Chapter 87: The End and The Beginning Part 4
It was the 18th day after classes had resumed in Centrior. At this time, Razé was away doing a mission in the coup in Magenda.
After Razé had disappeared, Carna and Folia were unable to contact her. Each of them tried to use their respective information networks to find out news about Razé.
When the male casts of the otome game saw the girls were looking for Razé desperately, they started to use their networks too to help them.
“… This is just between us, but I’ve pulled some strings in the Ministry of Finance to investigate this matter—”
The members had gathered at a corner of the classroom and were listening to Luca with a stern look.
“…I found out that Razé Granoli had died during her job as an adventurer.”
It was a numbingly cruel news.
Adis: “What…?”
Carna: “… Wh- What do you mean?”
Adis felt the blood drain from his face while Carna’s voice was quivering with emotion.
“It can’t be true.” Folia’s legs went weak and she sank down to the ground.
“Cresias!” Ian crouched down next to her with an indescribable face.
“It happened 17 days ago. The second day after we return to the academy— someone submitted her death notification to the government office. So, your letter … no matter how long you wait, there won’t be any reply.”
Even though Luca rarely had any interaction with Razé, it was still hard for him to convey the news that his classmate had died. If she had died in a dungeon, then most likely there was no funeral either.
“If we want to find out any further news, we need to look for her acquaintances.” Luca spilled out the news that was too heavy for him to take it all on himself alone. The classroom was very quiet, with no one but them.
“Acquaintances…” Adis put a hand on his mouth and muttered softly. He recalled the faces of her acquaintances – her visitors during the school festival, the summer tournament and Sesemann that they had met in Beham…
He tried to make sense of all this clues and finally noticed something. Those two men who came to see Razé – it wasn’t the first time he saw them. “Why didn’t I notice this earlier…?”
When he went dungeon hopping for training during the school holiday, Vanessa had introduced two soldiers to him. He didn’t notice because they had a totally different vibe, but those two men were the same person.
“Her acquaintances are all military personnel from the Imperial Army.”
He was finally able to pick up the puzzle piece that he had overlooked, but it was too late. Currently, the battle with Magenda had already begun. It would be difficult for them to find out about her news during this time. Even if he had noticed the clues, he didn’t know their relationship with Razé and whether she was still alive or not. Furthermore, if she really was related to the military, then she most likely had taken a dangerous job and had lost her life.
Ruben turned to Adis and asked, “What do you mean?”
Adis: “We bumped into Clarodos Hasche Sesemann-sama in Beham. He said that they are work acquaintances…”
His words reminded Claude of that meeting. “What if she had taken a dangerous job and lost her life?”
“It can’t be…”
The more information they had about Razé, the more serious the story had become. Adis regretted for not noticing this earlier, otherwise he might have been able to stop her back then. He clenched his jaws in frustration.
Ian: “Most likely there is no one to mourn for Razé-san…”
Everyone turned to him when they heard his words. No one was yet aware of the possibility that she may be a soldier herself because her situation was very peculiar.
Ruben placed a hand on Carna’s back and said, “I’ll go talk to Principal Harlens.”
Right at that moment, a voice came from behind them: “That’s unnecessary.” Harlens stood at the door of the classroom. Not sure since when he had been listening to their conversation. And Zale was standing behind him.
“Principal Harlens, what bring you here?” Luca asked with a puzzled face, surprised by his sudden appearance.
Harlens entered the classroom and walked up to them. “Ruben Ank Roseberry, Claude Orr Lesir and Folia Cresias, I have something to talk with you.” He stood in front of Ruben and handed a piece of paper to him. “Prince Ruben, you’ve been called to the battlefield. The teleporter machine is ready. Please come with me.”
“Huh?!” Carna exclaimed in surprise. Ruben took the letter calmly. It seemed he already knew what was going on. The letter roughly explained that the war was about to end, so he needed to go now because it was his last chance to gain experience in the field. Claude would join him as his personal attendant.
Harlens: “Folia Cresias.”
Folia stood up unsteadily.
Harlens: “There are soldiers heavily injured which require your purification skill. We have received a request for your help. Please discuss with Lord Moldir and make a decision.”
Folia gently took the envelope handed by Harlens. She took out the letter and read the contents. In the letter, it was written that they are soldiers with black wounds that can only be healed using her precious skill.
“—Ah!” Folia opened her eyes wide when she recalled what had happened two years ago. The first time she went to the bathhouse with Razé, she had saw a black wound on her body and screamed in surprise. She immediately turned and looked at Harlens.
Harlens turned around, showing his back to her and said, “This is me talking to myself. If you want to know why Razé Granoli needs to disappear, then you should accept the request.”
Actually, Harlens wanted to tell them about everything here. However, he felt it was not his place to tell the truth when he was the one who had personally dragged her into the academy and then let her go when the war started.
He looked at Zale, who was standing at the door. He seemed discontented with the situation but this was the only thing that he could do for Razé.
“I will go!” Folia suddenly exclaimed. “It’s something that only I can do. I want to help the people who are suffering. And I want to find someone who knows about Razé-chan,” she said with unwavering eyes.
Zale wanted to object the request but he forced back his personal feeling after seeing Folia was very determined. “If you have made up your mind, then I won’t stop you.” He wanted to respect Folia’s feeling.
Ruben, Claude and Folia followed behind Harlens and left the classroom.
The heavy door closed with a bang. Only Carna, Adis, Luca and Ian were left in the classroom. Adis clenched his fist while thinking about the situation. He really wanted to join them too. However, the destination was the battlefield. It was not a place where young people like them could meddle with. His rational mind had stopped him from chasing after them.
And that moment, the girl with the light purple hair walked past him. Carna walked forward while Adis stood motionless.
Adis: “— Lady Carna?”
Carna: “I don’t want to regret it later if I choose not to do anything.”
As someone who carried the memory from the previous life, the weight of her words was heavy. Carna gave a glance at Adis before she walked out the open door.
Adis: “Damn it!”
Adis couldn’t do nothing after listening to her words. He had been feeling unsettled ever since Razé had disappeared. After cursing to himself, he decided to quit putting on a front and rushed out to chase after Ruben.
“We should go too,” Luca said to Ian before he started running.
Ian grinned with a troubled face, saying, “If we get into trouble, we should receive the scolding together!”
When they went out the hallway, Harlens and the others were already gone. They desperately searched for the room with the transporter machine. After searching for a while, they found out Harlens had went to a guest room which was rarely used in the school building. Luckily, the door was not locked but by the time they entered the room, Ruben, Claude and Folia were about to teleport.
Ruben: “Carna?!”
Folia: “You guys?!”
Seeing the teleporter was already activated and was emitting bright light, Carna and the others hastily jumped onto the magic circle and disappeared.
* * *
After the group of students were gone, Zale turned to Harlens and asked, “You knew this would happen, right?”
Harlens gave an assent. “I have informed His Majesty beforehand. Since the experienced soldiers are busy handling the monsters in the battlefield this time, we have assigned knights to escort those students. We should be able to secure a certain level of safety. As for the rest, it’s up to them.”
As an adult who was bound by rules due to his identity, he was unable to help Razé openly. However, there were things that only these young people could and were allowed to do. As for him, all he could do here was to take the responsibility.
Harlens had made this plan because there was a possibility that these group of students would leave the school to search for Razé. It was the first time since he became the principal of this academy that he felt grateful for his status as the younger brother of the emperor.
Sooner or later, these students would eventually find out Razé’s identity. It would be easy for him to tell them Razé Granoli was actually Razé Orphan and she was a soldier with the title Wolf Fang. But for them to really grasped its meaning, they needed to witness the actual scene themselves. Harlens himself had experienced it before.
So, Harlens decided to send them to the battlefield to show them the world she lived in and what Wolf Fang meant to this country.
“We shouldn’t hide it any longer. She might be unwilling, but it’s time for us to acknowledge her identity.”
Razé Orphan had endured most of her life living in the shadow for the sake of the country. Although Wolf Fang was treated like an idol by the public, no one knew about her except for her close comrades and some of the related personnel. But she had never complained about it.
With all the achievements under her belt, it was more than enough for her to be recognized by the world. It was time for the people to get to know her.
Zale: “It seems Orphan is a special student to you.”
Harlens just shrugged his shoulders. He himself had been living in the shadow as the backup plan in case something happened to Emperor Gaius. Even if she was not appreciated by the world, he couldn’t help but be concerned about Razé who had been living a tough life. He must have been fascinated by her since the first day he had learned about the girl named Razé Orphan.
“I’ve never told anyone about this before, but I’m not just her superior or teacher— I’m her fan. It’s impossible not to be biased.” Harlens gave a dry laugh. He knew that Lord Moldir should understand this feeling very well. After all, he had joined the academy for Folia.
Zale was unable to refute him because that was the truth.
The guest room went silent when they stopped talking. Harlens looked at the empty magic circle and softly whispered, “May god bless those kids.”
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