The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 116

“Please stop troubling Senior Amon anymore.”

“Uh, uhh…pardon?”

Although Anar’el asked in bewilderment, Fiora simply stood firmly behind Amon without answering.

And among them all, the most bewildered person was none other than Amon.

‘Fi-Fiora, why is this kid suddenly acting like this?’

He had deliberately lowered his voice to preserve the principal’s dignity and was trying to reason with gentle words, but suddenly Fiora made such an aggressive move!

‘This won’t do.’

Amon hastily opened his mouth.

“Fiora, this is not your place to step in.”

“However, Senior Amon, the headmaster has caused you distress through consecutive business failures. And even at this moment, she’s trying to endanger our academy by pursuing absurd business ventures.”

Fiora continued speaking in a respectful yet firm voice.

“As a junior serving Senior Amon, I cannot tolerate actions that would put the academy and Senior Amon at risk. Please understand my feelings.”

Amon was persuaded by Fiora.

‘What a kind-hearted junior!’

However, while being persuaded, he also felt this wasn’t quite right.

The organizational hierarchy is more important than anything else!

If he let Fiora disrespect the headmaster like this, it would naturally lead to disrespecting the vice headmaster, and next would be none other than himself, the head of academic affairs!

Amon’s upright character couldn’t tolerate insubordination!

“How dare you! Can’t you control yourself!”

“Bu-but, Senior Amon.”

“Be quiet! You must never go against the headmaster’s authority! Surely the headmaster must have deep reasons for pursuing these business ventures!”

Under Amon’s stern rebuke, Fiora visibly deflated and dropped her head.

If she had a tail, it would have been touching the ground.

“You’re…right. I’m sorry, Headmaster. I overstepped my bounds without understanding your intentions.”

As Fiora apologized with a completely broken spirit, Anar’el hastily waved her hands.

“Ah, no. I’m at fault too. Pursuing unreasonable business ventures isn’t right.”

“No, I apologize again, Headmaster.”

Watching the two repeatedly bowing their heads to each other in this warm scene, Amon cleared his throat and spoke.

“Ahem, then I’ll take my leave now. Regarding the cultural festival you mentioned earlier, I’ll report back after consulting with other teachers and students.”

“Alright, Teacher Amon. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Leave it to me. Let’s go, Fiora.”

“Yes, Senior Amon.”

Once the two left the principal’s office, Anar’el slumped in her chair as if sliding down.

“Phew…what just happened?”

While wiping the cold sweat running down her pale face with the back of her hand, Anar’el sat there blankly before suddenly grinning.

She recalled how Amon had sternly rebuked Fiora when she confronted her.

“Hehehe, so Teacher Amon was on my side after all.”

No, he wasn’t!

He was just keeping Fiora in check because he was worried about his own position being threatened!

But Anar’el, not knowing this fact, was in a good mood.

“Plus, he approved of the oil business investment too.”

Absolutely not!

He had just tried to save the principal’s dignity by suggesting there might be some deeper meaning!

“I suppose he implicitly gave permission for the business investment?”

Humming a tune, Anar’el pulled out the investment contract, making an assumption that would have made Amon set Fiora to bite her neck off if she knew.

“I~ love~ investments~”

* * *

Walking down the corridor in awkward silence, Amon looked back.

Fiora had been following him with her characteristic dependable expression since following him, but her eyes were darting around uncertainly, unable to find where to look.

Looking straight into her wandering eyes that seemed like those of a dog thoroughly scolded by its master, Amon spoke.

“Fiora.”

“Ye-yes! Senior Amon.”

“Let’s talk.”

“…Yes.”

Amon gestured toward the withered garden at the back of the academy that even Anar’el, a High Elf, didn’t bother with.

“Sit down. Would you like some tea?”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

After handing Fiora some chamomile tea, which hadn’t left his lips since coming to this academy, Amon continued.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this lately? It’s fine to follow me as a junior, but honestly, I think you’re going a bit too far.”

“…”

“At first, I thought you genuinely wanted to try teaching and learn a lot, but what happened in the headmaster’s office today seemed beyond that level.”

Fiora, who had been hanging her head, opened her mouth.

“I wanted to be helpful to Senior Amon.”

“Helpful.”

After pondering these two syllables, Amon closed his eyes gently.

‘You’re not helping at all. You’re just being troublesome.’

Fiora’s behavior was nothing but burdensome.

However, seeing Fiora so dejected and creating waves in her teacup with trembling hands, he couldn’t just say, ‘No, you’re not helping~ Go away~’

‘It was better when we used to bicker before. At least then she didn’t follow me around for every little thing.’

Right. Following him to the bathroom was a bit much, wasn’t it?

The shock, horror, and shame he felt when he came out of the bathroom to find Fiora waiting with a handkerchief were indescribable.

Sipping his tea with a sigh, Amon suddenly paused.

‘…Like before?’

Amon hadn’t been completely indifferent to Fiora.

As the (real) head of academic affairs, he had occasionally asked others who maintained relatively good relationships with Fiora about her situation.

He recalled Marion’s words.

‘Fiora? Well, she quite enjoys drinking. At first, I thought she couldn’t handle alcohol, but that wasn’t quite true. You should have seen her dancing and singing on the table.’

Though he wasn’t sure about her true feelings, from what he heard, she seemed to quite enjoy having fun.

Sloth had expressed similar opinions.

‘I heard the House of Pendorean is very strict. Even stricter than our House Pid, which is already strict. That’s why I’ve been letting her rest properly. By the way, I wonder if Fiora will start seeing me in a good light soon…’

Kai had said with a deep sigh.

‘I wonder how that young lady from the prestigious House of Pendorean ended up like this.’

Amon compiled all the information in his head.

A strict family, a taste of freedom.

If Fiora’s current serious attitude was her ‘House of Pendorean’ face, then perhaps her subsequent lazy behavior was a natural progression.

‘Not the delinquent-like behavior she showed at first, but rather enjoying life in her own way.’

As he swirled his teacup where the tea leaves had settled, the dark tea slowly rose from the settled leaves.

Along with it, the unclear thoughts in his head also rose.

“Fiora.”

“Ah, yes! Senior!”

Fiora, who had barely been breathing during the long silence, quickly raised her head as Amon continued.

“From now on, you don’t need to serve me.”

“…!”

Fiora’s face turned deathly pale.

‘Ah! Senior Amon! Are you casting me aside like this!’

A rejected loyal subject!

Seeing Fiora’s face looking like a general betrayed by their tragic monarch, Amon sighed.

‘I wish she would just tone it down a bit.’

Seeing Fiora’s reaction as if she might break into wails and screams at any moment, Amon hastily continued.

“Fiora, in the Empire’s language, you must listen until the end.”

“Sob…pardon?”

“I mean you don’t need to serve me with such extreme devotion.”

Amon put his hands behind his back with a solemn face and turned around.

“I am a fully grown subject of the Empire. While I understand your loyal heart in following your senior, too much is as bad as too little. Look here. Do I appear so powerless to you that I need help with everything?”

Looking at Amon’s incredibly reliable back, Fiora trembled.

“N-no, not at all.”

“That’s right. I am not a weak person who needs someone’s help. Of course, I’m grateful for your dedication and service. However, there are times when a man must stand alone.”

So please stop following me to the bathroom, that’s what I’m saying.

“Therefore, Fiora, I’ll say it again. You no longer need to serve me.”

“…”

“But don’t be disheartened.”

Amon stretched out his hand vigorously.

“You and I can still support each other through our shining relationship as senior and junior!”

“Ah, aah! That’s right!”

Seeing Amon speaking like the leader of a new religion with the sun at his back, Fiora’s face filled with emotion.

“So Fiora! Break free from my shadow and find your true self!”

“My true self…”

“Yes. You were a child who shone brightest in freedom. While following me was also an admirable junior’s attitude, you must never lose your own color.”

“My own color…”

Fiora’s body trembled.

The Empire’s most loyal family means equally strict discipline.

That’s why no one ever told her to live freely.

Only one person, her grandmother Diana, cherished her granddaughter and allowed her to act somewhat freely.

However, even Diana was a member of the ‘strict Pendorean family.’

The very idea of making Amon her granddaughter’s husband and taking him as a disciple was far from ‘her granddaughter’s freedom.’

The fact that Fiora came here at Diana’s earnest request meant she couldn’t be free from the Pendorean family’s discipline.

‘If I hadn’t agreed to grandmother’s request until the end…although she wouldn’t show it, she would have been greatly disappointed.’

A loose compulsion.

As a result, she came here, and moved by Amon’s unexpected character, decided to follow him.

After all, she too had the blood of ‘loyal Pendorean’ flowing through her.

Yet the person she decided to follow was telling her to live freely.

“…Senior.”

“Yes, Fiora.”

“Is it really alright for me to live freely?”

At Fiora’s question, Amon brightened up as if he might do a backflip.

“Of course! This senior desires your freedom more than anyone!”

“Freedom…”

Culture, etiquette, manners, swordsmanship, dignity befitting a duke’s daughter, imperial studies, military studies, scholarship worthy of the family’s honor, a murderous daily schedule that would be insufficient even with 30 hours in a day.

In the family, there wasn’t even time to breathe.

‘But here…’

The sweetness of real freedom she had tasted since coming here.

Tears rolled down Fiora’s cheeks.

“Fi-Fiora! Why are you crying! What makes you sad!”

“Ah, no… I’m just happy.”

Hastily wiping away her tears, Fiora smiled brightly.

“Senior, thank you.”

“Yes.”

Amon stretched out his hand.

“Now, junior.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“I look forward to working with you!”

Fiora firmly grasped Amon’s hand.

“Yes, Senior!”

It was a strong voice without any hesitation or pretense.

* * *

Early morning.

Amon exhaled.

“Phew…my bowels are healthy as ever.”

Amon rose with a refreshed face.

And while fixing his clothes, he quietly checked for any presence outside the door.

‘I explained it well yesterday, but surely she wouldn’t still be waiting outside the door, not understanding…’

After checking outside the door for a while with an anxious face, Amon poked his head out slightly.

‘…She’s not here!’

Coming out of the bathroom with a brightened face, Amon wiped his wet hands on his waist.

‘Hehehe, fortunately she understood well. I was worried about what to do if she didn’t understand.’

As Amon smiled contentedly, he suddenly became curious.

‘Come to think of it, Fiora extended her observation period by a week, right? I wonder how she’s doing? I heard her observation attitude has improved lately, and she’s trying hard to learn.’

Even when she was following him burdensomely, and after yesterday’s realization, he couldn’t even imagine how excellent the ‘true Fiora’ had become.

‘Should I go check?’

At this time, Marion would be preparing for class in the lecture room.

Therefore, Amon, who was about to head to the lecture room, smirked.

“…No, let’s trust her.”

Amon turned around and headed to his room.

And at that time, in Marion’s lecture room.

“Glug glug! My drinking buddy is back!”

“Kya kya kya!”

Fiora was dancing on the podium while shaking a bottle of alcohol.

She had regained her true freedom.