Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 19.2
Among the crowd, someone spotted Cassiel and shouted, “Oh? Oh!” causing a commotion, but just as I had done in the main building, Cassiel ignored it completely.
Instead, he called out to me.
“Ortis. You.”
“What is it?”
“Are you… worried about something…”
I did have serious concerns, but none of them were things that had anything to do with him.
Still, I wasn’t coldhearted enough to say something like that outright.
Though, in truth, it was more that I didn’t have time for it.
“It’s nothing. Sorry for making you worry for no reason.”
But then, Cassiel seemed like he wanted to say something, but just ran a hand through his hair.
“I didn’t ask just to get an apology out of you. If it’s something hard to talk about, forget it.”
And with that, he left without even a goodbye.
Was it a leftover habit from watching over Claire’s condition?
But even if I were to tell him what I knew, he’d just think I was out of my mind.
And above all, anyone else might be one thing, but there was even less reason to say anything to Cassiel.
First, I tossed my trunk into the room I’d been assigned and ran right back out.
Returning students didn’t have to attend the entrance ceremony from the beginning.
But I wasn’t the same.
‘I have to check.’
Millia Ernst.
If that kid didn’t come to this academy either, I had to decide what to do next.
‘She already disappeared without a trace in the Central District. There’s no way she would have managed to evade the authorities and go on the run…’
If she even refused to enroll, then it would become a matter of life and death.
In that case…
‘That would mean the most necessary S-Class Guide could die…?’
The royal family wouldn’t just recklessly kill such a precious S-Class, but it was certain that restrictions could be placed on Millia’s actions.
The best possible outcome would be for her to be here at the academy, just like in the original story.
I hurried my steps for that reason.
Please, let this handful-of-trouble junior be here.
‘No, whether Millia’s here or not, neither is particularly good for her, though.’
Of course, the most urgent issue right now was Acteon’s imminent second awakening.
‘In the novel, after Liliope died, it took one A-Class Guide and several B-Class Guides to barely stabilize Acteon.’
Right now, the priority was to find out who that A-Class Guide was, but I had no way of knowing who it could be.
In the end, the only hope I could cling to was still Millia.
‘…In the original, Millia underwent her second awakening later than the other students after enrolling.’
If the timing was late, maybe I could recreate similar circumstances to make her Awaken earlier?
I decided to bet on this.
‘The trigger for her second awakening was a terrorist attack by an anti-Awakened group… It was when Acteon’s mana circuits were disrupted and they nearly died together.’
So if it’s a similarly life-threatening situation…
At this point, my train of thought ground to a halt.
‘What a trashy idea… That’s no different from those higher-ups.’
Just because I didn’t want to die, to drive someone else into danger—
It was the worst.
‘Forget it. If it failed, the only one who’d die for nothing would be Millia.’
It was something I would definitely regret, so I just couldn’t do it.
While I was wiping my face in frustration and self-reproach—
“Um, excuse me… Are you a senior by any chance?”
Someone called out to me.
And when I turned my head, I saw…
“I, I got lost… Uh, huh? Y-You’re…? Wh, Qhat— Hiiek!”
He jumped back as if he’d seen a ghost.
I stared at his terrified face for a moment before I realized.
“Oh.”
All the grudges my younger brother held suddenly came back to me.
Ridmun Lorraine.
I didn’t expect to see him here.
* * *
Even though I’d run into the guy who bullied my little brother, I didn’t use my authority as a senior to pressure him.
I was an adult, after all.
The appropriate punishment handed down by Prince Isadore was more than enough.
Instead, I just let him remain mistaken about me.
“The ceremony’s about to start soon. Isn’t it a bit late to be wandering around?”
“Y-Yes?”
“That’s unfortunate. This is the military academy. Discipline is strict. If you draw attention on the first day, it won’t do you any good.”
His eyes were filled with fear, shaking uncontrollably.
With his father having lost his title and fortune, his household had probably collapsed entirely.
‘Judging by his mana response, his rank isn’t very high either.’
In a place where only rank and family mattered, he was basically the weakest of the weak.
‘And he even has a record of abusing a would-be Awakened. That’s the worst.’
I patted his shoulder, which looked like it could start crying at any moment.
Each time I touched him, he flinched like he might scream at any second.
‘Still, I should do my duty as a senior, right?’
I was just about to walk him to the main auditorium when a quiet voice stopped me, though I hadn’t heard anyone approach.
“Um… you’re a senior, right?”
How many times has it been now?
Why are there so many people looking for me today? I found myself unintentionally trying to look busy.
A small hand tugged at my sleeve.
When I turned around, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
A junior, with hair as pale pink and fluffy as wool, had neatly pinned her hair up and was holding onto my sleeve.
The moment those clear red eyes looked up at me, I unconsciously muttered her name.
“Millia Ernst?”
She was the very protagonist I had been searching for.
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