Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 20.1
“Y-Yes?”
It should’ve seemed strange that I knew her name, but Millia replied without any sign of surprise.
Was it just because she was nervous?
She looked so much like a little lamb, and was so tense that it was almost pitiful to see.
“No, no. What is it?”
Did she get lost, too?
I pointed at Ridmun, who was trembling like an aspen tree, and Millia looked at him curiously, her own hand trembling faintly.
Then, as if suddenly coming to her senses, she shook her head firmly.
Thankfully, it seemed she wasn’t lost as well.
“It’s not that, it’s just…”
Then, as if steeling herself, she blurted out,
“Um, the garden!”
“The garden?”
“In the Garden of Oaths… I heard the control stones aren’t activating properly!”
“What?”
“They asked me to report it to the research institute, but I didn’t know where to go…”
Honestly, it was a completely out-of-the-blue statement.
To suddenly stop a passing senior and say there was a problem with the control stones… She was a truly odd one.
‘Could she be…’
But before I could doubt Millia, a chill ran down my spine.
If, just as she’d said, the control stones in the original also hadn’t worked at all…
An unsettling possibility came to mind.
‘That’s right. The Garden of Oaths was designed specifically to prevent anomalous awakenings like this. There should never be any fatalities.’
But what if Liliope died because the Garden of Oaths failed to function properly?
At the same time, another thought flashed through my mind in the opposite direction.
‘Then… if it does work properly, does that mean I could survive too?’
I looked over at Ridmun.
It was a silent warning: Don’t you dare pull a single stunt.
Only after seeing him frantically nod did I leave Millia in charge of him.
“You two can get to the main auditorium together, right?”
“O-Of course!”
“You’re… heading to the garden?”
Millia asked carefully, but I didn’t bother answering.
There were more than a few suspicious things here, but for now, Acteon’s awakening took priority.
I could question Millia later.
After watching Millia’s retreating figure, I finally turned toward the direction of the garden.
There wasn’t much time left.
I had to hurry.
* * *
As soon as I entered the Garden of Oaths, the researchers stopped me.
“Cadet Ortis, what brings you here?”
Normally, I would’ve tried to persuade them gently, but there was no time for that now.
“Researcher, are all the control stones in the garden currently functioning properly?”
“What? What are you suddenly talking about?”
Come to think of it, I didn’t even know who Millia had heard this from.
I had no choice but to make something up.
“I sensed a strange mana reaction from the direction of the main auditorium. It felt like the signs of a second awakening, but it was very different from what I know.”
“You expect me to believe that, Cadet Ortis? You’re a returning student, so you shouldn’t even be inside the auditorium, and unless you’re S-Class, you couldn’t possibly sense mana from that far away.”
The researcher scoffed, telling me that if I was going to lie, I should be thorough about it.
“But you’re a B-Class, aren’t you? It’s impossible.”
I didn’t have the time to argue, but in situations like this, the more shameless person wins.
I didn’t back down.
“What if a truly anomalous second awakening is occurring? Would you, Researcher, be able to take responsibility for any resulting casualties?”
“Hey, Cadet. Are you threatening me right now?”
“The one showing signs is Acteon Brondearn. I was right in front of him during his first awakening. And you must know Acteon Brondearn’s projected rank as well.”
At those words, the researcher finally wavered for the first time.
Let’s set aside the fact that it made no sense for me, as a B-Class, to detect a second awakening that hadn’t even happened yet.
Given Acteon’s expected rank, this was not a situation to take lightly.
She faltered without realizing it herself.
“T-The control stones were almost completely depleted by the A-Class’s second awakening the other day. We’re in the middle of replacing them, so they’re not ready yet.”
What?
I almost shouted in disbelief.
So the original Liliope got caught up alone in Acteon’s mana in the garden, with all the control stones depleted—and died…!
And I nearly followed that fate exactly. The thought made my head spin.
“…If you’re in the middle of replacing them, that means you have enough stones on hand.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Can you hurry it up?”
Swept along by my urgency, she nodded without thinking.
At least that was a relief.
There was still a way left.
A stabbing headache flared up again.
Taking a deep breath to calm it, I spoke to her.
“At least scatter them around so they don’t break easily. I’ll bring him over.”
“C-Cadet Ortis. You can take responsibility for everything you’ve just said, right?”
Even after all this, the researcher still seemed suspicious.
At worst, I’d be put in detention.
‘Better than dying.’
At this point, I didn’t have the luxury of convincing people one by one.
“If nothing happens, send me to detention or the front lines or whatever you want. If that’s what it takes for you to believe me.”
And without wasting any more time, I headed straight for the main auditorium.
I wanted to ask them to call the other Guides together, but I was afraid that would just increase the death toll from one to half a dozen, so I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
There were so few Guides to begin with, it wasn’t even clear the academy would allow it.
‘Well, at least I’ve increased my odds of surviving.’
It felt strange, thinking I might die soon.
I’d been so desperate to survive, I’d even considered putting someone else in Acteon’s path.
But when it came down to it, here I was stepping forward myself.
What worried me now was that if I couldn’t change the future, Hyacine’s situation would be at stake.
‘No choice. I’ll just have to put my faith in Prince Isadore for Hyacine…’
Having come to my own decision, I soon found myself standing in front of the main auditorium.
By then, my skin had turned cold.
I took a breath and went inside.
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V3Queen
Bruh…I think Millia knows tried to set up Liliope to save him instead but also tried to increase her odds of survival. Kinda hope Millia is also isn’t a guide.