I Became an Outcast in the Academy

9. Branch (5)

“… “It’s a duel between Ellie and me.”

When I heard those words from the Duke of Orphega, I made an absurd expression for a moment.

So, does that mean that Eli personally went to Duke Orphega and told him that he wanted to risk everything in a duel with me?

And he even threatened that if I did not obey the duel, he might spread my abilities throughout the empire.

“You seem like a crazy b*tch. Now that you’re cornered, are you going to try one last time?”

Cartesia, who had always not liked Ellie, or to be more precise, did not like all four of her younger sisters, frowned.

“Xian, just in case… “You know this is a trap, right?”

“… Trap?”

“Okay. Ellie That girl would know very well if there was such a thing as her head. When she duels you head on, she doesn’t stand a chance.”

That’s right. In reality, I have never crossed swords with Ellie, but if I were to duel Ellie and her now, there was no way I would be defeated by her, even if only in a single chance.

Without going too far, I defeated Chlamys, who had a skill level higher than Ellie’s, head on, and it was clear that I had clearly proven who was stronger than whom.

‘… Well, actually, I didn’t win overwhelmingly, but I was a little lucky… ‘

Even if I beat Chlamys by luck, it never changes the fact that my skills are one step higher than Ellie’s.

This was especially true considering that by removing Ellie’s ‘return to her life’, the child’s talent had decreased significantly compared to her past.

‘And there’s no way Ellie doesn’t know this either.’

But still, Ellie confidently challenged me. And what this meant was extremely simple.

‘She probably thinks she has a good chance of winning.’

And the odds of winning were very high, so there was a very high probability that it was not a very fair method.

Because Ellie also knows very well that she will never be able to defeat me if she duels with me from the front.

“No matter how much I think about it, there is no need for you to participate in this duel. “Even though you know very well that it’s a trap, there’s no need to go into it yourself, right?”

“But Ellie said so. “If I don’t comply with her demands, I will spread my abilities throughout the empire.”

“… Well, that’s a bit of a threatening threat. But Sian, have you by any chance already forgotten what my identity is?”

Cartesia smiles coldly and looks at me.

“Even though I look like this, I am still the princess of the empire. In this empire, he has a status that does not require him to kneel to anyone except His Majesty. “Do you think I won’t be able to control every single person in this empire?”

“… Hmm.”

“It doesn’t matter even if people don’t open their mouths very well. You are the benefactor of the imperial family, and on the outside, you are my lover. “I’m not a person with a big heart to the point where I stay silent when someone else dares to touch what’s mine.”

A horrifying murderous spirit begins to slowly leak out of Cartesia’s body. She seemed a little genuinely upset right now.

“So, take comfort in that part. “Unless you want to die by my hands, no one would dare spread such nonsense, let alone harm you.”

Cartesia dismisses what Ellie said as nothing more than a threat to bring me down on the platform she had set up.

But as I listened to the ‘threats’ that Ellie made to me… She felt an uneasy feeling for some unknown reason.

“But, Cartesia, no matter how much I think about it, there’s something I don’t understand.”

“What is it?”

“Why on earth did Ellie threaten me like this? “What on earth can Ellie gain?”

“So I told you. “That b*tch, she’s making unreasonable threats to lure you into her trap.”

“No, that’s not what I want to say. So why on earth is Ellie letting me know that she noticed that?”

Currently, my younger sisters have lost their talents drastically all at once for unknown reasons.

There is no way such a ridiculous thing could happen even by chance. Most likely, they will be able to easily sense that someone else has done something like this out of hostility towards them.

But at the same time, up to that point.

According to Cartesia, in the history of the Empire, there has never been a time in the history of the Empire where someone has had the ability to arbitrarily enhance or diminish a talent possessed by someone else.

She also never revealed that I had such abilities while living as a family with her younger sisters.

In other words, even if my younger sisters, including Ellie, may at least suspect that I might have that ability, they have no grounds to threaten me in such a confident manner.

Even if you have such a basis, it is more effective to secretly leak information to others that you have this ability than to make an unfounded threat like this.

If that information gets to the ears of other people, they may not know it, but they will definitely attack me like a dog in heat to somehow secure my person, just like the Duke of Orphega did not long ago.

“No matter how much I think about it, there’s something strange about this. What Ellie is doing now is not to threaten me… “

It feels like an action to tell me something.

As if it was implicitly telling me to realize something as soon as possible.

****

There is a place called ‘back alley’ within the system.

A place where those in the lowest and lowest positions in the empire live huddled together like insects, and those who know its true nature do not hesitate to call it the most disgusting and ugliest place in the world.

And now, Lobelia was walking through that place with her frown written all over her face.

The reason why Lobelia was making her impression right now was not only because a person of the same status as herself was walking in an indecent place like ‘her alley’.

That’s because she has now become a valuable figure as a promising talent of the empire and the future fiancé of the crown prince, but there was a time when Lobelia’s body was also rolled around in this back alley to commemorate her.

After being taken away by her brother, the place she had sworn to never visit again until her death.

She was angry that she was casually walking around such a place, but what made her even more angry was the fact that Lobelia’s will to come here was not reflected in the slightest.

“Leticia! Stop there for a moment, Leticia!”

Eventually, when Lobelia ran out of patience and started screaming, Leticia, who was walking in front of her, turned her head towards her.

“Why are you doing this? Now it’s almost time for the appointment. “If you don’t hurry, you might be late.”

“What a promise to die for, just because I met such rat bastards!”

After Lobelia screamed at Leticia like that, she felt her senses returning, albeit only slightly.

“No matter how much you think about it, this is crazy. It’s not too late now. So let’s go back. This… “It’s too dangerous.”

In Lobelia’s opinion, contacting ‘them’ was too risky.

Of course, assuming that things worked out properly, there could not have been a better plan.

Because in the current situation, they are in a corner, and it is difficult to find people anywhere who will be on their side, even if they are hostile to Xian and Cartesia.

But… This wasn’t something.

If anything goes wrong, they will not end up losing what they have worked so hard to build.

“It’s not too late. There must be some other way. “It’s not a bad idea to contact them after trying those methods first-“

“No, it was too late by then. You know it too. “The fact is that we are now in a situation where we are precariously hanging on the edge of a cliff.”

In response to Lobelia’s words, which were almost a plea, Leticia clearly refused, as if they were not worth considering.

“In chess terms, we are on the verge of being checked. Duke Orphega, Eli’s teacher, has gone over to the other side, Prince Ricardo has been trampled by his brother countless times, and other nobles are busy watching out for Cartesia and the imperial family… If things continue like this, there is no hope for us.”

What Leticia said was not wrong. Because Lobelia was also subconsciously thinking the same thing.

“Then there is only one way left for us. “If it’s a game you can’t win, all you have to do is overturn the game.”

However, since the imperial family and Cartesia, who can be said to be the owners of the empire, are blatantly taking Xi’an’s side, there are limited ways to turn the situation around.

Because turning the tables over literally meant turning the imperial family into an enemy.

And no matter how large the empire is, there is only one power that is willing to take their side and risk antagonizing the imperial family.

Although they exist within the empire, they are officially treated as ‘non-existent’.

Because they are abandoned by this society, they inevitably reach out to powers that normal people would never approach.

And at the end, those who hate the empire, hate humanity, and have a desire to bring destruction to this world.

Achievements of the Empire.

Warlock.

“Maybe the warlocks will be the only ones on our side in the current situation. And… “Don’t you think they will also be very interested in your abilities?”

Lobelia closed her eyes tightly as Leticia said those words while laughing.

Now she had nowhere to retreat anymore.

Either she gains it all, or she loses it all.

Those two were the only options left to Lobelia.