Chapter CXLIX - Sanity (part 2)

The headmaster was writing some documents with a pen. He quickly looked shocked when he saw me entering the room.

"R-Rize!? You are okay!"

He quickly stood up, but I simply lifted my palms to stop him.

"Please, I don't need a hug."

"Ah, right."

I sat down on the sofa closest to me, while the headmaster sat on the other side.

"Are you… going to tell me what happened?"

The headmaster asked worriedly. I had to look away while making sure my emotions were in check before explaining to him everything.

I began telling him everything. Starting from how I got kidnapped, to the point where I got brought into a room and nearly got raped.

When I arrived at the point where I massacred everyone mercilessly, he didn't look quite shocked. Did he know that I would be this... inhumane?

I finally told him about my ten days of isolation, in an attempt to retain my sanity. He nodded and told me that was the perfect move. I finished the story by telling him that.

"I see... You nearly got raped, and you lost control of yourself. You broke free from an anti-magic cuff using your foreign powers, and you somewhat lost control even further and massacred everyone in the building.

Jericho and Manda told me the building had already collapsed when they got there. Looks like they are trying to cover you up."

That was surprising... I thought those two hated me.

"I see... The building didn't collapse at all. Not when I left."

"And the reason you left is because you don't want to hurt anybody by losing control. Am I wrong?"

"… Yes."

The headmaster let out a sigh and leaned his back on his sofa. His mind pondered for a while, and he finally spoke out what was on his mind.

"Rize, do you remember what professor Fergulus said during your first semester? When he brought you here?"

"Yes... 

I remembered it as clear as day."

The headmaster squinted his eyes with two of his fingers, and he finally glared at me seriously. Something big is going to come out of his mouth.

"It's hard to believe… but I have to say that I must agree with him today. With you being here, you can endanger the students. You might actually kill someone if you somehow don't like them or hate them if you lose control again…

I don't like this, but it is the decision I need to make… I'm sorry.

I am dropping you out of the academy."

It is indeed something big.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I simply grinned.

"How funny. I was about to resign myself."

After seeing the grin on my face, the headmaster felt a lot easier about doing this. He let out another breath as he stood back up and went for his desk.

He took an item from under his desk, and then threw it at me. I captured it with one hand and looked at the item.

It's... a space ring?

"Inside are a bunch of things I think would be useful for you. Including my personal books, such as the one about advanced healing magic."

I wore the ring and took out the book about healing magic that he mentioned, and I read the table of contents. Inside are a bunch of tips on how to heal people more efficiently. Some of them I already know, but most of them are actually useful knowledge.

There are other things like magic scrolls, more books, and... a board game?

I took out the board game and glared at the headmaster with a 'seriously?' expression, and he simply chuckled.

"So that you can keep on training to beat me."

"… Cocky bastard."

I put the board back to the ring and decided to keep it. Now that everything is in place, all that is left is for me to leave.

"Do you keep anything in your dorm room? Knowing you, I don't think you do."

"Actually I used to have some things, but they were destroyed when the girls' dormitory collapsed in the first semester."

"I see, that's unfortunate. Is there anything else?"

I placed my hand on my chin to think, and finally came to a conclusion that what is left is...

"I will probably skip the goodbyes."

"They will definitely kill you for that."

"… I don't mind."

I stood up and walked to the headmaster. We both shook hands.

"See you later, Rize. Maybe sooner than you thought since the war is coming."

"Right. See you later, then. We'll play again if we have another chance in the future."

"I'll look forward to that."

I let go of the handshake and headed to the door. I didn't turn around at all when I touched the door handle, and I got teleported outside.

"Fyuuh... Now to leave..."

"Did you really think you could leave without anyone noticing?"

A voice came from my right, and it's the one person I wouldn't want to see. 

Jericho was already waiting outside the door. Looks like she caught wind of me walking in the front yard.

"J-Jericho..."

"You bastard... Why didn't you return to the academy after that?"

She looked quite pissed, but I can tell that she is worried.

"I-I was training..."

"Training after all that?! Is everything inside your mind simply muscles??"

Seeing Jericho like this made me realize something. She was there, and she pushed me away. That was the right move, but I still felt very pained from that.

But that doesn't mean she doesn't care for me anymore. Deep down, underneath that scared expression she wore when she pushed me away, was a worried tsundere Jericho who cares about me a lot.

In the end… she only did that because she wanted me to snap out of it. She… and Manda, still cared for me.

But I have made up my mind.

"Jericho…"

Hearing my voice go down a few octaves made her snap. She stopped her barks and waited for me to finish my sentence.

"I am... leaving the academy."

"W-What?"

Hearing that made her very taken aback. Deep down, she is feeling guilty for pushing me away. That's why she couldn't believe that this was happening.

"R-Rize... You can't be serious..."

"Even if I don't leave, the headmaster will kick me anyway. If I stayed near you… all of you, you guys will be in danger. And I feel… that I am needed a lot more out there."

Her eyes became wider. There is nothing that can keep me here. Because even the headmaster wanted me to leave, so she can't do anything about it.

"Besides, you all will be able to progress better without me. Right?"

I said with a grin on my face, but I did look quite pained when I said that. Jericho's tears fell from her right eye first, before her left eye finally dropped tears.

She removed the tears from both of her eyes before moving forward and hugged me.

Just ten days ago, she pushed me away using her wind magic. And now she doesn't even want me to leave. 

Make up your mind, girl…

I hugged her back as she cried on my shoulder.

"I'll make use of the knowledge I got from you to the fullest... I'll become a Master Wizard... Mark my words."

"Yeah. I will be very disappointed if you don't."

She let go of the hug and turned around. She doesn't want me to see her ugly face filled with snot and tears.

"Will you... come back?"

"No. This is the last time I will be here."

Hearing that made her feel even worse, but she had to accept it.

"… Alright. I'll tell everyone. So please, take care of yourself."

Jericho said with her back facing me. So I simply chuckled.

"Good bye, Jericho. Good luck for your future. Maybe we will meet again, if fate wants it to be. Until then…"

After saying that, I turned my back and headed to the balcony downstairs, where I opened my wings and left the academy.

Jericho was left there, crying by herself. But, she knew she wasn't alone. A shadow was waiting, right behind the pillar near the headmaster's room.

Arfius stepped into the light.

"So she left?"

"She left… The headmaster knows about her."

"I see."

Aside from Manda, there is one more person that knows about Rize's truth. And that person is Arfius. 

Arfius was the third person to go after Astar Besmar. He met Jericho and Manda who then told him about what they saw to Arfius, thinking Arfius has the right to know.

"If the headmaster knows, then it was bound to happen. There is nothing we can do."

Arfius said to calm Jericho down. Jericho wiped the tears from her face and grinned at Arfius.

"Well, I shouldn't be worrying about her... That was my first mistake. She is… capable."

Arfius nodded, and the two walked down the stairs to meet up with the class A students, who were waiting outside the middle building.

As I floated above the kingdom's airspace, I stared down towards the Magic Academy of Xyphon. I spent over a whole one and a half year there, growing and learning to become an even better person.

But… those days are over.

I have learned enough. I have become strong enough. 

The world will not continue waiting for me to get even stronger. It's time I begin my path towards my goals…

A true path to reveal the truth of this world, and me.

I have found many answers while being in the academy, but thanks to those answers, even more questions have popped up.

To search for the full truth… I will have to go out there.

And I will find out who made me become like this. Putting me in this world… in this body. I will know it all.

Goodbye… Xyphon. I will see you soon.

Time to go back home…

To Mazino.