We returned ho.
None other than the Academy.
There was little cleanup needed regarding the cult.
Selena had already handled most of it, and what remained was left to my unit to deal with.
Thanks to that, we were able to return without delay.
Of course—
‘It’s not completely over yet.’
There were still issues within the Academy.
The faculty remained tense, locked in an unspoken cold war.
Perhaps because they had realized the existence of a traitor, an icy air lingered among them.
Their sharp gazes made it clear—the incident needed to be buried.
It was a truth best left undiscovered.
Fortunately—
The problem was resolved more easily than expected.
Thanks to none other than the Headmaster’s intervention.
He announced that the matter had been settled, assuring the staff that there was no need for further concern.
Though his words ca suddenly, the faculty, though skeptical, complied.
After all, he had led the Academy for years. They trusted their superior.
And just like that, the issue faded into silence.
‘No matter what, the Headmaster is still the Headmaster.’
Besides that—
One final task remained.
The removal of all evidence tying Selena to the betrayal.
Letters, docunts, records—every trace of her treason had to be erased.
And for this, I had another helping hand.
"I’ve handled the docunts as requested. There won’t be any loose ends."
"Thank you for your assistance, Professor Cadel."
That hand belonged to none other than Professor Cadel.
Selena’s long-ti rival.
He aided in wiping away any evidence of her collaboration, diverting the attention of the staff.
From the beginning, Cadel had already known that Selena was the traitor.
—Yuda.
—There’s sothing I need to discuss with you.
That was the first ti we had an open conversation.
It had happened after a faculty eting.
Cadel quietly approached , seeking a discussion.
He wanted to hear my thoughts on the traitor.
He had already been convinced that Selena was the Academy’s mole.
Summarizing what he told —
—I’ve suspected her for a while.
—I never had definitive proof, so I kept my distance. But after the recent attack, I’m certain.
—The informant we’ve been searching for… it was none other than Professor Selena.
—The evidence I’ve gathered only strengthens this conclusion.
It wasn’t surprising.
In the original story, Cadel was the one who exposed Selena’s betrayal.
Though his realization ca too late to stop the resurrection of the Evil Dragon or prevent the Academy’s collapse, his findings ultimately brought the truth to light.
It seed that was the case this ti as well.
—What do you intend to do, Yuda?
A calm, detached question.
Cadel left the decision to .
How should Selena be dealt with?
Before revealing the truth to the faculty, he granted a temporary reprieve.
A chance to confirm Selena’s sincerity for myself.
I had nodded.
—Then, I’ll trust that you understand.
—Make a wise choice. Consider this my rcy to you, as a student.
Thanks to that—
I was able to pull Selena back from the edge.
And bring her ho to the Academy.
Cadel, upon seeing us return together, simply nodded.
—You’ve done it.
After that—
He even helped organize the docunts, assisting in covering up the remnants of the incident.
Truthfully, I couldn’t fully understand Cadel’s intentions.
For a character with such an important role in the original ga, he was always a mystery.
Even when the betrayal subplot was unfolding, most players suspected Cadel as the traitor instead.
I had been no different.
‘But the most unexpected thing is…’
Cadel hadn’t exposed Selena’s betrayal.
Not only that, he even helped clean up the aftermath.
I had always thought their relationship was hostile—had I been mistaken?
No… Even so, what reason did he have to help?
By all logic, Selena was a traitor to the Academy.
It didn’t add up.
In the end, I decided to ask directly.
"To be honest, I find this puzzling."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you helping? I thought you and Selena didn’t get along."
"You’re correct. I don’t like her."
"That’s exactly why I’m asking."
"Hmm…"
Cadel continued writing as he spoke, his hand never stopping.
His pen moved fluidly, imprinting each letter onto the paper in clean strokes.
For soone who claid indifference, his actions were ticulous.
Casually, I posed a question.
"Could it be that you actually like her?"
"······Excuse ?"
A reasonable suspicion.
If it were just a normal rivalry, he wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble.
Here, it would be the typical ‘he secretly likes her but pretends to hate her’ cliché.
Selena was undeniably beautiful, and her figure was dangerous—it wouldn’t be surprising if soone fell for her.
Besides, they were of similar age, so there was plenty of room for attraction—
"What nonsense are you spewing?"
······Judging by his expression, that wasn’t the case.
Pure, unfiltered disgust.
His face twisted as if the re thought was physically revolting to him.
Cadel shot a frosty glare, his disgust evident.
"That was an extrely rude remark."
"It seems I misspoke."
"I am already married to soone I love. I would appreciate it if you didn’t associate with that spinster."
"······."
Was thirty really old enough to be called a spinster?
That thought crossed my mind, but I swallowed it.
His gaze was already stabbing into my cheek like daggers.
By this world’s standards, it probably was considered late.
And given his absolute refusal, I had no choice but to bow my head and offer a sincere apology.
I was a little taken aback, though.
"I apologize."
"······."
Cadel remained silent for a mont.
Then, he sighed and finally spoke.
"Despite our constant bickering, Professor Selena is one of the few people I recognize as a true genius."
Galimar Academy gathered only the greatest educators from across the continent.
Among them, there were few who could match Cadel as a rival.
Perhaps ‘rival’ was the right term.
For him, Selena was a worthy competitor.
Even if their fields were different, there weren’t many magicians on equal footing with him.
He continued.
"Since the day I joined the Academy, I’ve worked alongside her for seven years. She may appear to be nothing but a drunkard, but… when it cos to her students, she is a decent human being. In many ways, I’ve learned things from her as well. At the very least, I know that she never took the responsibility of the Academy lightly. That is why."
Whether he liked her or hated her—
She had been his colleague since they were both rookie professors.
Even if he found her insufferable, it was impossible for there to be no attachnt.
"I simply concluded that Selena Drunkard is still needed at Galimar Academy."
Perhaps…
They were closer than I had thought.
Two people who had called the sa place ho.
‘Cadel Evans.’
In the original story, he was Class A’s horoom professor.
A firm supporter of the protagonist.
Though he had a sharp tongue and eccentric ways, he was ultimately a good person.
He had dedicated himself to the Academy and its students—right up until the mont the cult murdered him.
I let out a quiet laugh.
"So, in short… you were friends."
"Please correct yourself. We were bitter rivals."
"Isn’t that the sa thing?"
Bitter rivals.
An expression used for those who argue constantly but ultimately acknowledge each other.
I didn’t press the issue.
I simply accepted the docunts with a faint smile.
And, just for fun, I quipped—
"Thank you for your hard work. This concludes the cleanup."
"Thanks to this, I’ve gone three nights without sleep. That pathetic woman should be grateful she had such a competent colleague cleaning up her ss."
"Fufu… I’ll be sure to pass your words along to my professor."
"Just tell her to focus on recovering. She’s still bedridden, isn’t she?"
"She should be discharged by the end of the week. If you’d like, you could visit her…"
"I refuse. I would rather die."
"As expected."
A firm rejection.
I let out a small laugh and stood up.
"I’ll be heading out, then."
Outside the window, the darkness was beginning to fade.
Morning was approaching.
The veil of night was being lifted.
And I—
Was already stepping toward tomorrow.
I left the office, striding down the long corridor.
"Now, all that’s left is…"
The final note of this episode.
The one who was probably still lost in dreams but would soon awaken.
I walked through the quiet dawn, heading toward the one I needed to et.
May today—
Be the day your yesterdays finally find peace.
And may your tomorrow no longer be burdened by shadows.
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