Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 78

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“What in the world happened to you all?”
Cold, the Swordsmanship instructor for B Group, couldn’t tear his gaze from the children competing in the tournament, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
This Swordsmanship tournament was supposed to be a stage for the A Group children, after all…….
“Ha…….”
Watching the B Group children enter with effortless victory in hand, Cold found himself breaking into helpless, hollow laughter.
The dumbfounded expression on the face of the A Group Swordsmanship instructor only deepened his amusement.
‘Cold, thanks so much for having all the B Group kids participate in this tournament.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, our children will shine all the brighter with the B Group competing. Ha ha.’
‘…….’
When he’d first taken on the role of Swordsmanship instructor, he’d harbored genuine aspirations — to teach the children well.
But watching the Academy’s currents flow toward a structure serving only the wealthy families, he’d gradually grown indifferent to everything.
It was an impenetrable ceiling. Wasn’t it crueler still to let them cling to hollow hope rather than face the truth?
He’d convinced himself that making them understand reality and surrender as quickly as possible was actually kinder to them.
And yet…….
“H, how could this……!”
To see such an expression on Ruslo’s face, the A Group Swordsmanship instructor.
“Ahem.”
“Tsk.”
The A Group parents’ situation was no different.
Count Belgial, confident in his son Airen’s victory, along with all the other A Group parents, watched the matches with faces grown rigid and tight.
And when all the matches concluded, they left the arena swiftly, as though racing one another.
There was no reason to remain any longer.
“Wait, please! Just a moment!”
Ruslo, the A Group instructor who’d been reading the parents’ moods throughout the tournament, hurried after them.
He couldn’t simply let them leave like this!
“Ruslo, what is the meaning of this? I didn’t come all this way to witness such a disgrace.”
“Th, this must be some sort of mistake. Please, just grant us one more chance!”
At Belgial’s intimidation, sweat beaded across Ruslo’s brow, palms, and lower back.
The bribes he’d accepted over the years in exchange for overseeing Airen’s Swordsmanship training were too numerous to count.
It was the same with the other A Group parents.
He’d even promised them their children would graduate as top-ranked students…….
And though he’d known all along that A Group was harassing and tormenting B Group during their training, he’d turned a blind eye — even going so far as to harshly punish B Group children when they came to lodge complaints, crushing their spirits.
All of it infused with the conviction that those without skill or money should simply stay quiet and accept their inferiority.
“I swear I’ll produce a different result! Those fools shouldn’t have been able to win!”
“Then what does that make our children, who lost to those fools?”
“Th, there must have been some error! Please, just give us another chance……!”
Crack!
“Ughk!”
Ruslo, who’d been clinging to his plea, suddenly felt something strike his head with tremendous force.
“Wh, what?! Gasp! Blood!”
When he touched his aching head, a faint smear of blood came away on his fingers.
What on earth had hit him?
He looked hastily about, but saw nothing that appeared out of the ordinary.
“Let’s leave now.”
“Yes.”
“Tsk.”
In that moment, the A Group parents cast cold stares toward Ruslo before departing.
“Wait, just a moment……!”
Crack!
“Ow!”
Again, something struck his head!
Ruslo cradled his head and looked around once more.
But again, he could find no trace of whatever had struck him.
* * *
“…Seres.”
“Hm?”
“…Never mind.”
You really do throw stones remarkably well, dressed like that.
Chaien offered an awkward smile and simply shoved the pebbles scattered around Seres off to the side, hiding them away.
“Decision made, janitor.”
“Janitor? What do you mean by that since earlier…….”
At the soft murmur of Seres’s voice, Chaien’s mouth fell open as he stared at her.
When he saw Seres smiling more genuinely happy than he’d ever witnessed, he found himself at a loss for words.
Following her gaze, he spotted the children embracing one another, celebrating their victory together.
“Miss Seres?”
“……?”
Just then, a man approached, calling out her name.
He appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties.
When she turned her head, the man greeted her with a look of evident warmth.
“What a pleasant surprise, running into you here. You seem to have recovered quite well.”
“Who are you?”
“Ah…….”
The man looked somewhat flustered by her question, then nodded slowly.
“Antonian mentioned something to me about an unfortunate incident you experienced.”
“That still doesn’t tell me who you are.”
“…I’m your homeroom instructor.”
“…Homeroom instructor?”
As confusion creased her brow at the unexpected term, the man scratched his cheek uncertainly.
“I was told your memory comes and goes……. Well, either way, there’s nothing to be done. You really must return now.”
“Return? What do you mean by that……?”
“If you don’t re-register by the end of this week, you’ll face Expulsion.”
Seres blinked slowly as she processed the situation, then heaved a long sigh.
What kind of situation is this now?
Chapter 21. A Box of Memories
“Of course you have to re-register.”
“Must you?”
“Aren’t you going to graduate?”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking—must you?”
“Why do you keep saying nonsensical things since yesterday! It’s obvious!”
Seres regarded her younger brother Antonian, who sat before her passionately arguing his case, with curiosity.
Why is he so worked up about this?
The Academy, which she’d visited a few days ago for a cultural festival.
And the words his teacher had passed along there.
That was the beginning of this dispute.
It turned out Seres was also enrolled at the Academy. However, she had been placed on Medical Leave due to her attempted suicide from some time ago.
But the last person she’d encountered at the Academy.
‘His name was Daniel, I believe?’
That teacher at the Academy—her homeroom instructor—had said that if she didn’t attend classes within a week, Expulsion would follow.
Seres had assumed this matter would simply be resolved quietly. She had no intention of returning to the Academy anyway.
‘At my age?’
Of course, considering both public perception and the age of ‘Seres Drow,’ attending the Academy made sense.
Even for a house with nothing but a name to its nobility, it was uncommon for a descendant of a noble family to leave without graduating from the Academy.
‘But not me.’
She’d already graduated from the Academy long ago.
Did it make any sense to attend classes alongside children at my age?
“You know as well as I do that I’m quite busy these days.”
You know I’m paying off a debt.
“Don’t make excuses, sister. That person understood, didn’t they?”
“That person?”
“The creditor.”
“…That’s true enough.”
At that moment, Kainel had also been present when the teacher mentioned Expulsion.
‘Expulsion, they said?’
‘Yeah, I heard. Since we’re already here, I could process a Voluntary Withdrawal…….’
‘You should graduate.’
‘What?’
‘Come attend classes after you finish work from now on. I’ll deduct a day’s worth of pay for you to do so.’
‘…What?’
‘What pointless kindness!’
Who asked for that anyway?
Seres had objected, said she didn’t need it, but Kainel wouldn’t hear a word of it.
And somehow Antonian had found out, because he’d been bringing it up all day long.
“I’ll say it again—do you really have to?”
“What? Then I’ll just quit too.”
“What?”
“I don’t have any reason to stay at the Academy either. It’s way better if I work and earn money alongside you instead of you doing it alone.”
“…And how exactly would you earn that money?”
“Any way I can.”
Wait, why is this conversation going in that direction again?
You don’t understand—I already graduated a long time ago.
“Should I file for voluntary withdrawal?”
…….
“Should I file for withdrawal, yes or no?”
…Damn it.
* * *
“Artia, why did you even enroll at the Academy? You’re affiliated with the Arcane Tower.”
Seeing Artia, who was already systematically studying Magic within the Arcane Tower itself, standing at the Academy’s entrance ceremony had been baffling to say the least.
“Grace, because I wanted to play with you.”
“The Academy isn’t a playground.”
“It is if you’re there!”
“…Does the Tower Master really allow that?”
“Yep! I told him I’d leave the Tower if he wouldn’t let me enroll. So he said I could do whatever I wanted.”
…The last time I saw the Tower Master, his face looked suddenly aged, and now I know it’s all because of you.
“Kainel, what are you doing here?”
Kainel, too, received private tutoring in the Persha Duchy, so there was no reason for him to come to the Academy.
Even the Duchy itself had an excellent academy.
So why in the world were you at the Imperial Central Academy’s entrance ceremony?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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