Chapter 20 (1/2)

Rivelia was on her way to the port, her anger seeping out of her from every angle. Her path to the port was uninterrupted, for everyone she met steered away to avoid her overwhelming anger.

‘How could the Committee make such a decision?’

Rivelia could not accept it at all.

She remembered the conversation that happened in the Headmaster’s room.

“This is unacceptable!”

Rivelia slammed both her hands onto Corduroy’s desk, and Corduroy couldn’t hide his displeasure on his face. It was his favourite desk.

“Are you disobeying the decision from the Committee?”

“How can you let that man roam free like this?!”

In response to Rivelia’s outburst, Corduroy opened one of the cabinets on his desk and began pulling out doc.u.ments, one pile after another. By the time he was done, there were stacks upon stacks of doc.u.ments covering his desk in its entirety.

“These are the complaints we’ve received since Isaac had stopped his business for just 3 days.”

“They will demand for more exemptions once they get used to their current life.”

“Well, that is only if Isaac’s business were to continue. But he will be graduating in 2 years from now.”

“Even if he were to graduate, the students will protest for the business to continue.”

“It is easy enough to reject them at that point. I am embarra.s.sed to admit it, but the situation had come to this because we were all too lazy to make a response. It is most definitely the Committee’s fault. But we will not shy away from the mistakes we’ve made and will bear the responsibilities that come with it.”

“So you’re happy to simply watch from the side?”

“That’s exactly what we did when refused to treat him on the brink of death.”

“…”

Rivelia was at a loss for words. Even she felt some pity for Isaac for what had happened in the infirmary. But the Committee only made what they believed was their best course of action.

“This will all come to pa.s.s in time. Isaac has taught us a valuable lesson, and we won’t make the same mistake in the future. In fact, we are quite satisfied with how little damage it caused.”

“Uck! So I have no choice but to approve his actions.”

“It never needed approval in the first place. In truth, most of the professors are on good terms with Isaac, with all the gifts he had been donating. We are just as bound to the rules as the students, and it is we who are most at loss from those rules. He has much talent when it comes to scheming. It’s a relief that he doesn’t seem interested in politics.”

Rivelia was only left with frustration. This was the first campaign she had eagerly started since she had taken office as the President of the Student Council, but none of the students seemed to agree with her plans and follow the same vision as her. She was well aware that the students seemed cooperative while she was around but were very much reluctant otherwise.

It couldn’t have been a worse beginning for her as the President of the Student Council, having no choice but to take back her words, just like Isaac had told her before. Reisha and Krent had spread the word that Isaac wouldn’t continue his business until Rivelia came to visit Isaac once again to tell him personally that the ban had been lifted.

He was a type of man Rivelia had never encountered before. She was well aware that many men approached her because of the name she carried. She despised that fact, which motivated her to become what she is now. She proved her strength to those who mocked her because of her gender. She did all she could to live up to her reputation as the daughter of the greatest n.o.ble family in the Empire. But that man saw nothing in her. Not her family, her skill or her beauty. He saw her as a stranger in every way. It was exactly what she craved for, but now it only agitated her. She was also confused and disgusted by the hypocrisy within her.

Mazelan had told her all about Isaac before. He was a child with the mind of a pessimistic old man, but underneath lies an uncanny resourcefulness which only surfaces when he is in trouble. She never listened to his words, believing it had no value to her. Now she realised just how aggravating Isaac’s resourcefulness could be when he was an enemy.

Her rage peaked once more when she saw him fis.h.i.+ng leisurely at the edge of the port. Kunette, who was eagerly eating honey next to him, noticed Rivelia and quickly told Isaac to turn his attention to Rivelia.

“Hey! It’s a shame we didn’t make a bet last time.”

Rivelia replied in a cold voice, but underneath it was a burning desire to kick that smug face of his.

“I see why you were so indifferent last time. I admit, you were too big of a fish for me to catch as a student who had only been here for 1 year.”

“Should I say it is an honour?”

“Hmph! But you only have 2 years now. That att.i.tude of yours will end once you graduate.”

“That’s why I’m well under way in preparing my retirement right now. But thank you for being worried about me.”

“W, who do you think is worried about you! Tsk! Remember that I have my eyes on you! The moment you break any of the rules, I will make sure to expel you!”

“Man, for such a beauty to say she will be watching me always. I think my heart just skipped a beat?”

“Uck! You better lay low if you don’t want any trouble!”

Rivelia could no longer stop her anger controlling her face. Her family would have been shocked to see her this way, for her face was twisted beyond recognition from anger. Kunette, who watched all this, spoke to Isaac.

“… Don’t tease her too much.”

“Hooh? Do you like her that much?”

“… A scared little girl holding a burning ice.”

“Ha! Her? Scared? And what do you mean by a little girl.”

Isaac laughed. But he remembered what Mazelan said about Kunette’s special power.

‘He said she can see true nature right?’

He overlooked it the first time, but he became curious after Kunette saw through Rivelia. What do her eyes see in me?

“What about me?”

Kunette looked deep into Isaac’s eyes when he asked that question. Isaac could see his reflection in her puppy like eyes. She stared at him without a word, and Isaac smirked.

“If it’s too difficult to say it, then don’t bother. I’m not that curious.”

“… Lazy.”

“Lazy? I think that’s perfect.”

Isaac laughed once more, but Kunette hadn’t finished speaking.

“… Lazy. A lazy, sleeping monster that has shackled itself until someone bothers it.”

“…”

Isaac had a complicated look when Kunette finished her words.

“Monster you say? Well, I guess you’re right. But none of it matters if n.o.body bothers me right?”

Kunette didn’t say a word back to Isaac, only a slight nod. As the mood became increasingly awkward, Isaac pulled out another cigarette as he watched the horizon.

“Yeah, as long as n.o.body bothers me.”

The Committee, which was one of the two major governing bodies in the Campus, was made up of the princ.i.p.als and most notable professors of each school within the College. It was a governing body in name; in truth most of their meetings were just a friendly gathering between the greatest masters and intellects within the Empire. The majority of the work was done by the Student Council and the Committee only discussed problems beyond their capabilities, but such incidents were few and far in between since the Campus had been founded. However within the last few years, so many incidents had to pa.s.s through the Committee that the professors were in quite a conundrum.

Since the head of the Committee is always the Headmaster of the College, there was no struggle for power within the Committee, and what little conflict there was in there was mostly the fight of pride between the muscle heads and the bookworms, just like a rivalry between knights and wizards. Most meetings started in a friendly manner and finished as such, but right now, all the members of the Committee were struggling to wrap their heads around the current problem they faced.

While the cold and uncomfortable silence filled the meeting room, the Head of the Committee and the Headmaster of the College, Duke Corduroy, sat on his chair with one hand on his chin and the other tapping on the table. His displeasure was quite apparent on his face.

“In just 3 years, he has grown to a point where we can’t do anything against him.”

Corduroy’s words held both discontent and admiration. Some of the other members showed their displeasure to his words, while others nodded in agreement.

“He really is one of a kind.”

Corduroy muttered as he tapped his table with the doc.u.ment that was on the table. Those doc.u.ments held the records of all the actions of Isaac Rondart.

“I think we’ve let him be for too long. Shouldn’t we start to restrict his actions at this point?”

Those careful words were immediately met with Corduroy’s grunt.

“And who will take that role? Only to receive all the blame and the infamy for their actions? Even I’m too scared to handle the consequences. Is there anyone else up for the job?”

Stopping Isaac wasn’t an issue for the Committee; they held absolutely authority in the Campus. The real problem was the aftermath it would bring. Isaac had so firmly taken root in the Campus that removing him would lead to devastating consequences. Everyone knew about what had happened to Rivelia, whose attempt at stopping Isaac ended in complete failure.

About a third of the students in the Campus were female. The ratio was about the same for the female professors in the Campus. And it is in their instinct to take care of their appearance, but even the most basic form of makeups was impossible in the Campus. To the girls who only want to show their beautiful side, walking around the Campus without any makeup was the ultimate humiliation. But everyone in the Campus was only allowed to use what was given by the Campus, and makeup were obviously not included.