My Students Regret It After I Retired

83 – A Chaotic Heart

Among the Dark Shadows members, only Belin, who had not been deployed in this operation, was still alive. The reason Belin was excluded from the operation was that Emperor Vermon had directly ordered her not to go.

Vermon had confined Belin to her room without a word. And as time passed, he had a subordinate release her. Belin immediately went to the Emperor, intending to ask why he had prevented her from going, but the Emperor did not permit her visit.

The only thing that came back was that the entire Dark Shadows had been killed. Only that information.

“Isn’t that her? The one from Dark Shadows who survived alone.”

“Yeah, tsk tsk. She works for a group that claims to be serving the Empire, yet she ran away because she didn’t want to die?”

“I heard the Emperor summoned her, though.”

“Hmph… well, whatever, aren’t the rest of her comrades dead and she’s the only one left alive? She wasn’t that great from the start. She doesn’t really know how to do anything, just clings to Keltazar trying to get elixirs and all sorts of things… tsk.”

High-ranking officials of the Empire, well aware of the Dark Shadows, passed by, blatantly slandering Belin as if they wanted her to hear. Belin could only hang her head, unable to say a word.

Just then, Bartier, the commander of the 1st squad of the Imperial Sword Corps, happened to be passing by. Belin grabbed him to ask a question.

“Commander Bartier, what happened with this mission? I heard there was a clash with Leos.”

Barthier, infiltrated into the Empire, formerly of the Celestial Society and a disciple of Benedict. He was still deep undercover, plotting his escape. That’s why he reacted so intensely to Belin’s words.

“Lord Leos? Why do you use such an honorific for that b*stard?”

“I…it’s because my acting before…it’s become a habit…”

“Watch your tongue.”

“I will be careful.”

As Barthier looked down at her, Belin felt a crushing pressure that rendered her speechless. Barthier was silent for a long while before speaking, his gaze fixed on Belin.

“Leos’s party was far stronger than we anticipated. It’s presumed that all the Shadow Unit members were annihilated, and they escaped. That’s all I can say.”

“They’re not dead…? Leos isn’t dead?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t know why she was so concerned about the enemy’s survival, but Barthier decided to stop talking and move on. He was, after all, becoming aware of the attention they were drawing.

Regardless, Belin seemed relieved, clutching at her chest.

“Oh, right.”

Barthier halted in his tracks and addressed Belin.

“Since all of the Shadow Unit are dead, you’ve lost your affiliation, haven’t you?”

“Yes…that’s correct.”

“From now on, you’ll operate under the Imperial Sword Guard. I’ll inform His Majesty, and once approved, you’ll be assigned to my Unit One. You were part of the Shadow Unit, so you should have a certain level of skill.”

Belin didn’t question or object. The word of the Imperial Sword Commander was absolute. Just like she used to follow Keltazar, she would simply obey.

“Wait in the underground chambers until I call for you.”

“Understood.”

Belin gave that answer and started walking towards the palace’s underground. The palace’s underground was divided into two sections. One held treasures and artifacts, the other was a place where soldiers waited or rested.

Belynn headed towards a shabby underground space, used by the soldiers as a waiting area.

The deeper she went, the stronger the stench of sewage grew. It was literally underground, a place where the palace dumped waste and all sorts of trash. No matter how much they cleaned, it would be stranger if it smelled good.

Belynn sat down for a moment, her bottom on the damp floor. Then, a man next to her approached and spoke.

“Hey, isn’t that the famous Belynn? I heard all the Shadow Unit guys died and you were the only one who survived.”

It was none other than Erban, a man from the Imperial Sword Unit who caused trouble and was given an indefinite suspension order. Erban, holding a bottle of liquor in one hand, looked at Belynn and spoke.

“You trashy b*tch. Your comrades died, but instead of thinking about revenge, you’re just waiting here, all carefree?”

“I’m scheduled to join the Imperial Sword Unit. They told me to wait, so I came here for a bit.”

“What?”

Erban’s pupils started to cloud over, and he grabbed Belynn by the collar, shouting.

“You fucking b*tch! What have you done to get into the Imperial Sword Unit? I got kicked out and am stuck here, dealing with this shit, so what did you do to get in there?”

“Bartier… Captain Bartier of the Imperial Sword Unit told me to come.”

“What? Captain Bartier?”

Erban threw his liquor bottle behind Belynn. The sound of glass shattering rang out, and the people around them glanced over, but, as if used to it, they turned their heads away again.

“Captain Bartier told you to come…even a shell of a woman left after the Shadow Unit got wiped out…?”

Erban thought for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. He then spoke to Belynn.

“They’re going to use you as bait. It’s obvious you had issues with Leos. And the Shadow Unit got slaughtered by Leos’s group not too long ago. And at that point, they call you to the Imperial Sword Unit? Yeah, they plan to use you as bait to lure those b*stards out again. Hmm, that’s it. It makes no sense otherwise. Now I understand.”

Erban rummaged through his belongings, then took another gulp from a small bottle of liquor, adding,

“You were happy, thinking you’d been chosen by the Imperial Sword Unit, weren’t you? But what a pity? This is your reality.”

As he was the one who had been kicked out of the Imperial Sword Unit, Erban’s spite grew even more intense. He started spouting harsh words, followed by an endless stream of belittling towards Belynn. Unable to bear it anymore, Belynn rose to her feet, yelling.

“Just stop it already! What did I do to you for you to be like this?”

—*SMACK!*

Ervan backhanded Belin across the cheek. Belin stared at Ervan, dazed, but he just looked down at her, still holding the bottle, and spoke.

“What? You gonna stare at me like that? What’re you gonna do about it? You wanna throw down here? If you wanna die, go right ahead.”

Ervan had been a member of the Imperial Sword Knights in the past, and his fighting ability was top-notch. It was just that he used that talent on civilians, which is why he was in this situation now.

From Belin’s perspective, there was nothing she could do.

“Fucking talk to me. Did getting offered a spot in the Imperial Sword Knights make you think you’re too good for this place? I told you earlier, you’re just bait. Are you ignoring me right now? Answer me. You won’t answer? If you get on your knees and apologize I might let it slide, so answer me.”

Belin tried to slip away, but Ervan grabbed her by the hair and threw her against the wall.

“Agh!”

Belin screamed, but those around them just watched. Nobody intervened. Only snickers and laughter echoed.

“Hey Ervan, take it easy. Even so, it’ll be a problem if someone dies here.”

“Then, I’ll just play with her a bit and cut off an arm or leg.”

Belin, terrified by Ervan’s words, tried to run away, but another man blocked her path.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“T-The Imperial Sword Knight Captain… told me to w-wait in the basement… if something happens to me, he won’t let it go, I swear.”

“What? Hahahahah!”

As the man began to laugh, Ervan burst into loud laughter as well. Ervan came up to Belin, grabbed her by the hair and whispered.

“Belin, don’t you get it? ‘Wait in the basement’ means they’re openly telling you they’re gonna train you. Brainwash you. Knowing that trash like us is in the basement, why do you think they sent you here? They’re teaching you without getting their hands dirty. Teaching you that if you act like shit, they’ll toss you into a place like this.”

Ervan pulled out a dagger from his pocket and held it to Belin’s neck.

“Kid, remember this, the treatment you’ll get in the Empire will be worse, not better, than this. The fact that you alone survived after all the Dark Shadow members died, makes everyone think you might be a traitor. And, get this, the day you were called to see the Emperor, all the guys who have never died even when fighting Leo are all dead? What a miraculous coincidence.”

Only then did Belin understand the reason behind their hostile attitude. They were suspicious. Suspicious of the possibility that Belin had colluded with the enemy. And that cut her deep.

“Belin, things are about to get real fun. If you even think about running? I’ll track you to the ends of the earth and deal with you. There’s nothing you can do. Either you spend the rest of your miserable life being treated like this, or you kill yourself and “prove” your innocence. Those are your choices.”

Orban, finally looking satisfied as tears began to stream down Belin’s face, laughed for a long time before throwing her into a corner and returning to his original spot.

Belin collapsed, landing hard on the filthy, debris-strewn ground.

‘Why… why at this moment do I keep thinking of *him*… If he was around… If it was back when I was a Gate Keeper, would he have saved me…?’

[If you’re having a hard time, tell me anytime. I’ll help you with everything.]

The words Leos used to say kept tormenting her.

‘…Why…why keep…’

When Belin had heard that Leos was alive, she had thought it was a relief.

Ironically, the more time passed, the more past Leos started to take up space in Belin’s heart, the heart that had so coldly betrayed him.

So quickly it was hard for even *her* to accept.