BXBX NOVEL Chapter 45 – Trouble Instinct (6)
During the break, I headed to the garden next to the lecture hall where students usually gather to hang out. As expected, there was Knightley with her followers.
“Hey, Knightley! I need to ask you something!”
I waved my hand and called her name. Her followers scattered, leaving Knightley alone, crossing her arms as she waited for me.
“What is it?”
“Is there something going on with you guys? The students keep avoiding me.”
“I am not sure?”
Knightley replied with an enigmatic smile.
“If it’s something like that, shouldn’t you be asking them directly instead of coming to me?”
“I tried, but they ran away. Still, you’re the student I’m closest to.”
Knightley’s smile widened at my words.
“So, you have no other close students besides me?”
“Well, personally, not really.”
Knightley’s breathing became slightly irregular.
“So, you’re saying I’m the only one, right?”
“I’m not sure if that’s the right way to put it….”
“I’m the only one, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are. So if you know anything about what’s going on, tell me.”
Knightley’s grin spread from ear to ear as I answered vaguely to her persistent questioning.
“Well, there’s been some rumors. That the Professor and I have a… certain kind of relationship.”
“What kind of relationship?”
“You know.”
A certain kind of relationship between a professor and a female student… I have a hunch.
“So the students are avoiding me because of that? Where did that baseless rumor come from?”
“It’s not entirely baseless, Professor. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“What smoke are you talking about?”
But Knightley didn’t answer, simply staring at me.
“Ah, is it because we were often together for private lessons? I guess that could be misunderstood.”
But for things to escalate this much? Someone must have maliciously added fuel to the fire.
Who could it be… Who could it be… I think I know. Should I investigate thoroughly?
“Professor, are you listening?”
“Huh? Did you say something?”
“Would you like to have a private lesson with me today?”
“Today? It’s not our scheduled day.”
“True, but we don’t always have to stick to the schedule, do we?”
As she said that, Knightley smiled coquettishly.
Having seen Ismera’s somewhat artificial but extremely beautiful smile many times, I felt no particular reaction.
So young and already like this…
“Now that things have come to this, why not just go for it? Rather than being wrongly accused, why not just do it?”
Knightley slightly lifted her shirt with her fingers and awkwardly licked her lips. What the hell…
I know a bit about Kirrin. That fool of a kind-hearted Dark Elf has been emotionally dependent on me excessively for a while now.
But I didn’t expect Knightley to be like this.
As the proud daughter of a Duke, she must be trying to monopolize me as she has done with everything else. Ridiculous, this brat!
“Shut up!”
“Ahh!”
I gave her a light tap on the head, and Knightley curled up, clutching her head with both hands.
“Why did you hit me! I was right!”
“Right, but deserving of a hit!”
As I raised my fist, Knightley quickly stormed away.
Sigh, should I just send her back to her father?
She thinks she’s being clever, but she’s still just a kid.
Anyway, this seems to be Hindrasta’s doing…
Let’s confirm that first.
Even if I catch and interrogate that brat, she won’t confess anything…
“Felimia!”
I ran to Felimia, who was just coming out of her psychology warfare classes.
“What’s the matter? You seem in a hurry.”
“Have you heard any strange rumors circulating among the students lately?”
“Hmm, what do you mean?”
I told Felimia about what I saw and noticed earlier, then she adjusted her glasses before speaking.
“There’s definitely something strange going on. Should I look into it?”
“I’d appreciate that. If this disrupts the academic atmosphere, it’ll be troublesome.”
“Understood. I’ll have some answers for you before the end of the day.”
Felimia smoothly blended into the crowd of students with her cloak fluttering.
As the Psychological Warfare Professor, Felimia was an expert in intimidation, persuasion, negotiation, and brainwashing.
She will undoubtedly bring back some useful information.
Later that afternoon, as promised, Felimia came to my office.
“Head Professor, I’ve found out a few things.”
“Go ahead.”
Felimia began to share what she had learned.
1. The first person to cast doubt on the relationship between Professor Dian and Student Knightley was the special student Sophie.
2. Sophie made a remark along the lines of, ‘As a transfer student, I’m curious because I often see the two of them alone together, is there something going on between them?’ which was the starting point of the issue.
3. Sophie made this remark after seeing Dian and Knightley leaving the academy grounds together.
4. As the rumor spread, it became increasingly distorted, now include theories that Professor Dian is married to his maid, but he’s having an affair with Knightley, that the maid is their child, that Dian assaulted Knightley and is blackmailing her, that she was riding Dian, not a wild horse in the Brun Plateau, that they were caught having an affair in the academy forest by a troll, and that’s why it was beaten and captured, that Dian likes Headmaster Kirrin and Professor Ismara…
“That’s enough.”
I raised my hand to stop Felimia, feeling dizzy from the outrageous rumors.
“So, the source of the rumor is Student Sophie?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t seem to have been malicious.”
Of course, initially, Hindrasta’s words were completely innocent.
But that’s just from the perspective of an uninformed third party.
Considering what kind of dragon Hindrasta is, she must have set things up to cover her tracks, claiming she was just genuinely curious and avoiding responsibility.
Clearly, the intention was to ruin my reputation at the academy.
Three things come to mind immediately.
First, correct the false rumors.
No matter how baseless, rumors about the Head Combat Professor having an inappropriate relationship with a student are detrimental to the academy.
Second, use this incident as an opportunity for a lesson on public opinion manipulation and information gathering.
In field missions, there are times when we infiltrate hostile nations to spread rumors or, conversely, determine the truth of rumors and propaganda spread against us.
This situation is very similar to such scenarios, so it could be used for beneficial education.
Third, recondition Hindrasta. That brat still hasn’t come to her senses.
Let’s start with the easiest one and quickly resolve it.
I picked up a wooden practice sword resting on my desk and left the office.
# # # # #
The rooftop of the abandoned academy building where the troll was confined.
Hindrasta, who had skipped class, was lying on a sunbed she had somehow acquired, enjoying the spring sunshine with her eyes closed.
Professor Dian and Knightley? What did they do in the forest outside the academy gates? Weren’t they there to catch the troll? Professor Waver caught the troll. There must have been plenty of time before or after the hunt. Come to think of it, didn’t Knightley take a different route during the night infiltration? That wasn’t for advanced lessons… And I heard Knightley went along when they caught the wild horse. So, it wasn’t the horse she rode but the professor? Didn’t someone say Knightley ran away to avoid an arranged marriage? But when her father came here, he seemed very close to Professor Dian. So, is Professor Dian Knightley’s new marriage partner? Was Professor Dian a noble? I don’t know. But he seems like a noble. There’s no one at the academy he seems to answer to. Or maybe he’s a hidden prince? Anyway, it’s true that Professor Dian and Knightley were all over each other in his office, right? So, what’s the relationship with the maid who lives with him? Someone said she’s his daughter and his wife… Ah, it’s complicated! So, I’m losing Professor Dian… I was going to confess after graduation… Bullshit. What would Professor Dian want with someone like you?”
As the snowball she had started kept rolling and growing uncontrollably, Hindrasta was beside herself with joy.
Yes, this is it. This is why causing trouble is so fun! Keep rolling!
Letting out the troll that was confined here would make it even more exciting.
Ah, I’m so excited I can’t contain myself!
Just as Hindrasta was chuckling to herself, a shadow fell over her.
“Move. You’re blocking the sunlight.”
“Let’s have a talk.”
Hindrasta, annoyed, looked up and gasped, falling off her sunbed in fright.
“D-Dian…?”
Dian stood over her, a wooden practice sword slung over his shoulder.
“I was just about to go to class!”
Dian said nothing.
“Really! I came here just because I have a habit of sunbathing in my true form! I’m leaving now!”
Dian said nothing.
“What? Do you have something to say? Well, say it. Stop just standing there!”
Dian said nothing.
“Fine, fine. I’m sorry. I charged some stuff to your name at the dessert cafe. I’ll pay it back soon.”
“What…?”
Ah, damn it. That wasn’t it? Shouldn’t have said that.
“Anyway, we’re done here, right? I’m leaving?”
Dian stepped forward silently, blocking her path.
“What the hell, seriously! Why are you scaring me like this?”
Dian said nothing.
Staring at Dian for a moment, Hindrasta finally confessed.
“That’s right. I said something unnecessary. I saw you and that girl going out together and got curious, so I asked the humans about it. I didn’t think it would turn into this.”
Dian said nothing.
“I’m really sorry. I was too curious, that’s all. But I’m also a bit innocent here. I wondered if there was a special advanced course with the Head Combat Professor. I’m a special student, after all.”
Dian said nothing.
Hindrasta’s voice began to tremble.
“What do you want from me, damn it! I just asked that, I swear! I didn’t say anything else! My intentions were pure!”
Dian said nothing.
“What do you want me to say? Huh? You just want to hit me, don’t you? Whether I was the one who stirred things up doesn’t matter to you, does it? Is that it! Is that what this is about!”
Dian said nothing.
“Seriously, why are you doing this to me!! You were the one who made it look suspicious in the first place!!!!”
# # # # #
Boom!
Professor Ismera, startled by the sudden noise, ran to the window.
Far in the distance, a pink-haired special student was jumping off the roof of the abandoned building where the troll was confined.
“Help me!!”
And right after, jumping off as well… was Professor Dian?! What the hell?!
However, the two disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye, leaving Professor Ismera wondering if she had imagined the whole thing.
[Note: See pined comment for Chapter 45 illustration]