I didn’t reply and listened to her in silence.
“In my case, Duke helped me. I was not okay with being bullied. I suffered every day, and it was hard. But Duke and the rest of the student council reached out to me.”
I felt like the story was being dramatized, but I wasn’t there, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.
“Then I pulled myself together, and Duke was so popular that there were even more people picking on me, but I pretended I didn’t know about it. Instead, I took the initiative and tried to make friends with them.”
Wasn’t that just adding fuel to the fire?
“Then they started to get to know me a little better.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThat was due to the charm magic! That was a lot of power.
“So, you know, I think getting to know each other is important. There is no conflict when we understand each other. If we respect each other’s ideas and give in to each other, I think we can build a wonderful world.”
…What the heck was she talking about?
The conversation kept changing. Finally, we were talking about world peace. The content of the conversation was surprisingly flimsy.
“So you’re saying we should make concessions?”
“Yes. I guess that’s what it means.”
I held back the urge to say many things.
First, you must acknowledge the other person’s point of view at least once, which Alicia would certainly do.
I took a quick breath and looked into her emerald green eyes.
“If everyone could do that, the world would be a better place. However, many things can not be compromised. Each person is proud of their own way of thinking. Simply put, it is like a religion. Liz Cather, there are many people who respect your views. However, the majority is not always right. It’s impossible to understand each other when you are trying to instill in us what you think is righteous.”
What was actually happening in the academy was the opposite of what Liz Cather was saying.
“That sounds like I’m imposing my values on everyone.”
She replied, wrinkling her brow. Her clear voice echoed in my ears.
“No?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“No, I’m not. I hate that kind of brainwashing.”
“I’m afraid you are unconsciously doing it.”
“What do you mean?”
Liz Cather’s face was filled with suspicion as she looked at me.
“Then what about Alicia-chan, whom you admire so much, Gilles? She’s the one who is trying to instill her own values in others.”
That was because Alicia was Liz Cather’s overseer. Without excessive input, Liz Cather wouldn’t even realize what she was doing.
“I don’t know why the people who were bullying you in the first place aren’t to blame. Why do you even want to get along with those guys? …That’s not being a good-natured person, that’s being an idiot.”
“It’s to understand each other!”
She spoke in a harsher tone than usual, probably annoyed by my words.
Liz Cather’s use of the word “understanding” made it sound like a dirty word to me.