“The newspaper…?”

“Yes.”

Elias answered firmly, then grinned mischievously.

“Ah~ No! Just open the disciplinary committee hearing. I need to receive proper punishment too.”

The professor shook his head slightly. He seemed to think Elias was just continuing to talk nonsense.

He stood up from his seat and started writing a note.

It seemed to be a message intended for another professor.

Meanwhile, the Class 1 guy, getting angry again upon reflection, whispered to Elias.

“…You said you’d teach me. Even if you didn’t, I already know, so why act up? After acting like that, you’re asking for a disciplinary hearing?”

“Huh? Know?”

“……”

“How?”

Elias’s mouth started to stretch into a wide grin. He threw his head back and let out a bizarre shriek.

“Professor! Please investigate this guy too…!”

“Ah! No! No! It’s nothing!”

The Class 1 student, looking completely drained, clamped his hand over Elias’s mouth.

He looked like he had aged ten years just by being here.

“Alright…. Stop it…”

“Should’ve done that from the start~”

Elias whistled leisurely.

Meanwhile, the professor returned, looking weary again, and asked.

“But student Elias, why are your clothes in such a state?”

“Maybe because it’s mid-January, it’s getting rather hot.”

“What are you talking about?! That’s not it, this friend tried to… me!”

The Class 1 guy seemed lost, unsure how on earth to explain this.

Elias, watching him, smiled and tilted his head.

“What, Günter. What did I do?”

The professor, seeing the student falter, repeated the question.

“To the student?”

“To me…! He said he’d teach me!”

“Teach you what?”

“What else could one do at the place this student visited? He tried to do that to me, I tell you!”

“…?! Haa…”

The professor’s face grew serious.

Simultaneously, I heard Leo, sitting next to me, swallow hard.

Elias alone asked nonchalantly.

“Try?”

“Yeah! You charged at me while ripping off your clothes, and now you’re going to deny it?”

“Didn’t take everything off.”

I wanted to tell him to at least fasten his belt before talking.

Just then, Elias fastened his belt as if nothing had happened.

The professor calmly clasped his hands together and spoke.

“Student. I really don’t want to reprimand you, but the situation forces me to be suspicious.”

“I can assure you with certainty that it’s all untrue, Professor.”

“In that case, where did you discard your robe and jacket? Now that I see, your necktie is also missing.”

“They are safely in the classroom.”

“First, at least button up your shirt. You are not conversing with a friend right now, student, and I shouldn’t need to tell you to dress properly when discussing official matters like this, should I?”

“Yeees…”

Elias reverted to his sulky expression.

Then, he roughly pulled his shirt together where the buttons should be.

The Class 1 student pointed at Elias’s actions as if saying, ‘See this!’

“Professor! Look. He can’t button it because the buttons are missing. He ripped off perfectly good clothes without warning, you have no idea how startled I was!”

“……”

The professor, only now noticing the missing buttons, started looking at Elias with a pitying expression, as if wondering what to do with him.

Elias cleared his throat and stood up.

“I’ll go change my clothes~ I have to go to the disciplinary hearing anyway.”

“No!”

The Class 1 student grabbed Elias.

“What?”

“Besides entering Primrose Path, there is one more matter to report. This itself is evidence, so we must proceed as is. Professor, I hope you will permit it.”

Resolve shone on the Class 1 student’s face.

Elias, momentarily taken aback, scoffed.

***

On the grounds of having been present at the scene, I moved with the students to the meeting room where the disciplinary hearing was being held.

The school’s response was extremely swift.

As the Empire’s representative school, it was highly sensitive to incidents that could tarnish its prestige.

*Creak—*

Leo and another student council member brought Elias into the meeting room.

Elias looked at the students and professors already inside and shook his head.

“What, everyone’s dressed impeccably from head to toe, and I’m the only one supposed to stay scruffy like this? I’m kinda embarrassed~”

“You know embarrassment…? If you knew, you shouldn’t have started it in the first place?”

Leo said, glaring. I could feel him gritting his teeth from his muffled pronunciation.

Elias naturally avoided Leo’s gaze.

Until Elias sat down in the middle of the spacious conference room, the two continued to bicker with simple gestures.

While I was blankly watching their pointless actions, the Head of the Magic Department arrived with several faculty members.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes, everyone is present.”

The Department Head surveyed the room, then frowned upon seeing Elias’s attire.

“Student, why are you not wearing your uniform according to regulations?”

“I also wanted to dress like a civilized person, but that Class 1 friend sitting over there desperately stopped me, so I couldn’t.”

“What do you mean desperately stopped you?!”

Meanwhile, our class professor cast a sound-proofing spell on the Department Head and said something.

The Department Head, nodding with understanding, cast amplification magic and began speaking.

“We will now commence the first meeting of the Student Disciplinary Committee. At 3 PM today, an issue was raised regarding student Elias Hohenzollern’s visit to an entertainment establishment. First, we will discuss this matter.”

The Department Head flipped through the papers he had prepared and began reading the standard phrases recited at disciplinary hearings.

“This school has the duty to manage and supervise the conduct of Imperial Second Academy students both inside and outside the school. As the students’ conduct is directly linked to the prestige of the Imperial Family and the Empire, this school adheres to the principle of immediately expelling, without tolerance, any student who tarnishes the school’s honor.”

At the mention of expulsion, the Class 1 student smiled confidently. Of course, even while smiling, his face looked fatigued, the lingering effects of being thoroughly drained by Elias still visible.

‘Well, he’d be confident anyway.’

He failed to grasp the true meaning of the letter and only thinks Elias went to Primrose Path to fool around.

Given the fake photo, it was an understandable misunderstanding.

“Appeals can be filed through an administrative trial within three months. Today, we will review whether the raised issue is factual, and the final disciplinary notice will be issued after the second disciplinary committee meeting.”

The Department Head continued.

“First, the postcard and photo received by Elias Hohenzollern from Primrose Path were re-photographed by student Günter Bock and submitted as evidence. The main offerings of Primrose Path are prostitution and gambling, correct? As pillars of the Empire receiving higher education, you should be well aware that this is not a place for students of this school to set foot in.”

“Of course. I am well aware.”

Elias said emphatically with a smile.

The Department Head took it as defiance and put on a stern expression.

The expressions of the other professors also grew increasingly sour.

“Student Elias, is it true that you visited Primrose Path?”

The gazes of everyone present focused on Elias.

“Yes, it is true.”

“…!”

The Class 1 student, identified as Günter, pointed accusingly as if saying, ‘See!’

“Student, when did you visit Primrose Path?”

“Is it important?”

Elias asked leisurely.

“It is important. Your attendance will be suspended starting from that date.”

“What time is it now?”

“It is 5:40 PM. Please cooperate so we can conclude the meeting before 7 PM.”

“Well, alright. I visited about two weeks ago. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier, but it felt awkward talking about going there here and there. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be revealed like this either.”

“Student, it seems you clearly do not understand that your actions are problematic.”

“Professor.”

Elias said with a serious face.

“I went there, but I did not engage in wrongful conduct. It is difficult to explain in detail right now. I have no intention of evading responsibility, so could you please discuss the next agenda item first?”

“There is a set order.”

“At six o’clock, I can tell you everything in detail, without omitting anything. I implore you, Professor.”

The Department Head stared at him silently.

Perhaps realizing it would be difficult to handle Elias by pushing forward now, he nodded.

“You must not delay further than the time the student mentioned. In that case, let us begin with the second issue brought forth.”

At those words, the Class 1 guy came to the center of the meeting room and stood in front of the desk next to Elias.

The guy moved the desk far away with a look of distaste.

“Student Günter Bock distributed 500 unauthorized flyers on campus. Distributing flyers beyond the normal scope is judged not merely as an attempt to return lost property, but as an act with other private motives.”

The Department Head displayed evidentiary footage in the air using magic.

“Specifically, even though the lost item had a name written on it, what was the intention behind posting the letter in a space visible to everyone instead of delivering it directly to the owner? Actions that incite student unrest are subject to a penalty of 1 demerit point and 1 hour of campus service.”

As expected, the punishment is lenient.

The Class 1 guy still looked relaxed.

“I will explain everything. First, I did not realize that 500 flyers would cause such a problem and unintentionally caused harm. However, it is true that my intention was merely to return lost property.”

“Ha!”

Elias shrugged and sneered.

The Department Head waved his hand sternly. The Class 1 student quickly continued.

“Posting the letter on the wall despite the name being written was indeed my mistake. However, it was not an act done hoping students would criticize Elias. I was concerned that personally returning a letter sent from an ethically unsound place might make me complicit in his unethical behavior.”

“……”

“I simply wished not to become an accomplice tarnishing the honor of the Imperial Second Academy. I sincerely apologize for causing confusion at the school due to my immature decision. I will accept any punishment given without objection.”

The Class 1 guy said that and bowed his head.

Elias watched him with a smirk, looking impressed.

‘Wow.’

Well prepared.

Well, you have to be this prepared to openly ostracize someone.

“Understood. The punishment for this matter will be notified after deliberation. Then, the final matter.”

I glanced at the clock and listened to the Department Head.

It’s 6 PM.

Since he postponed it anyway, the Department Head seemed intent on finishing the remaining agenda before returning to Elias’s entertainment district issue.

“Student Günter Bock has reported that student Elias Hohenzollern sexually threatened student Günter.”

“Me? Threatened?”

“As evidence, there is a statement regarding your current attire. If you have anything to explain regarding the claim that you repeatedly made remarks suggestive of sexual acts while chasing him menacingly, please do so.”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I don’t even know how to perform such acts.”

“……”

Everyone looked at Elias as if he were talking utter nonsense.

Anyway, since there’s no way to prove it, this part will be skipped over.

Elias, who had stood up, smiled and muttered to himself.

“They don’t believe me~ Why?”

“In that case, why did you take off your clothes and charge at the student?”

“Putting it that way is a bit…. Let me first clarify that I did not take everything off. Coincidentally, my words about teaching him about that place seem to have been severely misunderstood by the student.”

At those words, the Class 1 student furrowed his brow.

“Misunderstanding?”

“Yeah. What on earth were you expecting from me…”

The Class 1 student took a deep breath, looking like he was about to pass out. A flicker of understanding seemed to cross Leo’s eyes.

Elias chuckled and said.

“Professor. What I offered to teach him was not a sexual act as you mentioned, but rather to verbally explain how unhealthy such establishments are.”

“Student. Now I see, are you planning to evade responsibility this way? Whatever lesson you learned from visiting that place, the mere fact that you visited an entertainment establishment is problematic in itself.”

“Regardless of what I went there to do?”

“Correct.”

Elias smiled leisurely, glanced at the clock, and said.

“It’s past six o’clock.”

Elias moved the disciplinary committee notice that had been placed on the desk and unfolded the newspaper lying underneath.

It was today’s afternoon edition of the Imperial Newspaper, which he had purchased earlier.

Elias walked forward and handed the newspaper to the professor. He took an ID card from his pocket and handed it over as well.

“This is a Security Headquarters Investigator ID card. Why does it have the student’s name on it?”

“Because it’s mine. Though it’s a temporary qualification. First, please read the article, Professor. It would be nice if you could display the footage and read it together.”

The professor looked at Elias suspiciously, then silently read the newspaper alone. Subsequently, his brow furrowed deeper.

“…Hmm?”

“Now I can address the first matter. As I said earlier, it is true that I visited Primrose Path.”

“So, student, you are now…”

“As an investigator, I should at least pay a visit.”

“What? What are you talking about now.”

The Class 1 student asked, frowning.

The Department Head, who had been reading the newspaper with his mouth agape, looked up with intensity in his eyes.

Judging by his expression, he hadn’t anticipated this.

‘How much of a troublemaker has he been for his expression to be like that…’

The postcard from Primrose Path stated, ‘We will attend to anything without wasting your time.’

This implies two possibilities.

First, just as Primrose Path co-opted the local police, they try to win over Elias.

Second, we know you’re the one trying to expose us, so cut it out.

And in this case, it’s both.

It’s a passive warning sent to Elias, and also literally means ‘We can prepare anything you say, so if you have any intention of letting us off, please do.’

The moment Elias responds to this, he too becomes compromised, which is quite fortunate for the establishment owners.

Elias slowly began to explain.

“I heard news that the Metropolitan Police Bureau was turning a blind eye to illegal activities in Primrose Path. Collusion between local police and entertainment businesses is now a time-honored tradition. Though clearly illegal, a strange landscape where it becomes legal in that area is unfolding across the country.”

“What does that have to do with…”

At the Class 1 student’s words, Elias glanced at him, then looked around the room and said.

“I obtained investigator qualifications from the Imperial Security Headquarters and infiltrated Primrose Path.”

“…?!”

The students who had come with Leo looked at each other, faces showing they still hadn’t grasped the situation.

Elias snatched the newspaper from the Department Head and cast magic on it. The footage was displayed in the air in the conference room.

[17 Establishments in ‘Primrose Path’ Raided… 5 Charges Applied Including Murder, Human Trafficking, and Organized Crime]

“Isn’t the timing of the announcement coincidental? I asked them to move the schedule up a bit because I thought I might get expelled.”

Power really is nice….

The government moved a few days earlier because of Elias’s potential expulsion.

“And to clarify a misunderstanding from earlier, I entered through the gambling den side. Anyway, Professor. Is conducting an investigation to establish grounds for a raid also problematic?”

“……”

“If it’s still a problem, I will accept it. Since I literally did visit.”

The Department Head held his forehead with a complex expression, looking like his head hurt. The other participating professors were also stunned.

Obviously, this wasn’t grounds for expulsion.

The article itself mentioned the Imperial Security Headquarters multiple times.

‘Come to think of it, he managed to get an investigator ID card even after being on bad terms with the Security HQ.’

His initial intention wasn’t to raid that street.

At first, he just drifted there after hearing about a betting pool opening on whether I could get into Team 1 or not.

Of course, the investigator credentials were prepared as a defense tool against the Emperor anyway, so he likely obtained them two weeks ago, not just now.

“Alright~ Then everything should be settled, right? Can I leave now?”

“No, wait. In that case, may we contact the Security Headquarters to verify that the ID card is not forged?”

“Of course, you may. But…”

Elias rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out a folded note.

“I figured everyone wouldn’t believe me, so I asked them to write one.”

Elias’s eyes shone as if seeking praise. Naturally, no one praised him. Everyone was too busy processing what had just happened.

The Department Head read the note Elias handed him.

“The Security Headquarters wrote a confirmation letter. ‘Investigator Elias Hohenzollern’s entry into Primrose Path was essential for investigative activities, so we request the consideration of the Imperial Second Academy’. Surely the seal isn’t forged…?”

“Aw, Professor. Who would go that far?”

“……”

The Department Head looked like he felt strange hearing such words from Elias.

Meanwhile, the Class 1 student remained frozen, unable to believe the current situation.

“Well then, I need to go eat now, so let’s wrap things up~”

Elias snapped his fingers.

“I intended to inform student Günter about the ‘reality’ of this illegal entertainment business, but unfortunately, a misunderstanding arose. In that case, I should only receive punishment for the part where I ran around campus, correct?”

“Professor! That statement is無理 (muri – unreasonable/forced logic)!”

Elias cut off the Class 1 guy’s words.

“Professor, since you are the Head of the Magic Department, you must have already seen the training of Team 8, to which I belong, today. I heard student Leonard showed the training footage to the Magic Department professors.”

“Yes.”

“In that case, Professor, you must have witnessed the process by which student Günter excluded me.”

“Wait, that’s…!”

“Professor, if student Günter truly did not wish to be an accomplice, he could have delivered the letter to the faculty office. Student Günter Bock did this to torment me, to advertise to the entire school that I deserved expulsion. This must be the true intention.”

The professors likely figured out the wordplay long ago. It was just buried relative to Elias’s alleged crime, so they didn’t pay deep attention.

Now that the situation is reversed, it’s necessary to point it out again.

Smiling, I watched Elias.

“Professor. There are definitely wrongful parts in my actions. I will cleanly accept punishment for those parts. However, if you believe my logic is invalid, I hope you will recognize that student Günter’s logic is identical to mine.”

The Class 1 student tried to say something, but the Department Head had already nodded.

He cast sound-proofing magic, conversed with the professors, and then stood before the lectern again.

“…It is very late. Since the issue has changed from what was reported, we will conclude the first disciplinary committee meeting for now. The schedule for the second meeting will be announced soon through your professor.”

“Then, may I return to training now as well?”

“Yes.”

At those words, Elias stood in front of the Class 1 guy.

Unlike the Class 1 guy, whose face was completely drained of color, Elias’s face held a playful mischievousness that seemed slightly unhinged.

“Failed to kick me out, Günter.”

“……”

“Time to go train together now, right?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep