Chapter 226: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 226

"Why, and how?"

Sylvia uttered in a flustered voice as she saw the First Elder enter the conference hall.

Wasn’t he supposed to be confined to his residence, taking responsibility for the witch weaponization project?

"Why are you here...?"

When Sylvia, still confused, asked, the First Elder lowered his head apologetically and replied.

"I'm sorry, Lady Sylvia. I know I should be reflecting in solitude, but I couldn’t just sit idly by with the rumors I've been hearing."

After offering his apology, the First Elder lifted his head, looking at Sylvia with a complicated expression, and muttered.

"…But Lady Sylvia, it seems you’ve acted rashly."

"Ugh..."

Sylvia flinched at his reprimanding words. She was overwhelmed by the number of things pricking her conscience.

While Sylvia didn’t think helping Scarlet was wrong, that was only from her personal standpoint. As the heir to the Astra family, she knew well that it wasn’t the right decision. Her actions had undoubtedly brought harm to Astra.

Knowing this, Sylvia couldn't easily meet the Elder's gaze.

Seeing her reaction, the Elder muttered in a pained voice.

"I had believed that even in my absence, you would handle things well as the heir to Astra. But it seems I was too optimistic…"

"Elder, that’s—"

"Please, I want you to realize it. Lady Sylvia, you are Astra itself now. We are all relying on you..."

Sylvia had no words to offer in response to the Elder’s sorrowful gaze.

Just as she was willing to bear anything for Scarlet, the Elder cherished her and Astra in the same way.

When Sylvia fell silent, the Elder turned toward the others in the room, bowing his head in a plea.

"Though I have not yet atoned for my sins, I ask that you allow me to participate here. I cannot turn a blind eye to matters that determine the future of both Lady Sylvia and Astra. I ask for your understanding…"

With his words, Diakonos surveyed the room, gauging the opinions of the other attendees. Given the gravity of the situation, no one seemed particularly opposed to his actions.

After a moment, Diakonos nodded and spoke to the Elder.

"Just this once, I’ll allow it. This matter is indeed of great importance to Astra."

"Thank you. I won’t forget this kindness."

The Elder bowed in gratitude, but Diakonos waved it off and asked,

"There's no need for thanks. Instead, I assume you have something you want to say, given that you came all the way here."

"Yes, I do have some things I must say. With your permission, may I speak?"

"Go ahead."

With Diakonos' permission, the Elder bowed again before continuing.

"Have you seen it? The streets today were in quite an uproar due to the protests."

"No, I haven't seen it firsthand, but I’ve heard the reports."

Diakonos replied with a troubled expression, and the Elder continued.

"Since you've heard, this will make things easier. The streets are abuzz with talk of the witch who supposedly put Commander Yoon Si-woo in a coma. A witch who controls fire. There’s only one witch who comes to mind when we speak of one wielding flames."

"You’re referring to the Witch of Wrath."

When Diakonos mentioned the name that naturally comes to mind when one thinks of a witch controlling fire, the Elder nodded.

"Yes, exactly. The Witch of Wrath. The one whose flames burned down the forests and World Tree of us Elves. The stories of her are well known. Perhaps it’s because of that history that people are now speculating whether the Witch of Wrath has returned."

"…I’ve also considered that possibility, but surely it’s just a coincidence. It’s likely that the abilities are similar, nothing more."

"It may be a coincidence, but it’s unsettling nonetheless. Especially when you remember that something similar was attempted before."

At the Elder’s bitter smile, Diakonos muttered in a stiff voice.

"…The witch weaponization project."

The Elder nodded in acknowledgment.

Diakonos sighed deeply, puzzled by why the Elder would bring up a topic that would only work against him. The weaponization of witches was a delicate subject, especially for Astra, which should be avoiding such discussions at all costs.

"…Even if there’s a link, it’s a meaningless assumption, isn't it? There’s no way that the witch from yesterday, Scarlet Evande, is the resurrected Witch of Wrath."

"I thought the same. I had my suspicions about her identity before, but she passed the interrogation safely, and Luke claimed to have disposed of the witch’s remains in the sewers, so I dismissed the possibility that she was a product of the witch weaponization project."

Besides, if the girl had been connected to the experiments, she wouldn’t have escaped the investigation he conducted to cover up evidence by poisoning her.

Recalling the past briefly, the Elder took a breath and spoke again.

"But now that her true identity as a witch has been revealed, I can't help but reconsider. The evidence that vouched for her innocence was Commander Yoon Si-woo's testimony. And now, we know that testimony is unreliable."

"Indeed, I’ve been wondering about that as well."

"As you know, it’s one of two things: either that witch had the ability to deceive Commander Yoon Si-woo completely, or he knowingly gave false testimony to protect her."

A brief silence followed.

If the latter were true, and Yoon Si-woo had deliberately lied to shield her, it would mean that Luke Aegis, who also testified during the witch weaponization project, had done the same to protect her.

People were cautious not to speak up, as this was a statement that could stir up serious conflict. But despite the tension, Mark remained silent, occasionally glancing at Eve beside him before maintaining his stern silence.

While the Elder's words suggested that Yoon Si-woo and Luke might have engaged in treasonous acts, no one dared to openly comment. One was unconscious, and the other was already dead. Holding them accountable was impossible.

Amid the silence, the Elder spoke again.

"Either way, I had no choice but to suspect her true identity. And while reconsidering, I found something."

The Elder recalled the suspicions he had nurtured when he first learned of the witch's identity yesterday in his mansion.

“If that girl named Scarlet Evande is truly the result of the witch weaponization project…”

The First Elder paused, considering his recent discovery. After suspecting that the magical tool used during the investigation might have malfunctioned, he decided to take a closer look at it.

“…I found the definitive proof that she is, indeed, the Witch of Wrath.”

As he said this, the First Elder reached into his robes and pulled out the evidence.

“…What is that?”

Someone asked skeptically, as the object the Elder revealed appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary stone. However, instead of responding directly, the Elder placed the stone on the ground and simply said:

“Just watch for a moment.”

All eyes focused on the stone. After a brief moment of silence, someone gasped in astonishment.

The seemingly ordinary stone began to shimmer and, to everyone’s surprise, started rolling in one direction on its own. This unusual phenomenon repeated in regular intervals.

Observing this, Diakonos spoke to the Elder.

“This is no ordinary stone.”

“You’re right. It may look like one, but it’s actually a magical tool, one that has been passed down in Astra since our ancestors' time.”

The First Elder stared at the glowing and twitching magical tool in his hand. Until now, it had only been known to react to fragments of the Witch’s Heart when they were nearby, but starting yesterday, it began displaying this strange behavior.

The Elder spoke while gesturing in the direction the stone was moving.

“The direction it’s pointing—north. That’s the direction the witch fled.”

“Can you track her? With that?”

“This magical tool reacts to the Witch of Wrath. So yes, this is undeniable proof that the witch from yesterday is the reincarnated Witch of Wrath.”

This was also irrefutable evidence that Scarlet Evande was the product of the witch weaponization project.

Diakonos, who had been staring at the stone with a complicated expression, finally turned to the Elder and asked:

“…Why are you telling us this? This information would not benefit Astra.”

Diakonos knew the Elder well. He had always acted in ways that benefitted Astra, so revealing such damaging information seemed out of character.

The Elder, understanding his thoughts, chuckled softly and replied.

“…You’re right. In many ways, it is a loss for Astra. People might very well think that Astra’s actions led to the revival of the Witch. Still, I felt it was necessary to reveal this because I believe Astra must take responsibility.”

Before Diakonos could respond, the Elder continued.

“Isn’t this a difficult situation? Especially because we’ve failed to capture the witch.”

Diakonos let out a heavy sigh.

The Elder was right. The people would surely be furious if they found out that they had failed to apprehend the witch who had harmed Commander Yoon Si-woo. They would likely brand the heroes and the council as incompetent, accusing them of being unable to stop the witch who had hurt their symbol of hope.

While this alone was troubling, the next part was even more concerning.

The people would undoubtedly demand vengeance for Yoon Si-woo. Even if it were impossible, they would expect a show of action, such as forming a hunting party to pursue the witch, in order to calm their anger.

However, after yesterday's events, the infrastructure around the border areas, including the magic purification facilities, had been severely damaged, and many of the heroes were injured. Given the city’s current state, forming a hunting party was unthinkable.

But if they didn’t take action, the people would certainly ask why nothing was being done.

They needed time—to show the people the harsh reality and calm their anger. But who could guarantee that nothing would happen in the meantime? Anger often clouds judgment, and Diakonos knew all too well that an enraged populace was anything but rational.

Sensing Diakonos’s unease, the First Elder spoke up.

“I have a way to calm the people.”

“…What do you propose?”

Curious, Diakonos asked, and the Elder answered.

“Leave it to Astra. We will form a hunting party. I’ll join it myself, of course. Ah, but Lady Sylvia will be excluded.”

“What?! Elder! The outside is far too dangerous, even top-tier heroes can barely last out there!”

Sylvia, who had been silent until now, suddenly shouted in alarm.

It wasn’t the mention of the hunt that had startled her—it was the notion of going outside. Forming a hunting party to venture beyond the city was nothing short of suicide.

Sylvia knew that Astra had something resembling a private military force, and they weren’t lacking in skill. However, the outside world was a place where the density of magical energy was so thick that even first-class heroes struggled to survive for long.

No matter how powerful Astra’s forces were, they were no match for the top-tier heroes on the front lines who regularly battled magical beasts. Even if Astra formed a hunting party, they wouldn’t stand a chance. They would be overrun by magic, dying before they even had the chance to fight.

Seeing her concern, the Elder reassured her.

“If you’re worried about magical energy, don’t be. We’ve been stockpiling mithril equipment for quite some time in preparation for one day reclaiming our homeland.”

Mithril, with its resistance to magic, would allow them to survive outside, at least to some extent.

"Even though mithril equipment is hard to come by, it's time to use the stockpile we’ve gathered with the hope of one day reclaiming our homeland."

The First Elder spoke calmly to Sylvia.

"And since the witch has headed north, this might be a chance to set foot on our old homeland."

"What does it matter if you have mithril equipment?! You know how dangerous that place is! The beasts outside…!" 

Sylvia cried out in alarm.

The dangers of the outside world could not be overstated, no matter how many times one spoke of them. It wasn’t just the magical energy that was the problem—the beasts roaming the land were incredibly powerful. The hunting party that Astra could form would struggle to handle them.

Even the beasts alone would be overwhelming, let alone attempting to hunt a witch.

Sylvia, knowing this all too well, looked at the First Elder with an accusatory glare. But despite her protests, he merely smiled silently.

Seeing that smile, Sylvia's face twisted in anguish.

It became clear to her then—he had no intention of returning alive from this mission.

"Why..." she asked, overwhelmed by shock.

The First Elder answered her calmly.

"Do you remember what you said before? If there was a problem with that girl, Scarlet Evande, Astra would take responsibility. And now that we’ve even helped her escape, I’m merely following through on that promise."

"If that’s the case, then it’s *my* responsibility, I should be the one—"

"Sylvia."

The First Elder gently shook his head, cutting off her desperate cry. Then, with a soft laugh, he said,

"An elder always takes responsibility for the mistakes of the young."

With that, he turned away from Sylvia, who was calling out to him with despair, and addressed Diakonos.

"Isn’t this a good plan? I hope you’ll allow it."

Diakonos hesitated.

The Elder was essentially offering to go on a mission knowing it would likely lead to his death. Under normal circumstances, such a proposal would be outright rejected, but…

"...Are you truly okay with this?" Diakonos asked, unable to refuse outright. After all, he was not so different from the First Elder.

Given the current state of the city, the Elder’s plan was not a bad one.

The Witch of Wrath had been Astra’s mortal enemy for a long time, so it wouldn’t seem strange for Astra to take the lead in hunting her down. And even if the hunting party were to perish, it would buy time to calm the enraged citizens and redirect their anger solely towards the witch.

"Yes, of course. If I can serve Astra in this way, it would be all I could wish for."

More than anything, the Elder himself wished for this. And this wasn’t just a proposal—it was an exchange.

Diakonos knew what the Elder wanted in return for their sacrifice.

"In return, you want Astra to be absolved of responsibility for anything related to the witch, correct?"

"Could you make that happen?"

"...I will."

"Thank you."

The First Elder bowed deeply to Diakonos, filled with sincere gratitude.

It was a mutual exchange, where both parties got what they wanted. But not everyone’s desires were being fulfilled.

"Elder! No, you can’t do this! Please don’t! Grandfather, please!"

Sylvia wailed in despair, forgetting even the lessons drilled into her about never calling him 'grandfather' in public.

It was the worst possible scenario. Even if Scarlet wasn’t defeated by the hunting party, if they were to die out there, the blame would fall entirely on her. Scarlet would become a witch who harmed people and would never be able to set foot on these lands again.

The Elder, doing this under the pretense of acting for Sylvia’s sake, was essentially branding Scarlet as humanity’s enemy.

Sylvia, not wanting this fate, begged and pleaded with him, but the First Elder merely summoned the servants who had been waiting nearby.

"Take her back to the estate so she can rest. What are you waiting for? Escort Lady Sylvia to the estate."

"Grandfather! Grandfather! Please...!"

As her consciousness began to fade under the effects of the sleep spell, Sylvia could still faintly hear the Elder’s voice.

"…Take care of yourself, Sylvia."

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