Chapter 32: The drifting soul chases after illusions

By all logic, yesterday should have ended perfectly.

A carefree day of fun, Alice winning the championship as she wished, and finally sharing cake together.

Yet for some reason, a faint, inexplicable sadness lingered in her heart.

This emotion was like a thin mist, gently shrouding her, impossible to dispel.

Perhaps it was because it was raining today.

Fine threads of rain struck the window glass, gathering into streams that slid down along the walls.

The first class today was still Introduction to the Principles of Mana Circulation.

Lila walked along the street with an umbrella, everything in the academy seeming to be wrapped in a thin veil of rain.

The bouquets that had decorated the streets yesterday had now lost their brilliance.

Petals were mercilessly swept away by the flowing water, one by one detaching from their stems and helplessly sinking into the muddy ground.

All the beautiful sights seemed to have reached their end at this moment.

They were all washed into, dragged into, and fallen into the muddy reality.

A sound of someone falling and shouting curses came from afar.

Following the direction of the noise, Lila looked over and saw a familiar figure lying on the rain-soaked street, Simon.

Whether he had been pushed, tripped, or beaten down, he now lay in the damp and murky water.

Two men stood beside him with mocking expressions, one of them arrogantly stepping on Simon’s head.

“It’s all because of you, you monster! You only bring disaster! You must be the reason I failed my test!”

The tall one spat viciously, then spat on the ground.

After speaking, he stomped down hard on Simon’s head again.

“Dark magic only brings calamity. Who knows why the academy even accepted him.”

He muttered disdainfully.

Simon struggled to lift his head.

In that brief moment, his gaze met Lila’s.

Lila’s eyes swept past casually, yet she clearly saw the injuries covering his face.

Bruises, red and purple, shocking to behold.

Fresh blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.

It seemed he had resisted.

But what difference did it make?

With only a bit of swordsmanship, how could he defeat magic users?

But what did it have to do with her?

Her gaze shifted forward.

She walked past Simon without stopping.

“Boss… won’t we get punished by the academy for this?”

The shorter man seemed uneasy and spoke cautiously.

“What are you afraid of? Doesn’t that young lady Lila bully him too? She’s fine. And even if there’s punishment, it’ll fall on her.”

The tall man lowered his voice smugly, as if he had found a perfect excuse to act recklessly.

Though his voice was quiet, Lila’s sharp hearing as a swordswoman still caught it.

Her steps paused slightly, but she did not turn back.

In the end, she continued forward.

She could not turn around.

Not even a single word of help could she offer.

The one who could grasp the thread of hope for Simon could only be the shopkeeper.

The girl named Conflor.

Not the infamous villainess, Lila Stuart.

“Is that so, big brother?”

The shorter one revealed an ugly grin.

“See that? The witch didn’t even stop. Come on, you want to try it too, don’t you?”

The tall man stepped aside, giving him space.

The shorter one hesitated.

“Hurry up! More people will come soon!”

Urged on, the shorter man stepped forward and stomped down on Simon’s head.

At first, the force was light.

He savored the sensation, as if holding power over everything.

Then he no longer held back, gritting his teeth and stomping down with all his strength.

Bang!

The sound echoed loudly through the empty street.

“Why are you using so much force?!”

The tall man scolded him.

The shorter one snapped out of it.

“S-sorry, sorry…”

He apologized repeatedly.

Seeing bright red blood flowing out beneath Simon and mixing with the rain, panic seized him.

“Boss, what do we do?”

His voice trembled.

“You’ve got no sense of restraint. Don’t end up killing him.”

The tall man frowned, then snorted.

“What else? Let’s go. Before anyone shows up.”

Without looking back, he quickly walked away as if nothing had happened.

“Wait for me!”

“Don’t call me that. I have nothing to do with you!”

****

The noise faded into the distance.

Simon’s vision blurred.

Struggling with all his strength, he could barely manage to roll over in the pouring rain.

Water flowed across his face, thick and sticky.

He couldn’t tell if it was rain, tears, or blood.

Amid the intense pain, the pain itself seemed to lose meaning.

Everything was numb.

Only his heart remained, sinking endlessly into darkness, unable to escape.

“So, brother… you need this power.”

The voice that came was resolute.

Simon opened his eyes.

The space before him had changed, pure white, empty, nothing else.

He remained silent.

“Those wretched things deserve to become dry bones- no, not even ashes should remain. Don’t you think so, brother?”

The figure calling itself his younger brother floated in the air, crimson eyes filled with boundless hatred.

“Brother, accept me. Become one of us. Let’s purify this filthy world together.”

Simon raised his head, slightly dazed.

“Us?”

“Yes, us. We will raise our banner and trample all life beneath our feet.”

The “younger brother” spoke earnestly.

But Simon only laughed.

“So you finally admit what you are? Dark magic?”

“I am only your younger brother. Nothing more.”

His expression didn’t change.

Silence answered him.

“I’m certain you need this power. You need revenge against everyone.”

His voice grew deeper.

“Get lost.”

Simon said calmly.

“Brother…”

Before he could finish.

“I said, get lost!”

“Very well… brother. One day… I believe it won’t be far.”

There was a trace of disappointment in his tone.

The white space gradually filled with color again.

The torrential rain returned.

At some point, Simon was already standing.

Holding his head, he limped toward the classroom.

On his back was Lila’s book.

If he angered her, he might receive another terrifying punishment.

He didn’t dare speak further with that “younger brother.”

Because those words were real.

The emotions in his heart were real.

He feared that in a moment of weakness, he might truly reach out for that power.

If he were to set the entire world ablaze.

Would he never see that girl again?

Yesterday’s dreamlike day had been real.

That gentle girl had been real.

So… this world still held beauty, didn’t it?

That was his reason for refusal.

Sacrifice himself like a hero?

He refused.

All he needed was a little warmth.

And so he could only protect that small warmth.

Simon entered the classroom.

Whispers immediately spread.

“Miss, here is your book.”

Simon reached into his bag.

The moment he touched it, he paused.

It was soaked.

But there was no turning back.

He took it out and placed it on Lila’s desk.

“I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do. It got wet.”

He apologized first.

He didn’t expect forgiveness.

Lila frowned and cursed softly.

“Useless trash.”

She wanted to say more, but the class bell rang.

There was no need to act excessively in front of the teacher.

“I’ll punish you after class. For now, Simon, sit beside me. Don’t go anywhere.”

She ordered.

“Yes, Miss.”

Simon’s mind was no longer on the lesson, or on Lila.

Whatever punishment awaited didn’t matter.

He only hoped that, tonight, a trace of warmth would remain for him.

****

“Kneel.”

After class, in a secluded corner, Lila spoke sharply.

Her arms were crossed, her gaze filled with disdain.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Simon thought silently.

“Do you know what you did wrong?”

“It was my fault. I failed to protect your book.”

The answer caught Lila off guard.

She had expected him to explain, after all, she had seen what happened.

Yet he accepted everything without protest.

Why?

Though puzzled, Lila’s expression remained unchanged.

“So you know it’s your fault… but lacking ability is also a fault. Kneel here. I’ll let you go when I feel like it.”

Her tone remained cold.

“Yes, Miss.”

Simon simply replied.

Silence followed.

Simon knelt, staring at the ground.

Though he couldn’t see her, he knew the villainess stood nearby.

“Those two men this morning, do you know their names?”

It was Lila who broke the silence first.

Simon raised his head.

What he saw was still the same cold, indifferent Lila.