NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 21
As soon as the lecture ended, I headed to the Chancellor’s office with Nina.
To report on the group bullying incident led by Kitty Garfield.
“…Professor Daniel, is this really okay?”
“Just trust me. I’ll make sure those guys can’t bully you anymore!”
“I just feel like you’re suffering because of me.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s only natural for a professor to step in when a precious student is in trouble.”
“Precious student…! Hehe…!”
Nina, who had been sulking all lecture long, must have been shocked since she unexpectedly heard such a dirty comment.
I was worried in many ways, but seeing her smile made me feel relieved.
Now, all I had to do was deal with Kitty Garfield and her gang for good, erasing them from Nina’s life.
I was going to leave them alone as they were just one-off villains, but how dare they throw in an unoriginal line that didn’t even appear in the original story?
Knock, knock! I rapped on the Chancellor’s door to finish this before it adversely affected other students.
“Chancellor, this is Daniel Crawford. I have a significant matter to discuss, may I come in?”
“Just in time, the person involved has arrived. You can come in.”
Just in time? The person involved?
Feeling magic from the other side of the door, it seemed someone else was present.
I had a rough guess on who it could be.
“Excuse me.”
“E-excuse me!”
As I opened the door, the expected individuals were standing in front of Chancellor Lunia.
Carter Garfield and Kitty Garfield—the trashy Garfield siblings had made a move and were already in the Chancellor’s office.
They shot fierce glares at me and Nina as we walked in.
“How surprising. I never imagined the bullies would come to see the Chancellor first.”
“Hey, Professor Daniel. That’s not true; from our point of view, you’re the bully!”
“I’m a bully? What miracle logic is that?”
At least they didn’t claim that Nina, the victim, was the bully, which was a relief.
Still, there was no doubt that the consciences of those two siblings were completely gone.
“These two came to report that Professor Daniel threatened some students.”
“Is that so?”
“Professor Daniel threatening anyone? That’s absurd! He protected me from the bullying students!”
“Bullying students? What does that mean?”
“Nina was being threatened and insulted by a group of students led by Kitty. As a witness, I came here, asserting that I wouldn’t let her be bullied.”
I revealed my purpose for coming to the Chancellor’s office while shedding the false accusations.
As Chancellor Lunia processed this information, Carter Garfield decided to mock us.
“A professor shouldn’t falsify facts like that! Kitty wasn’t trying to bully Nina; they just had a difference of opinion and were trying to have a serious conversation!”
“Then why not just talk alone instead of bringing a whole gang?”
“They’re my precious friends! They accompanied me out of concern, even though I didn’t ask for it.”
“To force someone to go when they don’t want to—is that really friendship?”
“Professor Daniel, you better be careful with those words. Are you trying to slander the Garfield family? Do you think that’s okay?”
Carter’s eyes widened menacingly as he started staring me down.
I think I get the meaning behind that glare.
It’s basically saying I should keep my head down if I don’t want to pick a fight with the Garfield Marquis family.
Considering I had been in a submissive position so far, he likely thought I’d just shrink back under pressure.
I responded with a smile, raising my hand in an up yours gesture.
This suddenly shocked Kitty and the Garfield siblings, along with Nina.
“Professor Daniel? It’s nice to see you confident, but isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“Forgive me. I lost control and ended up showing a terrible side of myself in front of the Chancellor.”
“Next time, if you promise to hold back, I’ll let it go.”
“I will hold back.”
“Good. And Carter?”
“Yes?”
“Let’s cease any intimidation through your family. At Kia del Academy, everyone is equal, whether commoner or noble. If you keep that up, we’ll have to file a complaint against the Garfield Marquis house and permanently expel you and Kitty.”
“I-I understand!”
Chancellor Lunia knew how to mediate things expertly.
She further summarized the entire situation neatly.
“So, Kitty claims she was just trying to talk but felt threatened by Professor Daniel, while Nina felt deeply insulted during the conversation. Is that correct?”
““Yes.””
“Alright, then I will issue a ruling. Kitty and her friends will receive 25 demerit points and be required to perform 100 hours of community service. And Professor Daniel, you will have a three-month salary cut.”
That wasn’t a bad ruling.
For me, since I was funded by the Ludwig family, it wouldn’t hit at all.
Meanwhile, the 25 demerit points imposed on Kitty were a significant blow.
At Kia del Academy, 50 points means expulsion, and exceeding 20 points means students can’t stay in classes S or A.
Considering how important grades are in nobility society, Kitty’s points would lead to disgrace for the Garfield family.
“No objections…”
“I can’t accept this!”
Nina’s booming voice startled everyone present.
Frowning and raising her voice, Nina objected strongly.
“How can you punish Professor Daniel, who helped me, instead of rewarding him? It’s absurd!”
“M-me too! I can accept the community service, but 25 demerit points is too much!”
“Chancellor, could you reconsider? Kitty didn’t physically harm Nina!”
Everyone except me protested against Chancellor Lunia’s ruling.
The Garfield siblings were one thing, but I didn’t expect Nina to be so proactive.
While her kindness towards me was touching, it was an unnecessary action.
Chancellor Lunia’s judgment was, in fact, siding with us.
Perhaps that’s why she seemed surprised by Nina’s protest.
Our Nina has a very strong sense of justice.
If this were a martial arts genre, she’d definitely be a female swordsman!
“Everyone, please calm down! Ahem! So, the conclusion here is that both sides cannot accept my ruling?”
The three of them nodded simultaneously.
“Then which part do you find unacceptable? One at a time.”
“I simply can’t accept a punishment for Professor Daniel!”
“Next, Kitty?”
“I don’t think 25 points is acceptable!”
“If I may ask, do you believe you did nothing wrong?”
“W-well…”
“Sometimes words can cut sharper than blades. Even without physical contact, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a crime.”
“B-but I still think 25 points is excessive! If I could have it lowered to 10… no, 15 points, that would be much better!”
Even under the Chancellor’s pressure, Kitty continued to argue her case.
No matter how scared she was, it seemed that not wanting to bring disgrace to her family was more pressing.
Considering the harsh realities of noble society, I was relieved she wasn’t a fallen noble.
As a modern person, it was tough to uphold the etiquette and rules of nobility.
“…So Nina is asking for Professor Daniel’s punishment to be removed, and Kitty is asking for her demerit points to be lowered, correct?”
Both students nodded simultaneously.
Chancellor Lunia, looking back and forth at the two, smiled as if she’d thought of a good idea.
She shifted her gaze to both me and Professor Carter.
“There’s a method frequently mentioned as a resolution when disputes arise within Kia del Academy.”
“You’re talking about a duel, right?”
“Yes, and regrettably, I won’t be accepting either side’s demands. I will concede to only one side, so let’s determine that through a duel!”
Things got tangled up, but it looked like we would have a duel event just like in the original story.
I was worried about what would happen if the duel event didn’t occur, but thankfully, it did.
The duel with Kitty is crucial since it marks the event where Nina will recognize her second ability.
I regretted the loss of the supportive event, but I was pleased to have solidified my image as a reliable professor through this.
“However, I don’t think it’s fair to place all the burden on the students. Especially since Nina is defending Professor Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“In that sense, I think both professors should duel to show adult responsibility.”
“Whoa! That’s an excellent idea, Chancellor!”
Chancellor Lunia naturally set up what seemed like a match between Carter and me.
Carter was all delighted, but I widened my eyes, pretending to be in shock.
Seeing my reaction, Carter made sure to ramp up the drama, throwing a fit.
He didn’t realize I was celebrating internally.
What an idiot.