Invincible
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#194
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 16:10:36 +0000 UTCDers (1)
The students' eyes widened in shock.
The professors' reactions were even more pronounced.
In a situation where he already needed to calmly win back the students' hearts, his remarks were too radical.
"If you need a review, I'll tell you again. I have always done my best and delivered the best results in the given environment. You guys are just throwing tantrums for the sole reason of being ignorant."
His following words were of the same vein.
His attitude, showing no intention of bowing down, left the students agape in astonishment.
However, unlike the bewildered students, my attention was elsewhere.
"Planning to take all the blame alone...?"
Earlier, he had called the professors mere fools who just follow orders.
That statement was essentially blaming the person who gave the orders.
And by fanning the flames of the angry crowd, he directed the arrows of criticism towards himself.
It's quite surprising that such a character would make such a choice.
Still, it wasn't completely incomprehensible, thanks to his faint murmuring, which I could hear because of my keen ears.
Surely, it was about fleeing. Rockefeller's reason for coming to the Academy was definitely that. After being banished from the country and wandering aimlessly, he ended up here.
There really is no particular reason for him to have become a professor.
He doesn’t have a firm conviction about the passion for education.
Unlike other professors who study fervently to achieve their goals, he lacks that passion.
He just drifted around, settled down here, and focused on his work to forget his past.
That's why this thought occurred to me.
Maybe it's right to prioritize those who seriously chose this path over someone who has no lingering attachment to his position.
"I can assure you, there's no one better than me to run Frost Heart. You should be thankful that I'm here. Yet you guys don’t understand and just keep whining like children. Don't you ever feel pathetic about yourselves?"
Whatever.
"You guys will continue to devolve as the years pass. Eventually, you'll just cry and die in despair. Then you'll think, 'I should have studied harder at the Academy,' but don't be mistaken. With that brain of yours, working hard would've made no difference!"
What should I do with this man?
Suddenly, a headache made me sigh.
Regardless of his intentions, the situation is not beneficial for me at all.
The original goal was for Rockefeller to be punished, and in exchange for a pardon from our family, he would be forced to teach me magic.
However, that would only be possible if he was somewhat willing to bow down.
If I pull him out maintaining his attitude of having done no wrong until the end, it will invite severe public scorn, and for this reason, if the cons outweigh the benefits, neither Aol nor the lady would readily agree.
They might as well ask why they should sully their honor to save such a madman.
"...Definitely, he's not normal."
Limberton nodded at my murmured remark.
The baffled Ders cleared his throat and said, "Hmm, it doesn't seem right to so harshly criticize the students, Professor."
"Isn’t what they're doing to me also criticism?"
Ders looked around at the students and smiled gently.
His intent seemed well conveyed, and the atmosphere quickly calmed down.
"You stopped responding suddenly, but still, the answers you gave earlier don’t seem too off. From Abelarn, a fallen noble who managed farmland. And the reason for becoming a professor is..."
Ders grinned at Rockefeller.
"Can we assume it's because you see the students as objects to take your frustrations out on?"
"That doesn't make sense. I despise incompetent students. Every time I see them, I get so frustrated, but to take out my anger on them?"
Ders nodded, satisfied with the answer.
"That must be the clear reason you discriminate against the students by class. The rest are just stepping stones for the minority. The educational policy is such, and their anger was probably inevitable."
Many students sympathized with Ders's words reflecting their feelings.
Frost Heart had been operating a discriminatory dormitory system since before Rockefeller took charge, but the dissatisfaction with the benefits distributed according to class has only worsened.
Rockefeller scoffed.
"Really, do you think everyone should be treated equally?"
"Basically, the status of students is supposed to be equal. That's the principle at other academies."
"Typical talk. If you had actually been there, you'd know that Frost Heart is barely behind them, but they're not easy either."
He wasn’t wrong.
Where is there equality in this world?
If you're superior, you receive a lot of kindness, and if not, you just look up and lament.
In the latter case, it is the way of the world to receive awed glances from other less competent individuals through effort.
Yet, if one were to enforce a nearly illusory equality, truly an impossible task, but assuming it were possible, the concept of rewards would disappear because rewards are, in the end, about being special.
But the ignorant don’t see it that way.
Instead of trying to gain wings they don't have, they only think of dragging others down by finding various reasons.
They aim to make everyone crawl on the ground just the same.
Ders understood the psychology of such people all too well.
"Then, we should share. Maybe it’s something we should at least try."
The notion of sharing is nothing less than terrifying for those who feel deprived, because hidden within the warm nuances is a sharp blade with a double meaning.
It’s not truly coming from the heart, but more like a robbery forced upon others by the surroundings while they themselves wouldn’t dare to do it.
Stimulated by this, the crowd proceeds with the blind belief that they are absolutely right.
"Yeah! Why not just share?"
"Right. Why bother with benefits. After all, the capable ones do well without them because they enjoy learning, right?"
It feels like a déjà vu scene.
Probably because of indirect experiences through history.
Ders was trying to paint Frost Heart with communism to cover up his own mistakes.
Thus, the action I must take is clear.
The murky waters full of eels.
I must become a catfish in them.
***
Ders knew his words were foolish even to himself.
But like the sweet taste one knows is bad yet still consumes, there are words that beguile people’s ears.
What’s needed for incitement is eloquence, established reputation, and an audience.
"The conditions are met, then, where...?"
Ders pushed the momentum and led the atmosphere.
"Of course, I can understand the professor’s policy. The worthy receiving benefits has its value and serves as an important motivation. But the issue is whether the responsibilities matching these treatments have been fulfilled."
Rockefeller retorted.
"Responsibility?"
"Yes, responsibility."
What remains is to point out the mistakes of the worthy.
Ders pointed at Rockefeller and said, "The chief professor himself should prevent any unfortunate incidents at the academy beforehand, or at least resolve them perfectly if they occur. However, you, professor, have not fulfilled such responsibilities. The students’ complaints are proof of that."
The students stood up and responded loudly.
"Just counting the incidents that happened within the academy is tough. From the strange ghosts that appear, cursed objects, to cases of students disappearing."
"These problems have existed for a long time. If we are to assign blame, we should summon all the past chief professors."
At Rockefeller’s response, Ders sparked and pinpointed the issue.
"Then, were these also things that happened in the past? To my knowledge, the occupation of the academy by students of the special division was not something that happened at any other academy."
Rockefeller closed his mouth.
Ders smiled contentedly, his gaze fixed on empty space.
"I've pondered why such a situation occurred. Then it dawned on me that maybe if they had been treated equally, they might have mingled with us, led a peaceful life, and graduated. Perhaps it was the professor's policy of extreme discrimination that triggered this situation."
He had even involved people who were a lost cause to promote equality.
This bothered him internally, but Ders didn’t care.
He was soon to graduate.
By then, even if those twisted enough for the special division roamed the premises freely, it would not be his concern.
Rockefeller’s voice, which had felt heavy, opened up.
"Yes, about the Luon incident, I can't fully deny it, some parts are undeniable."
A smile that seemed somewhat relieved appeared.
Ders began to feel a bit sorry for him.
'This doesn't feel good.'
Rockefeller had intended this from the beginning.
If he wanted to turn the situation around, he could have just brought up the Eok story.
Declaring he would lay down the ultimate weapon meant he had no choice but to take all the blame and leave alone.
But at that moment, Ders felt he was missing something.
'What? It feels like I'm forgetting something...'
Ders realized with a start.
There was another who knew Ecok was the real culprit.
And he was a freshman who would have to endure the chaos at the academy for two more years.
'Please, just keep quiet!'
Ders prayed inwardly.
However, he felt a tingling at the back of his head and turned around.
'Hersel!'
With his eyes wide and a fierce glare, Hersel was not the ignoramus he was often made out to be.
On the contrary, he was sharp enough to understand the nonsense Ders had been spouting right away.
He also possessed a pride that didn’t care about the sway of beguiling words or the pressure of the crowd.
He might also wish for Rockefeller's punishment, but whether he would accept his own loss was unknown.
Still, Ders did not give up hope.
'Yes, if you're as smart as you are, you'll know. I'll take care of everything for you, and it'll be incomparably better than what you've received before.'
Even if the troublemakers from the special division were freed, he would handle it.
Overwhelming power would prevent anyone from daring to oppose, and equality being merely an illusion, the pearl that shines even in muddy water would still shine.
However, contrary to Ders's expectations, Hersel stood up, his voice deep and low.
"I hear they plan to confiscate all the benefits given to me."
It was the moment Ders's face turned ashen.
Sitting quietly and watching the debate was Emeric.
He unfolded his arms and spoke to Berthnal beside him.
"Didn’t I tell you, Berthnal? Hersel ben Tenest intends to drive Ders out and become the student council president."
Berthnal, sweating on his forehead, gulped down his saliva.
"No, it can't be true..."
At that moment, Hersel turned against Ders.
'He’s siding with Rockefeller. That nemesis of Rockefeller’s…'
If Hersel, who had been on bad terms, was siding with Rockefeller, it must be for some benefit or reason.
That benefit could only be explained by the nonsense Emeric had always been spouting.
Berthnal couldn't calm his pounding heart.
'The dictatorship of the faculty that has lasted for years ends here? Could I really be witnessing this moment?'
As Emeric reached into his chest pocket, Berthnal asked, "Are you really going to pull it out?"
"I prepared for this moment, Berthnal. All of this was to make Hersel ben Tenest the student council president."
A serene glow was emerging in Emeric's eyes.
