137~ Irrelevant Person
“Elder大人?? …….” Fland could hardly believe his eyes as he gawked at Didelai, who was smiling with his usual suave demeanor. The man who usually pretends to be so refined now had his tiny eyes wide open, looking thoroughly uncouth.
He simply couldn’t believe his ears. They were family, members of the same race. Why was Elder Didelai so upset over some insignificant humans? Fland couldn’t comprehend it.
Deep down, Fland always saw himself as belonging to the Elf Clan, holding immense disdain and superiority towards humans, seeking the Elves’ approval through this attitude.
Although his opportunities to interact with Elves were extremely rare, Fland believed that his loyalty would eventually be acknowledged by the Elf Clan.
He flowed with half-Elven bl**d – a fact beyond dispute. The Elves might ostracize him, but they certainly wouldn’t deny his Elven heritage. Elder Didelai respected him and entrusted him with the crucial task of disciplining Dillin, or so Fland always thought.
That’s why he couldn’t fathom the situation – why would the Elder be so angry over a mere outsider, a worthless human?
Perhaps Elder Didelai was just a stickler for rules, upset by Fland stepping over the line during the award ceremony?
Despite concocting countless reasons to justify himself, Fland couldn’t reconcile it with reality.
“Talk of difficulty is unnecessary.” Tillysha glanced at the panicking Fland without a second thought, signaling her lack of intent to pursue further.
She had said enough. She didn’t want to waste any more attention on someone not worth noticing.
“Hmm? But from his tone, this wild half-elf seemed to cause you significant trouble, or at least held malice towards you.” Didelai’s voice was soft, almost drowned out amid the noise of the scene.
“Malice stems from one’s heart. Any negative emotion can breed malice, but what matters is whether it affects the person involved.” Tillysha wasn’t bothered—in fact, she cared nothing for Fland himself.
“Ah, Elder大人…… what are you saying? I did everything for you! I interfered with Tillysha winning the crown, and worked to drive Dillin out of the Academy!” At this point, the vast psychological gap drove Fland entirely mad. He flailed, attempting to justify himself to Didelai, expressing his loyalty to him and the Elf Clan.
Upon hearing this, Tillysha facepalmed.
There are certain people in this world who harm others, yet when the victim doesn’t wish to hold a grudge or retaliate later, these kinds of people still insist on projecting their own mindset onto others. They imagine that others are like them, determined to turn things into a life-or-d*ath struggle. Meanwhile, they push themselves to their own ruin before anyone else even acts.
“Stupid and evil,” Princess Filisia muttered coldly, watching the scene unfold.
Aistride observed the flailing Fland silently. She had never liked him anyway. Now, finding out that he had misused authority, endangering Dillin, caused her expression to grow colder.
So, Dillin had gone through all of that?……
“I’ve never given you the authority to order a student’s expulsion, nor have I asked you to obstruct the fairness of the competition.” Didelai smiled, his gaze calm but chilling when directed at the panicking Fland.
And that was the truth. Didelai simply wanted to put Dillin in his place, but this overzealous individual went too far, not only trying to force Dillin out of the Academy but also crossing Tillysha in the process.
“You’re truly beyond redemption, Mentor Fland.”
“E-Elder大人?! …”
Tillysha looked at the still smiling Didelai in surprise. For an old man who’d lived for several centuries to utter something as vulgar as that suggested the extent of his current fury.
“Don’t call me Elder大人, Mentor Fland. I am not your Elder.”
At those words, Fland’s heart dropped.
The implication was clear: I am the Elder of the Elves, and you’ve never been recognized as one of us, therefore you have no right to address me as Elder.
“Surely, it must be that I haven’t done enough, and that’s why you’re so angry, right? …” Fland no longer cared about appearances, his knees buckling as he collapsed to the ground. Lifting his head, he met Didelai’s cold gaze amidst the false smile.
“P-Please, give me another chance! Next time, I promise I’ll do better! … Please, don’t abandon me, don’t disown me as an Elf…” There was no trace now of the arrogant swagger Fland once had in front of Dillin. He looked like a pitiful insect begging for mercy.
If the Elves didn’t recognize him, if they didn’t accept him, then who was he?
Surely, he couldn’t be those inferior humans, could he? What a joke! Could he be on equal footing with those vermin who barely lived past a hundred years?
If humans didn’t accept him, and the Elves refused him, then who was he?……
“Miss Tillysha, my failure to perceive your talent fully has been my fault.” Ignoring Fland’s groveling, Didelai sincerely apologized to Tillysha.
“It’s fine, it didn’t affect me much,” Tillysha responded with composure.
That statement felt like a final kn*fe twisted into Fland’s chest.
“Not much influence,” it was as if Tillysha was saying he was utterly irrelevant, his existence or absence making no difference whatsoever.
“However, I think this incident should serve as a warning.”
“Warning?”
“Compared to other academies, filled with favoritism and corruption, Coleman Academy strives to uphold relative fairness, which I believe is one of our core competitive advantages.” Tillysha replied earnestly. “As such, it should be cultivated, not allowed to be undermined.”
“Indeed, Miss Tillysha. I have much to learn,” Didelai bowed his head, glancing at Fland, and spoke loudly enough for him to hear.
“Such ab*se of power stems from my own misuse of authority, and there are indeed many mentors in the academy who take advantage of their position and disrupt fairness.”
“Without severe punishment, such actions cannot serve as an example to deter others.”
Hearing this, Fland’s pupils shrunk in terror.
“Mister Fland, you are a genius. In time, you will surely rise like a dragon to the sea.”
“…” It was supposed to be a compliment, yet Fland’s heart felt icy.
“Our academy is too shallow for someone of your caliber. We cannot fully utilize your talents.” Didelai smiled, issuing a d*ath sentence to Fland’s career with a casual tone. “It is both a misfortune for the academy and a loss for Mister Fland.”
“In that case, it’s probably best if you seek employment elsewhere.” Didelai gestured with an open hand.
“No, no no……… That can’t be true, Elder…… Headmaster! I can only be of use here!”
“This world offers more than the trivialities of the present. You should explore broader horizons, see more, experience more,” Didelai smiled and approached Fland, towering over him.
“Travel, broaden your horizons, and perhaps you’ll avoid making such grave errors in the future.”
“Errors…. I’ll change, I’ll change, isn’t that enough??” Fland flipped his emotions faster than turning pages. “Please tell me where I went wrong. I’ll fix it immediately. Please, don’t expel me!”
“d*mn… Oh! Mister Dillin, I am sorry! Truly, I was in the wrong! Forgive me!” Realizing that Didelai was serious, Fland abandoned all dignity and apologized to Dillin.
But Dillin merely glanced at him impassively, remaining silent, refusing to accept his apology.
“Miss Tillysha, Miss Tillysha!” Fland quickly crawled over to Tillysha, sobbing uncontrollably.
Now that he was about to lose his position, he cared nothing for losing face in front of the entire faculty and student body.
Even if the Elves disowned him, as long as he kept his title of Deputy Director at Coleman Academy, his prestige would remain!
“If only you could ignore my offenses this time, please, Miss Tillysha! You’re too kind to bear grudges against small people like me. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble!”
“Please give me a second chance! Please, plead on my behalf!”
“If you forgive me, I’ll kneel and lick your toes if need be!”
What a waste of effort!
Tillysha turned her head away, looking into the distance.
If he hadn’t stepped forward at this crucial moment, she probably would’ve forgotten about his existence altogether. Didelai might’ve forgotten him too, allowing him to continue as Deputy Director in peace, avoiding any interference.
But now, stepping in brought him shame and cost him his position, leaving him as a solitary figure with nothing but his own mistakes to reflect on.
When someone condemns themselves willingly, there’s nothing anyone else can do.
“President, it’s getting noisy.” Tillysha, holding the box, glanced away from the pitiable figure groveling before her. “I think the entertainment has been sufficient for today. My godson and I are tired.”
Dillin nodded in agreement.
“Exams are in the afternoon. We need to conserve our energy for the upcoming tests.”
“Understood. You may leave,” Didelai nodded, offering one last glance at Dillin.
In truth, he couldn’t discern any unique qualities about this seemingly unremarkable human youth. If anything, he was excessively quiet and reserved, and at the award ceremony, he had shown no hostility toward either Didelai or Fland, as if nothing concerned him in the slightest.
Such human resilience was indeed rare……
“Well then, everyone, the Crown Cup award ceremony is over. I imagine everyone is tired. There’s an exam this afternoon, so rest up.” Didelai ended the ceremony.
Behind them, Princess Filisia and Aistride’s teams also departed.
“I’m sorry, everyone,” Princess Filisia said to her old teammates as they left.
“Why apologize? Princess Filisia, you’re entitled to make your own choices.” Her godson replied.
“Sniffle sniffle, I’ll miss not being teammates with Princess Filisia, but I respect your decision!”
“……Thank you.”
Back at the square, the students started to disperse, and the mentors on the platform gradually left.
Nobody paid attention to the figure left kneeling on the square, ignored completely by everyone except for a few onlookers amused by the spectacle.
On another side,
“How’s the swordsmanship class going recently?” Outside the venue, Aistride reunited with Sophia who had come to pick her up, greeting an old teammate.
Aistride, taking advantage of her height, caressed Sophia’s little head gently.
“Alright, I will protect you better in the future,” Sophia walked hand-in-hand with Aistride, her grip tightening slightly.
“Not too hard on yourself, Sophia.”
“Hmm… Has sister joined a new team?”
“Yep, we reorganized after enrolling.”
“Really? Are you interested in my teammates?”
“Sure! I want to meet them!” In truth, Sophia had no interest in any new teammates. She only cared about her sister, wanting to ensure no stranger would steal her away.
“Alright. If everyone’s available, we can after today’s exam.”
“Okay!”
Would they be buff, muscular, sweaty guys?
Definitely not! Those types would surely pester big sis like gum stuck to her shoes!
Sister is in danger!
How about handsome, suave young men?
Definitely not! People like that were deviously calculating. Sister is in danger!
Or maybe women?
Not good! Women couldn’t be underestimated either. They might exploit gender similarities to flirt with big sis and steal her away!
Sister is in even more danger!
She decided there and then that she must visit Crown Villa!
In the afternoon,
The exam commenced.
Testing locations and contents differed for Princesses and their godsons.
For Tillysha, it was a major challenge.
Other students merely needed to complete their papers. But she had to handle two simultaneously, juggling two problems at once to keep pace.
She used the link with her advanced humanoid puppet to perceive its views and control the responses.
And at the same time, she managed her own exam.
For the entire afternoon, while others had to juggle four subjects, Tillysha tackled eight, posing a significant demand on her brainpower and mental flexibility.
Though it was an impossible challenge for anyone else, Tillysha seemed unfazed, as if it wasn’t worth mentioning. Even she didn’t know if her lack of urgency was right or wrong.
Afternoon brought neatly dressed Tillysha to the examination room early while controlling Dillin’s puppet to find his assigned number in the godson’s examination hall and take his seat.
