Five final grade students lined up behind Lyra as they followed her to the Disciplinary Hall. She stepped inside, and they followed behind.
"Sid, what do you think happened to me? Do you believe now that I have a root? I think I scalded that guy with my bare hand…" Lior said, ecstatic as he stared at his hands.
Lucan chipped in softly in front of him, "If I were you, I wouldn't be so happy about that yet. Yes, you should be, as a frail shit like you is finally getting better with life and perhaps would even get with ladies as you want. But now, it wouldn't be nice if the disciplinary committee realizes that you truly did cause that to the heir of the Thornhelm house. You're from a declining noble house—you do realize how they'll discipline you? I think they'll expel you, since you already have a bad record, which was gotten from injustice."
"You…" Lior breathed out, but as he analyzed Lucan's words, he calmed and said, "Were the first few words actually relevant? Me? Frail shit? Okay. But, if I've gotten injustice before, what makes you think they'll believe I didn't do anything or wouldn't try to pin it on me?"
Lucan gave a smug smile at that as he snickered, "Of course they'll try to pin it on you, but I won't let that happen. As it even stands, they can't even try to pin having a Rootcraft onto a stupid fool like you, so it'll be easy for me to make sure they don't frame you. I just need to testify that you didn't do anything and say it's the other stupid dude that shouted at me earlier."
"Hmm… stupid fool? Really?" Lior complained again at Lucan's words, but he let it go as he realized the bigger picture. Then, he asked, noticing some loopholes, "And why would you assist me? If I recall well, you aren't a good person."
"Really? I'm not a good person?" Lucan laughed as he walked. "Well, I'll admit I'm not. But that's that. I hate that guy's guts because why did he have to shout at me? I'll make sure he regrets doing that. And besides that, I think you aren't bad with your hair short. You look like someone with sense that I'd like to be friends with, so why frame you and spoil your progress? If you get expelled, you won't get to go to the Empire Mages Hybrid College."
"I see… from stupid to someone with sense. Not bad, not bad. It all boils down to you, but what even makes you think I'd want to be your friend?" Lior laughed as he said.
"That is a discussion for later," Lucan said, closing in as they reached the place they were being brought to by Lady Lyra. There, two men were seated, dealing with matters. One was busy reading a book, and one had his eyes on them as they walked in.
His brows were raised as he asked, "And what's wrong? What have these ones done?"
"They caused a commotion in the classroom just because I left them minutes ago. It means that it was planned. There's a perpetrator whose aim is to cause conflict, and he needs to be punished."
"Understood," he said.
He then turned to the man beside him and said, "As the head of this disciplinary committee, how do you say we decide on this issue?"
"What is on the ground?" the man asked, barely removing his eyes from the book he was reading.
The man then looked at the five students and observed them. Master Draven moved from the first student—whose hands were burned to a bad degree—to the second, who was okay, to the third, who was perfectly fine but just seemed timid, to the fourth, who had scratches and redness of the hand, and to the fifth, who was also okay, and then back to the High Master.
He said, drawing his beard a bit, "It seems to be that three are okay and two are hurt. We should first start by asking for their names and family names and then proceed with what happened but ask the ones that are not hurt."
"Okay. Do as you've said, then," the High Master said, and the Master nodded.
He then brought out a pen and paper and looked at Sid. "You, what is your name and whose house do you come from?"
Sid looked at him, his eyes widening. Well, deep in his mind, he was seriously nervous, as he had always feared the halls. Clutching the hem of his clothes, he said, "I'm Sid, and I'm a servant from the Ravenhart House."
The master's pen stopped as he looked at him. "Who is your master?"
Sid pointed at Lior. "That is my master."
"Oh… Lior, you're here again," the master said as he smiled at him, and Lior, on the other hand, had an expressionless face.
To him, the middle-aged guy with the beard before him was the least of his problems. Currently, at the top of his worries was getting to his sisters and making them understand again that he's got power flowing in his blood that needs to be nurtured. But then again, he's got matters to face, as he looked at the master.
The master actually looked away from him and turned to the guy who had hit Lior first. "And Lord Rovan, what are you doing here?"
"It's Lior. He caused it."
"No, he didn't. Rovan, why do you have to lie so much just to save yourself from Lior's frail self? I mean, what would happen? Rather than going home for a while because you had intentions to kill your fellow mate?"
"Kill? Fuck you, Lucan! Isn't that too much? Why would you say I wanted to kill him? I only wanted to punch him to show him that cutting his hair short doesn't mean he would stop being targeted. His face is the problem!" Rovan shouted, seething.
"There, Master Draven. That's the confession you need."
Lucan's words managed to bring the High Master out of his intense concentration on the book he was reading. He raised his head and looked at the five of them.
"Lucan, you are sure my smart boy. Anyway, so—it's solved. We know who hit who, and this fine lot of them can go back. Just give him a few days to rest at home and think of what he did wrong."
"Okay, High Master," the master said.
He looked at Rovan and said, "Lord Rovan of House Stormvale has been suspended for a week for causing bodily harm to his fellow student. The victim will be treated at the Health Station."
Rovan's face turned foul at their words, and he looked at Lucan bitterly before leaving the room. Lior also wanted to turn, but Lady Lyra's voice sounded again.
"But you aren't done yet, Master Draven. What about him? You haven't said anything."
"What about him?" Master Draven asked as he looked at the person Lyra gestured to, and he uttered, "Oh…"