ariel."

"The academy standards have risen a lot. How do they manage to produce monsters two years in a row?"

"...I’d better not end up like that."

The spectators had mixed reactions.

So were awestruck by Iria’s strength, so were terrified.

And so...

"Wow... is she into sadism?"

"She looks incredibly hot like this."

"With that face and those preferences, she’s basically walking sex."

"Watch your mouth, idiot. You’ll end up like Alia."

"Sounds good to ."

There were those who even liked Iria's ruthless side.

As much as so disliked her, there were others who admired her.

So of these admirers had been paying attention to Iria since her duel with Lucia.

"Is this really the average at a top-tier academy?"

Wasn’t it dangerous to talk about Iria so openly?

Surprisingly, Iria didn’t pay them any attention.

She had hit so people like them while dealing with the third-year students, but they had enjoyed it, so she stopped.

Iria had thought her capacity for disgust had faded with her emotions long ago, but apparently, that wasn’t entirely true.

It was unsettling how so seed to enjoy the pain, so she left them alone.

Those people beca the only ones at the academy who dared ntion Iria by na.

When the duel with Alia ended, the sun had already set.

Considering the number of duels she’d fought that day, it was no surprise. She’d lost count halfway through.

Once it was over, she could hear the murmurs of people around her, just as usual.

Rumors were usually spread like this, carried in hushed voices. Though it was a faint noise to most, it reached her ears clearly.

Today, however, she wasn’t the subject of those whispers.

The academy was as bustling as ever, but no one was talking about her.

The mockery and derision were now directed at Alia.

This was a common pattern at the academy—a place where students gathered and competed against each other academically.

Unless one had special ans like hers, it was impossible to stop rumors from spreading by sheer personal effort.

Alia would likely endure a similar fate from now on. Iria had no intention of stopping it.

Did that make this fair?

"......"

Perhaps not.

Alia was suffering the sa treatnt she’d inflicted on Iria, but her ti would be much longer and harder.

So, were Iria’s actions justified?

She couldn’t find an answer to that. She knew from experience that it wouldn’t resolve even if she thought about it deeply.

Sera praised her, saying she did well. Ariel... well, he had sothing different to say.

"Violence isn’t the best way to solve problems. But in this case, your actions might’ve taught Alia a lesson. She needed to fix that attitude of hers soday."

"......"

"That’s what you were aiming for, right? You didn’t want to hurt her directly, so you waited until she put up her barrier."

She’d waited because hitting her directly might have killed her.

There seed to be so misunderstanding, but Iria didn’t bother correcting him. She didn’t have the words for it, and she didn’t feel a need to explain.

After all the events, her day was finally over. The sun had set, and the sky had darkened in preparation for tomorrow.

Returning ho, she washed up, lay down on her bed with her hair still wet.

She didn’t dry it because it was botherso. Taking care of her hair, which had grown unnecessarily long, wasn’t easy.

So she just lay there, accepting the dampness of the sheets over the warmth of her bed.

It wasn’t unbearable for sleep. After all, she’d once slept in the streets alongside garbage.

"Tomorrow, then."

She was always deep in thought, but today it felt particularly intense.

No wonder, as tomorrow was the day of her eting with Albert.

She would finally et Serthia, the Academy Chancellor she’d only heard about in rumors.

What kind of person was the wizard who’d slain the Demon Lord?

She wouldn’t be an easy opponent. Serthia might be hostile towards soone like Iria, who carried a fragnt of the Demon Lord.

According to records, Serthia at her peak had strength comparable to a Hero with a holy sword.

This could very well be Albert’s plan to lure her in and assassinate her.

Visiting the Empire’s headquarters to et Serthia was no different from stepping into enemy territory alone. It was a considerable risk.

But—

"......"

It was worth it.

Serthia was a relic from the ti of Heroes and Demon Lords. She likely had valuable knowledge about this world.

The truth behind the world that had dragged her into hell—Serthia probably knew it.

‘If I die there.’

That wouldn’t be so bad.

Death was less frightening than the punishnt of suffering. For one steeped in pain, death was a form of release.

Still, she wasn’t going there to die.

Once, she’d been a wretched monster who thought only of death, but that was no longer the case.

If this world was indeed a novel and Ariel its protagonist...

"How will it end, and what am I in this world?"

She had once hated, and still hated, this world.

Yet she found herself wanting to see how it would end.

Was this change due to Ariel?

Perhaps. The protagonist of this novel, whom she had observed up close, was more remarkable than she had imagined.

Albert had said Serthia wanted a ‘conversation’ with her.

She didn’t know what Serthia ant by that, but Iria had many questions for her as well.

Before sleeping, she glanced at the Demon Lord fragnts lying around.

She had consud one out of five, leaving four.

Perhaps she should consu another, given she was eting soone so formidable.

"......"

No, she’d consu two.

It wasn’t out of hunger, but a desire for power.

She really wasn’t doing it because she was hungry.

Here she was in Serthia’s office. Or rather, Serthia’s forr office.

She greeted her visitor in a weakened state.

With blue hair, half-closed eyes, and glasses that softened her sharp gaze.

Only one person would visit Serthia’s office now that she’d stepped down as Chancellor.

"Albert. Tomorrow, isn’t it?"

"Yes."

Albert looked at his forr ntor with a somber expression. Serthia was visibly deteriorating.

She was close to death, and used holy water injections to extend her life just a little longer.

The holy water slowed the spread of the dark mana in her body.

For a mont, her color returned, and her irregular breathing steadied. With clearer eyes, she turned to Albert again.

She spoke to him with authority.

"The eting place will be outside the Empire."

"Do you have a reason?"

"The back-alley monster is an enemy of the Empire. Things might get bloody, and I don’t want to involve Imperial citizens."

"......"

Albert swallowed a long silence.

He understood the aning behind Serthia’s words.

Using her power would kill her. To be precise, she was already dying, but it would hasten the end.

If necessary, she was prepared to put her life on the line to take the back-alley monster down with her.

It was a tragic truth, but he couldn’t deny her words.

He simply stood there, waiting for her to speak again.

"Leave the Empire and head east. There’s a private underground room. We can et there without issues."

"......"

"I’ll be waiting there. Albert, can you bring her? I’ll give you the address."

"Of course."

The night in the Empire grew deeper.