Chapter 15: The most powerful Onmyouji, at the Entrance Ceremony

A few days after the attack of the demon tribe.

The school’s entrance ceremony was to take place as planned.

The auditorium, solemnly decorated with many magic lights, was indeed a familiar sight for the third time.

As usual, the new students are stiff, perhaps due to nervousness.

But this year, I had a job to do, even though I had only been a spectator until last year.

While I was absentmindedly watching the ceremony progressing smoothly, Amu suddenly tapped me on the back while laughing.

“What are you scared of?”

“… I’m not scared.”

“You’re lying.”

“…I understand. Actually, I’m a little nervous.”

These roles are not my strong suit by any means.

However, now that i have taken on the project, there is nothing more I can do about it.

“How was your time?”

“Hmm?”

“It was the year before last. You were addressing the freshman class as our representative.”

“Uh, that time?”

Stopping her hand to pick up the food, Amiyu answers.

“I wasn’t nervous.”

“Huh. That’s amazing.”

“At that time, I was a bit cynical, so I thought greetings were silly. Now, I think I would be even more nervous.”

“Hmm…”

“But it’s kind of nostalgic. Back then, I couldn’t say what I was trying to say because of the demon.”

“You thought up the greeting yourself, didn’t you?  What were you going to say?”

“What was it?　Let’s see. ……”

Amiyu thinks for a moment, then begins to speak.

“I don’t know why you are here today. I came to this academy just to become stronger.”

“…”

“The strength I seek is the strength of an adventurer. The strength to defeat monsters and protect my friends. Maybe I’m the only one who came to this school for this reason. But… I want to be strong. I think everyone has the same thought. The strength you seek is different. Even so, if you seek strength, we are all comrades who share the same purpose. From now on, let’s do our best together. That’s it…. I wonder if it was like this? 　It’s normal.”

“That’s good.”

I said honestly.

“You have a way with words and storytelling.”

“Ha, huh? It’s fine, that’s what it is.”

“I’m serious. Where did you learn rhetoric?”

“I don’t if it’s hard, but …… my mom and dad used to tell me stories about brave men and various heroes. I used to refer to the lines from them and …… other speeches that drunken adventurers would give in bars. Most of them I couldn’t listen to, but every once in a while, something would strike me.”

“I see.”

It’s a typical story for Amiyu

This child is not a bad kid, either. It is said that the sparrows of Kangakuin chirp Mengyu, and it is likely that she has unwittingly learned from what she has seen and heard.

“If I had been able to finish that, maybe the other students would have looked at me differently.”

“Stop that already……. when you put it that way, I feel like it’s kind of regrettable………. I wonder what all that fuss was about in the end?　There were all kinds of rumors.”

“…It’s fine.”

“At that time, you did your best to defeat one demon, didn’t you? Come to think of it, what were you doing?”

“… It looked like a summoned beast, so I went looking for the magician who summoned it. I couldn’t find him.”

“Heh. That sounds like you.”

This child does not know.

That the attack was aimed at her. And that something similar had happened just the other day.

I digress.

“I felt sorry for you after that. You risked your life to fight the monster, but the other students were scared of you.”

“You said that too, by the way. …… did you mean it?”

“I meant it. Did you think I was lying?”

“I thought you were just saying random things. You were so shady back then.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Ahaha. I didn’t think we would get along so well.”

“Time changes people’s relationships.”

“Yes, it does. Two years have already passed since then.”

Two years, huh?

Two years is probably long enough for this child, who is finally turning fifteen.

The entrance ceremony goes on smoothly.

“My turn to speak is getting close.”

“……we better get going.”

“Seika-kun, you’re leaving already?　Good luck!”

“ ……. Good luck!”

Ifa and Mabel, who were talking behind me, looked at me and said.

As for Amiyu, she was smiling.

“I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say.”

“I don’t want you to get your hopes up too high. I’m going to play it safe.”

With a wry smile on my face, I walked to the podium —- that moment.

A murmur broke out near the entrance to the auditorium.

I turned my head.

A dozen or so humans, armed with …… matching armor and swords, appeared, breaking through the group of new students.

I reflexively turned my head towards the hitogata, but I suppressed it. They didn’t seem to want to attack.

However, they did not seem as if they had come to celebrate the entrance of new students.

One of them, who seemed to be the leader, raised his voice.

“Silence!　We are the Dirac Knights!　We are here by order of our master, the Marquis de Greville!　Is there a girl here named Amiyu?”

The murmur grows louder.

“It’s that girl, Amiyu, the swordswoman!”

The students gradually began to turn their faces towards us.

I’m lost.

 What is this?

 What should I do—-,

“Ah, uh…”

Nearby, a voice rose.

“I’m Amiyu , but…”

Amiyu raises her hand ostentatiously.

The group of armored men all turned their attention toward us at once.

Then, led by their leader, they forcefully approach, pushing their way through the crowd.

“Get out of the way!”

One of them pushed me out of the way, and I stumbled silently and fell on my buttocks.

“Hey!　Hey!”

“You must be Amiyu, daughter of Clauden the Adventurer.”

The leader indifferently asks Amiyu, who is protesting against the violence.

“Yes!　What do you want from me?”

“You are guilty of betraying the Empire. Do you admit it?”

The leader’s words are followed by Amu’s puzzled question back to him.

“Huh…? What’s that?”

“You committed a grave betrayal of the empire the other day by murdering an envoy from the demon territory who visited the academy. Do you acknowledge this fact?”

“what……?”

Amiyu rolls her eyes.

I don’t know anything about that!　I didn’t do that!

“You refuse to admit it, that’s fine. You will now be taken to the capital. You will be tried and convicted of your crimes to the core of your being. Don’t think it will be an easy sentence. …… Restrain her!, take this girl into custody.”

“Hey, hey!　Stop it!”

A few knights twisted Amiyu’s hand and tied it with a rope behind her.

“Wait, Um please…… wait!　Amiyu is not that ……”

“Ifa”

I was on my buttocks, and I stopped Ifa, who was about to raise her voice.

“Don’t do it. Mabel you too.”

Mabel froze for a moment and put the hand that was holding something back inside her uniform.

Then I smile and say to Amiyu.

“Amiyu. Don’t worry.”

“Eh ……”

“ You’re innocent, and they’ll understand. Everyone will …… have to.”

“What are you doing, taunting us?”

“Stop.”

The leader stops one of the knights who is closing in on me, with a single word.

“There are children of nobles here. Let’s not get into unnecessary quarrels. Let’s go.”

The leader turned on his heel and the knights followed. The new students and pupils now silently made way for them.

“…”

Amiyu, who was being pulled by the rope, turned her head toward us for a moment.

However, as soon as the rope was strongly pulled, she turned away and her anxious expression was hidden behind her red hair.

I watched in silence.

“……”

I watched them —- patiently and silently until they disappeared from the auditorium.

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