"You!?"
Recognizing Shion as the person who had attacked them the previous year, my disciples immediately braced themselves.
Seeing them react that way, Shion wore a lonely expression for a fleeting moment, but she quickly composed herself and looked them straight in the eye.
"I’m sorry for appearing so suddenly. I didn't actually intend to show myself, but you seemed to be in a bind. However, before we discuss that—"
Amidst an atmosphere so tense it could have ignited with a single spark, Shion slowly bowed her head.
"—Last year, I tried to take your lives. I know this isn't the kind of thing that can be resolved with a simple apology. Even so, please let me say it. I am truly sorry."
Watching Shion bow her head in sincere apology, I felt a sudden impulse to tell my disciples to forgive her.
But I knew it wasn't my place to interfere. In the first place, Shion likely didn't want that kind of help, and I didn't believe such a platitude would lead to a real resolution.
I suppressed the words that were rising in my throat.
"……We heard a little bit about what happened last year from Master Orun," Log said. "He said the whole event was a misunderstanding caused by the enemy framing you. Is that true?"
"…………Yes. That was part of it. But the biggest reason was because I was weak."
Shion paused, her voice heavy.
"If I hadn't neglected the preliminary investigation, I would have realized Orun was there. If I had known that, we never would have fought."
"……Why did you neglect the investigation?"
"Because knowing too much dulls your intent to kill. The more you know about the person you're facing, the harder it is. That’s why, while I never forget the faces or names of those whose lives I’ve taken, I tried not to know anything else about them. I was weak—I protected my own heart by lumping all Explorers together as enemies of the world. It was the only way I could justify it to myself."
"That's the worst," Carol said, cutting her down with rare bluntness.
"You’re right. It is the worst. I have taken many lives. That sin will never disappear, and I refuse to look away from it. Now, I want to fight while carrying that weight, so I can save even more people than the number I’ve killed."
Shion had worn a self-deprecating smile at Carol's remark, but by the end, her eyes were lit with a steady, determined flame as she looked at my disciples.
I knew Shion’s words came from the bottom of her heart, but I wondered how they would land with the kids.
As everyone waited in silence, Log finally spoke up.
"I don't think I can forgive you easily. However, it was because of the fear and the sense of defeat I felt that day that I realized how much stronger I needed to become. It might just be a retrospective justification, but I think I was only able to grow this much because that incident happened."
"I agree with Log," Sophie added. "I was terrified at the time, but looking back now, I feel like it was a trial we needed to face."
"I guess it gave me a reason to change how I think, too," Carol said. "I’m not ready to forgive you for scaring these two, but hearing you talk just now... I think I can at least move past it."
Following Log, Sophie and Carol laid out their own feelings.
Shion nodded, accepting their words.
"Thank you for being honest with me. You don't have to forgive me. I did something that warrants that, after all."
I felt the suffocating tension in the room soften.
For now, I could breathe a sigh of relief that a fatal rift hadn't formed between Shion and the disciples. To not flatly reject someone who had once tried to kill them—all three of them were incredibly strong.
"So, Shion. You said earlier you’d do something about our problem. Do you have a plan?"
"Yeah. I heard your conversation. These three want to enter the Academy, but you need to make sure their connection to Orun isn't discovered. That’s the gist of it, right?"
"Right. If people think there's a link between me and the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky, there’s a high chance the Cult will target these kids or Tsutrail again. I want to avoid that at all costs."
"Then it’s simple. We just give them fictitious backgrounds. For my family, creating fake identities for three people is an easy task."
Shion’s family, the Nasturtium House, was officially recognized as a middle-rank noble family.
However, that was merely the public face.
With roots tracing back to the Witch who fought the Evil God alongside the Fairy Tale Hero, it was no exaggeration to call them the de facto rulers of the Hitia Duchy.
"Creating fake backgrounds just like that... Shion-san, is your family really that influential?" Carol asked.
"It’s nothing so grand. We just have a bit of sway within the country. ……So, what do you think? This would officially make them Hitia Duchy Citizens, which should solve Orun’s concerns."
"It’s a solid plan," I agreed. "Their names are fairly well-known, but not many people know their faces. If we say they’re from the Hitia Duchy and use their nicknames as their legal names, the chances of anyone connecting them to the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky are very low. I think it’s a good idea, but what about you three?"
"So while I'm at the Academy, my name will just be 'Carol'? No problem here!"
"If it settles things peacefully, I don't mind either," Log said.
"I’m fine with it as well," Sophie added.
"Good. Then I’ll handle the paperwork. I’ll bring you your new profiles later, so make sure you memorize them."
With that, Shion turned on her heel to leave the room.
"Um, Shion-san!" Sophie called out.
Shion paused. "Yes?"
"Thank you very much for doing this for us."
Log and Carol nodded in agreement. Shion offered them a gentle, small smile.
"It's the least I can do."