Surprising Even Breathing

31 – I mustered up the courage to come to you

Sitting in the corner of the classroom, listening intently to the conversation, Broa hardened her complexion.

Is there a faction that deliberately spreads bad rumors about Demesis?

If that statement is true, then the rumors that have spread about Demesis so far.

Rumors that he would become a scourge and terror of mankind, that he hated the goddess Reinatis and that he was cannibalistic were all rumors that someone deliberately degraded him.

why? What did Demesis do wrong?

What is the gain from spreading rumors about him?

The students of the academy special class, including Broa, looked at Oscar with these questions.

After the imperial family’s position announcement, Oscar glared at the student and paladin from the south.

“what? Is there anything you want to say, Prince? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Facing the prince’s piercing eyes, Maxden frowns in displeasure.

He asked why the prince was looking at him after he spoke.

“What do you know about him? Max Den. If you’re a member of the Indeed Mercenary Corps, you might know why the rumors spread.”

“What do you mean? If the Indeed mercenaries would be able to find out, could it be that our mercenaries did the work of spreading rumors about Demesis?”

“I didn’t mean that. Do you have any tips?”

Oscar talking as if floating.

Maxden’s brown face crumpled mercilessly in his suspicious glance.

“Does your imperial family only think that way? If anything goes wrong, is it all the work of the Indeed mercenaries?”

“Wow, calm down. I was just asking if you knew anything.”

Oscar, who had said that far, looked back at Paladin this time.

“Your church seems to be in the mood to designate Demesis as an achievement of the goddess. Either that he should be thoroughly restrained, or that he should be expelled in advance for the safety of the people of the empire. You are already bothering the imperial family by sending letters.”

Paladin’s expression became solemn at the mention of the church.

He glared at the prince with an angry expression.

“Hey, Oscar? Are you in the mood for the church to designate Demesis as a goddess’ achievement? Is this the first time you’ve heard of it?”

Before Paladin could open his mouth, Miel, a saintess candidate, intervened and asked a question.

She looked like she knew nothing.

“Innocent and benevolent Miel. Have you ever heard of such a rumor? The fear of Demesis is spreading around the churches on the outskirts of the ecliptic. It’s not even funny. Those who have never actually seen the Dragonian Prince are talking about him being such a bad dragon.”

“yes… … ?”

“Maybe the Church wants to find a new ‘enemy’. Finding the demon’s ganja doesn’t attract much attention anymore.”

“A new ‘enemy’?”

Miel, not understanding what Oscar meant, tilted his head.

Oscar ignored Miel and turned his attention to the paladin Gavin.

As if you were asking for an answer.

“Oscar Yun Alaves Gloria. Is what you just said the official position of the imperial family? It sounds like the church is slandering Demesis to attract public attention.”

“This is not an official position, it is my personal opinion. But it’s true that priests are mainly spreading scary rumors. Like the fact that there is a priest who has sent a letter to the imperial family.”

Paladin uses the Holy Law to fill his body with divine power and intimidate Oscar, but he does not back down at all.

I take out everything I want to say thoroughly.

Gavin answers with a dark impression.

“The church has no intention of officially designating Demesis. There are those who warn that he is dangerous, but that is only a small part of the opinion. Don’t even suspect that the Church is trying to make him an ‘enemy’, or really try to ostracize him. This is a warning to you, Oscar.”

“Then do you act right?”

Sparks flew in Oscar and Gavin’s eyes as they looked at each other.

“what? What are you talking about? So, are you actually saying that Demesis is a good dragon and they are bad?”

Bart asked if he didn’t understand their conversation, shaking Oscal’s shoulder roughly.

“Hey, if you don’t know, stay still. Don’t you understand the atmosphere right now?”

Oscar, who had been caught by the barbarian and swayed mercilessly, was annoyed.

The air of the academy special class became serious.

Some students just understood their conversation, some didn’t.

But now I have a dim realization that it is wrong to simply believe the rumor that Demesis is scary.

Demesis is scary, but is it really necessary to provoke him and spread fear around him?

Broa tilted her head.

It was hard to understand Oscar’s words that there were people spreading bad rumors about him.

I had to apologize to Demesis, so my head was confused, but hearing what they just said made my mind even more confused.

Are the rumors about Demesis fake?

“omg.”

“Oh, it comes!”

Students with sensitive senses were the first to be surprised.

The students, noticing that he was walking, hurriedly returned to their places.

As if the commotion from earlier had been a lie, the classroom became quiet and quiet.

In front of him, no one can talk about their thoughts, feelings and doubts.

No matter what thoughts I had, it was burdensome and scary to bring them out directly to him.

Kee-ik, thump.

The sound of the rear door being pushed sideways against the hinges.

Everyone was conscious of it, but Demesis, who couldn’t pretend to know, walked towards the exclusive seat with regular steps, dressed in the same gray cloak as usual.

Tumble, thump.

Broa, who glanced back at him as he sat down, quickly decided to apologize.

Scary and fearful work should be done early to become more comfortable.

Putting aside the rumors that there were forces trying to harm him, and that he was actually a good dragon, I approached him directly to talk to him.

*

‘hmm?’

Just like last week, the students are silently staring at their desks.

I was going to wait calmly for the professor to come, leaning back on the exclusive chair, but a student broke the silence and got up alone and approached me.

Broa, who puts her hands together as if she was afraid of me, and walks cautiously.

He walked all the way to the back and came close to the boundary line of the magic circle dedicated to Demesis.

“Me, De, Demesis-sama?”

As if she was very nervous, she wiggled her fingers together in front of her belly button, and her eyes were not on me, but on the desk in front of me.

But apparently it called me.

I looked at Broa, who had talked to me at an unexpected timing.

The other students, who were sitting quietly in their desk chairs as if they were not there, also glanced at Broa, who was approaching me with surprised eyes.

“Ji, last time I, I was really sorry. It wasn’t me who activated the fire/fire magic on purpose, it was because she suddenly activated it by herself.”

I was just staring at her, but I was so scared that I was confessing my mistake while whimpering with a pitiful expression.

“I am so sorry! At the entrance exam, at the back of the training ground, it’s all my fault! That, and yo, thank you for forgiving me. I heard from your brother. I’ll see you all… … .”

She continued her apology, stuttering in a trembling voice.

And when I said that I saw it, I looked at my eyes with a little bit of a voice.

I guess I’m really worried about whether I’m really looking after her or if I’m trying to scold her.

The hands gathered in front of her navel shake even faster, showing how scared she is now.

I looked at Broa slowly.

Thinking of coming to apologize to me in person?

I knew that she wanted to wish me wrong because I had already had a conversation with Silian, but I didn’t know that she would come right away as soon as we ran into each other in the classroom.

Could this be the will of an assassin?

The mind to attack me without giving up.

I don’t know what her ultimate goal was, but her will seemed clearer and clearer than anyone else’s.

I was overjoyed.

“Ah! Sin, I’m sorry!”

As my emotional agitation weakened and my magic control weakened, unmarried mana shook around me regardless of my cape, bracelet, or tattoo.

As I explained with the metaphor of a reservoir, items can only control a small part of my magical power.

Most of them are Dragon Heart magic that I always care about and control.

As the piece was scattered, Broa, startled by the overwhelming air waves, backed away in surprise, and the students in the classroom held their breath and trembled.

“Yes. I forgave everything I’m glad you didn’t hide anymore and came straight to apologize.”

I quickly calmed down my turbulent emotions and focused on mana control.

A smile appeared on his lips that he couldn’t hide, but he quickly got rid of this too to control his emotions.

“Yes, go, thank you, Demesis! Go, thank you! I, I was worried a lot too, but after hearing that Demesis-nim had already forgiven me, I-I, though shameless, mustered up the courage to come to you.”

She was shedding tears.

I can’t stand my emotions because I’m scared and thankful.

“U, thank you for taking me to the infirmary, thank you for forgiving me even though I was hit with dangerous magic, oh, thank you for telling my brother that you were rather worried about my safety, everything, everything, thank you. Thank you, Demesis. Black.”

After she finished speaking, she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.

Still, as if I had finished the confession I wanted to say, I brushed off my emotions and cried to my heart’s content.

I looked at her quietly, both admirable and curious.

Isn’t this woman afraid of me?

While receiving my gaze, he did not fall down and whimpered freely before returning to his original position.

My expression flushed, but I was no longer crying because I was afraid.

Tears of relief, convulsions from relief.

He goes back to his seat in the corner opposite me and soothes himself while laughing and crying alone.

Then he looked back at me, and when we met eyes, he averted his gaze, but he didn’t pretend he didn’t see me.

Ashamed, both cheeks turned red.

The other students who seemed shocked to hear the conversation I had with Broa.

I don’t know what happened between the two of us, but I can’t believe she did something wrong and that I forgave her.

I try to peek at me over my shoulder, but I look away in fear, and I glance sideways at Broa, who is crying.

*

‘How to cope with demons and monsters and understanding the field’ class time.

Trunen, who entered the classroom, bowed toward me and looked at the students, then found Broa with tears in her eyes and asked.

“huh? why are you crying?”

“Oh, nothing. Well, that’s what happened…”

Trunen tilted his head and examined Broa’s condition.

I started the class after confirming that she wasn’t crying because she was sick or had a serious situation.

“Mrs. Demesis. This time, I prepared for the class properly.”

He looks at me and speaks in a determined voice.

It seems that after being scolded by me for insufficiently preparing the class last time, I came back with a firm mind.

She had wide eyes, thick dark circles, and a slightly thin face, but a slight smile appeared on her lips.