The Flower Behind the Shield — Sefia & Naofumi's Untaken Path - Episode 5

Three days had passed since arriving in the royal capital. Iwatani Naofumi gazed out from the inn window. Castle Town's night was bright. Magical lanterns illuminated the cobblestones, and laughter spilled from the taverns. An ordinary night. A night where nothing changed. But tomorrow, the committee would convene. It was the day Celia Claire would face her review. "……The votes. I need to secure the two neutral members first," He was talking to himself. Words he'd organized countless times in his head, now spoken aloud. Five committee members. Two neutral, one anti-shield faction, two unknown. Just as Celia had said. He didn't need to convince everyone. Just lock down the winning votes. That was all. The problem was how Adel Volnhite would move those "two unknowns." She worked in the Document Management Bureau. A woman skilled in information manipulation and forged documents. With six days, she would have definitely laid groundwork with the committee members. Naofumi stepped away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed. A cheap inn. The wooden floorboards creaked. Celia was staying at a different inn. An old colleague from the Royal Academy had apparently lent her a room. (Is she handling it okay, that woman?) He thought for a moment, then shook his head. Don't worry. That's Celia's problem. Not mine. That's what he'd thought. ——A knock sounded at the door. "Who is it," Instead of an answer, the door opened. Celia Claire stood there. Her chestnut hair was slightly disheveled, and the light from outside reflected off her glasses. She held a thin stack of documents in her hands. "I'm sorry for coming so late. ……Was the door not locked?" "I forgot to lock it. What do you want," Celia hesitated for a moment, then entered the room. She closed the door quietly. Clutching the documents to her chest, she stood before Naofumi. "Some of the committee materials have been switched," ——Naofumi's mind kicked into gear instantly. "Switched, you say," "One of the evidence documents I submitted. An attendance record from lectures I gave at the Academy. It's been altered to make it look like I falsified my attendance," "……Adel," "Probably. But I can't prove it. Once documents go through the Document Management Bureau, anyone can access them," Naofumi stood up. "How much does this affect tomorrow's review," "Significantly. That attendance record was the most important evidence of my work performance. With the altered content, it actually makes me look like I committed fraud," "Are there other pieces of evidence," "There are. But……if this document's credibility collapses, the other evidence might be questioned along with it," Celia's voice wavered slightly. Quietly. But distinctly. This woman, who was always composed, was now a little——frightened. "……What will happen at tomorrow's committee? If you're being honest," Naofumi fell silent. Being honest, then. If that was the case, there was only one answer. Facing the committee with the core evidence compromised would be very disadvantageous. If Adel had laid groundwork, one of the two unknowns might already be moving. In the worst case, temporary suspension could become permanent. Credential revocation wasn't out of the question. "……It's rough," "I thought so," Celia turned toward the window. The lantern light reflected off her glasses. "What's the right thing to do in a situation like this? Gather evidence, assert legitimacy, and then the other side forges documents anyway……" "Either give up or play a different hand," "A different hand, meaning," Naofumi took the documents from Celia. He examined the supposedly altered attendance record. Sure enough, the writing had changed in subtle ways. Some dates, the numbers written, the position of the official seal. This kind of tampering was the work of someone experienced. (Adel, you really use troublesome methods.) "The original document should still exist somewhere. Didn't you keep a copy before the formal submission," "……In the Academy's library tower. But to retrieve it, I'd need the headmaster's permission, and I'm not sure if we can make it before tomorrow's committee," "If we move now, we might make it. How late does the headmaster stay up," "Eh——Now? It's already past ten at night," "It's urgent, so we go. That's all," Celia froze slightly. She was looking at Naofumi. Her eyes held a hint of——surprise. "……Why would you go that far," "Don't be annoying, there's no reason. It's more convenient for me if your problem gets solved," This wasn't the time to be embarrassed. They had to move fast or time would run out. Naofumi threw on his cloak and stood up. ——At that moment, something moved outside the window. A shadow. A black silhouette moving along the inn's outer wall. "……Get down!" The moment he shouted, the window glass shattered. Crash!! A stone flew through. Naofumi deployed his shield. He blocked it. The stone bounced back and rolled across the floor. "——!" Celia was crouching. Clutching the documents, she lay flat on the floor. No injuries. Good. Naofumi looked out the window. The shadow was gone. It had fled. Just a stone. But——this was a threat. "……Can you stand," "Yes. I'm fine," Celia stood up. She checked the documents. They seemed intact. But her hands were trembling slightly. "You're staying here from now on," "Eh?" "The opposition isn't just the committee—they're applying pressure this way too. If you stay alone at another inn, there's no telling what they'll do next," "But your room is……" "I'll sleep on the floor. You got a problem with that," Celia's face flushed slightly. Her eyes behind her glasses blinked. "……No," "Settled. Now we head to the Academy immediately. I'll drag the headmaster out of bed if I have to to get those backup documents," "Drag them out of bed is a bit——" "If polite requests get refused, I'll beat them awake," "That's absolutely not happening!" "Then you ask politely. I'll wait outside," Celia laughed softly. The fear from moments ago had receded slightly from her expression. "……Understood. Let's go," The two left the room. They walked side by side down the stone-paved night streets. The lantern light swayed. The Royal Academy was about eight hundred meters to the west. The road was quiet, but Naofumi proceeded with caution, watching his surroundings. Celia said nothing. She walked beside him, clutching the documents to her chest. After a while, Celia spoke. "Iwatani," "What," "Thank you," "I told you, no thanks needed," "But I can't help saying it," That pattern again. Naofumi felt his mouth trying to relax——just barely. Stop it, me. "……Walk faster. We need to get there before the Academy closes," "Yes," Two sets of footsteps echoed against the night cobblestones. There wasn't much time left until tomorrow's committee. But——they could move. There were options. It was too early to give up. Naofumi thought this as he fixed his gaze toward the Academy. Yet something nagged at the back of his mind. That shadow that threw the stone. Was it merely a simple threat, or was it——a prelude to something else Adel would attempt on the day of the committee itself? Adel wasn't finished yet.

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Episode 5

Name: The Flower Behind the Shield — Sefia & Naofumi's Untaken Path
Author: Novelia

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