NOVEL WEB Chapter 101.2
Chapter 101.2. Interrogation
He spoke with a voice full of conviction, as if declaring an absolute truth, an unshakable axiom.
“──B-Class defeated A-Class. This is the undeniable proof, the irrefutable evidence of foul play!”
“──”
“The chosen aristocratic heirs belong to A-Class, as did I once. But B-Class is filled with failures. Status, education, manners, ability, and magic! In every aspect, A-Class surpasses them. And yet, you claim they lost in a magic duel to B-Class!? Impossible, absurd!”
“Exactly! What more evidence do you need!? You──you’ve already proven that you defied the proper order!”
“And the most suspicious one is you, the commoner who transferred in during the latter term! Understand!? Stop wasting our time and confess already!”
……Ah, I remember now.
Yes. Supremacy of status, supremacy of magic. They see this as an absolute, unerring truth.
They refuse to acknowledge anything else, treating any deviation as an abnormality──
──These nobles, unlike the students who haven’t been fully tainted yet, are beyond saving. These adults before me are completely corrupted.
The current state of this country, which I once saw at a party with Katia.
In my interactions with the students, I had almost forgotten, tried to forget, but now it’s coming back to me.
For these teachers, B-Class’s victory itself is the absolute proof of an abnormality.
That’s why they can make such baseless and prejudiced accusations.
……Deep down, I know it’s not right.
What I learned when I was almost ready to give up, was when Sara stopped me. I should know better before I make a hasty judgment.
But, even understanding that, he thought,
Before trying to understand, before digging deeper,
Right now, with all his strength──he wanted to deny them.
As Hermes fell silent again, this time with a triumphant expression, Legendre loudly declared,
“Do you understand now, our just cause! Rather, it’s you who should provide proof that you didn’t cheat!”
“Exactly what the Marquis said! Though I doubt you could prove such a thing!”
“Indeed, the duel is in the past! How could you possibly prove there was no foul play in past events──”
“──There is a way.”
And so, he stated it first.
To silence the teachers who were shouting as if they had struck gold, he would first produce what they believed didn’t exist.
The ‘proof of no foul play’──let’s start by presenting that.
(……Honestly, I’m truly grateful. And impressed.)
As Hermes stood up to present the evidence, he expressed gratitude and respect in his heart.
To the man who prepared this absolute proof, as if he had foreseen it all.
(Before the duel even began, at that time. You had already foreseen this outcome, hadn’t you……Duke.)
And then, he began to walk slowly towards the front.
The teachers who were about to scold him for standing up without permission were silenced by an inexplicable pressure emanating from him.
Standing directly in front of Legendre, the head of the year,
He pulled out a certain magical tool from his pocket and placed it on the desk with a soft clink.
“……Wh-what is this?”
“‘A magic tool that records footage,’ this is the playback component.”
Understanding its significance, the teachers began to murmur.
“Within this, the entire duel is recorded. From three different angles, with additional close-ups of unclear areas, totaling eight recordings.”
“Wha──”
“The battle was relatively simple, so every student’s movements from beginning to end are completely captured. If any student made suspicious moves, it would be clear from this.”
The ultimate tool to ‘closely observe’ the past, as they demanded.
Confronted with this, Legendre tried to argue,
“So-so what!? Such footage can easily be doctored! For instance, any unnatural magic──”
“In addition to that,”
Predicting that he would say this──he was given something for just such an occasion.
Hermes placed a bundle of documents, additional evidence, on the desk.
“The magic levels of all participating students were measured before the duel. Plus, records of the overall magic fluctuations on the battlefield during the duel. Furthermore, this includes as much information as possible on the bloodline magic each student used, and predictions of the battle outcomes based on that. And then…”
“……Wh-why……”
Detailed records far exceed expectations regarding the duel.
Before Legendre could even ask why such records existed, Hermes smiled and thrust the documents forward.
“They were prepared by Duke Jurgen von Trakia. He said──‘It’s my daughter’s moment of glory. I don’t want to overlook any foul play, even by the smallest chance.’”
Of course, the real reason was different.
Various purposes were likely in mind, but the biggest one was……to foresee this situation and prepare documents that could refute the teachers’ arguments.
As Hermes reflected on the Duke’s insight and thorough preparation, he continued,
“And after the Duke thoroughly reviewed all this data──‘There’s nothing unnatural. Unfortunately, B-Class’s victory is fair,’ he concluded.”
Naturally, the ‘unfortunately’ part was a lie.
But, they didn’t know Jurgen’s true intentions. They could only measure others by their own standards.
And──Jurgen’s daughter is in A-Class.
So, they believed. This was Jurgen, like them, wishing for A-Class’s victory, investigating thoroughly, and begrudgingly accepting the outcome. They believed this made it overwhelmingly credible, even emotionally.
He probably anticipated this effect too, Hermes thought, recalling that intelligent and inscrutable smile.
With a smile likely very similar to that, Hermes delivered the final blow.
“Now then. We’ve presented overwhelming ‘proof of no foul play,’ based on the actual situation──Can you produce anything more substantial?”
You’re the ones who’ll have to admit defeat. There’s no escape.
As he projected that pressure with his entire being, Hermes stared down at the trembling Legendre, the head of the year.