???'s POV

  "Finally..."

  After days of travel, I finally reach Sesil. Just like her stories, it's really a small calm village.

  It's now days since her death. Everyone are now starting to move on. The academy is recovering slowly, the kingdoms reach their closure and the victims of the families are slowly accepting the death of their love ones.

  Yet, I'm here. Visiting the village of the girl who caused all of these.

  After talking to the villagers, they guide me to the house of Morningdews. Its now tended with the help of townsfolk yet no one wants to live on it.

  "It's truly a humble home."

  After looking at her home. I walk behind and there, I finally see what I'm looking for.

  On the ground are 6 grave with decorated stakes planted on each one. I look on the stakes and see one with a necklace hanging on one of its branches.

  With the permission of the villagers, they let me use the kitchen of her home where I cook a simple soup. It's not fancy and far inferior from what I cook.

  "But I know you don't mind. Right?"

  After cooking the meat stew. I place 6 bowls of soup in each grave. Then I sit in front of her resting place.

  "I finally give you a fresh warm meal Dereia. I wish you love it."

  With all my time in that cursed academy. It's full of misery dealing with those nobles.

  Not a single word I hear them compliment my cooking. They only know how to complain and criticize me for any wrongdoing I make.

  But... Dereia with her fellow Scholars are ones that genuinely love my food. I will never forget their excitement, their happiness tasting my cuisines and their real appreciation for my talents.

  Especially Dereia. She's the only reason why I endure cooking for those pretentious nobility. She's my only light.

  But as the scholars quit one-by-one, the torment on Dereia increases. Until we reach the point that the nobles doesn't even allow Dereia to enter the Cafeteria. All perpetuated by Nesticia.

  And warning me that If I give good food to Dereia, she would punish me and my family.

  "I'm so sorry Dereia."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The only thing I can do is to sneak left-overs and leave it on her dormitory every night. As I'm scared, I'm scared that someone might report me if they find out that I'm helping Dereia.

  I stay silent after I remember the chatter of the noble students as they talk how they torment Dereia. For each story, it becomes even worse. Making my heart sank.

  And that day came when you got controlled by unknown force according to the reports.

  The memory is still fresh in my mind. Where I'm hiding to the kitchen alongside others as I hear the lound sounds and screams of people outside.

  And to our horror, Dereia or whoever controlling her sees us. She easily kills my friends and my colleagues until its time for my death.

  Yet, instead of killing me. I got spared, left alone to live. I will never forgot what the final words she said to me before she left be behind.

  "Consider this as a payments for all those meals you gave to her."

  "I don't know how she manages to find out but I guess I just saved by my cooking."

  I just stay silent as I look on the food I prepared. I chuckle a bit then grind my teeth out of frustration.

  Guilt, Regret, Disgust. Myriad of emotions flood me as I become conflicted.

  "Dereia... Do you think I should quit as a chef?" I question her grave, only to recieve the howling of wind and rustling of fields around me.

  "You should not do that."

  An voice behind me breaks my silence as I look behind and see a very familiar group of people.

  The fellow Scholars of Dereia. They walk close to me and look on the graves with bowl of soup.

  "I think Dereia would not be happy if her beloved chef quits the job he's passionate about." One of the female scholars said to me.

  "I don't know. Cooking now brings bad taste to me. It's different since I stay silent on your suffering and you all reasonably left."

  "You should not relieve the terrible memories mister. Look on us? We starting to move on, and now ready to continue our studies in Nattunia, some choose to become adventurers though." A male Scholar commented.

  "But don't get us wrong. It's not like we will forget what Dereia did for us. It's also the same for you right?"

  I think what they saying to me. And their right, Dereia really leaves a mark to me.

  The fact that Dereia still persevere despite the suffering she endures makes me admire her. She faces all of those unjust nobles, clinging on a small thin line of success.

  Success that slowly being denied to her for every single day she stays in the Academy.

  Her Determination is so strong that it takes a threat of murdering her love ones just to break her spirit, causing this mess.

  An older female Scholar looks on the bowl of soup on the ground and smile.

  "Smells delicious, I miss your food Mister Jacque."

  I smile. Perhaps, quitting is not the best choice.

  "There's still more stew. Want to eat some?"

  We spend the rest of our time eating food, telling stories,

  "You know, Dereia should just leave the academy just like we did." A Scholar criticisizes Dereia.

  "Perhaps she have her own reasons. " Another Scholar defended her.

  "Dereia lives in a backwater village we staying right now. Perhaps, that's her only way to achieve glory not for her but also for her town." I stated my opinion.

  "But still... I'm so frustrated!"

  and sending our farewell to Dereia and her family.

  .

  .

  .

  Back in the village, me and the Scholars are ready to seperate ways.

  "So what you guys going to do now?" I asked them.

  "Well... We finally gives our farewell to our fellow Scholars who lost their lives. Perhaps, it's really the time to find our own ways." The older female scholar says.

  "How about you? Do you still want to quit being a chef?"

  I shake my head.

  "I will continue honing my craft. But I gonna leave that stupid academy first. Those pretentious noble kids have known zero fucks about cullinary knowledge."

  We sigh and then laugh our frustrations to the academy that makes us almost insane. As we're ready to create another future for ourselves.