The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-293

Chapter 293 Confession (1)

The entire Venetior region was shaken by shock. The heir of the conglomerate Bourgeois Clan, Bartolomeo, was assassinated, and the high priest Humbert of the head of Quovadis Clan went missing.

The enigmatic figure dubbed the ‘Night Hound’ was implicated in the incident. The Night Hound allegedly infiltrated a banquet attended by Bartolomeo and academy students, orchestrating a cowardly hostage situation with the Saintess Dolores as the focal point. In the process, Bartolomeo heroically sacrificed himself to save all the students.

Truly a sacred, heroic demise. Unfortunately, the survivors, saved by Bartolomeo’s sacrifice, claimed to have no recollection of the events. Student Figgy, who fell asleep, stated that he saw nothing. Sinclaire, who was present at the scene, exhibited selective amnesia and short-term memory loss due to excessive use of sedatives, head trauma, and psychological shock.

Lastly, Dolores, who was directly held hostage, also attested that she saw nothing as she had a blindfold over her eyes. Acting Head Damian, representing the Bourgeois Clan, released an official statement assuring that they would promptly handle the situation, stating that with the designated successor in place, order would soon be restored.

However, no matter how significant the national incident may be, humans and commoners tend to prioritize immediate, smaller concerns.

Colosseo Academy became the focal point, as the upcoming final exams and the parents’ visitation day were the most significant issues for the students.

“Alright, let’s begin the preparations for the final exams!”

“Check the magical stones in advance for any potential accidents!”

“Will the promenade route for parents be aesthetically pleasing? Let’s plant more trees!”

“If we’re planting trees, let’s go for big ones. Scatter plenty of flower seeds too!”

With parents soon visiting the school, large-scale beautification projects were underway throughout the campus. Principal Winston initiated an extensive landscaping project upon his return. He planted large trees and beautiful flowers across the entire campus, creating a serene atmosphere with subtle background music.

Additionally, expressing regret for the magical barrier malfunction during the recent midterm exams, Principal Winston reinforced the barrier with newly placed magical stones.

Beautification and security were the two main focuses of Principal Winston’s agenda, garnering various opinions from the students.

“Why is the principal launching such massive construction as soon as he returns? It makes the school look chaotic.”

“Well, he hasn’t achieved much during his absence. It’s understandable that he’d push something urgently.”

“Come on, the school is almost half trees and half land. Is he obsessed with trees or something?”

“We’ve got plenty of mana stones now. The magical barrier is going to be really sturdy.”

“True. Just because parents are coming doesn’t mean we have to put on a show. It’s not a military parade…”

“Seriously. This time, even representatives from the seven great clans are coming for the parent observation class.”

“Yeah, and I heard some of the leaders will be here too.”

Meanwhile, Dolores overcame the shock in the aristocratic circle and returned to the forefront as the student council president. Handling contacts with businesses, selecting magical stones and landscaping, negotiating prices, overseeing transportation and landscaping, and various other responsibilities—she was directing all these complex tasks.

“Parents will soon be visiting the campus. Let’s not be negligent in hospitality, considering the many high-ranking figures, including representatives from the Empire’s seven great clans will be coming,” Dolores instructed the student council executives.

The executives diligently worked in response to Dolores’ words. Most families sent high-ranking representatives, but considering that occasionally the family head might personally attend, attention to detail was crucial.

While numerous students prepared to welcome the distinguished guests, Dolores sighed inwardly. ‘I need to meet Figgy and Sinclaire soon.’

Since the incident in Bourgeois, she had seen Figgy a few times, but Sinclaire had remained elusive. The diligent girl had withdrawn into her dormitory, neglecting part-time work, volunteer activities, and club participation. Everyone was surprised by the sudden change in Sinclaire, who had always been diligent.

“She seemed quite disoriented. Well, witnessing someone die in front of you would naturally be shocking,” Dolores thought. As a saintess, she had witnessed many suffering and dying individuals, making her less psychologically resistant. However, Sinclaire was an ordinary girl who grew up without any apparent hardship. Naturally, the shock would be significant.

“Still, it’s fortunate that Sinclaire hasn’t said anything in front of the reporters.” Sinclaire was intelligent and not the type to recklessly make explosive statements during interviews.

“Come to think of it, she shares a room with Bianca, right?” But Bianca mentioned that her relationship with Sinclaire had deteriorated lately, and Sinclaire doesn’t return to their room much.

“This won’t do.” Dolores decided that she needed to visit Sinclaire’s room tonight. To do that, she had to quickly catch up on her backlog of tasks. “Alright, let’s gather our strength again.” Dolores encouraged herself and, holding a pen, began working on the paperwork.

Amidst all these significant and minor changes…

[Ranking Battle Schedule Announcement]

The final exams for the freshmen of the Class of 20 have begun.

* * *

A week later.

As the final exams were nearing completion, the results of the ranking battles were also almost out. The final exams were conducted by dividing students based on their scores from the midterm exams and having them compete in practical battles within their score brackets to accumulate partial scores.

The rule was simple: promotion for the top, demotion for the bottom. This straightforward rule motivated all students.

Vikir, who had ranked first overall in the midterm exams, suffered defeat against the high-level fighters Lowbro and Middlebro, facing ‘humiliation’ in the high-level bracket.

In the Cold department, Bianca managed to defeat Sancho in a closely contested match, entering the finals and gearing up for the ultimate showdown against Tudor.

In the Hot department, Granola and Sinclaire were selected for the final battle.

The showdowns between Tudor and Bianca, as well as Granola and Sinclaire, were set to adorn the finale of the final exams, with all parents eagerly anticipating the spectacle.

For this highly anticipated final battle, the four students were putting in extra effort in preparation. Among them, Sinclaire’s enthusiasm and determination stood out, impressing everyone.

*Sigh!*

The door to the gravity room opened, and Sinclaire, drenched in sweat, walked out. Wearing a black sleeveless shirt and combat pants, her body, devoid of any mana, had endured the pressure of eleven times gravity.

Sinclaire, with an exhausted expression, sat down on a chair. No one dared to approach her.

For a while now, Sinclaire, who had confined herself to the dormitory during the exam season, had finally emerged. She displayed an unprecedented fierceness that left everyone astounded.

In the final exams’ ranking battles, Sinclaire faced elite fighters from the Hot department and defeated them all within a minute, even though they were also top-tier students with excellent midterm grades.

Sinclaire became extremely reserved, and all her actions became monotonous.

Sleep. Meals. Training. Sleep. Meals. Training. Sleep. Meals. Training.

She rarely spoke to anyone around her and focused solely on the immediate tasks in front of her.

Her relationships with friends also became strained. Her tone of voice and eyes were cold, as if she was intentionally trying to distance herself from them.

It seemed as if she had become an entirely different person overnight.

Sinclaire had abandoned even the forced volunteer work at the orphanage that she used to go out for. Letters expressing the children’s longing for the orphanage were crumpled without being read.

She had also quit all the responsible part-time jobs she used to do. Even Bianca, who shared the same room, was met with silent responses when expressing concern.

At that moment, something changed.

“…!”

Sinclaire, who had shown no interest in her surroundings, suddenly lifted her head. Simultaneously, the door to the front gravity room opened, and someone walked out.

*Swoosh!*

Thirteen times gravity. A record achieved solely with the body, covered in a mist of sweat. Vikir emerged from the room.

Then, Sinclaire spoke.

“…Big Brother, you’re still amazing.”

Sinclaire, who had been behaving coldly to all her friends around, only talked warmly to one person, Vikir.

Vikir nodded, wiping off the sweat from his face and body with a towel.

Sinclaire, who had swiftly stood up, followed him closely.

“How does it feel under thirteen times gravity?”

“How do you endure it without using mana, with just your body?”

“What do you usually eat? When do you sleep?”

“How did you become so strong? What kind of training did you do?”

“Did you just let the triplets win this time? Because you didn’t want the attention?”

In Vikir’s eyes, Sinclaire seemed unchanged from before. She still had a lot of curiosity and was a cheerful girl.

…But.

Even Vikir, in response to Sinclaire’s last question, could sense a slightly different vibe than usual.

“B-Big brother, what are you doing tonight?”

“Assignments.”

“You’re not planning to stay up all night, are you? It’s not that difficult.”

“I have assignments for other major classes too. I’ll pull an all-nighter.”

“…Tsk.”

Sinclaire’s lips curled at Vikir’s gruff response.

“Don’t you have any time late at night? Even in the early morning? You’ll still get enough sleep!”

“If it’s in the early morning, I should be able to finish my assignments. Why?”

When Vikir asked, Sinclaire hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a hint of courage.

“…Um, if you’re okay, would you like to have a late-night snack in my room?”