It was a chaotic morning at St. Eliria.
"Uphold justice!"
"Rid the academy of predators!"
"Punish the criminals hiding behind academia!"
"Fire Lucien Arkwright!"
Celeste let out a quiet sigh as she made her way through the crowded corridors.
Though the protest was centered in the main courtyard, it felt as though every inch of the academy was now filled with students.
Many who previously had no interest—or even awareness—of the issue gradually began to feel a sense of personal relevance, joining the swelling crowd.
They even went as far as to make caricatures.
Posted on banners and turned into symbols of collective rage, the image was so distorted that Celeste could hardly recognize it as Lucien Arkwright at first glance.
It depicted a cartoonish man with messy hair and horns, his mouth agape as he held a tiny female figure between his hairy, grotesque fingers.
Celeste exhaled again and kept walking.
This isn't my business.
Lucien chose to play with fire, and now he's getting burned.
So why does this feel so wrong?
"We need to get rid of him," said Professor Neil Young, the Deputy Dean for Student Affairs. "His behavior has managed to unite the entire student body against him."
"B-but should we really cave to student demands so easily?" Mireille Ainsworth responded nervously.
"What do you mean, 'cave in'?" scoffed Professor Maelis Corvan. "Actions have consequences. Arkwright was reckless, and now he must face accountability."
"What's your take, Dean?" Neil turned toward the Dean, who was still seated, scribbling something at his desk.
"Me?" The Dean looked up briefly, stroking his chin. "Not sure."
The other three furrowed their brows at his vague answer.
Then, the Dean threw the question elsewhere. "What's your take, Professor Varenthal?"
Celeste didn't particularly want to get involved. As Head of Administration, her position obliged her to attend these frustrating meetings.
Still, if she had to speak ... "I agree with Professor Young. St. Eliria is a standardized institution. Ever since the last issue of Annales Arcanae came out, people have started doubting our integrity. Keeping someone as controversial as Professor Arkwright around will only worsen our reputation."
Neil Young flashed a smug smile. "Exactly—"
"But!" Celeste cut him off sharply, fixing him with a glare. "That doesn't mean we throw out due process just because our image is on the line. While Arkwright hasn't been able to prove his innocence, there's also no solid evidence proving otherwise, either."
"So you're suggesting Ms. Calven was the one who assaulted Arkwright? A mere 16 years old girl harassing a full-grown man?" Neil replied, barely stifling a mocking laugh.
What's so funny about that? "Something similar happened a year ago."
Neil clapped his hands together. "And that's precisely what worries me, Professor Varenthal. You speak of logic, but I sense a bit of emotional bias here."
Celeste clenched her fists. "Professor Arkwright and Professor Ianosa came from completely different backgrounds—
"I'm surprised you still refer to that man as 'Professor.' Are you trying to insult those of us who are true professors?"
Celeste ignored Neil's outburst and continued. "—they're very different individuals, but both cases involved the same student. Doesn't that raise any questions about who the real problem might be?"
Neil stood and stomped his foot. "Apologies, Dean. I've had enough. This is turning into a pointless debate." Before storming out, he left a final remark. "Gentlemen, perhaps some of us need reminding, but most of our students are children of highly influential people. So to hell with 'due process'—keeping one troublemaker at the cost of this academy shutting down is far less logical."
The door slammed shut behind him.
"I agree with Professor Young," Maelis Corvan added, now standing as well. "Arkwright may be talented, but no one can teach effectively when they're hated by everyone."
Unlike Neil, Maelis excused himself politely and left Celeste alone with the Dean—and Mireille, who remained simply because, as the Dean's personal secretary, she had nowhere else to be.
"Mireille, darling."
Mireille, who had been watching Celeste with concern, turned toward the Dean. "Yes?"
"Could you get me some tea and sweets? All this chaos is giving me a headache. I need sugar."
"Okay~" she replied, giving Celeste one last glance before heading out.
For a few minutes, Celeste said nothing. The silence hung between her and the Dean.
"Seems like everything's going smoother than we expected," the Dean eventually said. "So, was it you who suggested Lucien pay Ms. Calven a visit?"
"No!" Her response came louder than she intended—too defensive. Defensive of what, exactly? "I…"
The Dean chuckled. "Right. If you really wanted this, you wouldn't be defending him like that."
I'm not defending him. Celeste wanted to say that, but it would've sounded like another pathethic denial.
"I know we're motivated by different things," the Dean said, "but I assume our main goal is still the same?"
Lucien Arkwright's dismissal was the ultimate sentence.
No matter how it was achieved.
Though that wasn't even the main issue.
Despite all the claims that St. Eliria was free from outside influence, in reality, its policies were constantly meddled with by one of the most powerful clans in existence—
House Crowne.
The irony?
They were the ones who sought the downfall of one of their own potential heirs.
Celeste didn't know why. She didn't care to know.
She had already drawn her own conclusion: this academy is broken. To hell with the prestige it supposedly upheld for centuries.
St. Eliria is nothing but a circus stage—an extravagant show masking the corrupt, disgraceful practices that betray the very core of what an educational institution should be.
This isn't a place for gifted scholars to chase dreams.
This isn't a place for visionaries who want to share their knowledge.
This isn't a place for Lucien Arkwright.
And even if Lucien ends up resenting her—or already does—Celeste didn't care.
She was only doing what she believed was right.
"So… you're really going to fire him over this?"
"And risk your wrath?" the Dean chuckled. "I wouldn't dare."
He closed his notebook, dried his pen, and finally looked directly at her. "Besides, you made a good point—there needs to be a proper procedure. But Neil was right too. Not because I'm afraid of losing students. No, there are thousands lined up to replace the ones who might leave if this isn't handled properly.
"But what draws those thousands here in the first place? Prestige. Reputation. And when 70% of your students suddenly walk out, people will definitely start asking what the hell went wrong."
Celeste turned away, trying to suppress her disgust.
"Will you launch an investigation, then?"
"No. Too much hassle. Takes too long. I have no desire to play detective." The Dean leaned back and sighed. "The royal family is visiting tomorrow for their monthly tour. There'll be a discussion session—one student and one professor will be chosen to represent each side."
Celeste's eyes widened. "You're staging a public trial?"
"I'm simply creating space for dialogue—between Lucien and the students who hate him. I just hope he has a good answer ready, because if he says the wrong thing and ends up offending the royal family…"
"…well, who am I to defend an enemy of the king?"