'U-unbelievable…'
Dustan—or rather, Jack… his real name on Earth—sat dumbfounded on his bed as he stared at Ashfelt in shock. He already figured the man before him was conniving and more intelligent than he let on, but not to this extent.
This person was a monster!
'To think he started suspecting me after I told him he could reapply to join the Academy—information that shouldn't have been available to a student like myself at the time…' Jack thought to himself with a shiver.
Back then, Ash acted completely naturally, as if he hadn't noticed anything off.
'But, he took note of what I said, holding on to that slip-up as he kept observing me as I made even more slip-ups.' He shuddered. 'All this time, he has been observing me, and now…'
Jack's eyes rested on Ash—or rather, what he had in his grasp.
A journal.
'He found my journal, which is how he knows my name… and probably every other secret I have about my life in this world.'
Even if he wanted to deny it, there was no longer a point at the moment.
He had already lost.
"Do you know why I waited this long before confronting you? Even though I already figured you were a Transmigrator for a while, I patiently waited until now… want to guess why?"
As Ash's voice echoed in the tense room, Jack remained silent.
"...."
"It's because I wanted to be a hundred percent certain, or at least… as close to a hundred percent as I could get. To do that, I needed proof."
"So you broke in here."
"Yep! And I found this journal…" Ash waved the book, an amused smile on his face. "With this, things become a lot easier… as I was hoping they would be."
He wouldn't be able to deny his true identity, and he would be forced to talk to Ash.
"So what?" Jack mumbled in response.
His tone was trembling, but his hands were tightened stubbornly. He shot Ash a glare that told him that he wouldn't give in easily.
"You broke into my room, which is an offen—"
"You raised your voice on me in an open place and addressed me casually too… which is an offense that can be punished very severely depending on the circumstances." Ash smiled. "And you did that before I broke into this place."
For a second, Jake froze.
"You know what that means, right? Someone who has committed an offense can not be regarded as a normal student who is protected by the rules. In essence, my breaking into your room at this hour can not be considered an offense if we bring up your own crime."
That was how the laws of the Empire—and even the Academy—functioned.
The Law was only meant to protect the law-abiders.
Any person who broke such laws was also forfeiting the protection that the law offered, and was vulnerable to threats from all angles. Of course, there was a reasonability test to things, so the scales weren't absurdly skewed.
For example, if someone stole… they could also be robbed.
If someone killed, they could be killed—and the killer would not be punished by the Law, since the first offender already forfeited his right to life as a result of his crimes.
However, someone who stole could not be killed without consequence.
Hence, the reasonability test.
"You besmirched my family name by raising your voice at me and addressing me casually." Ash shrugged. "And I broke into your room, not stealing anything or harming you… so I feel like the scales balance out."
"Tch… did you plan this from the start?"
Ash shrugged, his face still a mask of amusement. "Perhaps… perhaps not."
Hearing all of this information only left Jack more confused. After all, if Ash's actions already balanced the scales, then he had lost his actual blackmail material.
'He can no longer take this matter up with the authorities, since he has performed an action that cancels out my own.' Jack thought to himself. 'So, I don't need to apologize any longer or be at his mercy.'
The only other blackmail content that Ash could use was the journal, but that would also expose Ash himself as a Transmigrator, so there was no way he would do that.
After analyzing all of these things, Jack became confounded.
"Why are you here, then? You have no ammunition left to use against me from how I see things…" He clenched his teeth and made sure to maintain a confident facade.
"Hm? Ammunition to use against you? What are you taking about?"
"E-eh…?"
Jack became even more confused.
He always assumed that Ashfelt wanted to blackmail him into doing his bidding, but it seemed that was not the case.
"The only reason I brought up the blackmail and all was to bring the both of us to this moment… so we can have a conversation." Ash stretched out his hand, returning the journal in his possession to Jack.
"Just… a conversation?"
"Yes." Ash sighed. "I understand that you don't trust me, but you're going to have to if you want to survive in this Academy… especially with me knowing what I know."
"W-what's that supposed to mean?"
"The White Death isn't dead… I mean, the real White Death."
"W-what? H-how do you—?!"
"Because I was the one who caught the White Death." Ash groaned a little, adjusting his position on the seat.
"Just relax and let me explain…"
************
[Moments Later]
It didn't take too long for Jack to get a full grasp on everything that was happening.
"So… the Head of Student Affairs was actually the White Death all along? He decided to set someone else up and take credit in order to suppress your actions and also bury the matter… unbelievable!"
It was a stunning discovery—one that even he could not have expected.
"Indeed." Ash sighed. "The trail has gotten cold as a result, but that maniac is still out there… and I want to kill him before he resumes his depraved actions."
"Ah…"
"Gerald Lockwood belongs to one of the Four Households, so it's practically impossible for powerless students like us to take him down. However, I have a plan that could help us out with that… which is why I need your help."
"I-I understand what you're saying now…" Jack muttered. "Now that you've explained the whole thing to me, it seems a lot more reasonable."
Ash nodded silently.
"I'm sorry… I thought you wanted to kill someone purely out of a personal vendetta and you simply wanted to use me to that effect." Jack mumbled, his face breaking into a genuinely apologetic one.
As a modern individual from Earth, having all the empathy and consideration for others ingrained in his mind, he couldn't help but feel bad for his own actions and warped perspective.
'Unlike me, who decided to simply remain silent and hide in my corner after the White Death started killing people, Ash did his best to stop the killer…' His thoughts flowed. 'Everything he has been doing has been to that effect… even now, it's the same.'
That was admirable—no, beyond admirable.
"Okay! I'll help you, Ash."
Jack's smile broadened as his face showed clear determination. "When do we start?"
In response to this, Ash jumped to his feet, shrugging casually, though his face couldn't hide the excitement and relief he felt regarding Jack's answer.
"Tonight!"
"E-eh?" At this point, Jack's smile froze as he looked at his ally in confusion. "Y-you don't mean…?"
"Yup! We're doing everything tonight."