Never Die Villain

The Holy Trinity Academy was considered neutral territory.

Although it bore the Holy name out of respect for the Holy Church, the Academy itself belonged to neither the Church nor the Imperial Crown, existing as an independent institution.

Its authority was protected by centuries of agreements that had survived emperors, popes, grand dukes, and countless political upheavals.

The Imperial Family, the Holy Church, the Academy’s Board of Regents, and representatives from the Empire’s highest noble houses each had a voice in matters concerning the Academy, ensuring that no one faction could dominate it.

Every significant decision required discussion and the consent of the governing council, a system designed to prevent the Academy from becoming a political instrument.

For that reason, even the Emperor could not simply interfere with the Academy’s internal affairs on his own authority.

That was why Ragnar was furious.

"You cannot fault me, Sir Ragnar," Sieghart replied. "Every noble gathered in this hall demanded answers. Was it negligence? Was it a failure on the part of the faculty? Was it foul play? Why did a Distortion, especially a Black-Labeled one, appear within the examination grounds?"

"...."

"One way or another, we are all victims of this tragedy, and you, Sir Ragnar, the Headmaster of the Academy itself, chose to withdraw into seclusion to pursue your magical research."

No one dared interrupt the Emperor, yet no one dared challenge Ragnar either, leaving the hall caught between two figures whose authority few could hope to rival.

The tension was so overwhelming that even the imperial guards stationed beside the throne remained perfectly still.

Ragnar’s expression darkened.

"So your answer was to plant your own people inside the Academy? To interfere in matters that have never belonged to the Imperial Crown? Do you truly believe centuries of protocol exist only to be discarded the moment they become inconvenient?"

His grip tightened around Sieghart’s collar.

"It matters now because the Empire’s Crown Prince was killed," Sieghart answered, meeting Ragnar’s glare head-on. "How blind are you, Sir Ragnar? Do you truly expect me to stand aside and watch while the Empire buries its heir without an explanation? If the Academy refuses to uncover the truth, then the Crown has no choice but to seek it itself."

"The Academy was never refusing to uncover the truth. What it refused was your interference. There is a difference, Sieghart, and I expected an Emperor who has sat upon that throne for decades to understand it better than anyone."

"...."

"Do you even understand what your people have done? The moment they entered the examination grounds without the proper authorization, they contaminated the scene. Every trace of residual mana they disturbed could have buried evidence that only a High Circle wizard would have been capable of detecting."

"...."

"Your agents walked through the site before the Academy’s forensic wizards had even completed their examination, trampling over evidence they could not even perceive, let alone understand."

"...."

"You were so desperate to find an answer that you may very well have destroyed it yourself. If there was even the slightest clue left behind by whoever caused that Distortion, your people may have erased it before we ever had the chance to uncover it."

"...."

"Tell me, Sieghart, who will bear responsibility if the truth is now forever beyond our reach because of your impatience?"

Sieghart remained silent for a brief moment before answering.

"My investigation revealed more than the circumstances surrounding the Distortion. It also revealed several instances of corruption within the Academy itself, matters that had remained hidden for years despite being entrusted to your administration."

"How dare you—"

"A swordsmanship instructor was identified by multiple female students as having manipulated their academic records in exchange for inappropriate personal favors. That same instructor disappeared during the incident, and although it is presumed that he perished due to the Distortion, no body has ever been recovered."

"...."

"Whether he died as a victim or escaped remains unknown."

"...."

"And that is only one example," Sieghart continued. "My investigators uncovered repeated complaints concerning bribery in departmental examinations, irregularities in scholarship selections, and instances in which influential noble families pressured instructors to alter evaluations..."

Sieghart continued without pause, listing one allegation after another as the throne room listened in silence.

He spoke of research funds allegedly diverted from their intended purposes, procurement contracts awarded through favoritism rather than merit, disciplinary cases covered up to protect influential professors, and numerous other irregularities uncovered during the Crown’s investigation.

By the time he finished, the atmosphere within the hall had grown heavier.

"I am not claiming that every professor or every official within the Academy is corrupt," Sieghart said. "Far from it. However, if even a fraction of these findings proves true, then the Academy has allowed misconduct to take root under the protection of its own independence, and that independence cannot be used as a shield against legitimate scrutiny."

"...."

"You ask why I intervened, Sir Ragnar. I ask you this instead. If these practices were truly unknown, then the Academy has failed in its duty to govern itself."

"...."

"If they were known and ignored, then that failure is even greater. In either case, can you honestly stand before this court and claim that the Academy has upheld the responsibility that its neutrality demands?"

Several of the gathered nobles exchanged uneasy glances, waiting to see how the Headmaster would answer.

The accusations were serious, and although none of them knew how much of the Emperor’s investigation was true, they could not deny that the allegations themselves were plausible.

Ragnar stared at Sieghart for a long moment before letting out a humorless chuckle.

"You have spent too many years wearing that crown," he said, a smile touching his lips. "You’ve started believing that discovering corruption is the same thing as proving institutional failure."

He slowly released Sieghart’s collar.

"Have you uncovered bribery within your ministries? Corruption among your governors? Nobles abusing their authority over commoners? I certainly hope your answer is yes, because if it is no, then your investigators are far less competent than I gave them credit for."

"...."

"Corruption exists wherever people exist," Ragnar continued. "Empires have it. Churches have it. Noble houses have it. The Academy is no exception. What matters is not whether corruption can be found, but whether the institution has the means and the resolve to root it out."

"...."

"You walked into the Academy, uncovered a handful of rotten branches, and now claim before me that the entire tree is diseased. Tell me, should I judge the Empire by its corrupt officials as well? Or would you insist that an institution is larger than the failures of the individuals who serve it?"

"...."

"You accuse the Academy of failing for having imperfect men," Ragnar said. "Very well. Then by that standard, every kingdom has already fallen, every church has abandoned its faith, and every throne has forfeited its right to rule."

"...."

"The flaw is not in your investigation, Sieghart. The flaw is in your conclusion."

Ragnar tilted his head, a murderous smile slowly spreading across his face as he met Sieghart’s gaze.

"And you have the audacity to accuse me of neglecting my duties because I chose to pursue my own investigation rather than yours?"

Ragnar let out a laugh.

"Very well. Since all of you are so desperate for answers, then listen carefully, every one of you, because what I am about to say will overturn everything the world believes it knows about Distortions."

The atmosphere inside the throne room froze.

"My investigation began the moment the incident occurred on Mount Serebryany."

"...."

"After securing the examination grounds, the Academy immediately sealed the area and dispatched High Circle mages to examine every remaining evidence. Weeks of analysis, repeated verification, and independent examination have led us to one conclusion."

His gaze swept across the throne room.

"The Black-Labeled Distortion that manifested during the examination was almost certainly not a naturally occurring Distortion."

Silence.

"A student of the Holy Trinity Academy transformed into that Black-Labeled Distortion."

"...."

"...."

The nobles looked at one another, as though waiting for someone else to dismiss Ragnar’s words as absurd. Yet no such voice came.

Even Sieghart remained silent, his eyes fixed on Ragnar.

"For centuries," Ragnar continued, "we have believed that Distortions simply appeared, born from concentrations of despair, resentment, and corrupted mana. We believed them to be disasters without origin, calamities that emerged wherever the world itself became wounded."

He slowly shook his head.

"But if my findings are correct, then that belief is incomplete."

His smile faded.

"Do you remember the old hypothesis dismissed by most scholars as little more than theological speculation? The theory that the Distortions do not originate from our world at all, but are influenced by entities worshipped by some ancient civilizations as gods before history itself was properly recorded."

He looked directly at Sieghart.

"If a human being can become a Distortion, then perhaps that theory deserves to be revisited. Perhaps those ancient records were never myths to begin with. And if that is true... then we are no longer facing isolated disasters."

"...."

"We are confronting something far older, far more intelligent, and far more terrifying than anything the Empire has ever imagined."

After that day, every research tower within the Empire began reexamining everything they thought they knew about Distortions.