Happy Life
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Having carefully listened to Caladium's answers, Futaba summarizes:
- And as a "decisive action," you chose neither the gathering and clarification of information, nor the dispatching of an observer, nor a personal visit and attempt at dialogue, nor even a covert assassination or at least taking me captive to remove me from the game—which could have happened during any of my numerous solitary treks through Alma—but instead, the staging of a terrorist attack on the grounds of the school, for whose well-being you supposedly care. On a holiday, amidst a crowd of civilians, carried out by deceived commoners, risking the lives of other guests and students, resulting in human deaths... - having said all this, she clicked her tongue, turned away, and exhaled slowly, trying to maintain her composure, before continuing. - ...basing these deliberations on the words of Aoriha Traba—the son of an aristocrat from the unfriendly Levizia, if I may add—a man of the lowest moral character, who, among other things, personally robbed three of those very same "morally tormented" returnees of their money, for which he was subsequently held disciplinarily accountable by my confidants. I presume he omitted this particular detail of his school life from his story?.. And his father, among other events, sponsored the staging of this very terrorist attack.
Exhaling sharply again, turning away and waiting a few seconds, Futaba shook her head. She had grown accustomed to the naivety of Levizia and the old man's recklessness, but she had expected that the eldest son, a contender for the throne, despite his hot-headedness, would be capable of rational actions by virtue of his age and status. But as it seemed, boundless power, a life of luxury, and along with them, black magic—all these factors had negatively affected the Starlit tree to one degree or another. Or perhaps this was the least losing strategy to cover his true motives, devised by Caladium, but even so—at the moment of explanation, she felt like grabbing two toothpicks and piercing her own eardrums with them. She didn't even need to try and distort his words in her favor—everything he uttered only buried him deeper, even without her intention. He was practically talking himself into an immediate execution.
Calming her temper, the queen continues:
- I will say nothing about Sisnemis—regarding his disappearance, to my shame, I know nothing, and the news that he has been killed is currently new to me. I shall conduct a thorough investigation into this matter, although I already have suspicions, given the period during which he "left the school," as we were told. As for Ignatius Varlong, Dion Villa... I presume news of the April incident never reached you? That is strange, as it was a high-profile case; I believe it might have even been written about in the newspapers. Have you ever heard the name of Carvia Imas and what she is famous for? A Grandmaster of magic in Sakuromoria and a teacher at NAILS, a person of many talents and a curious scientific mind. Or rather, she was, before she died, - Futaba fell silent for a few seconds, thinking of how to describe the situation as it stood then without descending into a crude or low-brow tone, but in the end, she phrased it more simply. - She cut off Ignatius Varlong's head and threw it into a trash can in Alma. The head was found by my classmates.
She gave this information a few seconds to sink in.
- But not with her own hands, but through the hands of Dion Villa, whom she had brought under her control. Later that same evening, Dion attempted to attack another student but was killed by him in self-defense. And a bit later, that same evening, an unknown individual engaged in combat on school grounds with one of the teachers patrolling the area. Fortunately, with the help of dedicated students, the teacher managed to defeat the stranger—and that stranger turned out to be Carvia Imas. The subsequent investigation by the school showed and proved her involvement in organizing these murders. The investigation was conducted by the entire teaching staff, headed by your daughter and Duncan Mandragora—I assume this man should be known to you. Such was the April incident, which led to the deaths of two students and one teacher, - the queen crossed her arms over her chest. - Where were you, with your concern for the students' well-being? After all, you only had to cross a body of water to be here. Perhaps you were attending to some very important state affairs or were on a business trip. That is understandable. Or perhaps you simply didn't receive a fee from a "respected person," and therefore decided not to look into it?
The question hung in the air for a while.
- But let us return to the omissions. Now comes the "best part"—regarding the disappearances-returns, my appearance in the registry, and everything else. Rodik mentioned "gifts" distributed to the students by the crown. Therefore, I assume the information regarding the content of this conference has already been conveyed to all present? Or not yet?.. Is there a need for further clarification on any questions?
- And as a "decisive action," you chose neither the gathering and clarification of information, nor the dispatching of an observer, nor a personal visit and attempt at dialogue, nor even a covert assassination or at least taking me captive to remove me from the game—which could have happened during any of my numerous solitary treks through Alma—but instead, the staging of a terrorist attack on the grounds of the school, for whose well-being you supposedly care. On a holiday, amidst a crowd of civilians, carried out by deceived commoners, risking the lives of other guests and students, resulting in human deaths... - having said all this, she clicked her tongue, turned away, and exhaled slowly, trying to maintain her composure, before continuing. - ...basing these deliberations on the words of Aoriha Traba—the son of an aristocrat from the unfriendly Levizia, if I may add—a man of the lowest moral character, who, among other things, personally robbed three of those very same "morally tormented" returnees of their money, for which he was subsequently held disciplinarily accountable by my confidants. I presume he omitted this particular detail of his school life from his story?.. And his father, among other events, sponsored the staging of this very terrorist attack.
Exhaling sharply again, turning away and waiting a few seconds, Futaba shook her head. She had grown accustomed to the naivety of Levizia and the old man's recklessness, but she had expected that the eldest son, a contender for the throne, despite his hot-headedness, would be capable of rational actions by virtue of his age and status. But as it seemed, boundless power, a life of luxury, and along with them, black magic—all these factors had negatively affected the Starlit tree to one degree or another. Or perhaps this was the least losing strategy to cover his true motives, devised by Caladium, but even so—at the moment of explanation, she felt like grabbing two toothpicks and piercing her own eardrums with them. She didn't even need to try and distort his words in her favor—everything he uttered only buried him deeper, even without her intention. He was practically talking himself into an immediate execution.
Calming her temper, the queen continues:
- I will say nothing about Sisnemis—regarding his disappearance, to my shame, I know nothing, and the news that he has been killed is currently new to me. I shall conduct a thorough investigation into this matter, although I already have suspicions, given the period during which he "left the school," as we were told. As for Ignatius Varlong, Dion Villa... I presume news of the April incident never reached you? That is strange, as it was a high-profile case; I believe it might have even been written about in the newspapers. Have you ever heard the name of Carvia Imas and what she is famous for? A Grandmaster of magic in Sakuromoria and a teacher at NAILS, a person of many talents and a curious scientific mind. Or rather, she was, before she died, - Futaba fell silent for a few seconds, thinking of how to describe the situation as it stood then without descending into a crude or low-brow tone, but in the end, she phrased it more simply. - She cut off Ignatius Varlong's head and threw it into a trash can in Alma. The head was found by my classmates.
She gave this information a few seconds to sink in.
- But not with her own hands, but through the hands of Dion Villa, whom she had brought under her control. Later that same evening, Dion attempted to attack another student but was killed by him in self-defense. And a bit later, that same evening, an unknown individual engaged in combat on school grounds with one of the teachers patrolling the area. Fortunately, with the help of dedicated students, the teacher managed to defeat the stranger—and that stranger turned out to be Carvia Imas. The subsequent investigation by the school showed and proved her involvement in organizing these murders. The investigation was conducted by the entire teaching staff, headed by your daughter and Duncan Mandragora—I assume this man should be known to you. Such was the April incident, which led to the deaths of two students and one teacher, - the queen crossed her arms over her chest. - Where were you, with your concern for the students' well-being? After all, you only had to cross a body of water to be here. Perhaps you were attending to some very important state affairs or were on a business trip. That is understandable. Or perhaps you simply didn't receive a fee from a "respected person," and therefore decided not to look into it?
The question hung in the air for a while.
- But let us return to the omissions. Now comes the "best part"—regarding the disappearances-returns, my appearance in the registry, and everything else. Rodik mentioned "gifts" distributed to the students by the crown. Therefore, I assume the information regarding the content of this conference has already been conveyed to all present? Or not yet?.. Is there a need for further clarification on any questions?
My sword, my trusted ally, unphased by my aspect.
