Real Education (3)
‘This is a genius. Damn.’
Zeke watched Yuri’s match and nodded his head in satisfaction.
Dios’ expression standing next to him was also quite a sight to behold.
As if he had guessed his future, his face was deathly pale.
“Dios.”
The guy flinched and looked around as his name was called.
A cold smile slowly spread across Zeke’s face.
“Wh-What?!”
“It’s almost your turn to spar with me. Are you sufficiently prepared?”
“!”
Dios’ cheeks twitched repeatedly, and the fat that had filled them trembled.
‘He’s scared shitless. Yeah, if he has eyes, he’ll know.’
At least he has some experience swinging a sword.
The guy who was unsure during Soi Spoon and Iriel’s matches was rubbing his eyes and gaping stupidly at Yuri.
It must have been a strange, power that could not be seen in ordinary swordsmanship.
And he might have even slightly gauged my power, the one who taught them.
The sight of him already demoralized like a dog with its tail between its legs was quite pitiful.
‘For now… Let’s put this guy aside…’
He turned his gaze towards the arena.
Even though victory had been declared, Yuri was trembling, unable to even think about returning.
In front of her, Ilios was clenching and unclenching his fists with a cold expression.
His face was stiff and unchanged, but Zeke could tell how angry Ilios was right now.
And next to him…
‘That bastard is Yuri’s father, that Count Gilbert guy.’
The person who was the biggest trauma and obstacle for Yuri.
The guy who had slicked back his faded brown hair, grown a goatee, and was glaring at Yuri with a face red with rage as if he wanted to kill her.
Thump.
Thump.
As Zeke stepped forward, the Principal’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
“Hmm? Now that all the matches are over, isn’t it my turn to say a few words?”
“All the matches are over? I heard there was a match scheduled with Instructor Dios.”
“I’ll postpone that pleasure for a little later.”
When Zeke said that, the Principal, at a loss for words, nodded his head.
However, he couldn’t feel at ease letting this guy go just like that.
“Please… Don’t say anything strange, just give a quiet greeting and come down.”
“…”
Zeke didn’t answer the Principal’s earnest request and moved his steps.
“Distinguished guests, did you enjoy the spar?”
Zeke approached Yuri’s side and placed his hand on her head, *pat*.
The girl looked up with startled eyes.
‘Your role isn’t over yet, Yuri.’
He knew that Yuri had no choice but to accept the First Prince’s orders.
However, he couldn’t just bring her into his fold without any consequences.
After all, Yuri had done something wrong, so she had to be punished accordingly, didn’t she?
‘This is, to be honest, a bit cruel, but this is the surest way to get rid of that clingy bastard.’
Yuri played a big role in the process, but Zeke wasn’t worried at all.
‘You’ll do well anyway. Right?’
As Zeke stepped forward, the attention of the crowd focused on him.
“First of all, it’s truly rewarding to be able to show you the skills of the students I’ve taught. Of course, this is not because I taught them well, but because the students are originally talented.”
Zeke’s greeting began with humble words that lowered himself.
His voice wasn’t very loud, but it was infused with mana, delivering a clear voice to the nobles’ ears.
“It’s only been a little over two months since I met these children at the academy. How much could I have possibly taught them in this time? I simply nudged them in the right direction so that they could blossom the talent they already possessed. I’ve done nothing else.”
Zeke spoke, examining the faces of the people.
Various nobles, Yuri’s father, Count Gilbert, Hades from the Eustia Family, the Yohaiden Family who seemed to have a lot to say… he quickly skipped over them.
The Royal Knight Captain. And the First Prince, Ilios.
None of them seemed easily convinced by his words.
Of course, who would believe that such delicate girls originally possessed such power?
Among them, the Knight Captain was still moving his lips, seemingly desperate to ask for the secret.
‘But that’s not important right now.’
“For this spar, my students have trained for so long and so hard, forgetting to eat and sleep, they have trained and trained again. As someone who has watched them from the side, I know this best.”
─ Did we train for this spar?
─ Shh! Be quiet, Soi! That’s what he means, figuratively. Zeke can hear everything we say.
─ Gulp!
He could hear Soi and Iriel whispering behind him, but Zeke continued speaking as if he hadn’t heard them.
“However, despite all the hard work and effort put into preparing for this spar… there has been an unfortunate incident.”
Zeke then turned his gaze to Yuri standing next to him.
“And I stand here today to accuse her of this in front of all of you.”
Yuri’s eyes widened, meeting Zeke’s gaze.
‘Huh…?’
“Yuri Gilbert.”
Zeke called her name in a low, chilling voice.
“…Yes?”
“Why did you do it?”
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“Why did you put that drug in the students’ drinking water?”
“!”
Her small lips were tightly shut as she stared straight at Zeke.
Her clenched fists were trembling.
“I’ll ask you again. Why did you put that drug in the water?”
“Hold on!”
Just then, a voice interjected from the audience.
It was Ilios.
“Hmm? Your Highness, Ilios?”
Although the spar was taking place within the academy, Ilios was currently present not as a student but as a member of the royal family, so Zeke spoke formally.
“…Sir Zeke Clayman.”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean by what you just said? Putting drugs in the water?”
It was clear that he had intervened to somehow disrupt the flow before Zeke could build up the atmosphere.
From the perspective of the nobles who didn’t know their relationship, it might seem strange for the First Prince to suddenly step in like this, but regardless of the power dynamics, he was the highest-ranking person present, so the scene wasn’t too awkward.
However, this was exactly what Zeke wanted.
‘To catch a big fish, you need to cast a big bait.’
To bring the First Prince onto the stage before this spar event ended, to ensure that this cunning rat wouldn’t have time to prepare any excuses.
Now was the perfect timing.
“It’s exactly as I said. Yuri Gilbert put drugs in the drinking water of our students. A paralyzing drug that stiffens the body. And the Second Prince, Rosnante Leonine, drank it. Then, he told the other students not to drink it and shouldered the burden alone.”
For the first time, Zeke used an honorific title for Rosnante. To emphasize that a ‘prince,’ of equal status to Ilios, had been harmed.
The nobles buzzed with commotion at the sudden, shocking revelation.
“A paralyzing drug?! And the Second Prince drank it?!”
“Uh… Come to think of it, the Second Prince’s condition was strange…? Actually, the way he lost was odd…”
“I thought it was psychological trauma, but it wasn’t?”
“Well, the girls in the same class were all moving exceptionally well. But the only male, Prince Rosnante, lost so ridiculously… Doesn’t that make sense? He’s a genius with the sword…”
Rosnante, who had lost as soon as the match began, was compared to the success of the other female students.
The fact that Rosnante was the weakest in Zeke’s class was not known, so the suspicion gained credibility.
“Even… the Royal Knight Captain said that Prince Rosnante’s talent is real…”
People’s gazes turned to the Royal Knight Captain.
The air of agreement was gradually spreading.
Ilios could be sure of what Zeke was trying to do now.
Even if he couldn’t detect the paralyzing drug, he was trying to damage his image by making it public.
‘Everyone already knows that Yuri is connected to me.’
However, Ilios gave a cynical smile.
‘Does he think I’m here as a student? You’re digging your own grave, Zeke Clayman.’
Ilios, having organized his thoughts, opened his mouth.
“Then… why did Yuri Gilbert win…? If she was the one who put the drug in, shouldn’t she have lost the match as well? I wonder… if all of this was orchestrated by you, Zeke Clayman, to favor Rosnante. I have my suspicions…”
Ilios ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m starting to think that you’re accusing someone without proper evidence. To expel Yuri, who is my person, from your class through this spar and to frame me… An instructor using his own student as a political tool. Zeke Clayman, can you really handle the consequences of all this?”
Ilios’s tackle further confused the situation.
“Yeah… Then she wouldn’t need to win…”
“What…? They said she put drugs in the water, but wasn’t she incredibly good?”
“…Come to think of it, Count Gilbert’s family is on the First Prince’s side. This… could be a false accusation made to attack the First Prince…?”
“Then it’s an insult to the royal family.”
Snort.
Zeke let out a hollow laugh.
“Your Highness, Ilios.”
“Hmm.”
“Then let’s confirm it. Yourself.”
Zeke nudged Yuri’s back, shove.
Yuri, pushed forward three steps,
was like a young lamb thrown before a pack of wolves, bathed in the gazes of all the nobles.
Her clear, black eyes caused an earthquake.
“Yuri.”
Zeke called her name softly.
Yuri looked back at Zeke with trembling eyes.
He smiled and whispered in a voice that only she could hear.
“Tell them everything.”
“…!”
Yuri’s eyes widened as if she had been struck by lightning.
Zeke gently pushed her back toward the nobles.
Yuri, who had been pushed forward again, turned her body and faced the crowd.
The nobles held their breath and waited for her to speak.
“I…”
Yuri’s small voice echoed through the silent arena.
“I put the paralyzing drug in the water.”
“!”
A wave of gasps swept through the audience.
“It was… the First Prince’s order.”
“…!”
“He told me… that if I lost this spar, he would… kill my father.”
“…?!”
“So I… I had no choice…”
Yuri’s voice trembled as she spoke.
The nobles were in chaos.
No one had expected such a shocking confession.
The First Prince, Ilios, was staring at Yuri with a look of disbelief.
“Yuri… what are you saying…?”
Ilios’s voice was shaking.
“I… I’m telling the truth…”
Yuri’s tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Ilios… why… why did you do that…?”
Yuri’s voice was full of sadness and betrayal.
Ilios couldn’t answer.
He just stared at Yuri with a blank expression.
The nobles were buzzing with discussion.
“The First Prince ordered it…?”
“To kill her father…?”
“Is this true…?”
The Royal Knight Captain approached Ilios with a stern expression.
“Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?”
Ilios finally opened his mouth.
“It’s a lie. It’s all a lie made up by Zeke Clayman to frame me.”
“Your Highness, do you have any evidence to support your claim?”
“Evidence…? I don’t need any evidence. I’m the First Prince.”
“Your Highness, that is not an acceptable answer.”
The Royal Knight Captain’s voice was firm.
Ilios glared at the Royal Knight Captain.
“Are you defying me?”
“I am simply doing my duty.”
The Royal Knight Captain didn’t back down.
The atmosphere in the arena was tense.
Zeke watched the scene with a cold smile.
‘Checkmate.’
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