After descending to the third floor of the central building, we walked in silence for about ten minutes before entering her office.
Once inside, she sat at the desk and stared at me in silence for another ten minutes.
"I've finished reviewing the footage." she exclaimed, removing her glasses and placing them on the desk.
I look at her confused.
"This marks the first time in the academy's history that a group of freshmen has completed the trial in two days, to be precise, in 36 hours and 12 minutes. From what I've seen, after wasting a day wandering, you directed the group towards a mountain... for a bath. And after reaching the stream, you, who made the suggestion, immediately walked away towards civilians, claiming to have seen their tracks, only to find them shortly after. These might be mere coincidences, but there's one thing I don't understand. You said you saw footprints, but that doesn't make sense because those civilians were just holograms, which have always been in that cave..." She says authoritatively, scrutinizing me with an inquisitive gaze.
Oh crap...
"I don't know who informed you, nor do I care to know. But for things like that, you could be expelled. However, there might be something that could save you from this situation." Saying this, she gets up and approaches the window behind her, looking at the external area.
I definitely underestimated the instructor, and Toki was absolutely right when he described her.
"What you said yesterday... Your theory about demons."
She takes papers from the desk and hands one to me.
"There's evidence." She concludes, offering them to me.
Uuh... I'm genuinely surprised since that was just a theory I developed while reading.
I take the papers and start reading what's written on them. One sheet lists, in chronological order, the periods when demons killed a large number of people. Mostly, the time span is from 1 to 3 days, during which deaths were significantly higher than normal. And these events occurred whenever the world's population had increased noticeably.
"Why are you smiling?" She catches me off guard with this question.
Am I smiling? I did it unconsciously.
I place the sheet on the desk.
"Probably... because my theory was correct," I justify, even though I can't tell her that this scenario fascinates me.
"We've always believed that demons acted irrationally. Entire battles have been organized based on that belief. And now... we find out that it all hinges on a mistaken observation... People have died... just because of a wrong observation?"
The discussion is deteriorating quickly. I really should have kept quiet yesterday.
"Why did you bring me here?" I speak bluntly because something doesn't add up.
She immediately regains the composure she seemed to have lost, as if she can perfectly control her emotions, and answers, "Because you completed the trial in record time, with rather suspicious methods."
Her serious tone sends shivers down my spine.
"But... you only found this out after I entered the office... Right?" She probably saw our trial through the glasses, which evidently are not ordinary glasses but artifacts made from the demon Technology.
Seeing me counter her, she starts to get annoyed, or at least it seems so, as the veins on her face appear to have their own exposed veins.
"You and the other cadets left after only two minutes. It was logical to think that something was amiss, which I later confirmed." She replies, finding an explanation for my perplexities.
"But you brought me here without a second thought. You should have talked to Seiji Koto, who is the most skilled among us." I reply immediately, then sit in the chair in front of the desk. She has something in mind and wants to use me.
"Instructor... You wanted to ask me something from the beginning. Then you used what happened during the trial as an excuse to gain more control over me... Isn't that right?"
She looks at me with surprised eyes.
"He doesn't seem to have become that stupid..." she mutters.
Should I consider that a compliment?
"Should I consider that a compliment?" Oh... I said that out loud.
"Do as you prefer. I would like to make a deal with you. If you accept it, I won't have you expelled for what you did." She insists on this expulsion story, when she should have given up after being discovered.
Now she no longer has the upper hand, and I could even report her for this sort of "blackmail."
Based on this, I respond decisively, "Done what? There's no evidence... Someone could say I was just lucky."
She gets a hysterical smile hearing these words.
"But if I find the person who gave you this information, then you'll be in serious trouble!" She retorts, slamming her fist on the desk.
"Uh... Give me a whistle when you find them."
Good luck; the creator of this world should be in another dimension.
"What do I have to do?" She speaks quietly; I could barely hear her.
What does she have to do? But...?
"You called me here..." I really don't understand what's happening; I want to go to sleep right now.
"Cadet Azka Ban. Perhaps you don't realize it, but your theory has proven to be a fundamental discovery. Your perspective is valued, and I'm sure you can contribute more in this field."
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.
"That's why I wanted to ask if you would be willing to have private meetings to discuss it calmly."
I should have kept quiet yesterday. Okay, it was a theory, but why share it? Damn...
...
But why do I care so much? Why do I stay in the academy? Is it to save Seyun? But now she's already in good hands; Koto values his comrades highly, so he would never leave her alone if he found out she was being bullied. Her future has already changed.
Is it the only way for me to become stronger? But that's not true either. There are other paths... So why?
Because this is the story I read? The initial events happen in this academy, so am I obligated to stay here? I don't know...
Alright, there's no point in discussing it further. We're here now.
I take the stairs and start climbing to the fifth floor.
Thinking about it, this building is structured without any sense: theoretical classes are on the first two floors; instructors' offices on the third floor; practical exercise rooms on the fourth floor; and the dormitory on the fifth floor. Thank God, the refectory is in a separate building.
Once in my room, I throw myself on the bed.
"I missed you." I hug it, savoring every soft part.
"I've finished reviewing the footage."
Those words come back to me. Wait... If she saw everything that happened, then she also knows about that embarrassing conversation in the cave... Just thinking about it gives me shivers.