Chapter 66

Since it normally took six hours to walk from Beringen to the Academy, Rickart, Boribori, and Marie decided to spend the night at the guild building.

It was what they always did after returning from an expedition: leisurely bathe in warm water and sleep in perfect comfort on clean bedding.

But as they approached the guild building, they saw quite a few students nearby. Their uniforms made them instantly recognizable.

However, not a single student was wearing the uniform properly. Some had not even put their arms through the sleeves of their jackets and merely draped them over their shoulders. Others had discarded their jackets entirely because of the heat and left the fronts of their shirts hanging open, exposing an uncomfortable amount of chest hair.

The only things distinguishing them from everyone else were their dark blue trousers and matching boots.

Setting that aside, perhaps it was because the war had not completely ended yet, but an unusually large number of students seemed to be congregating around the guild building in the absence of active adventurers. Normally, students were not permitted to enter and leave the guild building freely.

There had been exceptions such as Rickart and Volka, but that had only been possible because Dunkel had given them permission.

Rickart later learned that Dunkel had been the Guild Master all along, so anything became possible if he permitted it.

Between this and what had happened outside the tavern earlier, Rickart approached the guild building feeling somewhat bewildered.

All the students turned to look at them. Their clothes alone apparently made them stand out immediately. Their gazes seemed to say, This is our territory. Why are you coming here?

One student openly looked Rickart and his companions up and down before abruptly asking,

“You adventurers?”

The student’s tone immediately rubbed Rickart the wrong way, and he frowned slightly.

“...‘You adventurers?’ What kind of way is that to speak?”

“No, I’m asking if you’re adventurers.”

“I’m a student, just like you. But you shouldn’t speak to adventurers that way. Show some respect. They’re all your seniors.”

“You’re a student? Are you new? You must not know, but those so-called seniors are all remnants of the corrupt customs of the old era. We’re different from them. We’ve been reborn.”

“...?”

Rickart had absolutely no idea what kind of nonsense the student was spouting. He could not even decide whether to get angry or argue, so he merely blinked.

What the hell was he talking about?

Besides, it was not entirely wrong to say that the previous generation had perpetuated corrupt traditions, so Rickart was momentarily left speechless. The old Academy really had been a place where tremendous violence ran rampant.

But those who had never experienced it could not understand. Merely hearing about it did not make it feel real.

“You’re fairly well armed. Did you join us somewhere along the way? That’s strange. If you’d notified us beforehand, someone would have gone out to escort you here for your safety.”

The Academy student continued rambling however he pleased. At that point, Boribori—who ordinarily did not intervene when Rickart was speaking unless necessary—stepped forward.

“Hey, friend.”

“Hmm?”

“If you don’t want to die, I think you should watch your tone. We’re a little tired, so we’re going to pass. That’s fine, right?”

Boribori spoke with the most innocent expression imaginable. Rickart turned to stare at him in surprise, wondering what had gotten into him.

It was good that Boribori had matured and learned to assert himself after following Rickart through all kinds of dangerous experiences, but this was not the right way to do it. Had Volka rubbed off on him?

Boribori had not displayed any particular killing intent, but the student still flinched. They were too well armed for him to dismiss them as mere newcomers, so he could not recklessly say anything more.

Rickart ignored him and entered the building. The situation was absurd, but he had come here to rest. He figured that continuing the conversation would only prove that neither side could understand the other.

Upon entering the guild building, however, Rickart noticed that its layout had changed somewhat. A raised platform resembling a small theatrical stage had been installed against one wall. It was not particularly large.

As expected, the students had practically taken over the inside of the guild building as well. They were drinking alcohol or rolling dice.

“Huh? Ricky?”

Fortunately, one of the students recognized Rickart.

Finally.

Once the first student recognized him, heads turned throughout the room.

“Huh?”

“It’s Ricky.”

“Ricky!”

Then they all surged toward Rickart.

Seeing those familiar faces finally made Rickart feel as though he had returned home.

“Have you all been well?”

“Is the war over?”

“I heard you killed a hundred people in the Kaitz Highlands.”

“That’s Ricky for you. That must’ve put those Rubens bastards in their place.”

“Were you hurt anywhere?”

In response to his single question, the students bombarded him with questions of their own. They had always done this, but it was still overwhelming. What was this about him killing a hundred people, and who were these Rubens bastards supposed to be?

“A hundred? What are you talking about? Anyway, it looks like this place has changed quite a bit. Do you like the uniforms?”

“Of course. The uniform is our honor and pride. It shows that we’re students of the Great Beringen Academy. No other academy has anything like this.”

“What exactly is this ‘Great Beringen’ business?”

“The Great Beringen Academy. We broke the chains of servitude and were reborn. We’re all brothers and sisters. We are one. There are no nobles and no illegitimate children among us. Under Kalli’s leadership, we’re creating the Academy you envisioned, Ricky.”

Ever since entering Beringen, Rickart had been unable to tell whether everyone had gone insane or why they kept spouting such nonsense. He was close to tears.

“What are you talking about? I never wanted anything like that.”

“But you said that everyone at the Academy was an equal student, Ricky...”

“I only meant that you shouldn’t bully or discriminate against each other and that you should all get along!”

“That’s what we’re doing now.”

“Haah... Fine, whatever. But what’s this about ‘Kalli’s leadership’?”

“If you’re the pioneer, Ricky, then Kalli is our leader in the truest sense. He’s an outstanding student representative who puts your teachings into practice, brings them to life, and unites all the students.”

Pioneer? Leader?

At that point, Rickart squeezed his eyes shut.

Seriously, what the hell were they talking about...?

“Kalli will give a speech tonight. You should listen to it too, Ricky. You’ll like it.”

“Forget that and prepare some bathwater. Where’s the little clerk?”

By “the little clerk,” Rickart meant the boy who had guarded the guild building alone when the Academy students had departed to fight in the guild war.

“The little clerk? Chet?”

The student looked toward one side of the room. Following his gaze, Rickart spotted the boy sitting at a table with several Academy students, drinking alcohol and rolling dice. He was already pleasantly tipsy and appeared to be having the time of his life.

“Hehehe... I’ve hit the jackpot. The jackpot.”

Rickart’s eyes widened. He rushed over to the table and flipped it over with a tremendous crash.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

The startled students stared at him, unable to understand what was wrong.

“How could you give alcohol to a child?!”

“From now on, drinking is forbidden until you’re an adult. Gambling is forbidden too. If anyone has a problem with that, say it now. If I catch you doing either, I’ll kill you myself. Understood?”

Everyone was bewildered by Rickart’s sudden outburst. After an awkward silence, someone finally spoke.

“...Because drinking makes you feel good? And if we all feel good together, that’s even better...?”

Even Dunkel had never offered Rickart alcohol, but the students seemed to think that anything enjoyable could not be bad.

Most of them had originally been illiterate and uneducated, so they appeared unable to understand why any of this was wrong.

For the first time in his life, Rickart felt the back of his head tighten and his breathing grow labored.

The adults might have been indifferent, but with the active adventurers away, the children had become completely unruly.

Adventurers were dying on the battlefield, and vast sums changed hands every day to finance the war. No one had time to worry about the children.

Rickart barely managed to compose himself and spoke as calmly as he could.

Every student in the building merely blinked at him. They might have been ignorant, but they generally obeyed authority and did as they were told. The problem was that, given enough time, their instructions always seemed to become strangely distorted.

“Take the boy away and put him to bed, now. The rest of you, stop drinking. Go out and work, or just play if you have nothing to do. If you intend to drink and gamble, get out. All of you, out!”

When Rickart suddenly shouted, the students flinched before rushing out in a swarm.

Rickart stood amid the overturned furniture and scattered mess, breathing heavily. It felt as though all the fatigue he had accumulated had struck him at once.

Marie approached and comfortingly rubbed his back.

“This is starting to frighten me. They all seem insane.”

“Don’t worry. Once the adventurers return, they’ll become as quiet as mice, as if none of this ever happened.”

Boribori was surprisingly relaxed. The students might have gotten completely out of hand, but he believed it would only be temporary.

In the end, Rickart had no choice but to wash with cold water. Marie filled a separate tub and bathed, after which they each retired to their rooms and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Yet it felt as though Rickart had only just closed his eyes when a commotion outside woke him from his peaceful slumber. He could hear people talking and laughing loudly.

When Rickart emerged from his room, he saw that the first floor below the railing was packed with students. They occupied not only every table but also the floor, with some sitting and others standing. Even the corners were crammed with people.

The only empty space was the narrow platform.

“Ricky, over here.”

Boribori, who apparently had awakened earlier, spotted Rickart and called to him from a secluded corner where he sat with Marie.

The room was so chaotic and noisy that none of the other students even noticed Rickart. He squeezed his way through the crowd, barely managed to descend the stairs, and reached the shadowy spot beside Boribori.

“What is all this?!”

The surroundings were so loud that he had to shout even though Boribori was right beside him.

“They said there’d be a speech!”

“By whom?!”

“Kalli! He hasn’t arrived yet!”

“Oh, right.”

Rickart recalled what he had heard that afternoon. They had said there would be a speech that evening.

To be honest, he was somewhat curious to hear what sort of nonsense Kalli would spout. His mind also felt clearer after getting some sleep.

The students continued talking loudly, and the noise seemed to grow worse by the moment. Rickart wondered whether the building might collapse from the sheer volume.

Only lanterns and candles illuminated the hall, leaving it fairly dim. Yet the youthful vigor of the students seemed to drive away the darkness.

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Their energy was certainly good, at least.

Their clamorous voices made Rickart’s ears ache. Just as the noise reached its peak, the door to the guild building opened.

Silence spread through the room in an instant, like ripples across water. Karlich entered, accompanied by several students who resembled attendants.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Karlich slowly climbed onto the platform. He swept his gaze across the assembled students and began to speak.

“Greetings, my fellow students, my brothers and sisters. Nothing could make me happier than seeing so many of you gathered here again today.”

Karlich was remarkably solemn. He did not even speak particularly loudly. Only moments earlier, people had needed to shout to make themselves heard by someone standing beside them. Now everyone was focused solely on his words.

Karlich seemed to savor the music of that silence for a moment before continuing.

“My fellow students, do you ever find yourselves lost in solitary contemplation? Moments of silence visit us all. I am no exception. Yet whenever I sit immersed in quiet contemplation, I hear a certain sound. Do you know what it is?”

Karlich posed the question to the students.

“Birds singing?”

“People having sex?”

“Hahaha! I hear those sounds too, but I am speaking of the sound that emerges from absolute silence. I hear the clanking of chains. Can none of you hear it?”

Everyone looked puzzled by his sudden, incomprehensible remarks. Rickart had suspected it before, but now he seriously wondered whether something was wrong with Karlich’s mind.

Then Karlich abruptly clenched his fist and shouted. Since he had gone from speaking quietly to roaring without warning, everyone flinched in surprise.

“That is the sound of the chains constricting us! The sound of oppression! Persecution! Subjugation! It torments me beyond measure! Does it not torment you as well?”

After shouting with fiery passion, Karlich surveyed the audience and lowered his voice once again. The students had already been listening intently, but now they appeared utterly entranced.

“Whether you were born a noble or an illegitimate child, you are all the same! You have all lived beneath the pressure and contempt of your families. I have as well. But even though you have left your homes, do those chains of bondage not continue to constrict you? Does an inexplicable rage not sometimes rise within you and weigh upon your hearts? We must break those chains! That duty has been entrusted to us!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

He emphasized his final declaration with another shout, prompting an explosion of applause. Karlich leisurely savored the ovation for a while before raising a hand to silence them.

“To break those chains, we must fight! But what must we fight against? We must fight the ideas embedded within your minds and the minds of everyone around you! When you hear the words ‘illegitimate child’ or ‘second son,’ what comes to mind? A worthless bastard. Someone who should never have been born. A spare part. A damned wretch. Will you allow things to remain that way? We must show the world! We must all stand as one! Let us fight against everything that weighs us down and oppresses us!”

Perhaps intoxicated by his own words, Karlich threw his head back and spread his arms wide. Every student rose to their feet and erupted into thunderous applause.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

The applause was deafening. It seemed to shake the entire building. Several students pounded their wooden cups against the tables, sending alcohol sloshing over the rims.

Even Boribori had risen and was applauding enthusiastically. Marie also seemed deeply moved by the speech and was clapping beside Rickart. Rickart quickly grabbed both of them and forced them back into their seats.

“What are you doing? Get a hold of yourselves.”

“But I think that was a better speech than I expected.”

“Better than you expected? It was dangerous.”

“What was?”

“What does he mean, fight against the world? If they insist on fighting, they should at least wait until they have the strength to do it. At this rate, they’re all going to get themselves killed.”

The words might have sounded inspiring, but upon closer examination, they were completely unrealistic.

That was what made them dangerous.

Then something unexpected happened. Karlich pointed directly at Rickart and shouted,

“I shall conclude today’s speech early because we have a special guest among us! Our savior! Our pioneer! Our hero! The great warrior of the Great Beringen Academy! Ricky! Let us welcome him with a round of applause, everyooooone!”

Rickart was startled. When he looked around, everyone was staring at him and applauding so fiercely that their palms might catch fire.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Rickart had never experienced anything so absurd in his entire life. Even he, who normally maintained his composure so well, was too flustered to know what to do. The wordless applause pressed in on him.

“Ricky! Ricky! Ricky! Ricky!”

The students eventually began chanting his name.

Unable to remain where he was any longer, Rickart found himself walking through the path the students opened for him and climbing onto the platform.

Karlich stepped aside and applauded with an immensely satisfied expression. The tavern owner had said that the lunatic agitator had become their leader.

So this was what he had meant.

The room was dimly lit, but that seemed to make it even easier for the students to become swept up in the atmosphere.

After continuing for some time, the applause finally subsided. Every student fixed their gaze on Rickart, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

The students who knew him watched with smiles, while those who did not gazed at him with admiration.

Now that Rickart was standing on the platform, he had no idea what to say. He had remained calm beneath the murderous gazes of enemies in battles where his life was at stake, but this situation was entirely new, and it overwhelmed him.

The students’ expectations were not something he could confront with a sword.

But neither could he fabricate a speech or say something he did not truly believe.

And frankly, the conduct of the Academy students he had seen since arriving in Beringen had been far from admirable. They had certainly become united, but they were headed in the wrong direction.

Yet how could he betray those expectant gazes? Every student’s eyes shone as though they were standing in the presence of a god.

Even Boribori and Marie had been moved by Karlich’s speech. Perhaps Rickart was the only one who had remained clearheaded because he alone had grown up in a loving family.

On the other hand, because he retained memories of his previous life, he could also understand the students’ feelings to some extent.

Time continued to pass while Rickart struggled to decide what to do. The silence dragged on. Eventually, the students sensed that something was wrong and began murmuring among themselves.

Then Rickart spoke. Perhaps because the occasion seemed to demand a certain formality, an uncharacteristically grand manner of speech escaped his lips.

“I, Ricky, am disappointed in all of you.”

Even the slightest gesture from him would have driven the students wild with excitement. Instead, his single sentence silenced the room so completely that not even a breath could be heard.

The anticipation in the students’ eyes turned to confusion. Like lost sheep, they seemed unsure how to react.

Was it a joke?

Were they supposed to laugh?

Rickart, meanwhile, finally felt the pressure lift after uttering those first words. He slowly surveyed the students filling the guild headquarters.

He could almost see their anxiety, confusion, and pent-up resentment.