Chapter 30. Listening to the Circumstances
The day after the freshman welcome party.
After our morning classes, Laina, Lidypin, and I headed to the Headmaster’s Office before lunch.
The Headmaster’s Office was located at the highest point of Iris Academy—the tallest spire of the main building, offering a panoramic view of the entire academy.
Just looking at the view from the hallway windows made me feel like I was developing acrophobia. But it seemed like Laina was more terrified by something else.
“But what if we’re actually in trouble?”
“Weren’t you calm about it yesterday?”
“Still! Getting called to the Headmaster’s Office at the academy usually means either you did something amazing… or terribly wrong!”
She was trembling despite having taken several deep breaths on the way. It was honestly so cute that if I had a camera, I would’ve recorded it.
Lidypin tried to encourage her.
“W-Well, it’s not like we caused a huge incident or anything… right?”
Wait, why are you getting scared now too?
“If it were the usual you, you’d say something like, ‘Let’s get this over with already!’”
“Well, even I have things I’m scared of, okay?!”
Of course I knew that—but she was so adorable I wanted to tease her more.
I wanted to keep teasing her for another ten minutes, but I held back. I had already made a lunch reservation at Laina’s favorite restaurant after the meeting.
“Don’t worry too much. Like I said yesterday, if something goes wrong, I’ll take care of it.”
“Really?! …No, I can’t let you shoulder it all alone!”
I applauded her internally.
Good job, Laina!
“Well then, shall we go in?”
“W-Wait! I’m not mentally prepared yet…!”
I pretended not to hear her and knocked on the door handle.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door opened to reveal a Headmaster’s Office that looked just like something out of a game.
Though it was about the same size as a classroom, the sparse furnishings made it look even larger.
Decorated mainly in red and black tones, the room was lined with bookshelves filled with books on either side. Between them were reception furniture and magical tools.
At the center of the room was the headmaster of Iris Academy, Castro Astrea—taking a nap with a book covering his face, piles of paperwork stacked behind him.
Even after we entered and the door shut, Castro didn’t move.
“Uncle, we’re here.”
“……”
“If you don’t get up soon, I’ll tattle to Maria.”
“…You little brat.”
At last, Castro waved his hand, gesturing us to sit on the reception sofa.
As soon as we sat down, teacups and a teapot flew over and poured us tea. True to his lazy nature, even hospitality was automated.
But even as we waited, Castro didn’t remove the book from his face.
“What do we do now?”
“It’s nothing serious. Just relax.”
“B-But judging from the atmosphere, he looks too swamped with work to even see us.”
“He’s just being lazy.”
“What?”
“What?”
At that moment, Castro stretched and stood up.
“Ugh… Maybe I really should quit this job…”
Yawning loudly, he sat at the head seat. His hair was a mess, patchy beard on his chin, and his eyes looked dead. Even his neatly worn clothes were loosened at the collar.
Seeing that, Laina and Lidypin froze in shock.
Their image of Castro was crumbling in real time.
Then Castro asked us,
“So, why are you guys here again?”
“Professor Hazen told us to come.”
“Ah, that incident.”
Castro activated the magic circle engraved on his desk, prepared his tea, and downed it in one gulp.
“As you know, during the freshman initiation, not only did a student turn into a demon, but we had a real intruder. After clashing with you, they quickly fled the academy. We failed to prevent the intrusion, responded too late, and even lost the culprit. There’s no excuse I can offer. First, let me apologize on behalf of all the staff.”
Despite being lazy, Castro did his job properly. The issue was always the timing.
As he bowed in apology, Laina and Lidypin frantically waved their hands.
“Oh, no, it’s fine!”
“Y-Yes, really…”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
He leaned back and continued.
“If word gets out about the intruder, it could cause unnecessary panic. So only the directly involved professors know. I’ll have to ask you to keep it a secret as well.”
We nodded in agreement.
“The reason I called you today is to get more information about the intruder. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but I’d appreciate it if you could tell me as much as possible.”
So we each took turns explaining about the assassin and how the battle went.
Since she didn’t faint, Laina gave the overall account, Lidypin filled in what she had discerned, and I wrapped it all up with the information I knew.
As the story progressed, Castro’s expression darkened. Veins appeared on his hand as he clenched his fist.
He always acted like he hated this job and wanted to quit, but he clearly cared deeply about the academy and its students.
When we finished, Castro let out a deep sigh.
“So there were two intruders, not one… This just got complicated. Thanks for cooperating with the investigation. The administration will give you a separate reward. Look forward to it.”
We nodded.
“Alright, then. You two can go—except for Ban.”
Huh? Why me?
Laina and Lidypin looked confused as well.
Castro smirked.
“Uncle and nephew need a private chat.”
The two girls went “Ah~” in understanding and got up.
“W-Well, we’ll be going first.”
“We’ll wait downstairs, so don’t take too long.”
After they left, Castro slumped into the sofa and sighed.
“Man. The world really has it out for me.”
“Haha…”
I expected a formal interview, but not a private talk.
Now it wouldn’t just be official matters—we’d get into personal stuff too. I didn’t really know the exact relationship between Ban and Castro, so I was anxious.
“But compared to the messes you used to make, this is nothing.”
“Ah, well…”
“You’ve got no idea how often Esther and I had to bow our heads because of you.”
“Haha…”
I knew I owed them, and I wanted to apologize… but would a delinquent like Ban ever really apologize?
The tea I drank earlier felt like it was boiling in my stomach.
“And seriously, you came to an academy where your uncle’s the headmaster and didn’t even visit once? That’s cold.”
Ugh. How do I explain this?
I racked my brain and finally managed a response.
“I-It’s just… I thought you’d be busy, and even if we’re relatives, visiting the headmaster without a reason might look bad.”
“Hmmm… The great Ban Astrea, being considerate of others?”
Oh no. Did I mess up?
Should I have just said I didn’t come because I couldn’t be bothered?!
“You’ve matured a little.”
“Ha ha… Well, I’m older now. Gotta grow up sometime, right? Ha ha…”
Thankfully, Castro didn’t seem to dwell on it.
“As your uncle, I’m proud of your growth. But it’s weird thinking I almost got you killed because of my mistake.”
“I see…”
“And that second intruder Serenia mentioned… That’s suspicious too. I’m only telling you this, but when we investigated the plaza, we found remnants of magic circles that had been installed for a long time. Which means they snuck in before the initiation and hid somewhere.”
“I-I see…”
I sipped my tea calmly, but cold sweat was dripping down my back.
They could analyze how long ago the magic circles were placed?!
Still—why tell me?!
Just as I was reeling from the stress, Castro stirred things further.
“You sure caused quite the stir, didn’t you?”
“What…?”
“No point in denying it. I’ve already confirmed everything.”
He suddenly got serious, resting his chin on his hand.
“What exactly are you planning?”
What is he talking about?
Does he suspect I’m the second intruder?
No—calm down.
For him to know that, he’d have to have seen the first attack from beginning to end.
Unless… he secretly placed a tracking spell on me?
But it’s not just that. There’s more than one incident tied to me.
After considering everything, I answered naturally.
“You’re talking about the new faction I started, right?”
Castro gave a faint smile.
“Yeah, that. I’m amazed you didn’t lead it yourself, but used a second-year. And not just any second-year, but the laziest one. What kind of grand plan are you scheming?”
“If I told you now, you’d be too surprised. Let’s keep it a secret for now.”
“What kind of mess are you about to make? Give me a heads-up so I know how much I’ll have to clean up.”
“It won’t be anything serious.”
“You’ve said that too many times before.”
“Ha ha.”
“Whatever you’re up to, both students and professors are on edge now. You know why, right?”
Factions were based on complex interests but remained balanced.
A new faction in the first year wouldn’t matter much—but a second-year faction centered around Lestar? That was different.
Lestar was the undisputed strongest among the second-years. None could beat him—even all of them combined.
He’d never joined a faction or created one, but none dared mess with him.
Now that he’d suddenly created one, everyone would want to keep it in check.
“The rise of a new power always causes unrest, and if problems arise from that, the academy takes the blame. It’s a huge headache.”
The academy was a place for education. Any incidents would reflect badly on the administration—especially with so many noble families involved.
“And as your uncle, I’m worried too. Whether you call yourselves a small faction or a large one, you’ll be isolated and treated as enemies by everyone else.”
Large and small factions usually cooperated without interfering in each other’s goals. Large ones aimed for imperial control; smaller ones pursued stability or personal ambitions.
Whichever side we chose, we’d be under fire.
“It’s not too late. If you leave that faction now, you might be able to live a normal school life. But if you’re not recognized as a major faction, it’ll be hard.”
It wasn’t a challenge—it was more like a gamble.
From the start, the odds were stacked against us. Until we succeeded, we’d be ignored and rejected.
Most people would give up immediately. That included me.
But the character I’ve possessed is Ban—the Empire’s infamous delinquent.
“Do you really think I could ever live a ‘normal’ school life, Uncle?”
Because of Ban’s past, there’s no such thing as a normal school life left for me.
Why hesitate to gamble when you have nothing to lose?
And everything Castro warned about—I’d already prepared for. No one would dare touch us so easily.
Ban the delinquent and Lestar the Hidden Dragon. Only a few fools would dare pick a fight.
And with our family names alone, we’re a dream team.
The Astrea family, the Empire’s Sword, and the Righteous family, the Empire’s Shield.
No one would openly oppose us unless they were truly ready for war.
Castro was stunned for a moment, then smiled in satisfaction.
“Well, you never were the type to worry about such things.”
“That’s part of my charm, isn’t it?”
“Hmph. You haven’t matured—you’ve just gotten cheekier.”
Satisfied with my resolve, Castro stood up.
“Well then. This uncle still has work to do, so I’ll have to kick you out.”
Finally! I can escape this awkward talk!
I was about to leave with joy when Castro called out to me.
“Oh right. There’s a tournament coming up, isn’t there?”
“The Dungeon Raid Tournament?”
It was a competition to see how fast teams could clear dungeons. Only 1st and 2nd years could participate, in teams of up to three.
Originally intended as a way to practice dungeon raids, it had turned into a stage for factions to show off.
“Why do you ask?”
“You’re leading a faction now. You need to make a statement. This tournament’s perfect for that.”
“Our faction is led by Lestar-senpai, so I’m not the one in charge.”
“Yeah, right. That slacker? He’s clearly just a figurehead. I’d believe you saying you won’t cause any more trouble before I believe he’s leading.”
Even if we’re related, Ban’s reputation is still rock bottom.
“Anyway, I’ll talk to Lestar-senpai about it.”
“Still pretending, huh?”
As Castro smirked and waved me off, I gave a small bow and left the room.
* * *
Castro stared at the door Ban had exited from for a while.
His mind was full of thoughts for the first time in a long while.
But nothing was simple enough to resolve just yet. So he focused on what needed to be done first.
“…How dare they break their contract with me. I really wonder how they plan to deal with the aftermath.”
