Classroom of the Elite (LN)

After holding everyone in Class C hostage, Ryūen finally allowed most of the class to leave.

Those who remained in the classroom started with Ryūen, Ishizaki, Kaneda, Ibuki, as well as the three traitors.

“Question: Do you know the identity of the guy who gave you instructions?”

Manabe and the others denied the question by shaking their heads from side to side.

“Well, next question: What are your reasons for betraying Class C? Explain it to me.”

“That is--”

“There’s no use to concealing it now. If you choose to hide it anyways, then tomorrow is when your time as my classmates' end and you’ll be treated like nothing more than maggots.”

In a situation where there is no longer any escape, Manabe would decide to come clean with the truth.

“D…… Karuizawa of Class D, do you know……?”

“Just the name and her face, she's Hirata's woman right?”

“That girl, she is acting strong right now… but I believe she was a victim of bullying in the past.”

“Oh? Then?”

“Rika was treated terribly by Karuizawa, so we attempted to retaliate…”

Even though Manabe was scared, she spoke about the events that happened during the summer on the cruise ship. From how they were members of the same group in the special test, to how they had found out about her past with bullying, and even the violent act of revenge that they took part in. She spoke of everything.

She also brought up that the reason for their spying was due to threats being made from the other side with evidence.

If the facts were to come to light, they would be subjected to expulsion or even worse. And, of course, they would receive a scolding from Ryūen as well. She said it was something that had to be done in order to avoid punishment from both the school as well as Ryūen.

“Indeed. You've been having a lot of fun.”

“Are you an idiot? They’re being threatened by a guy who they don’t even know the identity of. Don’t you know that things might get even worse from here?”

“Don’t blame them, Ibuki. When humans are cornered, they turn into vulnerable creatures.”

Ryūen had decided to forgive Manabe and didn’t continue to accuse them.

“Here’s the bottom line: Did anyone else witness the scene where you had bullied Karuizawa?”

Manabe nodded to the question and uttered the names.

“At that time, we were seen by two students from Class D. Yukimura-kun and Ayanokōji-kun.”

The names of two students emerged.

“A picture was sent to us afterward. A photograph of when we were involved with Karuizawa.”

“So that’s how it is. I had expected there to be evidence since you were being threatened, but for the photograph to have been taken back then… What happened to this photo?”

“I deleted it. If somebody saw it… We would…”

“So the situation has reached its conclusion.”

“So it’s a definitely either Yukimura-shi and Ayanokōji-shi?”

Said Kaneda, who hadn’t spoken on the situation until now.

He was one of the few people in Class C who Ryūen considered to be of any use.

“Wait a moment, Ryūen. I don’t know much about Yukimura, but I don’t believe Ayanokōji is the one pulling the strings for Class D. I’ve had the chance to interact with him a few times, and he didn’t strike me as that kind of guy.”

“Yukimura does seem a little suspicious in that sense. He seems to be quite capable at academics.”

Ishizaki added.

“Isn’t it impossible to come to a conclusion like that? Ayanokōji-shi is always together with Horikita-shi. Besides, Ayanokōji-shi had been hiding his running ability at the sports festival. I think the more suspicious of the two would have to be him.”

“I think the two of them are irrelevant. Ayanokōji just has a quick foot and Yukimura just has his grades, right? I think that there would be more to the mastermind.”

“Who else could it be?”

“There are some really capable guys in Class D. Someone like Hirata.”

“That guy? I speak to him pretty often and I don’t think he’s that kind of person.”

Ryūen smiled slightly at his classmates who had been speaking freely.

But in the next moment, his hand smashed down on the desk.

“Shut up a little.”

Ryūen let out a small laugh as the room was instantly enveloped in silence and terror.

“Did I ask for even a single word of your opinions? I will find the guy who is manipulating Class D from the shadows. You all are just my pawns for that goal. Small fry should act like small fry. Looking at the facts, only Ayanokōji or Yukimura could have taken the picture. However, coming to the conclusion that one of them have to be the mastermind is unreasonable. They may also be under the influence of someone.”

This was the main issue. There was a decent chance that one, or both, of them had taken the picture of a situation that they thought could turn into a weakness of Class C, and then sought advice from the person running things behind the scenes.

“But, Ryūen-shi. Especially regarding Ayanokōji-shi, shouldn’t we be suspicious?”

Fully prepared to incur Ryūen’s anger, Kaneda dared to give some input because he believed it was necessary.

“That’s right.”

Regarding Ayanokōji, he was suspicious because of his relations with Suzune Horikita.

However, this was a cause for suspicion in and of itself.

It was unpleasant to come to easy deductions like that.

The idea that the man who was near Horikita Suzune was also the man who was manipulating everything as the mastermind of Class D.

If he had intended to use Suzune from the beginning, he would have never chosen this tactic.

“He’s hidden in plain sight huh? No, I can’t really imagine that.”

The feeling of desperation was an unpleasant one.

“I’m gonna use him.”

If the situation has already progressed to such an extent, the rest is certainly just one push away.

In order to make the next move, Ryūen sent a message to the person registered on the cell phone.