I Became an Outcast in the Academy

9. Branch (9)

“So, what did you decide to do?”

After everything was over, Cartesia approached Xian and asked a question.

“Maybe… Have you decided to forgive that girl?”

“What is forgiveness? “It’s not like that.”

Xian shook his head at Cartesia’s words.

In the first place, he had no intention of forgiving Ellie.

This was not a matter of him simply being narrow-minded, or that he was so hurt by Ellie’s betrayal that he could not forget the grudge.

I just didn’t want to regret it later.

At a time when his sisters, whom he thought were his only family, showed signs of betraying him, Sian did not take Cartesia’s advice to be careful of his sisters.

It was not because he did not trust Cartesia, but because he did not want to believe that his sisters had betrayed him.

And although Sian tried to believe in his family until his last moments, it ended up coming back to him with horrendous results.

So this time, he had no intention of putting the word ‘forgiveness’ in his mouth and then later regretting his past actions.

“So what have you decided to do with Ellie? You just said it. “The duke will rely solely on your decision on what to do with Eli.”

Duke Orphega bowed his head towards Xian and begged for mercy out of his duty as a teacher, but that did not mean that he blindly forced his will on Xian.

‘If you absolutely want to kill Eli… At that time, I will also follow your wishes. The revenge you wish to exact is your right.’

I was worried. She wonders how she should deal with Ellie, who committed suicide by stabbing herself in the heart.

And I came to a conclusion. Rather than being swayed by past memories or momentary emotions like in the past, he used the firm standard he had established at the time he pledged revenge as the basis.

“Ellie… No killing here. Because killing her would be the most merciful sentence for that child.”

That was Xian’s final conclusion.

“It’s easy to kill. And it is also possible to drive the other person to the brink of death and make them repent and reflect on their mistakes. But what value is there in the forced regrets I force on the other person?”

In addition, Cian also took into account the fact that Ellie inflicted self-harm on her own body and the Mana Heart collapsed.

“In the past, when I vowed revenge, I swore like this. “I will take away everything that the children who betrayed me had, and in return for betraying me, I will force my younger sisters, who rose to such heights, to fall to the bottom.”

And now, as the Duke said, Ellie has lost everything she had.

She was no longer the brilliantly talented cadet that the imperial family had been eyeing and wanted to raise as a hunting dog.

After her mana heart collapsed, her body’s balance collapsed, and she became an idiot who was unable to even run properly, let alone learn swordsmanship.

‘According to the duke’s diagnosis, the remaining life expectancy is approximately 10 years.’

Of course, there was a possibility that Duke Orphega had significantly reduced the remaining lifespan in order to arouse Xian’s sympathy, but it would be true that Eli’s lifespan was significantly shorter than it should have been.

“It’s a bit ridiculous to say that I’m going to kill a child whose life is terminal anyway with my own hands right now… “

More than anything, I thought that living itself would be a great pain for Ellie now.

“I heard this is written right in front of the gates of hell? Anyone who enters here must give up all hope.”

If we were to say this backwards, hell would mean a place where no hope can be found.

“And Ellie… “I am a being from whom I can no longer hope.”

Ellie lost everything she had. She was once in a high place, but now she has fallen to the lowest place in the world.

Her talent with the sword, which made Ellie more valuable than anyone else in the world, has long since disappeared without a trace.

Therefore, the fact that Ellie continues to live her life means that she is constantly aware and tormented by the fact that she can never get it back, brooding over her once glorious past. I guess that means.

“But what if she doesn’t get tired of Ellie and she’s scheming or trying to stab you in the back to get her revenge on you?”

“If that’s the case, it’s actually better. “I’d rather Ellie act that way.”

Xian smiled at Cartesia’s question.

“If Ellie cannot accept her current situation and burns her hatred towards me… In other words, doesn’t that mean she couldn’t let go of her attachment to the things she lost?”

Isn’t that the feeling that Xian has constantly felt since he was betrayed until now?

Xian giggled and spoke with a truly expectant expression.

“Only then will I be able to clearly see the consequences of my revenge.”

****

‘… I thought I was acting soft, but it turns out that wasn’t the case.’

After hearing her sincere words, Cartesia finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When she first heard him say that she would not kill Ellie, Cartesia was secretly worried for Sian.

Like what happened in the ‘past’, she was worried that she would be swayed by her emotions again and do something ridiculous like forgiving Ellie.

It wasn’t because Ellie could become a big variable for them in the future.

It was because she was worried that her husband would regret his actions in the future after forgiving her hastily because of her momentary change of heart.

But it wasn’t like that. After Sian understood the situation more calmly than anyone else, she made the optimal decision.

Xian was right. The rest of Ellie’s life was filled with nothing but her own pain.

There was also one more reason why Xian did not kill Ellie.

‘Eli has nothing more to lose. So she doesn’t kill.’

If we were to turn that statement upside down, wouldn’t it mean that he was prepared to kill other traitors if they had a lot to lose by dying?

If it’s not that he fell back and exploded, but in that sense he doesn’t kill Ellie… Cartesia also agrees with Sian’s decision.

There is no need for Xian to get blood on his hands to kill such a bug.

‘And if you try to modify it… All I have to do is kill him myself.’

In some ways, it was just a matter of cleaning up what Xian had done, but in reality, Cartesia thought that all of this was an internal aid to Xian.

‘Then the remaining traitors are… Now two.’

If things were as they were, there were three traitors left… Since I had a temporary partnership with one of them, there were actually only two women I had to deal with.

‘Those two will never do anything cute like Ellie, like harm themselves or feel regret.’

In the past, before facing death at the hands of Xian, rather than begging for forgiveness, they showed their venom toward Xian.

And if they hear the news that Ellie was dealt with by Xian in this way, it will be clear that those girls will make their last struggle in some way.

So the opportunity comes. Even if he couldn’t kill those girls with his own hands, he had the chance to at least help in Xian’s revenge.

‘In the past, I didn’t know anything, so I had no choice but to open my eyes and suffer… ‘It’s different this time.’

In the distant past, Cartesia had never imagined that those girls would go out of their way to join hands with a warlock, so she was left helpless.

But this time is different. Cartesia had a rough idea of how those damn b*tches would act.

So, just once was enough to experience being treated like an idiot with both eyes open.

In the end, this was not just about avenging Xian, but also protecting the peace and security of the empire… For Cartesia today, the empire was not important at all.

This was, so to speak, an expression of anger.

It’s just anger towards those damn girls who, by obsessing over trivial things, took away the person who was truly precious to them.

‘So, I will definitely make you guys pay the price. The price of taking away what I cherish and cherish the most… ‘

That was the firm resolve and pledge of Cartesia, a returner who was repeating this time once again.