If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself while living in this world, it’s that I surprisingly don’t care much about what others think of me. Bloop!
Well… I mean, aside from maintaining the character I’m trying to keep up. That’s something I’m trying really hard to do for my personality, but besides that, especially when it comes to people around me, I don’t think I pay much attention to the eyes of others. Wink!
I only recently found out that the rumor of me being an “assassin” has been going around for months. Gasp!
To make things even more amusing, when I heard that rumor, I just shrugged it off. To be honest, isn’t it true? Even if we set aside the now-stashed secret about the assassination of Count Crowfield, I’ve been to battlefields and have definitely taken shots at people. Bang!
And not just a couple of them. So many that I can’t remember them all. I mean, it’s not like it was a dozen or so, but in situations where bullets are flying everywhere, bombs are going off, and the sounds of machine guns mixed with charges are all over, while fighting and rewinding time hundreds of times, I barely have time to remember how many I shot! Zoom!
Honestly, I get it. Nod!
No matter how much this academy also serves as a military school and how there are people graduating here to join the army, there’s probably not a lot of folks who’ve actually killed someone. If there were, that would be weird instead. Scratching head!
Still, in this world, there is at least a common sense that war is an adult’s job. Hmm…
Even though it’s annoying that they can’t properly distinguish between what’s adult and what’s child, they oddly can draw that line when discussing things that are, well, serious. Eww!
Because of that line, I’m labeled as an ‘assassin’ for shooting people without a care! Dramatic gasp!
Yeah, from an objective standpoint, they’re not wrong. The issue is that if we really apply the term, it would also apply the same way to the many soldiers that are praised as ‘heroes’ in this country. Big sigh!
Hearing that accusation was purely by chance. Ding!
If it was just me hearing it, I would have easily ignored it, but—
“You, what did you just say?” Dun dun dun!
The problem is, right when I opened the student council room door, there was someone standing right next to me. Whoosh!
And that someone was Alice, who is considerably more physically capable than I am. Zoom-zoom!
Hearing the clear words ‘Assassin Sylvia’ right next to my ear, it wouldn’t have been strange if Alice heard everything before and after that line too. Eek!
“Repeat what you just said in front of me.” Zing!
Before I could even fully open the door, Alice swiftly went straight to where that voice came from and said that. Snap!
Seems like Alice had already pinpointed the owner of that voice. Unlike me, who doesn’t care at all about what nobles talk about, Alice has been putting effort into her social life since coming to the academy. Surely, figuring out who the voice belonged to wouldn’t have been that difficult. Bing!
In the student council room, there were a few tables. It didn’t have those gigantic conference tables that you’d expect in a corporate meeting. Eh?
Instead, they were more suitable for tea parties, small tables that fit about four to five people, scattered around. Clink clink!
According to the rules, anyone can make a presentation or a suggestion. You can stand up and tap a champagne glass with a spoon or just raise your voice a bit to grab everyone’s attention, so to say, the student council operates in a very typical noble social style. Cheers!
Naturally, if it’s not that kind of meeting—no, to be more precise, even if it is that kind of meeting—the student council room is almost always used as a social gathering place for council members. Socialize!
“Ah, um, well…” Uhh!
No matter how positively you take it, calling someone an assassin is never a word with a good connotation. Gulp!
It’s natural for that girl, who spoke in front of the crown princess’s name with that word, to turn pale. With her light sky blue hair, which would be odd even for one of the protagonist’s party, her face turned as blue as her hair color. Colors, where?
A little later, she entered the student council room. Tip-tap!
The sound of student loafers echoed loudly. Thud thud!
I heard the gazes of the seven students in the student council room turn toward me. Gaze!
Do they think I’m going to get mad? Hmm, honestly, I’m not that bothered by such a word. Boring!
I knew all the names of the noble class kids and had some understanding of their backgrounds, but I had no intention of getting close to those who didn’t involve themselves in the main story. Nope!
“Ah.” Oops!
Though I had no intention of getting close, it’s not like I was completely ignoring their faces either. Eye see!
Since we’re both in the same student council too. Weird vibes!
I didn’t plan on going near her, but since Alice went straight toward that direction, I couldn’t just keep silent. Uh-oh!
Noble conversations are like mathematical formulas; they require managing ‘official emotions’ separately from personal feelings. Eureka!
Even if I personally think something doesn’t warrant anger, expressing ‘anger’ can sometimes earn praise among nobles, and even if I’m really mad about something, not showing ‘anger’ is usually expected. Hmm…
The former often relates to one’s own honor and family, while the latter ties to relatives or spouses. They look really similar, but just that single paper’s difference completely alters the response! Flip!
And a truly capable noble can freely swap those two positions and utilize them excellently. Proud!
“I’m… I’m sorry!” Gulp!
As our gazes met, the girl’s face turned even paler, and she quickly stood up, bowing deeply toward me. Bow bow!
So… she’s a count’s daughter or something. Since she’s joined the student council, she can’t just be any ordinary noble. Huh?
Even if she doesn’t match the Fanggriffon royal family level, of course. Ponder!
Without saying anything, I was about to head towards a vacant spot, but I suppressed a sigh as I walked over to the table where those students were. Sigh!
“Claiming that fighting for the Empire and risking your life is ‘murderous’ shows a questionable loyalty to the Empire.” Oof!
When Alice said that, the already silenced student council room seemed to sink even deeper into silence. Crickets!
If a moment ago it felt like being ten meters under the sea, now it felt like being underwater, to the extent that the pressure might actually kill someone. Panic!
“I-I didn’t mean that! I just…” Uhh!
The count’s daughter was desperately rolling her eyes, trying to find an excuse, but it seemed she couldn’t come up with anything coherent. Whistle!
“If Sylvia’s an ‘assassin’, then isn’t Duke Winterfield, the head of this academy, also one?” Dun dun!
With a smile on her face, Alice pressed, and the other girl couldn’t say anything in reply. Silence!
Glancing sideways, I saw the student council president frozen in the same position, still holding a cup of tea. Cringe!
“I wonder how many of the others in this room agree with that. Before I walked in, the atmosphere was quite friendly, yet it seems you just casually had conversations like that when we weren’t around? The families I thought were pillars of the Empire turned out to be parasites living off the name of the Empire, and I’m surprised too!” Shock!
“Ah, that’s…” Oh no!
At that moment, the student council president, who had been gaping until then, started to move his jaw. Chatter!
“The previous comment was a personal opinion of Lady Rassel…” Uh-oh!
As the student council president slowly spoke, Lady Rassel’s gaze turned toward him. The look in her eyes was filled with desperation. Like a plea not to discard what she said. Plea!
In a brief moment, I could see a calculation cross the student council president’s eyes. Thinking!
“The words ‘assassin’ and ‘Sylvia’ are two different terms that accidentally came to be used together.” How so?
And just like that, he wrapped up his calculations in a moment. It seemed they preferred to keep Lady Rassel in good standing. Eh, good choice!
“Please, go on.” Nod!
Alice said, gazing silently at Lady Rassel. Focus!
“At that time, Princess Sylvia Fanggriffon was indeed on the battlefield. The opposition was a group of ruthless warlords. They were a bunch of murderers and rapists.” Set the record straight!
The student council president continued speaking slowly as he crafted his excuse. Smooth talking!
“And Princess Sylvia Fanggriffon played a significant role in ridding the world of that ‘murderous’ faction. Although it was quite distant, and I can’t say for sure that there were other students around to hear it properly, at least from what I’ve heard, it seemed that Lady Rassel wasn’t trying to frame Princess Sylvia but rather was applauding her efforts.” Clap clap!
Although he didn’t state anything firmly, it was enough of a defense. Coming from the duke’s eldest son, that statement carried weight. Worth it!
Lady Rassel nodded vigorously. Yes!
“Really?” Wait what?
Until then, I had only been listening and talking. I decided to chime in. Chime!
“I appreciate that compliment. Since you’re personally supporting me, I only wish for the Rassel family to help the royal family in our future endeavors.” Strategy!
“For the esteemed Fanggriffon royal family, is there anything I can do? I will surely follow that request.” Sure!
At my words, Lady Rassel lowered her head. Respect!
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