We Defeated The Demon King And Disbanded Without Any Conflict – Chapter 45

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuzio
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With those words, Ron gently released Rain’s hand and headed towards his room.

His shuffling gait suggested a mix of self-reproach and utter exhaustion.

Drops of blood, welling from his raw wounds, began to trace a path along the floor behind him.

Neither Rain nor Sola had yet recovered enough composure to stop him.

Rain, witnessing Ron’s self-harm with an intensity that seemed as if he were tearing at his own skin, had completely forgotten to even cast a healing spell.

The cadets could only stare, dumbfounded, at his exposed face.

Of course, they hadn’t actually believed the rumors about demon eyes.

It was just a pretext for their torment.

They had suspected there was a reason behind the bandages, but they hadn’t imagined it would be self-inflicted scars.

Even with so many eyes on him, Ron, as if deliberately putting his wounds on display, raked his fingernails across the skin near his eyes once more.

It was a brutal, horrifying act that seared itself into their memories.

His jagged fingernails dug into his delicate skin, carving long, deep gouges.

He targeted the exact areas previously concealed by the bandages.

And then, again.

This time, pressing down even harder.

As he clawed at his eyeballs with enough force to crush them, an indescribable madness emanated from him.

Again, and again he continued, as if he would have gone on forever if the headmaster hadn’t intervened.

Even without anyone saying a word, it was clear:

He was broken.

Some in the crowd began to wonder if his actions were their fault.

But even if that were true, there was no undoing what they had done.

They had simply treated him as a resilient toy, assuming his placid reactions meant he was unaffected by their actions.

They had escalated their torment, treating him as an emotional punching bag, their guilt dulled by his lack of response.

They should have realized sooner that they had crossed a point of no return.

Everyone thought of Prion Colson, the instigator, but they were all complicit.

They felt the chilling gaze of the original Hero, her eyes fixed on them with icy disapproval.

They also felt the burning glare of the Archmage, her fury barely contained.

They had been taught the Hero’s Code.

Integrity, honesty, equality.

They had violated every single principle.

They had driven someone to the brink.

They had assumed that because he didn’t react to their malice, he wasn’t hurt.

They had known better.

They had simply looked the other way, using him as an emotional dumping ground.

One because his studies weren’t going well, another because of relationship troubles, and yet another simply because he was an easy target.

Each, for their own reasons, had carelessly inflicted their own pain onto him.

It was a childish act, unworthy of even that description.

And this was the result.

Rain, who had always treated everyone, except enemies, with equal regard, now stared at them with chilling indifference.

Al Sola, usually approachable and even playful, now radiated pure, unadulterated rage.

“Why…”

A large cadet began talking, his voice trembling in the frigid atmosphere.

He swallowed hard before continuing.

“Why do you care so much about that cadet…?”

“…In this situation, do you think that’s an appropriate question?”

Rain retorted, her voice sharp as a blade.

The cadet, unaccustomed to Rain’s cutting tone, fell silent.

“He could be your comrade. Someone with an unusual appearance could be your comrade. Instead of supporting him, you hurt him. Is that how aspiring adventurers should behave?”

“Th-That…”

“I believe in equality. This is a virtue that all cadets in this academy, aspiring to be heroes, should possess. And you have failed to uphold it.”

“S-Sorry…”

“Who was the ringleader?”

Al Sola’s question sparked a flicker of hope in their eyes.

If they offered up the ringleader, they could claim they were coerced or threatened.

Perhaps they could still escape unscathed.

“Prion Colson…”

A small voice whispered.

“Prion.”

“The second-rank.”

“Prion Colson from the Platinum dorm.”

The whispers grew, echoing and amplifying until the name “Prion Colson” filled the air.

They had been swayed by the mob mentality, driving someone to the edge, and now they were being swept along by the same current, eager to offer up a scapegoat.

“So… that’s how it is.”

The faint flicker of hope in their eyes brightened.

Al Sola’s words fueled their desperate optimism.

“…Sigh.”

Rain sighed again, placing a hand on Al Sola’s shoulder.

Their close relationship was well known, so no one commented on the gesture.

As Rain’s exasperated sigh faded, Al Sola began to chant.

The words were unintelligible, even to the cadets well-versed in magic.

Just as someone was about to shout “Run!”, Al Sola finished her incantation.

It had taken less than two seconds.

Without revealing the nature of the spell, she simply extended her hand.

The gathered magical energy shifted, transforming.

As the last word left her lips, ice began to form, encasing the cadets in a cage of frozen magic.

A chilling cold, sharp enough to freeze the air itself, pierced their bones.

It was ice magic, the antithesis of Sola’s signature fire.

“Wh-What? Why…?”

“Why? You’re asking me why?”

“But we told you who the ringleader was…”

“You’re a bunch of irredeemable, easily swayed fools.”

Disgusted, Sola turned and ascended the stairs, followed by Rain.

They cast a final, chilling glance at the imprisoned cadets before disappearing from view.

The ice cage constricted, shrinking with a sickening crack.

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Rain and Sola entered Ron’s room with a slightly apprehensive air.

Tolman, who had been looking at Ron’s back with an awkward expression, jumped in surprise at their sudden appearance.

He stammered a greeting, scratching the back of his head, before retreating from the room.

“Who was that?”

“A friend.”

“Did he bully you too?”

“No. He’s a good guy.”

Click

Ron finished re-bandaging his wounds, tying the knot tightly with a satisfied nod.

He turned back to face them.

“…Are you okay?”

Rain’s mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, yet all that escaped her lips was a simple, concerned question.

“Just tell me what they did. Everything…”

Sola growled, her voice laced with barely suppressed rage.

Ron shrugged dismissively.

“It’s fine. Just give them a good scolding. You wouldn’t be happy to see these future heroes acting like this, would you?”

“…Not happy? I’m furious! I wanted to break every single one of their bones!”

Rain’s words startled Ron.

He frowned slightly, the action hidden beneath his bandages.

Did she really mean that?

Rain, who had created this academy, was talking about punishing her own students?

This was unprecedented.

Ron paused for a moment, wondering if he had misheard.

“A-Are you okay? Did something else happen? Here, have a cookie.”

As if trying to cover up her previous outburst, Rain, her hand trembling slightly, offered Ron a packaged cookie from her pocket, like offering a treat to a skittish animal.

Ron accepted the cookie without a second thought, thanking her before popping a piece into his mouth.

“Nothing much happened. I was actually finding it a bit entertaining.”

“…Entertaining? How?”

“What do you mean ‘how’? It’s not that strange.”

“I’m so angry I could die! If you had just given me the word, I would have broken each of their limbs, one by one.”

Al Sola’s chilling words hung in the air.

She then clapped her hands together, as if suddenly remembering something, and whispered into Rain’s ear, pulling her close.

Ron, left to his own devices, fiddled with his mangled fingernails, seemingly oblivious to their hushed conversation.

Their whispered exchange ended with a quick glance at Ron before they hurriedly left the room.

Ron, still sitting there, absentmindedly popped another cookie into his mouth.

They seemed to be struggling to communicate effectively.

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Prion Colson was enjoying a leisurely afternoon in his lavish room, the second largest in the Platinum dorm.

He believed he deserved the rewards of his hard work.

The opulent room, impressive enough to elicit gasps of admiration, was his rightful due as the second-rank cadet.

His neighbor was the beautiful Prieresil Millen.

Judging by her name, she wasn’t from a particularly prominent family.

Still, her position as a high-ranking Gold adventurer made her a suitable match for his own family, whose influence extended throughout the upper echelons of the adventurer’s guild.

“Hehehe…”

A low chuckle escaped Prion’s lips as he lounged on the sofa, recalling the irritating individual he had recently reduced to less than human.

He chuckled again, louder this time.

He had disliked the cadet from the start, his middling grades drawing unwanted attention.

He also resented Prieresil’s friendly demeanor towards him.

Seeing them emerge from the same room, chatting amiably, had enraged him.

He had seized upon the cadet’s careless slip-up, using it to orchestrate his downfall.

He felt no remorse.

It was the cadet’s fault for flaunting his peculiar appearance and drawing attention to himself.

Lost in his self-satisfied reverie, Prion was oblivious to the approaching presence outside his door.

The door burst open.

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[I’m backkkkkkkkk and it’s time for some more self ham babyyyyy]