(Arin's Perspective)
The sharp sting of antiseptic assaulted my senses, drilling straight into my brain. It was a nauseating cocktail of seventy percent alcohol, crushed hyssop leaves, and the chalky dampness of wet plaster. A scent I knew far too well.
I peeled my eyes open to the familiar white ceiling. The glare of the magic crystal lamp overhead sent a throbbing ache pulsing through my skull. I tried to move my body, but my joints felt welded shut, screaming with a deep, grinding ache.
"You are awake?"
A cold, calm voice cut through the haze from beside me. I turned my head slowly, my neck stiff as a rusted hinge.
"This is...?"
"The Infirmary," the man answered briefly.
My memory spun, reassembling the scattered shards of the last few hours. The forest. The Grizzly. The fall from the cliff. Erika.
"Is she safe?" I asked, my voice scraping like sandpaper.
"You mean Erika? Yes, she is safe. Mild concussion and extreme mental exhaustion."
"...Thank goodness."
Relief flooded my chest, lifting the heaviest weight off my crushed ribs. Instructor Karim stared at me intensely, his brow furrowed as if I were a complex riddle he couldn't quite solve.
"Can you stand?" he asked, glancing at a wheelchair in the corner. "I apologize for the inconvenience. If possible, we need you to face the Academy Tribunal immediately."
The Tribunal?! Why?
My eyes widened at the unilateral demand. Questions swarmed my mind. I had just escaped the jaws of death, and now they wanted to put me on trial? I opened my mouth to demand clarification, but another voice interjected sharply.
"Excuse me, Instructor. My patient is in critical condition. Please return when he is stable. Have some decency," Edna snapped coldly.
The female doctor stood beside my bed with her arms crossed. She glared at Karim, her expression questioning his sanity for dragging a dying boy to court.
Unmoved by pity, the Instructor explained in a flat tone, as if reading a weather report.
"The situation is urgent. The internal council is in chaos regarding this case. Please understand, Doctor Edna. It would be best if this matter is not dragged out. The longer it is delayed, the worse Arin's position becomes."
My head spun. What did he mean? Why me? Confusion and anxiety wrestled for dominance in my mind.
"Instructor?" I forced myself to speak, ignoring the desert in my throat. "Why must I attend a Tribunal? And what happens if I don't?"
Karim glanced at me, then delivered a sentence that chilled my marrow.
"If you do not appear immediately, the council will decide to expel you and your friend. Without a defense, you will be deemed guilty in absentia."
Expelled?! Damn it.
Why expulsion? Why Erika too? Leaving the Academy was a nightmare scenario. A Knighthood was the only ladder out of poverty and disgrace. If I were kicked out, my life was over. And Erika... she would be destroyed if she were humiliated in front of her family.
I stared hard at Karim. My gaze demanded accountability. But the man just stood there, silent, waiting for my decision.
"So, are you coming?" Karim asked coldly.
"Damn it. Have it your way," I replied bitterly, abandoning the politeness usually required of a student.
Instructor Karim ignored my rudeness. He glanced at the wheelchair and then back at Edna, signaling her to prepare her patient.
Edna let out a long sigh, surrendering to my stubbornness. "Try to worry about yourself for once, you fool."
"Sorry, Edna. Please," I pleaded with a bitter smile.
Edna approached with the wheelchair. She helped me up with extreme care. Slowly, my body was lowered into the seat. My muscles screamed in protest as my position shifted, but I bit my lip to stifle the groan.
Thanks to the Tissue Elasticity Serum, I could at least turn my head and speak fluently even though my body felt like pulverized meat. I shifted slightly, trying to find a position that didn't send spasms through my back.
Instructor Karim walked ahead, leading the way with fast, efficient strides, while Edna pushed the wheelchair behind him. I glanced around as we moved. The dormitory hallways looked alien tonight.
It was dark, lit only by the dim glow of magic streetlamps outside the windows. Ahead, Karim pulled out a strange artifact; a palm-sized slate with a short stick attached to the top.
The artifact glowed with complex purple runes. Karim pressed the object to his ear. He repeated "Hello? Hello?" in an urgent tone while accelerating his pace, creating distance between us as if we were forbidden from hearing his conversation.
Before long, a magnificent white building came into view. The Academy Court Hall. Its pillars soared high, designed to intimidate anyone who entered. We passed through the massive central doors which opened automatically with a magical hum.
Inside, it wasn't as crowded as I had imagined. There were only a handful of men and women in black instructor uniforms scattered in the seats. However, the aura in the room was heavy and crushing.
I was placed in the center of the room, in a small circle separated from the other seats. The positioning made it clear: I was the accused. Edna retreated to sit on a back bench, her face etched with worry. Shortly after, a few more figures emerged from the side door.
Instructor Brook approached me. His usually fierce face now looked serious and... slightly anxious?
"Boy, do not falter," he said with grave seriousness, tapping my shoulder gently. "Whatever happens, you must believe in yourself and your theory. Do not let them trample you."
Without waiting for a response, he walked to the right podium where Instructor Karim was also seated. They whispered to each other, occasionally glancing my way.
Then, the front podium began to fill with people in black uniforms. The difference was the glistening pins on their chests, marking high rank. The Academy Executive Council.
One figure stood out above the rest; a woman sitting in the highest center seat. She appeared to be in her forties, with beautiful flowing blonde hair that radiated a cold aura. Her golden eyes reminded me of Elena. She was the woman I had seen giving the speech at the entrance ceremony.
Headmistress Selena Rhyms. A Sixth Circle Mage and the most powerful person in the Academy. Elena's grandmother.
She looked at me with a smile of amused interest that was hard to read. I returned it with a grimace, unsure how to behave before such power.
At the end of the front podium sat a young woman in a luxuriously modified student uniform. She had blonde hair and red eyes reminiscent of Elian. Undoubtedly, she was the Student Council President. Third-year Class S Cadet, Devina Delphine.
Our eyes met for a second. She nodded politely, but her eyes held cold calculation. It was hard to read her thoughts. Rumor had it her relationship with her brother, Elian, was strained due to the succession battle.
Finally, Instructor Adnia arrived. She walked with a haughty stride to the left podium. Her eyes looked down on me with disdain, as if viewing an insect that needed extermination. Her lips curled into a sly smile, hinting at a rotten conspiracy ready to be unleashed.
I stared back sharply. Suspicion boiled in my mind. Was she the mastermind behind this? What was her goal? To get rid of me? Or to humiliate Erika?
My thoughts were cut off by the sound of a gavel echoing through the room.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"The closed session regarding alleged cheating during the Forest Exam officially begins!" Headmistress Selena announced loudly. Her voice was amplified by magic, filling every corner of the hall.
"Defendant: Arin. Accused of gross misconduct during the Forest Exam. Prosecutor: Instructor Adnia Feris. Is this correct?"
"Your Excellency, it is not an accusation but an undeniable reality," Instructor Adnia replied, standing up and pointing a manicured finger at me. "A Class C student suffering from the Static Mana curse cannot possibly defeat a Tier 3 Grizzly Bear. It is biologically and magically impossible. There were no traces of anyone else besides Arin and Erika at the scene. Therefore, it is highly probable; no, certain, that these two students committed fraud by using illegal tools or outside assistance."
Selena turned to me, her gaze demanding. "Is this true? Defendant Arin."
I understood the direction of this trial. Given my syndrome, it was logical to assume I was incapable of fighting a Tier 3 monster. To the layperson's logic, an ant cannot kill an elephant. Instructor Adnia was using this logical fallacy to purge the 'cripples' from her academy.
I didn't know her personal motive. I thought she wouldn't care about a Class C student. Whatever her goal, my priority was survival. I could not break here.
"Permission to answer, Your Excellency," I said politely, steadying my voice. "The arrival of the Grizzly Bear was completely unpredicted. We initially shouted for supervisors but there was no answer. Erika and I were forced to fight to survive. We..."
Adnia stood and cut me off rudely, her voice rising. "Lies! There were no shouts calling for supervisors around the mountain slope. Our sound sensors recorded nothing! That is just a cheap alibi!"
"Instructor Adnia! Please do not speak out of turn until I permit it," the Headmistress cut in firmly. She glared at Adnia with eyes that commanded silence. Terrifying mana pressure radiated from Selena, making the air in the room heavy.
Adnia shut her mouth instantly, her face paling slightly. She cast a hateful glare at me. It was clear the woman wanted me found guilty and expelled tonight.
"Your Excellency, I request permission to speak as an expert witness." Suddenly, Brook raised his hand from the right podium.
"Proceed, Instructor Brook."
"Thank you," Brook replied, standing up. He looked straight at Selena. "Adnia is right about one thing. At that time, no one was supervising Arin and Erika directly. Karim and I went to the mountain slope after detecting an anomaly in the magic barrier. When we arrived, Arin and Erika were already severely injured and unconscious beside the monster's carcass."
"Oh, since no one was watching, wasn't that a golden opportunity to fabricate the crime scene?" Adnia asked quickly, trying to corner the defense. "They could have used illegal poisons or forbidden magic scrolls, then injured themselves to look heroic!"
"Unfortunately, there was no fabrication, Adnia," Brook replied with a thin, confident smile. "Your Excellency, please allow me to bring in the Grizzly Bear's corpse as forensic evidence."
"Yes, bring in the corpse," Selena ordered the guards.
The side doors opened wide. Guards struggled to carry in the massive body on a large stretcher. The monster's carcass was placed in the center of the room for all to see. The stench of blood and burnt flesh instantly filled the pristine hall.
Brook stepped into the center with a surgical dagger in hand. He performed a live autopsy on the Grizzly before the council, acting like an anatomy professor.
"Look at this, ladies and gentlemen." Brook pointed to the bear's gaping neck wound.
He revealed the cleanly severed carotid artery and the lower jaw shattered by a powerful blunt impact. There was no mistaking it; the result of my dagger thrust and fist. A proud smile tugged at my lips. I never imagined I could go this far, proving my strength before the elite.
"This fatal wound was caused by a dagger thrust twenty centimeters deep. Every angle of the wound matches the standard dagger Arin used. And look at this..." Brook pointed to the scorch marks covering the bear's body. "These superficial wounds are the result of First Circle Magic: Mana Bullet. The residual mana signature matches Erika's perfectly. Karim and I have analyzed the battlefield, and the results match the desperate combat scenario I described earlier."
Suddenly, Instructor Adnia marched up to the Grizzly carcass, refusing to lose. She pointed at the stab wound in the neck.
"I appreciate your analysis, Mister Brook. But try to use logic! A stab wound this deep penetrating Grizzly muscle as thick as a carriage tire? This can only be done by a Professional Level Aura user. Meanwhile, the wounds all over the Grizzly's body were surely not made by one person. Do you intend to say a weak First Circle student can vomit hundreds of mana bullets in a single chant? It is absurd!"
Brook paused, searching for the right words. The court fell silent, tension peaking. All eyes were fixed on the dead beast.
"It is possible," I said, breaking the silence. My voice was hoarse but filled with conviction.
Everyone stared at me. Their gazes were filled with disbelief and curiosity. Selena looked at me deeply, her sharp eyes demanding an explanation.
"Your Excellency, Erika and I developed methods to overcome our weaknesses. I created a breathing technique that manipulates my heart, allowing me to send a surge of mana to create solid Aura for a split second. Meanwhile, Erika uses a 'stacking' method, piling circuits to allow her to fire First Circle magic in rapid succession," I explained calmly to the audience.
"Lies! That is impossible! What nonsense are you spouting in this court?" Adnia refuted loudly, smiling dismissively. "Manipulating the heart? Stacking circuits? Those are mad theories found in no textbook!"
The audience began to whisper, their voices buzzing like bees.
"Just childish nonsense." "There is no such method; even Professor Gishlain failed to research it." "But what if it's true? The kid is a genius."
Speculation spread. Most were inclined to believe Adnia due to her reputation. A triumphant smile curled on the woman's lips; she felt she had the upper hand.
"I have the answer to that." Karim suddenly stood up from his seat. He held a thick stack of documents.
"Explain!" Selena ordered.
"Certainly. These are the medical history documents of Arin and Erika for the past month obtained from Doctor Edna, as well as the post-incident medical report." Karim handed the documents to the Headmistress.
"The method is real, and it comes at a high price. The injuries Arin sustained are internal wounds caused by Professional Level Aura surges that his body could not withstand. His bones cracked not from being hit, but from hitting. Meanwhile, Erika frequently requested headache medicine and mental sedatives after every magic practice. This matches her condition when found unconscious on the slope, where her mind was in total overheat from processing too many circuits," Karim explained in a loud voice audible to the entire room.
Adnia's face turned crimson, veins bulging in her neck. She pointed at me angrily, her voice shaking. "That is impossible! It must be... yes, it must be forbidden magic used by heretical sects! They traded their life force for demonic power!"
The room erupted. The accusation of 'Forbidden Magic' was the final, lethal trump card. Accusing someone of heresy was no small matter. If proven, the accused would be burned alive in the town square. But if unproven, the accuser would be deemed a heretic for slander and abuse of power.
"It is not forbidden magic." Edna stood up from the back, her face cold and firm. "I have monitored Arin closely as his personal physician. I can confirm that the technique used by Arin and Erika is not forbidden magic or heresy, but Biomimicry; the method of mimicking the biological functions of monsters used by ancient mages and researchers before the Seventh Magic Era."
The room went into an uproar again. The intensity was higher than before. The word 'Biomimicry' was like a spell that shifted their perception.
"Is that true?" "So those two students did the impossible?" "If true, they will receive prestigious awards." "I didn't expect a Class C student to invent a method that royal scientists failed to research for years."
The wind had shifted in my favor. The atmosphere turned one hundred eighty degrees. Adnia's face was pale as a sheet, drained of blood. Emotions churned between shame and rage. She opened her mouth to argue again, but another voice shut down her chance.
"I have read the documents," the Headmistress said, calm yet authoritative, closing the folder. "I have been in the world of magic for sixty years. It is true that Biomimicry is considered archaic and irrelevant today due to its high risk. But in extreme cases, like what this boy did, Biomimicry has proven more effective than Magic Circuit Engineering."
Adnia panicked, trying to defend her crumbling case. "But Your Excellency, the method is too dangerous! It..."
"Are you implying they used forbidden magic again? Do you know the consequences if your accusation is unproven, Adnia?" Selena glared at Adnia, her eyes cold and absolute.
Adnia fell silent. Her smile of victory had vanished without a trace, replaced by a look of devastation and fear. She bowed deep, hiding her face.
"No, Your Excellency."
"With Arin's innocence proven, and the discovery of this revolutionary new method, we revoke the defendant status. Arin is now cleared of all charges and declared not guilty. Case closed."
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The gavel struck three times, the sound echoing beautifully in my ears, declaring my sweet victory over this injustice. I leaned back limply in the wheelchair, releasing the long breath I had been holding.
I won. We won.