Chapter 9

“Hey, Ausel. What do you think about becoming an adventurer after leaving the academy? As an adventurer, education doesn’t matter, and as long as you’ve got the skills, you’ll be recognized for it.”

Skipping stones he’d picked up by the pond, Luke spoke cheerfully about the future.

Despite knowing his departure from the orphanage was decided, he seemed carefree.

Rather than putting on a brave front, he seemed to have accepted it, focusing only on what came after leaving the academy.

“Are you really planning to leave the academy?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I? It’s already decided. Honestly, I feel relieved. I didn’t want to attend the same school as him anyway.”

“…Why did it come to this? We were just working hard and trying our best…”

“Sometimes, hard work alone isn’t enough. If you don’t have power, you can’t protect yourself—or your best friend.”

A small stone that had skipped busily across the water finally sank, exhausted.

Should I also accept reality like Luke and focus on life after the academy?

But I can’t bring myself to do it. I can’t accept it.

Unlike me, who can’t move on to the next level, Luke won’t even have his academic record preserved.

All his years of effort are being erased, as though they never happened.

That’s something that should never be allowed to happen.

There must be something I can do… something…

“—Big brother… Ausel big brother…”

“Huh…?”

“Are you okay…?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. I was just thinking.”

Not only the orphanage kids, but even Loic and Rita were saddened by the cancellation of Luke’s and my enrollment.

The celebratory mood from a few days ago was now completely gone, replaced by everyone walking on eggshells around us.

“Is it true? Both Luke and Ausel are leaving here?”

“Yeah… Luke will leave by the end of summer break, and I will leave after I graduate elementary school…”

“But why? Didn’t you both pass? Didn’t you try so hard?”

“We did… but sometimes things just don’t work out the way you want them to. That’s life…”

The children tilted their heads, puzzled.

Sometimes, even hard work isn’t enough.

That logic was beyond the understanding of these kids.

And I… I don’t want to understand it either…

Something squirming in my chest began to stir violently, and tears spilled out.

All the stress, anxiety, physical strain—everything I’d endured—felt meaningless, and now a tidal wave of emotional debt was crashing over me.

It felt like something inside me was breaking apart, and I hugged my knees, burying my face in them.

“Big brother… are you okay…?”

Ah… I didn’t want the kids to see me like this…

“Ausel. Come here.”

Called by Minel, I headed to the director’s office, my eyes still swollen from crying.

Minel sighed tiredly, her face filled with anguish.

“If only Master Brute had tampered with the test unfairly, there might have been room for argument…”

“Sorry. I tried to stop it, but… I wasn’t fast enough…”

‘You’ve really done it now… Heh. Do you think you can cross me and get away with it? I’ll never forgive you!’

The sneering, tear-filled face of Brute as he held his cheek flashed through my mind.

I thought that maybe apologizing directly would work… but looking at his reaction, it seemed hopeless.

In fact, it felt like Brute had provoked Luke on purpose, just to get hit.

From his perspective, it must’ve been a satisfying victory.

“Something wrong?”

“I thought maybe if I apologized directly, he’d forgive us… but it probably won’t work, huh…”

“Duke Lesnor is a thoughtful and broad-minded person, unaffected by status or honor. If you sincerely apologize, there might be a chance…”

“Thoughtful… and broad-minded? You’re talking about Brute?”

“No, I’m referring to his father, Arthur Lesnor.”

“Brute’s father…”

The real power in a noble family rests with the head of the household.

While Brute is the duke family’s eldest son, he hasn’t formally inherited the title yet. His authority comes solely from borrowing his father’s influence.

Even if Brute doesn’t forgive us, obtaining forgiveness directly from the duke himself could significantly change the situation.

If the duke is indeed more reasonable than Brute, it’s worth trying.

There’s no time for crying.

No room for giving up.

If there’s even a single move left to make, I have to take it without hesitation.

For some reason, when it comes to Luke, I feel like I can do anything.

“I’ll go!”

“W-Wait! You need to formally announce your visit first—Ausel!”

Before I realized it, I was already dashing out of the orphanage empty-handed.

No parents, no money, no status, no honor, no talent, no luck.

The only thing fueling me now was my desperate desire to help my best friend.