31 – 14. Ariel’s Suffering (2)
Seeing Ariel staring at him like a wet cat caught in the rain, Ian was quite taken aback.
Since he had never seen her in such a state before, it made him even more surprised.
“Hmm…”
In his heart, he wanted to go up to her and ask if something was wrong. But he knew that they didn’t have that kind of relationship.
So for now, he decided to just leave her alone.
“Yeah, what can I do if I go up to her?”
As expected, the biggest part of the reason why Ariel fell into despair was herself.
There was no comedy where the troubled person went up to console themselves.
“It wouldn’t do any good to comfort Ariel right now.”
Even if sincere words of comfort were delivered with good intentions, they would only be interpreted by Ariel as meaning, “See, I told you it wouldn’t work.”
Ian knew better than to approach Ariel, as it would only escalate the tension.
Comforting was the job of those who were by Ariel’s side.
“Rayna is there too.”
Rayna, who was currently just a skilled archer, but would later gain recognition from the elves of the Grand Forest and rise to the position of High Archer.
When Ian played the original game, he often used Rayna as a key damage dealer in Ariel’s party.
He also knew how warm-hearted she was.
“She’ll be fine on her own. Let’s not worry.”
Realizing that it was not the right time to intervene, Ian took a seat as far away from her as possible.
From Noble mtl dot com
Ian sat in a corner near the window. There was no one around him.
Normally, Igor or Eri would have been beside him.
Igor was not the type to endure such a boring lecture, and Eri always had Fridays off.
“It’s been a while since I’ve attended a class alone.”
He felt a sense of loneliness in the empty seat.
Swoosh!
“…Can I sit next to you by any chance?”
A sudden question came from a woman with pink hair, and Ian looked at her carefully.
He knew her well too.
“Lia?”
Lia Hurst. Ian’s pupils dilated at the sight of her standing next to him with a hesitant expression.
“Have you been attending this class too?”
“Um… I always stayed in the corner quietly, so you probably didn’t notice. I don’t really speak during class…”
As she said those words, Lia’s face brightened.
She seemed embarrassed to admit that as a high-ranking noble of the empire, she didn’t actively participate in class.
Of course, whether Lia spoke during class or not, Ian didn’t really care.
“It wasn’t something worth paying attention to from the start.”
As a noble who would one day lead the empire, it was necessary for her to have an interest in the current situation, but there was no need for her to show passion in a lecture like this.
After all, important matters concerning the state were taught separately within her family, and studying the flow of the state was not the main focus; it was more about discussing a single topic relating to the state and having debates.
“If it’s not commoners who dream of leadership or border nobles, it’s not an important lecture for kids like Ria.”
Instead, just looking at those who didn’t skip classes and participated was applause-worthy.
Ian looked at her as if he didn’t care, and Ria, who had finally calmed down, took her seat.
During that brief silence, Ria, who had been fiddling with her hands, opened her mouth.
“I was grateful back then.”
“Are you talking about the war games?”
“Yeah, I felt like I caused unnecessary harm… Requesting support so early bothered me.”
“Harm, I don’t think there’s a reason to think of it that way.”
“Huh?”
Ria made a puzzled expression at Ian’s calm response.
“…Really?”
In truth, she had been agonizing over it quite a bit. During this training, she was the only one who couldn’t pull her weight, and she thought she had caused harm to the others.
Fortunately, the training ended well. But for her, who was doubting her own qualifications, it was not something she could easily let go of.
That’s why she genuinely wanted to thank Ian when she met him.
Ian, however, had not held onto that incident.
Looking at the bewildered Ria, Ian opened his mouth.
“We handled the unexpected attack by the 1st Platoon well, and it wasn’t your fault. Even though it wasn’t your doing. Still, we managed to avoid total annihilation through your request for support in that situation. You don’t need to apologize.”
“I see…”
Of course, losing the only communication device that platoon leaders could use to communicate was undoubtedly a mistake.
The results were good, so there was no need to reprimand her that much.
Ria, her face about to burst, lowered her head.
“Thank you, Ian… really.”
“It’s unnecessary to praise me that much because it makes me uncomfortable.”
“No, it’s not. The others told me you treated my injuries. I’m really thankful, Ian.”
Looking at Ian, who was trying to hide his embarrassment, Ria smiled and confided her thoughts that she had been holding in.
“I want to be as good as you. It’s not as easy as it seems… hahahaha.”
“You want to be good.”
“I was promoted to platoon leader this time. But I’m so worried that I’ll fall behind you and Alan. I’m getting impatient.”
The only thing Ian could say to her, who scratched her head in frustration, was one thing.
“If your concern is lack of knowledge, it would be best to learn by following someone.”
“Huh? Learn by following?”
“Yes. It’s not as foolish as stubbornly trying to solve things on your own when there’s someone who can help. Rather, it’s better to learn by following someone with experience than to waste time like that.”
“Um, can I really do that? I haven’t considered that method before. I was worried it would be a bother.”
A bother… Ian couldn’t agree with Ria’s opinion.
“Why do you think that’s a bother?”
Asking Lieutenant Cheryl for advice, what’s bothersome about that?
In the first place, since Cheryl handed over her position as platoon leader to Ria due to personal reasons, it was enough for her as her predecessor to help her adapt quickly.
Moreover, Cheryl and Ria were quite close, so she would definitely help her diligently.
“Don’t think of it as a bother. It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you so much. I’ll learn hard!”
Thump!
Ria held onto Ian’s hand, her expression filled with gratitude for giving her a solution.
Is it something to be so happy about? Ian was confused. Ria also made a surprised expression.
“Oh! S-Sorry. I was too excited… I’ll stop.”
“It’s okay, no need to worry.”
Seeing her embarrassed, he thought she was a person with rich sensitivity.
Buzz!
The sound of a chair being dragged caught everyone’s attention as a blonde woman stood up from her seat.
She had a pile of documents in her chest and was smiling cynically as she looked around the corner of the classroom.
Behind her, a professor stood on the podium, looking at the students.
“Has the class already started while I was talking to Ria?”
Ian thought as he focused his gaze on the blonde woman.
“Huh?”
His pupils shook as he looked at where the woman was looking.
Her gaze was fixed on Ariel.
Looking at a disheartened Ariel, the blonde woman confidently asked,
“Hello, Student Ariel. May I ask what you think about the attitude that the present generation should have towards the enemies of the Empire, and its significance?”
“Uh…”
Yeongae, looking down at Ariel with a cynical smile. It was only then that Ian remembered who she was.
Isabella Pernel. Undoubtedly an outstanding student in the first grade… She was a third-rate villain in the original work.
The original villainess was preparing to tear Ariel apart.
***
In truth, Ariel was not loved by everyone. Of course, many admired her beautiful appearance and her illustrious background as a hero.
But how could everyone like her?
As they say, there are people in the world who hate themselves for no reason. Ariel was no different. Some disliked her.
“Some say their crush on a guy was rejected by Ariel. Others are jealous of Ariel being a hero. There are various reasons.”
Isabella Pernel.
She was one of those who disliked Ariel. But she was different from the rest.
“Most people praise Ariel in public but badmouth her behind her back… Not Isabella.”
She openly displayed her dislike for Ariel and tried to provoke her whenever she could.
Of course, in the original work, Ariel continued to prosper and, driven by impatience, pushed her limits to self-destruction.
Ian, looking down at Ariel with a confident chest, stared at Isabella.
“Well, you see…”
Ariel, facing off against her, seemed unusually low-spirited.
“It’s dangerous.”
Did Ian’s expectation come true? After stuttering for a while, Ariel continued her response.
“The Empire’s biggest restraint is the use of its offensive power for defense. So, the goal for the current generation is to occupy the northern region currently held by the barbarian nation… I believe this is the only unique solution to the problem you asked.”
“Oh my. Are you trying to incite war right now? Do you not know how much sorrow the scars of war have caused the people in Kalos’ history?”
“Ah. No! That’s not what I meant.”
“Ha. Fine. I never dreamed that you, the beloved of Viscount Volkanov, the shield protecting the Empire, would have such thoughts.”
Ariel trembled and didn’t know what to do in response to Isabella’s words.
Ian, silently watching her, raised his eyebrows.
“She’s awake.”
Isabella’s question was truly sharp. The question of how to deal with the barbaric tribes in the north, who were no less than enemies of the Empire and the hostile kingdoms, was not something that could be easily answered. Even more so for Ariel, a member of the Volkanov family and a hero.
The perspective of the Volkano family, who had been blocking the enemies of the empire, had to be taken into consideration. The viewpoint of the warrior who had to fight for the peace of the continent also needed to be considered.
“Even if I ask the question like that… Isabella will somehow try to get a handle on it.”
If you suggest making friends, you’ll hear voices saying, ‘Are you reaching out to the enemies of the empire?’ And if you suggest attacking, you’ll evoke the pain of war.
Choosing to just leave it be? That was a problem in itself.
“If it comes to that, are you, a member of the Volkano family, turning away from the enemies of the empire? She’ll babble the same nonsense.”
In this situation, there was only one thing Ariel could do.
Passing on the answer, since it wasn’t a question that could be answered immediately, she would have to go and find out separately later. That was the only way she could seek understanding.
Unfortunately, Ariel didn’t have the luxury to entertain such thoughts.
She was psychologically uneasy. She ended up giving an answer hastily due to the compulsion to respond quickly to the given question.
The price for that was truly bitter.
“Ah. Th-that’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean to say we should go to war…”
“Didn’t you just say that the leveling of the Ruin Nation was necessary? Everyone here heard it, didn’t they?”
“…Ah.”
Ariel, who seemed to have lost her soul, looked around blankly.
Only now did she feel the gazes of the people around her, all looking at her.
“You just heard it?”
“Isn’t that a bit too militaristic? It’s a bit extreme.”
“Of course, we should respect that opinion… But it’s not quite what a warrior should say.”
Doubt and ridicule mixed in their words… Of course, there were no ones like Isabella who openly pointed it out.
To Ariel at this moment, Isabella’s words and their words were the same.
Thud!
Ariel, who sat down powerless, trembled. Her sweat flowed down in streams, and she gasped for breath. Her pale face made it clear at a glance that she was not in a normal state.
Ian, who had been silently watching her, furrowed his brows.
‘I can’t just leave this be.’
Considering what she had been through so far, he wanted to mock and point fingers at her, but… that was something he couldn’t do.
‘There’s something I found out while confirming the secret. To become stronger, Ariel needs to be happy.’
If he left her in a situation like this, wouldn’t she end up repeating the same past?
To survive, there was a need to protect Ariel.
‘But that doesn’t mean I should just coddle her.’
She could have felt peculiar about Ian advocating for the very person he had made her like this.
Maybe this guy is trying to make fun of me right now.
In the end, Ian had to find a compromise.
“I should keep Isabella in check while subtly poking at Ariel.”
If he did that, the third-rate villain Isabella would keep her mouth shut, and Ariel could regain her resolve.
It was at that moment when Ian, who had devised a plan, seized the opportunity.
“Oh, by the way! Ian, did you also take this class?”
Isabella walked toward Ian, leaving Ariel, who was lost in thought, behind.
With a pleasant smile and proper courtesy, she asked Ian, “May I ask your opinion on Ariel’s idea?”
Isabella looked at Ian, smiling with a pleasant expression.
‘How should I handle this…’
There are many ways. Isabella might provide an unexpected answer, or she could embellish Ariel’s shaky opinion with additional explanations to make it more plausible.
But Ian didn’t want that.
There was no reason to let a third-rate villain who didn’t even understand the main topic go unchecked.
He needed to thoroughly trample on Ariel’s will.
For that, there was no better response.
Having made up his mind, Ian locked eyes with Isabella.
The students, eagerly awaiting what answer he would come up with. Ian delivered an answer they hadn’t expected at all.
From Noble mtl dot com