*Rattle.*
The sliding door opens, and Nishizawa Eri appears.
Her eyes are bleary, her face stained with dark circles, and I can see the name on the collar around her neck.
She flinches as our eyes meet.
“Look over there, it’s Nishizawa.”
“What kind of face did she come to school with?”
“She’s bound to get expelled anyway; if it were me, I wouldn’t even show up.”
I can hear the whispers of the students.
Nishizawa Eri trembles, her steps shaking as she approaches me.
Her knees hit the classroom floor.
“What’s up with her?”
What is she doing?
Did she eat something weird this morning?
Thud.
Nishizawa Eri slams her forehead onto the classroom floor.
That’s a dogeza.
She speaks in a trembling voice.
“I’m sorry… Kim Deok-Sung… It was all a misunderstanding… It’s all my fault… I did everything wrong… I won’t ask you to forgive me… I won’t even ask for leniency in punishment… I’m trash deserving of expulsion anyway… I’m sorry… Truly sorry.”
A dogeza I didn’t ask for and an apology I didn’t request.
Of course, given her character trope as a ‘title heroine,’ she’s supposed to have ‘kindness’ deep down, so it feels like a sincere apology.
But that’s her problem.
Whether her apology is sincere or not, I have no reason to accept it.
If it were the original protagonist Yuji, he might say, “Okay, you seem genuinely remorseful, so don’t do it again,” but I can’t do that.
“What do you want me to do? Why should I accept your apology?”
“I’m sorry… I’ll forever atone as your slave…”
Is she out of her mind?
“What? Slave? Stop talking nonsense and get up. We have HR soon, and if Mayuzumi-sensei sees this, the classroom will be a mess. Don’t put on a show, because I’m not accepting your apology.”
“…Alright…”
Nishizawa Eri gets up and flinches at her desk.
With trembling hands, she pulls out a wet wipe from her bag and starts cleaning her desk.
Just when Nishizawa Eri finished tidying up her desk.
“Hello! Cadets! Good morning again! It’s Mayuzumi-sensei! Let’s start HR!”
The classroom door swings open, and Mayuzumi-sensei enters with an attendance book and pointer in both hands, announcing the start of HR.
There’s only a day left until the disciplinary committee.
Expulsion is impossible as long as the chairman and the final boss are standing firm.
It’s obvious that offending the chairman will lead to significant trouble in my life.
I’m not foolish enough to ruin all my future plans for a moment of pleasure.
Instead, I plan to make Nishizawa Eri’s school life a living hell.
It may already be hell.
According to the setting book, the body hosting the disciplinary committee is the student council.
Of course, she’ll be participating in it too.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be seeing Saionji Aris’s face.”
Student Council President Saionji Aris.
The third place in the original heroine popularity poll.
My favorite heroine from *The Weakest Hero is the Savior of the World*.
Finally, it’s time to meet her.
Master is kind (Illustration Available)
Shuo Hero Academy.
Annex.
Also known as the Student Council Hall, this building is home to only two organizations.
The Discipline Committee, responsible for cadet regulations, and the Student Council, representing all the academy’s cadets.
Student Council Hall Small Auditorium.
According to the setting book, this place is usually rented for club activities or various student events, but right now, the air is thick with tension.
I’ve been sinking down.
It’s almost time for the Disciplinary Committee meeting.
Olivia and I are currently attending as witnesses.
The spectator seats are already packed to the brim.
Turning my head, I see the silver-haired, red-eyed, gothic lolita-clad beautiful girl, Principal Yoshizaki Seira, sitting at the front of the audience.
‘She’s like a blatant eyesore with that outfit.’
Even indoors, Seira, who wears a black lace parasol, can’t help but spin around joyfully. When our eyes meet, she gives a deadly wink and blows a hand kiss my way.
Ugh, seriously, why is she acting like that?
Did her appearance regress to 15 years old and make her lose her mind?
I can’t understand it.
It’s good that the Principal liked me because of the kindness virtue test, but it’s a bit disappointing that I couldn’t expel Nishizawa.
She seems genuinely remorseful, but that’s not my concern.
‘If only Messiah and that old hag principal weren’t around.’
If it weren’t for those two, I would have expelled her or just dealt with her disappearance into the gate.
What a shame.
Of course, in this crazy world, it’s hard to deal with her completely without a trace due to the setting that the Hunter watch operates even inside the gate, recording everything.
Anyway, if this incident ends with a lenient treatment, that damn reputation of being called a villain might be diluted a little.
Moreover, Nishizawa Eri’s father is the villain Mad Hatter.
If she gets expelled, the New World League, led by Mad Hatter, will likely recruit Nishizawa Eri as a villain.
The chances of her turning to the dark side as a villain after falling into despair from expulsion are 100%.
‘As frustrating as it is, I can’t just hand over a heroine-level character to Messiah, that crazy guy, for free.’
That would be a suicidal act, blinding myself with momentary satisfaction and inviting greater troubles.
Still, it can’t be helped that I’m angry.
‘Damn final boss, damn old hag principal, I’ll make sure to use that old hag principal to the bone.’
At that moment, while I was burning with resentment towards Yoshizaki Seira and Messiah,
“Student Council President and Disciplinary Committee Chairperson are entering.”
Reiji Nagamine, the student council secretary serving as the clerk for the Disciplinary Committee, announces loudly.
At the same time, all eyes in the room turn towards the small auditorium door.
As the door opens, a glamorous, model-shaped beautiful girl with a red armband labeled ‘Student Council President’ on her right arm appears.
Her shimmering silver long hair, resembling sunlight, flutters, and her mysterious silver eyes sparkle.
She is the Student Council President of Shuo Hero Academy.
Saionji Aris.
‘She really looks just like the character.’
She exudes the very same atmosphere from the animation.
I instinctively recall Aris’ character setting in my mind.
The academy’s strongest, proficient in both martial and scholarly pursuits.
A cool beauty who pursues perfection in every aspect with almost obsessive cleanliness.
But in truth, she hails from the rural Wakayama Prefecture, and when she gets excited or flustered, she has a habit of slipping into a Kansai dialect.
‘That’s her complex and past she wishes to hide.’
Before awakening her powers, Aris was a clumsy, bespectacled girl from the countryside who was teased every day.
Her current appearance is the result of her desperate efforts to deny her past black history after awakening.
Thanks to that, the students of Shuo Hero Academy don’t know about her past and think of her as a rich lady.
Aris came to Tokyo to support her sick mother, two younger siblings, and her father who farms small tangerines as the eldest daughter.
‘…I liked her because she was similar to me.’
Perhaps I liked her even more because her character setup didn’t feel like someone else’s tale.
At the time when volume 7 was just released, I was also in a similar situation as her.
“Student Council President!”
“It’s Saionji!”
“Saionji-nee! You’re amazing!”
“Saionji saw me!”
“Silver Queen! You’re the best!”
As soon as Aris appears, the audience becomes noisy.
While Nishizawa Eri, Shinozaki Rin, and Olivia are popular among the first-years, Aris is the most popular idol across all grades, so it makes sense.
“Everyone, quiet down. Please be quiet.”
A handsome guy with blue shaggy hair, who looks like a host, speaks softly next to Aris.
The blue-haired bespectacled guy wearing a blue armband labeled ‘Disciplinary Committee Chairperson’ on his right arm is Maeda Shinji.
The contrasting figure with a blue armband labeled “Disciplinary Committee Chairman” on his right arm is Maeda Shinji, the blue-haired glasses-wearer.
He is the second-in-command of the academy, possessing skills just below Aris. With his handsome looks, he attracts a fanbase from the female students, embodying the typical prince character of an academy.
At the same time, he hides a contemptuous personality behind a facade, despising those below the common folk and treating anyone outside the upper class as less than human.
This guy, the heir to the Maeda Conglomerate, which ranks second in the Japanese business world, is the main villain of volume seven.
“The core story of the original volume seven revolves around the cultural festival.”
The protagonist Yuji, while temporarily helping with student council duties for the festival preparations, aims to thwart the conspiracy between the New World League, which plans to terrorize the academy while it’s open to the public, and the internal collaborator Maeda Shinji.
It’s a classic cliché of the mid-story in Japanese academy battle tales—an event focusing on breaking the academy.
“The fact that there’s no way to deal with that guy is truly frustrating.”
Maeda Shinji teamed up with the New World League after discovering a past about Aris that he liked, feeling disappointed, and intending to possess her as an object rather than a partner.
What a disgusting motive.
Thinking about it, I get angry.
Clack, clack.
The sound of Aris’s heels echoes softly.
Seated at the highest position of the Disciplinary Committee is Aris, while Maeda occupies the vice-chair.
“All committee members present have been confirmed. We will now proceed with the disciplinary meeting regarding Nishizawa Eri’s failure to follow orders on-site.”
Bang, bang.
Aris strikes the gavel with a cold voice.
Nishizawa Eri, seated in the middle, trembles all over.
The disciplinary meeting has finally begun.
*
“Uugh…”
A moan escapes Nishizawa Eri’s lips.
Her hands tremble violently.
She can’t lift her head.
“Honestly, wasn’t Nishizawa just asking for it?”
“I didn’t like her either.”
“She only spat harsh words whenever she saw a guy. Karma.”
“I think it’s fair that Nishizawa is suffering.”
The audience keeps listing her past wrongdoings.
“I’m sorry…”
Tears stream down her cheeks.
Only after being ostracized did she realize how much pain her harsh words, born from her misconceptions, had inflicted on others.
“I’m sorry… Master…”
She genuinely wants to apologize to him.
Even if he doesn’t accept her apology.
“According to the association report and the Hunter Watch record of Kim Deok-Sung, Nishizawa Eri disobeyed the commands of the on-site commander without justifiable reason. Nishizawa, do you acknowledge this?”
Saionji Aris’s cold voice rings in Nishizawa Eri’s ears.
Nishizawa Eri nods her head.
“There are no excuses… I acknowledge it… I’m sorry…”
The collar around her neck clinks.
“We will now hear the testimony of Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, a student who was present on-site, for cross-examination.”
The voice of Disciplinary Committee Chairman Maeda resounds.
“It’s all true. Nishizawa and Kim Deok-Sung initially had poor relations, and their personal emotions ran deep. During the gate exploration, Nishizawa acted against his just orders due to personal feelings…”
The voice of the idolized Olivia echoes ominously.
[Your unfortunate circumstances do not justify your rudeness, irresponsibility, or burden on others.]
Her words are right.
One’s misfortunes cannot justify their wrongdoings.
“Cross-examination complete. All factual confirmations are in order.”
“We will take a short recess for the discussion of disciplinary action against Nishizawa Eri.”
The committee enters the conference room set up behind the small auditorium for discussion of the punishment.
Though it’s a discussion about the result, Nishizawa Eri already knows her fate.
The only disciplinary action fitting for someone unqualified as a hero like her is expulsion.
“It’s clearly going to be expulsion, right?”
“If it’s not, that makes no sense.”
“Good riddance. I won’t have to see her again.”
The audience’s voices pierce her heart like daggers.
“I’m sorry, Mom… I’m sorry… Master…”
“I’m not going to do it… Master…”
Nishizawa Eri’s hands tremble.
The world around her spins.
What will she do if she’s expelled?
It’s overwhelming.
The memory of her mother’s face, bursting with joy when she received the acceptance letter from Shuo Hero Academy, comes to mind.
At the celebration dinner at the family restaurant, her mother said that her only daughter would become a hero and that she needed to do well at the academy.
“Ugh…”
She recalls the misunderstandings of his intentions.
It was also her fault for believing the rumors and misunderstanding him.
It was her fault for constantly hurling verbal abuse at him because of her misconceptions.
Due to the ongoing misunderstandings, she couldn’t distinguish between public and private matters, leading her to make mistakes.
It’s all her karma.
“I will now resume the Disciplinary Committee.”
Bang.
Saionji Aris strikes the gavel.
“The committee’s conclusion. We find that using personal feelings to disobey commands from a field commander in a gate exploration constitutes a serious disqualification as a hero. The Disciplinary Committee unanimously sentences Nishizawa Eri to expulsion.”
Expulsion.
As the two-syllable word rings in her ears, Nishizawa Eri feels everything around her blur.
“Ah…”
Endless despair weighs down her shoulders.
The image of her mother, who raised her alone, and the harsh behavior of Kim Deok-Sung flash before her eyes in turn.
“It’s all my fault for being so messed up.”
She has no one to blame.
The root of all her troubles lies with herself.
And that makes her feel even more desperate, regretful, and sickened by her own existence.
Regret and self-loathing fills her heart.
Maybe if Kim Deok-Sung intercedes, she could avoid expulsion.
But she didn’t hope for such a ridiculous miracle.
Even if she were in Kim Deok-Sung’s shoes, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself.
At that moment…
“…I object, Chairwoman.”
A familiar voice reaches her ears.
It’s Kim Deok-Sung’s voice.
“What is your objection, Kim Deok-Sung?”
Saionji Aris’s mysterious silver eyes turn towards Kim Deok-Sung.
“She did make a mistake. But, I don’t think Nishizawa’s mistake deserves the ultimate penalty of expulsion. Nishizawa grew up under her father’s abuse and had to endure countless men’s vile intentions because of her looks.”
Nishizawa Eri hears the unbelievable words in her ears.
Kim Deok-Sung.
The one who despises her the most, whom she thought had every right to hate her.
“Therefore, Nishizawa had no choice but to develop a dislike for men. Her failure to follow my orders on-site was triggered by the wounds of her unhappy past. Of course, her actions were wrong, but considering her circumstances, I believe expulsion is too harsh.”
He’s defending her.
Saionji Aris asks.
“Are you petitioning for leniency?”
“Yes, Chairwoman. In my capacity as the field commander, I petition for leniency for Nishizawa.”
The moment she hears the last words…
Tears stream down Nishizawa’s face.
“According to school rules, once a disciplinary action is decided, it cannot be changed. However, it can be altered in exceptional cases when there is a petition from the victim. Very well, I will accept Kim Deok-Sung’s petition for leniency.”
Saionji Aris strikes the gavel.
“By the authority of the chairwoman, Nishizawa Eri’s disciplinary action is reduced from expulsion to one month of suspension, one month of community service, and a deduction of 100 points.”
Bang.
The sound of the gavel echoes in her ears.
A miracle has occurred.
She has been saved from the brink of expulsion.
She doesn’t have to feel sorry to her mother anymore.
She has been rescued from someone she could never adequately apologize to in a lifetime.
That fact doesn’t quite sink in.
“I will now conclude the Disciplinary Committee. Thank you all for your hard work.”
With Saionji Aris’s declaration, the Disciplinary Committee comes to an end.
Nishizawa Eri jumps up from her seat.
In the distance, she sees his back leaving the Small Auditorium with Olivia.
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