An event to celebrate Onesco clearing a holy knight's first trial in a shockingly short time. It was supposed to be the Royal Pioneer Academy's first achievement.
It was far from what anyone would call a great success.
For a very few, it was a success beyond success, a memory they would not forget for life. For most, it was a failure beyond failure, a memory that could only be called a nightmare.
The effect that boy had was beyond measure. The aftermath reached the royal capital, far from the academy.
A certain room in the royal castle.
A custom chandelier, enough to fill a ceiling like the Milky Way. Its light was white and pure, and made the room glitter like heaven.
The long white table was like a cloud, and the ones seated before it were like gods. Beyond the short end of the table the floor rose a step, a special seat that could be mistaken for a throne.
A man like a chief god sat there, but the light was so strong his whole body was blown white. On both sides stood two women like goddesses. Not as much as the man, but their skin shone enough to dazzle.
The two opened their mouths at the same instant, not a fraction off.
"Chairman. What became of yesterday's matter?"
The noble-looking man seated nearest the table bowed his head. "Sir."
"The guests' memories concerning that trash have all been erased by magic. The reporters' magic cameras were all checked, and every picture concerning that trash has been deleted."
The woman like an angel glanced at the man like a chief god, then returned a satisfied smile.
"The Lord says, very well. Those acts all break the law, but they do not break the gods. Then those acts will be affirmed by our power."
"Sir. I am grateful. If what the trash did leaked outside, it would give needless hope to those of the lower society. Those of the lower society must not be excellent. No matter how able they are, crushing them with full force protects the standing of us in the upper society."
"The Lord says the children must be educated correctly in the same way. Right now only some believe in that trash, but if this continues..."
"Yes. That point has not been neglected. The principal and vice principal who caused this will receive severe divine punishment in the Lord's name. The new principal and vice principal will take their posts early next month. They are the chosen, so a failure like this will not happen again."
The goddesses spread both arms like wings.
"The Lord says."
Then they stretched their mouths into a grin, as if they might split.
"Trash is a thing that rots in a dump...!"
That day, every morning paper in the Leakweight Kingdom was dyed with Onesco, and with Monaka and Kotone. In the pictures they had just seen the Leopin fireworks, so their smiles were at the height of happiness.
They did not know. On those pages there was not even the first letter of the boy's name, let alone his face.
Leopin's feat was crushed by the supporters before it could flow outside. Worse, even his existence was erased, as if no such student was enrolled.
And the two who had been the commissioners this time received an unusually severe punishment. Rank changes of this kind are normally sent by letter. This time an envoy from the committee delivered it in person.
The envoy, a tall wide-shouldered body wrapped in a black suit and a tight skirt, judged them with a hard face.
"Acting Principal Nekodoran, and Acting Vice Principal Yes-man. We of the education committee have judged that your evaluations must be reviewed over this incident. Therefore the acting principal and acting vice principal of the Royal Pioneer Academy are dropped three ranks."
Acting Principal Nekodoran: A+ → B+
Acting Vice Principal Yes-man: B → C
The moment the notice from the education committee landed, the principal's office became a pot of screams unlike any before.
In the history of faculty ranks, a three-rank drop had no precedent. It meant the matter had been taken seriously, and that a power without precedent had moved.
Nekodoran fell below vice principal in one stroke. Yes-man fell to ordinary faculty rank.
Almost no pause, and the principal's office became a pot of frenzy unlike any before.
The fallen pair clung at once to both of the envoy's legs.
"Onesco-kun's achievement was as good as done because I was there! I should be praised, and a three-rank drop is too cruel!"
"Yes, zamasu! No, wrong, zamasu! Onesco-kun's achievement exists because of me, zamasu! So punish only this bald-fat, zamasu!"
"I-insolent! If I listen in silence, this zamasu man...! Stop getting in my way already!"
"That's my line, zamasu! You only got the principal's seat by family, so don't act important, zamasu! If bald-fat were not here, I would have had the principal's seat long ago, zamasu!"
"If I let you talk...!"
"You did it, zamasu, didn't you!? I already hated being touched by those filthy hands, and a shove is unforgivable, zamasu!"
Still clinging to the envoy's legs, the two started shoving like monkeys. It escalated little by little, and at last looked ready to turn into a grapple.
Just before that, a hard flying knee hit both of them in the face.
A thigh spun beautifully through the air, the black tight skirt flipping up.
The men flew with a scream, crashed into the office door, slammed the double doors open, and rolled out into the hall.
The envoy straightened as if nothing had happened and said it coldly to the two collapsed outside.
"Neither of you has the authority to use this principal's office anymore. From here, the room will be investigated. If anything improper is found, further punishment may be added, so be prepared. In any case, this room will be locked after the investigation, and the key will be handed to the new principal and vice principal, who take their posts on the first of next month."
Then the office door closed, cutting them off.
To the two of them, that sound was the hammer of a death sentence. A cruel echo, ringing in their heads, on and on.