Iria is pretty famous even among the students. She’s caused as much trouble as Ariel in a short time.
If you’re a student at the Academy, you’ve probably heard of her at least once. More people likely know about her than don’t.
So rumors were bound to spread. The mystery student who roamed the campus on the day of the incident was actually Iria, it was said.
Of course, it wasn’t something openly talked about in front of her. There was no point in making her an enemy considering she’s one of the top students at the Empire’s Academy.
They were whispering in tiny voices.
They thought they were far enough from Iria that she wouldn’t hear them.
Hehe, I can hear everything though!
Iria could hear them clearly because her senses were sharper than an average human’s.
“……”
As usual, Iria did not react.
After all, it was just baseless gossip. It would probably be noisy for a bit, then die down.
But she didn’t like being in the spotlight. Feeling multiple eyes on her, she slipped out of the lecture room.
Today, she wanted to escape the closed space and feel the breeze.
*
People fear the unknown. It’s directly tied to survival.
Ultimately, it’s instinctive. Those who were in the Academy’s building on the day of the incident still can’t forget that day’s nightmare.
Monsters, previously unseen, unleashed havoc.
Classmates that just yesterday were alive were slaughtered effortlessly, the smell of blood filling the air.
It was also a place where the sounds of nightmares echoed.
If you closed your eyes while hiding somewhere in the building, terrible sounds buzzed in your ears.
The sound of breaking windows, the roar of a giant monster, the fierce sounds of combat, and the horrifying screams of classmates begging for their lives.
Even elite students were mostly just theorists with no practical experience.
Few could do anything amidst the terror of death.
Normally, it’s typical to flee in a panic or be too paralyzed to move at all.
But among those students, there was a girl who walked towards the direction of the monsters.
She radiated a very ominous aura.
Her outfit indicated she was a student at the Academy. A mere student walking towards a being that even the professors couldn’t handle!
To other students, the red-haired girl was just as unknown. They were scared because they had no idea what she really was.
She could be a monster among them or a human controlled by one.
Fear is a contagious emotion. The dread stemming from the unknown spread like wildfire among the students.
It was only natural that conversations about her flowed.
Despite many things happening, the talk didn’t just focus on one topic, but Iria often overheard mentions of the red-haired girl.
If it was just hearsay, she wouldn’t have cared much. After all, she wasn’t the type to lend an ear to that sort of thing.
But then.
“Hey… could that rumor be about the red-haired student? Is that you, Iria?”
“Who are you?”
“I was just asking…”
“Not me, so go away.”
As always, there are exceptions. Since this is the Empire’s top educational institution, most people think reasonably, but some are naturally exceptions.
These are the ones who don’t take rumors as mere rumors.
That’s why Iria found herself dealing with an annoying existence much like when she first became the top student.
Most would flee in fear if she glared at them a bit, but there were still people who disliked her.
It’s usually the case when a name becomes known; not everyone is a fan. There would be people who resented her as much as those who admired her.
These were mainly groups envious of Iria’s skills, talents, and looks. They hated her just for being a 1st year with everything.
It wasn’t hate shaped by reason; it was more like they created reasons to hate her.
What began as mere rumors warped into something strange after reaching their ears.
Whispers that claimed Iria was an accomplice in the Academy’s monster incident surfaced.
Of course, it was nonsense. But that’s why rumors are terrifying.
They can inflate the most ridiculous falsehoods endlessly!
“Hey, look! Iria’s passing by. How shameless! Doesn’t she feel guilty?”
“But wait, is that really her? Just because she resembles her doesn’t guarantee it’s Iria! Even if it is, accusing her of being an accomplice? Sounds far-fetched.”
“Idiot! The truth doesn’t matter. What matters is I don’t like her, and I happened to catch her red-handed!”
“That’s just witch-hunting, isn’t it?”
“Yup!”
The 3rd-year top student, Amelia, smiled slyly.
Though she sat in the top seat, she clearly understood her own abilities and strength.
She hated to admit it, but Iria’s talent was beyond hers. She realized that after watching Iria and Sera’s duel.
In the past, she had lost a duel against Sera, so Iria must certainly be stronger than Amelia.
That point didn’t sit well with her.
The 2nd years had a reputation for being a golden generation, but being outclassed by a 1st-year was quite shocking.
Frankly, she couldn’t accept that.
She had fought her way up through fierce competition, yet there were plenty still stronger than her.
It wasn’t that Amelia lacked skills. It was just that the top students above and below her were absolute monsters.
She was just a top student due to luck.
Hearing that her position was merely a matter of luck grated on her nerves.
That’s why she found amusement in the current situation.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to watch her crumble because of this? I hope she drops out.”
“Is this really okay?”
“Who cares? Frankly, I’ve disliked her weird red eyes from the start. They look ominous.”
One thing’s for sure: Iria would have a more exhausting school life from now on.
You can look forward to that. Though the reception was poor, she was still the top student, so she had some connections and influence.
Today was just the first day, so it went by without much trouble, but tomorrow should be interesting.
When people hear rumors, their visible reactions differ slightly.
Broadly, they separate into believers and non-believers, and if we delve deeper, attitudes towards those rumors can also vary.
Some who tend to believe nearly false information will still do so if they think there’s a chance it might be true.
Even if they don’t believe it, they’re unlikely to think highly of someone at the center of bad rumors.
What Amelia was trying to do was just that. She wanted to drag Iria’s image down to rock bottom within the Academy.
The one part that worried her was Sera.
Sera was notoriously feared for her influence throughout the Academy, and Iria happened to be friends with her.
But that’s why now was the perfect opportunity. She was still in recovery, right?
“If I just watch out for those around her, Iria should be easy to deal with.”
Iria seems easy.
Not that it was due to her skills; she simply hardly moved unless necessary. Honestly, it may seem like she was easy to deal with.
Having a crazy girl and the Academy’s strongest in her social circle felt a bit off, but since Sera was hospitalized and Ariel had no interest in this,
What if this was a chance to drive a wedge between Ariel and Iria?
Ariel likely wouldn’t care for Iria.
Why?
Because their relationship hasn’t evolved into anything romantic yet.
It was already pretty famous that Iria followed Ariel around like a puppy.
That means she had feelings for Ariel, while Ariel treated her like a friend but kept her distance.
Ariel was just close to Sera. He had zero interest in Iria.
With that thought, Amelia sought Ariel.
He spent most of his day at the Swordsmanship Training Ground, so finding him wasn’t hard.
When their one-sided meeting was finally achieved, Amelia took the initiative to speak up.
“Honestly, isn’t Iria a bit off-putting? Her eyes are red, and she seems kind of monstrous.”
“……”
During lunch hour, Ariel had been swinging a sword alone in the training ground and froze at her words.
Then he turned to her.
“What did you just say?”
“…Huh?”
Ariel’s expression looking at Amelia was anything but casual.
Wasn’t his reaction different from what she had expected?
She started to sense a crisis.
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