I Became a Murderer in the Academy.-Chapter 106

The defeated Iria bore no injuries, while the victor was left a bruised and battered mess, unconscious on the arena floor.

The lengthy duel finally concluded. Iria, more mentally fatigued than physically, departed from the scene.

Ultimately, Amelia became the first to claim a “victory” over Iria.

Whether Amelia would even be aware of her so-called victory, having lost consciousness, remained uncertain.

Why had Iria surrendered a duel she could have won? There wasn’t any particular reason. Perhaps, if anything, it was pity.

Iria had essentially gifted Amelia the win as a small recompense.

Even though Amelia had started this duel, Iria had gone a bit too far this time.

Iria wanted to avoid further duels from now on. She wasn’t at a level where she could fairly be compared to other students.

Even the professors were no match for her, let alone the top third-year student. It wasn’t even a fair fight.

“…”

If she wanted to end these duels for good, she had to make a lasting impression.

Amelia had served as the example.

Watching Amelia take all those blows stirred something in Iria.

Maybe she had gone too far against a fellow student.

Unlike Iria, Amelia had no tolerance for pain.

So, as a small apology, Iria had granted her the win. Iria wasn’t one to obsess over victory, while Amelia clearly did.

Would a hollow victory even matter to Amelia? Accepting such treatment was part of her own reckoning, her punishment.

Sometimes, a bitter victory can be worse than a defeat.

As she left the arena, Ariel was waiting for her outside.

He handed her a towel, even though she hadn’t really broken a sweat.

“You did well. How’s your body holding up? You’re not tired, are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good to hear. I was a bit worried, honestly.”

At Ariel’s words, Iria tilted her head.

Such concern was unfamiliar to her. While Rena had shown some worry before, Ariel’s concern seemed different.

Perhaps it was tinged with sympathy.

She couldn’t read Ariel’s thoughts, so she wasn’t sure what emotions he was bringing to this encounter.

“You were worried… about me?”

“Is that a problem?”

Iria shook her head.

Faced with such reactions, she wasn’t sure how to respond. Human relationships were a challenge for her.

She simply walked on, leaving the stifling interior for the open space outside the Academy building.

As she walked, Iria began to notice how Ariel and Rena were different.

While they both showed her kindness, Iria found Rena to be transparent and Ariel to be more opaque.

Not being able to read his emotions set Ariel apart. She always relied on eye contact to understand people approaching her.

Encountering someone whose emotions she couldn’t read was a new experience.

It was an unfamiliar element she hadn’t faced before, which naturally made her interactions with Ariel different from those with Rena.

They both showed her friendliness, but that didn’t mean she viewed them the same way.

“You went a bit far, Iria. Why didn’t you end the duel sooner?”

Ariel spoke as he walked alongside her. He had been watching the duel from the stands as well.

Iria didn’t reply immediately. She hadn’t ignored him, but was simply lost in thought as usual.

“Did you have a grudge against Amelia?”

“No.”

Iria shook her head. Although things had ended in a duel, she had no real feelings toward Amelia.

She had only fought because she deemed it necessary.

Her time at the Academy had become uncomfortable lately. She hoped that by dealing with this, things would settle down.

Whether that would be the case was uncertain.

“Then why?”

Ariel pressed the question, and Iria finally answered after some contemplation.

“I didn’t want this to happen again.”

There were multiple layers to her words.

Ariel fell silent for a moment, merely blinking as he looked at her.

His dark hair shifted with his movements, and his blue eyes shone with a brightness that Iria found almost blinding.

She glanced away, unwilling to meet his gaze.

“You’re right. I understand.”

What meaning Ariel took from her words, she couldn’t be sure, but he nodded as if in agreement.

“By the way, I heard Sera’s being discharged today. Sooner than expected, huh? Apparently, she tried to escape a few times, so they just let her go due to lack of space.”

“Hmm…”

“And, well, she’s probably on her way here. I heard she got word of your duel while she was in the infirmary.”

Half-jokingly, Ariel had mentioned the possibility to Albert, but it seemed it had actually happened.

Iria felt a sense of unease and turned around. Her heightened senses picked up a presence approaching quickly.

And her gut feeling had never been wrong. A woman with red hair came rushing toward her.

“Iria!!!!!!!”

“…”

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The speed at which Sera was running was alarming. It was hard to believe she had just escaped from the infirmary in such a state.

Was she trying to hug her? Iria wasn’t up for being lifted like last time.

She dodged swiftly, and with no one to catch her, Sera lost her balance and tumbled forward.

“Ahh! Ugh!”

A loud crash echoed as Sera fell spectacularly, her landing anything but graceful. Iria couldn’t help but think how typical it was of her.

Sera was as consistent as ever, and Iria silently mused over the sight.

“Ow…”

“Are you alright?”

“It hurts! You should’ve caught me!”

“…”

Iria glanced down at Sera with a cool stare.

She hadn’t intended any malice, but Sera took it as an icy glare.

“Um, could you not look at me like that? I was joking.”

“What’s wrong with my look?”

“Anyway, it’s been a while! You have no idea how much I missed you!”

“…”

Iria reached out to help Sera up.

Though she appeared calmer after getting back on her feet, Sera was still overly enthusiastic.

What had happened in the infirmary?

Iria recalled the time they spent there together. Sera had been so restless that she tried to escape less than a day after being admitted.

Keeping Sera confined was almost a form of torture. She might have been a patient, but she was never one to sit still.

“So, you really made a splash this time, huh? I heard all about it from one of the staff.”

“Was it that flashy?”

“Totally. Everyone at the Academy knows now! People are saying a first-year took on the entire third-year class. And won, too.”

Was she really that infamous now?

Iria scratched her cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“And you just came from a duel with Amelia? You won, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Haha! I knew it. I never really liked her either. She’s all talk behind people’s backs, too cowardly to confront them upfront.”

Sera laughed, looking genuinely happy.

Perhaps her good mood was due to her recent escape from the infirmary.

“But she’s a senior, right? Can you talk about her that way?”

“You never call me ‘senior,’ do you?”

“At least I use polite speech.”

“Feel free to drop that. Why not call me ‘big sister’? Go on, try it: ‘Big sister.’”

Sera slung an arm around Iria’s shoulder, openly displaying her affection.

Though Iria didn’t mind, she did find it a bit overbearing.

In response, she poked one of Sera’s wounds.

“Ow!”

While Sera was stunned by the sudden pain, Iria slipped away from her grasp.

Some time later, Amelia awoke in the infirmary.

Her whole body ached, and her head throbbed.

But worse than the physical pain was the humiliation of being beaten one-sidedly by Iria, whom she had underestimated.

Her pride was crushed. Just thinking back to the encounter made her tremble. It was as though the fear of violence had been etched into her very bones.

“Ugh…”

Unable to move for a long time, Amelia dwelled on the feeling of defeat.

Perhaps washing her face would help clear away the bitter feeling, if only a little.

It might be better than lying here idly.

She carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

“Isn’t that her? The one who got beaten like a dog by a first-year?”

“They say it’s because she spread false rumors. Got what was coming to her.”

“Total trash. Doesn’t she feel any shame?”

“Well, she won, didn’t she? So, here’s to that.”

Outside the infirmary, she overheard the whispers about herself.

Most of it was sharp criticism. Perhaps these were things she had done to others, or behaviors she had displayed.

“Why am I being treated like this…?”

The voices behind her were clearer than she had expected.

Was this what Iria had felt when her name was mentioned behind her back?

If so, then perhaps this was just another form of fairness.

Amelia continued to feel the weight of that fairness. It would likely follow her for some time.

The scales of justice had tipped, accumulating the consequences of her actions.

As long as justice remained unbalanced, all arrows of blame would be aimed at her.

In the end, she had no right to judge them. She had to accept it, like it or not.

After all, it was her own sin.

Amelia spent the rest of her day in the infirmary.