Chapter 17 Cracked Acceptance Notice
(────okayyyyyyy!!!!)
Hey. Dear Goddess, it's been a while.
Right now, I'm overjoyed. Hehe.
From a hopeless situation to an unbelievable comeback. The whole country is crying with overwhelming relief.
Wow, it turned out to be the right choice after all. Is this what they call the protagonist's luck? I can't get enough of it.
I want to dance with joy in this springtime of my life, but my body hurts too much, so I'll just keep it inside.
Anyway, I'm glad. Really glad.
At one point, I was worried about what would happen, but my knight story has properly begun. Long live protagonist luck!
"...That's so dramatic. Don't get so excited just because you became a knight. Your creepy grin is going to haunt my dreams."
"Shut up, that's none of your business."
"Hmph. But since you went through that, you've learned a lesson, right? Even a fool learns when they get hit. From now on, just listen to what I say, got it?"
"You're the real fool here. I ended up like this because I didn't take your damn advice."
Just as I was on cloud nine, Ruzure had to pour cold water on my happiness.
I appreciate him bringing the notice, but can't he read the room a little?
"O, Oi...! Who do you think you're talking to? Who do you think helped a clueless person like you think you could become a 'knight'?!"
But the words thrown at me with a passion I couldn't count were more than just cold water.
"...Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Your acceptance was actually on hold. That's why the examiner said that! He said he would help you pass, so you had to pay extra because of it!"
"...Wait────."
Hold on. Let me sort this out.
What do you mean on hold? What happened while I was passed out?
But honestly, after showing such a terrible performance, it makes sense that I wouldn't just pass easily.
But that's not the point.
"...Shouk."
"Huh? W-What?"
"Is that true?"
"Y-yeah. After the exam, that examiner came to Sir Ruzure and asked for more money to help you."
There was no hint of a lie in the words of my childhood friend, who I couldn't trust at all.
(...This can't be true. So, did I pass because of a bribe?)
I was shocked.
It's not like I was trying to live a perfectly honest life.
I might not have the right to criticize Ruzure's methods after relying on protagonist luck and awakening events to fight.
But I just wanted to get a little closer to the person I admired.
If I had just lost, that would have been fine. Even if I was frustrated, it was the result I chose. But now, that result has been twisted.
I ended up in a situation I had cut off saying, "This is wrong."
Instead of getting closer, I felt further away.
The dull pain in my body was nothing compared to the weight of that realization.
"What's wrong with you?"
"...Huh?"
"S-Sir Ruzure?"
Yet, he didn't even care about my pain.
Ruzure's face twisted in a way that was completely different from before as he confronted me.
"What are you even complaining about! A nobody like you became a knight. No, it was me, a noble, who made you a knight! So why aren't you happy?!"
"How can I be happy if I’m not happy?"
"You...! Enough already! Since the other day, you've been throwing dirt on the hand that helped you!"
"..."
"Don't go against me! Just walk behind me quietly! Don't you dare try to step in front of me!"
Ruzure's fist, like a whip meant to discipline a fool, struck my temple. It was rough violence. Just a child's tantrum thrown at someone who wouldn't do what he wanted.
The pain was minor, not even reaching my bones or skin.
But it was enough to ignite the irritation in my troubled heart.
Ah. Fine. I'll just be honest now.
I'm at my limit with this.
"Get out of here!"
"Ugh, you...!"
"Didn’t you hear me? I said get the hell out of my sight, now?!"
"Eep!"
I don't care anymore.
I don't mind if a big rift forms.
I've reached my limit in keeping up the relationships that the original Hiiro built.
I grabbed him by the collar and let my anger out.
The noble's eyes, just a short distance away, looked at me like I was a crazy person, filled with fear.
"D-Damn it... you ungrateful brat! Let's go, Shouk!"
"Uh, w-wait, Sir Ruzure!"
After throwing out a short insult, Ruzure and the others ran away like they were escaping. They really did run away. Their expressions as they left were clearly filled with fear.
But I didn't feel like I had won, nor did I feel relieved. I just felt empty.
The rich red and yellow of the sunset made the dry air feel even harsher.
(...What should I do about this?)
From 3 to 1. In the now quiet infirmary, the notification letter crumpled in my hand.
It had my name and a passing notice on it. Just a little while ago, I felt like I was on top of the world reading it, but now it felt cold after knowing the reality.
(I should decline, right...?)
I wanted to be a knight. But only as a means to an end.
I didn't want to bend my own beliefs just to get an attractive title.
It feels like a shame, but if I have to choose a compromise that might hold me back when it really matters, then I'd rather take a different path.
As I placed my hand on the notification letter, it felt like a farewell.
"You're trying to do something gloomy in a gloomy place, huh?"
"That voice...!"
My fingers, ready to tear the letter, stopped dead at the girl's cold voice.
The one who greeted me with such a sharp remark was Shura, the strong person who perfectly played the role I had imagined.
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