Chapter - 15

Overwhelmed by surprise, Stella glued her round eyes to the photo.

"Ikki, th-this is…!"

There was no mistake. In the school, in a spot in the forest that Ikki and Stella always used for training. It was a photograph of one of the times they exchanged a kiss.

That picture was published on a page of every one of the evening papers that Akaza had handed over.

Right―everything had been cleanly exposed. The relationship between the two of them. To everyone within the school.

"What a great picture, isn't it? It has your faces just right. Even though it was at night, cameras today are dreadful. Ha ha ha. Maybe you can't tell since we're in the mountains? That the public is in an uproar right now? Laying hands on a state guest, it's an unprecedented scandal."

"W-Wait a second!"

Stella snatched the newspaper and shouted angrily.

"W-What is this article!? What is this nonsense!?"

Screaming that, she pointed at the front-page stories with merry words that exacerbated the seriousness of the situation:

『The Man Who Stole a Princess's Purity』

『King of Vermillion Outraged』

『International Problem Brewing Between Japan and Vermillion?』

And there, criticisms of the person called Ikki Kurogane were published, supplied by the Kurogane family. That his behavior was bad in the old days, that he was a problem child who troubled the Kurogane house, that he was a person with a problematic personality, and so on. Furthermore, that his philandering was excessively bad, that he continued licentious associations with several girls besides Stella, going even that far.

What a bunch of utter lies. But in these articles, those lies were listed as if they were true.

「Ikki Kurogane was a boy with a notoriously problematic personality in the past.」

Stella, seeing such a statement, couldn't help but fall silent. However, to the enraged Stella, Azaka put on a grin that stretched across his entire face.

"No, no. All of that is true, you know. Even though you weren't aware, Princess. That's natural. I'm not such a good-for-nothing person that I'd spread rumors. However, we know what kind of person he was in the past. …It truly pains me to speak ill of a relative, but this boy, he has been a scoundrel since the old days, even committing assault, theft, and blackmail. Look, there should even be comments from victims published there. Ha ha ha."

"Aren't all of those things fabrications!? That he's not the kind of person who'd do those things, anyone who knows him even a little bit would get that!"

"Ha ha ha. Well, however you think of it, Princess, the truth is this has become the news. How the general public will receive it is clear, no? The reality is, after receiving this information, the voices in the League objecting about Ikki-kun's qualities as a knight will become stronger. Therefore, the League's Japanese branch will hold an emergency inquiry regarding this matter. And there, Ikki-kun's qualities as a knight will be comprehensively inspected, and if he is judged unfit, the Japanese branch will send the League's headquarters a request for Ikki-kun's expulsion. …Today, I'm here to take Ikki-kun in for that inquiry."

Stella's understanding solidified at Akaza's attitude. This wasn't an ordinary scandal―Ikki's family, the Kurogane house, had conceived a clearly spiteful attack on him. They were using this scandal for maximum effect, and attacking Ikki's status as a knight. By taking advantage of the scandal, they would revoke Ikki's status as a knight that was managed by League's headquarters, and impose expulsion on him. In order to suppress the failure who didn't act in accordance with the will of the Kurogane main house.

"This is is a formal hearing called by the ethics committee. If they find you unacceptable… ha ha ha. Well, Ikki-kun's situation is growing very bad. …Of course, you'll come along without a fight, right? Ikki-kun. Ha ha ha."

Akaza put both hands on Ikki's shoulders, and announced it with a syrupy tone.

In contrast, after Ikki was silent for a short while….

"I understand."

As if resolving himself, he answered that way. Standing upright, he returned Akaza's gaze with eyes ready to take the challenge.

Stella perceived it in Ikki's stare. A powerfully malicious ordeal like they had never encountered before was drawing near the person she loved.

"Eh~, everyone, I sincerely thank you for accepting this call for an emergency meeting even though we're so busy today~. As for this meeting today, even though Ikki Kurogane-kun here today is an adult who's gone through his coming of age, he has produced as absurd a scandal as having an illicit sexual relationship with a state guest, and voices that call his accountability and ethics as an adult into question have risen in the Japanese branch. He is receiving various privileges that are not bestowed upon student knights or ordinary fifteen-year-old boys. For this reason, we greatly demand a sense of responsibility balancing those privileges. Accordingly, the Ethics Committee is also considering this view, and for this occasion, we have concluded that there is an opportunity to formally and closely examine whether Ikki Kurogane-kun's qualities as a knight is under question. Though we know you are all busy, please favor us with your understanding and cooperation."

The skyscraper of the League of Mage-Knight Nations, Japanese Branch. The ethics directors of student knights, of mage-knights, was on the tenth underground floor there, as was the section controlled by the Ethics Committee that petitioned for things like disciplinary action and expulsion when necessary, or act as military police.

At a room in that section, the chairman of the Ethics Committee, Akaza, bowed his head toward the gathered middle-aged gentlemen, and he made a stiff and smug smile at Ikki Kurogane who stood there with upright honesty.

"―Well, let us open this inquiry meeting. Everyone. Please take your seats."

But there was no chair anywhere near Ikki. Only the gentlemen sat down. It was plainly harassment. Ikki had been forced to remain standing for this meeting that would last how many hours?

Well, it was expected, and he wasn't so poorly trained that he would surrender at that degree of discomfort, so it was no big deal, but….

…At any rate, the air in this place is really stagnant, huh?

Ikki surveyed the indoor room that had practically no illumination. Inside the room, a U-shaped table was set up as if to surround him, and the suited gentlemen were sitting, beginning with Akaza. Three people in front of Ikki. To his left and right, one person each. Five in total. Because everyone there was dressed in red suits, Ikki knew they were all people of the Ethics Committee.

"No need to be so uptight. Despite what I said in the beginning, every one of us here is your ally."

Akaza mocked Ikki who felt like probing the Ethics Committee's combat ability.

"This inquiry meeting is not a place for censuring you. We will not just properly hear the excuse from you who created an unprecendented scandal in carrying out an illicit sexual relationship with a state guest, but also the explanation kindly given by your father the director. In other words, there is no one here but your allies. Isn't that right, everyone?"

"Indeed. Everyone here believes it would be a pity to decide on expulsion whatever your explanation is. Because somehow, you've pushed yourself to appear in the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival so extremely hard that you'll make it with just another step. We don't want to nullify such tenacity."

"…Thank you very much."

How dare Akaza say such insincere things so unreservedly? It was admirable, in a sense.

"Well then, Ikki-kun, now that you understand that we're your allies, first of all let us review the facts. It's true that Ikki-kun and the second princess of the Vermillion Empire, Miss Stella Vermillion, are in a relationship, correct?"

"Yes, that's true."

"He he he. It's good to be honest. When did that association begin, more or less?"

"It began at the commencement of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival selection battles. The night of my first battle."

It wasn't like he was telling a lie. Therefore Ikki answered honestly. However, every person on the committee made a scornful expression.

"Oh, you started the socializing extremely quickly, didn't you."

"Hmph. Youngsters today are indeed like this. Doing terribly rash and blind things."

"In our youth, we spent more time building a mutual relationship first, after all."

"When it comes to young people today, they're all like monkeys, I see. Why do they do these things that end in unintended pregnancy and shotgun weddings?"

"Truly lamentable."

They were talking entirely like Ikki and Stella were having premarital sex. Of course, Ikki had done no such thing. Up to this day, they had been socializing as nothing more than a platonic couple. That was what he and Stella decided for their relationship after serious consideration. They understood that her position, being a princess, was very delicate. Therefore this kind of false accusation was infuriating.

"Sorry to be rude, but we haven't been doing anything like what you and the newspapers―"

"Ikk-kun, Ikki-kun. I know that you have things you want to say, but please speak only when given permission, okay? If you don't, you'll give a bad impression, you know. He he he."

"…Please forgive my rudeness."

His statement was interrupted by Akaza, and Ikki reluctantly bowed his head in apology.

The man with a goatee who was sitting at Ikki's left side and looking at him hatefully asked him a question with a rather curt tone.

"Hmph. Since it looks like you want to say something no matter what, I'll ask a question. You didn't think about how absurd it is to have an illicit sexual relationship with another country's princess, right? It's so extremely dangerous that it's capable of creating an international problem. I understand that you're at the age where you have too much sexual desire, but your sense in choosing a partner to have fun with wasn't working, right?"

"My intentions in associating with Stella was not to play around. We love each other sincerely."

"Hmph. You really are a child."

"He he he. I was like that as well, you know. The girl that's your first love seems like a once-in-a-lifetime partner. It's so good to be young, yes."

"I'll take your word for it, but both Stella and I are already adults who've had our coming of age ceremonies. We even have the right to marry. Wouldn't it be quite normal to think seriously about our mutual relationship?"

"Hair-splitting, are you? Such an extremely rebellious attitude."

"You, that kind of manner isn't good."

"It'll make a bad impression, I said. He he he."

Akaza filled something in upon a sheet of paper close at hand.

That sight, and seeing the middle-aged people surrounding him with the attitude of not listening to his points―

I knew it would be like this, but… what a cruel farce.

Ikki sighed in his heart. While questioning Ikki's accountability as an adult, they were completely refusing to recognize the legal rights Ikki has as an adult. Rather than treating Ikki as an adult, it was only a scene for their own convenience. Those indications from the people of the Ethics Committee made Ikki convinced. This was not a place where his qualities as a knight was being carefully examined. This place, it had already concluded that Ikki Kurogane does not have the nature of a knight, and it was definitely an inquisition to collect material for reinforcing that conclusion.

…Well, I already understand that after seeing the evening paper, but….

In the first place, the things they were saying were weird from the beginning. That he had made a lover from a princess who was studying abroad. Well, it was certainly a scandalous story. One could say it would be natural for there to be a media uproar. But it was strange that this would lead to an inquiry on Ikki's qualities as a knight.

As per Ikki's assertion not long ago, neither he nor Stella were children. They were a man and woman whose right to marry was legally recognized. Their love was permitted under the law, so to speak. More than Ikki and Stella's feelings being settled, if for example Stella's father, the king of the Vermillion Empire, displayed discomfort at the matter, that was entirely something to be discussed with the person himself. Despite that, it hadn't become like that, but instead it became a scandal that third-parties were mistakenly clamoring about, and all of it had been collected on pages so that they can be turned into questions on Ikki's qualities as a knight. It was obviously strange.

Why did something so strange develop like that? The reason was simple. It was none other than the existence of something manipulating arbitrary expectations into turmoil.

He's doing roundabout things as usual.

However, Ikki also knew that they were not being so roundabout because they were fond of it. All student knights were members of the League of Mage-Knight Nations. Besides deterrence against war, by enrolling knights into a nationalistic organization, it simplified the legal process for travel, and allowed them to help each other immediately in the case of emergency. Or in the unlikely event of a war breaking out, it allowed for proxy wars smoothly conducted between the knights of different countries under the supervision of the League and so forth. There were various pretexts, but anyway, it wasn't something relevant to what was going on at the moment.

What was important was that the qualifications of mage-knights who were enrolled as student knights at the League headquarters, those qualifications could not by suspended or revoked by the various national governments around the world and their branches arbitrarily. Even Itsuki Kurogane the Japanese branch director, even Akaza the Ethics Committee chairman who acted as military police, were not entitled to such power. Therefore they had no choice but to use a circuitous means.

Yes, like instigating the Hunter against Ikki Kurogane a year ago.

By persecuting Ikki behind closed doors, they were trying to cause Ikki to speak self-incriminating words from his own mouth. Even if they couldn't get get that, to have him show bad behavior. Bad attitude. Bad expression. Rough tone. Anything was fine. At any rate, they were stocking up on information about Ikki's giving bad impressions, to support an application for expulsion that they would submit to the League's headquarters. That was the aim of Akaza and the others. Ikki could tell.

In that case, more than repeating the same assertion, it was safer not to let things slip from his tongue and be held against him.

Ikki understood that, but he—

"Whether you all have good or bad beliefs, it's fine with me either way. I sincerely love Stella, and she truly loves me. I know that. Therefore I don't believe our actions were a mistake, and we won't tell others that it was a mistake."

He thoroughly refused to back down from his antagonistic posture. Naturally. Ikki knew very well how much he loved that charming girl. When they held each other, when they kissed, he knew what kind of wonderful smiles they showed. That being the case, he would not declare that it was a scandal. He would not say that it was a mistake. If there was anyone who tried to force him to say it was a mistake, sticking to silence in front of that person would not be what a man does. That was why Ikki came to this inquiry.

—I said so to Stella.

No matter who he was in front of, he would say he loved Stella proudly. So he wouldn't retreat. He wouldn't stay silent. If the men before him had no intention of listening to his opinion all along, that was perfectly fine. It wasn't like he was thinking of getting approval from people like them. Simply put, he was not going to stop asserting it.

Because this feeling was the one thing he would never lie about.