No swords may be brought into the archives.
It was the first sentence written at the entrance to the Preliminary Archives Office of the Royal Golden Crown Academia.
The moment I saw it, I felt relieved.
For a very brief moment.
Truly, only for a very brief moment.
Eveline spoke from beside me.
"Does a wooden sword count as a sword too?"
My relief was over.
I looked at Eveline.
"Did you not say you would not bring one?"
"I did not bring one."
"Then why are you asking?"
"So I can keep it in mind next time."
"Do not keep it in mind."
"There are enemies in the archives, though."
"They are examiners."
"You said they were even more troublesome."
"That is exactly why swords are even less acceptable."
Eveline looked as though she genuinely did not understand.
It was difficult from the very morning.
No, actually, it had been difficult since before morning.
I had barely slept.
My wrist was wrapped in an herbal cloth, while the draft opinion of the educational supervisor kept circling through my head.
Unfavorable facts.
Observed changes.
Educational assessment.
Future plans.
Verifiable supporting records.
I had all the sentences ready.
The problem was that the person reading them would be Clarisse Elvine.
The Young Lady of the Gray Ledger.
A person who trusted records more than people.
And trusted people less than records.
On the carriage ride to the academy, Eveline practiced the same sentence three times.
"Yes. I was hostile toward Liana Bell in the past. And today, I did not obstruct her statement."
The first time, she said it through gritted teeth.
The second time, she said it as though she wanted to kill me.
The third time, she said it while looking out the window.
The third time was best.
There was a little less emotion in it.
Still, it was not enough.
There was still pride lingering after the word "and."
People did not change in a day.
Villainesses, even less so.
But the Eveline of one day ago would not even have begun with "yes."
That alone was considerable progress.
The Royal Golden Crown Academia was visible even from afar.
White stone walls.
Golden spires.
The Golden Crown crest hanging over the main gate.
I had seen this place hundreds of times on the game screen.
Over seven playthroughs, I had crossed through these gates many times.
As the protagonist.
As a scholarship student.
As a knight candidate.
On the mage route.
As support for the Saint Candidate route.
I had even gone into the alley beside the main gate at four in the morning on the hidden route just to speak with a janitor NPC.
But seeing it in person was different.
It was not a background on a screen. It was a building that swallowed people whole.
It was too orderly.
Too clean.
Too many gazes were concealed within it.
Several carriages were already waiting in front of the main gate.
Carriages bearing family crests.
A cathedral carriage.
A small carriage bearing a merchant guild emblem.
And there was also House Berhardt's navy-blue carriage.
Eveline stopped when she saw it.
Her handkerchief nearly crumpled.
I spoke shortly.
"Smooth it out."
"I know."
Eveline smoothed out the handkerchief.
Good.
At least we had avoided smashing a carriage in front of the main gate.
"If that carriage is here..."
"It most likely means House Berhardt's materials have already been submitted."
"Do you think Arsene came too?"
"We do not make assumptions before confirming it."
"What if he did?"
"We pretend not to see him."
"I do not want to."
"You will anyway."
"I really do not want to."
"There are no swords in the archives."
Eveline looked at me.
"Does that mean I should hit him with words?"
"No."
"With my eyes?"
"No."
"Then with what?"
"Procedure."
Despair colored Eveline's face.
"That is so boring."
"It is effective."
"That makes me hate it even more."
I did not answer.
Boring things were often effective.
Survival was generally boring.
We were guided through a side entrance rather than the main gate.
The Preliminary Archives Office stood in a low building behind the main building.
Unlike the grand auditorium or training grounds, this building had almost no decoration.
A gray roof.
Long windows.
Thick doors.
As befitted a place that stored records, it was built with plenty of fire-resistant stone.
And it looked as though it had no intention whatsoever of welcoming people.
A young archival assistant greeted us at the entrance.
He checked the list before he checked our names.
"Leon Cart. Temporary private tutor to House Rosette."
"Yes."
"Lady Eveline Rosette."
"That is right."
The assistant's eyebrow moved ever so slightly.
I immediately said,
"That is correct."
Eveline glared at me.
"Why are you correcting me?"
"This is the archives."
"They record the way I talk too?"
"They can."
Eveline shut her mouth.
Good.
The archives were unexpectedly effective for education.
The assistant held out his hand.
"Please surrender any weapons and hazardous items."
With an aggrieved look, Eveline spread both hands.
"I do not have any."
The assistant examined Eveline's waist, sleeves, and boots in sequence.
Eveline's gaze turned dangerous.
"What are you staring at?"
I spoke at once.
"It is procedure."
"I know."
"Then stop."
"I stopped."
She really had stopped.
Impressive.
The assistant checked my bag.
A bundle of documents.
Copies of wax seals.
Certificates of confirmation.
Seria's homework.
Liana's confirmation statement.
The draft opinion of the educational supervisor.
And the herbal cloth.
The assistant looked at the herbal cloth.
"What is this?"
"It is for protecting my wrist."
"Can it be used as a weapon?"
Eveline spoke from beside me.
"How could it?"
Without looking at her, I said,
"In theory, it could be used to strangle someone, but that would be difficult with my wrist in this condition."
The assistant's expression froze.
Eveline's expression froze too.
Ah.
I had made a mistake.
I quickly added,
"It was a joke."
The assistant wrote something on the record sheet.
Not good.
Jokes were recorded in the archives.
I had learned something today.
The air changed once we entered.
The smell of paper.
The smell of dry ink.
The scent of wax and leather covers.
The entire wall was filled with ledgers.
Ledgers by house.
Candidate registries.
Preliminary conduct records.
Lists of recommendation letters received.
Files of reasons for rejection.
The fact that they kept separate files for reasons for rejection revealed this place's nature perfectly.
It had not been made to accept people. It had been made to filter them out.
A long gray desk stood at the center.
One person was seated at its far end.
Silver hair with a gray sheen.
White skin.
Thin spectacles.
A dress closer to gray than black.
There was almost no ornamentation.
Only very fine silver thread lined her cuffs and collar.
It was not flashy.
But it was expensive.
The most frightening combination in aristocratic society.
She did not rise when we entered.
Instead, without lifting her eyes from the document on her desk, she said,
"Arrival time: seven minutes earlier than scheduled."
Her first words were not a greeting.
They were a record.
Good.
No, not good.
But expected.
I gave a slight bow.
"I am Leon Cart."
Only then did she raise her head.
Her eyes were pale gray.
They were astonishingly calm.
And they were not eyes that looked at people.
They were eyes that looked at documents.
"Confirmed. Temporary private tutor to House Rosette. Commoner. Author of on-site records for the recent social incident. Drafter of the educational supervisor's opinion."
Her gaze shifted.
"Lady Eveline Rosette. Eldest daughter of Count Rosette. Fiancée of Lord Arsene Berhardt. Numerous past records of conflict with scholarship candidate Liana Bell. In the recent incident, responded to House Berhardt's private message with a document."
Eveline's eyebrow twitched.
I counted inwardly.
One.
Two.
Three.
Eveline did not move.
Her handkerchief was still fine too.
Clarisse Elvine made a small mark on her document.
"Delayed response confirmed."
Eveline spoke quietly.
"Were you testing me just now?"
I was about to intervene at once.
But Clarisse answered first.
"Yes."
She was too honest.
Eveline's gaze turned dangerous.
Clarisse added calmly,
"An archives interview begins from the moment one enters the room."
I let out a quiet breath.
I had expected it.
It was still irritating.
"May we sit?"
I asked.
Clarisse turned her eyes toward me.
"Your form of question is appropriate. You did not sit before receiving permission. Sit."
Eveline muttered beside me, very quietly.
"So annoying."
"Reduce exclamations."
"That was an impression."
"Reduce impressions as well."
We sat across the desk from her.
Clarisse arranged the documents on top of the desk.
There were exactly three bundles.
The first.
A navy-blue ribbon.
House Berhardt's materials.
The second.
A red ribbon.
House Rosette's materials.
The third.
Had no ribbon.
A blank cover.
Most likely the review records.
Clarisse opened the document tied with the navy-blue ribbon first.
"Summary of the records submitted by House Berhardt."
Eveline's hand moved toward her handkerchief.
I spoke softly.
"It is already smooth."
"I know."
Clarisse read from the document.
"At the tea party of the Ducal House of Blanc, Lady Eloise Berhardt displayed abnormal symptoms after drinking tea. At the scene, Lady Eveline Rosette and her companion, Leon Cart, raised excessive suspicions regarding beverages and jewelry. Liana Bell was in an unstable state. As the host, Lady Seria Blanc failed to sufficiently ensure safety."
Very clean.
And very dangerous.
That was what House Berhardt's account became when reduced into a few short sentences.
A distortion that included partial facts.
Clarisse asked,
"Do you dispute it?"
I did not answer immediately.
Dispute.
If I rushed straight into that word, I would lose.
A dispute put the other side's statement at the center.
We had not come here merely to dispute it.
I said,
"I would revise it."
Clarisse's eyes moved ever so slightly.
"Not a dispute, but a revision?"
"Yes. That summary contains some facts, but its sequence and omissions alter the meaning of the incident."
Clarisse picked up her pen.
"Continue."
Good.
An opening had appeared.
I took out the first copy.
"First. It is true that Lady Eloise Berhardt showed abnormal symptoms after drinking tea. However, that cup was her second cup, and she drank it herself after the request to inspect the ring was raised."
Clarisse wrote.
"Second cup. After request for ring inspection. Drank personally. Supporting records?"
"I have them. Page three of the on-site record, two sentences from Liana Bell's confirmation statement, and it is linked to the wax seal and on-site confirmation signature of Instructor Beatrice Morgan."
Clarisse held out her hand.
I placed the documents down in that order.
The on-site record.
Liana's confirmation statement.
Beatrice's confirming signature.
Clarisse read through the documents quickly.
The speed was frightening.
She was not skimming them.
She was truly reading quickly.
Reading, comparing, marking.
This woman did not need to hold a sword.
Paper was faster than a sword in her hands.
Clarisse said,
"Liana Bell's confirmation statement was written afterward. The possibility of pressure at the scene or influence from House Rosette cannot be excluded."
Eveline immediately lifted her head.
I spoke first.
"That is possible."
Eveline looked at me.
"What?"
Clarisse looked at me too.
"You acknowledge that?"
"Yes. A confirmation written after the fact always carries the possibility of pressure. Therefore, it should not be treated as stand-alone evidence, but viewed alongside the on-site record, Instructor Beatrice Morgan's third-party confirmation, and the order in which statements were made at the time."
Clarisse's pen stopped.
Only briefly.
"You acknowledged the limitation of an afterward confirmation statement first."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"If I hid it, you would become more suspicious."
"Suspicious to whom?"
"To you, my lady."
Clarisse looked at me for a moment.
No emotion showed on her face.
But she recorded it.
"Preemptive acknowledgment of confirmation statement's limitations."
I saw her write it.
Good.
It had opened, just a little.
Clarisse moved to the next sentence.
"Second. The item stating that Lady Eveline Rosette and Leon Cart raised excessive suspicions concerning the drinks and jewelry."
Eveline's handkerchief was becoming dangerous again.
Clarisse looked at Eveline.
"Lady Eveline Rosette. Answer directly. Did you raise excessive suspicions?"
Here it came.
The first direct question.
Eveline inhaled.
I did not intervene.
We had practiced this last night.
She had to do this herself.
Eveline said,
"I demanded that Lady Eloise Berhardt's ring be inspected."
Not bad.
But insufficient.
Clarisse asked,
"Was that demand excessive?"
Eveline's eyes sharpened.
"No."
Too short.
Dangerous.
Quietly, I tapped beneath the desk with one finger.
One.
Eveline did not look at me.
But she stopped.
Good.
She spoke again.
"I do not think it was."
A little better.
Clarisse did not retreat.
"Why?"
"Liana Bell requested the ring inspection first, and there were questions about the ring before Lady Eloise drank her second cup. And afterward, White Needle Herb powder was in fact found inside the ring."
Good.
Very good.
Clarisse wrote.
"Order of claims: Liana Bell's request. Eveline Rosette's concurrence. Subsequent confirmation: White Needle Herb powder."
Then she asked again.
"Lady Eveline Rosette. Were you hostile toward Liana Bell in the past?"
A direct stab.
It was an expected question.
Even so, hearing it out loud made it heavy.
Eveline's hand stopped over the handkerchief.
A brief silence.
Then she said,
"Yes. I was hostile toward Liana Bell in the past."
Good.
Clarisse immediately asked,
"Then how do you determine that your concurrence with Liana Bell's request was not a means of pressuring Lady Eloise Berhardt?"
Sharp.
Truly sharp.
It was a possible suspicion if one looked only at the records.
Eveline had been hostile toward Liana in the past.
Yet today, she had used Liana's words to pressure Eloise.
It could be read that way.
Eveline's eyes wavered.
I did not open my mouth.
Eveline inhaled.
Then she said,
"I did not use Liana Bell's words."
Clarisse's pen began to move.
At that moment, Eveline continued.
"And I acknowledge that it can look that way."
The pen stopped.
I stopped too.
Good.
That was not precisely the sentence I had taught her.
But it was heading in the right direction.
Eveline continued.
"I was hostile toward Liana Bell in the past. So if I agree with what she says, someone might see it as me using her."
Her handkerchief did not crumple.
"But..."
She stopped.
I thought my heart had dropped.
Eveline pressed her lips together.
Then she changed the sentence.
"And today, I did not interrupt her in the middle. I let her speak for herself."
Good.
She swallowed the "but."
She changed it to "and."
Very good.
A system window appeared.
[Eveline Rosette: Acknowledged the possibility of unfavorable interpretation]
[Response rate against provocation-induced rampage has increased]
[Preliminary conduct score deduction partially placed on hold]
Clarisse watched Eveline for a long time.
Her gaze was still cold.
But it had changed slightly.
At first, they had been eyes looking at a record sheet.
Now, they were eyes moving between the record sheet and the person.
The difference was very small, but it was there.
Clarisse said,
"Your manner of answering appears to have been practiced last night."
Eveline's face stiffened.
I answered,
"That is correct."
Clarisse looked at me.
"You acknowledge it?"
"Yes."
"You may be suspected of manipulating a candidate's answers."
"Practice is not manipulation."
"What is the criterion distinguishing them?"
As expected, she pounced immediately.
I said,
"Manipulation changes the facts. Practice lets someone speak the facts without running from them."
Clarisse's pen stopped.
Eveline looked at me as well.
I continued.
"Lady Eveline did not conceal that she had been hostile toward Liana Bell in the past. She also stated that she did not interrupt Liana today. Both statements can be verified. What I changed was not the facts, but the conjunction."
"The conjunction."
Clarisse repeated.
"Yes."
"You changed 'but' to 'and'?"
I was a little surprised.
This woman was truly fast.
"That is correct."
"Why?"
"But gives the impression of trying to erase the preceding sentence. And adds the next fact while leaving the first one in place."
Clarisse looked at Eveline again.
"Lady Eveline Rosette. Do you understand this distinction?"
Eveline briefly tried to look at me.
I deliberately looked away.
She had to do this herself too.
Eveline looked at Clarisse.
"Not completely."
Honest.
Good.
"But... no. And."
She corrected herself.
"I understand that if I speak as though I am trying to erase what I did in the past, the person listening will not believe me."
Clarisse's pen moved.
"No attempt to erase self-disadvantaging facts. Partial understanding formed."
Hearing that sentence, Eveline looked dumbfounded.
"You are writing me up like a ledger."
Clarisse answered at once.
"Yes."
Too honest.
Eveline's gaze turned dangerous again.
I immediately said,
"My lady."
"I know."
She smoothed out her handkerchief.
The handkerchief that had begun to crumple was flat again.
Clarisse recorded that scene too.
"Self-control behavior confirmed through use of handkerchief."
Eveline's face turned bright red.
"Do not write that down!"
"It is behavior observed during the interview."
"That is embarrassing!"
"Embarrassment is not grounds for exclusion from the record."
I kept my mouth shut.
If I laughed, I would die.
No, I would be recorded.
In the archives, laughter could be more troublesome than death.
Clarisse opened the next document.
"Item concerning Lady Seria Blanc."
She looked over Seria's homework.
"Title: Ten Lines of Fact That Do Not Stab Others."
She rapidly read from the first line to the tenth.
Her expression did not change as she read.
"Interesting."
Eveline spoke quietly.
"Her?"
"The document."
Clarisse said,
"Lady Seria Blanc is originally a candidate skilled at handling others' weaknesses through sentences. Yet in this document, rather than attacking others' weaknesses, she separated and recorded observed facts."
I nodded.
"That was the class assignment."
"Do you claim it as educational achievement?"
"I claim it as an early sign. It is too early to conclusively call it an achievement."
Clarisse's pen stopped again.
"Why do you not make a conclusion?"
"She succeeded once. That does not mean her habit has changed."
"Then why did you submit it?"
"Not to say she has changed, but to have whether she can change reviewed."
Clarisse looked at me.
"You frequently defer judgment."
"Yes."
"Is that an evasion of responsibility?"
"No."
"Basis?"
"Instead of making an immediate judgment, I submitted a plan for further observation."
I indicated the education plan.
"Day three: training Lady Seria Blanc in factual speech and rebuilding trust. Day five: joint preliminary evaluation mock training."
Clarisse checked the relevant entries.
"There is a plan. There are no results."
"Correct."
"Then I cannot reflect it positively in the preliminary conduct record."
"I am not requesting positive consideration."
Clarisse raised her eyes.
"Then what are you requesting?"
"Please defer an immediate negative judgment."
A chilly silence settled over the room.
Eveline looked at me.
She probably had not expected me to say that.
Clarisse was silent for a moment as well.
"You said you did not come here to defend the candidates."
"Yes."
"You just requested a deferral."
"Education requires time. A deferral is not a defense, but a request for an observation period."
"That sounds nice."
"Please verify it through the records."
Clarisse watched me for a long time.
Her gaze remained cold.
But this time, its coldness was different.
Not ice, but scales.
A gaze measuring weight.
A system window appeared.
[Clarisse Elvine is reviewing the logic of Leon Cart's educational documents.]
[Suspicion that it is a defense document: 61% -> 43%]
[Possibility of recognition as an educational observation document: 18% -> 31%]
Thirty-one percent.
Low.
But it had risen.
Finally, Clarisse picked up Liana's confirmation statement.
"Liana Bell."
Her voice lowered ever so slightly.
"Saint Candidate scholarship student. Common-born. Repeatedly appears in the role of central witness in recent incidents among numerous aristocratic candidates."
Accurate.
And dangerous.
Clarisse read the statement.
"I do not state that Lady Eveline Rosette threatened me today. I do not state that Lady Seria Blanc silenced me today."
She put down the sheet.
"It is a negative statement."
"Yes."
"It says not what happened, but what did not happen."
"Liana needed that."
"Why?"
"Because others were trying to put words in her mouth."
Clarisse's eyes narrowed.
"Are you referring to House Berhardt?"
I did not answer at once.
I could not make a conclusive claim.
If I pointed directly at House Berhardt here, we would be dragged into a battle of honor.
"House Berhardt's formal protest contains a sentence stating that Liana Bell was in an unstable state."
"Is that true?"
"It is partially true. She was anxious."
"However?"
"However, she directly described her own state and requested the ring inspection by her own judgment. Therefore, recording her only as an unstable person in need of protection creates an omission."
Clarisse wrote.
"Anxious state acknowledged. Addition needed: record of self-expression and independent judgment."
Good.
Then there was a knock at the door.
The assistant entered.
He handed Clarisse a small note.
Clarisse read it.
Her expression did not change.
But the atmosphere did.
"Additional materials from House Berhardt have arrived."
Eveline's handkerchief became dangerous again.
I quietly drew a breath.
Additional materials.
At this timing.
Arsene.
Whether Arsene had come in person or merely sent documents, either way, it was troublesome.
Clarisse said to the assistant,
"Bring them in."
Shortly afterward, a navy-blue envelope was brought in.
Every line bore a wax seal.
House Berhardt.
Clarisse checked the state of the seals.
"Arrival time recorded. No seal damage. Sender: House Berhardt."
She opened the envelope.
She read its contents.
This time, one of her eyebrows moved very slightly.
"Summary of contents."
She said,
"It is the opinion that Liana Bell's confirmation statement cannot be trusted because it may have been written under House Rosette's influence. It further states that, based on records showing Lady Eveline Rosette had been hostile toward Liana Bell in the past, it should be reviewed whether the recent confirmation statement was made under pressure."
It struck exactly where it hurt.
Arsene knew our weakness.
And he had sent that weakness in the form of a record.
Clarisse looked at us.
"Do you dispute it?"
I answered shortly.
"I acknowledge the possibility."
Eveline nearly sprang to her feet.
"Leon!"
I raised my hand.
"And it should be verified."
Clarisse's eyes shifted slightly.
"How should it be verified?"
"Interview Liana Bell directly. However, do so without attendants from either House Rosette or House Berhardt present."
Clarisse looked at me.
"Would you be excluded as well?"
"If necessary."
Eveline's eyes widened.
"You too?"
"If I am there, the possibility of my influence exists as well."
Clarisse said quietly,
"Reasonable."
Good.
Eveline did not look pleased at all.
"Then Liana will be questioned alone?"
"Interviewed."
"That is the same thing."
Clarisse immediately said,
"It is different. An interrogation presupposes the possibility of guilt. An interview verifies the consistency and voluntariness of a statement."
Eveline glared at Clarisse.
"Sounds nice."
"Distinguishing terms is important in records."
"Is it important to people too?"
Clarisse's pen stopped.
For the first time.
Truly for the first time.
She did not answer immediately.
Eveline seemed surprised by her own words.
But she did not retreat.
"Liana was scared yesterday. If you call her in again, make her sit alone, and have her repeat the same things, she will be scared whether it is an interview or an interrogation."
I looked at Eveline.
Good.
Very good.
Eveline was speaking of Liana not as a shield, but as a person.
With her pen still stopped, Clarisse watched Eveline.
"Then what should be done?"
That question was strange.
It was not a judgment, but a question.
Eveline was briefly flustered.
She tried to look at me.
But she did not.
She spoke directly.
"Ask her first. Ask whether Liana can speak alone. If it is difficult for her to be alone..."
There, Eveline stopped.
Who should be with her?
Someone from House Rosette would be pressure.
Someone from House Berhardt would be even more dangerous.
House Blanc was involved in the incident too.
And I could exert influence as the educational supervisor.
Eveline's eyes wavered.
Then she said,
"Instructor Beatrice Morgan."
I was impressed inwardly.
Good.
Really good.
Beatrice was close to neutral.
An etiquette teacher.
A witness at the scene.
She had confirmed the wax seals and the messenger's statement.
She had little stake in pressuring Liana directly.
Clarisse flipped through the bundle of papers.
"Beatrice Morgan. Third-party confirmer at the scene. Etiquette teacher. Low conflict of interest."
She picked up her pen.
"That is a reasonable proposal."
Eveline's face relaxed ever so slightly.
A system window appeared.
[Eveline Rosette: Considered the conditions that create psychological pressure on others]
[Contributed to preventing Liana Bell from being used as a shield]
[Conditions for Clarisse Elvine's candidate reevaluation are being generated.]
Clarisse said to the assistant,
"Ask Liana Bell whether she is willing to undergo a direct interview. Also inquire whether Instructor Beatrice Morgan can attend as a neutral observer."
The assistant bowed and left.
Clarisse looked at us again.
"Lady Eveline Rosette. Your proposal just now offers you a direct benefit. If Liana Bell's statement is deemed trustworthy, some unfavorable records concerning you may be deferred."
"Yes."
"Did you make that proposal knowing this?"
Eveline thought for a moment.
"A little."
Honest.
Very honest.
Clarisse wrote.
"Awareness of self-interest. Not a wholly altruistic action."
Eveline gritted her teeth.
"Do you have to write it like that?"
"Yes."
"You are really annoying."
"Impression confirmed."
"Do not write that either!"
I wanted to cover my face with my hand.
But my wrist hurt, so I endured.
Oddly, Clarisse tilted her head a fraction.
"However."
She said.
Eveline stopped too.
"Despite having a self-interest, you mentioned first the conditions of pressure that could be imposed on Liana Bell. That will be recorded as well."
Eveline shut her mouth.
It sounded like praise, but it was not praise.
It was an assessment.
Yet Eveline accepted that assessment.
"...Yes."
Good.
Clarisse closed the materials tied with the red ribbon.
"Provisional assessment to this point."
The air changed.
This was where the assessment would come.
I straightened my posture.
Eveline smoothed out her handkerchief too.
Clarisse said,
"First. The records submitted by House Berhardt contain some facts of the incident, but due to their sequence and omissions, they are difficult to use as sole assessment material."
Good.
"Second. The draft opinion of House Rosette's educational supervisor does not defend the candidates one-sidedly, and preemptively lists unfavorable facts. The possibility of manipulation remains, but verifiable supporting records exist."
Good.
The possibility of manipulation still remained.
But that was only natural.
"Third. Lady Eveline Rosette acknowledged her past hostile acts and history of emotional reactions. However, during the interview, she did not immediately explode at provocative statements and revised her conjunction to state both unfavorable facts and facts of change."
The tips of Eveline's ears turned a little red.
"Fourth. Further verification is required regarding the voluntariness of Liana Bell's confirmation statement."
Expected.
"Fifth. Lady Seria Blanc's change will be recorded only as an early sign. A positive assessment is deferred."
That was expected too.
Clarisse set down her pen.
"Therefore, immediate application of preliminary conduct score deductions is deferred at this time."
I slowly let out a breath.
Success.
Not a complete victory.
But what we had wanted was not victory. It was a deferral.
A deferral was time.
Education required time.
A system window appeared.
[First record verification interview passed]
[Immediate preliminary conduct score deduction: Deferred]
[Educational supervisor's opinion: Conditionally accepted]
[Clarisse Elvine's interest has increased.]
The last line was not good.
Increased interest was generally the beginning of disaster.
Especially if it was the interest of a villainess.
Clarisse organized the documents.
"Leon Cart."
"Yes."
"Your method of recordkeeping is inefficient."
"Pardon?"
Out of nowhere?
"You write unfavorable facts first, acknowledge limitations, defer judgment, and attach an observation plan. It takes a long time to draft, and the document becomes thick."
"That is true."
"However, it is an inconvenient method for a fabricator to use."
Was that praise?
It did not seem like it.
Still, it was not a bad thing to say.
Clarisse continued.
"Therefore, I will observe you for the time being."
It was a very bad thing to say.
A system window immediately appeared.
[Clarisse Elvine registers Leon Cart as an observation subject.]
I closed my eyes.
I hated this.
I really hated this.
Eveline whispered beside me.
"Congratulations."
"This is not something to congratulate me for."
"I hear that a lot."
Things were truly serious now.
My verbal habit had been completely stolen by my student.
Then the assistant entered again.
"Lady Clarisse. Liana Bell has arrived at the academy's cathedral wing. She says she will agree to a direct interview."
Fast.
Too fast.
Liana was already at the academy?
The assistant continued.
"However, Instructor Beatrice Morgan has not arrived yet. Instead..."
He paused briefly.
"Lord Arsene Berhardt of House Berhardt has requested to attend."
Eveline's handkerchief crumpled.
This time, it definitely crumpled.
Clarisse looked at the handkerchief.
I looked at it too.
Then, gritting her teeth, Eveline slowly smoothed it out.
Very slowly.
The cloth, crumpled as though it might tear, became flat again.
Not completely.
Wrinkles remained.
But she smoothed it out.
Clarisse's pen moved.
"Strong emotional reaction occurred. Attempt at self-control confirmed."
Eveline spoke quietly.
"Arsene cannot be present for Liana's interview."
Good.
The sentence was short.
But correct.
Clarisse asked,
"Why?"
Eveline did not look at me.
She spoke directly.
"If he is there, Liana may think of his words before her own."
Clarisse's pen stopped.
I stopped too.
Eveline continued.
"And then this would no longer be a place to verify the voluntariness of her statement."
Good.
Really good.
A system window appeared.
[Eveline Rosette: Successfully prevented Liana Bell from being used as a shield]
[Maintains resistance to emotional manipulation by fiancé]
[Clarisse Elvine's candidate reevaluation is underway.]
Clarisse looked at Eveline.
For longer than before.
Then she said,
"Reasonable. Lord Arsene Berhardt's request to attend is denied."
Eveline's shoulders lowered ever so slightly.
But Clarisse immediately added,
"However, Leon Cart will not enter the interview room either."
I nodded.
"I accept that."
Eveline looked at me.
"You too?"
"Yes."
"Then Liana is alone."
"We can request that the interview not begin until Instructor Beatrice arrives."
Clarisse said,
"That request is accepted."
Good.
We had cleared one hurdle.
Then a low voice came from the corridor outside the archives.
A polite, gentle voice.
A voice that reassured people merely by hearing it.
Which made it all the more dangerous.
"Lady Clarisse. I did not come to attend the interview. I came as Lady Rosette's fiancé to check on her condition."
Arsene Berhardt.
Eveline's handkerchief moved again.
I spoke very quietly.
"And."
Eveline inhaled.
And.
She smoothed out her handkerchief.
Clarisse looked at the door.
I looked at the closed door.
The academy's Preliminary Archives Office.
There were no swords.
But sentences that stabbed deeper than swords were waiting beyond that door.
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