After seizing control of the News Department, I was finally able to enjoy a peaceful daily life after a long time.
It was thanks to the disappearance of the bullying directed at my acquaintances.
Now everyone knew that if they touched my people, severe punishment awaited them.
Up until now, those who had bullied my acquaintances shared two beliefs.
First, they thought that even if they bothered me or my people, the Imperial Court would back them up.
This was indeed true.
When the Disciplinary Committee was convened, even if there was something problematic, if the Imperial Court was behind it, they would have to tread carefully.
This tendency was particularly strong among lower nobility like Reto or Celin, who were weak nobles unable to guarantee their survival if they offended the Imperial Court even slightly.
Of course, there were exceptions like me. A lunatic who didn’t care about the Imperial Court’s scrutiny, but that was a very rare case.
No one living in the Empire, no, in the entire continent, wanted to have the Imperial Court as an enemy.
The same was true for the personnel residing in the Academy.
They would turn a blind eye to violence, and if they were victims of violence, they would remain silent. It was a vicious cycle that created a constant loop of violence.
Despite the existence of rules in the Academy, it was precisely because I could wield violence against my acquaintances freely.
And the second belief was that I did not wish for expulsion.
This was a false justification made by the News Department by manipulating public opinion and forging testimonies.
Anyone in the Academy feared expulsion. Until recently, I was no exception.
But that was no longer the case.
Now that the Imperial Court could be touched, there was no way I would fear mere expulsion. It was truly absurd nonsense.
As a result, the bloodstains on my sword and axe were only increasing.
The lies were eventually revealed when the News Department confessed their own sins. After my first visit, the News Department began to consistently create an atmosphere of fear concerning me.
This culminated in the numerous articles they published in just a few days.
Articles that claimed I had no weaknesses and didn’t fear expulsion, or that I was likely to take even more brutal revenge regarding violence.
Honestly, the titles were lackluster, but surprisingly effective.
No matter how much of an intern I was, the Empire’s Intelligence Department was still the Empire’s Intelligence Department. For them, swaying public opinion in a whole city was easy, so the Academy’s public opinion was merely easy prey.
From that point on, things went swiftly.
Although the belief that the Imperial Court had my back remained, it did not justify touching my acquaintances.
Everyone valued their own lives above all else.
The kind of person who would break the arms and legs of a commoner girl for just slapping her. It was better not to get involved and only spill innocent blood.
Even if the Imperial Court supported them, nothing would change.
No matter how reliable the backing was, blades were always closer.
This was a relief for me.
I could just deal with anyone who bothered me at that time. However, I was powerless to stop anyone who bothered my surrounding people.
I couldn’t be with my friends all day long.
Moreover, most of my friends had families to protect and bright futures waiting for them. They couldn’t afford to offend the Imperial Court or high-ranking nobles, so they had no choice but to endure.
Thus, for a few days, I felt a bitter heart and my insides churned. Now, I could finally walk around the Academy with a somewhat relaxed heart.
Of course, that didn’t mean the situation was entirely improved.
While walking on the main street, I encountered Celin. Rarely, she wore a lonely expression.
Naturally, our eyes met.
As soon as she saw me, she froze in place. After a moment of hesitation, she put on an awkward smile and approached me.
As always, Celin greeted me with her cheerful voice, and naturally linked her arm with mine.
She was exactly as I had always known her.
“Hello, I-an oppa! It’s been a while?”
Despite Celin’s bright smile as she greeted me, my spirits didn’t lift.
I didn’t mind with other people, but I knew.
Celin was acting.
She was pretending as if nothing were wrong, likely in case I would worry.
This point didn’t sit well with me, so I asked back in a somewhat subdued voice.
“……Are you alone today?”
At my question, Celin flashed another awkward smile.
Originally, she was sociable and would always be accompanied by friends wherever she went. The only time she would walk alone would be when she was looking for me.
The only reason Celin would be wandering alone at a time like this was obvious.
Celin scratched her cheek and subtly avoided my gaze.
“Well, that? Haha… I thought maybe I should learn a bit about loneliness these days. You know? I’m actually a literary girl.”
It was a flimsy excuse.
Ultimately, the only thing that slipped from my lips was a sigh of apology.
“……I’m sorry.”
Celin, standing stiffly, stared up at me for a moment, then sighed deeply and clasped her hands behind her back.
Her toes scraped against the ground. Only then did Celin truly show her feelings.
Her gloomy and lonely complexion made my expression naturally darken.
“It’s okay; no matter what, I still value you, I-an oppa… It’s just that I feel a bit empty. I never thought that the connections I built would crumble like a sandcastle.”
Celin’s strengths, amidst her ambiguous family background and talent, lay in her wide range of relationships.
Thus, she had been obsessed with forming such relationships since the first year. Since the connections she had painstakingly built were severed in an instant, it was only natural that she felt empty.
When the opponent was the Imperial Court, there was nothing she could do.
The reason was ‘me’ from the future, but ultimately, it would feel like it was my fault to Celin.
Yet, I was grateful for her concern for my feelings despite everything. I looked down silently at Celin, who had her head bowed, and offered my apologies again.
“……I’m sorry, Celin. I’ll resolve this as soon as possible.”
However, even my routine consolation didn’t seem to reach her.
“Uh, it’s okay. Still, the bullying has stopped lately. I haven’t heard anyone speak ill of you among the second-year students in the Swordsmanship Department recently, so it’s a bit better now.”
It was pitiful that Celin had to say, “It’s a bit better,” while her closest friends had all turned against her and she was being ostracized.
It was my fault.
My feelings sank deeper into gloom.
I had to resolve this quickly.
Somehow.
In order to resolve this, I needed information.
I knew the contents of the letters already, but I had no idea what the words written there truly meant. To utilize the information from the future, I had to make sure to decipher that.
That was why I had called Neoris to the clearing in the Southern Forest.
It had only been a few days; to be honest, I had no idea how much information she had prepared.
Yet, I insisted on calling Neoris because my heart was growing increasingly impatient.
The longer the confrontation with the Imperial Court dragged on, the more it hurt my surrounding people. Even my sister’s company was on the verge of collapse, so if I didn’t resolve this, it would be problematic.
I could accept the bullying, but if her company failed, it would be irreversible.
Even if this incident were to conclude, a future where I was scolded by my sister was guaranteed. If the company collapsed, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if I were not only scolded but also thoroughly harassed.
She would probably grab my hair, demanding I take responsibility for my life again.
Just imagining it was terrifying.
As I contemplated such an unfortunate future, my expression naturally hardened. The one becoming fidgety in front of me was Neoris.
She cautiously scanned my face and then asked.
“Um, I-an-nim? If there was anything lacking in our handling of the matter, please forgive us…”
“Oh, it’s nothing like that.”
At my nonchalant response, Neoris made a confused expression.
It was the kind of expression that questioned whether I was speaking sincerely or trying to test her.
Especially since I had been speaking casually until just a few days ago and was now using honorifics, it was only natural that she would be confused.
However, I decided not to concern myself with Neoris’s feelings.
I had neither the energy nor the will to do that, considering Neoris had bullied my friends beforehand.
There was no need to extend kindness. That said, I wouldn’t intentionally bully her either.
“First, let’s hear the information. Have there been any results?”
“With such a short time, there wasn’t much. Initially, the information about ‘arrays’ and ‘caves’ had too much overlapping content…”
As I let out a thoughtful sound, Neoris began to sweat profusely.
To her, I was the Emperor’s proxy, and so my assessment would certainly impact her future significantly.
Of course, she’d want to make a good impression.
Neoris swallowed hard and immediately bowed her head.
However, contrary to her initial humble words, the information Neoris brought was quite useful.
As I listened slowly to her words, my eyes deepened with interest.
