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Chapter 225: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 225



Has anyone ever begged you while kneeling?


For most people, the answer would be no.


But for those within the Central Committee, it was almost routine.


They had the power to give people what they desperately desired, even if it meant the petitioner had to swallow their pride.


Thus, when someone knelt and begged, it usually didn’t faze them.


However, the ones kneeling this time were—


“...Huh…”


“What is this…?”


Voices filled with surprise echoed throughout the room.


After all, if it hadn’t been the heroes kneeling, it wouldn’t have caused such a commotion.


From the outside, it might seem like the heroes followed the Central Committee’s orders, but the Committee was never their superior.


Heroes obeyed the Committee’s orders because they trusted the Committee to make the best decisions for the entire city.


This is why, every time the Committee gave orders to the heroes, they had to be extremely careful not to offend them.


What use was absolute power, after all? 


If the heroes—though it seemed unlikely—ever decided to rebel as a group, the Committee’s authority would crumble like a sandcastle.


Thus, those in the Central Committee respected and feared the heroes and knew better than anyone what kind of people they were.


They knew that what drove the heroes wasn’t money, fame, or power—but a sense of higher purpose.


And the pride that came with living by that purpose was everything to a hero.


So how could anyone not be shocked by this sight?


Kneeling meant swallowing one's pride.


For heroes, whose pride was immense, kneeling was not something they did lightly.


They were the kind of people who would rather die than bow their heads in shame.


Yet here they were, not just one, but a group of them kneeling together.


Even if they were still students who hadn’t been officially recognized as heroes, the fact that so many potential heroes were swallowing their pride and kneeling was unprecedented, leaving the room filled with murmurs of disbelief.


And at the forefront, kneeling as their representative, was none other than Sylvia Astra, heir to the prestigious Astra family, one of the most powerful within the Central Committee.


It might have seemed like a childish tantrum, but for Sylvia, who had almost never had to lower her pride before anyone, let alone kneel, this was no small matter.


"...What is it about that witch that makes them go this far?"


"Indeed... Perhaps we should reconsider…"


Doubts began to take root in the minds of some of the Committee members.


But not everyone was moved.


“Stand up. Kneeling won’t change anything,” said Diakonos, dismissing their actions as futile.


From his perspective, their kneeling was meaningless.


“Begging is just a way to shift responsibility onto someone else. And I have no intention of bearing the risk of letting a witch who could harm people go free.”


“If that’s the issue, I’ll take responsibility,” Sylvia said, still kneeling with her head bowed.


Diakonos looked at her and asked, “Take responsibility? How?”


“I’ll stake my life on it,” Sylvia replied, lifting her head.


“If you allow Miss Scarlet back into the city, I will personally stay by her side at all times. If she ever tries to harm anyone, I will make sure I’m the first.”


Her eyes shone with unwavering determination.


Moved by Sylvia’s resolve, the other students also lifted their heads and echoed her words.


“I’ll stake my life too.”


“If Scarlet proves to be an enemy of humanity, we’ll stop her ourselves, even at the cost of our lives. Please, we beg you…”


Their voices were filled with sincerity, but their eyes burned with fierce determination.


Some of the onlookers shuddered at the sight of these young students, kneeling but with heads held high, their eyes gleaming with the will to see this through no matter what.


“Please, just give us one chance,” Sylvia’s voice rang softly through the tense silence.


Diakonos, watching them, finally asked, “I fail to understand. What reason do you have to be so certain that this witch isn’t evil?”


Sylvia shook her head slightly and replied, “I’m not certain.”


Diakonos muttered in confusion, “Then why…?”


“But,” Sylvia interrupted him.


“But even if we aren’t certain, we still have faith. We were taught to believe in our comrades, to never give up on them. And we still think of Miss Scarlet as one of us.”


With that, Sylvia bowed her head once again and pleaded.


“So please, give us the chance to believe in our comrade. Just this once.”


Silence filled the room as everyone processed Sylvia’s words.


And in that silence, one person finally spoke up.


“...Perhaps we should consider giving Miss Scarlet a chance, just like the students ask,” said Eve, who had been watching her students from one side of the room, her face filled with complicated emotions—the very person who had taught them to believe in their comrades.


“I’ll cooperate to the fullest... If Miss Evande truly isn’t a dangerous witch, wouldn’t that be the best outcome for all of us?”


At Eve’s suggestion, Diakonos let out a sound of contemplation.


It was because the opinion came from none other than Eve.


Despite her appearance, Eve had lived for a long time and had consistently engaged in charity and volunteer work. She had helped countless people, both directly and indirectly, to the point that she was widely known as the "Angel Without Wings."


Thus, her opinion carried weight—far more than just being a mere member of the Central Committee or the acting principal of the Academy. Even Diakonos couldn't simply dismiss her words.


Should he listen to the students or not?


Two thoughts weighed on the scales in Diakonos' mind.


Logically, it was correct not to heed their request.


However, what was logical wasn’t always what was right.


Even this city was supported by the illogical concept of the heroes' unconditional dedication, wasn’t it?


So, he considered both sides—both the risks and the rewards.


And just as he was about to voice the conclusion he'd reached after careful consideration,


"…Alright. Then just this once—"


Bang!


A man burst into the meeting room, slamming the door open.


His face, filled with urgency, prompted Diakonos to ask, "What is it?"


"Ah, Lord Diakonos, the thing is…"


The man whispered something into Diakonos' ear.


After hearing it, Diakonos’ expression hardened instantly, and he said,


"Unfortunately, it seems I must reject your proposal after all."


"W-what? Why?! You were just about to—"


Sylvia, who had sensed a positive outcome moments ago, raised her voice, feeling as if the opportunity was slipping through her fingers.


Diakonos responded to her outcry.


"There are protests breaking out in several places. People are demanding to know what happened to the witch who harmed Captain Yoon Si-woo. In this situation, persuading them is impossible."


"Why is it impossible?! If we all work together to convince them—"


"That’s nonsense. Convincing them is not feasible."


"Why not?!"


To her protests, Diakonos answered coldly.


"What exactly do you intend to say when trying to persuade them? Will you explain truthfully why the witch escaped?"


Sylvia flinched at his words.


"Ugh, that’s…!"


"From your reaction, it seems you've realized it's impossible. If you were to tell the citizens, who have already lost hope after Captain Yoon Si-woo was harmed, that you let the witch go, a disaster would unfold. There’s no need to take such a risk. We will proceed with the original plan."


Having made up his mind, Diakonos spoke resolutely.


Seeing this, Sylvia screamed in desperation.


"I-I’ll try to convince them! Somehow!"


"And what exactly do you plan to say to persuade them? Lying would be deceiving the citizens. I have no intention of lying just to bring the witch back into the city. And do you really think the citizens would forgive you and the witch if you told the truth? As Eve said, it would be best if everything turned out well, but unless a miracle happens, that’s impossible."


"But miracles can happen! It’s possible!" Sylvia shouted, refusing to give up.


Diakonos responded to her with cold certainty.


"Let me teach you something. Hoping for a miracle is something only fools do."


"Giving up from the start because the chances are slim is something only cowards do!" Sylvia shot back.


"It’s not cowardice. It’s called being cautious."


For a moment, Sylvia took a deep breath. She realized now that her and Diakonos’ opinions could never align.


She couldn’t give up on Scarlet, no matter how slim the odds were or how foolish it seemed to hope for a miracle.


Sylvia glanced back briefly, checking the reactions of the other students.


She could see that, while some of them showed a glimmer of resignation, recognizing the validity in Diakonos’ reasoning, they were conflicted.


That’s why Sylvia turned back to Diakonos and spoke.


"…In that case, I’ll persuade them on my own."


"So, you’re willing to go to such lengths for that witch, but you don’t care about what happens to your other comrades? If you tell the truth, it won’t end well for them either."


"No. I’ll be the only one to persuade them."


Sylvia averted her gaze from the students as she muttered.


"As I said earlier, I’m the representative here. It was I, Sylvia Astra, who helped the witch escape from the city. Everyone else was just victims of my manipulation. Can you agree to that?"


"Sylvia!" 


A voice shouted from behind her, protesting her words, but Sylvia didn’t turn around.


Diakonos looked at her and said,


"…If you’re willing to go that far, fine. I’ll grant you that. But surely you understand what will happen to you and your family if you do this."


"…It doesn’t matter."


Even if she lost everything.


Sylvia was about to say those words when—


"Haha, that won’t do."


A voice suddenly rang out, stopping her in her tracks.


Turning her head towards the source of the voice, Sylvia’s eyes widened in shock as she saw who had just entered the meeting room.


With a pale expression, she muttered in disbelief.


"…Elder? Why are you here?"


The First Elder, who was supposed to be confined to his estate, stood before her.


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