20demayo Chapter 80 - The Moment of Settlement
Chapter 80 - The Moment of Settlement
Early the next morning, Tyril, with a gloomy expression, packed his belongings and bid a brief farewell to his roommates before leaving the Imperial Academy.
After being beaten up by Donny the night before, Donny had healed Tyril’s injuries to avoid arousing suspicion before letting him leave the dormitory.
As Tyril departed, Donny sternly warned him to keep his mouth shut, or else his family would face total ruin.
But just as Tyril walked a short distance away, several individuals surrounded him.
“Please come with us, Mr. Tyril,” said a soft-spoken young man with light blue hair and an air of refinement, his professional smile never leaving his face.
“Who are you?” Tyril asked, looking at the young man with a wary expression.
“Nice to meet you. You can call me Virgil,” the blue-haired man said, gesturing toward a carriage behind him.
“Sorry, but I have other matters to attend to...” Tyril muttered, attempting to push through the group and walk away.
“Mr. Tyril, are you really willing to leave here bearing such humiliation?” Virgil’s voice halted him after only a few steps.
“Huh?” Tyril turned back to look at Virgil. “What do you mean?”
“If you walk just one more block, Donny’s men will intercept you and forcibly drag you back to your father,” Virgil said, stepping closer to Tyril and leading him to the street corner.
Sure enough, Tyril spotted several men heading toward the academy gate. Among them were Donny’s subordinates, whom Tyril immediately recognized.
“You... can you help me?” Tyril asked, his voice tinged with hope as he looked at Virgil.
“Of course.” Virgil nodded, gesturing toward the carriage. “As long as you agree to come with us, not only can we clear your name, but we can also free you from the oppression of both your father and Young Master Donny.”
Tyril hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“I understand.” With that, he followed Virgil into the carriage.
“Who are you, really? I’ve never heard of you,” Tyril asked as he sat across from Virgil in the carriage.
“Ah, it’s perfectly normal that you haven’t heard of me. I’m just an ordinary second-year student—so ordinary that I couldn’t be more so.” Virgil chuckled.
He wasn’t lying. His student number was in the 700s, placing him in the lower-middle ranks of the second year. Even among his peers, few would recognize him unless they were in the same class or had met him before, let alone a first-year student like Tyril.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Tyril said, frowning.
“Of course I do. But until my superior decides to reveal himself, I won’t say anything. And honestly, you don’t need to know. Knowing his identity isn’t important to you,” Virgil said, pointing to his chest.
“What’s most important to you is your own life and safety, isn’t it?”
“...” Tyril fell silent, then nodded.
Although being forcibly taken back by Donny’s men wouldn’t endanger his life—after all, he was still the son of an earl—returning home would undoubtedly disappoint his father. What his father might do afterward was beyond Tyril’s imagination.
Shortly after the carriage departed, Donny’s men arrived at the spot where Tyril and Virgil had spoken. They waited there for a long time but saw no sign of Tyril. Frustrated, they scattered across the city to
That evening, the trial regarding Donny’s bribery and coercion began.
This time, Headmaster Luca did not preside. Instead, Vice President Olivia took charge.
When Donny and the implicated Student Council members took the stage, the audience erupted into boos and jeers.
It was hard to believe that just two days ago, many of these same students had been supporting Donny and criticizing Orson and Litte. Now, their anger was directed squarely at Donny.
“The trial will now begin,” Olivia announced as the witnesses took their seats.
This trial was far more elaborate than the previous one. Multiple suspects were involved, with Donny being the primary accused, but several bribed Student Council members also faced scrutiny.
Additionally, both Donny and Manuel—sons of dukes—occupied the defendant and witness seats, respectively.
Manuel testified about the conversation he had with Donny over dinner, where Donny had tried to recruit him into his schemes.
As the trial progressed, the evidence and testimonies began to reveal Donny’s true nature. Many of Donny’s former lackeys chose to remain silent, realizing that staying quiet was the wisest course of action.
However, Donny had anticipated being accused of bribery. He had coached his planted spies in the Student Council to give consistent testimonies. Their coordinated statements stalled the trial’s progress.
Most critically, Tyril, the key witness, was still absent.
Donny glanced at the audience and noticed Orson sitting in the front row, his gaze occasionally flicking toward the back of the hall.
Donny smirked.
Gotcha, Orson. Tyril can’t get into the academy anymore—he’s been expelled.
Your star witness is gone.
With Tyril unavailable, Donny felt confident that he could frame his financial transactions as academic sponsorships. Combined with his status as a duke’s son, he believed the trial would ultimately amount to nothing.
But then, Orson’s eyes met Donny’s, and Donny saw a cold smirk form on Orson’s lips.
At that moment, Donny realized he had underestimated his opponent.
Orson stood and walked to the stage, handing Olivia a recording crystal and several parchment documents.
Olivia feigned surprise as she addressed the audience.
“Apologies, everyone. President Orson has just provided critical evidence—a recording crystal and some pages detailing Donny’s financial transactions...”
Olivia activated the crystal, and the image of Tyril appeared before the audience.
“Hello, everyone,” Tyril’s voice echoed through the hall. “This recording was made earlier today...”
Donny’s expression darkened as he stared at Tyril’s image.
He hadn’t expected Tyril to turn against him.
What did Orson offer him? Has he lost his mind? Doesn’t he care about his family?
“Greetings, fellow students. My name is Tyril, the one who was recently expelled from the Imperial Academy...” Tyril began, his tone filled with regret.
“I need to confess something important. Yesterday, I withheld a critical truth...”
Tyril’s testimony unfolded, exposing every detail of Donny’s schemes. The audience listened in stunned silence as Tyril described how Donny had manipulated him, using his family’s dependence on the Florence family as leverage.
Donny clenched his fists, trembling with rage.
Unable to contain himself, he slammed his fist on the table and stood, pointing at Orson.
“Orson, what did you do to him?!”
“Donny, please remain composed!” Olivia frowned at his outburst.
“Composed?!” Donny sneered, turning to the audience.
“Everyone, have you forgotten who Orson is? He’s the Student Council President!”
“Do you really believe this recording isn’t fabricated?!” Donny spread his arms, feigning innocence.
“This is all a ploy! Orson is trying to drive me out of the academy!”
“Enough! Silence!” A stern voice cut through the chaos.
The doors to the hall opened, and Luca entered, accompanied by a group of soldiers.
The students stared in shock.
The Imperial Academy prohibited outsiders from entering. Where had these soldiers come from?
After the soldiers took their positions, another figure entered the hall—a man with blue hair as clear as water, emerald-green eyes, and an imposing presence.
The students rose to their feet in unison.
It was the Emperor himself, Odysseus Lancaster.
The Imperial Academy rarely welcomed visitors, but the presence of royalty was an exception.
Behind the Emperor were six middle-aged men—the six dukes of the empire.
Among them were the fathers of Orson, Litte, Olivia, Lianca, Manuel, and Donny.
“Your Majesty,” Orson said, stepping forward and bowing deeply.
“Mm.” Odysseus nodded, taking a seat in the front row.
Luca and the dukes took their seats on either side of the Emperor.
Now Donny understood why the VIP seats had been empty at the start.
“Continue the trial. We’re here only to observe,” Odysseus said, motioning for Olivia to proceed.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Olivia replied.
“Why is this trial being held?” Odysseus asked Luca.
“Your Majesty, Donny has been accused of bribing Student Council members and orchestrating schemes to harm his peers.”
“Oh?” Odysseus raised an eyebrow, turning to Giovanni, Donny’s father.
“Duke Giovanni, you’ve certainly raised a fine son.”
“...” Giovanni remained silent for a moment before replying, “Your Majesty, I trust my son would never do such a thing. This must be the work of someone seeking to tarnish the Florence family’s reputation.”
“I hope so,” Odysseus said, his tone neutral as he turned his attention back to the trial.
With the Emperor present, Donny’s demeanor shifted. He became more cautious, carefully choosing his words.
“If I may, I’d like to question the validity of this recording crystal,” Donny said, addressing the audience. “If Tyril was coerced or influenced by magic, would his testimony still hold weight?”
His words sparked murmurs among the students.
“You needn’t worry about that, Donny,” Orson said, standing and pointing toward the hall’s entrance.
Donny followed his gaze, his eyes widening in shock.
Standing at the door was Tyril.
Tyril scanned the room before taking a deep breath. With a resolute expression, he walked to the final empty witness seat on the stage.