Chapter 197: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 197
The meeting hall was eerily silent.
The only voice that broke the quiet was that of the First Elder of Astra, speaking in a calm, measured tone.
“-Thus, we continued experimenting until recently, aiming to create a weapon capable of harnessing the power of a witch using the remains of a witch once subdued by Astra in the past. We decided to halt the project, as it now seemed pointless.”
The bombshell had already been dropped.
There was no way to undo it, no matter what they tried.
So Sylvia could only watch as the First Elder recounted the events with composure, just like everyone else, who listened in shock, struggling to believe that the Astra family could have engaged in such actions.
“-That is the general outline of the project.”
When the First Elder finished speaking, he looked around as if to say, “If anyone has something to say, go ahead.”
Finally regaining their senses, someone shouted at him.
“That’s... that’s something you should never have done!”
“Indeed, it was something that should never have been done. I’m well aware of that.”
“If you knew that, then why on earth did you do it?!”
“Because we were that desperate back then.”
Cutting off the outraged voices, the First Elder continued, slowly glancing around the room.
“Perhaps some of you remember what happened 15 years ago. Astra’s 4th Division, tasked with exploring the northern forest, which was once the homeland of the elves, suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat after being attacked by the Beasts of Wrath. Both the previous division commander and the vice commander were completely overwhelmed in that incident. Following that, the area near the northern forest was declared a restricted zone, officially because it was deemed dangerous to provoke the Beasts. But the truth was, we decided it wasn’t worth the cost to expand into the north, given the devastation caused by the Beasts and magic contamination.”
“What does that have to do with this?!”
“The elves were stripped of any chance to reclaim their homeland, the World Tree. Even when we, as elves, insisted on going ourselves, we were denied on the grounds that it was too dangerous. That was the catalyst that led us to embark on such an irrational project.”
The First Elder answered and then spoke again, this time in a gentle voice.
“We were anxious. With each passing generation, we felt our connection to the spirits and the World Tree fading. The World Tree is the foundation of our Astra family. If that bond were completely severed, we feared we would lose ourselves. At that time, we were terrified. So, as a desperate measure, we chose the Witch Weaponization Project. The Beasts of Wrath cannot harm higher beings. Therefore, we thought, if we could create a weapon capable of wielding the power of a witch, we could reclaim the northern forest and the World Tree without provoking the Beasts. Even if it meant borrowing the power of our mortal enemy, the witch, we were willing to do so to reclaim our foundation.”
“...”
“I don’t expect you humans to understand or sympathize with the desperation we felt. We know it was wrong, and that’s why we tried to stop the project, even if belatedly. But at that time, it was the only choice we thought we had.”
The First Elder wasn’t pleading for understanding; he was simply stating what had happened with calm resignation.
Sylvia, fearing he might mention Scarlet, anxiously watched the situation unfold while marveling at the Elder’s unnerving eloquence.
After all, this was an era where discrimination among races, aside from witches, was condemned as evil due to the scarcity of surviving non-human races.
By framing it as an attempt to reclaim their homeland, thwarted by humans, he invoked guilt.
And by questioning whether opposing them meant disregarding the differences between races, he planted hesitation.
He also emphasized that both humans and elves regarded witches as their nemesis, fostering a sense of solidarity.
It was almost laughable how he managed to mitigate the situation with mere words, despite being in a position where he should have been condemned.
Knowing so much about people's hearts, how could he conduct such cruel experiments?
Though Sylvia sighed inwardly, she understood.
As he said, the existence of witches was nothing less than a mortal enemy for them.
They could never see the test subjects made from such an enemy as human beings.
As she pondered this, the atmosphere in the meeting hall shifted rapidly.
Just as the First Elder had intended, the mood to condemn him for his actions seemed to be dissipating.
It seemed that the assertion that they had realized their wrongs and tried to stop the project was having a significant effect.
After all, Yoon Si-woo, who had been standing there confirming the truth of the Elder’s words with a stern face, was showing everyone that it wasn’t just an excuse—it was the truth.
Someone, now speaking in a slightly more subdued tone, asked the First Elder.
“...Why did you stop the project if you were that desperate?”
“...We realized, albeit too late, that what makes Astra truly Astra isn’t the World Tree, but the spirit that has been passed down through the generations. The spirit that commands us to pursue righteousness—that was what we truly needed to protect.”
Sylvia noticed that the First Elder was looking at her as he answered.
And the emotion in his eyes made her bite her lip.
“...I have no intention of denying Astra’s sins. I’m ready to accept whatever punishment is due. But I have one request to make of you all.”
His eyes were filled with regret, sorrow, and deep affection.
“Miss Sylvia, who is here today, has nothing to do with this matter. We, who committed the wrongdoing, will bear the punishment. I only ask that you don’t hold her accountable for our sins.”
Hearing those words, Sylvia felt as though she finally understood why he had seemed so relieved when he confessed everything.
Perhaps he had planned this all along.
Secrets will inevitably be exposed one day.
So, instead of being discovered, he decided to confess everything and take all the blame onto himself, protecting those dear to him.
The words he had once told her echoed in her mind.
“You are Astra itself.”
Is this how you show your care for Astra?
Feeling a swirl of contradictory emotions—resentment yet unable to resent—Sylvia’s eyes welled up with tears.
“Miss Sylvia, is what he said true?”
Someone asked.
Sylvia muttered to herself internally.
No, she knew the truth.
But to protect those dear to her, she could not say so, and so, she shook her head and replied.
“...No. I didn’t know anything about this.”
“...That’s the truth.”
Yoon Si-woo, lying with a stern expression to prove her innocence.
Watching him, the First Elder wore a relieved expression, as if to say that this was enough.
Sylvia could only stare blankly at him.
Seeing her expression, someone muttered sympathetically.
“...Understood. We will not hold Miss Sylvia accountable.”
“...Thank you for your leniency.”
“More importantly, I’d like to hear more details about this experiment...”
“There’s a bit of a complication with that...”
Overwhelmed by the sudden mental exhaustion, Sylvia wanted to bury her face in a pillow and forget everything.
But she had to abandon that thought when the First Elder continued.
“The person who knows the most about the Witch Weaponization Project is Sator Astra, the former head of the Superpower Research Institute. However, he’s been missing for a while now. There is, however, another person who knows almost as much as he does, and I suggest we seek their cooperation.”
“Who would that be?”
“The former deputy director of the Superpower Research Institute, Luke Aegis of the Aegis family.”
A crisis where Scarlet’s identity could be revealed.
The thought of wanting to rest was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
---
The room was in an uproar.
The fact that both the Astra and Aegis families, names known to all, were implicated in the same incident was shocking to everyone.
And the person who seemed most shaken by this sudden revelation was probably Mark Aegis, the principal of Aegis Academy, who had just heard his family’s name mentioned.
With a grave expression, he muttered,
“My brother... you’re saying he’s involved in this?”
“It’s not just a matter of being involved. He was a key figure in the experiments alongside Sator. Were you unaware of this?”
“...I had no idea. Unless one inherits the position of head of the Aegis family, they’re practically cut off from the family affairs. We kept in touch occasionally, but I never imagined he was involved in something like this...”
As Mark murmured, his voice full of concern, the First Elder spoke to him.
“Could you summon him as a witness? It seems he’s been avoiding our attempts to contact him. Perhaps he won’t ignore a call from his own family.”
“...Alright.”
Nodding at the Elder’s words, Mark sighed deeply and took out his phone, dialing someone.
“...Brother? What’s this about? It’s rare for you to call me first...”
After a few rings, a voice answered from the other end, sounding puzzled.
“Luke...”
Calling his brother’s name, Mark hesitated before asking the question.
“Have you... ever heard of something called the Witch Weaponization Project?”
“...Who told you about that?”
Hearing the question "who told you", instead of "what is that" Mark realized his brother really was involved. He answered with a trembling voice.
“...The Astra family. They said you were connected to it.”
“...I see.”
“They’re asking you to come in as a witness. What are you going to do?”
“I have to go... If Astra has spoken, there’s no way to hide it now.”
“...”
“...Brother.”
“...Yes?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Ha... Forget it, you fool.”
---
The meeting was adjourned for a brief recess until Luke’s arrival.
Sylvia, feeling the vibration from her pocket, stepped outside and took out her phone.
It was a text message.
From a familiar number that had contacted her before.
“Miss. You’re there too, aren’t you?”
The number belonged to a burner phone Luke had given her, just in case.
“Yes, I’m here.” She replied, and a text from him came almost immediately.
“...I see. May I ask for permission in advance? To keep that kid from being discovered, I might have to tarnish your family’s reputation a bit.”
At that message, Sylvia let out a bitter laugh and responded.
“Do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
With that brief note of thanks, no more messages came from him.
Sylvia looked up at the sky for a moment, took a deep breath, and then carefully approached Yoon Si-woo, who was sitting quietly in a corner of the meeting hall with his eyes closed.
Seeing his tense expression, Sylvia spoke.
“...Yoon Si-woo, Luke will be here soon.”
“...Yes.”
“...Can we get our stories straight?”
“...Alright.”
After the brief, secretive conversation, it wasn’t long before Luke arrived at the meeting hall.
Sylvia steeled her expression as she took her seat.
A farcical performance, meant to protect a single girl, was about to begin.
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