The Extra’s Academy
Survival Guide
아카데미에서 살아남기
Author:
Korita
Translator:
YONDER
Materials:
Saloi
File:
Golderio
Synopsis:
I ended up transmigrating as a third-rate extra in a game I like, but
worst of all this character has already fallen and been disowned.
I have no ambitions.
I just want to graduate, but the world won’t let me.
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Harem,
Romance, School Life, Supernatural
Chapter 1: Prologue
It was about time I accepted it. I was royally fucked.
“You will no longer be recognized as a member of the Rothstaylor family due to your crimes. For
inappropriately slandering the honorable Princess Penia, for illegally intervening with the Holy
Sylvania Academy’s entrance exam due to being blinded by your jealousy, and lastly, for neglecting
your classes—these crimes have tarnished the family’s name and cannot be taken lightly.”
There was no reason to read the rest.
The letter was from the head of House Rothstaylor, Krepin Rothstaylor. It was filled
with needless formalities, but in the end the summary was as follows:
“You will be disowned by the family.”
The life of living like a king with the support of a powerful family was over.
It felt like the God of Fate was mocking me.
Was he having fun laughing at my misfortunes? When my life had just become a living
hell?
The letter’s words lingered, stuck in my head.
I wanted to respond to the unfair, mocking words.
Why me?
The Ed Rothstaylor that used his family name as a shield to live an arrogant life... was
not me.
“I gathered all your belongings here. Thank you for your hard work.”
The maid that worked at Ophelis Hall, the finest dormitory at Sylvania Academy, politely
gave her greetings. With a blank face, I accepted two large wooden suitcases from her.
Even though my room was so luxurious, all my belongings surprisingly fit within these
two bags. After the support from my family was cut off, this was all I had.
In other words, the luxuries within the room were never mine to begin with.
“I hope you live the rest of your life well.”
Even though my life was essentially now in the gutter, I still received honorable
treatment as a former noble. But the respect I received felt like rubbing salt to an injury.
Slam!
The Ophelis Hall’s large door swung shut, leaving me all alone in its beautiful garden.
Ahh... I thought it was about time I came to terms with it.
“I... actually entered the game. I can’t believe it...”
My all-time favorite game, <Sylvania's Failed Swordmaster>.
At the worst possible moment, I'd reincarnated into the worst possible character.
I lowered my bags and swiped both hands over my face.
I was fucked.
And I didn’t know what to do.
◐◓◑◒
‘Ed Rothstaylor’ was a name I was not too comfortable having.
‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ had a total of 43 episodes. I’ve replayed the game five
times, but I barely recalled this name. The reason was simple.
Ed Rothstaylor was just a minor villain with little presence.
“Hey, look over there. Isn’t that Ed Rothstaylor?”
“Shit! Don’t look! He’ll notice!”
“Do we even have to worry anymore? Wasn’t he already expelled?”
“I heard from a friend at Ophelis Hall yesterday that they even kicked him out of his
room. I guess we won’t be seeing him next semester, then.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it? Just like how we don’t know how high the sky is, there really is no
way to know what could happen to someone’s life.”
“Why did he even use such a trick at the entrance exam?!”
“I knew he was like this from the beginning! Even without skills, he always kept showing
off !”
As soon as lunchtime arrived, the students began to gather at the student center.
After putting down my large wooden bags beside me and covering my face, my ears
itched at the whispers.
A person’s rise and fall was perfect fodder for gossip. But even though I understood that
fact, I couldn’t help but feel it was unfair. Before I became this character, I was someone
that lived frugally and honestly, working hard without ambition. Wasn’t it a bit too much
to treat someone like me like a criminal?
“Haaah...”
I wanted to smoke.
I took a deep breath and looked at the crowd of people gossiping. They slowly dispersed
and eventually disappeared. Two hours had passed since I was kicked out of the
dormitories.
It felt like my brain had stopped working because of the unbelievable situation I was in,
leaving me feeling dizzy. Good thing I had finally calmed down somehow.
While I knew this was a completely unrealistic scenario, I was still able to accept these
drastic changes to some extent. Being able to calm down quickly must have been
something Ed Rothstaylor was capable of.
But enough about that. Right now, I needed to figure out what I had to do. I needed to
establish my course of action.
I opened my wooden bag and took out an ornate mirror from my belongings. I looked at
my reflection, my previous appearance now gone. Instead, there was a handsome-looking
blonde boy staring right back at me.
That was now my new appearance.
[Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 3
Intelligence: 4
Dexterity: 7
Willpower: 7
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
Having played ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ five times, it was already a familiar
information window.
That was the same method used to open one’s information in the game. By using any
object that showed your reflection—like a mirror, a creek, a pond, or even a glass cup—
you just had to imbue it with your magic power to see your skills window.
The similarities thus far made everything feel even more like a dream. And looking at my
skills only made me wish it really was a dream.
Those pathetic skills were not befitting of a student attending the Sylvania Academy’s
Magic Department. His embarrassingly low Vitality must have been because of his
upbringing as an aristocrat.
In the game, a regular farmer’s Vitality averaged between a five to a six. The main
character, who was focused on combat and fighting skills, had a Vitality of above 20.
Considering these numbers, Ed’s Vitality stat was truly pathetic.
Although looking at the numbers, my Dexterity and Willpower seemed to be decent, but
still nothing extraordinary. Comparing my skills to those of the main character, the
differences were quite obvious.
Ed Rothstaylor was just a third-rate villain that appeared at the beginning of the game
to add some conflict.
He was nothing more or less than that. I couldn’t even remember what happened to him
afterward.
No, wait—I did remember.
At the end of the game, he briefly showed up in the credits, begging on the streets of the
city while sitting on a straw mat. Ahh... Perhaps I shouldn’t have remembered that.
“Haah...”
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh as I laid back.
Ed was a noble that grew up sheltered, ignorant to the ways of the world, only to be
thrown out onto the streets one day with nothing. It was an expected ending for him.
For now, I had to avoid starving on the side of the street as he did. And how was I
supposed to do that?
I didn’t have the answer to that question.
But after thinking for a while, I came to one conclusion.
I will survive, using whatever means.
Chapter 2: 10 Days Before School Starts
Sylvania Academy was more like a bustling city than an academy.
Founded on the entirety of Acken Island, southwest of the kingdom, the academy was
so massive that even alumni were yet to explore the whole campus.
But what did that mean? It meant one could encounter anything walking around the
extensive academy grounds. The students’ heavy gazes followed me as I walked, and I
ended up at an undeveloped forest somewhere northwest of the island.
Most academy facilities were located in the southeast, while commercial and services
facilities were in the southwest. The island used to only have one bridge connecting both
sides, the buildings naturally developing around it.
I eventually arrived at the northeastern edge of the island after walking the whole
afternoon. My legs were so sore I had to sit on a tree stump to rest.
After walking half the day, I was able to organize my thoughts and came to a conclusion.
“First things first. I’m not leaving this island.”
There’s no helping it. I was now Ed Rothstaylor. I had to find a way to adapt and live
somehow.
Sylvania Academy received the highest praise among the prestigious academies in the
kingdom. It was an academy where noble families desperately aim to enroll their
children, an academy that required either overwhelming talent or wealth.
Obtaining a Sylvania diploma would enable me to make a living. I needed to bear
through this and obtain mine. Nothing is as valuable in this difficult and unpredictable
world.
Besides, leaving the academy would be the same as throwing my life away. I had played
through ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ a few times already. If Ed Rothstaylor had just
been expelled, that meant the story had just begun.
That meant I was in a position where I knew most of the things that would happen in
the academy. As long as I was there, I’d be able to use my knowledge of the game to my
advantage.
I saw no reason for me to go out into the unknown world outside.
The sun was setting before I knew it.
Sitting alone on a tree stump in a deserted forest, I let out another deep sigh and wiped
my face.
“Let’s see...”
I put the two wooden suitcases on the grass and opened them.
They were full of clothes and old textbooks. There were some magic tools, but since
their output was adjusted for students, they weren’t very useful.
Despite having lived in such an extravagant room, that was everything I owned. What
an empty life... Even though I got kicked out of my family, at least I hadn’t been expelled
from the academy yet.
Although it could already be considered an expulsion, given I wouldn’t be able to afford
the enormous tuition without my family’s support. Thankfully, my tuition had already
been paid until the next semester.
If I could endure until then and get a scholarship or find a way to earn money, I would
still be able to attend the academy. However, I needed to be mindful of my time limit. I
only had until next semester to figure things out.
“The scenery sure is beautiful...”
I found a stream after walking a bit more. It flowed from the other side of the island all
the way here. I let myself enjoy the beautiful forest bathed in moonlight, quiet with only
the sound of crickets.
But this wasn’t the time to be sentimental. I’ll starve to death at this rate.
There were a lot of things I needed to live a good life.
I tore a twig off a tree and wrote on the ground.
Goal = Graduation
My goal was to graduate.
Ed Rothstaylor was currently in his second year. That leaves me six more semesters until
graduation.
The tuition fee for one semester was about 20 gold coins, an amount enough to buy a
whole carriage covered in gold. But that price was cheap compared to all the other
expenses.
Most of the students stayed in luxury dormitories, only ate fine-dining meals, and only
used high-class magic equipment, all while bringing two to three servants with them.
Taking all of that into account, the price of a gold-plated carriage didn’t seem so
expensive in perspective.
I didn’t know what to do about my tuition fees, nor about obtaining a scholarship. With
my lackluster skills, it’d be hard enough trying not to fail, let alone qualify for one.
It makes no sense why Ed had such an arrogant personality given his lack of skill.
But it was a question not even worth asking. He was just a character at the beginning of
the game, written for the protagonist to win against.
Anyhow, the most important thing right now was to sort out the things I needed to live
and survive. The important trinity of food, clothing, and shelter. I had clothes. I didn’t
know if I would be able to do my laundry but I should be able to avoid looking like a
beggar for a week.
Food and shelter were my problems. I had nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat tonight.
“Haah...”
No! I shook my head and slapped my cheeks.
“Nothing will change if all I do is sigh!”
I clenched my teeth, stood up, and began stretching. First, my hips, then my legs, then a
full set of the national gymnastic routine, finishing off with a set of jumping exercises
and pushups.
The sound of my heavy breathing refreshed my body and mind.
Because the entrance exam had already taken place, there shouldn’t be much time left
until the semester starts. If I were to guess, there were probably only ten days left.
The first thing I needed to do was make a livable environment so I could continue going
to the academy. I could build something in ten days.
I should build a place I could live in. There was a pleasant cool spring breeze blowing so
I could sleep out in the open if I really needed to but... I didn’t know if I would be able
to sleep on the ground.
Should I make a simple tent?
I didn’t need to go out of my way to make a proper tent. A simple shelter shouldn’t be all
that hard. If I were to use thick tree trunks as supports and cover them with a canopy, it
should become somewhat of a roofed shelter.
The forest in the northeastern part of Acken Island was quite well preserved. Spotting a
spirit meant the place had yet to be touched by humans.
There were many tree trunks that could be used to support the canopy in the area.
“I should at least be moving while thinking.”
I didn’t have the luxury to just think. I should also be working as well. Staring at my
reflection on the stream, I focused on my eyes once again.
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 3
Intelligence: 4
Dexterity: 7
Willpower: 7
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
Ignoring my embarrassing stats, I focused on the details of my Magic Skills.
[Magic Skills Details
Grade: Low-grade Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
+ Fast Casting Level 1
« Mana Sense Level 1
Fire Element Magic:
+ Ignite Level 2
Wind Element Magic:
« Wind Blade Level 1 ]
Magicians specializing in Elements only had two basic magic spells.
Furthermore, first-year elemental-based magicians were required to choose two elements
to specialize in. Ed looked to have chosen fire and wind, but seeing as he hardly trained
even the most basics of his spells, he really was lazy.
Whatever. At least I was able to check that I had magic spells I could use.
I felt the mana in my body the deeper I went into the forest. Of course, compared to the
protagonist’s overflowing amount of mana, mine was infinitely weaker. At least it
enabled me to cut down these moderately sized tree trunks.
I used Wind Blade to cut the branches down to a manageable size. There would be no
point if I couldn’t carry them back.
After cutting through five to six tree trunks, I was already out of breath. Just like I
expected, this body couldn’t handle mana freely. I desperately needed to train.
“Seriously. What a freaking pain.”
I spat on the ground and caught my breath for a moment, then took the cut branches to
where there is sunlight.
The frames kept slipping off the ground because the strength wasn’t balanced. This
wasn’t working. It would be better to dig out holes to put down the foundations.
After digging out the holes and setting up the four foundations, I angled them to meet in
the middle.
It wasn’t an easy task. I only had two hands for the four support beams. Thankfully, I
was able to compensate by holding the pieces of wood with my head and shoulder.
I tied the pieces of wood together where they met with a leather belt. It was from a
high-class tunic I found in my bag. I then used the last piece of wood as a stake through
the middle, digging it into the ground to make sure the whole thing won’t fall over.
Although a bit lame and unstable, the frame of my shelter was completed. It wasn’t
pretty. The branches didn’t exactly meet in the middle, and because I didn’t calculate
anything, the resulting height was lower than I anticipated.
That said, once I covered this with a canopy, it should be good enough to spend the night
in. I considered using some of my clothes to cover the top but ultimately decided against
it.
Not only would I need to use four to five pieces to cover the whole frame, but it would
also mean sacrificing clothes I would wear starting tomorrow. I didn’t want to do that.
Besides, these clothes were of high quality. I may even be able to sell them. I didn’t want
to just use them as a roof. To compromise, I decided to tie two pieces of clothes together
and laid them on the ground. I couldn’t just sleep on the dirt.
What should I use to cover my shelter with? No matter how much I thought about it, I
still didn’t know what to do. I eventually went back into the forest and brought back tree
branches with long and wide leaves.
The whole process took almost an hour.
And another hour to cover my shelter with the branches.
“Phew.... Ha... This is exhausting.”
Finally done, I stretched my back and wiped my sweat off. It was hard work but at least
it’s now over. In front of me was a shelter I could lay down in. I felt a sense of
accomplishment at the feat.
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased.
The list of completed products has been updated. ]
The message popped up.
“Hm?”
I tilted my head, puzzled. I went to the stream and focused on my eyes.
The window that materialized wasn’t the usual long information window. Instead, it was
different.
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Craftsman
Specialized Fields: None
« Handicraft Level 4
+ Design Level 1
+ Collecting Skills Level 1 ]
“Oh? What’s this?”
It seemed like Ed was someone with a talent for production rather than magic. It made
sense, I guess, given how his Dexterity was better than his Intelligence and Vitality.
[ Newly Crafted Product
Simple Wooden Shelter
A shelter where you can temporarily rest.
It’s of low-grade quality and is quite shabby.
If you don’t maintain it, its durability won’t last long.
Production Difficulty Level: ◐○○○○ ]
The window was a welcome sight. I didn’t know the production system could be
activated like that.
If I were to manage my production proficiency, then wouldn’t it be possible for me to do
the same in other areas? That was great news. Thinking about it, it was possible to
overcome my current situation after all.
I was too tired right then, however, and I was mentally at my limit.
I needed a break.
I went and laid down in my completed shelter, listening to the buzz of nature all around
me. Darkness arrived. Unable to see anything, I closed my eyes and felt myself slowly
drifting off to sleep. I knew I was in a difficult situation, left with so many things to
resolve.
But for now, I needed to sleep. Sleep first, then I will face tomorrow.
And tomorrow, after sunrise, I will find a long-term plan to survive in this academy.
Chapter 3: 7 Days Before School Starts (1)
Three days passed by somehow.
I didn’t spend the last three days in vain. It would be too tiring to list everything I did,
but also too difficult to briefly summarize them. The first thing I actually did was fortify
the shelter I made.
On the second night, my shelter unexpectedly collapsed, and I had to fetch more wood
from the forest to reinforce the frame.
It would’ve been great had I had a rope to secure the frame together, but since I didn’t
have any, I just dug more holes for the foundation and stuck the support beams into each.
And then I was worried it might leak if it rained, so I ended up sacrificing three to four
pieces of my clothes to cover the leaves I used as the roof. I then covered the clothes
with even larger leaves.
Well, the added weight caused the support beams to collapse. I ended up having to add
horizontal supports to hold the weight. Then I had to twist some of my old clothes
together and use them as ropes to tie the new frame together.
The truth was, I actually felt it was a waste to use some of my clothes that way. I
thought if I took them to a pawn shop, I would have gotten at least a few silver coins for
them.
Although, after giving it some thought I decided not to. There was no way a pawn shop
would buy such clothes unless they were luxury items adorned with jewels.
I still had a few valuables I could sell, so it should be fine. However, the pawn shop was in
the next city.
It would be difficult to leave Acken Island just to go to the shop. I was worried I
wouldn’t make enough profits to even return, and that’s something I didn’t want. And
while taking a carriage would be a quick trip, walking would take me two days and one
night. Since I didn’t have money for a carriage, walking would’ve been my only option.
The journey wouldn’t have been an easy one.
“Hmmm...”
Sitting by the stream, I sharpened the tip of a branch with my dagger.
Since I decided not to leave the academy grounds, I needed to work on my three basic
needs.
Food, clothing, and shelter.
I had enough clothes to wear for the next few days. I even had a house, although shabby.
The problem was that I had nothing to eat.
I went to find food in the forest on the second day. I actually used to live in the
countryside in my past life. That was probably why the forest and the mountain felt
familiar somehow.
Finding food is a different matter, however. There were plants everywhere, but
distinguishing which was edible was a different matter. I wasn’t an expert on survival by
any means. There was a limit to what my eyes could discern as edible or not.
In the end, I opted to cut the bark off some pine trees instead.
Tree bark had an inner white flesh. My grandfather told me about it when I was young.
He said he used to boil and eat tree bark when harvests were terrible and food was
scarce.
I ripped the white flesh off the outer bark using a ceremonial dagger I found in my
luggage. Lighting a fire with my magic, I cooked the flesh in boiling water from the
stream using a decorational cup, not having any pot with me.
Once cooked, I gnawed on the chewy bark of the pine tree. It was awful but I managed
to eat all of it.
Then I had raging diarrhea that night.
I guessed tree bark was never meant for human consumption after all.
I was starving on the third day. On top of that, I was also suffering from diarrhea. I
looked beyond terrible.
I shaved off a branch and tied the ceremonial dagger to one end using a handkerchief.
However, the handkerchief felt loose so I had to use vines I scavenged from the forest to
tighten the dagger and the wood together.
[ Newly Crafted Product
Simple Harpoon
Made using a ceremonial dagger tied to a well-cut branch.
Can be used for fishing or hunting.
The dagger is not as sharp, reducing its power and effectiveness.
Production Difficulty Level: ◐○○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
When I was younger, I used to show off that I was skilled in catching freshwater fish.
But now that I was at death’s door from hunger, catching fish had become serious
business.
Even though the dagger wasn’t as sharp compared to a traditional fishing harpoon, I
could make up for it with my experience. The firewood crackled as it burned. It was a
relief I had fire magic. It meant I didn’t have to go through all the trouble of starting a
fire. I somehow felt grateful to Ed for choosing to specialize in Fire.
Although, was this even something to be thankful for?
Anyhow, since I was having no luck in gathering food, it was the right decision to focus
on hunting instead. I was able to catch some freshwater fish, thanks to the skills I had
when I was younger.
I skewered the fish I had caught and grilled them over the fire. The problem was they
became softer as they cooked. The meat started flaking and falling off the wood, causing
me to lose so many precious pieces of fish.
It would’ve been great if I could make something similar to a grill, but because I lacked
the proper materials, I wouldn’t be able to right now. I ended up having to eat the hot
fish straight from the stick, burning my tongue.
“Kyaaah!”
I could almost feel my body absorbing its much-needed nutrients. To be honest, it didn’t
taste that great. But I was thankful enough to eat and fill my stomach with something.
I ended up eating about four to five fish. To drink, I dunked my head down the stream
and gulped down a few swallows of the fresh water.
“Phew...”
I wasn’t full by any means. However, I was able to deal with the immediate hunger that
had been bothering me for the last two days. I laid down on the gravel by the stream,
looking up at the sky. Laying down idly, the sun slowly began to set.
One more week until classes began.
I had been having difficulties resolving my problems with food, clothing, and shelter.
How much harder would it be when classes started? Would it even be possible for me to
receive a scholarship?
But instead of debating with myself whether it’d be possible or not, I just had to go for
it. A Sylvania Academy diploma would be a reliable tool to survive in this unpredictable
world.
Graduates of Sylvania went on to become important individuals in the kingdom. No
matter how poorly they did at the academy, the mere fact that they were from Sylvania
allowed them to fill high-ranking positions in expedition forces and in the local
underground magic society.
Simply put, no matter how hard staying in Sylvania may be, it would still be several
times better than starting out with nothing.
“Is someone there?”
I heard a voice calling out while I laid down by the stream.
The northern part of Acken Island was not a place students and professors visited often.
The area was never used aside for practical exercises and tests.
That was why hearing the young voice came as a surprise.
Even more so that I recognized whose voice it was.
“Is that you... Ed Rothstaylor?”
It was the third princess of the Kroel Empire, Penia Elias Kroel. Also known as Princess
Penia.
Princess Penia was one of the four main heroines in ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’. She
was an influential character during the first half of the story. Well, at least, that was
what was going to happen. Right now, she must still be a freshman.
She was set to meet the protagonist ‘Taylee’ during the entrance examination, where she
took the exam with her identity hidden...
That’s right. She was the one who accused me, revealing that I manipulated the test due
to my envy of the protagonist, providing the perfect opportunity for my family to
disown me.
“...I heard you were disowned. What are you doing here?”
What was I doing there?
That’s what I wanted to ask her.
That wasn’t a place the third princess would normally visit, someone who was usually
escorted by six to seven of her knights. I looked up at the princess.
Her elegant white-blonde hair and frilly dress did not match the wild forest background.
And yet, she didn’t look to be dressed as fancy as she normally would have.
Only then did I realize that the ‘Class Assignment Examination Episode’ must currently
be taking place.
It was definitely... an episode that took place in the northern forest of Acken Island.
Held a week before classes started, it was a test to determine the students’ levels before
entering the academy’s Magic Department.
Professor Glast of the Magic Department, infamous for his nasty personality, was in
charge of the freshmen’s examination.
The exam was to find the magically infused marbles spread randomly across the
northern forest. It was a test to see if the students were able to detect the magic. After
all, the basis of magic starts with sensing it.
“It’s an honor to meet you again, Princess Penia.”
Her eyes were fierce, the eyes of someone who despised me. It felt unfair, given my
circumstances. But no one would believe me even if I told anyone.
I sat up and respectfully gave my greetings to the princess.
“I thought you would have been kicked out of the academy.”
“I was kicked out of the dormitory.”
“I asked what you are doing here.”
The princess looked at the simple shelter I built, the campfire I lit, and the bones from
the fish I ate with disbelief on her face.
“You still haven’t left the academy?”
“Unfortunate as it may be, I am still a student.”
“Did you not go through with the expulsion process?”
“I didn’t think it was necessary. I was humiliated and I am no longer receiving support
from my own family, so there was no way for me to continue attending the academy.”
Princess Penia’s lips had twisted, probably finding it hard to believe that a nobleman that
had been humiliated and excommunicated would be able to continue attending Sylvania.
“If the Academic Affairs Committee finds out about this, you will be expelled right
away.”
“I’ll talk to the committee tomorrow. Did you think you would be allowed to stay here?”
My plan to obtain a diploma from Sylvania Academy was already about to be ruined.
But I shouldn’t think like that. I let out a deep sigh and began thinking of a solution.
“If the princess herself judges it to be so, it can’t be helped. In fact, not just you, but
many of the students despise me. I’m sure it’s the same for the academy’s staff as well.”
“If you already know that, why don’t you just leave on your own then? Isn’t it better to
leave with dignity rather than go through a humiliating expulsion process?”
“I want to continue attending Sylvania Academy.”
“I don’t recommend doing it.”
Princess Penia crossed her arms and stared at me with contempt.
“Leave. Everyone here despises you, and you despise everyone else.”
“You must be mistaken. I don’t despise anyone.”
“You must not remember how arrogant you were, how much hatred you had inside of
you. Well, it is difficult to view oneself objectively.”
“That’s not true.”
My only way to salvage this situation was to talk myself out of it.
“The truth is, princess, I actually feel grateful towards you.”
Princess Penia looked at me in disbelief.
Chapter 4: 7 Days Before School Starts (2)
The Rothstaylor family I was once a part of was a family of villains. Drunk on the
power of their name, every new generation had devolved into conceit and elitism.
The honorable and generous ancestors had all gone. All that was left was their sense of
privilege as they condescendingly sat in high positions of power in the empire.
Actually, the Rothstaylor family had a big secret.
The head of the family, Krepin Rothstaylor, signed a contract with the Evil God of the
Mythic Age, Mebula, to study the magic of eternal life. Due to that, many inhumane
experiments had been conducted, sacrificing numerous lives in the name of research.
Two years later, that secret was discovered by Taylee, the protagonist.
After struggling until the end, Krepin Rothstaylor was finally defeated.
The head of the Rothstaylor family—Krepin Rothstaylor.
He was the final boss in Act 4 of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’.
After that, what happened to the arrogant and entitled Rothstaylor family was as
expected.
The family’s horrible downfall brought excitement to the players. Everyone who actively
took part in Krepin Rothstaylor’s plans was executed. Even those who were only
partially involved were, at the very least, either imprisoned or punished.
Considering all of that, my current situation was worthy of a second look. Yes, I was
cold and hungry, not knowing what I was to do with my life. But wasn’t I cut off from
the Rothstaylor family in advance?
Simply put, there’s only one thing for me to say.
That was actually a good turn of events.
◐◓◑◒
“Did you just say you are thankful to me? I find that hard to believe.”
I stood up from my seat. But considering I had lived in the wild for the last three days, I
probably didn’t look my best. I’m guessing that was why the princess looked taken aback.
Only a few days ago, she saw me as a noble, acting like a condescending jerk to others. It
must’ve felt satisfying for her to see me now. Although there might also be a bit of pity
there.
I thought of taking advantage of that. However, as far as I know, Princess Penia never
let her personal feelings intervene with public judgment. Appealing to her emotions
would more likely backfire.
What was the best outcome for me in this situation? Regardless of whether I went to
this academy or not, it would be for Princess Penia to stop concerning herself with me.
Not only the princess, but all the other students of Sylvania Academy also needed to
stop paying me any attention. If it was uselessly publicized that Ed Rothstaylor hadn’t
been expelled, I would be the only one losing.
From the academy’s perspective, it wouldn’t be strange if I quit school at any time. I was
already straddling the border of expulsion. From a more academic perspective, I
shouldn’t do anything to stand out until I was in a better position to not get expelled.
It wouldn’t do me any good to be hated by the princess.
“My fate will be decided by Princess Penia. I will obediently follow your will.”
I calmly said, pretending as if nothing was wrong.
It was a bit disappointing, but groveling at her feet would only backfire. The more
cornered and desperate one looked, the easier it was for people to think of them as
useless and a mess.
Princess Penia was known as the ‘Princess of Benevolence’ due to her unique ‘eyes’. Eyes
that gave insight into the depths of people’s humanity. She grew up recognizing when
she was being told words of flattery, lip service, and malicious deceptions.
Hidden within a princess with seemingly infinite benevolence were the eyes of a
monarch capable of weighing human nature with a glance.
I turned to look at my campfire, the burning firewood turning into ashes.
I could use Ignite to light it again, but I hadn’t properly trained my body yet. I didn’t
want to use magic for no reason.
I walked past the princess and sat by the fire, stirring the embers with a stick to collect
the scattered pieces back into the hearth.
“You have been here for three days now?”
“I have to do what I can to live.”
I’ve decided on a definite rule.
The best way to not receive attention was to not give anyone attention.
I didn’t care what others did. If I kept that attitude, they would probably stop paying
attention to me as well.
But the fact that this was the third princess of the empire had brought tremendous
anxiety. Although compared to crying and begging on my knees, this was a strategy that
had the potential to succeed.
Please don’t pay me any mind, princess. However, I knew that alone wouldn’t be enough.
“I heard the step every royal takes is noble. Even for short walks, dozens of servants
were said to follow. Even half-day outings required the presence of heavily armed
guards.”
Bribery and flattery were necessary. Nevertheless, there was an issue. If you had nothing
to offer, your words would be nothing more than cheap flattery.
“The sun is just about to set, and the noble Princess Penia is traveling alone in the
dangerous northern forest. I suppose there must be a reason for that.”
Even when she was walking around the academy, her servants followed and waited on
her wherever she went.
In that situation, she must have had her guards with her, hiding among the trees with
weapons in their hands. It was obvious that any wrong move toward the princess would
have dire consequences.
“What are you trying to say? If you want to harm me since I don’t have a knight with
me, you will regret that decision.”
Then I guess I could try saying things a bit more boldly. I smiled.
“Professor Glast’s class assignment examination is rumored to be viciously tough among
the second years. He’s a professor who likes to make students suffer in quite unique ways
each year. I’m guessing you must be taking his exam right now?”
I didn’t even look at the princess and continued poking at the campfire.
“If you go to the lake southeast of the forest, you will find a small rocky island in the
middle of it. The size can only fit about one grown pine tree. That tree is ‘The Guardian
Tree of Merilda’. If you look inside the tree, you’re bound to have a good harvest.”
“What did you say?”
“Either way, you will search through the entire forest anyway. It won’t hurt to stop by.”
I could feel the princess glaring at my back. Even though it felt like she was burning a
hole through me, I pretended not to care.
“What are you planning? Do you still want to get revenge?”
“As I told you, I just want to continue attending Sylvania.”
The campfire crackled with a spark as I barely managed to revive the fire.
“This is... It can be considered a bribe that I’m offering the princess.”
I finally threw the stick I’d been using into the fire.
“If you don’t like it... There’s nothing I can do if you won’t take it.”
The princess glared at me for a long time. She later left after scolding me that whatever I
was planning wasn’t funny. Well, the princess’s decision was now out of my hands.
◐◓◑◒
“Let go of me! Don’t you know who I am? I am Ed Rothstaylor, the second son of the
Rothstaylor family! Get your dirty hands off me, you pigs! Just where are you touching
me?”
“Taylee? Ha... A low-ranking failure of a student who’s all talk.”
“Eh? P-Princess? The Benevolent Princess Penia? M-my apologies, I didn’t notice the
princess.”
“Princess! If you defend bugs like Taylee, your noble and high name will be tarnished.
Please punish him!”
“This... This is wrong. This is a trap! A setup! That trash Taylee is just jealous! That
filthy bug!”
“Is he even the same person?”
As Princess Penia walked through the forest, she recalled what she saw during the
entrance exam.
She remembered a vain nobleman that tried to force out Taylee, a student who eventually
failed, by tampering with his test.
That Ed Rothstaylor was such a pathetic and ugly human being that the princess didn’t
even need to use her unique ‘Insightful Eyes.’ Anyone could tell that he was an arrogant
and unsightly man.
He groveled in front of those with power and was cruel to the weak. When the princess
hid her identity at first, she was also a victim of such rudeness.
She believed that such a person shouldn’t belong in Sylvania, so she made a move herself.
Even though Princess Penia was still just a student, the Academic Affairs Committee
couldn’t thoughtlessly ignore her opinion. After all, she held a position within the royal
family.
Three days had passed since Ed Rothstaylor’s evil misdeeds were revealed and his family
excommunicated him. The way he talked had become much more poised.
It might be true that three days should be enough time for a person to reflect on oneself
and change. Though honestly, she didn’t have time to pay attention to that right now.
The problem she needed to focus on was the Class Assignment Examination. The
infamously evil Professor Glast’s exam, consisting of searching for the magic-infused
marbles.
Students were tasked to find the marbles scattered throughout the northern forest and
then return to the faculty building. The test started just after noon and continued on
until then, as the sun had almost completely set.
Of the 310 new students of the Magic Department, about 290 of them had already
found marbles and had returned to the faculty building.
More than half of the students returned with a marble within the first hour. Only a few
students remained searching the northern forest until sunset.
Princess Penia had actually found marbles almost immediately. Having basic magic power
detection abilities would enable anyone to find as many as possible.
The princess already found a lot of marbles: between leaves, near piles of dirt, under a
small wooden bench. But something felt strange.
The number of magic-infused marbles was higher than the number of students. It
wasn’t more than just a few, it was several times more.
Even though it was only the first test since getting accepted, it felt way too easy. The
exam itself was too kind to have been given by Professor Glast, who was infamously
known for being an evil professor.
It was obvious there was a hidden intention. That fact wouldn’t leave the princess’s mind.
Most of the students quickly returned to the faculty building, assuming the exam was a
‘first come, first serve’ basis.
When the sun began to set, the students who were skeptical of the exam’s easy difficulty
also began to return without finding an answer. It was interesting to see them return
with a good number of marbles, focusing on quantity rather than quality.
The moon was now in the sky.
Nevertheless, Princess Penia didn’t return to the faculty building.
She constantly thought that there must be some hidden intention within the test.
After walking for a while, she ended up at the lake.
There, she saw the rock island that Ed Rothstaylor mentioned.
A pine tree mysteriously sat in the middle of the lake under the moonlit sky.
According to him, that tree was ‘The Guardian Tree of Merilda.’
“Hmmm...”
Princess Penia held her chin as she thought it over for a while. Eventually, she gathered
magic power at the tip of her toes.
“Water Walking.”
It was a spell that consumed a lot of power, allowing the user to walk on water.
But due to its poor magic power efficiency, it was hard to maintain for a long time. Thus,
it was not a very practical skill in battle. However, in that case, it should suffice for the
short length so the princess could cross without getting wet.
Princess Penia slowly walked across the surface of the lake and noticed that part of the
tree had fallen off.
Perhaps Ed Rothstaylor was still set on revenge and had set a trap.
If he were to do such a thing against the Benevolent Princess, things wouldn’t end well
for him.
Ed Rothstaylor should be well aware of that.
But there was nothing wrong with being more careful. The princess cautiously
approached the old tree, alert as much as possible.
“A magic-infused marble...? But the color is different...”
There was a bright golden marble in the hollow of the tree, shining softly.
Princess Penia tilted her head.
“It’s a unique design... It’s golden in color and gives off a subtle glow but... there’s
nothing else to it.”
Just in case, she tried to detect the marble’s magic power, but the amount of magic itself
was very insignificant. It was hardly noticeable.
“Although... it seems like an object with some meaning.”
The princess swept her platinum blonde hair up and lowered herself, careful not to have
her well-managed hair touch the ground. Crouching down, she looked at the marble
stuck in the tree and thought about taking it.
“I can’t do that.”
She only discovered the marble because Ed Rothstaylor told her where it was.
The princess herself had not discovered it. Therefore, her pride wouldn’t allow her to
take the marble for herself.
In the end, Princess Penia decided to leave the lake.
She knew all too well how shameless it would be to pass the test in such an unjust way.
Chapter 5: 6 Days Before School Starts (1)
[ Newly Crafted Product
Low-Grade Fishing Rod
Made from a tree branch polished by a dagger, repurposed silk threads from fabric, and a
small nail as a replacement for a hook. It has poor durability.
Difficult to determine whether a fish has bitten or not due to the lack of a fishing float.
Production Difficulty Level: ●○○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
I realized that the biggest drawback to harpoon fishing was the fact that it required too
much energy.
Because of that, I thought about using a fishing rod and made one instead. There were a
lot of branches for me to use so I just chose the one closest to the right size.
I then found a fabric among my belongings made of silk. I pulled a few threads out and
layered them to use as the fishing line.
I also had to take one of the small nails attaching the hinge of one of my wooden
suitcases. I ended up breaking one of the bags as I didn’t have a claw hammer to take it
out.
In the end, I had a fishing rod, low-grade as it may be. For bait, I was able to obtain
earthworms from under the rocks near the stream. With everything ready, I threw the
line into the water. I sat down by the stream and waited for a fish to bite.
“Hmm...
It wasn’t so bad sitting down waiting, chin in my hand. Compared to running around in
the water and getting drenched, this felt as though I have become some sort of god.
“It would be great if this succeeds.”
I remembered when I was young, running around the mountains and streams in my
childhood. I had no worries back then, no fear of dying from hunger. I was able to just be
happy. Thinking back on those times made me feel emotional for some reason.
“Hmm... I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
I thought of pointless things as I held onto my fishing rod, wondering if I made the
right decision telling Princess Penia about the golden marble.
“I should be more careful next time.”
My biggest advantage was knowing everything that would happen at Sylvania Academy
in the future.
But if I were to do something useless and end up changing the future... then wouldn’t I
have just thrown away my own advantage? According to what I knew, Princess Penia
wasn’t supposed to find the golden marble.
If it were to follow the story, the person who was supposed to find the location of that
marble was someone named ‘Lazy Lucy’.
She was a talented person who always placed first in the Magic Department, starting
from the class assignment examination all the way to graduation.
“Well, in my defense, that was the only plan I could come up with in that dire situation.”
It couldn’t be helped, the more pressing matter was to make sure that Princess Penia
wouldn’t expel me from the academy. I knew desperately begging and appealing to her
emotions would be the worst thing I could do.
While the best thing was to make her strangely suspicious of me so she feels that she
shouldn’t kick me out of the academy. It wasn’t the most convenient choice, but I
thought it wouldn’t be too dangerous. Although it was an unusual stance to take.
If someone were to ask me what kind of bullshit excuse I was saying... Well, I would
have nothing else to say. I mean, it’s not that difficult to talk crap, to be honest.
◐◓◑◒
Professor Glast was known as the ‘rude skull-faced bastard’ amongst the students.
It wasn’t unusual for students to give teachers mean nicknames. However, even Professor
Glast’s nickname could be considered a bit too harsh. Although the reason for it was
rather accurate, the professor was both rude and resembled a skeleton.
“I will announce the results of yesterday’s Class Assignment Examination.”
The busiest and most well-maintained area was Phillis Hall, located in the southeast part
of the island. All the freshmen students from the Magic Department sat waiting while
Professor Glast was on the podium.
He had a scrawny and pale appearance. And due to his neatly slicked back light-green
hair, his bony facial features were more prominent.
“First off, all of you ‘brats’ that came back within the first hour will all start in Class F.”
The entire hall became noisy at his words.
“Next, all of you ‘brats’ who thought for a bit then brought back lots of marbles, you
still have room for improvement, at the very least. Depending on the type of marbles you
brought, you will be assigned to a class ranging from Class E to Class D.”
Looking down on the students and having the attitude to keep calling them ‘brats’ was
already quite rude. Among those students were famous aristocrats, powerful and wealthy
people, and even royalty—and yet, he didn’t care.
It was law in Sylvania Academy. When it came to education, the hierarchy shouldn’t be
important. It was considered separate from the lifestyle and personal relationships of the
students. Learning was an even playing field.
“There are only three students accepted into Class A, where they will be guaranteed the
highest level of treatment and education—Lortel, Lucy, and Ziggs. Among them is Lucy,
who came on top of the class. As for the rest of you, you can check your position on the
list I distributed. I do not accept appeals. That will be all.”
After his speech, chaos ensued once again. Professor Glast tried to come down from the
podium, dusting off the fabric of his robe.
“What is the meaning of this? I can’t accept this!”
“The criteria wasn’t even clear. Did you just randomly assign our classes?”
“Please explain yourself ! What were the intentions of this test and what skills did you
want to see?!”
Some students loudly complained amidst the commotion. Professor Glast went back to
the podium, as if he had already expected this reaction, and cast Voice Expansion on
himself.
“The intention... why should I have to explain any of that?”
Everyone was shocked by his words. Princess Penia was shocked herself. The princess
looked at the issued list and was left speechless.
The freshmen were divided into six levels: Class F to Class A.
Only three students made it into Class A, and not a single student made it into Class B
or C. The remaining students were all split into Class D, E, and F. Princess Penia’s name
was listed under Class D. And even then, she couldn’t believe that her rank was already
in the top 10%.
“If you want to get into a higher class, then prove your ability. That’s what you need to
do.”
The situation was more ridiculous than the princess had thought. She felt humiliated but
soon shook her head.
Before the entrance ceremony, the headmaster already talked about this. Once she
entered Sylvania Academy, there would be many cases where she would not be treated
comparably to her authority as a princess.
It was Princess Penia herself that decided to escape her grand but impractical training
room to learn magic at Sylvania Academy on equal footing with everyone else.
She was ready to accept this humiliation.
But she still needed to understand.
“Even then, at the very least, you can explain the situation a bit more, Sir Glast.”
The words left her lips.
She didn’t raise her voice, but the murmuring ceased at once. Everyone was already
aware. That here with them was a princess of the kingdom.
As a student, she temporarily placed the importance of her status behind her, but she
couldn’t completely erase her inherent noble nature.
“Princess Penia, I’m sorry to say this, but this is my education policy.”
A cold gaze.
She had felt that very same gaze from the many vassals who sat next to the king, vassals
who were knowledgeable in their abilities and ways. Professor Glast’s eyes contained that
same specific coldness.
Using her Insightful Eyes, she could definitely see it, a feeling that she felt so often that
she was already sick and tired of it.
“But... If Princess Penia says so, I will make an exception just this one time.”
And that attitude of willingly ignoring his own rules was also similar.
“However, even if I tell you, I just know you will all misunderstand and say I made the
reason up. To prevent this, I will have the top student explain it instead. Lucy Mayreel?
Lucy?”
The professor called Lucy’s name but there was no answer.
“Ms. Lucy? She should be here right now. Ms. Lucy?”
Another commotion broke out as the students looked around, trying to find where Lucy
was.
“Ugh... Keugh...”
Just then, the girl sitting two seats ahead of Princess Penia reacted.
She looked a bit disoriented. The witch hat that covered her face was much bigger than
her head, so much so that even her shoulders were covered. Her frame was so small that
even the sleeves of her robes were hanging off her arms.
“Were you dozing off ?”
“Ah... yes... I dozed off...”
Her voice itself sounded drowsy, coupled with her droopy eyes that made her look tired.
She even admitted that she had dozed off. She was clearly one of those... weirdos.
“Would you like to come up to the podium for a moment and discuss the intention and
methods you used to solve the test?”
Lucy’s eyes shook at the professor’s suggestions.
It was obvious she was annoyed.
“Do I have to do it... now?”
Tension filled the air at her words. She just openly said, ‘It’s bothersome,’ in front of
Professor Glass, someone who was known to be extremely rude.
However, some of the students who had heard certain rumors about Professor Glast
weren’t very surprised at his answer.
“That’s right.”
“Uuek...”
The professor was extremely harsh to the untalented but was merciful to those who are.
Professor Glast was that kind of person.
“Kgghh... Ackk...! Kyaaak!”
Lucy threw her wide-brimmed witch hat to the empty seat next to her. She stretched
both her arms and legs wide apart like a baby cat who just woke up from a deep nap.
She stood up like a caterpillar. Although it would be more apt to say she looked like a
sloth.
“You may answer there if you don’t want to come all the way here. Just explain how you
found the golden marble in ‘The Guardian Tree of Merilda’.”
“Ah, really? Uhm... this should be quick then.”
Half-sitting on her chair, Lucy began to explain as if it were nothing.
“It’s what Glockt, the archmage, defined... The three qualities of an archmage that seeks
truth. Magic resonance, quick and accurate judgment, and the will to explore. You
wanted to check if we had these qualities, right?”
The name that was written the largest in all magic history textbooks was that of the
archmage Glockt. The qualities of an archmage he defined were quite well-known.
“Uhmm... I was just taking a nap nearby and when I woke up, the sun was already
setting... So I just gathered the magic marbles that I could sense around me.”
The students began to lose interest as Lucy mumbled on. However, Professor Glast was
still waiting patiently for her to finish.
“Of course, no one else could have located that marble except for me.”
Her words sounded arrogant, but the way she said it couldn’t be considered as such.
The tone she used to explain was nothing but reciting an obvious ‘fact’, like the sun
rising in the east or a glass cup breaking if it fell to the ground. She stated her words as
if it was nothing special.
As she continued to elaborate through her drowsiness, the other students felt a sense of
incompatibility. A genius.
Someone that can’t be explained logically.
Lucy Mayreel was someone who was born with innate talent.
And those like her would surely manifest their unique prowess.
Chapter 6: 6 Days Before School Starts (2)
Sylvania Academy’s royal accommodations were located in the western part of Acken
Island. Amongst them was one perched at the edge of a cliff closest to the coast.
It was quite far away from the commercial district in the southwest, where various
amenities and small business facilities were located.
When it came to academics, the royal family were treated as equals to other students, but
they cannot be treated the same when it came to their lifestyle and residences.
That was the reason a royal accommodation was built solely for Princess Penia.
The grand mansion was quite spacious. Regular students weren’t even allowed to enter
its garden, attesting to how much special treatment the royal family received in the
academy.
“It’s very different from the academic district.”
The sun was setting. Looking out the window, there was a vast view of the ocean. The
subtle sound of the waves could be heard from the windowsill, filling up the entirety of
the princess’s enormous private quarters.
Princess Penia sat at her desk as she watched the sunset from her window. It was a
personal desk made from high-quality wood, engraved with intricate patterns. It was
even larger than Principal Obel’s own desk.
In every way, the royal family’s life had to always be one of extreme opulence.
It was a life completely different from that of a regular student in the academic district.
Princess Penia swept her neat platinum blonde hair in front of her left shoulder.
She opened her magic history and Elemental book but soon put her pen down.
The princess was lost in thought.
The golden marble that Lucy Mayreel showed during the class assignment examination
announcement was definitely the marble she found inside The Guardian Tree of
Merilda.
She came to a realization.
The marble looked unique, but there was nothing strange about it other than that. You
could barely feel the magic power inside of it because it was so weak.
Indeed, Princess Penia’s judgment was correct.
The marble really was nothing more than a marble with a unique appearance and a small
amount of magic power. However, the fact that it was ‘filled with weak magic power’ was
the key itself.
“Not bad, Ms. Lucy.”
The three qualities of an archmage that coveted the truth as the archmage Glockt
defined:
- Magic resonance
- Quick and accurate judgment
- The will to explore
The students that jumped to the conclusion that the test was judged on a ‘first come, first
serve’ basis were deducted points in the ‘quick and accurate judgment’ aspect.
What determined the top performers was those who did well in ‘magic power resonance’,
judged by the amount of magic power in each marble.
The smaller the amount, the harder they were to detect.
Now that Princess Penia thought back on it, there were different amounts of magic
power in each of the various marbles that were spread out.
But the difference was so minimal that it was difficult to even notice if the princess
hadn’t focused. The more marbles found with less magic power inside, the more extra
points in the ‘magic power resonance’ aspect. And the golden marble that Lucy Mayreel
casually found after she woke up from her nap...
“The Guardian Tree of Merilda is the oldest tree in the northern forest. It’s a tree
protected by Merilda, a high-ranking wind spirit, so it’s always surrounded by abundant
magic.”
Professor Glast said at the podium, talking with his unique skull-like face.
“In a small space where there is an abundance of magic power present, I placed a marble
with the smallest amount of magic power infused into it. Even the location was just a
rock island in the middle of a lake. Unless you were a student who was able to sense that
minuscule magic power, it was a place that you wouldn’t have found.”
There was no end to the intricacies of magic power resonance.
The same way a person’s scent would be impossible to distinguish in a crowd, it was
harder to notice unique magic power when mixed or buried among others.
Lucy Mayreel was born with the ability to push her magic power resonance to the limit.
Not only that, she was dozing off, acting like she didn’t know anything... when she
actually understood Professor Glast’s intentions already.
Evident in the fact that she came back to the academic district with nothing more than
that golden marble. It meant Lucy Mayreel was already on top of the field.
“Alright, I can understand that...”
It was the first time the princess heard the name Lucy Mayreel. However, it turned out
she was already quite well known amongst the others.
“Lazy Lucy.”
She could be seen around campus curled up on benches, tree stumps, or even on the grass
field taking a nap.
Her origins were unknown, but it was rumored she was already a genius, able to push
her sense of magic power to the limit. It was a truly enviable talent, but it’s a talent that
she was born with. It’s something that could just be accepted as unfair. But there was
still a part she couldn’t understand.
There was one more person who knew where the marble was.
“That tree is ‘The Guardian Tree of Merilda’. If you look inside the tree, you’re bound
to have a good harvest.”
Ed Rothstaylor.
Princess Penia felt deeply troubled.
That meant he also knew the location of the golden marble, something that couldn’t be
explained as an accidental discovery.
The marble only held a small amount of magic power, in a space surrounded by powerful
magic power from The Guardian Tree of Merilda. It was also located on a rocky island
in the middle of a lake. It’s not a place that one can find on accident while walking about.
Therefore, there was only one conclusion to be drawn. Ed Rothstaylor was born with the
same level of magic sensitivity as Lucy Mayreel.
“Let go of me! Do you know who I am?! I am Ed Rothstaylor, the second son of the
Rothstaylor family! Get your dirty hands off me, you pigs! Where do you think you are
touching me?!”
“You think I would stoop so low just to mess with a nobody failure like Taylee? Let go of
me! These dirty and ignorant commoners! Do you even know what you’re talking about!”
“What? P-Princess? The Benevolent Princess Penia? I’m s-sorry, I didn’t notice you!”
“I’m sorry! Princess! I’ll punish myself and hit my head like this! Please! Please show
your mercy!”
“Princess! If you defend bugs like Taylee, your noble and high name will be tarnished.
Please condemn him!”
“...It can’t be.”
Princess Penia shook her head.
Ever since she could remember, she had lived judging others.
The disgraceful appearance that Ed Rothstaylor exhibited at the entrance exam was
something anyone would recognize as a last-ditch effort of someone backed to a corner.
The princess heard that his magical abilities were nothing exceptional. Rather, it was a
mystery why he was so arrogant when he had nothing to boast about. It was probably
because of the Rothstaylor family’s unique training method.
But more than that, Professor Glast wouldn’t have left him alone if he had that much
talent.
The professor was someone who was madly obsessed with talent, so much so that he
would find hidden talents among students and help them bloom.
There was no way the professor wouldn’t have noticed his level of talent. However, the
uncomfortable feeling persisted in Princess Penia.
“Was he really the same person?”
There wasn’t a sense of relief or that of convincing. More than anything, there was
something about that calm side of Ed Rothstaylor in the forest...
His shameful attitude, trembling in fear and unable to hide his sense of awe in the face of
power, of becoming weak in front of someone powerful-she didn’t feel it at all. She
thought he was bluffing at first, but seeing his actions changed her mind.
Ed Rothstaylor seemed more concerned about the campfire extinguishing rather than
the angry Princess Penia in front of him.
He sat by the campfire and talked, kindling the firewood with his poker. He didn’t look at
the princess even once.
She felt a sense of discomfort.
A sense of discomfort from the fact that this might not be the same person.
But the appearance and behavior he exhibited as an arrogant aristocrat that Princess
Penia saw at the entrance exam—that was real.
“Was there a chance that he just changed?”
The biggest chance for him to change was probably after being disowned.
But even when she thought about it, it seemed too strange.
She was the reason Ed Rothstaylor was disowned.
He should have either blamed her or begged her for forgiveness. If he did, the princess
wouldn’t be feeling this strange unease. However, this new Ed Rothstaylor’s eyes held no
such unjust feelings.
The eyes that Princess Penia had seen—
Indifference. Apathy.
A good impression.
He even appeared to be relaxed.
The fact that these were the feelings in the eyes of someone who had just been thrown
away by aristocracy... The princess thought it was unrealistic.
“No way... was he not in shock over what happened to him?”
No, Princess Penia shook her head. He lived as a member of the Rothstaylor family his
whole life. No matter how calm and composed of a person he may be, there was no way
being disowned from the comfortable life he had been living thus far wouldn’t be
shocking.
“Hmm...”
Closing her magic book, Princess Penia fell into thought.
What kind of family was the Rothstaylors?
The person that came to mind is Krepin Rothstaylor, whom the princess first met at a
royal banquet. He was a wonderful nobleman with a warm-hearted smile, dressed neatly
and stylishly in appearance.
But that was through the eyes of the young Princess Penia at that time.
Because her “Insightful Eyes’ were gifted to her by God like a sixth sense gave her the
ability to measure a person’s being, and they saw something different.
Inside the benevolent noble head of the house, Krepin Rothstaylor had something that
the princess couldn’t explain well with words. A black and unpleasant snake living in the
pit of his stomach.
Behind the perfect example of a kindly ruler was something hiding in the shadows.
Every once in a while, the princess would notice his face darken as he left the royal
conference hall.
He was a villain wearing the mask of an innocent nobleman. Princess Penia had been
sure about this for a long time.
There were even private troops secretly sent to investigate the family, seemingly hiding a
darkness that no one knew. There was a rumor that items would occasionally go missing
at the annual royal treasury meeting, only to turn up later. There was also a rumor that a
staff member that worked at the family’s mansion went missing.
And a rumor that Krepin Rothstaylor indulged in books about the ‘God of Destruction’.
Something suspicious was going on.
However, the basis for this speculation was not enough.
Princess Penia suddenly stopped fiddling with her pen.
Her Insightful Eyes that measured a person had never been wrong in her entire life.
No matter how unusual it may be, if her sixth sense was going haywire, then there must
be something going on.
But this was only a hypothetical ‘what if ”.
Even though her sixth sense could sense it, the Rothstaylor family’s misdeeds were yet to
be revealed.
What if Ed Rothstaylor was trying to leave that darkness?
It would explain how he could remain so calm despite being disowned by his own family.
It was because he was trying to naturally cut off his ties from said family.
However, it wasn’t easy to leave the blood lineage of the aristocracy. If he wanted to be
disowned naturally, he would have to leave behind a destroyed reputation.
Princess Penia’s face stiffened at the realization More than anything, if this was true...
“Let go of me! Do you know who I am?! I am Ed Rothstaylor, the second son of the
Rothstaylor family! Get your dirty hands off me, you pigs! Where do you think you are
touching me?!”
“You think I would stoop so low just to mess with a nobody failure like Taylee? Let go of
me! These dirty and ignorant commoners! Do you even know what you’re talking about!”
Then even that ugliness he showed, that worst part of human nature he exhibited during
the entrance examination... That meant it was all an act.
This meant he had a different type of inner strength that even her Insightful Eyes
couldn’t see.
In other words, he was a mastermind manipulator who even used the princess of the
kingdom for his own purpose.
“That was... all an act...?”
The princess quickly shook her head no. That couldn’t be true.
However, the change in Ed Rothstaylor constantly bothered Princess Penia.
If what she saw was acting...
If he knew something about the darkness of the Rothstaylor family...
If he used the princess to cut ties with that darkness...
If all of that was planned in the palm of his hand...
If that’s true...
Slam!
“This is too exhausting.”
The princess pushed herself up from the table.
She went to the window and was greeted by the cool sea breeze, her platinum blonde
hair flew refreshingly in the wind. The feeling helped cool her head.
“I should catch up on the admission schedule and my studies, I can’t afford to pay
attention to state affairs.”
Go enjoy the happiness of learning. That was the encouragement the King gave her
when she left for the academy.
She had been able to shed and escape some of the rules and mannerisms of being royalty
in Sylvania, a place for her to study. She should let go of these thoughts now.
A life full of politics, power struggles between aristocrats, caring for the people, and
diplomacy with international nations... The princess was starting to get tired of it all.
Maybe she was already tired.
She was just overestimating Ed Rothstaylor.
Not everyone lived their life hidden inside layers of masks.
Perhaps this had become a bad habit for the princess, measuring a person due to living
life walking a tightrope amongst aristocrats and ministers.
Physically, Princess Penia was just a foolish girl who was yet to have her coming of age
ceremony. But her heart felt as though it had grown old.
Besides, she wasn’t even at the age that she should be measuring others, but rather at a
time when she should be focusing on herself.
The princess sighed as the wind whistled by.
“Did I mature too early for my age?”
She looked at the mirror by the window.
A beautiful platinum blonde princess who grew up well cared for stood in the mirror
wearing light sleepwear.
She gathered her hair and rolled it up, then she tried splitting it in the middle and tying
her hair in pigtails, and then she tried tying everything to one side.
But by then, she’d let out a big sigh and let go of her hair.
“It’s not that I’m not interested in dressing up, but I don’t know why I get so
embarrassed about it.”
Authority sometimes bound a person. Since she was in a position of authority, the fatigue
was indescribable.
But it couldn’t be helped. To some people, the princess’s position looked like a blessing.
“I’m always thinking too deeply and too hard about everything... It might have become a
bad habit.”
Princess Penia still kept thinking as she stood by the window, feeling the wind. She stood
there thinking about Ed Rothstaylor.
Knowing the dark secret of the Rothstaylor family, he deliberately used the princess to
get himself disowned and break ties with his family.
The assumption was too absurd.
It made sense if she were to stitch together various pieces but... it was too much of a
leap in terms of logic. But his attitude had strangely changed and did a 180°...
“Let’s just think he went crazy because he got disowned.”
He also found the location of the golden marble before Lucy Mayreel and told Princess
Penia...
“That is... I don’t know... He must have found it by chance.”
On the contrary, it felt too convenient. Princess Penia was aware of that fact, but she also
felt relieved, having had reasoned it out for herself.
“When we had a conversation before, I didn’t feel anything dark from inside of him...”
Princess Penia’s face froze.
The conversation she had with him in the northern forest.
She forgot how natural their conversation flowed.
As soon as she saw him, she immediately snapped at him.
Get out of this academy! People here despise you. Don’t you also despite this academy as
well? Don’t you hate me for getting you excommunicated?
How did Ed Rothstaylor respond to that?
With a surprised reaction, he stared at Princess Penia and said a reason that nobody
would believe—
“The truth is, princess, I actually feel grateful towards you.”
Stuck in such a bizarre situation, she couldn’t ask the significance behind those words.
Just what was he thankful for?
Princess Penia was the person who had the biggest influence in getting him
excommunicated.
Just what was there to be thankful for to such an enemy?
Was getting disowned something to be thankful for?
Slowly, Princess Penia stopped.
Crackle!
She could hear the occasional crackling of the campfire, as if experiencing an auditory
hallucination. There wasn’t a lot the princess saw that day.
The only thing she saw was the wide back of a boy rekindling firewood with his poker,
as if he was enjoying what he was doing.
◐◓◑◒
Fwoosh!
“I caught it!!!”
It was my seventh catch.
The fishing rod I made in a hurry was performing better than I thought. The freshwater
fish I just caught looked similar to bluegill and was already my seventh catch.
With that much, it wouldn’t only be to stave off my hunger, but it should be enough to
eat until I was full. I was always hungry, but after coming to this terrible world for the
first time, it looked like I might finally be able to feel satisfied’. So satisfied that I couldn’t
help but give a thumbs up.
“What a great catch!!!”
Chapter 7: 3 Days Before School Starts
Hearing the cicadas chirping among the grass was nice.
The moonlight reflected on the water at night creates a relaxing atmosphere. I was
cleaning the fish I caught in front of the crackling campfire.
I worked a lot the past three days just to survive.
My once shabby living space had become quite decent.
First was my shelter, which was made with wood, clothes, and leaves. I had now
reinforced it with clay from the river, filling the gaps connecting the support beams and
making them sturdier. The gaps on the roof were also neatly covered. Even if it rained,
there probably won’t be any leakage.
However, the support didn’t look like it could withstand the added weight of the clay. I
had to reinforce it with more wood, adding volume to my shelter.
And as for food, I found rock salt downstream of the river leading up to the coast. I then
ground some fragments into smaller pieces and used it to season my food. I also found a
large flat stone by the river and used it as a grill.
“I’m slowly getting the hang of it.”
I couldn’t catch bigger fish with just a low-grade fishing rod. Usually, I would only catch
small fish like Japanese rice fish, but sometimes I would reel in a Bluegill fish that I could
actually eat.
I had also become quite good at preparing fish.
Using the ceremonial dagger that had now become my trusty companion, I cut through
the fish belly and removed its guts. After that, I dragged the blade across the skin to
descale it, and then scored through the flesh to let the seasoning seep well into the meat.
I then sprinkled salt all over it and grilled it on the stone plate.
[ Newly Made Dish
Grilled Bluegill with Salt
Bluegill caught in the river that was cleaned and then grilled with salt.
It’s simple but the tastes of the ingredients are incorporated well together. Production
Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Cooking skills have increased. ]
Oh, I obtained something new.
There weren’t any messages like that when I only caught and roughly grilled my fish.
But ever since I started cleaning and preparing the ingredients, seasoning and cooking
them properly, my cooking skill began to improve.
That meant the increase in my daily life production skills reflected on my level as well. I
took my mirror out and looked at my reflection to check my information window.
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 3
Intelligence: 4
Dexterity: 8
Willpower: 7
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
My Dexterity increased by a point from 7 to 8. Proficiency in various daily life
production skills was extremely important in ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster.’
That was because skills in cooking, construction, woodworking, pharmaceutical, and
other production areas could create a variety of useful items, but were also useful when
combined with practical combat abilities.
As an example, Dexterity was closely connected with a person’s sensitivity. It had
something to do with being able to detect the subtle flow of energies or movements
around you.
It had little relation to magic, but it brought a significant differences in swordsmanship,
archery, and alchemy. I didn’t know when my Dexterity increased but a point was
already a great feat. The higher your stats were, the harder it became to raise them.
Although it may not take long to raise low stats like 3 or 4 to a 7 or 8, you would need to
complete a legendary quest just to earn a point once you reach the 20s.
Most of the daily life production skills were closely linked to Dexterity.
Combat Skills were affected by Vitality, Dexterity, and Willpower.
Magic Skills were influenced by Intelligence, Willpower, and Luck.
Life Skills were from Dexterity and Willpower.
While Alchemy Skills needed Intelligence and Luck.
It may seem unnecessarily complicated, but the key thing to remember was that each
skill was affected by different stats. I tasted a piece of fish. As it was seasoned well, it was
really delicious,
I drank a few gulps of water from the stream and sat down on a large rock I’ve been
using as a substitute for a chair.
“I still have a lot of work to do...”
The wooden shelter was uncomfortable at first, but it somehow became cozy as the days
went by.
I still had a lot of extra clothes left.
When it came to food, I had somehow survived by catching fish and foraging nuts and
berries from the forest. I wouldn’t say my standard of living is high, but it sure could
improve little by little.
“I need a drying rack to wash my clothes, but how do I make something like that... If I
go to the library in the academic district, wouldn’t I find some related books about it?
And I don’t want to only rely on fishing and gathering, I want to hunt too.”
While walking around in the forest yesterday, I chanced upon a wild boar roaming
around. Apart from it, there were also plenty of wild animals such as rabbits and
squirrels.
Since the academy had to be built on Acken Island, a large-scale monster subjugation
took place first. It would be hard to find monsters that could count as a threat to human
life now, but there were quite a few wild animals that lived in the forests, naturally
belonging in nature.
Hunting wouldn’t be a choice, but a necessity. Meat was about supply and demand, but if
I were to collect oil from the animal I caught, the quality of my cooking would greatly
increase.
“Come to think of it, I need some cooking utensils...”
The tools I had were all ceremonial items used at academic events—a ceremonial dagger,
an iron bowl, and a mirror. These things were usually kept neatly, but at this point, I
didn’t have the leisure to pay attention to such empty formalities.
The ceremonial dagger had already gone through all sorts of hardships, and there was
no reason to keep the bowl and mirror neat. It was something that couldn’t be helped.
“It’d be so convenient if I just had something like a pot, a proper kitchen knife, a ladle, or
at least a plate for the food.”
Using a twig, I wrote down the necessary items I could think of on the ground. I didn’t
have money and couldn’t leave the island right away, but if I were somehow able to
obtain the funds, these were the things I really wanted to buy.
“I still have so many things left to do... But there are only three days left before classes
start... ughh...”
I let out a deep sigh and stretched.
At least I had enough tools to live with.
Over the past week, I worked hard to build a place I could call my own. It could now be
considered something like a ‘camp.’ The wooden shelter that I put my most effort into.
A campfire surrounded by small rocks to manage it efficiently.
On top of that, a large stone plate that I used in place of a cooking grill.
Along with these things was the neatly arranged luggage I brought from Ophelis Hall.
There were also quite a few other items I made by myself that I had organized
separately.
“Then for today... let’s try making a bow using some silk threads.”
The silk I found in my luggage had been a huge help. It looked like a luxury product that
I almost shed tears as I unraveled the fabric. The fishing line was made with that silk,
and I also used it to tie and close the fabric on my roof.
The silk was of high quality and was quite durable. If I twist it well, it would be usable
in a bow. I also found an appropriately sized piece of wood in the forest for the bow itself.
Making and learning how to use a bow would be a huge help.
Most importantly, archery had good compatibility with both magic and Dexterity.
That was because various magical modifications could be applied to the arrows, greatly
increasing their power.
If I could increase my proficiency with a bow and arrow, I would see a direct growth in
my abilities.
Based on my experience, hastily learning a skill resulted in inferior proficiency. It was
easy to fall out of balance.
Prevention was better than cure. No matter how busy I may be, I needed to make sure I
did all the necessary preparations first.
“I think it’s going to be another long night.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I got myself ready to go back into production mode. I guessed
I would be sleeping late today once again.
◐◓◑◒
Dean McDowell smiled contentedly as he swept his mustache. It had been a while since
he laughed like this.
The position as Dean of the Magic Department at Sylvania Academy was hard and
difficult to endure for a gentle soul like him.
There were many eccentric students that dominated the academy, but even the professors
had big egos. Trying to mediate in the middle of it all, getting swept here and there, had
made his once-shiny black hair start turning white.
The deans of the Combat Department and Alchemy Department didn’t seem to suffer
nearly as much. It looked to be that the Magic Department was just particularly difficult.
But there were times when he felt like he was being rewarded.
He smiled as he looked through the results of the freshmen class assignment.
The lineup this year was truly a gold mine.
Even though he had become old, the brilliant glow of these talented gemstones made his
heart flutter.
First of all, it was a good sign that Professor Glast assigned three students to Class A.
Professor Glast, who shook his head not only at students but even at high-ranking
professors, recognized as many as three students.
‘Spear from Nature Ziggs’, whose talents had blossomed even in the harsh northern
grasslands.
The greatest merchant in the continent that led the Elte Company, ‘The Golden King’
Elte Kehelland’s only child, ‘The Golden Daughter Lortel.’
And the one whose origins and past was unknown... The girl that made Professor Glast
applaud with just her overwhelming talent—’Lazy Lucy.’
Dean McDowell couldn’t help but be surprised at Professor Glast’s praise for Lucy
Mayreel.
“She was born with the qualities of an archmage who will make a new mark in the
history of magic. I am honored to be her teacher.”
Taking into consideration how Professor Glast had looked at many magicians who had
been called prodigies before with cold and distant eyes, and looking at his words and
actions now, Dean McDowell couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of talent Lucy
Mayreel had.
Compared to last year, this year’s freshmen were a great harvest.
There were barely any students who stood out from last year’s freshmen. Only Yenika,
who succeeded in signing a contract with a high-ranking spirit, caught his attention.
Rather, their average scores were on the decline. They even had a student who was
excommunicated for interfering with this year’s freshmen entrance exam. It was a batch
of students that could be considered the worst generation.
“Last year must have been really grim for the sake of this year.”
McDowell was about to sign the report, hoping that Sylvania’s great name could be
raised once again.
“Dean. Please wait a moment... A guest has arrived.”
His secretary knocked on his office door. He had told her not to let anyone in unless they
had scheduled a meeting in advance, but it seemed as if she had already forgotten.
McDowell sighed and was about to reprimand her when the door swung open without
his approval.
It was Cler, the royal knight, and Head Escort under the direct control of Princess
Penia. With the door open, the princess herself came in, dressed in a dark blue dress.
Dean McDowell was scared out of his wits. He bowed his head and tried to honor the
royal family, only to quickly stop himself. They were in the academic district in Sylvania.
It was a place where the virtue of learning took precedence over the status of nobles.
Outside of the academic district, there would be people bowing their heads in front of
the authority of the royal family. But here, Dean McDowell was considered Princess
Penia’s professor.
He couldn’t treat the princess carelessly, but he had to at least act as a teacher and treat
her as a student. This was the policy of the emperor who founded Sylvania Academy.
Dean McDowell ended his courtesy by carefully bowing his head.
“I can’t believe the Princess has traveled all the way to the academic district at this hour.
And what reason brought you here, princess?”
“I am sorry I didn’t contact you in advance, Professor McDowell.”
Despite her petite frame, Princess Penia faced him with an intimidating aura. She
modestly sat down on the sofa meant for guests while the Head Escort Cler and the two
other royal knights stood firm.
“There’s something I wanted to discuss. Will that be okay?”
The Benevolent Princess Penia was not one to use her authority to pressure others.
McDowell knew about that fact quite well. So what could her reason be for recklessly
coming into his office to ask him for a discussion?
Either way, Dean McDowell had no choice but to listen to what she had to say.
Chapter 8: The Day Before School Starts (1)
“Now... What should I do...”
In the middle of a small lake in the southeastern part of the forest is a rocky island
where ‘The Guardian Tree of Merilda’ stands, I found the Elementalist Yenika lost in
thought there, concentrating while leaning against the tree.
Before I knew it, the start of classes was only a day away. I needed to prepare a lot of
things. First of which was my unsightly appearance.
Spending ten days in the wild, I looked more like a commoner than I did a noble.
Although I did wash in the stream every day, I still needed to shave off my sparsely
growing beard.
I sharpened the edge of a hinge I removed from my suitcase, scared of actually using it.
If I accidentally cut myself with a rusty blade, I could get an infection like tetanus.
However, to maintain a low-key academic life at Sylvania, maintaining my dignity was
the most basic of basics. My goal was to graduate and remain unnoticed as much as
possible. There would be nothing worse than catching the attention of the academic
staff for looking like a beggar.
I would need to find a way to get a clean razor blade.
I got dressed and finished my other preparations for classes before finally picking up my
bow.
[ Combat Skills Details
Grade: Combat Beginner
Specialized Fields: Bow
Bow Proficiency: Level 1 ]
Without hesitation, I decided to specialize in bow mastery for my Combat Skills.
There are four skill categories in ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’:
Combat, Magic, Life, and Alchemy.
It was a system that decides one’s profession by combining two skill categories.
Specializing in combat and magic would enable a student to become a magic swordsman
or a magic fighter. Specializing in magic and alchemy would enable a student to become
an alchemist or a spiritualist.
For a player that was in a position to freely choose their profession, it would be wise to
consider their options. But in my case, I was left with no choice for my two skill
categories.
I had to train my Life Skills in order to survive.
I was also in possession of a student’s body from the Magic Department, making magic
training inevitable.
In other words, specializing in Magic and Life Skills wasn’t an option, but a necessity.
These two categories weren’t a good combination, but there was a possibility of
becoming a magic engineer or an enchanter.
As I said, there was no weapon I was as compatible with as the bow.
It would be hard for me to engage in close combat because I lack endurance, muscle
strength, and fast reflexes. Attacking enemies from a distance would be the most ideal
strategy.
When my proficiency with production skills improved, I would be able to craft highquality arrows and enchant them with magic.
Due to that, the best course of action was for me to specialize in bow mastery for my
Combat Skills and specialize in elementalism for my Alchemy Skills.
“Elementalism...”
However, Elementalists were born with an innate ability called spirit resonance.
There was a limit to what one can train to interact with spirits. Therefore, historically
great Elementalists had all been born with this innate ability.
“I guess it can’t be helped if it doesn’t work... but that would be a bummer.”
There weren’t many good specializations for Alchemy Skills. The most I could think of
was specializing in herbal medicines.
Even then, it would be impossible to force Spirit Resonance if I didn’t have it. If it were
not to work out, I would just have to find another way.
“Anyway, I need to try out this bow I made all night.”
I was overjoyed when I finished crafting a bow with a production difficulty level as high
as level 2, but I was still skeptical if it would work or not.
I sharpened the hinges of my suitcases and attached them to wooden sticks to make an
arrow. I used all the hinges to make four. But if I were to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I
would be able to kill anything with them.
They might be useless against large beasts like wild boars, but they might work against
smaller animals like squirrels and rabbits. With the bow on my back, I went out to hunt.
Two hours later, after having achieved the result of two squirrels, I found Yenika at ‘The
Guardian Tree of Merilda’.
At the youngest age, she was able to sign a contract with Takan, a high-ranking fire
spirit. She was a talented Elementalist currently attending Sylvania Academy as a second
year student.
She would later on be controlled by the high-ranking dark spirit Velosper, who would
summon the right hand of the highest-ranking dark spirit Glasskan. She would then
take over the entire student center.
She was ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’s’ final boss in the first act.
◐◓◑◒
Without any ambition, I just wanted to graduate from this academy. That was my best
course of action. But truth be told, it wasn’t like I didn’t have any dreams.
It wasn’t like I didn’t want to be the hero of this world and walk a path of praise from
everyone. However, the path a hero would walk on was usually a thorny one.
There was a reason they received praises. It was because they silently pressed forward on
the thorny path where blood flowed, just as if it was a flower road.
The same went for this word’s hero, Taylee. No one knew who he was yet, or where he
was or what he’s doing. But I’ve played countless times as Taylee, so I knew it all too
well.
With a total of 5 acts and 43 chapters, the story was similar to that of an epic novel.
The ordeal that the main character Taylee would go through was not something a weak
feeble mind could endure.
What awaited him at the end of his romantic and youthful academy life was the
countless suffering of death and formidable and overwhelming enemies.
His last semester would be where the scale of his ordeals would increase drastically, with
constant threats and pressure on Taylee’s personal affairs.
The pleasure and triumph of overcoming them might be sweet, but I didn’t want to go
through all of those. Above all, overcoming them didn’t always mean that a great reward
was waiting.
Honor and glory were valuable things, but they never came for free. Instead, a lot of
sacrifices had to be made in the process. To know that the path in front was a thorny one,
it would be stupid to willingly walk on it.
That was my conclusion.
Whatever it may be, I would follow the ‘authentic path.’
The path of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ that I knew.
One way or another, Taylee, who had been through all kinds of ordeals and tests, would
solve all the crises on his own.
I would just tell him he was doing a good job and clap for him while I focus on taking
care of myself and getting my diploma. And besides, I was one year his senior.
The storyline of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ would get fiercer around the last year,
when Taylee was about to graduate. That was also the climax of the storyline.
It was when all kinds of forces outside the academy were in full swing, students were
threatened and the atmosphere became desolate. All the students were met with various
hardships.
The year before that, I just needed to get my diploma and leave.
My strategy was to take all the benefits and go find my own life while I left all the
difficulties to the protagonist. Wasn’t that the perfect plan?
As for this situation...
One of the most important characters in the game and the first person to take Taylee
down—Yenika Faelover. I didn’t want to get involved so I should just go on my way.
That was the reasonable course of action.
But just as I was about to leave,
“Oh my, isn’t that the funny friend Merilda mentioned?”
Yenika opened her eyes and spoke to me.
Of course, this was my life, where rarely anything ever goes the way I wanted.
◐◓◑◒
“The entirety of this forest is Merilda’s territory. And although she’s not a very highranking spirit, she talks about everything on her mind.”
She talked as if the old high-ranking wind spirit that had been protecting this forest
even before Sylvania Academy was established was her friend.
Her plentiful light pink hair was brushed down well, and both sides of her hair were
neatly braided, giving off a warm impression.
She was dressed in the standard uniform at Sylvania Academy, a red coat and navy blue
skirt. But perhaps, since it was cold, she had a fluffy shawl wrapped around her
shoulders.
Spread around her were a couple of magic books. She must have been reading while
being surrounded by the trees in the forest.
“I just arrived back at the dorm after the break, but why do I have so many things to
say... I’m admired for having a high-ranking spirit, but I guess I’ve been lonely without
someone to talk to. I don’t know how I survived the break, being so bored.”
She smiled and kept chatting, but from my point of view, this was a dilemma. Because I
didn’t want to get involved with her.
I had to do something when it was with Princess Penia as she was directly related to my
situation, but this is a completely different story.
“I guess it can be lonely for anyone, not having someone to talk to.”
She looked so cozy and sweet with her bright smile, which is why it came as a big shock
to players in the first act when she was revealed as the main antagonist.
A reliable and warm second-year senior, and yet she took over the student center with
the cursed seal of Glasskan all over her body. It was a slap to the back of the head for
players, who were just starting to adapt to the rules of the world.
In fact, it was the point where I got immersed in the story. I couldn’t help but say ‘What
the shit—’ when I played through that part. So...
Why was she talking to me?
Somehow, I felt like I could answer that question myself.
“I heard you were living in this forest? After being excommunicated?”
“The owner of this forest told you that?”
“Merilda is a bit nosy. She loves this forest after all.”
With a smile on her face, it seemed like blooming flowers were flying around her. She
looked like someone who was always positive no matter how bad the situation may be.
The gap in appearance from how she looked now to when she would take over the
student hall made me feel uncomfortable.
“She loves this forest very much, isn’t it only natural for her to know about one uninvited
guest?”
I became worried about the two squirrel bodies hanging behind my back. I had also cut
down a lot of trees.
“Don’t worry about those useless things~ It’s the providence of nature that the living is
to catch and eat each other. Would Merilda be uncomfortable with just that?”
“I guess even a scary-looking giant wolf has a soft heart.”
“It’s unexpected, right? Hahaha!”
Merilda, who protects the forest, was a high-ranking wind spirit in the form of a giant
wolf. From what I could remember, she didn’t usually appear in front of humans. I guess
she was more tolerant than I had originally thought.
Then it wasn’t as strange that I had been setting up camp, hunting, and gathering in her
forest thus far.
“Your appearance changed a lot. Hmm... The Ed from last semester was more... We
haven’t talked a lot, but how should I say this... Your voice sounded a bit more ‘whiny’,
but now it’s more serious. Was it an image change?”
“Something like that.”
“Aha! I feel the same. The Ophelis Hall maid braided both sides of my hair. What do you
think? Do I look more tomboyish?”
I couldn’t respond as she twisted her hair.
I wanted to commend her for cheerfully talking with Ed Rothstaylor, who was known as
the biggest jerk in the world, but... Knowing her future, I couldn’t respond with a
cheerful smile.
Well, if I wanted to keep my distance, that would be easy.
I know a ‘magic spell’ that would make anyone nervous and suspicious of me, no matter
their saintly personality or how nice of a person they may be.
“Yenika, it must have been fate that we met the day before classes started. May I ask you
for a favor?”
“A favor?”
“Recently, I’m in urgent need of money, so I have been looking for a place where I can
borrow.”
I naturally cast the magic spell.
“Can you give me a guarantee?”
And cut—
Chapter 9: The Day Before School Starts (2)
Thanks to how my parents educated and raised me when I was young, just hearing the
word ‘guarantee’ always sent a shiver down my spine and caused my blood pressure to
rise.
But that was just me. Either way, the desperation of a human being cornered was more
burdensome than one can imagine.
“After getting disowned and becoming penniless, I guess I needed some emergency
funds.”
It could only be burdensome to suddenly hear such words from a classmate she wasn’t
even close with. But it wasn’t like I didn’t know that. Rather, that was exactly why I said
that.
“Or could you lend me some money?”
I asked her.
“I see...!”
But Yenika’s kindness was more incredible than I had imagined.
“That must have been difficult...!”
From her kindness to her ‘sympathy’, I couldn’t help but admire her.
“There must have been a lot of hardships that I was unaware of... I’m not sure what I can
say to help you feel better but... I hope you can cheer up!”
Her cheerfulness without a lick of malice made me suspicious. Did she not know who Ed
Rothstaylor was? He was a person not even worthy of empty compliments. However,
Yenika’s kindness even went above that.
“But... I’m also not in a good position myself... If I could, I would definitely help you, but
my family doesn’t have the best circumstances either...”
Yenika was the daughter of a small ranch in the eastern part of the kingdom of Sparde.
She wasn’t born into a rich family. Rather, she grew up playing in the fields as a
commoner.
The only reason she was able to attend such a prestigious academy was due to her
incredible spirit resonance. Due to her capabilities, she had good grades and received a
scholarship.
“But cheer up! I’ll be cheering for you!”
Her beautiful smile was her trademark. Seeing it had the ability to warm one’s heart.
But knowing what was in store for her... it wasn’t pleasant.
◐◓◑◒
At the place where Ed Rothstaylor had just left, sat a girl still reaching out towards the
air.
“It’s just as you said Merilda, he’s such a strange person.”
There were only three people at Sylvania Academy with a high enough spirit resonance
that allowed them to see the high-ranking wind spirit Merilda.
The second year student, Yenika Faelover.
‘Lazy Lucy’, who was talented in all different fields of magic, and Melina, a senior
professor of Spiritual Studies.
“It didn’t feel like this last year.”
A gust of wind blew as she stretched her arms out. Suddenly, there stood a giant wolf
entwined with the wind.
The wolf opened her mouth with a large amount of pressure and rubbed her face
against Yenika’s hand while letting out a soft growl.
Yenika grinned as she stroked the wolf ’s jaw, which was several dozen times bigger than
herself.
“I hope I can sign a contract with you one day, Merilda.”
Even though they were already like family, Yenika’s magic power was still too weak to
sign a contract with Merilda. Although she was able to recently succeed in signing a
contract with the high-ranking fire spirit Takan, Yenika had to lie down for ten days and
ten nights right after, suffering from a high fever.
“You’re even a wolf now... you’re starting to look like the owner of the forest more and
more.”
As a high-ranking wind spirit, Merilda’s form changed every time they met. Sometimes
as a giant eagle, sometimes as a creepy crocodile, and sometimes, even as a crude wild
boar.
Merilda appeared as a variety of animals, but this was the first time she appeared in the
shape of a wolf. Yenika buried her face in Merilda’s fluffy fur and giggled while rubbing
her face.
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think he could see you.”
Holding onto Merilda, Yenika began thinking.
She thought of Ed Rothstaylor who was disowned for doing something disgraceful. He
didn’t really have a large amount of talent or magic power.
Nevertheless, there was something he said that bothered her.
“I guess even a scary-looking giant wolf has a soft heart.”
He definitely said that.
He was referring to Merilda’s wolf form, which Yenika only saw for the first time after
returning from her break. He mentioned it so casually and matter-of-factly.
“Who is he?”
And the intention of his following words was clear.
Acting desperate and asking to borrow some money with such a calm tone and way of
speaking. It was nothing like the desperation of a person stuck in a corner.
Even Yenika, who was approachable and always seemed to only smile stupidly, had as
much sense like everyone else. When Yenika tried to get closer to him, he indirectly
avoided it.
“Well, there are people like that too but... I’m only human.”
In anger, she kicked Merilda’s fur who did nothing wrong. Of course, there was no way a
girl’s cute kick would be able to make a scratch on Merilda’s skin, which was as hard as
steel.
“I treated you as nicely as I could, but if you hit me like that, it breaks my heart... geez.”
She didn’t have any particular feelings like that of a confession, but it somehow felt like
she got dumped for no reason, making her grumpy.
“Well, we will keep seeing each other in the future, so we should become closer.”
Rubbing her face against the wolf ’s soft fur and tightly hugging Merilda, Yenika smiled
brightly.
After all, the relationship between people was something unpredictable. She remembered
when she became close to many of her classmates last year, but there seemed to be a lot
more interesting students this year.
Among the more interesting ones was Ed Rothstaylor. Even Merilda went so far as to
refer to him as a ‘fun person.’
For Yenika, the world was always kind, like a flower field that was always full of the
scent of flowers.
No matter who it was, greeting someone with her bright smile would warm their heart
and enable them to laugh together.
No matter how nice a person was, there was always a bit of darkness somewhere in their
heart. Merilda understood that. Nevertheless, she had no doubt that if she smiled
brightly, their hearts would eventually open up.
“Classes start tomorrow, I need to study hard again.”
And so a fellow student that caught her interest had appeared. Even that fact alone was a
source of joy for Yenika.
◐◓◑◒
“She should stop paying attention to me now, right?”
I sat in front of the campfire and started cleaning up my outfit, putting in a last-minute
effort to create a neat but inconspicuous style.
The first thing I did was comb back my golden hair as much as possible to tidy it up.
Then I removed all the useless accessories from my clothes. Trimming my growing
beard also made a huge difference in my appearance.
The problem of tuition fees would become a reality at the end of this semester. If I were
not to receive a scholarship, I would have to leave the academy immediately.
This meant that I had to train as much as I could during this semester. The Magic
Department’s curriculum had more free time that one would think, but training would
still constantly occupy my time.
My magic resonance and direct elemental magic proficiency had considerably progressed
over the past few days. I used them every day, after all—to cut down trees, to make a fireI continuously used them for the sake of my survival to raise my mastery through
repeated use.
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Low-grade Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
+ Fast Casting Level 2
« Mana Sense Level 5
Fire Element Magic:
+ Ignite Level 5
Wind Element Magic:
« Wind Blade Level 4]
My main magic level increased quite a bit. Granted, it wasn’t all that hard climbing to
level 10, but this was still quite fast.
There was a limit to learning magic by myself. But with classes starting, the types of
magic I could learn and use would become quite diverse.
My proficiency in my production skills would also naturally increase, which should
significantly affect my Dexterity. My problem was combat. I had hopelessly low physical
and muscle strength.
I had been doing all sorts of physical work these past few days, but my stats remained
unchanged. This cursed body seemed like it wasn’t born with any talent for physical
abilities.
But I was not the type to give up when the going got tough.
“There’s nothing like aerobic exercise to train your physical strength.”
Although, at that point—when every day was like a series of aerobic exercises—it might
be nonsense to actually schedule a time to exercise.
However, that was my environment. The northern forest where I lived was quite far
from the academic district located in the southern part of the island.
The day I was disowned, I walked aimlessly and took about half a day to get to the
forest. At that time, I walked deep in thought, took a break in the middle, and then
walked around the streets here and there.
Even then, the distance from here to the academic district couldn’t be close. What was
even worse was that I had to go to class every day. In other words, I would have to run to
attend classes in the early hours of the morning, every day.
“I can think of it as physical training.”
Physical strength was the foundation for all actions. No matter how much one may
technically excel or train their magic, physical strength was ultimately needed to support
it.
I heard that combat students had to run this much every morning, so it shouldn’t be
impossible for me. Even though I was from the Magic Department, I had no choice but
to act as a student from the Combat Department would. This was something I didn’t
have the time to even protest about.
Running to the academy every morning, gaining stats for my Combat Skills through
hunting, woodworking, and other means to survive.
As for my Magic Skills, I needed to constantly train my mana-sense and basic elemental
magic.
At the same time, crafting various things necessary for my survival would take care of
my Life Skills. My increasing Dexterity and various production skills should be of great
help in the future.
But my Alchemy Skill... I wasn’t sure yet. I didn’t have any useful magic tools or alchemy
supplies right now.
“Anyway, I need to focus on training this semester.”
Oh please! It would be great if I could avoid attracting any useless attention. Even
without that, I already had so much work to do.
Please...
Chapter 10: Face-to-Face With the Dean (1)
There was a question niggling at the back of my mind.
But because I had been barely surviving, it was something I didn’t have the luxury to
think about. However, as the new semester was just about to begin, I naturally thought
of it again.
Just where in the world was the protagonist Taylee and just what the hell had he been
doing?
◐◓◑◒
An atmosphere of excitement was bound to form at the start of a new semester.
Most of the students had already returned to their dorms as the break had ended.
Even friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time had probably already caught up
with each other. But it’s still human nature to feel excited at the newness of attending
the yearly opening ceremony.
The Student Center was located at the center of the academic district. It comprised three
buildings and was more commonly referred to as the Student Center.
Among them was Kate Hall, which was located on the west side. It was often used for
such large academy-wide events
There were dozens of large tables spread out in the huge auditorium, all of which were
big enough to seat ten people comfortably. Each table was laden with a banquet feast. For
someone that had been living on fish and plants those past few days, it looked like heaven
on earth.
I woke up at six in the morning and walked from the northern forest all the way south to
the academic district. To endure such a feast in front of me was an ordeal at a level
beyond what mere human patience could endure.
If I could take the leftovers, I wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while. Was there a
bag or a bowl somewhere where I could put some? That was what I thought, but I didn’t
dare do anything more.
I hated the academy’s culture of nobility. Sylvania Academy liked to overly emphasize
the need to ‘maintain dignity’.
It would’ve been great if they ignored me were I to pick up the leftovers and take them
with me. But I would lose points from my behavioral conduct grade if I were to get
caught.
“It’s great to see students who are growing even more with each semester. Also, what we
discussed at Sylvania’s academic affairs meeting was...”
It was a given that regardless of the generation and time, the academy headmaster’s
speech was bound to be boring.
Although because of this strange thing they call ‘dignity’, the Sylvania students were all
sitting straight and listening in silence. All thousands of them.
It was a ridiculous sight.
It was moments like these when I realized the worth of Sylvania’s name.
“Look over there... Isn’t that Ed Rothstaylor?”
“What? The 2nd year student who behaved indecently at the freshman entrance exam?”
“Oh my, looking closely, his appearance is a bit strange... But it’s definitely him...”
“How could he shamelessly come to the entrance ceremony? No way, is he planning on
continuing to attend classes? Even though he had been disowned by his family?”
Of course, the all too friendly chatter about me didn’t disappear at all. I sat amidst the
students, hearing their honorable whispers of warm hospitality very clearly.
“Look at him. Look at how much he’s fallen. He’s completely ruined. Ruined.”
“Shhh, he’ll hear you!”
“So what if he hears? That person is no longer a noble.”
They didn’t have to say all those things.
As slowly and as gracefully as I could, I lifted some grilled turkey and potato salad into
my mouth. I shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to recharge the energy my morning
run drained from me.
“Hello!”
Just as I was focusing on recharging my energy, I was greeted by a lively greeting to my
face.
“We meet again!”
There weren’t many people who would brightly say hello to a fallen noble like Ed
Rothstaylor.
When I looked up, just as I expected, it was Yenika Faelover, smiling and greeting me.
“I finished moving in with my friend at Ophelis Hall, but I couldn’t say hi to you, Ed. You
weren’t in your room.”
For a moment, I resisted the urge to frown. An alarm was ringing in my head.
Be careful of her approach!
Keep your distance!
“Nothing good would come out of you talking to me.”
“Hmm? Why?”
I spoke with my eyes instead of my mouth. I swept my eyes around the hall to tell her to
look around. There were already people gossiping about us.
Yenika Faelover was treated somewhat like a mascot amongst the second years. There
was no one that didn’t know who she was, being the top student of our class. And
because she was always lively and gave off a warm feeling towards others, she was well
cherished by her friends.
In addition to that, she also recently signed a contract with Takan, a high-ranking fire
spirit. She was like a beacon of hope to the second years of the Magic Department.
On the outside, it looked as if the innocent top student was talking to a piece of shit
punk dropout. Naturally, the people around us began to look on with worry-filled eyes.
In the end, there were some who urgently came and tried to rescue her. A short-haired
girl with freckles and a redhead girl with long hair jumped from the crowd.
“Wow! Yenika! It’s been a while!”
“Yenika! Did you have a good time in your hometown?!”
Anyone could tell the girls were forcing the most awkward smiles as they greeted Yenika
and grabbed her arms. --Nice!
Good work! My classmates whose names I didn’t know...!
“Wait a minute...”
However, Yenika miraculously escaped their hands and came back.
“I want to brag about this first before I go!”
“What?”
I looked at her in disbelief as she reached out her hands toward my face.
“What do you think?”
I sat still, staring at her. Yenika had her hands clasped together, turning them here and
there as she looked at them. It was as if she was stretching her hands at all sorts of
angles to brag about how pale and white they were which left me confused.
“After you left yesterday, it seems to have climbed out from the lake. Isn’t he so cute and
adorable? I signed the contract right away. He’s my new friend. Here, why don’t you try
touching him?”
I was wondering what the hell she was talking about, but hearing the word contract
made me realize what she was saying.
In short, it was a spirit. I couldn’t tell what kind of shape it had, so I didn’t know why
she was bragging about it being cute. She was constantly changing the angle of her
arms, as if there was something swirling around it. Anyways, I couldn’t see it.
Well, even though I couldn’t see it, I could roughly infer how it was. After hearing all
this fuss, he must be cute.
If I wanted to become closer with Yenika, maybe I could say, ‘He’s so cute’ or ‘He’s so
adorable’. Or maybe something like, ‘I also want to sign a contract with a spirit like him.
I’m so jealous!’ or other such things.
In terms of friendliness, she was the best in the class. In terms of social life, she was
someone who was always comfortable to be with. There was no need to force
conversations or struggle to find a topic that suited you.
She was someone who would continue conversations cheerfully even if she was just
listening to a story. She was someone that everyone in the second-year class loved.
But because of that, I had to be more careful if I wanted to keep my distance. She was
someone I could easily become close to. Therefore, I needed to make conscious efforts not
to.
The way to do so was not difficult to answer.
“I don’t get what you’re saying.”
All I had to do was block the flow of conversation.
“I can’t see anything. I can’t see spirits because I don’t have spiritual resonance.”
I got rid of all our common interests in one stroke. There would be nothing more for the
other person to say if I quickly cut things like this. It would be awkward to try and
search for another topic to talk about.
And because Yenika was no fool, she would notice that I didn’t want to become close
with her.
Having lived surrounded by kind people, it must be difficult for her to handle such
hostility, “...Is that so?”
Yenika answered, tilting her head as she faced me.
“You can’t see spirits?”
This was nothing unusual. Not all students in the Magic Department could see spirits.
Nevertheless, Yenika tilted her head a few times.
“Yenika! Quickly! Let’s go!”
“They’re going to run out of desserts!”
Her rescue team came back. They quickly hugged onto Yenika and took her back into the
crowd.
“Alright! I’ll see you again later!”
It was a spectacle seeing her smiling widely and waving at me.
Well, her rescuers would warn her while eating dessert.
Do not approach Ed Rothstaylor carelessly.
She would slowly start to lose interest in me then.
It wasn’t so bad, if you ask me.
◐◓◑◒
“Finally, the top students of each grade will award the ‘Sage’s Seal’ to the freshman
representative. Students whose names are called, please come up to the podium.
The second-year representative Yenika Faelover, the third-year representative Daike
Elpelan, the fourth-year representative Amy Innis... and the representative of the
freshman, the respectable Princess Penia Elias Kroel.”
The princess was still treated as part of the royal family. Calling her name in public
always required addressing her as ‘respectable’.
It wasn’t strange that Princess Penia was selected as the freshmen representative. ‘Lazy
Lucy’ might have unbeatable grades and talents, but she didn’t have the personality for it.
Besides, there was no other person who fit the role of representative better than Princess
Penia in the first place.
The first-year students this year were full of jewels. The gap between them and our class
was ridiculous. It couldn’t be helped. After all, the protagonist of this world was a
freshman himself.
There were some things players noticed when playing ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’.
Why were the first-year students the only ones who were doing well?
‘The Benevolent Princess Penia’ took control of the student council in her second year as
the de facto student body president, becoming an influential figure who controlled
academic affairs and rooted out injustice within the academy.
On the contrary, ‘The Golden Daughter, Lortel’ encroached on the darkness of Sylvania
and took control of the flow and distribution of money, coordinating interests between
the students to make large amounts of money.
Meanwhile, ‘Lazy Lucy’, who was born with talent and blessed by the stars of Glockt,
became an archmage who came out in history books.
There were more but it would be difficult to mention every single important character.
The important thing was they were all gathered among the first-year students.
The semester hadn’t even started yet, but thanks to the first years who shone like gems,
the atmosphere among the faculty must have already been exciting.
The ‘Sage’s Seal’ was a record left behind by the founder of Sylvania Academy, Sylvania
Robester. There was always a ceremony to award the seal to the freshmen for them to
inherit the will of Sylvania who emphasized the virtue of learning.
People tried to give it various meanings, but it was just all ceremonial. I kept looking
around as I watched the ceremony come to its final stages.
Right now, everyone was sitting here in Kate Hall regardless of their batch. There
weren’t many opportunities for students from different classes and majors to sit together.
The auditorium was filled with freshmen who had varied talents and backgrounds. But
these people are nothing more than just ‘characters.’
What was really important was to find this world’s protagonist, Taylee.
Thank you for running around on your own and solving all the hardships that would
happen to Sylvania Academy without me having to lift a finger, you pushover—
No, I meant, you troubleshooter of a nobleman. There was no one I would be more
thankful for because he understood all my hardships and would take care of them for me.
Also, the surest way to check that the world was going in the way that I knew was to
check on Taylee. His actions would soon determine the history of this world.
I should walk around and check where Taylee might be.
Either way, Ed Rothstaylor had already been completely ruined so I could even walk out
if I wanted to. After all, no one would care whether I was alone or not at such a grand
entrance ceremony.
No, it would actually attract more attention if I just stay put here.
Since I was already quite full, now would be the perfect time to get up and look around.
“This is an announcement. Can the student ‘Ed Rothstaylor’ visit Dean McDowell’s
office? Thank you.”
I suddenly heard my name from the platform.
McDowell. That was a name that I knew.
He was the chief dean of Sylvania’s Magic Department. In fact, he was a figure
influential enough to have the authority to appoint professors.
And he was looking for me?
“Don’t tell me... Am I getting expelled...?”
These days, did the highest academic authority directly notify students of their
expulsion from the academy? To bid me goodbye so earnestly on my way out?
“...have my chances already been ruined?”
I wiped my face.
No, let’s stay calm.
But what’s this?
Just what was going on?
Chapter 11: Face-to-Face With the Dean (2)
As large as Sylvania’s campus was, the administrative chart was equally as complicated.
Even though it might look like a spider web, those kinds of charts would usually become
quite simple towards the top.
Dean McDowell of Sylvania’s Magic Department had the highest authority among the
three deans of the academy. He was also part of that simple section of the
administrative chart.
From the top, his name stemmed from the second branch, right after the Assistant
Headmaster.
“The Academic Affairs staff didn’t go through with your expulsion process. Well, I guess
they figured there wasn’t a need for it.”
At first glance, he seemed like an easy-going person with his bushy beard and worn-out
glasses. But his attitude towards me was anything but.
I didn’t touch the tea his secretary served me, knowing I wasn’t in a friendly atmosphere.
“Do you want us to have to go through the academic regulations and invoke the
disciplinary committee to sentence you to leave the academy?”
Dean McDowell said with a firm face as he sat across from me.
Even though it was an unexpected truth spoken with power and attitude that held
weight, this was just a superficial appearance from the dean.
An act to cover up his compassionate and weak-hearted personality.
It was a fact only revealed through completing the sub-quests. So as someone who had
gone through the hardships of completing every story branch of Sylvania’s Failed
Swordmaster, this wasn’t surprising.
After all, in order to serve as the dean in a place full of strong characters like the Magic
Department, it was inevitable for him to take on a rather coercive attitude.
That’s just the nature of academic politics, to take advantage of pushovers. It’s why it
was admirable that he was able to maintain his true character.
“If it’s too difficult to go through all that process, the Academic Affairs will just expel
you.”
This was why I couldn’t help but be puzzled for two reasons.
First, just as I mentioned, Dean McDowell was not the kind of person to confront his
students. So to act in such a threatening manner didn’t suit him.
Second was his position as the dean. Not only was he a dean, he also held the highest
authority over the other deans. He was in a position where he didn’t have to be involved
in expelling a student. Rather, he was someone who reviewed and approved
implementation plans.
His position didn’t match this kind of grunt work.
Calling a student over and sitting him down to discuss whether to expel them or not... It
was strange. It would be similar to going to the district office to get a copy of a
document only to see the head of the office was the one reviewing complaints.
“Do you have any excuse for this?”
If I were a regular student, I wouldn’t have been able to think this far. I probably
would’ve panicked that a high-ranking noble called me to declare I was expelled from the
academy.
After giving it this much thought, I saw his true intentions.
He was only trying to get me flustered.
“That is a reasonable thing to say.”
I decided to respond with something simple to allow me more time to think.
I was in a luxurious and elegant reception room, put in the unusual situation of suddenly
having to leave such a public event like the opening ceremony. Having dressed up well, I
was now in a private meeting with someone of high authority, his intense and
threatening attitude compounded with the gloomy possibility of being expelled right
before my eyes.
The higher your rank was, the better you were at creating these kinds of situational
pressures. He was just trying to see my reaction to this situation.
But then, the question followed...
Just why?
Ed Rothstaylor was just an ordinary student from a noble family. He didn’t have any
prominent magical talent, nor did he stand out in terms of writing.
And one’s nobility was nothing more than a business card in Sylvania. There were so
many students from either noble or rich families. Even the princess herself was a
student.
So how was Ed Rothstaylor considered important enough for a private conversation,
taking up the dean’s precious time? There were only a few possibilities. I sighed deeply.
“I’d like to thank Princess Penia for looking out for people, even in the academy. She
always paid careful attention, no matter how insignificant.”
I said without obvious reason.
Suddenly mentioning the princess while talking about my possible expulsion... it would
be ridiculous to say something unrelated to the conversation.
What are you talking about?
Why are we talking about that now?
These reactions should follow.
But—
“What did you say?”
And in that short moment, I saw the dean’s forehead narrow. It was very brief, but I
caught his reaction.
“Just what are you talking about now?”
Nevertheless, he was able to maintain his position as Chief Dean for over five years. It
took him less than a second to school his face back into a poker face.
But that brief moment was enough for me to realize the truth.
Just as I thought.
There were only three people in the academy who were of higher authority than Dean
McDowell: Headmaster Obel, Deputy Headmaster Rachel, and Princess Penia.
Since I didn’t have any connection to either the headmaster nor the assistant headmaster,
there was no reason for them to care about me. This made the possibility of it being the
princess much higher.
No matter how the virtue of learning takes precedence over nobility in the academy, it
wouldn’t have been possible to just ignore the princess’s words.
In a way, this was very much like Princess Penia.
Why didn’t she just gather up her soldiers to tie me up and blackmail me to reveal all my
secrets in detail to want to get expelled? Did she not think that would’ve made me
confess everything?
Or were such barbaric and coercive means not her style? Or perhaps she found them
meaningless?
It was probably both.
But looking at the results, it was a correct judgment.
Even if they tied me up and blackmailed me, I wouldn’t have been able to confess that I
merely possessed this body, and that Ed Rothstaylor was a separate person from me.
There was no way they would’ve believed it. I would’ve been treated like a mad man.
That’s why she came up with something else.
“Nothing, it was just something I blurted out. I apologize. Haha... What am I talking
about... Must be because I’m nervous... Hahahahaha...”
I mumbled and scratched the back of my head, as if I was embarrassed. I laughed like an
idiot, but Dean McDowell’s eyes sharply looked at me. He was already used to those
kinds of situations. I already figured that out a while ago.
But the... push and pull had gone too far.
“I was just... thinking about what the ‘correct answer’ might be.”
I decided to go with confidence.
“I was just wondering what could be the reason for calling me out to sit here while you
measure my potential... and what I should say to get the ‘correct answer’. I knew that
sentencing someone with an expulsion was just to make an example for others. That was
just a fact based on the natural circumstances. ‘I am trying to figure you out, to some
extent,’ was what he really meant.
If this was someone overbearing and oppressive, this kind of approach would’ve been
counterproductive, since they might view it as me trying to be on par with them, hurting
their ego.
But I already knew that Dean McDowell was surprisingly not authoritative like that.
“I know what I did was wrong... But I don’t think it was a mistake deserving of
expulsion.”
“If you look through the academy’s bylaws, there is enough reason to expel you.”
“Weren’t bylaws and regulations always vague and ambiguous? There’s a lot of room for
interpretation. That’s why there’s a disciplinary committee, giving students the chance
to speak.”
I decided to go with a basic answer.
“That said, I think I have no choice but to take advantage of all the opportunities
available to me—persuading the disciplinary committee members as much as possible,
putting up posters on the academic affairs wall, and persuading my classmates. I’m going
to file an appeal that I was treated unfairly.”
It would become troublesome for the academy.
“Are you threatening me?”
“Not at all. This is just what I believe.”
I spoke with confidence.
It wasn’t like I was in a position to give out threats. What kind of threat could a student
on the verge of expulsion give against the head dean?
If they really wanted to expel me, they could simply ignore such trivial words. It
might’ve been annoying and irritating for a bit, but it would’ve just ended there. After
all, there was no way the other students would sympathize with Ed Rothstaylor.
“I’m just doing everything that I can. If I get expelled... There’s nothing I can do. But I
think I will regret it later if I just leave the academy without doing anything.”
I took a sip of the tea they gave me.
“Is this much... good enough for a ‘correct answer’?”
I feel like I was talking to him while wearing a mask. I’m sure it was the very same for
him.
For a while, there was silence.
McDowell looked at me for a long time, his hand resting on his chin. After a moment, he
finally said something.
“Princess Penia said there was something a bit difficult about you. At this point, I kind of
agree with what she said.”
The blessing of Insightful Eyes that judges humans, and the dean’s secret conversation
with the princess who was born with it. The fact that Princess Penia was destined to
always pay attention to me... without any mention, we already both knew.
“You are cunning like a fox, but I don’t feel any ill intent inside of you.”
“If you say that, wouldn’t it seem like I’m trying to trick you?”
“You are calmer than the other students who tremble just by sitting in this office.”
Did I act too calmly? That’s what I thought. But there was nothing I could do about it
now.
“Anyways, let’s end it here. I’ll hold off on answering whether you gave the correct
answer or not.”
“Then about my expulsion... what will happen to it?”
Dean McDowell laughed out loud, smiling widely. It was my first time seeing the dean
like this.
“You’re also quite sly.”
Didn’t you already know I had no intention to expel you? Didn’t you already notice from
the very beginning?
To say that in such a roundabout but sophisticated way... now that was the Dean
McDowell that I knew.
◐◓◑◒
I almost got fucked...!
I threw firewood into the campfire and sighed in relief.
I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like a very important turning point for my future
plans.
Even though I said all that, I knew I might’ve lost everything had I answered wrong.
I took a peek at McDowell when I closed the door and left, but his relaxed and laughing
face had gone. He looked agonized and serious once again.
He was seriously evaluating me.
I shouldn’t let my guard down around him.
Anyway, since the dice had already been rolled, I would just do what I had to do.
[Newly Crafted Product
Simple Drying Rack
A simple wooden dryer capable of drying laundry, food, and other things.
The support is not strong enough to bear a lot of weight.
Production Difficulty Level: ●○○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
Wiping my sweat off, I was delighted by the good news of my simple drying rack. I felt
like checking my daily life production skills.
Since I had been so busy, I hadn’t had the time to check my skills in detail.
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
« Handicraft Level 10
+ Design Level 2
« Gathering Level 3
+ Woodworking Level 7
+ Fishing Level 3
+ Cooking Level 4 ]
My Handicraft skill had already reached 10.
It was a skill that served as the foundation for the other skills. It was also the skill
directly connected to my Dexterity stat. In other words, as my proficiency level for this
skill rises, so will my proficiency with my other skills.
In addition to that, there was a huge significance for having reached the level 10 of a
skill. It meant I had fully learned the basics of that skill.
After reaching this level, the required experience for each subsequent level rises
significantly. This meant that a proper investment needed to be made.
I flopped down on the flat rock, staying near the heat of the campfire.
Compared to the sofa in the dean’s office, this was too hard and cold. But ever since
coming into this world, I had been indebted to this rock, so much so that it felt like it was
now perfectly molded into the shape of my butt.
Sitting in my camp that had truly become like my own home, I opened and closed the
palms of my hands in front of my eyes.
“As expected... this guy shouldn’t have been born a noble.”
My daily life production skills are leveling dramatically faster than my combat or magic
skills.
Even with natural-born talent, no one could thrive unless there was support from the
environment. Since Ed grew up as a pampered noble, he lived his life ruining his talents
in production.
He probably thought cooking and fixing things were acts too lowly for his status. Well, it
couldn’t be helped. He was a noble, after all.
“Nevertheless, I was able to create a somewhat livable space for myself through my hard
work.”
My living circumstances might make me seem like a homeless person when compared to
that of Ophelis Hall, Sylvania’s dormitory which had the best facilities on campus. But I
have already grown attached to this camp which I built with my own hands.
And because I indulged in the feast at the opening ceremony, I didn’t feel the slightest bit
of hunger at all. I might just fall asleep like this...
“But I can’t fall asleep quite yet.”
I had a lot of spare time because today was only the opening ceremony. And because I
still didn’t have any classes to be late to, there was no need to rush this morning. This
enabled me to take a leisurely walk to the academy, leaving me with a lot of energy.
I picked up a few books I had on the grass. I didn’t want to sleep just yet as I was
planning to read before it got any darker. I borrowed a book from the library about
various edible plants and wild herbs.
Knowledge was a survival skill. I could expand my diet if I were able to distinguish the
edible plant life in the forest.
“Maybe I should try making a workbench or a reading table. I could give it a try over the
weekend.”
With that in mind, I laid down in my simple wooden shelter and opened the book.
And fell asleep within seconds.
Like I had fainted.
Well, honestly, I was a bit tired...
◐◓◑◒
Tucked in a corner of the academic district was the dean of the Magic Department’s
office
Dean McDowell was sitting on the couch, holding his chin, thinking. It had been a while
since Ed Rothstaylor left.
“Hmm...”
He was still sitting there despite having a lot of work left, deep in thought without
moving an inch.
The dean’s secretary sighed at the sight as she organized documents.
It had been a while since the dean had become so deeply immersed in his thoughts, to the
point that he would end up doing nothing. This caused his work to get delayed, which
meant the secretary also couldn’t leave on time.
She decided to clean her desk, as it looked like she wouldn’t be able to go home on time
anyway. She had been putting it off for a while, after all.
“It seems like he might be out of it for a while... I wonder what he’s thinking about so
deeply like that...”
The secretary looked at Dean McDowell, who looked like a statue lost in thought, and
then looked out the window full of stars. The starry sky was very beautiful today, thanks
to the clear sky. She opened the window to let some air in.
“Secretary Agnes.”
Dean McDowell suddenly called her.
“Was my acting that obvious?”
“Excuse me?”
The dean was usually so perfect that sometimes, Agnes herself wonders if he had a dual
personality. At the very least, as the dean’s secretary, she should know as she was always
there.
Agnes stuttered that wasn’t the case to answer the dean’s strange question.
And just like that, the night over the academic district grew darker.
Chapter 12: Stray Cat (1)
As was common knowledge, games were usually played from the protagonist’s point of
view. That meant there weren’t a lot of things I could do since I’d already had my
downfall, played my part, and essentially left the stage.
However, the great news was that since I’d already played the game several times from
the protagonist’s point of view, I could roughly guess what event was currently
happening, just based on the timing and the academy’s schedule.
That meant there was no reason for me to feel frustrated from not knowing the state the
academy was in or what was going on. I felt comforted by that fact.
On the contrary, I was surprised by how many things I didn’t know because the game
progressed from Taylee’s point of view. An example would be the Magic Department’s
curriculum.
As the main character, Taylee was a student of the Combat Department, hence the
game’s title, ‘Failed Swordmaster’. That meant there was no way for the player to know
what kind of life the Magic Department students had.
Another example was the things that happened outside of Taylee’s activities.
Like the new buildings and statues being built under the sponsorship of ‘The Golden
Daughter, Lortel’. As well as the royal knights stationed at the entrance of the academic
district to escort ‘The Benevolent Princess Penia.’
Even though those things were not part of the main story, they made the world look and
feel alive.
In fact, I had quite a few stories I was curious about that were never revealed in the
game.
There were countless of them, but if I had to pick just one... it would have to be Yenika
Faelover.
As the final boss of Act 1, the story of her being possessed by the high-ranking dark
spirit Velosper was not seriously fleshed out.
She might have been considered the final boss on paper, but the real boss was Velosper,
whom she summoned, the right-hand man of the highest-ranking dark spirit Glasskan
But high-ranking dark spirits descended through an Elementalist’s pessimistic thoughts
or the darkness in their heart.
And while there was darkness in everyone, no matter how big or small... wasn’t Yenika
someone who was completely removed from such darkness?
She had a bright personality by nature, born with such liveliness and joy.
Just what in the world happened to Yenika that she would fall under the influence of a
high-ranking dark spirit? ...Not like I had the time to pay attention to that.
Whatever it may be, Taylee would take care of Velosper and save the student center.
◐◓◑◒
“This is too hard...”
It had been ten days since classes had started.
“Won’t I die at this rate? Like, seriously...?”
I was resting on a bench in the academic district, the sun setting over the horizon, when
I was hit with a moment of clarity out of nowhere.
My daily routine every day was as follows:
I would wake up before sunrise and thoroughly wash myself in the stream, making sure
to clean every nook and cranny as I was afraid of smelling.
I would then run to the academic district through the northern forest wearing casual
clothes that I could wash every day. I would always be covered in sweat by the time I
arrived, so I would secretly wash up in the bathroom of Glockt Hall. Then I would
change into my school uniform, and hide my casual clothes in the grass in the Rose
Garden to take with me after classes.
After all of that, I would head to the hall where my classes took place. It was where I
met and mingled with children from noble families and top students alike, so I had to be
careful of maintaining an upright behavior.
My reputation was already rock bottom in the academy, so I had to deal with all sorts of
gossip whenever I passed by. I even started feeling empty when I didn’t hear such gossip
around me these days.
I also got used to being invisible in my classes. After focusing on my studies, it was
lunchtime.
I would eat lunch boxes because I couldn’t afford the expensive and luxurious cafeteria at
Ophelis Hall, nor the cafeteria in the student union building. My lunch boxes were my
usual wild meals I brought from my camp.
I had been using rock salts to make beef jerky lately. I would hang the cured meat for
about three days in the simple drying rack I crafted. This, somehow, enabled me to make
decent beef jerky.
There was no better and simpler food than a jerky as it was a portable meal that also
satisfied my hunger. My cooking proficiency also increased due to it, which was a bonus!
After filling up with lunch, I would finish the afternoon lectures like an invisible ghost,
all the way to the end of classes.
I would then take the casual clothes I hid and head back into the northern forest.
Leaving around sunset allowed me to arrive at my camp just as it was getting dark.
I tried training my Vitality stat in the beginning by running back home as much as
possible. But ever since we started magic practical classes, the use of magic power left
me without much energy so I’ve had to walk back home slowly.
The first thing I would do when I returned to camp was wash the sweaty casual clothes I
wore that morning. I always had to dry it in advance so I could wear it again the next
day.
I would also inspect my school uniform to make sure it was kept elegant and neat at all
times. I had to make sure there was no dirt on it, nor any tears. And if any was found, I
would immediately repair it using thread I took from other fabrics.
After dealing with my clothes, I would then do everything else I needed to do for the day,
which differed from day to day.
I would check if I was running out of any herbs or medicinal plants, and if I was, I
would then go out and collect some. I also always checked the condition of the pile of
wood I had trimmed.
I would also check the cave for my meat supply. If I noticed I had started to run out, I
would take my bow and go out to hunt. It was actually more convenient to hunt using
the harpoon and spear I previously made. But with my future in mind, I forced myself to
hunt using the bow because I knew I had to level up my proficiency for it.
But if the results for that day’s hunt were too abysmal, of course, I would use a different
weapon. I needed to eat to live, after all. And after the sun had fully set, I would light up
the campfire so I had a secure light source. Then it was time to do my homework.
I would go over the practice assignments on a wide stone plate I had fashioned into a
workbench. My strong suits were areas where writing was an important factor like
Magic History and Elemental Studies. Thankfully, I was still a quick thinker.
It had been a while since I held a pen, but there was also a time when I was a test-taker,
going through the rough period of studying to pass Korea’s college entrance exam. It
was as if my body still remembered all my study habits from that time. Hurray for South
Korea’s private education craze...?!
I used a small poker to write on the stone slab with ashes. I had also borrowed books
from the student library since there was no way I could afford my own personal books,
nor a quill pen and ink.
And as the moon rose high in the sky, I would practice magic alone.
My first goal was to get my elemental beginner magic proficiency to level 10. The
second-year curriculum already introduced intermediate magic, so there would be
nothing I could do if I was stuck struggling with beginner magic.
I trained my magic practically by using Wind Blade to trim trees and controlling the
campfire using my fire-type magic.
I would start feeling sleepy at this point, but I knew it wasn’t time to sleep quite yet. I
still had a lot of work to do before I could go to bed.
I would inspect my simple shelter and check for any problems, then I would replenish the
firewood in the campfire to make sure it had enough through the night. After that, I
would check the beef jerky I brought to class the next day, as well as my water container,
which I refill as needed.
I would then go over tomorrow’s timetable and organize my thoughts on how I will
spend the next day. After that, I would fill the shelter with campfire smoke to drive the
bugs away. Then I ventilate it and finally go to bed where I would get about four hours
or so of good sleep.
Thankfully, I never overslept no matter how tired I was. Owing to having gone to the
military, I got used to this routine pretty quickly. That was the life I led for the last ten
days. My whole body had been screaming from the muscle pains.
I looked up at the sunset sky as I sat on the bench, taking a short break from my current
situation. When I go back to camp, there would be a mountain of work I needed to do.
“At the very least, I should move the camp a little closer...”
I thought about it for a moment and shook my head no. Nothing good would come out
of living among the other students’ living areas. Plus, the long-distance I travel to and
fro every day helped with my vitality. No, don’t be weak!
“Aghhhkk!”
I could barely get my creaky body up from the wooden bench to get back on the road
again. But what more could I do when I possessed a body like this?
I had to accept this much.
Surely, better days were bound to come.
◐◓◑◒
But a fortunate thought came to mind as I traversed through the northern forest.
That the past ten days had given me confidence in my ability to sustain this lifestyle.
I had somehow managed to keep at it, no matter how fucking difficult and tiring it had
been.
It was probably because my student life had been calmer and more peaceful than I had
imagined.
Everyone would gossip and look at me with contempt wherever I went. In the end, I
didn’t really care anymore.
What could I even do about it? It wasn’t even me who did those things. And besides, Ed
Rothstaylor was just unlikeable, to begin with. It was a much better situation than with
the first-years, where chaos would break loose left and right, always out for an adventure.
As it was early in the first semester, ‘Spear from Nature Ziggs’ must have already blown
up the Research Building, and ‘Lazy Lucy’ had already electrocuted the dean’s cat with
lightning magic. Their year already had a lot of events happening.
Additionally, the first-year students of the Combat, Magic and Alchemy Department
must have already had their first hands-on class against monsters. Soon enough, the
main character Taylee would start meeting the other main characters and getting
acquainted with them.
Taking a step backstage, my surprisingly calm and regular life continued. Yeah... it
wasn’t so bad when I thought about it this way. After all, if one were to keep reliving a
hard and tiring day by day, they would eventually get used to it.
All I had to do was stay away from the main characters and continue on with my life.
Then, I would earn my diploma, and when the academy goes into chaos...
Bye bye!
Well, not that the academy would collapse. It was an ordeal that would resolve on its
own, so not like there was a reason for me to deal with it.
When I thought of things like this, I couldn’t help but think I’ve been doing a good job
thus far. Yeah, there was no reason to feel frustrated over anything.
Except for one variable.
Yenika Faelover.
“Hello!”
“What are you eating?! Dried meat?”
“Good Morning!”
“What’s your next class? Elemental Studies?”
“Do you want to eat at the student cafeteria with me?”
Those past ten days, whenever Yenika saw me around the academic district, she would
always give me an unchanging lively greeting.
Of course, her two best friends would always appear and drag her away soon after.
“Hmmm...”
This wasn’t part of my plan. There shouldn’t be a reason for her to be this interested in
me... Did I make some type of mistake? Or was there an aspect I hadn’t realized?
“Well... it should be fine.”
Through the forest, the sun had begun to set. And across the branches, I began to see my
camp that had now comfortably become my home.
But it was still a long way home. I had said this before, but I was a foreign entity in this
world who would follow its authentic story. If I were to become a variable that could
change the flow of the world, then I would have lost my advantage of knowing the
future.
Therefore, it was only right that I maintained a certain distance from the important
people of this world. Well, it might have been awkward to forcefully try to become close,
but it was easy to keep my distance.
I could do this! The clarity from a while ago had begun to fade to some extent. And the
hope that I would be able to do well took its spot. Yes, one way or another, everything
would work out!
I had been keeping my distance from other people, so much so that it had become so
boring, but that’s okay! I could do this!
With my heart filled with hope and the drive to live today to the fullest, I took a step into
my camp.
“Zzz... Zzz....”
It was then that I found a girl curled up and sleeping in my simple shelter.
Her neck was covered by the brim of her witch’s hat, so wide that it could cover the
entirety of her face. And her breathing... that breathing that sounded as if everything
was bothering her... I was able to figure out her identity as soon as I heard it.
I sat down on a rock.
“Haah...”
It was a sigh from the depths of my heart.
“Just why... why is this girl sleeping here?!”
It was the first time meeting her, but how could I not know her? She would play an
active part from the beginning till the end of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’.
She was such an important person that she could be considered on the same level as the
other four heroines. She was someone with an important presence in the main story.
It might be hard to judge by her appearance, with how she seemed lazy and uninterested,
but she was overwhelmingly one of the most important characters.
So why the fuck was she sleeping here? I looked around my camp.
We were in the northern forest of Acken Island. A faraway place where nobody went.
But to a student who was as genius as she was, to use her magic power to traverse
through space so quickly was as easy as breathing. This forest wouldn’t have been that
far for her.
First of all, her behavior could be likened to that of a street cat.
Due to her small body and her talent to bounce around using magic swiftly, she could go
to the top of the clock tower, or the rooftop of Glockt Hall, or any great place for naps
where she would get the perfect amount of sunlight... she could literally go anywhere.
So why the hell was she there?!
In a place where there were no people, was far away from the academic buildings, where
a shelter with a roof was, where you could hear the cool wind and the pleasant sound of
the stream...
There was no better place to skip classes and take a nap.
“Fuck! It was my own fault!”
I shouted out too late, my monologue meaningless.
I could hear ‘Lazy Lucy’ gently exhale as she slept, as if in a whisper. I covered my eyes
with one hand in exasperation.
I had no choice but to sit still for a while.
Chapter 13: Stray Cat (2)
It might be rude to compare people to animals, but Yenika Faelover reminded me of an
overly excited Golden Retriever, someone whom people would naturally gravitate
towards.
She was similar to a puppy waving its tail to happily greet everyone. And wouldn’t you
want to hug or pat such a puppy?
That was probably what our class felt with Yenika. They always flocked to her whenever
they saw her, hugging her and linking arms with her.
In fact, they would always aggressively stare at me if I so much as stepped within a three
meter radius of her, in fear that I might be a bad influence.
Now, if Yenika was like a cute puppy, then Lucy Mayreel was a stray cat.
Yes, the sound of her rough breathing while cuddled up did indeed resemble that of a
cat, but it wasn’t just about her outer appearance.
You see, wild stray cats could never be tamed. They were never affectionate or friendly to
passersby, or at least, all the stray cats I had seen in my life were that way. Street cats had
their own rules in life which they followed amongst themselves.
They were always the center of their world, even if they were living in some shabby
back alley somewhere. And no matter how dirty and ragged their fur was, their steps
were always refined, like that of a princess.
And it wasn’t like such an attitude was due to their vanity, nor were they acting like that
on purpose. It’s just... the way they were born. And Lucy Mayreel was born just like that.
“Ughaaahk-”
She stretched as she sat up.
It had been about thirty minutes since I came back to my camp only to find Lucy
sleeping in my shelter.
I spent that time sitting down and thinking about what I was supposed to do about her.
The sun had almost fully set, and on a spring day such as this, the high sky had begun to
darken.
Lucy sat absentmindedly, her eyes not fully awake yet. A few strands of her hair were
stubbornly stuck on her cheek. And as soon as she woke up on someone else’s place, the
first thing she said was,
“I’m hungry...”
Ah... I admired her for such a talent.
We finally met eyes, and for a while, I just sat there on my rock by the campfire and
stared at her without a word, chin propped by the palm of my hand. If she were any
regular girl, she would’ve already grasped the situation and felt embarrassed. But it was
Lucy Mayreel.
“Out of 100 points... about 90.”
I just sat still.
“I think the way you covered it with leaves was nice, because it allowed the sunlight to
only subtly pass through. The breeze flowing inside was also refreshing, which was
good. As soon as I laid down, I fell asleep right away.”
Did my camp just become one of Lucy Mayreel’s top three places to take a nap at in
Sylvania Academy?
“But I didn’t have a choice but to sleep face down as the floor was covered with clothes...
it would have been nicer had it been a little softer. But it blocks the sun quite well and I
also liked the sound of the flowing stream nearby.”
She expertly assessed without changing her blank facial expression.
“It was great.”
There was no change in her expression, but there was a strange twinkling feeling that
convinced me she felt quite satisfied. ..Just what the hell am I saying?
Lucy stood up and stretched her limbs once more.
My wooden shelter was wider than one might think. But that’s all it was. Its width was
wide but the ceiling stopped around my shoulders. To put it simply, I couldn’t stand
inside.
So seeing Lucy stretching inside such a narrow space made me realize our difference in
physique. She really was a small girl. Even the sleeves of her school uniform were loose
despite her wearing what must have been the smallest size.
Suddenly, Lucy’s stomach started to rumble as she popped out of the shelter. Yes,
‘popped out’ was the perfect way to describe her action.
Her footwork resembled those of Murim martial arts movies. She was gathering magic
at the tip of her toes and was using elemental wind and gravity magic, along with highlevel shock absorption magic, just to land her small body in her desired place.
She was using all kinds of high-level magic as she moved around, as if she was a god.
She was multicasting five or six spells that even professors at the Magic Department
would need to concentrate to use. She was doing everything instinctively, unconsciously.
“Is this dried meat? Can I eat it?”
Lucy picked up a piece of jerky I had lying around and took a bite off it. She licked her
lips as she chewed.
“Eghk-! It’s too salty.”
She stuck out her tongue with a frown.
“... Though, there also seems to be an indescribable taste?”
She then took another bite.
She seemed to start to enjoy the salty taste after chewing for a while, so she ended up
eating the whole thing. Then she pointed to another piece.
“Can I have another one?”
“Okay.”
She then sat on top of my drying rack and twirled her feet in the air, as if she truly
enjoyed the taste of my jerky.
She frowned at how salty it was at first, hating it. But now she kept on chewing with a
completely satisfied look on her face. ..Ah. Just what was this feeling? I was feeling some
type of way.
It felt like that unique satisfaction you get when you’re feeding a cute pet.
Wait, was this... did I just become a cat mom?
What is this addictive feeling all of a sudden...?
No! I frantically shook my head. Get it together... That was Lucy Mayreel!
She was a key character in ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster.’ Nothing good would come
out of getting involved with her.
“It was too salty at first, but now I actually really like it because it’s salty. It’s quite a
sensational taste.”
“This salty taste... I love it.”
Ah... I understood.
Lucy Mayreel was an unprecedented genius with overwhelmingly high grades among
the first-years. That meant she must be living in Ophelis Hall, where they allowed only
the best students to stay.
Ophelis Hall boasted of having the best facilities among the three major dormitories in
Sylvania. You couldn’t stay at Ophelis without either a high status or a high grade.
Therefore, the student cafeteria at Ophelis Hall only served the best food from the best
chefs in the kingdom. The taste was often sophisticated and refined, suited for highranking nobles.
But there was a taste that such high-quality food cannot offer. The ‘Salty, Spicy, Sweet”
combo.
A taste outside the realm of a sophisticated palate that only cared about the freshness of
ingredients, the harmony of tastes, and a balanced nutrition. It was a provocative taste
that didn’t care about one’s health.
It was like a whisper from the devil.
“Can I take all of this?”
“No.”
That would be crossing the line. That’s my lunch, you kid!
“Ughhh...”
I felt sad at seeing her disappointed face. But it may just be a snack to her, but it was my
means to survive. She could just eat a lot of the high-quality food back at Ophelis Hall.
Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea.
“Come to think of it...”
Lucy was indifferent to hardships, and she wasn’t afraid of anyone in the academy. The
Benevolent Princess Penia, The Golden Daughter Lortel, and the renowned evil
Professor Glast—they were all equals to Lucy who had a carefree soul.
But that didn’t mean there was no one who could control the unpredictable Lucy.
“Uhm... I actually heard the Ophelis Hall maids were looking for you.”
Lucy’s face turned green as soon as she heard those words.
And with a kick that pushed her off into the air, she disappeared in an instant.
Then she reappeared right back and flew into the shelter to grab her wide-brimmed
witch hat.
“I think I have to go.”
“Okay... Good luck.”
“I’ll come again later.”
No, please don’t come back.
“But before I go, I have something to say. She asked me to tell you.”
I already wasted too much time with Lucy.
I was in the middle of preparing to wash the casual clothes I need to wear tomorrow.
Lucy pointed at the forest.
“What?”
I looked in the direction Lucy was pointing, but there was nothing but trees.
“That wolf that’s the size of a house, it keeps on watching over you.”
Goosebumps ran down my back in an instant.
There was a whole realm not yet visible to me as someone who hadn’t trained my spirit
resonance just yet.
“Someday, by all means, please save Yenika.”
And then Lucy disappeared again, leaving me with that message as if it was nothing.
I slowly turned my head back to where Lucy was pointing to.
It was filled with the sound of crickets crying through the overgrown trees.
Other than that, there was nothing else I could see.
◐◓◑◒
[Announcement]
There will be a joint combat class for the first and second-year students. Please check your
assigned group through the distributed list.
Who: Students enrolled in the Intro to Basic Cooperative Combat Class and the Advanced
Cooperative Combat Class at the Where: Common Combat Training Facility in the Iron Hall
⊛ Participation from the Alchemy Department students is too low! It’s great to practice Alchemy,
but please participate in common classes as well!
— Professor Cler Elfin,
Assistant Professor of Combat Practice
The announcement was made during the second-year students’ meeting at the student
center the next day. Was it already time for the joint combat class? Things were
progressing quite fast. This was the event where Yenika Faelover first appeared in the
game.
Apart from the monster battle that would take place, this was where the second-year
political drama began. What would happen was quite obvious, given the circumstances.
Both combat and politics were important variables in this world. One must always keep
an eye on them.
Anyhow, I wasn’t able to get a proper look at Taylee since I was called to the dean’s office
last time. But since this was a joint combat class, I would definitely be able to see the
faces of the main characters from the first-years.
It was an opportunity for me to check if the story was moving along ‘properly’ and if
nothing had been changed. I stretched my stiff shoulders as I walked out of the student
center, aching from staying up all night trimming my arrows.
I would continue living this hellish lifestyle, but humans were adaptable creatures. I
could feel that my body had somehow started to adjust. It would be nice if I could
significantly raise my Vitality stat.
But I was sure everything would work out well in the end.
Ah... I was even able to think of such hopeful thoughts for quite a bit.
Chapter 14: Joint Combat Practice (1)
The first and second-year students’ joint combat class may seem like a normal event but
it actually had a fair amount of importance in the story. That’s because this event was
when Taylee would first hold a sword.
Taylee had only previously learned hand-to-hand combat in accordance with the Combat
Department’s curriculum. But in this event, he cut down Lazy Lucy’s lightning attack
with a sword.
Taylee had been born with a talent for swordsmanship. And for him who hadn’t realized
he had such a talent and had only been training in bare-handed martial arts, this event
was a turning point in his life.
He was paired with Lucy Mayreel, whose own talent hadn’t fully bloomed yet. Taylee
succeeded in cutting down Lucy’s lightning attack, catching her off guard. Lucy
retaliated with an overwhelming intermediate lightning spell, ultimately defeating
Taylee.
However, in doing so, Lucy broke one of the rules which only allowed the use of
beginner elemental magic. That earned Lucy a disqualification and earned Taylee the
win.
Through the duel, Taylee confirmed his talent as a swordsman and his name began to
circulate among the entire first-year students.
Despite having received that dreadful ending blow and only winning due to a
technicality, it was still true that he did beat Lucy Mayreel.
And since there hadn’t been any big changes yet, things would probably go according to
the original story, right? A long-awaited weekend. It was an opportunity to take care of
all the things I couldn’t get done during the week.
I discovered there was a lot more room for food than I had thought. Hunting became
more efficient after I became more proficient to a certain extent. But the most crucial
thing was I learned how to set up hunting traps.
[ Newly Crafted Product
Snare Trap
A trap installed by tying a rope obtained from the construction site of the Olren Hall to
an elastic tree trunk. Effective at catching small animals.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
Despite it being hurriedly made through following the instructions I found in a survival
guide I borrowed from the library, it turned out better than I expected. My production
skills had gone up and my woodworking skill had almost reached level 10.
Above all else, traps were time efficient. Even when I was attending my classes
throughout the day, the traps were there, doing their job.
After classes each day, all I had to do was go around the places I left traps at and collect
the wild animals dangling from the trees.
At first, all I could get were small creatures like tree squirrels and rabbits, but I would
hit the jackpot sometimes and get something like a raccoon. Of course, more often than
not, the rope would rip, or the jerky I left as bait would be gone.
But considering how little labor was required once every trap was set, it was still an
advantageous method.
And with establishing this dual method of procuring food through direct hunting and
using traps, I was able to obtain more than enough meat. It had come to a point where
hunting wasn’t the problem, rather, it was the hard labor involved in cleaning the
animals. But even then, it was a problem to be happy about.
I was also able to raise my standards of living quite a bit.
My level of production used to be limited to the materials I could gather from the forest.
But ever since classes started, I had been able to pick up discarded items from classrooms
and the various ongoing construction sites across campus. Through that, I obtained
different types of materials that couldn’t be found in the forest.
There were several buildings currently being built under the support of ‘The Golden
Daughter, Lortel.’ Thanks to her, there were quite a few construction sites on the
outskirts of the academy. Snooping around earned me various construction materials. I
was able to obtain leftover lumber, shabby and rusty nails, and ropes of ambiguous
length. But my best find was a hand ax.
Crack! Crack!
The sound of smashing firewood resonated through the forest.
I was using the base of a tree I had cut as my workbench to cut firewood. It may be
worn out, but this discarded ax that the construction workers no longer used was my
best find this month.
Thank you to the manual laborers who left this lying around! I felt like crying...!
“Phew... this is quite hard...”
I cut the logs into large pieces with Wind Blade, then I cut them vertically with the hand
ax.
My Wind Blade was just at a beginner level and wasn’t powerful enough to cut down a
whole tree.
Because of that, I had actually been using small stems to maintain my campfire. But
because their sizes were all different, and some even had moisture left in them, their
efficiency and effectiveness weren’t great.
But now, if I were to use actual proper firewood, then my efficiency in managing the fire
would increase tremendously.
It was a pain to constantly take care of the campfire. And it was so crucial too, as I
needed the heat at night to make sure no nearby wild animals would come close. It
always needed constant maintenance.
But the fire never lasted long due to the poor kindlings I had been using. There were
even cases when it would waft in acrid smoke into the shelter after it had burned out.
It was hard enough to find time to sleep during the day, and yet I would still lose sleep at
night.
“Phew... Look at all this sweat...”
My casual clothes were already soaked in sweat.
I would usually wash my casual clothes twice a day during weekends.
Gathering herbs and edible plants, hunting, preparing my daily necessities, or even just
inspecting the camp... every single moment of my life had become a series of aerobic
exercises. There was never a day I was not sweating.
I went back to the stream to wash myself off. Even though I was a few meters away,
seeing my camp warmed my heart. I felt a sense of pride from seeing its appearance
improve bit by bit.
However, I had been getting a certain uninvited guest a lot recently.
I let out a sigh at seeing Lucy sleeping sluggishly on a flat rock by the stream.
Ever since that first day, Lucy would often come by my camp and take a nap whenever
she wanted. There was no sense of regularity to her visits. It seemed she just came by
whenever she felt like it.
“Hello.”
Even though we were not fully acquainted, we ended up greeting each other whenever
she ran into me before she would go to sleep. Then she would be gone the next moment.
I wanted to avoid getting close to an important character like Lucy Mayreel at first, but I
eventually stopped thinking about it after a few days.
I mean, Lucy Mayreel’s visits were akin to natural disasters.
I was in the middle of doing all my piled-up work this weekend, I didn’t really have the
capacity to waste any energy trying to get rid of a stray cat.
And it wasn’t like she was causing any harm. She would just lay down and sleep. Often,
she would eat a couple of jerkies, and then she would leave when she wanted to.
I just thought of her as a background piece. She widened her radius of actions around
the camp too. She would sometimes sleep on top of trees or on the rocks by the stream,
under the sun. She seemed to really like the stream a lot.
Recently, I laid down dried leather from martens and squirrel furs as flooring in my
shelter, and she made a fuss about liking how fluffy it was.
Somehow, it really did feel like I was raising a cat...?
Zzz... Zzz...
I walked past Lucy to wash my face in the stream.
The face reflected on the surface of the water looked completely wiped out from cutting
all that firewood. I soaked my hands in the cool water to wet my face.
Then I realized I hadn’t checked my stats recently.
“What???!!!”
“Eughakk?!”
My scream woke Lucy up, and she ended up rolling off the rock.
◐◓◑◒
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 5
Intelligence: 5
Dexterity: 9
Willpower: 7
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
“Hi, Ed! You look happy today! Did something good happen?”
Of course it did!
I had been steadily increasing my proficiency in both woodworking and magic, which
had raised my Dexterity stat and Intelligence stat respectively.
But that wasn’t what was important.
My Vitality stat had gone up a whole two points.
What did that mean?
It meant that my training had finally opened my damn body up, which wasn’t born with
any physical ability.
Although it would’ve been weirder had it not gone up at all, given how much physical
work I had been doing all this month.
However, this body wasn’t born with any proper muscle strength, agility, or endurance.
And no matter how much I trained, there had been no change in my Vitality so it was
actually starting to break my heart.
So I couldn’t believe that it actually rose a whole two points!
A wall that had been persistently blocking me had just broken down. I had now entered
the next stage. From here on out, I would hope to be able to grow even further.
How could I not be happy?!
But of course, there was no way I could show my happiness on the outside.
“What? Not really...”
After the lecture, we students began to leave Professor Hela’s Introductory Elemental
Class one by one.
Even though I had been replying as coldly as possible to Yenikaa, she still kept on
talking to me with a smile on her face, just like usual.
“Hey, Ed! Uhm, you know about tomorrow’s practical combat class? It’s with the first
years. And the groups have already been decided. Isn’t it so nerve-wracking when you
think about seeing them? I’m still not used to being a senior, for some reason. Haha!”
So tomorrow was already the practical class. I had no choice but to participate because it
was mandatory.
Just as the name implied, the joint combat class was a simulated one-on-one combat
training. Of course, students wouldn’t actually use real weapons or powerful magic.
Students from the Combat Department were going to use fake weapons, while students
from the Magic Department were only allowed to use beginner elemental magic. And
those from the Alchemy Department were not allowed to use overly powerful drugs or
spiritual skills.
We wouldn’t really be doing any sort of collaboration even though we were put in
groups. It was a list of matches, more than anything.
We were to conduct one-on-one practical battles according to the randomly created
match schedule with the mixed years. Of course, these battles were to take place with
everyone watching.
The complete randomness of the placements allowed for various match combinations.
A first-year vs first-year battle would be a good opportunity for inexperienced
underclassmen to show off their skills while still getting advice from the upper years.
A first-year vs second-year battle, on the other hand, would be a good opportunity for
the first years to experience a more masterful battle through direct combat.
Lastly, a second-year vs second-year battle would be a good opportunity for the first
years to see the level of combat and magic skills they should be aiming for.
The point was to watch all the battles.
From what I could remember, all the important characters in the story would participate
in this class. The class size was so large because everyone was supposed to participate
regardless of their department.
The Benevolent Princess Penia, The Golden Daughter Lortel, The Spear from Nature
Ziggs, The Elementalist Yenikaa, Hard Worker Emilla, Lazy Lucy, Gloomy Clevius,
Romantic Adele...
There were an endless amount of characters. But the most important person was... The
Failed Swordmaster Taylee.
I already roughly knew the match list, which meant I knew who would win and who
would lose. And even though frustrating, the first years would win almost every battle.
The purpose of the joint class was for the first years to learn from the second years, but
the first years were full of important characters that completely slaughtered the seniors.
Seeing Professor Glast applauding with a satisfied look on his face sure was a spectacle.
But what could they do? If they were unhappy, then they should’ve been the main
characters, haha!
Although there was one second-year who won against a main character from the first
year.
Yenika Faelover completely overwhelmed The Golden Daughter Lortel.
To be fair, she herself was the final boss of Act 1, and this practical class was the first
time she would appear in the story.
“Ed, do you want to take a look?”
Yenika handed me the list of matches with a big smile on her face.
‘No, it’s fine. I’ll check it later,’ was what I was going to say to keep my distance. But then
I became curious about who my opponent would be.
Since I shouldn’t even exist in the story at this point, I was worried there would be a big
change in the match list due to me intervening.
Most of the first years participating in this class were important characters in the story.
I had been keeping my distance from such main characters, but this is the one time it
couldn’t be helped if I were to become their opponent.
It wasn’t like there was anything I could do given the nature of the class.
So I should just stay calm and deal with whoever my opponent was.
“Let’s see...”
“Oh, right here! Here you are! Come look!”
Yenika cheerfully handed me the list of matches, as if happy she had finally heard a
proper response from me for once. Thankfully, there were no big changes. Most of them
were still the matches I remember.
All except for one.
‘Match 13 - Ed Rothstaylor vs Penia Elias Kroel’
That name sounded familiar.
“…”
No… Oh… My… God…
“…”
It shouldn’t have been her...
◐◓◑◒
The royal residence was abuzz with the news.
It seemed that newly stocked high-end clothes in the business district were in fashion.
Products distributed by the Elte Company were selling like hotcakes.
Princess Penia was not very pleased by this.
“That fox-like merchant’s scheme... I can see it clearly but...”
Princess Penia used her Insightful Eyes to gauge others, and they told her of the Golden
Daughter Lortel’s slyness inside of her. This was something unpleasant to the princess.
She was one of the three Class A students recognized by Professor Glast from the class
assignment exam. Lortel Kehelland was the only child of the best merchant on the
continent and was a girl as sly as her father.
She appeared to always be polite and upright, but she was actually hiding her true
calculating nature of weighing everything on a scale of profit.
The princess sat on her magnificent bed and sighed.
Even this sacred place of learning was nothing more than a means to make money for
Lortel. She wasn’t using her magic talent, nor her outstanding brain capable of
photographic memory, to study.
The princess could feel it with her sixth sense. The Elte Company was gradually trying
to take control of Sylvania’s distribution channels, which was not completely irrelevant
to the princess.
“I really don’t like her... But I can’t just deal with this only using my personal feelings...”
The princess buried herself in all sorts of magic books, documents, and bags scattered
on her bed.
“Again and again... I keep thinking about the kingdom and politics... Even though it’s
been a while since I’ve been here...”
But no matter how magnificent her royal residence may be, it would never match up to
the actual thing.
If she were at the castle, she wouldn’t be able to lie down on her bed like this, nor would
she be allowed to lay her reference books and documents all over her bed.
Doing such inappropriate acts helped her feel like she was rebelling, but it also made her
feel a sense of self-deprecation. And yet, it also made her feel a strange sense of
satisfaction, as was only human.
The princess stretched her body once again while smiling bitterly.
“Keughk! Phew... Alright... The most important thing is to develop myself through
learning.”
With that in mind, she checked the notice distributed to the first years. She had to
carefully check everything related to that class. But after seeing the assigned groups for
the joint combat practice, she buried herself in her bed once again.
“This is just like the last time... this strange ill-fated relationship...”
After agonizing for three days and three nights on whether to try and urge Ed
Rothstaylor to leave the academy, the princess ended up putting it on hold. Instead, she
asked the head of her royal knights, Cler, and the dean of the Magic Department, Dean
McDowell, to keep an eye on him.
That was because he was an unusual person that the princess couldn’t see through with
her Insightful Eyes.
She pushed back dealing with him as the semester started, and with her getting caught
up in all sorts of things. But he was someone she couldn’t just ignore.
A man with a lot of unknowns. But he didn’t seem to have any excellent talent with
magic. The princess would probably win without much trouble.
“There’s no reason to be worrying so much.”
She decided to go to sleep as she was on her soft bed. She didn’t even take off her school
uniform properly, nor did she organize her books scattered about. The first thing she
wanted to do was relieve her fatigue. Of course, this was something unimaginable as part
of the royal family.
There were so many things she needed to pay attention to.
Even though all Emperor Kroel wanted was for her to let everything go and just enjoy
the joys of learning. He wanted her to ignore the kingdom and its politics and just enjoy
her life as a student.
But that simple task was too difficult for a young royal such as herself.
Such was the fate of a monarch, after all.
Chapter 15: Joint Combat Practice (2)
I didn’t know who came up with the term ‘butterfly effect’, but I thought the concept
behind it was amazing.
The small fluttering of a butterfly’s wings could cross oceans and cause a hurricane that
could devour buildings on the other side of the world.
It was in accordance with the Chaos Theory, which stated that there were too many
natural variables in the world for us to actually control the future.
Even the slightest change in a variable could have an exponential effect on the outcome
of reality.
To put it simply, it was like a snowball rolling down a mountain. No matter how
insignificant it may be at the top, it could eventually have an unexpectedly big result once
it reaches the bottom.
Just like the words of the wise said, ‘You shouldn’t try to control everything in the world
as you wish.’
I never thought I would realize the weight of those words in this Joint Combat Practice
class.
As expected, old sayings were never wrong.
◐◓◑◒
Iron Hall had traditionally been used for joint combat classes as one of the three
buildings in the Student Center.
It was a well-designed colosseum-style arena where all the spectator seats, as well as the
floor, were always polished clean and smooth. Of course, even the training ground for
sparring and fighting in an academy for the nobility would be made with such dignity.
I was sitting in one of these spectator seats while I watched the mock combat practice
happening in the center of the colosseum.
Usually, there would only be one or two gems in each year, but this year’s batch of
freshmen was like a sky full of bright stars. This meant the second years were bound to
be focused, watching the whole time.
Among these stars were the three students recognized by the strict Professor Glast:
Spear from Nature Ziggs, Golden Daughter Lortel and Lazy Lucy.
Everyone’s attention was completely focused on these three freshmen from the Magic
Department.
Bang!
“Thank you for the great experience. I was deeply impressed by your experienced
management of magic. I learned something from you today, so thank you for that.”
Down the center was Ziggs, a descendant of the northern nomadic people, who was in
the midst of throwing a second year off the stage with his wind magic.
His long curly hair, which reached the nape of his neck, swayed in the aftermath.
“I hope I can learn something from you again next time.”
He politely gave his greetings.
At any rate, that guy wasn’t out of his mind.
The second-year Magic Department student that went up against Ziggs... what was his
name? Was it Michael? Anyway, he couldn’t pull himself up together so the staff had to
carry him out.
Using non-beginner magic was not allowed. But if it was...
Ziggs’ magic skills far exceed the level of beginner magic spells. I was certain he could
have shown a much stronger performance had he been allowed to use higher levels of
magic.
The second years began to gossip amongst themselves.
“The first years won again.”
“At this rate, won’t all the second-years lose?”
“This year’s freshmen are an odd bunch. How did all these monsters end up together in
one batch?”
The Joint Combat Practice was an annual event, but the results this year were terrible.
The second-years were mercilessly overshadowed by the first-years. We were already
halfway through the matches, and it felt like the second-years were nothing but punching
bags for the first-years so they could show off their skills.
It was quite a sad scene.
“The students whose names are called, please proceed to the waiting room after your
preparations. Lucy Mayreel. Taylee McLaure.”
The time has finally come. The match the people were most interested in.
The audience began to whisper amongst themselves.
It’s finally here.
I adjusted my posture and shifted my focus completely on the stage.
Everyone would probably be focused solely on Lucy, the extraordinary genius who was
touted to rewrite the history of Sylvania Academy.
But that was nothing more than a storytelling technique to bring attention to the real
main character through reversing expectations. The real focus was Taylee McLaure, the
protagonist of this world, who was born fated to become a swordsman. Even though he
had never held a sword in his life before, he would be able to cut down Lucy’s lightningfast magic.
Taylee would use that gap in her carelessness to close the distance. And Lucy, having
been caught off guard, would use the intermediate lightning magic Lightning Strike to
hit Taylee.
Taylee would be completely overpowered by Lucy’s instinctive magic, but since she had
used an intermediate spell, Lucy would get disqualified and Taylee would be honored the
win.
“This is to remind first-year student Lucy Mayreel to please finish your preparations and
come up to the arena.”
Ah... it was a really great scene.
All his life, Taylee had constantly been treated and told that he wasn’t talented. Even
after getting accepted into Sylvania, he was still treated as a failure. From getting bullied
by a guy like Ed Rothstaylor to always getting failing scores in his combat class, Taylee’s
life truly was full of ordeals.
But Taylee never stopped training. And this match was the moment when he felt like
everything he had done until then had finally been rewarded.
The directing of the scene was so dramatic. The close-up shot of him crying while
looking at his childhood friend Ayla was truly heartbreaking to witness.
“I repeat, first-year student Lucy Mayreel. First-year student Lucy Mayreel. Please finish
preparing for your battle and come up to the arena.”
…?
“First-year Lucy Mayreel. I repeat, first-year Lucy Mayreel. Please come up to the arena.
Lucy Mayreel.”
What’s going on?
Where the hell did that girl go???
◐◓◑◒
It was hard to describe the strange sense of euphoria I felt the moment I saw Taylee in
the arena.
Even though it had only been through a screen, I had lived as him several times. From
the miserable bad ending to the unforgettable true ending-I had lived through his life
and journeys.
I also couldn’t help but think of all the hardships that lie ahead of him.
Although he was born fated to be a swordsman, his life wasn’t always destined for
success. Among the many routes in his life he could take, there wasn’t a single path that
wasn’t difficult.
So I decided to cheer him on.
I had planned on taking care of my life and living it to the fullest, while he would be the
one to step in and take care of all the ordeals that would befall Sylvania.
“I will do my best with all the power that I have!”
A round of applause and encouragement greeted Taylee’s strong declaration on stage.
Yes, you could probably call it encouragement, because everyone in the arena believed he
would get destroyed by Lucy Mayreel. What they didn’t know was that Taylee actually
possessed the most overwhelming talent among all the students in the academy. As
someone who already knew how the whole story would go, I expected the public’s
opinion to change in the future.
Well, there was that.
And then there was this.
What was I even doing right now...
“Eughk, Ahhhk!”
I pinched both of Lucy’s Mayreel’s cheeks.
Lucy got bored pretending to listen to the class, so she ended up looking for a place to
take a nap. She somehow found her way to the spare podium behind the center stage of
the arena.
It wouldn’t have been a good idea to completely leave Iron Hall, so she probably thought
that the spare podium was a good enough place to take a nap in.
I found her there, curled up and sleeping.
“Agghk, Eughkk!”
“Hey, wake up. Wake up already. It’s your turn!”
She took a while to wake up, but Lucy finally sat up from underneath the podium.
She had the same blank face as she would normally have after waking up at my camp.
Even her tangled hair, one side of it was tied down while the other had come undone.
There wasn’t even any room for her hair to stick on her cheeks.
And the words she said the moment she woke up were the same as well.
“I’m hungry.”
She brushed her hair and stretched some more. Then she looked at me and said her usual
greetings.
“Hello.”
And then she asked oh so casually and naturally.
“Do you have any beef jerky?”
I seriously wanted to hit her in the head.
“I do.”
“Give me some.”
“Finish your duel first.”
“First-year student Lucy Mayreel. Please hurry and come on up.”
It was bizarre to see one of the dueling opponents pop out from under the podium.
Everyone in the audience, including the assistant professor who was in charge, watched
Lucy with a puzzled face.
The important thing was she didn’t ditch class and run outside of Iron Hall. That meant
they could still have the duel. For a moment, I was afraid the duel would get canceled
and completely change Taylee’s fate.
“Eughhhhhk!”
Lucy stood up and the messy half of her hair completely fell off its hair tie, her neatly
tied hair falling apart.
Lucy gathered the hair that had escaped and picked up the tie. Then she handed it over to
me and, in a drowsy voice, said something utterly ridiculous.
“Please tie my hair...”
“No, just leave it untied and go quickly.”
“No way... If I just leave it like this, the Ophelis Hall maids will scold me. They’re way
too scary...”
The maid of Ophelis Hall were the only people whom Lucy, someone who had even tried
to compete with Headmaster Obel, feared.
The only reason why Lucy had been able to maintain a neat appearance despite sleeping
wherever whenever was thanks to the maids of Ophelis Hall.
They were a group of elite maids trained to serve all kinds of nobles, but even such
professionals couldn’t seem to control this unpredictable stray cat. They probably
couldn’t help but get angry and scold Lucy for her actions.
But it was a relief they could at least still somehow control her...
I sighed as I grabbed Lucy’s hand and sat her down. I held her hair tie as I gathered up
her wayward hair, and then tied it neatly to match the other side.
I was supposed to duel with Princess Penia later, but it was ridiculous how I had to
interfere with someone else’s duel. And everyone in Iron Hall was watching the whole
spectacle!
“What’s with that person? Isn’t that Ed Rothstaylor?”
“He still attends classes? Wow, he’s quite stubborn, huh?”
“What’s with him? He’s having a grand ol’ time with the first-year top student just like
that?”
“They look close?”
“Are you sure that’s close? Isn’t he acting more like her guardian?”
I knew it was quite a sight to see the most disgraceful second-year student and the most
honorable top first-year student nagging each other over fixing her hair. It made me feel
embarrassed so I finished tying it up quickly.
Then Lucy stood up, still half-asleep, and I also fixed her overcoat for her. Then I tucked
the hem of her shirt back inside her skirt and tightened it well, and even straightened
her messy collar.
I then fixed up her falling knee socks and re-tied her hair again so she would look
somewhat presentable. Her sleeves were a bit long, but she never really cared about the
size of her uniform and only wore whatever she received.
“You’re good?”
“Yeah.”
“All right. Hurry up and go out there.”
I shoved Lucy’s back and pushed her up to the stage.
And she stood there, across from Taylee, yawning loudly, as if everything in the world
was annoying.
“Then the duel will start...”
Bang!
With a single blow, right in the middle of Taylee’s chest, Lucy hit him with low-level
lighting magic. It all happened in about 0.3 seconds.
◐◓◑◒
Taylee McLaure’s life had always been a series of ordeals.
Born as a country bumpkin, he was a failure of a student who had never performed well
since entering the academy, a loser who had never been recognized by anyone.
Apart from his childhood friend Ayla, nobody had ever believed in Taylee ever since he
was a kid.
No matter what he did, his results were always below-average that even his family had
slowly begun to turn their backs on him. But then a chance to forget everything had
come.
For Taylee, his admission into Sylvania Academy was a means to prove himself. It was as
if God had finally smiled down on him. He barely managed to pass the written test after
staying up night after night studying.
He even almost failed his practical test because of a despicable senior. But thanks to the
mercy of Princess Penia, he was able to pass.
And not only that, he had somehow overcome all the other hardships and challenges that
kept on coming his way once the semester started.
He almost lost his life to an accidentally summoned monster-type kobold during the
placement test. Then he couldn’t attend the opening ceremony because of some
classmates who had kept him out, calling him a failure as a student.
But thanks to the unwavering support of his childhood friend Ayla, along with Aiden,
another student who was also in danger of failing classes, Taylee was somehow able to
endure it.
And right now, this was the moment to prove it.
Not only to the first-years, but also to the seniors and even the professors, all of whom
couldn’t help but be in awe at the extraordinarily rare genius that was Lucy Mayreel.
He was in a brutal situation where everyone expected him to lose. But even in this
moment full of despair, Taylee never lost hope.
Lucy wasn’t someone he could beat with just meager efforts. Despite all the ridicule he
received from his classmates, Taylee stayed up all night, training his body, swinging his
fists, and constantly training in hand-to-hand combat.
Even until this moment, when everyone believed he would lose, Taylee never stopped
putting in the effort to try and win. And right now.
Before he could even react, a single blow of magic had struck him and left him hanging
off the wall of the stadium.
“Keuk... Heughk... Eughkk...”
Nevertheless, Taylee stood up.
Scattered around him were all kinds of weapons, from bows to swords to whips.
They were mock weapons prepared for the students of the Combat Department. Most
of them had no blades and were modified to be blunt.
Taylee looked at the knuckles in his hand. They were a weapon that had been with him
for a long time. But today, he quietly took them off.
A sense that struck like lightning went through Taylee’s mind.
He saw a shabby wooden sword amongst the scattered weapons. His body jumped out of
instinct and picked up the broken sword from the floor. Then he got into position, his
body covered in wounds.
It was the first time he had ever picked up a sword in his life.
His opponent was an extremely rare genius magician whom everyone was in awe of.
Nevertheless, Taylee stood up with the support of his two legs.
There were people who believed in him. Taylee had to repay them for that.
Taylee clenched his teeth with that single thought in mind.
◐◓◑◒
“He picked up a sword...!”
I held my breath the moment I saw Taylee hanging off the wall, but clenched my fist as
soon as he grabbed the sword. That’s right... You could do it...!
“Lucy Mayreel!”
Taylee shouted out Lucy’s name with a fiery voice.
Even I, who was only watching from the audience, felt that something was going to
happen. That’s right. That was the scene right there!
The scene where Taylee, who never gave up despite destiny abandoning him, dealt with
all the challenges and trials the world threw at him... this was the scene where he sends a
signal of his revival.
This was the cry of a swordsman who didn’t give up on his life, and would always be
engraved into the hearts of all the students... It was this moment.
“Hyaaa!”
His movements were not of someone who was holding a sword for the first time.
There was a sensation of mana engraved on the low-grade wooden sword in Taylee’s
hands. That was a sensation allowed only to those who were fated to be a swordsman.
It was the Energy of Aura.
Even a thick wall of several layered stacks of mana could be cut like paper.
The students in the audience began to become overwhelmed by his vigor.
It was a sign that Taylee had clearly changed.
All the students held their breath. They couldn’t help but anticipate that something
extraordinary was about to happen. But then an unknown wind blew past.
And with a sudden gale that swooped in for no reason, Taylee’s body began to float in the
air in an instant.
Bang!
In the ensuing lighting magic, Taylee was struck again and thrown against the wall.
This time, it took about 0.5 seconds.
“Huh?”
◐◓◑◒
It was a perfect knockdown this time.
A cloud of thick smoke billowed out, and beneath it all was Taylee’s body, completely
covered in wounds.
“Heungggg....”
Lucy Mayreel rubbed her eyes while stretching her body lazily.
“Good work...”
Lucy came down off the stage, carefree as can be, as if she had done an annoying trivial
task.
The audience was still completely silent. Everyone’s eyes were focused on her.
Lucy bounced her way over to me and ignored it all, as if nothing had happened. Then
she grabbed my collar, her face blank, and started bothering me again.
“Can you give me the beef jerky now?”
Meanwhile, I came to a realization.
The wind magic that Lucy used during the duel looked to be beginner wind magic at first
glance, but she didn’t use it on her own. I knew what magic it was, magic that could
momentarily constrain the opponent’s movement and create a gap by breaking the
balance.
It was Storm’s Blessing. A skill that could only be acquired by signing a contract with
the high-ranking wind spirit Merilda. It hadn’t been a long time since Lucy had started
coming to my camp. A few days at most. She always looked tired and would take naps, yet
she was able to sign a contract with a high-ranking wind spirit.
Merilda and Lucy were completely separated in the original storyline. They never got
involved with each other because Lucy never had any reason to visit the northern forest.
Did that mean she had been able to make contact with Merilda because she had been
staying at my camp? And through that, she was able to use Merilda’s Blessing,
inadvertently becoming unnecessarily stronger.
That’s just... No one could ever imagine signing a contract with a high-ranking wind
spirit in just a few days.
I looked towards where Taylee was. He had dropped his sword and sat there, collapsed
with his head down. The life that was normally in his eyes was no longer there.
The overwhelming gap in their talent must’ve felt like violence. The realization that a
huge wall existed between the both of them... his heart must have broken in an instant.
That was... I thought I may be in big trouble...
I quickly stood up from my seat. I couldn’t just leave him there like that.
I pushed away Lucy, who was sticking to me and walked over to Taylee, who was coming
down from the stage in total despair.
“The next contenders in the combat practice are Ed Rothstaylor and the honorable
Princess Penia Elias Kroel.”
Meanwhile, my name was already being called.
I saw Princess Penia in the audience, neatly arranging her clothes and standing up.
I ran into the princess on my way to the arena a while ago. Her eyes became aggressive
the minute she saw him, just like usual. The fact that she was hostile towards me was
nothing new.
She seemed to have already made up her mind when it came to me. But Princess Penia
was not my concern at this moment.
“Ed Rothstaylor... Last time, you...”
I walked past her just as the princess started to say something. Taylee would have
completely left if I were to stay still.
The act of ignoring the words of the princess of the nation was an unpardonable sin,
but here in the academic district, the virtue of learning precedes one’s status, so I
wouldn’t have to face capital punishment, at the very least.
After all, there was something more important than that.
I left behind the princess, who completely looked shocked at having been ignored. I saw
Taylee just as he was disappearing amongst the crowd and shouted out towards him.
“Hey! Taylee!”
I don’t know if this would make any difference, but it was better than staying still.
“Your efforts will be rewarded! Don’t be discouraged! Hey! Straighten your back! There’s
nothing to be ashamed of !”
If Taylee’s heart was broken and he became completely discouraged, there was a high
chance that I would likely suffer as a result, I couldn’t just leave him like that.
“Walk with confidence! You did a good job! This was only because your opponent was
too good! Don’t be discouraged by something like this!”
Please don’t be disheartened, Taylee!
You were destined to go through all the hardships! There were going to be so many
challenges and trials that would arise in this academy in the future! I didn’t want to be
the one to do the saving!
I kept shouting words of encouragement and support as Taylee slowly walked away and
completely disappeared into the crowd.
It was pure desperation from the bottom of my heart.
Chapter 16: Joint Combat Practice (3)
“Penia, you were born with God’s blessing.”
The first person to recognize Penia’s Insightful Eyes was her father, Emperor Kroel.
An emperor’s life was nothing but an endless parade of secret battles and conspiracies.
And since her father only ever showed his honorable side to the public, no one could have
ever guessed how dirty was the darkness he was hiding.
And the emperor was wrong about Penia’s Insightful Eyes.
It was not a present from god. It was something she had acquired from trying to protect
herself from a depressing abyss. She had complete confidence in her ability.
She had been able to read the chancellor’s eyes, filled with intent to poison her aunt.
She had seen the duchess’s desire to turn her son into royalty.
She had glimpsed the trembling eyes of a worker trying to steal a golden chain from the
bedroom, and had heard the unstable footsteps of a leader who tried to embezzle the
knights’ armament funds.
She had even felt the gaze of a young royal that was jealous of her power, and noticed
the trembling voice of a spy disguised as a maid to collect information.
Oh, the princess knew of the dark abyss underneath every royal’s gaze that looked up to
her benevolence.
But despite knowing everybody’s darkest secrets, she had always led her life acting as if
she knew nothing.
“I look forward to working with you.”
She looked straight at the boy who greeted her so politely.
The princess had a unique level of sixth sense. A higher level of intuition than her
would require mind-reading.
◐◓◑◒
“Hahaha! What’s with him?! Isn’t that Ed Rothstaylor? He was always wearing fancy
clothes and jewelry, but now, he looks like a peasant!”
“That frugal appearance suits him quite well!”
“He was always arrogant, but it’s finally going to be revealed he actually has no talent in
magic.”
The students’ whispers could be heard all the way down to the arena. It seemed they
wanted to mock and belittle Ed as much as they could, but couldn’t because they had to
behave in front of the princess of the kingdom.
“Yes, I look forward to working with you as well.”
She gently raised her hand and felt the flow of her magic, her condition at its best. One
of the important characteristics of an impressive archmage was to always take care of
one’s body.
She narrowed her eyes at the boy across from her.
“Your efforts will be rewarded! Don’t be discouraged! Hey! Straighten your back! There’s
nothing to be ashamed of !”
“Walk with confidence! You did a good job! This was only because your opponent was
too good! Don’t be discouraged by something like this!”
Ed Rothstaylor shouted at the student who was in danger of failing the class, all the
while ignoring her, the princess of the nation.
But rather than be surprised that he disrespected her, what surprised the princess more
was the urgency in Ed’s voice.
“Did you hear him yelling at Taylee earlier? He’s seriously quite stubborn.”
“Ha... even after bullying him earlier this year, he’s still making a fuss. He really should
stop picking on that weakling.”
“Maybe he just wanted to try and act nice. Something like, ‘At least I’m helping him now,
even though I bullied him before’? Maybe he’s thinking something like that.”
“Wow, his intentions are quite shady then.”
“Was he someone like this in the first place?”
The audience’s words could no longer be considered whispering.
Even the princess could hear them all the way down where she was. There was no way
Ed Rothstaylor hadn’t heard them. But his eyes remained calm. His pupils didn’t even
tremble one bit.
It was easy for the princess to read his emotions through his eyes.
Looking at his eyes, it was easy for Princess Penia to read his emotions,
Indifference. Apathy. But otherwise good.
It was a familiar feeling, the same feeling from that time she saw Ed at his camp. Ed had
always been this kind of person. The audience’s mocking whispers didn’t even leave a
scratch on his heart.
There were many people like Ed. People who tended to have indifferent attitudes, born
with calm temperaments regardless of what others might say.
Those were people that believed themselves to be the center of their lives. This firm
belief ingrained in their hearts wouldn’t be shaken by the will of others.
There was no need to look far for such people. The first years were full of them.
Students like Lucy Mayreel, the Golden Daughter Lortel, and Spear from Nature Ziggs.
The princess felt relieved at the thought. Somehow, this made Ed seem more human.
It took a while for her to accept it, but he was somehow a level above the princess’s
Insightful Eyes. It was why he was able to take his stance with such conviction.
However, his puzzling words from earlier and that of ignoring the princess... Ed was
wholeheartedly encouraging a first-year student, someone he had tried to fail before. The
contrast made the princess feel dizzy.
Just when the princess thought she had him figured out, he would do something like this
and become like slippery fish that would torment her.
Was he yelling at Taylee to make fun of him?
Was it all a two-faced stunt to make up for what he did while cheering Taylee on?
Without knowing his motivations, his actions did appear to support the audience’s
speculations.
But the princess saw his sincere desperation from a while ago, something he had never
shown before.
If he had appealed to her the same way back when they met at his camp, then the
princess wouldn’t have such a headache over him right now.
“Please don’t expel me from the academy. I’m sincerely reflecting on my actions. Please
give me a chance.”
Had he appealed like that with all his strength, had he fallen on his knees and rubbed his
hands together, she wouldn’t be feeling so uncomfortable right now.
So many people already bow their heads and desperately appeal in front of her anyway.
But he treated his expulsion with indifference, the same way he was taking all the
mocking and ridicule from the audience.
However, his reaction to the heartbroken first-year student who failed was not
indifference but unnatural desperation, something sincere from his heart.
“You’re confusing me, Ed Rothstaylor.”
The princess sighed.
Was that something to use that much energy on?
She was tired of being swayed by Ed’s unpredictable behavior. He was just... a student
whose nobility was stripped from him.
He wasn’t someone corrupt, dreaming of overthrowing the royal family. Nor was he a
corrupt prime minister embezzling public funds, or a disgraceful staff who tried to steal
a royal’s wealth.
Who cared if her Insightful Eyes could not gauge him?
Yes, this duel was an opportunity to take care of this once and for all. To end it all here.
The princess managed to calm herself down. This was her chance to fight Ed
Rothstaylor, who she couldn’t understand at all.
“I want to end it all cleanly with this duel.”
There were so many unknown things in this world. As long as there was a simple way to
take care of it, it didn’t matter. The context of it wasn’t important. Just because she
couldn’t figure him out doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.
She was already gauging the amount of mana Ed Rothstaylor had. It wasn’t an amazing
amount, but the natural way he controlled the flow of his magic meant he wasn’t an easy
opponent.
This was the first march between a second year and a first year. Therefore, a handicap
that they could only use beginner-level magic was out in place to even out their fighting
power.
You could tell that Ed has had a lot of practice using beginner elemental magic by the
way he could control the flow of his magic through his body. It was hard to say how
much intermediate elemental magic he could use, but he was, at the very least, skilled
with beginner magic.
The princess’s magic skill was not as impressive as Lucy’s or Lortel. But she had never
neglected her magic training due to her diligence.
“Please begin your match now.”
Princess Penia got into position. The first strike. It was usually used to measure your
opponent’s skills.
The princess’s water elemental magic specialized in anomalous attacks. It wouldn’t be
easy to respond to the sudden changes in her attack’s movements.
“I’m coming!”
The princess raised her hand, where the beginner elemental magic Water Ball was
formed.
Using magic to form a mass of water was a tricky technique. It could surprise the enemy
through his blind spots, applying great pressure.
She was capable of summoning up to five Water Balls at once, allowing her to attack
from all directions. However, to gauge Ed’s skills first, she only summoned one.
His elemental magic was wind and fire. How would he respond?
The princess planned to change her strategy according to how Ed would react. She was
thinking of increasing her magic output little by little, fighting with all of her power.
Through this one last dramatic battle, Princess Penia wanted to forget everything that
she could about Ed Rothstaylor, an enigma she could not understand.
There were so many other things she could pay attention to aside from him. She threw
her Water Ball with all her might, the mass of water changing directions as it soared to
attach Ed.
The princess saw it. His eyes were following the Water Ball’s path. Would he use wind?
How would he defend himself ? And after his defense, what should be the follow-up blowBang!
Her Water Ball hit Ed right in the abdomen.
His body flew through the air before rolling on the floor. A pile of dust rose from where
he landed. He had completely fallen, sprawled out on the floor.
“I lost.”
“What did you say?”
Princess Penia’s eyes began to tremble.
“HAHAHAHA!”
“Wow! What the hell was that! He was more useless than Taylee!”
“He acted all cool but fell down at once!”
“Princess Penia! You’re so cool! That was amazing!”
The audience cheered and applauded her win. They sounded extremely happy to see the
public enemy fall down, defeated. But that wasn’t what it looked like from where the
princess stood across from him.
Ed Rothstaylor’s eyes were following her Water Ball’s movement as it flew right into
him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t stop it.
It was that he didn’t stop it.
“Just what are you...”
“Great match. Thanks to you, I learned a lesson today, princess.”
He took off his dueling guards and stood up, meeting her eyes as he gave his greetings.
It was then that Princess Penia realized he hadn’t made eye contact with her until now.
He never had any interest in their duel from the very beginning.
Princess Penia felt as though something hot was stuck in her throat, and it wouldn’t
disappear. The uncomfortable feeling she tried to shake off through this fight had now
started to swallow her whole.
◐◓◑◒
Was it really the time for a duel?
I quickly walked off the arena as fast as I could. The childish mockery and ridicule the
students welcomed me with today... It must have been great to see me get knocked down
so easily after one shot from the princess.
“Taylee... where did that guy go?”
There was a prioritized order for everything. And everything had a set level of
importance.
It was important to minimize the impact as carefully as possible when in contact with
Princess Penia. That was so I wouldn’t affect the story as the princess was an extremely
important person in the game.
But Taylee, as the main character of this world, was even more important than the
princess.
If he were to completely succumb to this ordeal and get disheartened, it would form a
fatal flaw in my grand plan of taking advantage of him so I could graduate.
I had to do something no matter what. It didn’t matter how important of a person the
princess was. She couldn’t be more important than having Taylee move past this.
“Anyways, finding Taylee is my first priority.”
Leaving behind their taunts and mockery, I rushed down the hallway leading to the exit
of Iron Hall. The class wasn’t over yet, but I should be able to mix well among the
crowd and leave unnoticed.
As long as I find a way to help Taylee come to his senses, I could just work hard to cover
for the things that would affect my grades. I took long strikes with that thought in mind,
noticing there was another person behind me.
“Ed Rothstaylor!”
The princess had surprisingly jumped down from the arena and followed me. Her
Vitality might be low as she was leaning against the wall, catching her breath.
I looked back at the princess, puzzled beyond words.
“Huh? Princess Penia, for you to have come all the way here without your knights...”
“Don’t make that face like you don’t know anything!”
Honestly, the princess shouting at me with a voice full of contempt was a bit surprising.
Was she ever this kind of character in the game?
No, the better question was, was there even anything that could have made her so mad?
“Every time... Being unsure if it’s wrong or right... Do you know how frustrating it is to
have to measure a person like that?”
“Um... I am not sure what you are talking about. If it’s about the duel, I have learned a
lesson, thanks to you...”
“What do you mean ‘learned a lesson’...!”
I could clearly see her clenched fists shaking. She must be seriously angry.
“Princess Penia, please... calm down.”
“You never thought of winning from the beginning. All you thought about was getting
out of the arena as quickly as possible!”
“Princess Penia, your voice is too loud...”
The princess was not the type of person to be flustered enough and show it publicly like
this. This was completely unexpected, coming from her.
Princess Penia was a royal that hated using her authority to oppress people. She was also
a noble that never forgot the value of her dignity.
So to put pressure on, shake her fists at, and raise her voice, all without dignity, to
someone beneath her power... it went against her own beliefs. And if someone were to see
or hear this, the rumors won’t be pretty.
I tried to calm her down first.
“It’s already hard enough to keep up with my classes, but that fox-like merchant keeps
hiding her intentions and is trying to devour the whole academy for her own gain! And
Professor Glast’s temper isn’t getting any better! Meanwhile, people around me kept
mentioning the royal laws... even if I didn’t want to, I had to pay attention to them! It’s
all too difficult!”
Had she always had that much pent-up anger?
But why was she unloading all of that on me? Was it a sin to have a duel with her? I get
that she had a lot of built-up frustrations inside of her, but she wasn’t going to have all
of that explode on me, was she?
“Princess, please calm down.”
Ready to be criticized for my insulting actions, I touched the princess’s royal body,
putting both of my hands on her shoulders and making eye contact.
“Take a deep breath.”
As my hands wrapped around her shoulders, the princess took a deep breath. No one
would dare touch the princess of this kingdom. But in a situation where it was just the
two of us alone... she was probably surprised by my sudden touch.
“There’s no need to get too agitated. Just take a deep breath, in and out.”
The princess listened and took a few deep breaths, in and out...
In such situations, people generally feel uncomfortable after regaining their composure.
“Ahh... Ack...!”
Princess Penia realized how undignified she had been acting and covered her face.
That was her moment of realization, the embarrassment coming back to her all at once.
“Uhm... About earlier... Please forget all of it...”
Great idea!
“Uh... Of course...”
The princess had her hand covering her face for a while, red from extreme
embarrassment.
So... was she good now? Could I go now?
“Yes, I know I have a bad habit of trying to figure out people and piecing together their
secret plans, even though I know it’s fine to simply ask questions if there are things I’m
wondering about. I guess it’s because I grew up in the royal family.”
She started talking about things that nobody asked her about.
No, I got it! I’ll listen to you some other time and give you my sincere reaction then! Just
let me go first! I need to find Taylee!!!!
“That bad habit... I knew I had it but...”
I couldn’t just tell the princess to her face, ‘Oh, I don’t care. Just please let me go. It’s
urgent. I’m busy.’ So I had to nod my head for now.
“I see. Princess, then...”
“So, let me ask you straight.”
What now?!
“This is what I think: you knew something about the secret darkness within the
Rothstaylor family, or you were hurt by them, so you tried to cut your ties with the whole
family. But you needed some type of justification to be excommunicated, so you bullied a
student named Taylee. Is that correct?”
The Princess continued to talk while keeping eye contact with me. It was quite a sharp
deduction. Most of it was wrong, but the reasoning about the dark side of the
Rothstaylor family was correct.
I may have mentioned it before, but the head of the Rothstaylor household, Lord Krepin
Rothstaylor, was studying the magic of immortality with the power of Mebula, an evil
god of the Mythic Age. In the process, many people were sacrificed as experiments.
But that was something the princess would directly investigate by mobilizing the
academic affairs power vested in her in the second half of the story. That part was still a
long way to go.
“So if you know something about the darkness of the Rothstaylor family...”
Was there a reason to tell her?
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“...There’s no way.”
The princess quickly interrupted my answer.
“Logically, it doesn’t make any sense. Why did you just shout at Taylee? Why are you
encouraging and supporting the person you were trying to get kicked out of school? You
didn’t hate Taylee in the first place, did you?”
“Uh... That’s...”
Hey, that kid! Why were her questions quite sharp?
“That’s... I was just teasing him. Or... uhm... that... well.. hmm... Well everyone hates me,
right? So when I cheered for Taylee, I wanted to show them a different side of me...
Won’t they see that side of me then...? Something like that...”
“Anyone can tell that’s a lie!”
“No, I’m not lying...”
“I have something that helps me judge another person better than anyone else. It’s my
pride, my Insightful Eyes.”
The princess raised her head and spoke clearly. It was true. The Benevolent Princess
Penia was unrivaled when it came to judging people.
“Even if everyone in the world believed you, I clearly saw through you, even for just a
moment. And that moment you encouraged Taylee, you were really desperate.”
No, I had no choice but to be extremely desperate... I’ll be screwed if he gets
disheartened...
But that was something I couldn’t explain to her. Instead, I decided to use the ‘absolute
defense strategy’ that everybody all around the world used. From elementary school
students, all the way to grownups.
“I’m serious...”
Do you have proof ?
You don’t have proof, right?
You only have your suspicions, right???
“No, that’s...”
“But it’s true... I’m telling the truth...”
This strategy left no room for an argument. Even if she had her Insightful Eyes, because
I said it wasn’t, then it wasn’t. If she were to keep bringing it up, she would have no
choice but to bring physical evidence.
“I’m serious... it’s the truth...”
“Ahh... Seriously...!”
At this point, without manner or class, the princess grabbed her hair with both hands,
her expression crazy with frustration. She stomped her feet and kept saying the same
thing.
There was nowhere to relieve her anger and frustrations so she trampled on the
pavement.
“AHHH! SERIOUSLY!!!”
Being so close to finding out the truth, only to have it repeatedly escape and run away
from her would definitely leave her frustrated enough for steam to come out of her head.
Not just for a day or two, but for several weeks.
On top of that, her Insightful Eyes had always allowed her to see through anyone easily.
As this was a new experience for her, she was bound to be two or three times more
frustrated and suffocated.
But there was nothing I could do. It was my responsibility to make sure the future was
stable and moved along as smoothly as possible.
If someone else was in my place... would they have been willing to tell her?
Chapter 17: Joint Combat Practice (4)
Princess Penia’s Head Escort, Cler, difficulty chased after the princess, her charge having
jumped off the arena and running towards the exit.
The princess barely managed to calm down as she saw Cler approaching.
No matter how furious she was, she still had to maintain her royal status. She wasn’t in a
position to show such undignified behavior in front of her royal knight.
“I can’t give up on how things are currently.”
She approached me with an ill-tempered look, her anger not having completely subsided.
“You know something, don’t you? Surely... Whether you are bearing the weight of it or
hiding it... I don’t know why you aren’t talking, or maybe you’re being forced to, but I
can tell that there is something. I can’t feel any malicious or dark intent inside you but...”
“I think you may be overestimating yourself, princess....”
“Listen carefully. I can’t say anything right now because I don’t have any evidence but...”
The princess’s bright golden eyes looked straight at me.
As expected of a main character. The more I thought about it, the more I remembered
just how important of a role Princess Penia and Lucy Mayreel had.
It was difficult to act appropriately in front of the princess’s Insightful Eyes.
Just like how she caught me in my brief moment of desperation earlier, her sharp sixth
sense didn’t allow for even a moment of carelessness.
In ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’, Princess Penia’s Insightful Eyes was just a simple
ability that allowed her to know an opponent’s next action in advance during battle, or to
peek at an opponent’s stats.
But aside from that, it was treated as nothing more than a plot device. However, living in
this reality myself, actually facing her ability in my daily life had caused me much mental
anguish. I knew it. It was better to keep as much distance away from the princess as
possible.
Although it would never happen as she was a main character, I needed to make sure to
never become close to her. I felt like I was starting to care too much about it.
Of course, I wasn’t sure if it would be easy to keep my distance. It would all depend on
my effort from now on.
“How sure are you that you would get your answer as long as you figure out the vague
outline of the situation?”
The princess let out a sigh. She seemed to finally realize how funny and ridiculous this
whole situation was. She put her hands on her waist and let out another sigh, finally
regaining her composure.
“Anyway... I’m sorry I yelled and showed disgraceful behavior towards you.”
She swept her hand over her face, seemingly recalling the terrible way she had acted
earlier. Well, even though she was furious, at least the conversation ended with an
apology from the princess. The difference in status between us was enormous. If she was
even slightly irritated, it could have had catastrophic results for me.
It was an unprecedented situation in the first place. Princess Penia had rarely gotten
annoyed or angry at others, the reason for which was quite complicated.
I knew about some instances in the princess’s childhood which made it understandable
why she had such an unnaturally altruistic and caring personality.
When she was young, she pointed out a slight stain on her teacup. This resulted in a
maid she was friendly with getting whipped in the royal garden.
The royal family was always conscious of the dangers of being poisoned. So the fact that
a stain remained on a piece of tableware for the royal family, and the fact that it even
reached the table, was a clear indication that the maid was insincere in her important
duty of checking.
But that wasn’t all.
One day, the princess was running around the garden when she fell down, getting a
scratch on her skin. That very same day, her head escort was changed.
Whenever she was tired or had a minor illness, the royal doctor’s complexion would
always turn pale.
Once, her shoe broke during a royal banquet. The royal tailor personally came to her
room and threw his body on the floor, apologizing with tears running down his face.
For Princess Penia, who was born with a graceful personality, all of these were
burdensome and only served to put pressure on her.
Not a single mistake was allowed on the path of a noble monarch. They must always
accept that their own mistakes would be an irreversible disaster for someone else.
If the princess herself were to directly express her anger or resentment towards
someone, she wouldn’t even be able to estimate what kind of disaster she had brought
upon them.
The Benevolent Princess was a nickname given to her in tribute to her caring nature. But
I knew the truth. That her nickname was nothing but a chain that bound her.
But there was nothing I could do for her. I didn’t have any reason to. But if there was
something that was bothering me, it was that I had become a variable in her worries.
“It’s okay to leave. You’ve been looking at that door for some time now. You must have
something urgent to attend to, right?”
The princess let me leave as if she had given up. And I was grateful for that. In any case,
I knew I shouldn’t be here, and yet my existence had given the princess unnecessary
stress.
“It’s already hard enough to keep up with my classes, but that fox-like merchant keeps
hiding her intentions and is trying to devour the whole academy for her own gain! And
Professor Glast’s temper isn’t getting any better! Meanwhile, people around me kept
mentioning the royal laws... even if I didn’t want to, I had to pay attention to them! It’s
all too difficult!”
That moment when she lost her rationality and her pent-up feelings surfaced... She was
definitely different from the Princess Penia that I knew.
All sorts of incidents would occur in the original story, causing her mind to wear out
little by little. But to even include me in there, I was sure she felt as if her head was
about to explode.
I was worried she may later develop anxiety and affect the story, given how she was
already feeling unstable. In which case, I should do whatever I could do... but there was
nothing in particular that I could do.
I put my hand on the exit and said a few words.
“No matter what type of burden I may carry, it shouldn’t be any heavier than the weight
the princess carries.”
She might think I was being too presumptuous, but this shouldn’t end up being too big
of a deal.
“While it’s definitely necessary to pay attention to politics and social problems, why don’t
you try putting your mind at ease? This isn’t a place where the royal family needs to
establish authority over everything... it’s just Sylvania Academy.”
The princess’s eyes widened at my words, even though I didn’t say anything too
surprising.
“I’m not sure if you are aware of it, but you look very tired.”
She lived a life spent looking through others, but she didn’t have much experience in
someone else being able to see through her. Looking at the utterly stunned expression on
the princess’s face, I quickly closed the door and ran out.
Thankfully, she didn’t try to stop me. That was a relief.
Anyway, Princess Penia was a main character.
She might be very bothered by my existence now, but after she gets involved in all sorts
of incidents in the main story, she would forget about me soon enough.
Let’s not see each other again! Please!
◐◓◑◒
I found Taylee McLaure on a wooden bench somewhere in the outskirts of the Student
Center. He was sitting down, tightly clutching the wooden sword he used in the duel.
Now that I could see Taylee in the distance, that didn’t mean I actually had a plan. But
wasn’t this a hilarious situation? This wasn’t even something one would think of.
The third-class villain Ed Rothstaylor who verbally abused Taylee McLaure and tried to
have him kicked out has now come back to give him some words of encouragement.
Wasn’t that kind of funny?
Because I was so surprised earlier, my body just automatically jumped up and I ended up
shouting whatever I could think of at him. But now that I’m thinking calmly, there
wasn’t anything I could do to encourage Taylee.
There was no way he would feel any sense of sincerity no matter what I told him.
I thought about what I should do in such an awkward situation as I took each step
toward him. But someone blocked my path suddenly.
“Don’t come any closer.”
I was so surprised, but after looking at her face, I felt a strange sense of joy rising from
within me.
She had a short, wavy dark brown bob, with a weak appearance but a strong expression
on her face showing her will.
“You are...”
“Please... don’t come any closer...”
Despite both of her arms visibly shaking, she talked while maintaining eye contact.
She looked exactly like she did in the game. If you’d played ‘Sylvania’s Failed
Swordmaster’ even once, you would be glad to see her face.
She was practically the face of the game. Taylee’s childhood friend that always supported
him whenever he was having a hard time or facing a challenge. I didn’t expect to see
Ayla Triss in the flesh.
“Ed Rothstaylor... don’t come... any closer to Taylee. Don’t come closer...!”
Her trembling face made her look so pitiful. And yet, there was utter disdain on her face.
It was a new sight to see. Of course, only by being in Ed Rothstaylor’s shoes would I get
to see Ayla, who had such a weak heart, had such disgust on her face.
“Even if it’s not you... for Taylee... he’s already gone through so much! Isn’t it enough
already?! There’s no need to bully him anymore! I also saw you! It... It must have been
hard enough already...!”
Her trembling voice was so faint it sounded as though it was going to break, and yet she
didn’t stop talking till she spat out everything she wanted to say. More than anything,
she was truly sincere in wanting to protect Taylee. I felt unnecessarily touched by her
efforts.
That’s right, that was Ayla...!
It’s funny how I felt moved by someone who was staring at me like they wanted to
murder me...
Clank!
The iron cup Ayla was holding fell and started rolling on the stone grounds. She must’ve
been on her way to get some water. It was only then that Taylee responded, having heard
the sound of water splashing on the floor.
Taylee slowly got up from the bench and started walking toward us.
I felt a sense of disharmony then. That sense of weakness he had disappeared as he
walked over.
“Ed... Rothstaylor...”
He grabbed the sword tightly as he approached me, then he sent Ayla behind his back
and he stared at me.
“Still... I guess you still attend classes...”
A low and serious voice. I was surprised to see that he looked fairly back to life. The
Taylee that I saw when he lost the duel surely didn’t look to have a bit of life left in him.
So what happened?
Taylee’s unique willpower to live. No matter how powerful an opponent, he had a
fighting spirit that would never break. I could definitely feel that sense of willpower in
him.
Had he already resurrected?
It seemed so.
After coming all the way here, I could see the whole story of what may have happened.
I couldn’t follow Taylee right away because of my duel with the Princess.
However, his childhood friend and biggest supporter, Ayla Triss, worriedly ran after him.
And what happened next could be inferred without having to see it in person.
No matter how high a wall or how difficult an ordeal may be, for anything that blocked
Taylee’s path, Ayla would always hug, encourage, and give him positive reinforcement.
“It’s okay. You can overcome it this time too. You’ve done so well thus far. I believe in
you. You can do it. Don’t be discouraged, Taylee.”
She was always there to give Taylee heartwarming support, crying and laughing by his
side. As long as Ayla was with him, Taylee would always stand back up after getting
knocked down. I think even Taylee knew about it.
“Coming here... For what reason... What business do you have with me...?”
Because of her, Taylee was able to stand again.
I was worried he might think I was bullying Ayla, which would explain why he hid her
small body behind him as he looked straight at me with such burning volition.
I was already used to that overwhelming feeling. Having played as Taylee countless
times, it was because of this strong willpower that I felt fully immersed in the game.
“You were quite good with the sword. I saw how you handled it.”
“Tell me clearly what you are planning.”
“I don’t have anything planned.”
For someone who used to despise you at the entrance exam to suddenly say such things,
it couldn’t be helped that he thought I was out of my mind.
But I still wanted to tell him something, at the very least. I gained a sense of affection
for him, having played ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ many times in the past.
While I played the game, there were many times I felt he truly had a strong mental
fortitude. No matter how difficult the challenges he faced were, I was always greatly
encouraged by that strong willpower and never felt discouraged.
Coming to the hasty conclusion that he would lose the will to fight just because he got
beaten by Lucy once... I guess I worried too much.
He was supposed to be my solution, the one who would take on all the ordeals that would
happen in the future. He was supposed to be that kind of a pushover. But after meeting
him in person, my heart seemed to have changed a bit to some extent.
Well, it was already a given that he would have to take care of all the hardships for me
but I should set that aside for now. I would seem heartless if I didn’t.
“Euut!”
My eyes met with Ayla, her gaze still filled with contempt. But all I did was nod at her
and then turned around.
I was on pins and needles, worried that Taylee had collapsed.
But no matter how praiseworthy or amazing of a friend they may be, having more
contact may negatively impact the future. So I just turned around and walked away.
I could feel their gazes on my back. And without looking, I knew their faces must be
saying, “Just what the hell is wrong with that guy?”
...Well, it was something that couldn’t be helped.
◐◓◑◒
Shortly after, while the Joint Combat Training was still underway, sparks started to soar
through the sky.
The students playing around the Student Center were all surprised as they looked at
Iron Hall. Nobody thought that such a large-scale fire would break out so suddenly.
Although it wasn’t a fire in the first place.
The flame of Takan, a high-ranking fire spirit, was a cursed flame that burned only the
opponent targeted by the Elementalist who summoned him.
But that didn’t mean it wasn’t hot. The heat could definitely be felt spreading through
the grounds. With this high temperature from a distance, the students in the audience
probably felt like they were thrown into the desert.
“Was it already time for that?”
I went back towards Iron Hall with my hands in my pocket.
This was the climax scene of the Joint Combat Practice event for the first and second
years.
If this was the original story, we would all be sitting in the audience at Iron Hall,
watching it together.
But Lucy won over Taylee, which was different from what was supposed to happen. But
thanks to the scale of the fire, I could tell from where I was.
This was the duel between ‘The Golden Daughter Lortel’ and ‘Yenika Faelover.’
To gauge the skills of the second-year’s star student, Lortel cast intermediate ice magic
at risk of getting herself disqualified. The spell blew off the ceiling of Iron Hall.
After all, the cost of repairing the ceiling was nothing to her.
But because of that, Yenika was forced to show off the full extent of her skills and
brought out the manifestation of Takan, the strongest amongst all the spirits she had
signed a contract with.
I could picture what was happening even though I wasn’t there.
The firefly lizard wrapped around the large Iron Hall had the most overwhelming and
grandest appearance among Yenika’s ‘best friends’.
I caught a glimpse of her sitting on its flaming head. She grabbed onto the spirit’s hard
scales and swung her wand around, just in case she lost balance and fell off. It was quite a
sight to see her smiling so cheerfully in such a situation.
Never forgetting to smile, she truly was like a main character in a fairy tale.
I sat on a bench nearby and leaned back. I was exhausted. I didn’t really want to enter
the Iron Hall, currently burning with heat. The appearance of the giant flaming lizard
roaring against the backdrop of the setting sun was certainly quite surreal.
Even though some things happened differently from the original, I was sure Taylee and
Ayla were watching this same scene. This was going to be the final boss of Act 1, and
also the first out of countless ordeals that Taylee would have to face.
The top student of the second-year magic students at Sylvania Academy, Yenika
Faelover.
I hoped they were watching it clearly.
Because this would be the last chance they get to see her appearance like this.
Chapter 18: The Golden Daughter (1)
“Hey hey!”
I was able to control the corners of my mouth from turning upside down through sheer
superhuman restraint. Because I came back to an uninvited guest at my camp after
gathering some edible plants and herbs.
The guest was none other than the second-year top student, the so-called genius
Elementalist, Yenika. She was sitting on my log by the fire, waving her feet around in
greeting.
We met by chance at the Guardian Tree of Merilda before, and she would often greet me
because we had overlapping classes. Though I never properly returned any of her
greetings.
It was because I was trying to avoid Yenika. Besides, her best friends would always
appear like ghosts to take her away from me.
I was actually thankful for that since I wanted to minimize my contact with her. But to
Yenika, who wanted to become friends with everyone, I must have been a big obstacle.
I was sure her friends had already reminded her multiple times that nothing good would
come out of befriending a jerk like Ed Rothstaylor. Unfortunately for them, Yenika had
the attitude of a toddler.
She always had a bubbly appearance, and even when she seemed to just be sitting still
and not thinking, she would ultimately still go ahead and do whatever she thought was
right.
This very situation was conclusive proof.
“Wow, this is amazing! It’s totally like a secret base here!”
She raised her hand and excitedly walked around in admiration, like an innocent child
watching the first snow.
“Can I keep coming over to play?”
‘No you can’t,’ was what I wanted to say. However, I was afraid she would get hurt if I
said it so straightforwardly. Ah, this bright and energetic girl had some type of talent
that made people want to protect her. That must be why our classmates cared so much
about her.
“Well, if you find anything good about this place, then you can come.”
“My heart is pounding because this place feels like such an adventure. Ed, don’t you think
so too?”
Of course, my heart was pounding every day. A few days ago, I made a mistake when
managing the campfire and the flame went out at dawn so I almost got attacked by a wild
boar.
So even though both of our hearts were pounding, there was definitely a difference
between the two.
“I want to talk to you more... There are things I want to ask you... And there’s something
I also need your advice on.”
Out of all the many people out there, why does it have to be me?
But that would have been too cruel of a question to throw right at her face.
No matter how necessary it was to keep my distance, treating others too rudely would
just make my personality complete trash.
But on the other hand, it was also true that there was nothing good about being too
friendly.
“How did you know how to find this place?”
My camp was located in a corner of the wide northern forest, far away from both the
academic and business districts. There were only a few people who knew that I lived out
here.
“By any chance, did that Wolf tell you?”
The most likely answer had to be Merilda.
The high-ranking wind spirit Merilda was like family to Yenika. And this was her forest
too, so it would make sense if she had told Yenika about me surviving in a corner of her
forest.
“No, Merilda talks about you a lot but... but she never told me about the location of your
camp or any of your personal secrets. Because that was your personal business.”
Wow, that bastard. She was surprisingly protective of others’ privacy, wasn’t she? I
thought she would have told Yenika everything about me already since she was such a
chatterbox.
Then who the hell told Yenika the location of my camp?
“And the answer is...”
Yenika made a drumroll sound as if to announce who.
Twisting my own hair around, I didn’t give my answer right away. Though I had already
figured out who through the process of elimination.
“So it was Bell...”
“Wow! Y-You’re quite quick-witted!”
Bell Meiya. That name, which I was somewhat unfamiliar with, referred to a senior maid
at Ophelis Hall, famous for being the most luxurious of the three Sylvania Academy
dormitories.
How was she able to tell Yenika about the location of this camp? Well, to talk about that,
we’d have to go back to about a week ago.
◐◓◑◒
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 5
Dexterity: 9
Willpower: 8
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
It was my long-awaited weekend, a time when I could finally take care of the things I
had delayed the whole week. First, I washed my sweat-soaked clothes from hunting all
morning and hung them out to dry on a stone by the stream. It had already been two
weeks since that troublesome Joint Combat Practice class.
Getting tied up with the main characters of the story had aged me by about ten years. I
also felt twice as tired, feeling like I was walking on a tightrope, always anxious about
adversely affecting the main story while living my daily life.
Though thankfully, after combat practice there hadn’t been any time when I got involved
with the main characters. It had been a comfortable time for me.
Being able to solely focus on my studies and survival, my stamina rose by an additional
point. Although my relatively high Dexterity stat slowly began to decrease in gaining
experience for another point. From level 10 onwards, raising its level by even a point
won’t be easy.
My Vitality stat was really not that bad. Of course, it would look pathetic to Combat
Department students who had overwhelming combat specs, but it was already at a level
that could serve me well as an ordinary person.
After all, the reference point for a high-performance stat was 10. Whether it be one’s
proficiency level or basic stat, the gains would become extremely low once level 10 is hit.
From then on, bone-crushing efforts would be needed to raise them by even a little.
And considering how the end specs were around 20, there was still a long way to go.
But that was for extraordinary playable characters that went beyond the standards of an
ordinary person. My current stats were already enough to live my life.
Besides, thanks to my efforts, my body had already gained some muscles. Having taken
my top off, I looked at my body’s reflection on the water.
“As I thought, the Vitality stat has a real impact.”
I had continuously been on a tight schedule for the past two months, pushing my human
limitations. In order to keep up, my body started to adapt.
Even if I couldn’t become a macho man with thick wild muscles, at least my body had
started to form muscles on my stomach, shoulders, and my forearms. This was a great
achievement as Ed’s original body was as skinny as an anchovy.
Since this body had no physical talent to begin with, I thought it was fair to say I had
made quite a bit of progress.
However, my proficiency level for both my bow and my dagger was very low. My dagger
was one of my most useful weapons but it hadn’t even accumulated any proficiency. I had
been going at this for quite a long time now but I still had a very long way to go.
“I should be training now so I can afford to be more comfortable later on... This isn’t the
time to be unnecessarily lazy.”
I had some pretty significant results, but I shouldn’t be satisfied with them alone. I began
to stretch my limbs, then bent my back and twisted my torso. I needed to start moving to
take care of the work I hadn’t been able to do all week.
I was planning to make more firewood and cut some logs again. Then I plan to weave a
net with my remaining time in the afternoon. I would gather all my remaining silk
threads and layer them diagonally, then twist them into each section to make a complex
net.
But why was I making a net? While it would be for fishing, I planned to use it more
importantly with fish preservation.
I usually stored my meat in underground storage, but since I hadn’t been preserving
them for much longer, they also spoil quickly. Salting them all together had also become
a problem since the salt I could harvest from my rock salt was never enough.
The method I thought of was to smoke it. I could smoke the surface with wood which
would slightly cook it. Then I could dry it out. Doing these would extend the shelf life
of my fish by a few days, and would allow me to invest more time in my studies and
other activities around the camp.
But the smoked fish was still not as efficient as meat when it came to shelf life. Also, it
tended to alter the taste which made it hard to cook.
This was why I thought of making a net. I would hang it on a branch by the stream and
serve as a fish farm. If this were to work out well, then I can even store my fish alive. I
can have both the freshness and the real taste of the fish.
It should be a worthwhile attempt. I never had the energy to do it during the week
because of my classes and having to collect resources to live day by day. But having free
time during weekends allowed me to experiment.
I decided to quickly get on with making more firewood, then check on my school
uniform which should be dry by then, and then I could start working on my net.
“Zzz... Zzz...”
I started stretching my body some more, warming up with my top off. But as I arrived at
my workbench, I found Lucy Mayreel curled up on the tree’s base, sleeping.
I naturally picked her up and carried her on my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, then
threw her inside the wooden shelter.
“Ooo, aghk!”
Lucy tossed and turned on top of the soft marten and squirrel leather-covered bed. She
then quietly breathed through her lips and fell sound asleep.
It was Lucy’s naptime. Right when I was just about to forget about her, she would come
into my camp and use my bed. I don’t even sigh anymore when I see her.
“I’ll go cut fifty pieces of firewood and then check on my school uniform. I should be
done in an hour.”
I spat on both my hands and grabbed my ax, then swung it down my first firewood of
the day.
Clank!
“Waaahk...”
I heard a loud crash behind me so I turned around and saw Lucy gently stroking her
forehead, as if she had jumped up and hit her head on the wooden support stick.
Lucy never woke up unless you pinched both her cheeks. But now she had suddenly
jumped up on her own.
“What are you doing?”
“Something stinks!”
She then grabbed her witch hat and ran out of my camp like the wind.
I couldn’t help but admire her lightning-like movements. In the blink of an eye, she had
gone and disappeared. All that was left was the aftermath of the wind magic she used to
blow off my sweat.
“What’s with her?”
But it didn’t take long for me to realize her reason.
“Who’s over there?”
Out from the grass came Bell Meiya, a senior maid at Ophelis Hall, Sylvania’s most
prestigious dormitory.
◐◓◑◒
I knew the detailed setup for the maids of Ophelis Hall.
Ophelis Hall was where all sorts of nobles and talented students lived. And as the people
who managed this dormitory, the Ophelis Hall maids all worked with the same skill and
pride like that of a royal maid. They were usually specialists in their field and had
received special education for it since childhood.
But that was just part of their setup. I couldn’t remember anything memorable about
them having a huge influence on the game’s story.
They were just meant to emphasize just how special Ophelis Hall was, but there was
none among them who had a significant impact on the main story.
In other words, the Bell Meiya I had just encountered had no recognition. If you were to
look at her level of importance in the story, she was just a side character comparable to
Ed Rothstaylor, a villain who was written for a few scenes and then thrown away.
“I was thinking about walking deep into the forest for the first time in a while, but I
didn’t know I would be meeting the young master Ed here.”
“Ah, yes. It’s been a while.”
“You don’t have to speak formally to me.”
Bell Meiya was a very minor character in the story, but she would show up every so often
and deliver a meaningful line.
As an example, when the protagonist or heroine was faced with a challenge, she would
say, ‘But the will in his eyes is still alive. I’m sure he will definitely win’ or ‘If it’s her...
She can surely overcome it,’ and other such lines. She was someone who gave some
meaningful foreshadowing.
She never actually did anything to solve the problem, but she would give the player the
confidence that the problem would be solved. She was a necessary character that actually
seemed kind of unnecessary.
Other than that, she was the only person Lucy Mayreel, a magician who only did
whatever she wanted, was scared of. Whoever she was wouldn’t really change no matter
how much meaning was put into it. She was just a member of the ‘Side Character’ club
like Ed Rothstaylor.
“I’ll just speak formally.”
“I’m more uncomfortable with you speaking so formally.”
“Either way, I am no longer a noble.”
“But you are still a student at Sylvania.”
Her neat black short hair and modest behavior explained how she became a Senior Maid
at Ophelis Hall, a place full of professionals.
Even though she had come this deep into the forest, her elegant maid uniform didn’t
have a single wrinkle, despite her being unable to use beginner’s magic.
“If I’m speaking honestly, I am quite surprised.”
She didn’t look the tiniest bit sincere despite saying such words.
“Your tone of voice has changed quite a bit, and you now have such a strong physique.”
Only then did I realize that I was half-naked. I rarely get embarrassed but seeing her
unchanged poised expression was rather embarrassing.
“I think it’s quite a wonderful change. I am happy.”
“Oh, yes...”
“You can speak casually.”
“But I don’t want to.”
I couldn’t tell because of her expressionless face but I may have poked at her strange
pride just then.
“You have to.”
“But I don’t want to.”
“When you lived in Ophelis Hall, you did so.”
“That was then. When I used to live in Ophelis Hall.”
All of the Ophelis Hall maids had a strange stubbornness that was hard to understand.
I saw that Bell was holding a big basket in one hand. Glancing at its contents, it seemed
like it was filled with all kinds of mushrooms, wild vegetables, and fruits.
Meals at Ophelis Hall mostly used high-quality ingredients delivered from various
stores. But when fresh ingredients were essential, there would be times that the maids
would obtain them locally.
Seeing her do this made me understand that internet meme about calling Ophelis Hall
maids, ‘Human Livestock Manufacturers.’ The students didn’t have to do anything, all
they needed to do was sit still and open their mouths.
“I knew that you still attended the academy. I help the young lady Yenika with her
morning preparations and she always talks about you, young master Ed.”
“Is that so?”
“But I had no idea that you are living like this. When you left Ophelis Hall, your face
looked like it was the end of the world. I thought you would end up leaving the
academy.”
How strange for maids like her to feel uncomfortable when someone talked to them with
respect. Just what kind of education did they receive to have this kind of mindset? But
what caught my eyes was the basket she was holding. It was full of all sorts of
mushrooms, wild vegetables, and fruits.
I felt limited by the knowledge I was getting from books when it came to edible plant
life. Since the contents of that basket should all be edible, if I could just get one, then the
types of plants I could collect would increase dramatically.
I never touched mushrooms and fruits, in particular, because there were quite toxic
ingredients if not handled properly. I couldn’t help but drool at the opportunity to open
my door to more options.
Bell Meiya may appear quite cold, but she was actually quite nice. She would willingly
accept if I were to ask for help.
Just as I mentioned, she was just a side character that had not much influence on the
story. Nothing big would change or happen should we interact or become closer to each
other.
In fact, there may be more benefits than harm. If we become a bit closer, then wouldn’t I
be able to ask for ingredients, fabrics, and other various work tools left around Ophelis
Hall?
At this point, wouldn’t it be more stupid if I were to push her coldly away?
The faces of the Ophelis Hall maids were rarely even shown throughout the entire game.
That’s right! It shouldn’t matter if we become close to each other!
After I came to that conclusion, I adjusted my voice and spoke to Bell Meiya in a
welcoming tone, with a comfortable smile.
“Coming all the way deep into the forest to procure such ingredients, you have been
through so much. But as for that basket...”
That’s right, it should be fine if we become friends!
And that was a choice I would regret making until the end of the story.
◐◓◑◒
“Yeah, yeah. I talk to Bell so much about you, Ed. That’s why when Bell and I were
talking, she suddenly told me about how she met you here.”
Was Bell really going around revealing my private information like that? Something that
even a high-ranking wind spirit was protecting?
No, I was sure the Bell Meiya I knew was quiet and wouldn’t talk about others so
carelessly. After all, being tight-lipped was one of the most basic qualities of an
experienced maid.
And as far as I knew, Bell Meiya was an elite maid equipped with such a basic skill.
“Since it’s the weekend, she told me to come and visit you. Look, she even tied my hair up
so prettily today? Look here, isn’t it pretty when it’s braided to one side like this?”
Oh, would you look at this kid?!
“Ah, is that so...”
“So, about this concern I talked about earlier...”
Yenika sat down and held her knees, slowly getting to her point.
At first, I wondered why she went to me amongst so many other people.
While looking at the burning campfire, Yenika finally managed to say it.
“Ed, you might not have seen it since you left first. But during the Joint Combat Practice
last month, I ended up hurting some people.”
It was the event in which she summoned Takan, a high-ranking fire spirit, and covered
the entire Iron Hall in flames. It was one of the largest-scaled events that would take
place this semester.
It was obvious who she ended up hurting. Although it was just a natural reaction,
considering the first year Lortel broke the rules first and used intermediate magic, that
was only a secondary fact for Yenika who had a good heart.
But why was I the one counseling her? In the first place, all of the students were on
Yenika’s side.
Yenika was bubbly and lovely, and to the second-years, she was a precious treasure.
Whenever she felt guilty or would blame herself, everyone would rush and come forward
to encourage and side with her.
However, Yenika knew that all of their evaluations and opinions were one-sided.
They weren’t able to make objective and fair judgments because they cared about Yenika.
While she may be thankful that they were always on her side unconditionally, that didn’t
mean any of the mistakes she had made would disappear.
That was why she came to me. She knew I was less inclined to take her side. I wouldn’t
be judging the event simply from her perspective.
She was very kind and upright, that’s why her relationship with Lortel was this bad.
“You know, even when I try to forget it all, ‘As I thought, I went too far...’ and ‘Did I
overreact so much that I ended up hurting her that much?’ I can’t get rid of these
thoughts.”
“I see...”
“Should I go and apologize?”
“Do whatever you want.”
“But my friends always stop me from apologizing because she did something wrong in
the first place.”
“Then don’t do it. As long as you think it’s right.”
“Hmmm~”
Yenika sat still, her chin resting on top of her knees.
I decided not to force my opinions on her. This was a situation where I couldn’t be sure
how it would affect her. Yenika was too important for me to influence her behavior by
making a right or wrong judgment.
But I couldn’t help but want to promise her everything would be alright.
“As expected of Ed.”
However, her response was more surprising than I thought.
“Ed... you never unconditionally take my side.”
“I can’t help it if it makes you sad.”
“Huh? No, no. Don’t misunderstand.”
Yenika smiled as she enjoyed the burning campfire. Somehow, the tension in the air
seemed a little less than usual.
“I don’t feel bad at all. Not one bit. In fact, I feel relieved.”
Simple meaningful words kept on coming out.
“I wish that everyone in the world was more like you, Ed.”
I didn’t have the time to think about what those words meant. Because I had a pile of
work I had to finish today.
◐◓◑◒
“I would like to purchase two hours of your time, Ed Rothstaylor.”
It happened two days later. The moment I came out of my Elemental Studies class to eat
lunch.
She looked elegant and quite polite at first glance, but her bright turquoise eyes were
filled with greed for money. Her reddish-brown hair was neatly combed and was tied up
to her shoulder blades, running down her shoulders.
There was a small bandage from the bottom of her neck to her forearm, a result of her
injury during the Joint Combat Practice class. It had been a long time since then, it made
me realize just how serious her injuries must have been if she still had some wounds left.
That nice girl Yenika must have completely stomped on her.
She was waiting for me in the academic district, sitting on a bench with a rather dignified
posture. I knew who she was.
She was someone who would become at odds with Princess Penia, acting like cats and
dogs. She was one of the four heroines of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’.
The only daughter of Elte Kehelland, the greatest merchant on the continent. A rare
businesswoman who climbed to the top of the tower of gold coins with only her desire
for wealth.
In the future, people would pay respect to her by calling her ‘The Golden Daughter.’
Chapter 19: The Golden Daughter (2)
Lortel was someone who understood human greed better than anyone else.
She wasn’t someone who would have an active role until Act 2, well after Yenika had left,
but her face would pop up here and there in Act 1 as well.
Her roles before and after Act 1 were clearly different. Although she was already quite
infamous, even in Act 1. ‘Bad Ending Maker’, ‘Newbie Grinder’, ‘The Developer’s Curse’.
These were what players used to call her. Other than these nicknames, people also used
to say such hurtful words against Lortel in Act 1.
I couldn’t remember much of my newbie days from long ago, but just remembering how
many times Lortel used to ruin me in Act 1 still made me shudder.
Getting involved with Lortel in Act 1 always guaranteed a bad ending.
During Taylee’s Class Assignment Examination event, you could choose to rescue Lortel
from a Kobold raid, but rescuing her would result in Taylee witnessing Lortel’s ‘secret.’
Later on, Lortel would have Taylee kidnapped and taken out of the academy, until he
was declared missing. That was Bad Ending Number 2.
In the monster subjugation episode, there was an opportunity to be in the same group as
Lortel. But if you chose to join the same group as her rather than join your friend Ayla’s
group, Ayla would fall off a cliff and die. Why? Because Ayla stumbling off a cliff
would trigger an event where Taylee would be able to quickly catch her. But of course,
if you joined Lortel’s group, Taylee wouldn’t be able to save Ayla, resulting in her death.
That was Bad Ending Number 7.
During the Joint Combat Practice event, there was an option to protect Lortel from the
high-ranking fire spirit Takan summoned by Yenika, but in doing so, Taylee would get
burned and seriously injured. That was Bad Ending Number 13.
Then during the subjugation of Glasskan, there was an event to reclaim the Student
Center by breaking into Iron Hall using the way proposed by Lortel. But if you were to
follow her advice, Taylee would be ambushed and killed by a bunch of spirits that were
waiting on that path. That was Bad Ending Number 22.
Swearing at the developers for creating such a character couldn’t be helped, but if you
were to play ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ all the way to the end, you would start to
understand the developer’s intentions and even begin to admire it. The intentions
weren’t that complicated either.
Lortel Kehelland’s role was as the ‘hidden heroine.’
A character that was the complete opposite of the righteous and benevolent Princess
Penia. Lortel had only been treated as a character to control and take over, but her true
character would be revealed in the second half of the story.
The twist in her story and the unexpected gap between her two sides made the players
recognize her strong charms as a character. Only talking and understanding calculations,
Lortel grew up with no choice but to gradually view the world calculatingly.
She led a life of picking up and eating bread thrown away at the slums, she developed
beliefs that were built on fraud and deceit, she harbored a loneliness that had swallowed a
part of her heart, yet no matter how much money she accumulated, it never disappeared.
While the player’s opinion of Lortel would slowly improve little by little, and they
finally began to understand the loneliness engraved in her life, it was at that precise
moment that a question would be asked:
Would you be on the side of the ‘Student Council’, led by The Benevolent Princess, or on
the side of the ‘Top Class’, led by The Golden Daughter Lortel?
Would you support the upright beliefs and idealism shown by the noble Princess Penia,
or would you support Lortel’s realism, who had been fighting loneliness in the wild-like
reality?
“Excuse me? Ed?”
To summarize, the system that had constantly been driving players into bad endings in
Act 1 was intentional.
The players began to consciously avoid Lortel due to them falling trapped in her bad
endings. This formed a psychological gap between the players and Lortel.
The larger the gap, the more dramatic the twist reveal would be to the player in the
future.
I was talking about the true harmony between the system and the story.
“Ed Rothstaylor? Hello? Can you hear me?”
It was quite amazing when I looked back on it.
I nodded my head in satisfaction as I walked.
Well, there’s that.
And then there was this.
“How long are you going to keep following me?”
“…”
“I had no idea you would be this stubborn in ignoring me.”
No, I need to be stubborn and ignore her.
Wasn’t it obvious?
It was always better to set the mood first in whatever you did. That’s what this was.
Seeing her in front of my Elemental Studies class in the academic district, she
immediately threw out a meaningful line. Not bad.
“I would like to purchase two hours of your time, Ed Rothstaylor.”
That was certainly a great start.
This student was The Golden Daughter Lortel.
Someone such as her coming out of nowhere to make me an offer was certainly
something that made me curious. Normally, I should’ve started asking her questions.
What did you mean you wanted to buy two hours of my time? What were you planning
on making me do? If you wanted to buy it, then did that mean you would give me
money? How much money would you give me? Would you give it to me right now?
What were your true intentions?
If I asked such questions, Lortel would continue the conversation with a grin on her
face. That was probably what Lortel thought was going to happen.
Naturally, she would steer the conversation to form around the questions I asked,
controlling and avoiding certain questions while taking the lead in the situation.
Considering Lortel’s specialty was her silver tongue, she had the ability to negotiate and
talk until you found yourself falling into her proposal before you could even come to
your senses.
But that would be if I didn’t know what her intentions were.
“Maybe you’ve heard parts of the story already?
As I knew, I shattered all her expected developments and strode along, ignoring her. And
yet she kept on following me. The difference in our strides were quite wide. She had to
follow me at a quicker pace, but this didn’t slow her down.
“I heard you are having a hard time after being disowned. Perhaps I could be of some
help?”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“Oh my, speaking politely is more important than you might think. It means you respect
the other person.”
She didn’t care at all about my rude manners due to her nature.
Lortel ran in front of me and adorably held her hands behind her back with a cute smile
on her face.
Don’t you want to hear me out? It’s not a bad suggestion!
She had that look on her face.
“I felt touched after seeing you...”
She then spat out her story in her sly way.
“Of course, it’s not like I haven’t heard the rumors that you were a little, small, tiny bit
arrogant and egotistical, but that’s fine! It’s honestly not that important. Hahaha!”
Everyone already knew how awful Ed Rothstaylor was, but she said it so fast—like rapid
gunfire.
“It’s only human nature to want to give out a helping hand after watching you continue
to learn here despite it being such a difficult environment. After all, there was a time
when I was also poor and hungry.”
“So?”
“A deposit of three plain gold coins.”
It was as much money as the maids at Collen Hall, one of the other dormitories where
ordinary students lived, would make for a full month’s work.
I wouldn’t have to worry about next semester’s tuition payment if I had twenty gold
coins.
“I want to become friends with Yenika.”
“Hahaha!”
I started laughing even without her explanation. I knew it. The difference in values
between Penia and Lortel was a key conflict throughout the story.
Ultimately, it was going to become important who Taylee would decide to side with. It
was still uncertain at this point, so I shouldn’t be too hasty and take either side just yet.
“Can’t you introduce me, please? All you have to do is come with us, and the three of us
can all talk together. I don’t think it will even take the full two hours.”
“Since becoming The Daughter of Gold, do you buy personal connections with money?”
“Well, I won’t be coy about it then.”
Lortel took three gold coins from her sleeve and put them in my pocket.
“Here, keep this for now. I know it well. The more people on my side, the better.”
Lortel seemed to have realized this intuitively. After all, she had been living her whole
life walking on a tightrope, people watching her from below.
She would eventually get into a political battle with Princess Penia soon. It was best to
make as many allies as she could from now on. The rift between the two wasn’t
something that could be closed by being considerate and giving in a little bit.
As I stood still, staring at her, Lortel began to smile that cunning smile of hers again.
“You’re looking at me as if I’m a pathetic person. Usually, by now, people would be
trying to hide their faces, thinking, ‘Wow, what a jackpot!”
I spoke with a big grin on my face.
“Alright, let’s shake on it once.”
◐◓◑◒
Nobody knew the true nature of greed as well as Lortel did. At least, that was what she
thought.
Mad and immature greed was like a disease that had reached the incubation period. It
was quite easy to control when the situation was calm, but the moment you were pushed
into a corner and urgently needed a bit of money, then that greed could take over an
entire person’s being.
Those who didn’t have food for tomorrow soon became those who no longer have a place
to rest. And just a bit of money would make their eyes look bloodshot. As a native of the
slums, Lortel knew that feeling very well.
Not only that, but the bigger the difference in wealth there was, the more the power of
greed would consume a human’s heart, making it uncontrollably strong.
Those that had once lived a lofty lifestyle would collapse the moment they faced poverty.
She had seen too many debtors take their own lives because they couldn’t accept the
difference between when they had money and now that they were broke.
The amount of gold it took for them to break down wasn’t at the scale of a house or a
property either. Ultimately, it came down to one small coin.
No, it wasn’t the amount of money that was important. Because even if you were to offer
the same amount, someone would always be willing to sell more.
Selling one’s pride for just one gold coin. Selling one’s family for just one gold coin. Even
selling one’s self for just one gold coin.
The market price of a gold coin wouldn’t change and was set, but those who were
cornered without a choice would always bring more and more things to sell.
Because there was no other option. Because it was the only path they could see. That was
why the ‘first time’ was really important.
Holding that gold coin in their hand after the first time, thinking it was fine because it
was just once, it would then become the beginning of a disaster that would drive a
cornered person off a cliff. The first time was the starting point of all subsequent
schemes and tactics.
It was so easy and simple to take advantage of someone who was desperate.
It was quite sad.
When Lortel finally came to her senses, Ed Rothstaylor had already left. Was it because
she was flustered for a second?
“Well, that was quite interesting.”
Looking at Ed’s back as he left, Lortel let out a giggle.
When he shook her small hand, the three gold coins she had shoved in his pocket had
found their way back into her hands. He had an attitude that didn’t even let them become
a bit closer.
It was as if... he had understood all of Lortel’s intentions from the very beginning.
Chapter 20: The Golden Daughter (3)
Lortel was an extreme realist that was also very good at compromising.
It was Lortel’s fate to become one. She had big ambitions but lacked natural ability.
Hearing that from someone else would probably make one wonder what it meant.
That was because as soon as Lortel was admitted into the academy, she was one of the
only three students that qualified for Class A by Professor Glast. She had a photographic
memory, so much so that reading something only once was enough for her to memorize
the core concepts of a book. Her mana resonance was also high, so high that ordinary
students couldn’t follow. And she even came from a rich background, coming from the
Elte Company.
However, no matter what she did, she couldn’t reach the very top. There was ‘Lazy Lucy’
in the Magic Department, who was treated as some sort of celestial being. Lortel’s
combat senses, such as her agility, improvisation, and judgment, were no match for ‘The
Spear from Nature Ziggs.’
Her family’s background and her noble status, coupled with her innate personality and
her ability as a leader, all of these were useless when compared to her nemesis, Princess
Penia.
Fate mischievously only allowed her to live a second-rate life. And the means that Lortel
used to break through Fate’s curse was ‘pure desire’.
“Oh my, it’s Yenika.”
Understanding profits and losses, income and expenditure, doing calculations. It was
Lortel’s perseverance that made both arms of the scale lean towards her, even for a little
bit.
She had a compromising attitude that was willing to join hands with an awful and
merciless realism or a necessary evil without any hesitation.
Living her life like this stigmatized Lortel as an opportunist, but she didn’t find that
particularly insulting. Rather, she thought it far more disgraceful to not seize the string
of opportunities that came her way.
“I was going to visit you with a present, but I ended up meeting you here.”
“Hm? Oh, you’re... Lortel. You look really different with your hair down.”
“I hear that often.”
They met in a corridor in Ophelis Hall, the dormitory that boasted the most luxurious
facilities among the three dormitories in Sylvania.
For a student to be allowed to stay at Ophelis, one of the two conditions had to be met:
overwhelming status or overwhelming grades.
Yenika satisfied the latter while Lortel satisfied both as the successor of the Elte
Company. But this didn’t mean their living conditions were significantly any different.
Lortel was heading back to her room after taking an evening bath, attended by an
Ophelis Hall maid. Due to that, her outfit was rather simple, and her hair, which had yet
to dry, was untied. To Yenika, her impression looked quite new.
“I caused a big commotion awhile back after I arbitrarily used intermediate magic during
the Joint Combat Practice class. Truth was, part of me was particularly impulsive. It’s
been a while since the incident, but I still wanted to apologize.”
“I see...”
The reason Lortel attached Yenika with the intermediate ice magic Ice Spear and Flash
Freeze was to gauge her skills as the top student of the second-years.
There was no denying it, the leading force in Sylvania’s Magic Department were the first
years. Despite that, they couldn’t be guaranteed a victory in a duel when their opponents
were of a higher grade than they were.
Nevertheless, Yenika’s title as being the best student among the second-years wasn’t in
vain.
Among the first years, Lucy Mayreel was the undisputed 1st place so it didn’t make sense
to discuss who the top student was. But at least Lortel’s name wasn’t left out when
discussing who was second.
But she wondered what the gap was between her and Yenika. Unfortunately, Lortel’s
attempt to gauge it had not much meaning. Because even her intermediate elemental
magic, which even third years couldn’t handle, didn’t cause any significant damage to
Yenika, who summoned a high-ranking fire spirit.
Arrogance was expensive. Even though it had been a while since the class ended, Lortel
still needed to wear bandages inside her clothes due to minor wounds that hadn’t healed
yet.
“Your wounds haven’t completely healed yet.”
Lortel sharply caught on to the fact that Yenika still felt a bit of guilt about her wounds.
Yenika Faelover was too nice. It was because of her good nature that the people around
her felt a strong protective instinct towards her, making her an idol among the second
years.
Moreover, the second years had been feeling miserable from being overshadowed by the
first years. As Yenika was the only one who showcased her competency against them, she
became a savior to second years as well. In a way, this was all due to Lortel, who she beat
horribly in the Joint Combat Training class.
She was just the adorable and cute top second-year student who was also an
Elementalist, but now, she had become the only light and hope for the second years.
Those eyes filled with anticipation, following her, had made her an object of envy.
“It should heal soon. You don’t have to worry about it too much.”
Lortel believed that personal connections led to social power. Since Lortel had lived her
life realizing this fact, she didn’t put on a smile for the cute second year.
Having someone indebted to you could be considered an asset. And it would be foolish of
Lortel to not use the assets she had.
With this in mind, Lortel thought of starting an exchange with Yenika through her debt
as an opportunity.
“I guess you didn’t get along with Ed?”
Once in a while, Yenika’s smile could truly take your breath away.
In business, such a sly smile could be seen as being double-faced. This was because
merchants were the type of people to take advantage of those with a kind and pure
smile.
But strangely enough, Lortel didn’t feel any sense of malice in Yenika’s smile. Lortel was
also pretty sharp by nature. Yenika’s question was a pure question. It was without any
malice or hidden intention.
“I hear everything around the northern part of the forest. Spirits tend to be quite the
chatterboxes.”
Yenika must have chased after Ed after he ignored Lortel’s words. But wasn’t the route
he took leading towards the entrance of the northern forest?
Originally, the northern forest was Yenika’s territory. That was because most of the
spirits playing in the northern forest were on Yenika’s side.
But Lortel could only see far enough into the edge of the entrance to the forest. And to
say that Ed Rothstaylor was in Yenika’s territory was just ridiculous, because the
conversation Lortel had with him was not something she could just proudly reveal, even
as empty words.
Lortel thought of using money to buy Yenika as a personal connection. And then use her
as an opportunity to gauge Ed Rothstaylor who was currently stuck in a tight spot. He
really wasn’t in a situation to be acting this stubborn.
“You probably have your own way of doing things, but...”
Given the amount of respect Yenika received, she was certainly worthy enough of being
called a saint.
“Ed must have his own way of doing things too. And from my point of view, I am more
moved by his efforts.”
“Of course, your willingness to use gold coins as a means to become closer with me also
made me feel really emotional, but sincerity isn’t something that money could buy. Am I
being too condescending? It’s my first time having someone younger than me so I think
I may be acting like I’m too full of myself... Ah! This is so embarrassing...”
Even after knowing what Lortel did, she didn’t deny or swear at Lortel’s methods. Lortel
finally understood why everyone loved Yenika.
A girl who walked straight out of a fairytale.
But this description of her, of someone who was cute and lively, also had a subtle diss.
It could also mean that she was someone who didn’t know much about the world,
someone who had lived in a flower garden all her life. It sounded like that to Lortel.
But they must have severely misjudged Yenika.
She understood the darkness of the other side of the world, she just chose to continue
living her life without losing her cheerful nature.
To be standing in front of such dazzling light, someone with a black heart would crawl
back into the darkness in shame.
If everyone lived in dirt together, then being dirty would be the standard appearance of
all humans. But that was just an illusion, of course.
Because there would definitely be people like Yenika. And it wasn’t like Lortel didn’t
know that.
“Ed is probably someone who’s much more strong-willed and funnier than you think.”
“What? Is that so? But why do you think so?”
Yenika giggled and spun around, untying her braid.
“It’s a secret.”
Lortel then realized they had arrived in front of Yenika’s room.
Once Yenika entered the room, she planned on relaxing comfortably by untying her
braids and loosening the straps on her cute and frilly casual clothes.
“Well, the spirits always keep gossiping amongst themselves, but whenever something
stands out, it seems very stalkerish.”
“Isn’t being friendly with spirits something to be proud of ?”
“Thanks for saying that~ Hehe~ But I’m the only one in the whole world who knows
those fun facts.”
Yenika spun in front of her door and smiled brightly. Only she knew what the spirits had
told her about Ed.
“I should get going now. Dean McDowell told me I should try and sign a contract with
another high-ranking spirit next month. In order to do that, I have to study and prepare
a lot of things.”
“Didn’t you just sign a contract with a high-ranking fire spirit?”
“These days, expectations from me have risen quite a bit. I need to work hard, hmm.
Yeah, it’s a good thing that people were expecting a lot from me.”
After saying that, Yenika opened her door wider.
“Ahh, that’s right. Lortel.”
Yenika said her name with her unique and charming smile.
“I’m sorry about last time. You got hurt a lot because of me, right? I hope you get better
soon.”
Yenika slowly closed the door after saying that, looking relieved. And Lortel herself saw
how much consideration Yenika had for her for saying that.
In front of the softly-closed door, Lortel thought it over for a long time.
Ed Rothstaylor is definitely an interesting person.
Lortel couldn’t guess why Yenika had such a high opinion of him.
Looking back, there was a strange sense of danger in her lively and relaxed appearance.
But no matter how hard she thought of what the reason might be, she couldn’t come up
with a clear answer right away.
◐◓◑◒
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 5
Dexterity: 9
Willpower: 8
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
[ Newly Crafted Product
Farming Fishing Net
After weaving the net, it is installed onto a branch so it wouldn’t collapse into the
flowing stream. Caught fish could be kept alive for several days.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production Skills have increased. ]
The net I invested half my day into ended up becoming more effective than I had
thought. I made the fishing net for about half of it and used up the net immediately. But
for the other half, I set up something like a hammock, making it a good resting place. I
thought it wouldn’t be so bad so I was quite satisfied with the results.
I started to become greedy as my living space became more and more furnished. My diet
had also diversified and improved in one way or another. Above all else, the amount of
physical strength I needed to use had decreased a lot.
In the past, running to the academic district rendered me exhausted the entire day. But I
had started being able to lightly walk even on my way back just recently.
Even if I were to fall asleep late at night, I could open my eyes feeling refreshed the next
morning.
I was becoming more and more confident and satisfied with this life.
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Low-grade Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
+ Fast Casting Lvl 2
« Mana Sense Lvl 5
Fire Element Magic:
+ Ignite Lvl 10
Wind Element Magic:
« Wind Blade Lvl 10 ]
Since I hadn’t been able to use any intermediate magic properly just yet, I could still only
use two beginner magic skills. But since I could repeatedly practice these skills until I
was sick of them, and because I was in an environment where I could only survive by
actually maintaining a fire going, I was able to reach my initial goal of having a skill
reach level 10.
So if I focused on casting them, I was now able to knock down a thick tree in one fell
swoop. Even controlling the campfire became a piece of cake.
Of course, I wasn’t able to use it freely since my inherent mana capacity was rather
small. But with this, only a few of the first-years would be more skilled than I was when
it came to Wind Blade and Ignite.
After becoming more proficient in elemental magic, my daily life had become more
convenient. Cutting firewood with just a small bit of magic or adjusting the fire during
the night. It also helped a lot when processing materials for production.
If I were being honest, I was actually having quite a lot of fun.
Before going to the academic district in the morning, I looked at my camp, all of my
things packed and ready to go. It may not be that amazing, but it was something I had
built with my own two hands. And with this unknown sense of pride and satisfaction, I
wanted to try doing many more things!
First things first today, smoking meat was taking too much time and effort.
I wondered if I could make a proper smoker so the smoke wouldn’t spread and flow out.
But I couldn’t think of a good idea on how I should go about designing it.
“Hm... I guess I could just make one some other time.”
After I finished trimming my bow, I checked on my laundry and then on my jerky on the
drying rack, then sat back down by the fire.
My schoolwork from that day went somewhat well. After looking over Senior Professor
Eskin’s written assignment for Elemental Studies, I should be done for the day.
Considering it was still early in the evening, I’d say I’ve developed quite the talent in
managing my time and daily routine.
I hummed while finishing up trimming my last arrow. These days, everything I did was
producing better results so I couldn’t help but feel good throughout the day.
If I could somehow spend every normal day until graduation just like today, then, there
wouldn’t be any problems with my plan. Thinking about these relaxing thoughts, I
wrapped up the day—
Bang!
And just like that, a monster suddenly flew in, smashing through the drying rack that I
worked so hard to make, its body rolling over on the ground before coming to a stop.
A flock of birds flew overhead and a thick layer of dust obscured my view for a short
while. When I looked down where I had been trimming my arrows, I saw a familiar
witch hat that I was reluctantly getting used to.
Sure enough, looking up a bit farther ahead was Lucy Mayreel on the ground, the
smashed drying rack beside her. It was quite a spectacle to see her covered in dirt, face
stuck on the trunk of an old tree.
“Wh-what is this?”
I stood up, reacting a bit late. Lucy, who was lying down, responded slowly.
“I almost died...”
That wasn’t a line I expected to come out of Lucy’s mouth.
Why was that girl, who was supposed to be walking around and floating like some sort
of spirit, suddenly falling here in such a way? From what I knew, the only one in this
academy that could fight Lucy on equal footing was Headmaster Obel at best.
But if there was someone who could fight her to the point of nearly killing her... then
there must have been a variable I wasn’t aware of somewhere.
In this suddenly escalating crisis, I stood up quickly and asked Lucy.
“You almost died. Just who was it?”
“Be... Bell Meiya...”
The name of a senior maid at Ophelis Hall.
“What the hell!”
I picked up the fire poker that I could grab nearest and threw it at Lucy. I thought it
would just bounce off, but surprisingly, she didn’t use any reactive defense magic to block
it.
The poker triggered her like a finger flick to the forehead, making her tear up and lay
down on the ground. Ah, the black mark on her forehead was quite impressive.
“Is lying down here the right thing to be doing?”
“I’m out of mana...”
That speed that couldn’t be followed by mere human eyes, not to mention the
tremendous aftermath... it must mean she used the high-ranking spatial-type magic
Space Leap.
High-ranking magic was something that even professors were only able to use by
reciting the incantation with full concentration.
“After dinner, I was going to skip the monthly meeting called by the head of the
dormitory, but I got caught...”
“So?”
“Bell was so angry that she clenched her fist and came towards me.”
I began to remember some of Lucy’s even scenes that I remembered. The troublemaker
whom no one could contain had one natural enemy—none other than Bell Meiya.
Lucy had no way to deal with the incarnation of fear that was Bell, who would tighten
her fists as if to attack whenever Lucy caused an accident, or forgot her schedule, or
wasn’t keeping a tidy appearance. It was a stance with a deep-rooted tradition of
overpowering troublemakers such as Lucy.
It would be a bit funny to see Lucy, an extraordinarily rare genius, being overpowered by
one maid.
However, no matter how talented Lucy was, she wouldn’t do anything absurd enough to
touch the maids of Ophelis Hall. It was an unwritten rule in Sylvania that the maids of
Ophelis Hall, who supported students without an inch of error, must always be
respected.
Before such an unwritten rule even made its rounds, the students living in Ophelis Hall
already subconsciously felt a sense of indebtedness to the maids.
Even though they were students already used to always being treated with respect, the
Ophelis Hall maids’ competence was enough for them to still be in shock. That’s why
they were considered an elite group of maids. Housework such as cleaning and cooking
were basic skills, but they could also support the student’s academic life or even
demonstrate simple magic.
Since they were extremely faithful to their job of supporting the students, they never
took unnecessary actions and most of them were reserved. This meant Bell Meiya’s
rougher outer appearance and personality were not her individually.
“I thought that it would hurt so much so I ran away. It all happened so suddenly.”
In short, Lucy applied ‘fast casting’ and ‘wordless casting’ with spatial-type magic to fly,
not just a far distance, but all the way from Ophelis Hall to here.
If you forcibly increased the casting speed or overlapped the casting, or if you were
thinking about other things, the magic efficiency would be ruined. Such actions were
cause for worry, not just two or three times more, but two or three times squared more.
On top of that, the magic Lucy forcibly used was high-ranking magic, not to mention
spatial-type magic.
It was the equivalent of flying a private jet to a convenience store right in front of your
house. It was only natural that even Lucy’s magic, which was overflowing like the sea,
would run out in an instant. You couldn’t even call Headmaster Obel over for this type
of thing.
Thinking about this absurd situation, I was left speechless.
Bell Meiya, who was very angry, approached her with a whirling fist. In response, like a
cat that jumped on a cucumber that fell on the side of the road, Lucy flew all the way
over here.
Lucy, still on the ground in her loose pajamas, let out a whine.
“So tiring...”
“Isn’t this what you deserve?”
“I’m having an especially hard time these days. Particularly because of that senior maid
that has become extra sensitive...”
“Bell Meiya?”
That robot-like maid who was always focused on her responsibilities without a change in
her facial expression?
“You might not be able to tell from the outside, but I could... She’s really sensitive
nowadays... I guess there is someone she is worried about... But being like that, I wonder
if her anger would fall on me too...”
Lucy, who was covered in dirt from lying on the ground like that, finally began to say it.
“Hey...?”
She would always say the same thing whenever she knew I was here. The end of her
sentence was obvious without even having to hear the rest of her words.
“Do you have any beef jerky?”
She must be really craving it. I took a deep breath and raised my finger, pointing at her.
At the spot where Lucy had flown in and crashed into, were the remains of the drying
rack and the strips of jerky that were drying on it.
Needless to say, the jerky had fallen on the floor and was covered in dirt, obviously in a
state where they couldn’t be eaten.
“Hah...”
Lucy’s face quickly turned blue at the sight. I took advantage of that moment to flick my
finger on her forehead.
Lucy, who had no magic power left, just rolled on the floor, screaming.
Chapter 21: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (1)
The true nature of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ would start to appear the more you
play it.
The game was filled with small details that unexpectedly had an intent and meaning. Not
to mention the fact that the story was full of hidden episodes where you could learn new
things about characters, even the ones who were already out of the story.
The game put so much effort into fleshing out the characters of various students, the
faculty, and the side characters, that it created an immersive experience for the player.
This was what made the players want to play the next episode immediately after
finishing a chapter.
That was also why it felt so impossibly unfair that I became a character whose role was
done the minute the story began, and then, later on, was shown as a beggar.
But that wasn’t my point.
My point was that, given how huge the story was, it was obvious how all characters
could be given the same level of importance.
It was only natural that there would be important and influential characters, and
characters who would just be there in the backdrop. But there was at least one time when
I felt this shouldn’t have been the case.
‘Inquirer Glast’ was the Act boss, while ‘The Awakened Lucy’ would be for Act 3, and of
course, Act 4’s boss was ‘The Head of the House, Krepin Rothstaylor’.
It was clear the developers put more effort into making these bosses. They all had a
variety of motives and circumstances and were coming from different backgrounds,
resulting in a situation where they were blocking the main character Taylee.
Defeating each boss gave the players a strange sense of appreciation for their aesthetics
and their values, and the variety of powers they possessed.
But that feeling didn’t exist for the Act 1 boss, ‘Yenika Faelover.’ She was the only boss
who had no sense of identity.
She fell victim to the whispers of the high-ranking dark spirit Velosper. She released all
the spirits she made contracts with using Velosper’s ‘Berserk’ and wreaked havoc on the
Student Center atop Iron Hall. Yenika stood there and watched as the darkness took over
the buildings... it definitely had some great impact.
It left a strong first impression on players due to the gap between that image and when
she was running around campus full of energy.
But that was it.
The Glasskan Subjugation Expedition marked the end of Act 1. It was the episode where
Taylee realized the ways of the sword and succeeded in cutting down a high-ranking
spirit for the first time, signaling the start of the game’s grand story.
I even had to consult an online guide to beat the chapter because the difficulty level was
quite high. What was the nickname of the person who wrote the strategy? Was it
Peppero? But yeah, it was such an old distant memory that it seemed useless to think
about it now.
Anyway, my point was that Yenika was pushed to the sidelines due to the entire chapter
focusing on Taylee’s growth. Her story, and thus, many parts about her ended up
becoming unknown.
All they said about her was how she fell victim to the cruel whispers of Velosper and had
her heart swallowed up by the darkness. It was so vague, what else could I do but move
on?
But I knew the game would never waste such an important character like that.
They didn’t even use some other character, but specifically used Yenika as the final boss
of Act 1. There must definitely be a reason, or maybe a message they were trying to
convey.
But till the very end of the game, no such thing was found. I passionately analyzed and
thought about this plot point a lot as a dedicated fan of the game. But I didn’t have many
clues to go on.
Maybe there were parts that got cut off during the production? Or maybe during the
quality control inspection process? In the end, this part of the game left me feeling
unsatisfied.
Oh well, there wasn’t anything that could be done about it anyway.
“Just as I thought. I need to build a cabin.”
I said with full determination.
I had already raised my Vitality. I was now able to prepare materials faster using magic.
And I had already gathered food to the extent that I didn’t need to worry about what to
eat the next day.
With these things established, I needed to start working on the basics to survive in the
forest long-term.
I couldn’t even lie and tell you the wooden shelter I had right now was durable. It wasn’t
useful enough for the amount of work I do to maintain it.
A shelter without a proper roof and walls would have awful heating options. Of course,
the weather was still good as it was still spring, but I had to take into consideration the
fact that I had to spend three winters in this forest. This wooden shelter couldn’t
guarantee me a safe living accommodation, given how it kept on falling apart every other
day.
But not only that! My production skills would exponentially increase if I were to do
long-term projects like building a wood cabin.
This would be a great opportunity for me to raise my Daily Life Production Skills in one
go, given how its increase had gotten slower. My Handicraft proficiency had been stuck
at level 10 for a while now, and my Design proficiency’s growth had been too slow,
although this was indeed relatively difficult to raise compared to other skills.
The goal was to utilize Ed Rothstaylor’s innate talent in production. The only option for
him was to focus on developing his production skills, which would positively affect his
stats.
This was no different from reality or other games. If you had a special talent, you should
take advantage of it.
“Hm... Come to think of it, I heard he already defeated the mid-stage boss for Act 1.”
It seemed that there hadn’t been any unexpected variables that would change the story’s
original progression.
Lucy did beat Taylee up pretty badly during the Joint Combat Practice, but it didn’t seem
to be too big of a variable given how he still defeated the mid-stage boss ‘Nosy Elvira’
from the Alchemy Department. It was said that she passed out after being hit by Taylee.
I also heard that Princess Penia frequently visited the student council, and there had
already been talks among faculty members about her being a candidate as the next
student council president.
There was also the episode where Lortel reconciled with Yenika and seeing how Lortel’s
visit was a while ago, things seemed to be going well on that front as well.
There was no reason for me to worry about the story’s progression given how
everything seemed to be going according to the timeline that I knew of.
Besides, why do I keep on worrying about things I could do nothing about? What I
needed to do was continue developing myself and taking care of the things I needed to
do so I could live a comfortable life.
“I need to make myself busy...”
I still had a bit of time before Act 1 finished. I also had to solve my tuition issue.
Thankfully, my grades are coming along fairly decently, so I thought I could expect some
surprisingly positive results.
I began cleaning the fish I caught on my farm with a satisfied smile on my face. I actually
caught a fairly large rockfish. This would be my first time cooking a fish like it so I
thought a lot about how I should go about approaching it.
Well, simple salt on the grill should make it delicious.
Yeah, I should cook that for dinner. And using the herbs I had collected with Bell Meiya’s
advice, I would also make some fragrant herbal tea to drink while I study later in the
evening.
Yenika Faelover took over the Student Center the evening after tomorrow.
The final phase of Act 1 came a month earlier.
It was a catastrophic and unexpected change.
◐◓◑◒
⊛ This is PepperoPepe’s ‘How to Attack the Act 1 Boss for Beginners: Detailed as Much
as Possible!’
(http://tuosihtepyttnodesaelp.co.kr/memopad15263)
This is a summary of the basic information and strategies.
⊛ If you want a more detailed strategy guide, please refer to the original article!
1-10 Act 1: Final Chapter
Boss: Elementalist Yenika (The Elemental Summoner)
This boss has a total of 5 phases. Takes quite long so make sure you check your
consumables and equipment durability before starting the boss battle.
▣ Phase 1: Gathering your subjugation force
Achievement Conditions:
Please gather these characters at the Student Square!
- ‘The Princess of Benevolence Penia’
- ‘The Spear from Nature Ziggs’
- ‘The Golden Daughter Lortel’
- ‘Companion Ayla’
- ‘Nosy Elvira’
- ‘Gloomy Clevius’
For additional achievements, also gather:
- ‘Romantic Adele’
- ‘Lazy Lucy’
- ‘Senior Maid Bell’
Appearing Enemies:
- Spirit’s Stigma *120
- Protected Young Fluid Spirits *60
- Elemental Traces *60
- Low-ranking Fire Spirit Gouda *1
- Low-ranking Ice Spirit Elkyra *1
- Low-ranking Wind Spirit Norton *1
- Low-ranking Earth Spirit Pique *1
- Low-ranking Light Spirit Rakie *1
⊛ Approaching the outskirts of the academic district caged in by a magic seal will result in
instant death. Don’t go near the outskirts!
⊛ The most efficient path to follow is in this order: Olin Square > Obel Hall > Taneth Magic
Supplies Storage > Western Archery Center > Neilton Training Center > Student Square.
⊛ You don’t have to defeat all the spirits roaming around. But defeating the fire spirit Gouda
and the light spirit Rakie will make moving around easier so defeat them first!
⊛ Meeting the additional achievement conditions only give a little bit of Likeability for each
character. The characters will not participate in the subjugation. But try to meet ‘Romantic Adele’
since she gives a useful buff for attacking the boss later on.
If you’re trying to 100% clear the stage: Adele can be found playing ukulele in the grass behind
the Western Archery Center, Lucy can be found taking a nap on the roof of Obel Hall, and Bell
can be found next to a statue in Olin Square.
⊛ If you intend on investing in your Alchemy or Spiritual Skills in the future, it will be
beneficial to improve your Spirit Understanding and Spirit Resonance during this phase.
▣ Phase 2: Operation Reclaim The Student Center
Achievement Condition:
Find the location of Elementalist Yenika
Appearing Enemies:
- Spirit’s Stigma *30
- Elemental Traces *30
- Mid-ranking Wind Spirit Peshi *1
- Mid-ranking Fire Spirit Olgoas *1
- Spiritual Beast Altair *1
⊛ Elementalist Yenika is located in Iron Hall. But don’t enter Iron Hall first. If you choose
‘Enter Iron Hall first’ as proposed by The Golden Daughter Lortel, you’ll get a bad ending so
please take caution!
⊛ Mid-ranking spirits can’t be damaged by same-elemental attacks. If you want, just wait until
your subjugation force takes down the mid-ranking spirits.
⊛ Entering Hayes Hall first will give you the wind spirit Peshi. Entering Glockt Hall first gives
you fire spirit Olgoas. So please choose which building to enter while considering your Elemental
skills.
⊛ There’s a trick you can do using Straight Slash when you attack Altair at the entrance of Iron
Hall. Please refer to the original article for more information.
▣ Phase 3: The Battle at Iron Hall’s Corridor
Achievement Condition:
Get to the Combat Practice Field where Elementalist Yenika is waiting
Appearing Enemies:
- High-Ranking Fire Spirit Takan *1
⊛ The entrance will be different depending on what you chose after defeating Altair. The turning
point will pass by quickly so make sure to pay attention.
⊛ The key to defeating Takan is to continuously damage its tail using your Elemental Slash,
which you should’ve learned from Act 1 Chapter 9. After you cut off the tail using Elemental
Slash, use it again to attack the head.
⊛ Avoid getting hit by Takan’s periodic skills Ignite and Tail Whip. Bleeding and Burn statuses
will stack with each repeated hit.
⊛ There are three cutscenes mid-battle where the pillars around the corridor will collapse. You
will instantly die if a pillar falls on you so be sure to watch out for it!
▣ Phase 4: Final Phase
Achievement Condition:
Stop the summoning ceremony of the high-ranking dark spirit ‘Glasskan’.
Appearing Enemies:
- High-Ranking Dark Spirit Glasskan *1
- Elementalist Yenika *1
⊛ The 5th phase is just an event cutscene so this is the real final phase. Proceed with the mindset
that you will have to use all your remaining consumables.
⊛ Immediately attacking Yenika, who is conducting the summoning ceremony, will reflect the
damage back at you due to Dark Curtain.
Attacking Velosper first will temporarily remove Dark Curtain which will allow Yenika to take
damage. But be careful of her counter-attack magic!
⊛ If The Benevolent Princess Penia dies, you will get a bad ending so make sure to keep track
of her health!
If the Princess of Benevolence Penia who is building the defense dies, a bad ending is
unavoidable. Make sure to keep track of her health.
⊛ If you met with ‘Romantic Adele’ in phase 1, then you should be immune to Velosper’s ‘Blood
Curse.’ But still, be careful because not all the members of your subjugation force are immune.
▣ Phase 5: Glasskan Subjugation
Achievement Condition:
Defeat the Highest-ranking Dark Spirit Glasskan’s’ right hand.
Appearing Enemies:
- Highest-Ranking Dark Spirit Glasskan’s’ Right Hand *1
⊛ This is just an event cutscene. All you have to do is watch it.
⊛ ‘Swordsmaster’s Skill’ will be added to your skills tab afterward. Make sure to train this
whenever you have the time because increasing this skill’s proficiency gives generous bonus stat
rewards!
▣ Other Notes
⊛ You need to defeat Yenika Faelover before dawn or you will trigger a bad ending. ‘Intact
Glasskan’ will be summoned! So make sure to work quickly.
This is the end of this guide.
It seemed there were many beginners who rage-quit because they can’t complete Act 1. I
already selected the important information and summarized everything so please make
sure to check the whole guide before entering the final stage.
Good luck!
◐◓◑◒
I heard an owl’s cries somewhere in the dark forest.
The cicadas buzzed along in harmony with the occasional sound of the leaves shaking in
the wind.
I realized that even the forest had its own charm in the middle of the night.
I looked up at the countless stars that filled the sky like sand on a beach and had a
sentimental thought strike me. I couldn’t help but wonder how trivial the struggles I
went through were from the perspective of this vast universe. It was so useless though.
But then another thought came to mind.
There were no guarantee things would progress exactly as they did in the official
timeline.
That extremely obvious fact was so abrupt that I couldn’t help but smile.
I had already adjusted to this lifestyle. But I shouldn’t completely lose my sense of
urgency.
I made up my mind and threw the poker into the campfire.
It was time to end the day.
I stretched my body before quietly laying down in my shelter.
I hoped tomorrow would be another peaceful day.
Chapter 22: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (2)
An unexpected incident happened after two nights.
I lived my days the same as every day. I went to the academic district in the morning and
would come back to my camp afterward. I would’ve usually already left the academic
district by dinner time, but I somehow ended up staying quite late today.
I set a goal to have a safer living environment for myself and to do that, I was going to
build a proper wood cabin.
The library was a great resource to learn the basic design of how to build one. It also
had information on the necessary materials and how to properly cut down the trees to
use.
I didn’t really need to worry about food anymore, and there wasn’t anything that needed
my urgent attention or couldn’t be put off until the weekend, like homework.
I thought it would have been fine if I stayed late in the academic district that day.
Nothing good ever came out of getting lazy after already deciding to work on it. I
should use this time to collect information to build my cabin.
Since I was so used to living life by the hour, it only made sense that I did everything I
needed to do at the library all out once while I was already here. After all, the northern
forest and the library were so far away from each other that it wasn’t efficient to take
frequent trips to and fro.
The library also had a limit to how many books a student could check out, and I had
already exceeded that limit for my academic studies. So since I was already here anyway,
I might as well get all the reading I could.
It was around the time that I was passionately focused on reading for my cabin and had
books piling up around me that I heard someone.
“It’s already closing time. You have been studying quite hard.”
Another student approached me. She gave off a warm impression and was modest in
appearance.
I looked around and saw that I was the only one left. It seemed that time had passed by
quickly while I was focused on my research. I hadn’t even eaten dinner yet but now it was
already time for the library to close down.
I looked at the student that approached me and saw she had a blue badge on her chest.
This meant she was a first-year and I could speak casually to her.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
It had already grown dark outside the window.
I looked at the books piled up like a mountain beside me. The librarian would have a hard
time organizing all of these right before closing time.
“I would have cleaned up in advance if I had known earlier.”
“No, it’s okay. You were totally focused so I actually felt sorry having to bother you.”
She had light pink curly hair. I couldn’t seem to remember her well... and yet I had this
strange feeling that I had seen her before.
Oh, she was an apprentice librarian at Sylvania’s student library. What was her name?
Moka? Elka? Delka? What was it... at the very least, she wasn’t a main character in the
story.
“Even though I know I should study, all I’ve been doing is sitting around eating snacks
and gaining weight... Oh my! I overshared, didn’t I? What am I saying?!”
I answered her half-heartedly as I closed the book. I planned to construct the base by the
end of the day but I don’t think that was still feasible.
“Even still, seeing a senior like you motivates me to study harder. You don’t come here
often, but every time you do, you are always focused and so immersed in your reading
that I can’t help but respect you so much for it.”
She smiled.
“My name is Elka Islan.”
It seemed she had been wanting to talk to me for quite some time now, considering how
the flow of the conversation so naturally led to an introduction.
“Ed”
“…”
This reaction of them freezing up after they heard my name had become all too familiar
now, and honestly, had rather become boring.
Though it had been a while since the entrance exam, rumors about Ed Rothstaylor never
stopped. I had tried to stay on the down-low as much as possible, kept to myself, and
studied quietly, doing what I needed to do. But it seemed my reputation hadn’t gotten
any better.
Just how arrogant and hateable was this guy?
I mean, in the first place, rumors never seemed to flow in a positive direction, but they
always tend to flow smoothly like oil in a negative direction instead.
I was not so naive to be upset and offended by every single rumor, but I couldn’t help but
let out a sigh each time I got the occasional reaction like this.
“This... might be a bit rude, but—”
Nevertheless, if I lived as quietly as I could just doing what I had to do, all while
diligently studying every day and striving to survive day by day, there would come a
time when people’s perception may change completely.
“You’re very different from the rumors.”
“The rumors?”
“No, uhm... I hope you don’t think it’s weird but...”
It was quite rude of her to be bringing up rumors. I should just go and quickly head
back to camp. It was already pretty late. But she kept going on.
“I usually spend my time here at the library after class since I’m an apprentice librarian.
And every few days, you would borrow Elemental Studies books, right?
“You read and returned dozens of books with hundreds of pages each in just a few days,
and you read five or six books all in just one sitting... seeing things like that makes me
wonder if the rumors about you being arrogant while not knowing anything were
actually lies... ack! S-Sorry if I offended you.”
She suddenly hesitated to talk and quickly picked up the books.
“A-Anyways, I should clean this up quickly and head back to the dormitory. Have a safe
trip back!”
She talked in a hurry and ran away, right into a bookshelf.
Then, out of nowhere, the bookshelves began to fall down like dominoes.
◐◓◑◒
Living life outside of the main story could be quite exhausting.
I couldn’t help but feel helpless, put in a position where I had no choice but to accept the
always-changing situations.
“Eunghk!”
I pulled out the struggling librarian trapped under the bookshelves and put her on top
of a table.
It had been fifteen minutes since a thunderous sound reverberated throughout the
academic district, and a great tremor struck the entire student library.
Justifiably similar to an earthquake, the aftermath was just as enormous. The
bookshelves had fallen all over, as did the books which had rolled over on the floor.
The reading materials and even the consumables had become a mess.
Even the expensive magic tools had smashed into pieces and the crystal orb, which acted
as a light source, as well as all the candles, had gone out, rendering the library
completely dark inside.
“Hey!”
“Egh—”
She seemed to have fainted, only mumbling out randomly.
I thought about it for a while. I couldn’t remember her clearly, but I had this weird
feeling that I had seen her somewhere before. Considering I had played the game
multiple times, I couldn’t remember her, then she probably wasn’t anyone important.
It was probably already past 9 o’clock, and there was no source of light left inside.
However, I spotted a sort of soft purple color coming from inside the reading room.
My eyes hadn’t fully adjusted in the dark yet but I was still able to roughly see it.
After looking at it some more, I was surprised to realize it was actually coming from out
the window.
I went over and opened it. The student library was located on a small hill on the
outskirts of the academic district, allowing me to see an entire view of the whole place.
There was a reddish pillar of light coming from the Student Center. It crossed over the
sky above the academic district, triggering a spatial seal barrier that circled around the
whole area.
The earthquake was surely the aftermath of casting such large-scale spatial sealing
magic. And the fact that it was coming from the Student Center made it clear.
“Hmm... Isn’t this a bit early...?”
Either way, there was nothing to be flustered about.
Although I had been suffering from all sorts of hardships in Ed Rothstaylor’s pathetic
body, at least I had the advantage of knowing the information I knew.
“Hmm...”
I scratched my chin as I thought about it.
I didn’t know if this was something I should be worried about but there were still quite a
few things I didn’t quite understand.
The first of which is the spatial-sealing magic activated by the high-ranking dark spirit
Velosper through Yenika. Velosper used the high-ranking dark magic Shadow Curtain to
block off the entirety of the academic district from the outside.
It was an impressive barrier, but it was just a plot device to set the stage.
It was the Glasskan subjugation chapter. It was the episode that marked the finale of Act
1 and brought out all the all-star first-year students to join together and form a
subjugation squad to attack the Student Center.
But if you were to use your common sense, you would realize that this shouldn’t have
been possible.
Glasskan was the most infamous high-ranking dark spirit among the elemental spirits.
That shouldn’t have been an issue solved by mere students. If the Student Center had
been taken over, it should’ve been the faculty members and professors who would’ve
obviously come to defeat it.
That was why it didn’t make any sense. In order to create an episode where Taylee could
manifest the Swordmaster’s Skill, the developers made it necessary to block the faculty
and professors from intervening.
Hence Velosper’s spatial-sealing magic.
It was a barrier that locked everything from the inside. That made it easy to realize the
space was locked from the inside, but it made it hard for those on the outside.
And even if those from the outside were to recognize the barrier, it would still take them
almost half a day to destroy the dark magic barrier using standard methods.
The only way to quickly break through would be to use overwhelming destructive power.
But using such an ignorant method would seem impossible. Although, as this was
Sylvania, there were a few people who should be capable of doing such a feat. No need to
look that far since Headmaster Obel would be able to destroy the entire barrier without
even needing to examine it first.
But the high-ranking dark spirit Velosper was cunning. This event happened late in the
evening when most professors have already returned to their private labs or homes.
It was already 9 o’clock, which meant only a few professors would’ve been remaining in
the academic district as the professors’ private labs were grouped around their living
quarters for convenience.
Either way, the Act 1 finale was a battle against time.
The goal was to defeat Yenika before she could summon the highest-ranking dark spirit
Glasskan before sunrise.
Even though it would be destroyed anyway if left alone, it still delayed time enough for
Glasskan’s summoning to complete.
I looked out the window and stuck my head out. It didn’t seem like the spirits Yenika had
manifested were occupying the streets yet.
“I guess we haven’t entered the first phase yet.”
The flow of this Act’s boss battle was as follows:
1. Gathering a Subjugation Force.
2. Operation Reclaim the Student Center.
3. The Battle at Iron Hall’s Corridor.
4. Final Phase.
Glasskan Subjugation.
That would start now and would end before dawn.
Simply put, this was going to be extremely difficult. I couldn’t help but pray for Taylee.
I had to run around like crazy during Phase 1. I felt like a real idiot running all over the
academic district trying to find all the scattered aces of the first-years to bring them all
into one place, all while having to subdue all the spirits on the streets.
“He should’ve met up with Ayla by now.”
I was sure he’d have figured out the solution by now.
Taylee’s childhood friend Ayla was well-versed in Spiritual Studies. And with all that
spiritual energy flowing around the Student Center, she would have already told Taylee
what was going on.
The students needed to start working together from now on to defeat that monster of a
dark spirit Velosper. Because the moment Glasskan gets summoned, the damage to the
whole academic district would be indescribable. That’s why gathering all the people who
would help at the Student Square was needed.
The soft purple I could see outside the window soon changed into an ominous dark red.
The chanting to summon Glasskan must’ve already begun.
And it was clear who was doing it.
The cute Elementalist star student that was admired and loved by all the second-years.
“Looking at it from here, it’s quite the scene.”
Taylee should already be right next to the Student Center the moment the barrier magic
was cast.
The barrier’s mana flow exploded, creating a reddish curtain covering the starless sky. I
was large enough to cover the entire academic district.
It could obviously be assumed that a large-scale event had begun just from seeing the
barrier. Be it Glasskan or something else, I was sure Taylee would figure it out and solve
it. Even if I just spend my time here sitting around reading books, this whole thing
would eventually end.
There was no reason for me to go out there and suffer. It would be better if I spent my
energy and efforts on building my cabin instead. Getting unnecessarily involved could
only get me hurt or suffer one way or another.
Plus I didn’t want to go where all the important characters in the story should be
gathered by now. My biggest weapons were knowing the future and having inside
information. Getting myself involved and creating an unknown variable would be like
stupidly giving up my powerful weapons.
“Wait...”
However, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Isn’t this the time for that thing?”
I sat on top of the library table looking at the imposing barrier. I remembered something
from a strategy article I read a long time ago.
If you intend on investing in your Alchemy or Spiritual Skills in the future, it will be
beneficial to improve your Spiritual Understanding and Spiritual Resonance during this
phase.
“That’s right!”
The final stage of Act 1 was where dozens of spirits that signed a contract with Yenika
would manifest and show up. There would also be a large number of Fluid Spirits.
It was an opportunity to improve my proficiency in both the annoying Spiritual
Understanding and Spiritual Resonance at the same time.
Spirit-type skill proficiency could only be accumulated through contact with a spirit.
Whether it be through communication or contact, there needed to be an exchange with
the spirit to increase one’s proficiency. Combat experiences were great for filling up this
proficiency.
The problem was that ordinary people couldn’t even see a spirit, that was unless they
were lucky enough to be born with a tremendous amount of Spiritual Resonance like
Yenika.
The only way for ordinary people to come in contact with a spirit was with those
manifested by an Elementalist.
Spirit-related skills had such an exclusive requirement that acted like a difficult barrier.
But the chance to easily overcome that difficult barrier is here, in the final chapter of Act
1.
Because Yenika was an Elementalist who manifested many spirits during this stage, this
was somewhere you could accumulate a lot of combat experience through defeating
them.
It would be foolish of me to just sit around while an event as generous as a pot of gold
was handing out experience points right around the corner.
In addition, this would be an actual battle.
The amount of experience I would get was gonna be very different from the type I
would gain from mock battles throughout the academy’s curriculum.
My top priority right now should be to defeat as many spirits as possible and focus on
my own growth.
“I shouldn’t have been spacing out.”
I quickly jumped off the table and opened the door, ready to leave, when the apprentice
librarian laying on the table caught my eye.
“Hmmm...”
I didn’t think there would be any danger of being inside the library building but just in
case, I picked up a piece of parchment and quill that I saw scattered about.
“Don’t panic when you wake up. And stay right here. Everything should be over before
daybreak so you should stay calm and block the entrance. And don’t provoke the spirits.
Always think about your own safety first and don’t hastily move about.”
Hmm... it didn’t feel right just leaving one note behind.
It was unlikely for a wandering spirit to invade the library’s reading room and suddenly
start attacking a sleeping girl, but there was still a possibility. If she were to get
unnecessarily hurt or her life gets ruined... living with the guilt would leave a bitter taste
in my mouth.
I picked up a blackboard that fell over in the corner and grabbed a piece of chalk that
was laying around. Then I wrote the same thing again, only in large letters. Just in case
she missed my note on the paper.
I covered all the windows before leaving, making it less dangerous since the spirits
wouldn’t be able to see inside. I also took a blackout curtain laying around and roughly
covered the exit as it looked to be too wide open. Doing this, I hoped the entrance could
be hidden and escape would be possible if she needed to.
Covering everything made it a little bit darker inside. But since I wrote my note on the
board, she should still be able to see it. It should be fine now. I hurriedly ran towards the
hallway. There would be an event to gain lots of experience starting soon. I needed to
move quickly.
I should be able to easily handle Fluid Spirits, even Elemental Traces. I should even be
able to defeat a low-ranking spirit if I really tried.
As the player, I had to prioritize how to defeat that monster Velosper over my own
growth, but now, thankfully, there was someone who could take that responsibility and
handle all the hardships and adversities for me.
Taylee.
He could just figure it out and take care of it.
It would probably be a lot of work...
Well, good luck to him!
◐◓◑◒
“No matter what type of burden I may carry, it shouldn’t be any heavier than the weight
the princess carries.”
“While it’s definitely necessary to pay attention to politics and social problems, why don’t
you try putting your mind at ease? This isn’t a place where the royal family needs to
establish authority over everything... it’s just Sylvania Academy.”
Ed Rothstaylor’s words suddenly came to mind.
Though she could easily see into the hearts of others, very rarely had she had the
experience of someone else taking a look into hers. This was why she couldn’t easily
forget it.
His blunt matter-of-fact words that he indifferently told the princess.
She thought she still had a long way to go...
But she once again set her mind straight.
“This is the situation right now.”
A first-year named Ayla completely summarized the situation to them.
Their temporary meeting place was the Student Square at 11:30 PM.
That meant it had already been nearly two hours since the catastrophe had occurred. The
square was packed with students who were trapped by Velosper’s barrier.
They collected all sorts of junk lying around and created a barricade around the fountain
in the middle, blocking the entrance from the north, south, east, and west.
Although crude, it provided them cover, at the very least, and blocked the spirits
scattered about from coming in.
“There was no way this massive barrier would last this long. It’ll be discovered quickly
and help will come from the outside. Once they notice it, the professors will surely come
to help.”
The crowd nodded their heads at Ayla’s words. Princess Penia became the head of their
temporary base, as voluntarily decided amongst the students.
The most important thing in a crisis like this was a person who could take charge and
control the situation. A person with legitimate authority and power who could control
such a chaotic situation.
Needless to say, Princess Penia was the best person for the role in their current situation.
No one could question her authority. There were a total of fifty-seven students gathered
in the Student Square.
That was largely attributed to Taylee McLaure, a freshman in the Combat Department.
He plowed his way through the hordes of spirits occupying the academic district and
acted as a messenger so that all the students could gather in one place.
The result was more than half of the remaining students in the district were gathered
together. The students who could be considered the core of the group were having a
meeting at the center of the camp.
These were The Benevolent Princess Penia, The Golden Daughter Lortel, The Spear
from Nature Ziggs, Head Escort Cler, Failed Swordmaster Taylee, Companion Ayla,
Nosy Elvira, Gloomy Clevius...
They were freely discussing the countermeasures they could take as they sat on the floor,
while others leaned against the barricade, or modestly stood around. All the while,
Princess Penia was at the center of it all.
“Just like I said a while ago, I believe we should enter the Student Center even if it was
just us.”
That was Taylee, who was covered in wounds due to making his way through hordes of
spirits to gather everyone. He was standing up with that body full of small cuts and
wounds, clearly stating his stance.
“We shouldn’t wait for outside support. That barrier was purposefully made to stall help.
There may be a large number of casualties if Glasskan gets summoned as Ayla said.”
Coming from Ayla who was well versed in spirit-type magic and Taylee who ran around
the whole scene... That information was shocking.
The spiritual skill covering the night sky was magic used to summon the highest dark
spirit Glasskan. There were only a few students in Sylvania with a good enough Spiritual
Resonance to be able to summon a spirit like that. Using the process of elimination, the
culprit was probably the second-year star student Yenika Faelover.
“Princess Penia, I disagree with this plan. The most important thing here is the
princess’s safety. To act conservatively, the princess shouldn’t be allowed to leave this
base.”
Of course, Head Escort Cler only thought about Princess Penia’s safety.
“People outside the barrier will notice soon enough. It should be resolved quickly once
the Imperial Guard station and the professors take action.”
“A barrier cast by a high-ranking dark spirit cannot be easily removed unless broken by
force. And to be honest, I’m not sure if they will make it in time. I’m not sure if
Headmaster Obel will personally come, since you know he tends to be away often.”
Cler’s words were rebutted by the Alchemy Department’s first-year star student, Nosy
Elvira. She was an alchemist who had a tomboy appearance.
“Hmmm~ I agree with Taylee. Above all, if all the students of this quality were to work
together, while it might be too much to take down Glasskan, don’t you think we would
be able to at least defeat a high-ranking dark spirit like Velosper? Hmmm~ Honestly, do
you guys not have confidence at all?”
“So, you want us to break through... over there...? Eeek... Nope...”
A male student with dark circles around his eyes called Gloomy Clevius pointed towards
the Student Center.
The Fluid Spirits and low-ranking spirits scattered about the academic district weren’t
that dangerous. If all the students here stuck together, then it should be 100% safe.
But the situation at the Student Center was completely different. That was where the
owner of all these spirits was located, Yenika Faelover. There should be two or three
times the amount of all sorts of mid-ranking spirits and even a spiritual beast standing
guard.
“You want us to push through all the mid-ranking spirits, defeat them, enter the building
and then stop Yenika? Is... is that even possible? That probably isn’t even everything!
There are also two high-ranking spirits inside! The high-ranking fire spirit Takan and
the high-ranking dark spirit Velosper.”
Everyone fell silent at Clevius’s words.
They had all seen the power of a high-ranking spirit during the Join Combat Practice
class. Takan was a giant fire-lizard that wrapped around the top of Iron Hall and let out
a roar.
Even Lortel, who was one of the students Professor Glast recognized and assigned to
Class A, was completely overpowered without being able to put up a fight.
What’s even worse was that this Takan was more powerful than before since all the
spirits in the area were affected by Velosper’s Berserk magic. And Takan was no
exception to that.
“I won’t commit suicide like that! I won’t!”
“Please calm down, Clevius.”
“...I’m sorry, Princess Penia.”
Clevius bowed his head at Princess Penia’s words.
However, the words Clevius said had already affected the morale of the students around,
making them feel despair.
The fifty-seven students in their small camp were wary of the situation. Their
conversation could be heard by everyone, and she couldn’t have anyone continue making
such discouraging comments in this situation.
“Even if she is the top student among the second-years, isn’t she a bit too strong? She
already manifested this many spirits, can she even still summon Glasskan?”
Ayla was the one to answer Lortel’s question.
“Most of the power actually comes from Velosper. Yenika is just a medium to express
that power. That’s why all Elementalists make sure to always have a clear mind so as not
to be consumed by a dark spirit.”
Princess Penia already knew what Ayla explained.
Originally referred to as the natural enemy of an Elementalist, a dark spirit had an
enormous amount of power but would never follow the will of an Elementalist.
Rather, they were like demons who ruled over Elementalists and made them move
according to their will.
“But nobody knows how Velosper ended up taking control of Yenika, who is more
familiar with Spiritual Studies than anyone else. She would definitely have known the
dangers of a dark spirit better than anyone else.”
“That’s not important right now.”
The Spear from Nature Ziggs, who was sitting in a corner, responded to Ayla.
“Isn’t the important thing to do now is to figure out our course of action?”
A serious and dignified voice. The boy had long hair coming down just to his neck. He
spoke indifferently, yet clearly.
“And the only person who can decide is... Princess Penia.”
Silence filled the air once again at Ziggs’ words.
More than fifty students turned their eyes toward Princess Penia. Meanwhile, Head
Escort Cler’s worried gaze stung the princess’s back.
She understood that the most important thing for Cler was her safety. However, sitting
around and waiting for help wasn’t the princess’s style.
“Let’s enter the Student Center. If, by chance, we encounter anything different from what
we expected, we will retreat.”
The students had a divided response.
Head Escort Cler and Gloomy Clevius, as well as the students that had a more
conservative view, let out a heavy sigh. While the more proactive students let out a smile.
“However, there is no need for all the students to enter. Rushing in together will only
increase the number of injuries. The right thing to do is to only enter with the people
who are capable of taking care of themselves.”
A regular student would get swept away by a mid-ranking spirit, let alone a highranking spirit. There was no reason to take everyone.
“Everyone here, including my Head Escort Cler, the top students from each grade and
department, as well as the Class A students, will all go. That’s because your skills have
already been verified.”
“Then that means there is no reason for the princess to go?”
“No, I will also be accompanying them.”
Cler’s face instantly became serious, like a flash of lightning. But Princess Penia shook
her head.
“It would be absurd not to go to the front lines when I am the one giving orders.”
“Princess, your body is not just your property. As a member of the royal knights, I have
no choice but to stop you.”
“Don’t worry Cler. I haven’t been neglecting my magic training. Also, Taylee and Ayla,
please accompany us as well. The two of you have walked around the outskirts of the
Student Center while trying to search for students, so you probably somewhat already
know the internal situation.”
And with that, the subjugation team members were decided. Sadly, none of the senior
students were there. Except for Cler, who was an adult, everyone else was a first-year.
However, each member of the team was a powerful student. The first-years had an
unusual amount of strong students in the first place. Even though it was unfortunate
that Lazy Lucy was nowhere to be found, even the seniors wouldn’t have been much
better than this lineup they already had.
“We will enter in an hour. Everyone, please finish your preparations. And also, prepare
your hearts.”
Everyone nodded their heads at the princess’s words.
“Princess! Princess Penia!”
A student came running in, breaking the solemn atmosphere.
“We’ve identified the remaining people in the academic district!”
A male student with reddish-brown hair came through the barricade and stood right in
front of the princess. Identifying the number of people in a crisis was the most
important thing to do.
Time was crucial. The number of people trapped by the barrier in the academic district
wasn’t high since it happened when most people were already heading back to their
living quarters. Thanks to this, they could somewhat estimate the overall number of
people left by gathering information from the students with them.
The male student that was in charge of investigating took in a big gulp of air as he
began to report.
“There were alchemy students at the Taneth Magic Supplies Storage. They were
researching chemicals and started a sit-in of their own. There shouldn’t be any reason
for worry since they were mostly third-year students.”
“What else?”
“The faculty and staff who were in charge of locking the doors for the night, along with
the building management, are gathered at Audrey Hall. However, as they are general
staff, they don’t have the means to deal with the spirits.”
“Do they need support?”
“I heard Professor Kali is in charge of that. However, it seems it would be difficult for
them to join us.”
Although most of the professors would have already returned to their living quarters, it
seemed that there was still a professor or two remaining.
However, it would be difficult to take care of and manage all the general staff. The
distance between where they were and Audrey Hall was also quite far, so gathering those
workers and having them move all the way here would be expecting a bit too much.
However, they couldn’t just be left unattended.
“They have also decided to do a sit-in.”
“Yes, that is the best way to minimize damage. I shouldn’t make a decision that would
risk the safety of the administration and the teaching staff.”
“I think we’re the only ones who are capable of entering the Student Center.”
The princess made up her mind once again. The place they were at was right in front of
the center anyway. More than anything else, they were the ones who could quickly deal
with the situation.
“Other than that, there was no other recognized stud—”
“There is!”
A girl raised her voice somewhere around the barricade.
Everyone’s eyes instantly went to her. A freshman girl was anxiously clenching her fist
tightly, arms wrapped around her chest. With closed eyes, she shouted.
“I-I’m sorry... The atmosphere was too solemn so... I wasn’t able to say anything.”
“Please explain in detail.”
“I am... an apprentice librarian in charge of managing the student library. I’m Tisika...
Actually, I still have a friend left behind at the student library.”
The girl’s twisted face looked like she was in pain. It seemed she was struggling to
confess.
“We usually close the library together, but there was someone in the reading room today
and he wasn’t leaving until closing time. My friend said she would wait and close up the
library herself, so she let me head back first. I was on my way home when...”
“Then that means there is one apprentice librarian and one student in the reading room
who are still isolated. Wait... did you say librarian?”
Ziggs stood up from his seat in the corner. He then approached the girl who was
struggling to speak and looked her straight in the eyes before asking.
“Your librarian friend. What’s her name?”
“Elka Islan.”
The girl was sweating as she struggled to say her friend’s name, trying to avoid Ziggs’
gaze. Ziggs’ eyes began to tremble as soon as he had confirmed the name.
“Did you say... Elka...? Are you sure? You’re sure you’re not mistaken?”
“Yes... we are learning how to manage magic books as apprentice librarians in class.”
Ziggs’ clenched fist hit the barricade behind the girl. The girl was caught by surprise and
closed her eyes, taking a step back. The barricade behind her made of wooden benches
and various decorative objects had collapsed.
“Shit! Princess Penia, I’m going to go look for her now.”
“Ziggs?”
“Elka is really good at managing magic books and researching magic but she doesn’t
have the power to defend herself. She was just an aspiring scholar. If we leave her alone,
she’ll definitely be attacked by the spirits running rampant.”
Ziggs walked back to the center of the camp and dropped to his knees in front of
Princess Penia.
“I need to go to the student library and look for her right now.”
“Ziggs Eiffelstein, do you know that your words are filled with too much emotion?”
But the one who responded was someone else—The Golden Daughter Lortel.
“Going from here to the library is going to take you too long, even if you run at full
speed. You would also need to somehow pass through all those spirits. Who knows how
long that would take? Rather than that, we need to prioritize stopping Yenika right now.
She’s the cause of all of this, after all.”
A calm and assertive tone. A realistic plan.
Polite and calm when talking to superiors, but relentless to those she considered as
equals or lower.
That was only natural for Lortel, who grew up in the cold harsh reality of the Elte
Company.
“I know you have some sort of attachment to Elka, Ziggs. But what we need right now is
to figure out how this could work.”
Elka Islan.
‘The Spear from Nature Ziggs’ thought of her as his savior when he was near the edge
of a cliff.
Elka supported and embraced Ziggs despite his lineage as part of the northern nomadic
people. People who had walked a bloody path all their lives.
Due to this, Ziggs believed he could no longer live a normal life but Elka showed him
what human warmth was
He remembered seeing her smile between the gaps of the thick magic books in the
library’s reading room. Because of her, Ziggs was able to leave his life as a bloodthirsty
monster behind.
For Ziggs, losing the smile of the girl who gave him a chance at a new life was more
frightening than losing his own life.
“Hmm...”
But at the same time, Lortel’s words were irresistibly persuasive in that they were both
rational and realistic.
Lortel’s words were always justified despite her being a sneaky and greedy merchant.
That’s just the type of Lortel was.
“Please calm down, Ziggs. Being this emotional isn’t like you. Lortel had a point.”
Ziggs had always been the calmest student among the three Class A appointees.
Lucy was a weirdo while Lortel was always acting suspicious and was someone who
couldn’t be trusted. But unlike the two of them, Ziggs was always righteous and had
common sense. He was also someone who communicated well. Ziggs’ calm demeanor
actually earned him the catchphrase, “In Ziggs, we trust.”
But that Ziggs and this Ziggs were vastly different. You didn’t need Princess Penia’s
Insightful Eyes to know how important Elka was to Ziggs.
“Tisika said there is still one other student in the library with her. Why don’t you try
trusting that student right now?”
“That’s... Uhm...”
In front of them was the Student Center where the root of the problem was. It would be
selfish to ignore that and run to the library. Ziggs knew that. That was why he couldn’t
refute the princess’s words.
“Are you certain that there was another student with her, Tisika?”
“That... That is...”
Tisika took a step back as sweat rolled down her face, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
A sense of anxiety washed over the princess.
“Is there something you’re trying to hide, Tisika?”
“That’s... Uhm... Eghh...”
Paying no mind that he was in front of the princess, Ziggs kicked his chair and stood up
once again.
He quickly stomped over to Tisika and grabbed her by her collar.
“Say it right now!”
“Uhm... S-I’m sorry..!”
Tisika fell to her knees with tears in her eyes as she confessed.
“It was... Ed Rothstaylor.”
An ominous silence enveloped the group at the mention of the name.
“He was just sitting there until late at night. And I didn’t want to talk to him because he
was so annoying. You know what I’m talking about! What kind of person Ed
Rothstaylor is! So I just left Elka to take care of everything. Elka... she isn’t the type to
care about rumors. And she didn’t even know that student was Ed Rothstaylor, so I
thought it should be okay...”
The heavy feeling of guilt pushed her into a corner. The fact that she had taken
advantage of her own friend was too heavy to bear.
“So Elka let me leave early without making a fuss... that’s what happened. I’m... so
sorry...”
The string of patience Ziggs was hanging onto finally snapped.
Ed Rothstaylor.
Ziggs was also taking the entrance exam when Ed came and caused a commotion. Ziggs
had seen well enough just how ugly of a human being Ed was.
“Let go of me! Don’t you know who I am? I am Ed Rothstaylor, the second son of the
Rothstaylor family! Get your dirty hands off me, you pigs! Just where are you touching
me?”
“You think I would stoop so low just to mess with a nobody failure like Taylee? Let go of
me! These dirty and ignorant commoners! Do you even know what you’re talking about!”
“Taylee? Ha... A low-ranking failure of a student who’s all talk.”
Luxuries and pleasures. Prideful and lazy. Incompetent, too.
Ed Rothstaylor was a pathetic human being with despicable qualities. He took advantage
and threw away his closest friends when an opportunity arose, never caring about the
kindness he had received. He was truly selfish in every sense of the word.
It was obvious what everyone else at the base was whispering about.
“Ed? That Ed Rothstaylor? Doesn’t that mean the librarian is in big trouble?”
“There are so many rumors that say he’s seriously disgusting and pathetic.”
“Doesn’t this mean the librarian is alone with such a person?”
“Oh, no...”
It was too dangerous to leave the room with these many berserk spirits occupying the
streets, let alone the building. The fact that the cruel Ed Rothstaylor and Elka were in
such a situation...
Nothing good would come out of such a situation. Elka had no power in such an extreme
situation, and she may even be taken advantage of by Ed Rothstaylor and thrown away.
Or worse, he could even lay a finger on her fragile body.
Ziggs had complete confidence he knew the type of person Ed was. The rumors about
him also added credibility. The fact that Elka’s fate rested in the hands of such a person
made Ziggs lose all sense of reasoning.
“I’m heading to the library right now.”
His anger has already surpassed his limit. Rather than not, it now felt cold.
Ziggs notified them in a soft subdued voice.
The one he notified was The Benevolent Princess Penia herself, someone that even
Headmaster Obel respected. Ziggs’ intentions were clear. He was rejecting a royal order.
“You’re crossing the line, Ziggs Eiffelstein.”
The first person to step up was Head Escort Cler. But Ziggs didn’t care.
In Lazy Lucy’s absence, no one among them could defeat The Spear from Nature Ziggs.
Even Cler, who was a member of the Royal Guards, couldn’t guarantee how many
strikes she would be able to withstand.
He was considered one of the best magicians amongst the first-years alongside Lazy
Lucy and The Golden Daughter Lortel, the three of them recognized by Professor Glast
solely for their skills.
And as he was born among the northern nomads, he had been living his life with human
blood on his hands for longer than he had matured.
He had always lived a life at the crossroads between life and death, no one could compare
to him in terms of practicality.
If Lazy Lucy was like a tank or a fighter with how her magic couldn’t be blocked, then
The Spear from Nature Ziggs was like a well-trained special agent his whole life. There
might be a massive difference in terms of pure power and scale between the two of
them, but within Ziggs’ specialized field, he would be able to fully dominate and
demonstrate his power.
And his specialized field was dueling with no outside interference.
“I’ll beat anyone who tries to stop me from leaving.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
The Golden Daughter Lortel cast a spell. The moisture in the atmosphere froze in an
instant, creating a huge ice spear in the air. It was Ice Spear, the same intermediate magic
that destroyed the ceiling of Iron Hall.
The two first-year top students from the Magic Department of Sylvania. Ziggs and
Lortel stared at each other. It was a rare scene for anybody to witness.
Everyone gathered and watched nervously, swallowing their dry saliva at the sudden
extreme turn of events.
“I’ll give you credit, Ziggs. You are the strongest person amongst everyone here in terms
of power. If you leave the subjugation, then our chance of success will sharply drop.
Which is why I’m sorry, but you can’t leave your position as a member of the team.”
“That’s hilarious, Lortel. Do you think I’ll cooperate if you try and force me to do so?”
“You have completely lost your mind. I know how much you cherish Elka, but you need
to at least distinguish between your public and private life. Look over there.”
Following Lortel’s gaze, everyone could see Glasskan’s summoning circle gradually
turning a darker shade of red. There was an assortment of spirits occupying the hall as
well.
“And where would you be going to leave that behind?”
Lortel looked Ziggs straight in the eyes. And she hated the burning passion within them.
Passion, hot blood, spirit, loyalty, vigor, strong will.
Lortel hated the fact that such words would show up in such an urgent situation.
Humans needed to be calm and rational. No matter the predicament or harsh the
situation may be, one needs to make the right judgment without being misled by wrong
emotions.
That was the type of person who would be extremely reliable.
It didn’t matter how many magic skills you knew, or how powerful you were. If your
heart wasn’t strong enough, then you couldn’t be trusted. This was the first great
principle that Lortel learned in business ethics.
“I wouldn’t be able to win over you in a one-on-one battle, Ziggs. But if I gave it my all,
you wouldn’t be able to walk away unscathed.”
“Ha...”
Ziggs was superior to Lortel in a duel. But that didn’t mean Lortel was an easy
opponent. They would be able to exchange even blows at first, but over time, someone
would eventually get extremely hurt.
It was too much pressure just for Ziggs to push through all the spirits and head to the
library. And yet Ziggs shook his head.
“If that’s your opinion, then I have no intention of giving up either.”
The atmosphere between the two shifted to that of one just before a big fight. The
atmosphere where if one so much as steps forward, the fight would begin...
“What are you two doing?! What would happen if we fight amongst ourselves?!”
Princess Penia had reached her limit and shouted.
“But Princess Penia! Right now... that Ed Rothstaylor...”
Ziggs responded. But his forceful words grew rather tame towards the end.
With a face of complete desperation, Ziggs spoke in between tears. He was no longer the
strong-minded and reliable The Spear from Nature Ziggs.
“If something happens to Elka, I really... I won’t know how to live anymore.”
His tone had shifted from anger to sadness, and now desperation. Princess Penia did not
expect this reaction.
She would have scolded a furious Ziggs for his actions and taken control of the situation.
But this Ziggs had now completely become desperate, so clearly visible with the
princess’s Insightful Eyes.
His heart was more desperate than a dying man’s. Elka was truly like family to him.
“B-But...”
Princess Penia stuttered at his sincere desperation. No sounds came out even though her
mouth was open.
“That guy. Ed Rothstaylor. Princess Penia, you also know what he’s like...!”
Princess Penia, you also know what he’s like.
She couldn’t nod her head at the words.
Because she didn’t actually know anything about him.
Her thoughts were complicated when it came to Ed Rothstaylor. Even the most obvious
facts about him had become a fogged mystery.
The clear image she gets when looking into somebody’s inner self, and yet she couldn’t
even manage to figure out the outline of the guy.
What was their current situation? They were in an extreme crisis where nothing was
guaranteed.
A reality where one minute, let alone one second, was a waste. Glasskan’s summoning
circle was increasingly growing darker, and the students’ safety couldn’t be guaranteed.
Now everyone was looking amongst each other for decisions.
And that decision-maker also became the person in charge. The weight of her title
would stay with her for as long as she was alive. But here, it also meant that everyone in
the base would follow her.
The realization of this uncertain reality made her dizzy, driving her into a corner.
“E-Even so...”
Everyone in the camp had their eyes on Princess Penia and Ziggs. It was an urgent
situation that carried responsibility for the princess as everyone awaited her decision. A
situation where a mistake in her judgment could lead to the loss of another person’s life.
A situation where nobody could speak up.
And it came back to her...
The sound of a burning campfire. The back of a boy who poked the fire with a poker.
Looking straight into her eyes without emotion. And those words that penetrated her
heart as he left the training center.
The distasteful act of crawling on the floor during the entrance examination. His back
when he pushed past her to chase after Taylee with an emotionless face. His eyes never
clearly revealed anything.
Princess Penia was completely pushed into a corner... and in that corner she suddenly
uttered the words, pointing to the direction of where her sixth sense was leading her.
“Even so... how about... just once... let’s just... believe in that guy...?”
Silence filled the air once again.
Everyone stayed silent for a long time. Not a single word was said.
The expression on their faces showed how absurd they thought it was. As if the sun
would rise from the west.
Ziggs lamented.
“Why do you have to say such a cruel thing? The Princess of Benevolence that I know...
she wouldn’t say something so irresponsible!”
Ziggs only saw her words as a disregard for his worries and opinions.
“I will... be on my way.”
Ziggs shook his head as he headed towards the exit.
“Where are you going...?!”
“Lortel.”
Unexpectedly, it was Princess Penia who stopped Lortel from chasing after Ziggs.
Although she was just in the middle of talking about how absurd trusting Ed was.
To be honest, she herself didn’t understand why she had said that.
“Just let him go.”
“Princess.”
“However, you need to take responsibility for the outcome, Ziggs.”
There were already too many things to think about. The Princess was at her limit.
“I will pay for all my sins when I get back.”
Finally getting permission, Ziggs bowed his head politely. He fully understood just how
selfish his choice was. Nevertheless, since he had decided to save Elka, then even Princess
Penia couldn’t stop him.
Ziggs slowly lifted his head and left the base with a stern face.
“Princess Penia.”
Watching his back as he slowly walked away, Lortel called out to the princess.
She turned her head to find Lortel staring at her in a rather obedient manner.
Princess Penia could tell what Lortel was thinking without having to use her Insightful
Eyes.
Being an excessive realist, she would condemn Princess Penia’s decision. Even if
somebody were to get hurt or be harmed, she would tell the princess that she should’ve
never let Ziggs leave.
The princess steeled her heart. But Lortel actually had a wide smile across her face.
“Thinking about it, it may have been necessary to respect his opinion.”
“Lortel.”
“I’ll must have been a decision made by the princess after much consideration. Anyways,
he’s always had a noble will, so he couldn’t just blindly judge if something was wrong or
right.”
Lortel spoke so calmly and coolly, as if she didn’t care about the tense situation just a
moment ago. And she also affirmed the princess’s decision.
“Anyway, if there aren’t any changes in our original plan of entering the Student Center
in an hour, we should begin preparing for the subjugation now. I’ll be taking a short
break and checking my body’s condition. Princess Penia, I hope you too could get some
rest.”
And with an elegant smile, Lortel Kehelland politely greeted Princess Penia as she
walked by.
Although the situation didn’t go the way she had thought it would go, the way Lortel
stepped down and even encouraged the princess’s decision was that of a model vassal.
However, it was very clear to the princess. Behind her heartfelt smile and act of
encouragement was a deep feeling of disillusionment. She felt it the moment Lortel
passed her by.
Her relationship with Lortel wasn’t very good, to begin with, but now she felt that this
incident had somehow created a distance that couldn’t be narrowed.
Even if the world were to turn upside down, Lortel would never believe in Princess
Penia. The princess had a strong feeling about that.
“I’ll be taking a break too, Cler.”
She spoke to her loyal escort as she leaned her back against the barricade in a corner.
Cler nodded and went on guard with a stern face.
And just like that, the tense situation in the camp had ended.
They didn’t know where Lazy Lucy was, the strongest person amongst them all.
One of the most important combat forces, The Spear from Nature Ziggs, had completely
left the base.
And the most realistic and rational person, The Golden Daughter Lortel, was now
psychologically and completely hostile towards her. Nevertheless, she was the only one
who could manage the weight of these students.
The princess hid behind the barricade so nobody would see, and held her knees to her
chest.
Either way, the atmosphere around the base was not that of taking a rest. It wasn’t like a
powerful spirit was going to attack them right away. As long as there was someone who
kept watch, there was time to check themselves and their equipment.
In her corner, where nobody could see, Princess Penia spoke quietly. It was something
that a person of royal status should never say for the entirety of their life.
“It’s hard for me, too.”
Even though she was afraid that somebody might hear her by chance, she couldn’t help
but let the words slip from her mouth.
“Really... it’s hard for me, too...”
She was a girl who had never acted like a child in her life.
Though it was sad, even saying those small words was accompanied by guilt. The time
to defeat Yenika was approaching.
Looking up to the sky, Glasskan’s summoning circle, which was dazzling in the night
sky, was drastically getting brighter.
◐◓◑◒
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Ordinary Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
+ Fast Casting Level 4
« Mana Sense Level 5
Fire Element Magic:
+ Ignite Level 10
Wind Element Magic:
« Wind Blade Level 10
Spirit-type Magic:
+ Spiritual Resonance Level 3
«+ Spiritual Understanding Level 3 ]
“Gasp, gasp...”
Completely exhausted, I dropped down on the ground.
It had been two hours since Phase 1 started. My proficiency for spirit-type skills rose as
I captured and defeated Spirit Stigmatas and Elemental Traces around the library.
I wiped off my sweat and felt a sense of satisfaction as I looked at my skills window.
That would enable me to imbue spirit magic into my arrows. A breakthrough in terms of
my combat power.
“Ahh! But seriously... This is way too hard.”
I had been diligently training but there were still some dangerous moments because of
the wind that kept pushing me away.
I looked around. It seemed I had already cleared all the spirits wandering around the
library. All that’s left were traces of my continuous use of Wind Blade, and the burnt
debris laying around from using Ignite. But if I wait a bit, I knew new spirits would
eventually come.
“Phew... I need to get Spiritual Resonance as close to level 10 as possible. That way, I can
even sign a contract with a spirit... If I don’t do it now, there’ll never be a better
opportunity again. So let’s keep working hard. Alright!”
I couldn’t waste this golden opportunity.
“Ugh... phew... not yet. I haven’t reached my limit yet...”
The key to training was pushing yourself to the limit. Wasn’t that a known fact to
anyone who lifted even just a little bit at the gym?
This wasn’t the time to be lazy. I needed to keep pushing myself to the extreme until
there wasn’t a single drop of strength left in my body. Surely, doing that much would
bring me a significant stat change.
Oh, I saw a bunch of new spirits approaching. I got up, filled with renewed fighting
spirit. This wasn’t an opportunity that would come by easily. It was time to train and
train again until the moment I didn’t have an ounce of energy left.
“I can still do more...! I can do it...!”
Chapter 23: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (3)
The phrase ‘rags to riches’ wasn’t enough to fully explain the miracle that was Ziggs’
life.
The barbaric grasslands up north were a place that the empire had no rule over. It was a
place where one constantly worries about their potential death every day.
Ziggs was a descendant of the nomadic people who resided in those lands.
By the time he had grown enough, he was already separated from his family. He didn’t
know when or why he was abandoned, or if he would ever be capable of reintroducing
himself back to the company of others.
Rather than learning how to read, Ziggs learned how to cut the throat of a deer.
Rather than learning how to purchase things from stores, he learned how to procure
supplies from roadside corpses. His life was closer to an animal than to a human being.
“‘Ziggs, you’re like a wolf that walks on two feet.”
Ziggs reflexively nodded his head at Elka’s words the first time they met.
The reason why she said that was obvious. The first time they met, Ziggs had a filthy
appearance as he dragged an elk’s corpse behind him, his shaggy hair hanging down his
face.
Elka was the only one who knew how different his current neat and tidy appearance was
from how he was before. But the reason that Ziggs nodded then was not just because of
his shabby appearance.
Their first meeting was but a distant story now. The civilized world moved much faster
than Ziggs had expected, so much so that he could no longer remember what his life in
the grasslands was like, back when his every day was the same.
When Elka’s archaeologist father discovered Ziggs’s talent in magic. When they brought
him to their mansion. The first time he had a proper meal of warm soup and bread.
When he learned the rules of civilization, step by step. When he first used elemental
magic to pull out an old tree in the mansion’s garden. When he got admitted into
Sylvania with Elka. And even the day they walked together to the entrance examination.
Even these passing memories of his life were becoming a distant past. However, there
were some memories that would come to mind whenever he looked up at the sky.
“‘Ziggs, you’re like a wolf that walks on two feet.”
He had been living in the vast grasslands. He had eaten the bodies of animals found on
the side of the road and had protected himself with the magic he had awakened alone.
He had fallen asleep under the moon...
He was a baby wolf that had been abandoned by the pack. Ziggs had no choice but to
reflexively nod at Elka’s words. Thinking back on it, he had lived a very lonely life.
The day he first met Elka, Ziggs realized what loneliness was. That was a very old story
now.
“Gasp, gasp...”
The date had already changed. It wasn’t until way past midnight when Ziggs finally
arrived at the library.
Fluid Spirits and low-ranking spirits were no match for Ziggs, but they were constantly
rushing towards him, causing his Vitality to wear down as he ran and used mana to
defeat them at the same time.
He would’ve arrived much later if he fought Lortel.
In that situation, when every second and every minute mattered, he felt grateful to
Princess Penia for stopping Lortel.
He would have to eventually repay the favor, but paying the price for what he did would
have to wait for now.
“Gasp... Gasp... Phew...”
Contrary to what he expected, it was completely quiet around the library.
The annoying spirits that ganged up and attacked him all the way here were nowhere to
be found.
However, he found traces left behind.
“This, This is...”
Analyzing the situation using traces left in the environment was not uncommon for
Ziggs, who had a strong sense of survival.
There were traces of magic all around the entrance of the library. The cutting marks all
over the floor and benches must have come from Wind Blade, and the burnt marks on the
empty floor and walls were signs of Ignite.
Ziggs calmly looked around.
It was quiet around the library like usual. It was like nothing had happened despite the
disaster that was taking place at the Student Center. The library located on a small hill
was still completely in place.
The traces of fighting started at the entrance of the library all the way to the outskirts
of the district. This wasn’t a simple defensive battle protecting the base, but a sign
showing someone had deliberately beaten all the spirits circling around the area.
There were even footprints at the exact same spot several times. They seemed to have
secured the safety of the library like a guard. Whoever it was had beaten all the spirits
around the library.
But it didn’t matter who it was who left these traces. Ziggs quickly rushed inside the
library to find Elka. Through the large wooden doors was a lobby with an elaborate
corridor extending to both sides.
And right there in the lobby was a familiar boy, laying with his back against a statue.
His name came out of Ziggs’s mouth.
“Ed Rothstaylor!”
A boy that was completely exhausted and was resting. A name that made Ziggs lose all
reasoning. Ziggs ran to him like a bullet.
“Eh? What? You...”
Resting against a statue, he rose on one knee supported by an elbow.
Ed Rothstaylor didn’t look quite normal. His school uniform was torn and worn out. His
body was a wreck, and his Vitality had completely depleted.
A boy that is completely exhausted and resting. A name that made Ziggs lose all
reasoning.
He looked like he had been fighting to the extremes. But these were things Ziggs
couldn’t afford to pay attention to calmly.
“Elka! Where’s Elka?”
“You... What are you doing here...?”
“Tell me where Elka is first!”
Ed frowned as he looked straight at Ziggs. In any case, he wouldn’t be able to
communicate with Ziggs right now, as Ziggs had completely lost his mind.
“Reading Room 3.”
Ziggs ran to the reading room even before Ed could finish his answer. He had to secure
Elka’s safety right away. He ran like crazy toward the end of the hallway, where a door
labeled Reading Room 3 came into view.
But it had an unusual entrance. There were bookcases used as a barricade and a blackout
curtain was blocking it from view. Though simple, the reading room looked to be
fortified.
Ziggs removed the curtains hanging from the door, opening it with such force that it
broke the sliding door.
“Elka!”
Ziggs entered the room yelling her name.
And just as he hoped for, Elka was there, safely laying on a desk. She was unconscious,
however.
“Elka! Are you okay? Elka!”
Ziggs took a deep breath and observed Elka’s conditions.
She was breathing peacefully. Looking at her from head to toe, there was not a single
scratch, and it didn’t seem like she had been attacked by a spirit.
It felt as though black mud was persistently pushing down his throat.
“Haaa...!”
Ziggs collapsed into a chair, his whole body exhausted.
Elka Islan was safe.
That one fact felt like great salvation for the boy.
“Thank goodness... Really... Thank god.”
He wiped his face for a while, Elka sleeping peacefully in front of him. Five minutes
passed by before Ziggs came back to his senses.
After his breathing had calmed down, and his Vitality had recovered back to some
extent, his rational and logical mind began to return. Having confirmed Elka was safe, he
was now able to judge the situation objectively.
Ziggs looked around the room.
The windows were completely covered by large bookshelves. A rampant spirit looking
through the window wouldn’t have been able to see inside, the view completely blocked.
And the blackout curtain hanging on the entrance. Since it was a doorway, it wouldn’t
have been a good idea to block it with a bookshelf like the windows. In a situation where
you would need to run away, a bookshelf would only block your way out.
Indeed, the blackout curtains were a good replacement for that.
It was a decision that showed a lot of skill and thought. Since there weren’t enough
blackout curtains, the door at the back was blocked by another bookshelf, and outside it
was a simple wall of defense, in case there were spirits in the hallway.
It was set up in a way that any other entrance or exit other than the door nearest to Elka
would have been dangerous.
“That’s right, Elka. No matter how urgent the situation is, you were always calm and
made the right decisions. Of course, it’s not like I didn’t already know that.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Elka, rather, he was so worried he couldn’t bear it.
However, the more Ziggs thought about it, the more he realized something seemed
strange. The reading room was barricaded with bookshelves outside. They were so big
that even adult men wouldn’t have been able to lift them properly.
It was hard to believe Elka did everything by herself. She was born weak, enough to even
struggle to lift a hand ax. Then the person who did all of that...
By the process of elimination, there was only one person who could have done it.
“That guy...?”
Come to think of it, he didn’t realize this at first because he wasn’t in his right mind, but
Ed Rothstaylor was lying in the middle of the lobby, looking completely exhausted.
Ziggs heard he was an extremely cruel and selfish person, the biggest piece of trash
there was, someone who had no problem backstabbing others.
But looking at this situation right now... it was all too strange.
The traces of a battle outside, and the simple fortress around the reading room to
conceal an unconscious girl. On top of that, Ed’s appearance looked like he dealt with all
the spirits approaching the library to protect Elka.
The endless onslaught of spirits from the Student Center until here, where a boy was
holding his legs together in the lobby, looking worn.
It wasn’t difficult for Ziggs to figure it all out.
“But...”
As someone who lived in the wild, it was obvious to Ziggs what the best course of action
would have been in this crisis situation. It may sound cold and heartless, but in a
situation such as this Elka was nothing more than dead weight.
If you wanted to keep your own life and secure your own safety, the rational and logical
way would have been to abandon Elka, or use her as bait and run away.
Humans had no choice but to feel guilty for such acts, but humans in need also had no
choice but to worry about their own survival.
Ziggs thought that someone like Ed Rothstaylor would have no problem doing such
things without any sense of guilt.
That was why Ziggs lost sense of all reasoning and ran all the way here.
“That guy... There’s no way.”
Ziggs couldn’t help but repeat the words again.
Ed Rothstaylor’s reputation in the academy was already rock bottom. You wouldn’t be
able to find anyone who approved of him. Ziggs himself had seen that despicable side of
his very clearly.
There was no way a single slice of selflessness could be in such a person. That was what
Ziggs thought. There is no way that there would be even a single piece of selflessness
left in such a person. That’s what he had thought.
“Don’t panic when you wake up. And stay right here. Everything should be over before
daybreak so you should stay calm and block the entrance. And don’t provoke the spirits.
Always think about your own safety first and don’t hastily move about.”
On the other hand, this was written on the blackboard. Judging by the crooked letters,
you could tell it was written in a hurry.
Even though he was in a hurry and was most likely busy, he brought a blackboard all the
way here and set it up, and then wrote this message... It was easy to figure things out.
Ziggs was left with no choice but to sit for a while, staring off into space.
◐◓◑◒
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Ordinary Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
+ Fast Casting Level 5
« Mana Sense Level 6
Fire Element Magic:
+ Ignite Level 12
Wind Element Magic:
+ Wind Blade Level 11
Spirit-type Magic:
« Spirit Resonance Level 7
+ Spirit Understanding Level 7 ]
“Ehh, what a shame.”
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh as I crouched down in the lobby of the library.
My beginner magic had finally broken through the wall that was level 10 after training
against the spirits til I reached my limit. Ignite had reached level 12, to the extent that I
could now one-shot low-ranking spirits with its fire.
It was a good enough foundation to try and start acquiring intermediate magic. I was
able to break some ground tonight. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of
regret. Spiritual Resonance and Spiritual Understanding were both at level 7. Just a little
bit more...
When the sum of the level of these two skills exceeded 15, the field of spirit-type magic
would become available and Spirit Contract slots would open up. Then you could form a
contract with an appropriate spirit in proportion to your Intelligence stat, your amount
of magic power, and your Spiritual Understanding.
My capabilities in combat and production would greatly expand if that were to happen. I
would be able to apply various attributes to enchant my arrows using spirit skills. And by
raising my production level, I could try and begin crafting basic magic tools with the
spirits’ protection.
With such a hopeful dream, I fought and trained until I was completely out of energy in
my entire body. But I was ultimately blocked at the very end of the threshold.
I could no longer see any spirits wandering around the academic district. There were no
new spirits coming towards the library either.
That clearly meant the Glasskan Subjugation team had already entered the Student
Center, marking the start of Phase 2. The main stage for the story would now be the
Student Center, where Yenika was summoning Glasskan.
“This is too cruel. Even though I caught so many...”
The two spirit-type skills had been stuck at level 7 for a while. I kept hoping for one
more level, just one more! With that in mind, I defeated and depleted all of my magic
until my whole body was completely exhausted. But the experience points I needed at
that level had already increased significantly, so both their levels had barely risen.
“I guess this is it... since I’ve only been catching Fluid Spirits and low-ranking spirits.”
If I were to catch a mid-ranking spirit instead, I could probably gain a lot of experience
points all at once, and maybe even open up a Spirit Contract slot.
But I would need to go to the Student Center to do that, and I would have to push past
all the low-ranking spirits just to get there. It might be possible now with how much
their numbers have dwindled since Phase 2 started, but my body was in too bad a shape
to even attempt it.
And not only that, but all the important characters of the main story would be there.
And nothing good would come out of hanging around a place where the all-star cast of
the first-years was gathered.
I had no choice but to just wait for the next chance. Although disappointed, I called it
quits and promised myself to do it another time. Main story.
After ignoring it for a while, a question came to mind the minute it came up again.
“What is Ziggs doing here?”
I let him in since he was in a hurry, but now that I thought about it, Ziggs was a key
member of the subjugation team. An ominous feeling dawned on me. At that moment, I
realized I needed to reorganize this whole situation.
Stomp. Stomp.
I heard footsteps coming from Reading Room 3.
Sure enough, I looked and Ziggs was slowly making his way down the lobby with Elka
on his back.
He stopped right in front of me and slowly asked.
“What are you doing here?”
I couldn’t read any emotion in his voice. It must have been hard for him to completely
ignore me when he saw I was resting and wounded.
“I asked what are you doing here.”
This was a question I didn’t need to lie to answer.
“...training.”
“Ha!”
Ziggs laughed for a bit.
“Haha! That’s quite some training.”
I didn’t expect him to laugh. Ziggs continued to talk in a less serious voice than I had
expected.
“This is a crisis situation. We don’t know what will happen next. There’s a barrier all
across the sky and spirits won’t stop attacking us... and yet you were here training all by
yourself ? When you should be worrying about your life?”
And with that, Ziggs stopped smiling.
“No matter how naive a person is, who would believe that?”
“Okay, I feel like I’m beginning to understand you a bit as a human being. You’re this
kind of person in the first place, anyway.”
A stretch of silence engulfed us.
Ziggs looked at me with a serious look on his face, and then after a while, he closed his
eyes and got lost in his own thoughts. After standing still for a long time, what Ziggs did
next was completely unexpected.
With Elka still on his back, Ziggs bowed his head and bent all the way to his waist.
“I really owe you a great favor, Ed.”
Ziggs suddenly speaking to him with respect was surprising enough, but the unexpected
action made it even more difficult to figure out what would happen next.
“I will definitely repay this debt when the opportunity arises.”
It was at this moment that I finally figured out what was going on. That girl Elka on
Ziggs’ back was definitely... his lover, or would be his lover, someone who had been with
him since their childhood.
I couldn’t help but think about it. Ziggs’ past was not given much importance in the
game. The name Elka was only mentioned in a supplementary book, so it was an
unknown name for even the most dedicated of fans.
“Then hurry and go back to the Student Center.”
The words came out on their own.
Ziggs, who still has his head down, looked as if he had been stabbed in the lungs.
“Didn’t you abandon the Student Center and run all the way here to save Elka?”
Fortunately, he didn’t ask me how I knew all of that. Ziggs was in shock and didn’t have
time to argue about such things.
“I’m not going to scold you for making such a selfish decision. But now that you’ve
confirmed Elka is safe, you should go and hurry up and do what you have to do.”
There was no need for me to say much.
Ziggs was one of the most talented first-year students in Sylvania. Ziggs participation
would determine the victory or defeat of the subjugation force. There was no need to
worry if the main story was progressing the way it should, because if Ziggs was here
right now, then the subjugation force itself won’t get established in the first place.
They might be able to go past Phase 2, but Phase 3 with the high-ranking fire spirit
Takan was a different matter The only way to break through Takan was with Ziggs.
The main character Taylee would knock off some of Takan’s scales, and then cut his tail
off using the Elemental Slash skill. Then Ziggs, who had excellent battle sense and
agility, would climb on top of Takan’s body and directly inflict magic damage on its torn
flesh.
Takan would scream in pain from this. Meanwhile, Ziggs would make a hole in its neck,
and Taylee would jump down from the ceiling to cut it off again.
In order for this battle to happen, Ziggs needed to be there.
“Go and give Taylee a hand. Just do whatever he wants. Some way or another, everything
will work out just fine.”
“Taylee... Do you mean Taylee McLaure?”
“That’s right. That guy who barely escapes failing every single day.”
Although, Taylee shouldn’t be that weak nowadays, given that it’s already the Act 1
finale. I’m sure he’d been training to increase his stats. Plus, he had already gone through
various events at this point. He must have already gotten some sort of special skill or
abilities.
If he had been fostering his skills with optimal efficiency and not wasting an inch, he
should be able to use intermediate magic. Although, I didn’t think he would’ve gotten
that far by now.
I was sure Taylee’s efforts in raising the level of his skills were not up to my satisfaction.
But he should still be trying his best... This episode was when he would receive a
Swordmaster skill, which meant that he would be able to take care of things by himself
soon enough.
Ziggs made a weird face.
“Ed, don’t you hate Taylee?”
Shit!
Since Ziggs saw the incident at the entrance exam, he would’ve definitely felt something
was off from my words.
“This isn’t the time to be arguing about what’s right and wrong.”
I waved my hand, dismissing the topic away.
Either way, he was still an important character in the main story, so I didn’t need to give
him more information, nor should I get too close.
“And I don’t see why people value Taylee so highly... I never had the chance to talk with
him properly yet...”
“It’s not over-evaluating him. A particular example would be the high-ranking fire spirit
Takan. You won’t be able to deal damage to it unless Taylee uses Elemental Slash. It’s not
about the destructive power, it’s about the compatibility of the skills in a given
situation.”
Since it had already come to this, giving this much of a tip should be fine.
“Listen carefully. Don’t go trying to break through Takan’s scales with magic. Wait until
Taylee cuts through the scales with his Elemental Slash. I don’t think there is anyone on
the subjugation force with enough pure firepower to break through Takan’s scales. So
don’t go around wasting your magic power trying to. Stay calm and wait for the right
moment.”
The key to this battle was to attack the part of Takan’s scale that had been exposed by
Elemental Slash.
I didn’t really want to give too much away, but I figured I might as well tell him this for
insurance. The moment Ziggs appeared at the library, the original timeline had already
been messed up anyway. I thought it was only reasonable to take some backup measures
such as this. Just in case.
“...I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ziggs seemed like he still had a lot of things to stay, but he held them in and merely
accepted everything I had said.
It seemed he may have realized it too. That the summoning circle for Glasskan in the sky
kept getting darker and darker. We didn’t have much time left.
“There is a temporary base that the first-year students had built in the Student Square.
I’ll escort you there.”
“Forget it. Go by yourself. There’s not much time left, so hurry up and get moving. I’m
going to just rest here.”
“Ed, you never know when the spirits might come over here again.”
Phase 1 had already ended. The library should be safe from this point onwards. But
Ziggs didn’t know that and was worried for me.
“It’s fine, just go. I’ll figure this out.”
“The most important thing right now is for you to get back to the Student Center. You
know that too.”
Even though he already knew that, Ziggs had already left everything behind just to come
here. My words seemed to have hit a sore spot as a shadow passed over Ziggs’s face.
“Whether you may be feeling guilt or shame, worry about that after all of this, okay?”
With that, I was able to clearly deliver my message to Ziggs.
Ziggs closed his eyes for a second to weigh in the pros and cons before nodding his with
a stern expression. He fixed Elka on his back when he very clearly said.
“Thank you for the advice.”
And just like that, Ziggs headed towards the entrance of the library.
I let out a sigh as I leaned my back against the statue, watching Ziggs walk away. Ugh,
what a headache.
Anyways, this should be the end of that. As long as Ziggs returned back to the Student
Center before Phase 3, in one way or another, things should work out fine...
“Hold on a second...”
All of a sudden, I thought of something that made me feel a weird sense of anxiety
enveloping my chest. A weird echoing of words was going through my head as I stared
at Ziggs’ back as he walked away.
I remembered the countless times I played ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordsmaster’. I
understood the basics, did my best to control the variables, and made sure that there
were no harmful influences that would affect the main story.
And yet... I still kept feeling the strange claw of anxiety in my chest. I had no idea where
it could be from.
No, if I really thought about it. It was...
“And I don’t see why people value Taylee so highly... I never had the chance to talk with
him properly yet...”
It was because of something Ziggs said.
From what I remembered, Ziggs was a supportive character that recognized and helped
the main character Taylee. Whether it was a crisis or whenever deemed necessary, Ziggs
would work together with Taylee, thus creating a closer bond between them.
To put it simply, he was a character designated to be the main character’s friend. A
‘reliable colleague’ or a ‘friend’.
So it was strange he didn’t have much appreciation for Taylee. Wasn’t Act 1 already
about to end? Maybe, there wasn’t enough time for them to build a proper bond just yet.
But even then, Ziggs was talking about Taylee as if he had never even met him before...
that was definitely strange. I went through my memory and wracked my brain for when
Taylee and Ziggs became friends for the first time. It was... Act 1, Chapter 9: End of
Semester Evaluation.
It was the first time Ziggs and Taylee fought each other in a duel. The story followed
their battle and how Ziggs started to recognize Taylee, the boy continuing to grow each
and every moment of the battle.
But after thinking that far, all kinds of possibilities unfolded in my head. Suddenly, a chill
ran down my spine.
“Hey, Ziggs.”
“Huh?”
I called out to him as he made his way out.
“I changed my mind. I should go to the Student Center, too.”
It was a place where all the main characters would be gathering. There was no reason for
me to go, originally. But unfortunately... everything had just collapsed. The finale of Act
1, Glasskan’s Subjugation, was currently underway.
However, I didn’t know why, but the finale happened last night instead of at the end of
the semester. It had moved a whole month forward.
There was no way to know why Yenika’s actions had been accelerated so soon, or what
type of variables came into play here. I wasn’t sure if we would ever find out in the
future, either. But right now, every move Yenika Faelover would make was like an empty
piece of the puzzle.
But there was one fact that I became certain of.
Because Glasskan’s Subjugation happened earlier than scheduled, ‘Act 1, Chapter 9: End
of Semester Evaluation’ hadn’t happened yet. And what did that mean?
A phrase from a strategy guide I read a long time suddenly came to mind.
▣ Phase 3: The Battle at Iron Hall’s Corridor
Achievement Condition:
Get to the Combat Practice Field where Elementalist Yenika is waiting
Appearing Enemies:
- High-Ranking Fire Spirit Takan *1
⊛ The entrance will be different depending on what you chose after defeating Altair. The turning
point will pass by quickly so make sure to pay attention.
⊛ The key to defeating Takan is to continuously damage its tail using your Elemental Slash,
which you should’ve learned from Act 1, Chapter 9. After you cut off the tail using Elemental
Slash, use it again to attack the head.
At this point in time, when Act 1 Chapter 9 still hadn’t happened, Taylee didn’t have
Elemental Slash just yet... But what this meant was that right now, Taylee couldn’t beat
Takan.
Needless to say, it meant the collapse of all the major premises of the story.
Chapter 24: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (4)
“Someday, by all means, please save Yenika.”
I suddenly remembered the high-ranking wind spirit Merilda’s message.
I couldn’t help but want to ask follow-up questions at such a request.
How did it know what was gonna happen to Yenika? It probably didn’t have information
of how the story would progress like I did. And what did it want me to do by asking me
to save her?
Did it expect me to just run to the Student Center and defeat Velosper? To go sacrifice
myself and throw away my insider information about the future? How did it even think I
could defeat Velosper?
Or did it want me to read Yenika’s thoughts so I could prevent her from doing this?
Like some mad god obsessed with controlling the variables to make it possible for Yenika
to live a happy life? There were certain degrees to how unreasonable demands could be.
But Merilda wasn’t an idiot.
The one who delivered the message was Lucy Mayreel. Merilda kept track of every
single move I made in the forest. This meant she took that into consideration before
giving me the message. There must have been a reason for it.
Trying to figure out her intention wasn’t easy, nor was it important, right now.
I already had so many things I needed to take care of. I didn’t have the headspace to even
think about some side problem.
◐◓◑◒
The world was already filled with difficult challenges, so I found no reason why I should
even challenge the impossible.
The reason people had a hard time challenging the impossible was that they didn’t even
know it was impossible in the first place.
From the point of view of someone who had already cleared ‘Sylvania’s Failed
Swordmaster’ countless times, who had measured all the skills of both characters and
enemies, who had played through the game in various playstyles—trying to beat Takan
right now would be like challenging the impossible.
Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster Act 1 Finale. The third named boss. The high-ranking
fire spirit Takan.
Takan was already a high-ranking spirit with overwhelming specs, but with Velosper’s
Berserk buff, it now had an infinite advantage against magic. The hard scales that
wrapped around its entire body nullified the power of any magic attack. The fact that a
sword could even penetrate it already didn’t make any sense.
Anyone who had ever played a game would figure it out at this point. Takan wasn’t a
boss made to be defeated through skills and strategies.
He was an event boss. A boss added by the story to have Taylee use his newly acquired
Elemental Slash from the last chapter.
Whenever a new skill, function, element, or anything else was introduced in a game such
as this, the natural progression would be to make players learn how to use it. It would be
ridiculous if they just kept adding skills but never introduced the players to how to
properly wield them.
As a result, this became a situation wherein I had to open a locked door without the key.
That was impossible, obviously.
“What’s inside?”
“It’s nothing special. It’s not necessary but it’s good to have, just in case.”
“Is... that so?”
Ziggs asked me about the leather bag I brought out from the reading room. But there
was no time to explain so I had held the bag in my arms as I crossed the hallway.
Since I needed to make the impossible possible, my methods didn’t have to be normal. If
I couldn’t open a locked door, then I just had to go through the back door.
The story that was progressing smoothly somehow got derailed. I needed to put my
stance of safely watching from the sidelines on hold. I had to flip it back to its original
state. I needed to quickly adapt to the unfolding situation.
I would have been able to solve this in a simpler way had I had enough time. Since I
knew every single factor within the game, I would’ve been able to plan more accordingly
to my benefit.
But I could only afford to deal with what I already had. And my method boiled down to
my insider information, a privilege I alone enjoyed.
Luckily, I came up with a good idea.
Though the idea was ridiculous, it was the surest idea that would work out.
◐◓◑◒
“I’m sorry for being late. I will pay for the crime I had committed.”
“Never mind that. Even if you were here, we would have lost anyway.”
The time to face the subjugation force came earlier than I had expected.
Ziggs dropped Elka off at the Student Square since he couldn’t enter the Student Center
with her on his back. We ran all the way here with all our strength since it was an urgent
situation. But surprisingly, the subjugation team had already returned to the Square.
And their condition was ridiculous.
“We were lucky enough to retreat, but...”
Princess Penia looked up at the vast night sky. Glasskan’s summoning circle had almost
completely turned dark red. It wouldn’t even be strange if it were to be completed right
now.
The barrier covering the academic district was still intact, so it seemed moot to expect
help from outside.
“Having come all the way here, this is a situation where I have to enter headfirst and
either sink or swim.”
Time wasn’t on our side. Nobody would suggest waiting for outside help at this point,
given how the summoning circle had filled the sky with red. But even if they were
running out of time, the subjugation team already lost once and had wasted precious
time from retreating.
I looked around. How far did they enter? Where did they get stuck? And how much
damage did they take?
I was awestruck by all the students gathered around me. All of these main characters
who had individual roles were gathered together in one place like some sort of glorious
event.
The Failed Swordmaster Taylee, Companion Ayla, The Benevolent Princess Penia, The
Golden Daughter Lortel, The Spear from Nature Ziggs, Head Escort Cler, Gloomy
Clevius, Nosy Elvira...
They all had injuries of varying severity, big and small. Head Escort Cler, particularly,
had one of her legs completely burned. She was now useless in terms of fighting power.
Not only that, but Clevius was also wearing a splint on one of his arms. It looked like a
fracture. That meant he too had lost a great deal of value as part of the team’s fighting
power.
But the most important thing was that Taylee looked okay. Considering that fact, I
started to decide what steps we needed to take to keep the story progressing.
Cler voiced her opinion, barely managing to keep her balance.
“If you’re planning on re-entering, I think it would be a good idea to gather volunteers
from the regular students and then re-enter. Once the pain goes away, I will also hurry
up and...”
“That’s enough, Cler. You will rest here.”
Cler shook her head.
“Princess Penia, if you are really being considerate towards me, then please withdraw
your command.”
“You can’t even walk properly, Cler. I, too... have a heart.”
You could infer from the princess’s tone that the reason such a talented royal knight such
as Cler was even seriously injured was that she had protected Princess Penia.
The princess talked in a firm voice, keeping her resolve, but she must be a wreck inside.
It was definitely like her to not show any weakness. However, just being strong-minded
didn’t mean the current crisis at hand would be solved. It wasn’t a strong heart that
would solve this crisis, but one’s abilities.
I looked around our surroundings. Surrounding the Square were Neres Hall, Obell Hall,
and the Student Center.
Of the buildings, Glockt Hall was completely destroyed, a result of entering the
building to fight a mid-ranking spirit during Phase 2. The entrance to Iron Hall was also
open, probably from when they defeated the spiritual beast Altair who was blocking it.
Just as I expected. They got through Phase 2 but lost to Takan during Phase 3.
Thankfully, they were able to retreat successfully. Although they ended up wasting too
much precious time and even lost Cler, who was an important part of the team in terms
of fighting power. The top first-year student of the Combat Department, Clevius, had
also lost more than half of his fighting power.
We didn’t have much time and we were out of fighting power. It also seemed like the
summoning circle would get completed anytime now before any sort of outside help
could come. I couldn’t just stay still but I also was not sure if we would be able to win if
we were to re-enter right away.
Princess Penia tightly clenched her teeth. She was in the position to lead the camp. She
had to come up with some type of plan.
“Let’s divide the subjugation team into two.”
I spoke the minute I was able to properly assess the situation.
An outsider had intervened all of a sudden. The gloomy atmosphere due to the first-year
aces getting hurt became even worse at my intrusion.
“Looking at the summoning circle, it seems like it’s going to be completed soon. There’s
not enough time to defeat Takan.”
“What the—Ed Rothstaylor?”
Gloomy Clevius said as he winced in pain from his fracture.
“Listen here, does this situation seem like a joke to yo—”
“Let’s hear him out first, Clevius.”
Ziggs stopped Clevius before he could finish what he was saying.
Everyone’s eyes widened at the sight. They looked baffled. Something told me that
Ziggs’ attitude before he left and his attitude towards me now were vastly different.
They must be thinking something happened at the library. But no matter what may have
happened, I didn’t have time to pay attention to such things right now.
“Takan relies on its hearing more than its sight when grasping the surrounding terrain
and enemy’s location. So making a loud noise should be enough to lure him away. It will
be better if we have one team distract Takan while the other enters the Combat Practice
Field.”
“Ed, you can only say that because you’ve never fought Takan.”
It was Lortel who responded. She had fought Takan one-on-one during the Joint Combat
Practice class a while ago.
“It’s not the same as when I fought it in class.”
“I know. Velosper must have cast Berserk. Fighting low-ranking spirits was enough for
me to realize that.”
“Attract his attention and earn time. That plan doesn’t sit well with me. It was already a
relief not to fall down or lose your life with each of its attacks. The only reason we were
able to retreat was because we got lucky.”
Lortel calmly explained.
“Did you escape when the pillar fell down?”
How did you know that?
They all looked at me with the same questions in their eyes. But there wasn’t enough
time to explain.
I wasn’t comfortable intervening in the first place. I wouldn’t have needed to explain
anything if only there wasn’t an unexpected variable that happened.
I had decided not to do anything that would ruin the flow of the original story so as not
to risk the knowledge I had. But I needed to put that aside for now.
⊛ There are three cutscenes mid-battle where the pillars around the corridor will
collapse. You will instantly die if a pillar falls on you so be sure to watch out for it!
It wouldn’t have been this hard if we had Elemental Slash. But that was something you’d
only know if you had enough experience playing the game.
If you led Takan under the large stone pillars found at three corners of the corridor, you
would be able to time it and had them fall on him, giving the players a bit of time.
“You were lucky.”
They were lucky enough to have one of the pillars fall on Takan, giving them enough
time to escape. It was like the heavens had truly helped them.
Although that would only happen the first time, because Takan would cut the pillar with
its tail after, meaning you couldn’t bank on such luck twice.
“I won’t press you for the details, but what you’re suggesting is completely unrealistic,
Ed. Takan was an opponent we couldn’t do anything against, even when we all rushed
him. So why would we split our fighting power into two? We may be able to buy a little
bit of time, yes. But I don’t think that small amount of time would mean anything in the
long run.”
What Lortel said was realistic and reasonable. Her impressive level-headed reasoning
was the biggest reason she got to where was today.
The half that would be in charge of Takan would most likely get wiped out before they
could even buy us some time. And if Takan joins Velosper at the field, that would just be
the worst possible situation for us, taking care of the both of them at the same time.
To summarize the entire reason for her object, it was:
“The risk is too high.”
But that was not something I could say, knowing what I know.
“The risk posed by an action can only be determined if there is another alternative path,
Lortel.”
Lortel momentarily shut her mount, unable to refute my words. She rolled her eyes,
thinking of what else she could argue with, but she couldn’t come up with an alternative
path to deal with this situation.
“Princess Penia, we shouldn’t forget the most important goal we have right now. And
that’s to stop Yenika, who is currently possessed by Velosper.”
Everyone fell silent. Nobody wanted to agree with me even though everything I said was
true.
“There’s no reason to defeat Takan. We can just run past him and find a way to stop
Yenika in the practice field. With this group of people here, we should be able to defeat
Velosper. No... not should. We have to defeat Velosper.”
With all these main characters gathered here today, if we still couldn’t beat Velosper,
then it could only be attributed to a lack of synergy.
This subjugation team could definitely beat Velosper and Yenika during the final phase,
even if they were lacking in fighting power. The key was Taylee’s Swordmaster skill.
Things would work out if enough people supported him during the battle.
“Ed Rothstaylor.”
Princess Penia was staring right at me, looking worse for wear. So many things and
different variables must have pushed her into a corner.
The hem of her dress, which had always been shiny, was now dirty and torn here and
there. The tips of her silky hair had also been burned by Takan’s flames. All traces of a
gruesome battle.
With her mind and body pushed into a corner, she looked straight at me.
“You... It’s you again.”
“Since we don’t have much time, I won’t say much.”
The students around us began to whisper.
Who is he to talk to the princess so condescendingly?
Isn’t it crazy to follow Ed Rothstaylor’s plan?
Wont we all die at this point?
Well, these were things not even worth reacting to.
“I am not lying.”
But these students were not the ones who would make the final decision. Only one
person in this base had a monarch’s qualifications to take on such responsibilities.
Princess Penia stared at me for a while... she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, but soon
nodded her head.
“Whatever your intent may be, you didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
A judgment made calmly.
“Princess Penia! Are you taking his side?! That guy is Ed Rothstaylor!”
“Quiet, Cler. I am not taking Ed Rothstaylor’s side, I’m just following the ‘reasonable
opinion’ that he had brought up.”
Princess Penia told the subjugation team after making her final decision.
“We can’t beat Takan right now. But what’s certain is that if we defeat the Elementalist
Yenika, then Takan would also be defeated. But there’s something we must first decide.”
“Who’s going to stop Takan?”
Ziggs said. Followed by a moment of silence from everyone.
“Ah... isn’t that just picking a person who wants to commit suicide?”
“Watch what you say, Elvira.”
“Oh my, I apologize, princess.”
In a state of disarray, Nosy Elvira quickly shut her mouth.
“One is not specifically safer than the other. The opponent will either be a high-ranking
dark spirit or a high-ranking fire spirit.”
That’s right.
From their point of view, one was not safer than the other.
But from my point of view, knowing everything I did, dealing with Takan was much
more dangerous.
Takan was an enemy designed to teach Taylee how to use Elemental Slash. That’s why it
was an overwhelmingly overpowered enemy. On the other hand, the high-ranking dark
spirit Velosper was just a strong enemy.
Defeating him would not rely on a specific attack method like Takan. Velosper was just a
standard final boss you could defeat through strategy and properly using your abilities.
Takan’s existence is completely unreasonable, given the circumstances. A lock that
needed to be opened without a key.
But Velosper was just a complicated labyrinth. And with these many talented members,
they could surely defeat him through pure effort.
“But... I... I don’t want to deal with that fire-lizard!”
The cowardly Clevius groaned.
“I will... I’ll go with the team fighting Velosper! I’d rather go that way! You even said it
yourself, that it was more important to deal with Yenika!”
Ah, that’s right. Right now, the biggest difference between the two high-ranking spirits
was the fear that the subjugation team had felt. Tension spread throughout the group.
The princess wasn’t able to stop Clevius from saying such discouraging things.
The enemy they hadn’t met yet, versus the enemy they already lost against.
It was obvious that the fear they felt for Takan was much stronger.
Takan, the high-ranking spirit made even stronger by Velosper’s Berserk buff. The
embodiment of fear, who swung its tail around, letting out a mighty roar, knocking
down the pillars in the corridor while it spewed out flames.
It was only natural they didn’t want to deal with it again.
Nobody volunteered for the Takan subjugation team.
There was tension among the students. Somebody had to take responsibility.
“I will take the position.”
The first person to raise their hand was Taylee McLaure.
“Don’t say something stupid.”
I shut down Taylee immediately.
“What did you say...?”
There was still hostility in his eyes whenever he would look at me. That much was
expected.
“You wouldn’t be able to handle that lizard even if you die and get reborn. You wouldn’t
even last a minute.”
“There’s no guarantee someone else would be able to do it either. If we had to pick
someone to sacrifice, it’s only logical for that sacrifice to be me.”
Taylee looked around. All of the faces he saw were of the ace students of the first-year
students. It wasn’t everyday you would get to see these people gathered in one place,
sharing their opinions.
There was only one student here who was at risk of failing. Who was like a goose stuck
amongst swans.
I was sure he was well-trained now. But that alone wouldn’t nearly be enough to deal
with the overwhelming gap between Takan and himself.
“I’m quick. I’m not sure how long I could run away for, but if we needed a sacrifice, it’s
only right for me to do it.”
“You must have misunderstood. We aren’t here to pick a sacrifice right now.”
I grabbed Taylee’s shoulders and turned him around. I gave him a strong push toward
the crowd at the base.
“Stop making a fuss and get over there. You must be in the team who will deal with
Velosper.”
I looked at Princess Penia after.
“I have an idea. I can keep Takan busy until the main force is able to take down Yenika.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s... Is there even time to explain right now? It’s a very long plan, so to speak.”
The color of Glasskan’s summoning circle up in the sky would no longer change. It was
now completely dark red. It felt like the disaster that was Glasskan would come out any
moment now.
“There’s no need to divide the subjugation force into two equal numbers. I just need two
people. One to act as the vanguard, and another for firepower.”
That was all I would say. I then closed my mouth.
“Wh-What? You want us to come with you, Ed Rothstaylor, to go take on Takan?! Who
in their right mind would do that?! We might as well just pray to god! Rather than
trusting and following you... it would be better to run away towards the barrier’s
outskirts!”
“The person in charge of the vanguard will be Clevius, who currently keeps on yapping.”
“WHAT? WHY?! WHY ME?! WHY?! I’M SORRY!!! IT’S MY FAULT! I DON’T
WANT TO DIE!”
“Dear god... you’re so loud! Idiotic Clevius.”
Nosy Elvira yelled as she grabbed a piece of cloth used to seal alchemy chemicals and
shoved it into the injured Clevius’s mouth, unable to deal with him anymore.
Clevius started groaning through the gag while screaming on and off.
“As for the person in charge of firepower... Lortel, you will come with me.”
“Me?”
The Golden Daughter Lortel looked at me in surprise.
“As you already know, I suffered a crushing defeat against Takan before, even without the
Berserk magic.”
“Is that even important? Is there even anyone here who can beat Takan one-on-one?”
“That’s true, but, uhm...”
Lortel smiled.
“I also know how precious my life is. In this situation, regardless of who you ask, isn’t it
only natural to politely refuse? Even though I’m not like that idiotic Clevius?”
“Who are you calling an idiot?”
I could almost hear Clevius cry through the cloth, but none of the other subjugation
force members cared.
“Alright. But your opinion doesn’t really matter.”
“That’s true, too.”
Lortel coolly admitted. There was only one person who could decide every action and
policy regarding the subjugation force.
I turned my head towards her. The girl who had the power to decide everyone’s actions,
The Benevolent Princess Penia Elias Kroel.
“Please make a decision.”
“will you trust him?”
“Is there any alternative?”
Everyone nearby had their attention focused on the princess. The students guarding the
base looked rather skeptical. You would be living under a rock to not know Ed
Rothstaylor’s notoriety. I wasn’t hoping for a favorable response.
“Princess! You can’t! No! You must never! You can’t just trust that guy to take care of
things!”
Gloomy Clevius spat out the fabric in his mouth and shouted in objection.
“I think it’s a worthwhile plan. If there are no other alternatives, let’s go with the plan
Ed suggested. Because that is the only option we have.”
The Spear from Nature Ziggs was relatively in favor of me.
“Yeah, It might be better to follow his plan. I’m not sure about anything but I sure know
it’s better than doing nothing and getting killed, ahahah!”
Nosy Elvira seemed to agree with me, but you could tell she was actually in favor of
anything.
“I... don’t have anything to say.”
The Golden Daughter Lortel quietly watched the situation unfold.
Taylee stayed silent, his thoughts must have been quite complicated.
At the center was Princess Penia with her eyes closed, silent herself.
Trying to figure out the correct decision among the many differing opinions.
The princess had to carefully choose whose opinions to trust, and whose opinions to
discard. After contemplating for a while, Princess Penia opened her and spoke.
“There is one condition. It may be a bit hard to fulfill.”
Without further complications, the plan seemed to be going into action.
“Please don’t die. You can’t.”
◐◓◑◒
The subjugation force was divided into two groups.
The team in charge of Takan consisted of me, Clevius, and Lortel.
And the team in charge of defeating Yenika consisted of the remaining members.
I didn’t have any big reason why I chose Clevius and Lortel. I just needed two people to
be in charge of the vanguard and firepower position. The people who could’ve served as
the vanguard were Taylee, Clevius, Ziggs and Cler.
Taylee was out of the question and Cler was seriously injured. So it was either Ziggs or
Clevius. But it was better to put the stronger Ziggs on the team in charge of defeating
Yenika, as his role was more crucial in the subjugation.
I just needed a vanguard who would attract attention, so I didn’t really need someone
who was strong. That was why I ended up choosing Clevius who was already injured.
As for firepower, Princess Penia, Lortel, and Elvira were my potential choices to be in
charge of firepower. Ayla was still a bit too weak to be considered for the role.
Princess Penia was out of the question. She would be in charge of creating the defense
to block Velosper’s magic attacks during the final battle. That’s why she needed to be
part of that team.
That left Elvira and Lortel. There wasn’t much of a reason for choosing Lortel over
Elvira. Lortel was known as the Bad Ending Maker during Act 1, so I didn’t want to put
her next to Taylee. That was why I decided to take her with me, instead.
As a result, the group in charge of defeating Yenika was Taylee, Princess Penia, Ziggs,
Elvira, and Ayla.
The group was a lot smaller compared to the original story. But they could definitely win
as long as Taylee would obtain the Swordsmaster skill.
“We’re cutting it quite close...”
There was nothing to be worried about. I already considered everyone’s stats and who
would be the best member for each role, essentially creating the most optimal teams
but... compared to how the story originally went, there were definitely more things to be
There was nothing to be worried about. At this point I have considered all the stats of
each member, thought about who would be the best member for each role, and ultimately
created the most optimal teams but... compared to the original timeline, there were
definitely many more things to be nervous about.
If they couldn’t defeat Yenika, then things would only get more complicated from there
on out. But I had no choice but to trust them for now.
What’s more urgent right now was Takan.
“Things ended up turning out just like you wanted, Ed.”
It was late into the night. Sunrise was slowly approaching. The time limit was almost up.
The location we were headed to was the entrance to the Student Center. On either side
of it were Neres Hall and Obel Hall.
“Shit! Just why did I have to be here?! Dear God! Please spare my life!”
Clevius was on the verge of tears. Even though he was acting like this, he’s someone
who always managed to do the things he needed to do. Even though he was irritatingly
screeching like some mosquito next to my ear, he should be quite amazing at being the
bait.
The three of us stood side by side as we looked at the open entrance to Iron Hall. As
soon as we entered the corridor, the battle would start.
When we had managed to drag Takan out, the group in charge of defeating Yenika
would be able to sneak in behind and enter the Combat Practice Field where the final
battle would start.
I couldn’t believe the battle against both Takan and Velosper would be happening at the
same time. I was experiencing all sorts of weird things, getting myself caught up in all
of this.
“It’s about time you tell us, right? How are we going to buy time against that firelizard?”
“We can’t.”
“...What?”
Lortel looked at me with an absurd expression on her face. Even Clevius was completely
caught off guard.
“What? What the hell are you saying?!”
“We will die if Takan’s fire so much as grazes us. Takan is also ridiculously fast, and we
will be in a confined space, the pillars have already fallen down... how could we possibly
buy some time? Even if we try to run away, we wouldn’t be able to drag it on for more
than five minutes.”
“That’s... those are words we can’t just easily overlook, Ed. We’re risking our lives here.”
“What I’m saying is, I think we can have around five minutes, at the very least.”
I took my dirty school uniform coat off and rolled up my sleeves.
“You shouldn’t think of this as running away. You have to think of this as defeating it.”
Clevius and Lortel looked dumbfounded at my words. It was a natural reaction for
Clevius, but I had never seen Lortel look so puzzled before. She always looked so levelheaded. It wasn’t a common sight. Seeing it in person was kinda hilarious.
“Just do what I tell you. As long as we follow my plan, we will definitely win.”
I waved my arm around, signaling the team in charge of defeating Yenika.
It was to signal that it was time to enter.
Chapter 25: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (5)
Takan’s roar traveled all throughout the vast corridor of Iron Hall.
The sound was sharp like a knife, enough to cut through one’s eardrums and make
everyone swallow their saliva dry. The vanguard leading the way into battle inside the
corridor was Gloomy Clevius.
“Whatever! I don’t care! This is the end of my life!”
He was the top student among the first-years of the Combat Department.
Clevius was prone to saying ominous things and was always complaining. Coupled with
his gloomy appearance, one couldn’t help but think of him as someone who’s rather
pathetic. However, he was actually pretty resilient in a crisis.
Even with how cowardly he tended to act, he was still able to take the top spot in the
Combat Department’s first-year students. Although, strangely, he was unsure of his own
skills. Maybe it was due to his past, maybe an unfortunate family upbringing or history,
but whatever the case, it wasn’t what was important right now.
What was important was that he was able to withstand attacks at a level that anyone
would be in shock of.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
He had one of his arms in a splint due to a fracture, but Clevius was running across the
corridor of Iron Hall as if it was nothing.
Iron Hall was one of the three buildings in the Student Center. It was used as a venue
for various assemblies and was also often used as a training field. It was properly
managed as it was a building where crowds of people would come and go all year round.
To prove this fact, not a speck of dust could be seen on the marble floor of the whole
corridor which stretched all the way out.
At the end of the corridor, about fifty meters ahead, was a large door that led to the
Combat Training Field. It was where the first-years and second-years held their Joint
Combat Training class every year. That majestic door that would normally welcome any
student in Sylvania was now being blocked by a massive burning lizard.
Just looking into its eyes would flood the fear of the previously attempted subjugation
attempt.
Takan slowly stood up, letting out a rather sharp ear-shattering roar. Fear began to take
over Clevius the minute he saw Takan, his legs trembling.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Clevius clenched his teeth as he managed to get his trembling body under control.
All of his senses were screaming at him to run away, but he knew there was no positive
outcome if he were to throw everything away here.
Fortunately, he had companions with him. He didn’t need to deal with the overwhelming
fear by himself. There was Ed Rothstaylor, who was, for some reason, overflowing with
confidence while still remaining calm. There was also Lortel Kehelland, who was always
able to stay cool-headed regardless of the crisis at hand.
They were extremely different people compared to Clevius, who was prone to making a
fuss and getting scared of even the smallest of crises.
Clevius didn’t think any of them would be able to deal any significant damage to Takan,
but at least he didn’t have to enter this hell alone. The fact that he wasn’t alone served as
solace in this hopeless situation
“It’s coming! The battle is starting! Now what...?!”
As he saw Takan run towards him, the burning lizard spirit looking like it was going to
devour him, Clevius looked back at his teammates to ask about the plan.
But nobody was there.
Clevius didn’t look back when he ran as fast as he could. He couldn’t afford to pay
attention to anything because he was in a state of panic, running with all of his
strength.
The corridor of Iron Hall stretched out far, and his teammates who should’ve been
running with him weren’t there at all. A cold sweat ran down Clevius’s back.
“I got tricked! You tricked me!”
Clevius screamed, almost in tears.
“HEY, YOU CRAZY SHITS! HEY! WHERE ARE YOU?! COME OUT! WHAT AM I
SUPPOSED TO DO?! OF ALL PEOPLE, WHY DO I HAVE TO BE THE
SACRIFICE, HUH?! IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE
JUST SENT TAYLEE! HE ALREADY VOLUNTEERED ANYWAY! SO WHY ME?!
AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Clevius continued to scream in the most pathetic way as he ran like crazy, leaving Takan
behind.
If he knew this was going to happen, he wouldn’t have trusted that damn Ed
Rothstaylor. Clevius would’ve persuaded Princess Penia, even if it meant hitting the
floor and throwing a tantrum like an immature child.
He blamed himself for believing in the commanding presence of Princess Penia and
following this plan she approved of.
“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! AGHK! I HATE YOU! I HATE THIS
WORLD! SAVE ME! PLEASE, I’M SORRY! AGHHH!”
Clevius running away with tears in his eyes was truly a pitiful sight.
◐◓◑◒
“Act like we’re going to enter with him, and once Clevius is focused on Takan, we will
run out of there. He wouldn’t agree to this if we just tell him since he’s such a scaredycat. That’s why it’s necessary we do it like this.”
The light of dawn was rising from the east. This long night would soon come to an end.
Lortel slowly closed her eyes only to open them again. She was in a corner of the
Student Square where she could see the three large buildings: Iron Hall, which Clevius
entered, the half-collapsed Glockt Hall in front of it, and right next to it was Obell hall,
which Ed Rothstaylor just ran into.
Pulling her full focus, she gathered all the magic power in her whole body.
Her conversation with Ed a while ago played in her head again.
“The first step is to make Clevius enter Iron Hall’s corridor.”
“So you were just going to sacrifice Clevius in the end. It might not be a bad move, but
morally speaking, criticism is inevitable.”
“I wouldn’t have said anything if it was such a one-dimensional plan.”
Lortel focused on Clevius’s screaming in the corridor, the sound ringing in her ears.
“You have the most important role, Lortel. You’ll be in charge of securing the entrance
for the other group, who will defeat Yenika. You’ll also be in charge of dealing the fatal
blow to Takan.”
There was no hint of hesitation in any of what Ed Rothstaylor said. In the midst of this
confusing, chaotic, and urgent situation, he had no hesitation in making decisions. He had
complete confidence in his own plans.
Lortel closed her eyes. She had experienced countless crises since she was young, having
been in business from an early age
The reason a crisis was a crisis was because it was unexpected. From paperwork crises in
logistics like the halt of distribution or an issue with the cash flow at a store, to a
practical crisis like a business competitor’s secret or scheme.
From Lortel’s experience, she knew very well that a crisis was a unique opportunity that
gave insight into a human’s true nature, as well as their worst qualities.
She thought back to Ziggs just before he left the camp earlier.
In an unpredictable crisis, he was disillusioned by his selfishness prioritizing his own
emotions.
She also remembered how Princess Penia helped Ziggs.
She despised the fact that this person, who was supposed to be firmer and stronger than
anyone else, made such a poor decision.
A person who was truly trustworthy was one who looked for the answer in a time of
unexpected crisis, while still holding strong to their beliefs. Someone who wasn’t
swallowed by fear or swayed by their emotions. And they should be someone who would
never doubt their own beliefs.
“The most urgent thing we need to do is to send the group that will defeat Yenika into
the Combat Practice Field. We can worry about how we can defeat Takan after. So make
sure to focus on listening. When you think Takan is far away enough, destroy the wall
next to the field to let them in.”
The key was to keep Takan and Velosper apart. The worst possible outcome would be to
deal with both of them at the same time.
“Whew... Well... I think he’s showing off a bit too much...”
Lortel was originally in a position of directing others rather than receiving orders.
However, she was only a first-year student. Not only that, but she was also in the same
class as someone from the royal family. At the Elte Company, Lortel had a quite high
position that even old merchants would bow their heads toward her.
She was someone who made her living in business, so she never had to be in an academic
setting until now.
But although she entered Sylvania out of a ‘necessity’, the essence shouldn’t have had to
change.
A fallen noble. A person on the edge of a cliff with nothing left.
She didn’t have to listen to the orders of such a person.
However, Ed Rothstaylor’s words had a strange sense of conviction.
He had confidence that they would overcome this crisis as long as they followed his plan.
This crisis that even a monarch like Princess Penia was struggling with.
The tone of his voice that had no ounce of doubt made it seem like he had already
experienced countless crises. Just what was Ed Rothstaylor’s worst quality? He returned
Lortel’s three gold coins when he shook her hand.
“Hmm...
As someone who lived in the slums before being picked up by The Golden King Elte,
Lortel knew the mindset of someone pushed into a corner.
She fully understood just how great of a temptation even a single gold coin was to a
person who couldn’t guarantee to live another day.
“Well, I don’t think I’m the type of person to jump to conclusions just by hearing mere
rumors.”
Lortel had a giant ice spear floating above her head. No matter how good Clevius was at
taking hits or how fast his reaction speed was, Takan would eventually end up catching
up.
The only way was the aggressive decision to break down the walls of Iron Hall, walls
that boasted a long history.
It was quite a simple plan, but it wasn’t a plan that would come to mind easily.
They were students who usually walked around the academic district and visited the
Student Center as if it was their own home. The magnificent Iron Hall was among the
academy’s pride and was a landmark that represented the Student Center.
They never even considered or thought of it, taking it for granted, as it was a permanent
part of their environment. To destroy it with their own hands was something they
would have never thought of.
But then, wasn’t Glockt Hall already destroyed? No matter how many years a building
has stood for, it could never take precedence over a person’s life.
Those types of drastic decisions were needed in such a large crisis. It’s just a building.
They could just rebuild it. Either way, Takan was already going crazy inside anyway, so
it probably already suffered a lot of damage.
Who would be responsible for such destruction? This wasn’t the time to be afraid of
such things, but for inexperienced students, making these types of valid judgments was
outside of their jurisdiction.
The magnificent Student Center was the academy’s treasure, it shouldn’t be damaged so
recklessly. In this situation, one wouldn’t normally be able to make the best judgments,
trapped by these rules and way of thinking.
But if there was a fire in your home, you would have to break the window to escape.
No matter how expensive the stained glass may be, no matter how valuable a piece of art
might be, you would have to break that window without hesitation and escape.
Destroying an old building like that, Lortel should have nothing to worry about.
“I can’t believe I will destroy Iron Hall with my own hands. When else would I
experience something like this?”
But then again, Lortel had already blown off the roof of Iron Hall once.
Having thought this far, she finally understood what Ed meant before he left for Obel
Hall.
“You’re good at this type of stuff.”
Lortel chuckled. Ed Rothstaylor really was quite an interesting guy.
When this crisis is over, should she go and strike a casual conversation with him?
BANG!!!
Lortel smashed her ice spear into the outer wall of Iron Hall, nearest to the Combat
Practice Field.
Dust rose as the thick wall collapsed.
She smiled neatly as she saw the other group waiting on the outskirts of the Student
Square.
Everyone’s puzzled expression was quite memorable. Anyhow, their entry point had been
secured.
The only thing left to do was take care of Takan.
They just had to buy enough time so the other group could defeat Yenika. It was obvious
what she needed to do now.
“If we do something about its scales, then your magic will become effective against
Takan. I’ll take responsibility and figure out what to do about the scales, so just gather
all the magic power you have and cast the strongest ice magic possible then.”
Lortel became quite curious about this guy who gave such straight-to-the-point
instructions.
The possibility was slim, but perhaps, she had found someone just like her. Her heart
would’ve skipped a beat if that were the case, but she wasn’t immature enough to get
excited over such a slim possibility.
Lortel quietly began to gather her magic as she watched the group in charge of
defeating Yenika enter the Combat Practice Field.
This was a thousand times better than the commands of that princess, who was still
naive and easily swayed. Ed’s was an unfounded conviction that it would all work out.
And if this was the wrong way, then it would all be useless. But at least, right now, it
didn’t feel that way at all.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! LORTEL! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL! I
WON’T LEAVE YOU ALONE!”
Clevius screamed as he ran out of Iron Hall, Takan almost catching up to him, on the
verge of eating him whole.
“NEVER MIND! I’M GOING TO DIE! IT’S TOO DANGEROUS! SAVE ME! I’M
SORRY! I’M SORRY I SAID I WOULD KILL YOU! I’LL FORGIVE ALL OF YOU!
JUST PLEASE SAVE ME!”
Watching him scream in a pathetic manner, Lortel gathered all the magic power in her
body.
◐◓◑◒
BANG!!!
Obel Hall was located on the southwest side of the Student Square. It was a building
that Princess Penia would frequently visit when she become the Student Council
president. It was full of privately owned rooms used as warehouses, along with
conference facilities for the Student Council. It was a place of no importance right now,
located outside of the current story.
As I ran up the stairs like crazy, I could see the outer wall of Iron Hall collapsing outside
the window.
Lortel was able to secure the entry point as Clevius ran away in fear. Then I saw the
group in charge of defeating Yenika entering the Combat Practice Field. Having
confirmed that everything was going according to plan, I continued my climb up the
stairs.
Act 1’s finale has finally entered Phase 4. The Glasskan summoning ceremony was near
completion, and the sun would soon rise in the sky from the east. I thought this would be
our last chance. If we were to fail in defeating Yenika here, then everything that would
happen afterward would be completely unknown territory.
It was such a crazy situation, the Takan and Velosper battles happening at the same time.
It’s completely arrogant to have a fair fight against Takan without Elemental Slash. It
would be like trying to burn a person to death when that person was wearing two or
three layers of fireproof clothing.
It might be possible to inflict a light burn or have them faint, but if you wanted to
completely burn them to death, then there was no choice but to overwhelm them with
firepower, or even use magma.
But there wasn’t a member among the subjugation team capable of doing that.
Among the subjugation team.
BANG!
I kicked open the door to Obell Hall’s roof. The view of the entire rooftop greeted me...
and a familiar witch hat caught my eyes.
I would have stopped by Obell Hall first if I had the time, but I had to let the group in
charge of defeating Yenika in first because the summoning ceremony was just about
completed. But it’s a good thing I got to the roof of Obell Hall just in time to see this
girl here. Everything would be okay now.
If we were to discuss the method on how we should break through Takan’s scales, we
would have to go against the story of Act 1’s finale. Instead, we would have to look at
the first part of the strategy guide.
▣ Phase 1: Gathering your subjugation force
Achievement Conditions:
Please gather these characters at the Student Square!
- ‘The Princess of Benevolence Penia’
- ‘The Spear from Nature Ziggs’
- ‘The Golden Daughter Lortel’
- ‘Companion Ayla’
- ‘Nosy Elvira’
- ‘Gloomy Clevius’
For additional achievements, also gather:
- ‘Romantic Adele’
- ‘Lazy Lucy’
- ‘Senior Maid Bell’
⊛ Meeting the additional achievement conditions only give a little bit of Likeability for each
character. The characters will not participate in the subjugation. But try to meet ‘Romantic Adele’
since she gives a useful buff for attacking the boss later on.
⊛ If you’re trying to 100% clear the stage: Adele can be found playing ukulele in the grass
behind the Western Archery Center, Lucy can be found taking a nap on the roof of Obell Hall,
and Bell can be found next to a statue in Olin Square.
There were barely any players that wanted to clear the additional achievements during
the finale’s Phase 1. The chapter was already short on time and finding the additional
characters didn’t mean they would participate in the subjugation, nor was the
achievement itself that great in the first place. Additional achievements such as this were
usually treated as useless content.
But as I had already cleared this stage countless times, I already knew where the
additional achievements were hiding. And I knew that among them was a weapon that
would completely overturn the flow of the story.
In front of me was a ‘grenade’ that could even break through the scales of Takan. A girl
that was able to sleep through the ongoing crisis. A spear that would break through any
shield no matter how thick they might be.
If you were going against something irrational, then there was no choice but to counter
it with something irrational yourself. If someone wasn’t playing fair, then that leaves you
no choice but to not play fair as well.
I hadn’t completely finished training yet. And my advantage of knowing insider
information wouldn’t enable me to defeat Takan. But there was no reason to be upset.
This side was in desperate need as well.
BANG!
I jumped over the handrail and hurriedly picked up Lucy. She was so light that even the
piles of firewood I carried every day seemed heavier.
“Eh? Huh? Eghk?”
The girl was taking a pleasant evening nap while the entire academic district was being
destroyed. There should be a limit to how lucky someone can be.
“Wh-What? Ugh, so shaky... Uhhh...”
It wasn’t even daytime anymore. It was already night time. This couldn’t even be
considered a nap at this point. I wanted to ask her why she’d been sleeping for so long,
but the reason was pretty obvious so I didn’t.
For Lazy Lucy, sleeping was a means to restore her power. And given how she ran away
from the senior maid Bell last night, she consumed an enormous amount of mana and
had not lost her energy.
She used such high-ranking spatial-type magic with quick casting. It allowed her to skip
the chanting all together, and came all the way from Ophelis Hall to the northern forest.
The only reason she ran out of magic power was because she did something this crazy.
She needed to take a break if she wanted to recover that huge amount of mana back.
It was very like her to be sleeping on the rooftop of Obel hall, but now is not the time to
sleep.
Besides, how many pieces of my jerky had she already eaten? She even ended up
breaking my drying rack, something I had painstakingly made. She had to do something
in return for it. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
But I’m not that cold-hearted. I took out the leather bag from the reading room and
opened it. It was full of strips of jerky.
“Hmm... Jerky...? Something smells like jerky.”
She was still half-asleep, so she didn’t seem like she was conscious just yet. And yet she
could still smell the jerky like some ghost. I grabbed a handful of the dried meat and
stuffed it into Lucy’s small mouth.
“Eughk-! Eugh-!”
“Eat a lot.”
I then picked Lucy up once again and jumped over the railing once more.
“Mughk! Mudhka!”
‘My jaw hurts! Too much!’
At least, that’s what she sounded like.
I could see the high-raking fire spirit Takan over the handrail. And running away while
crying from it was Clevius, who was excellently performing his part. Meanwhile, I could
barely see Lortel, who seemed to be casting the largest ice spear she had ever made.
Lucy’s magic power probably hasn’t fully recovered yet since her capacity to store mana
was as deep and vast as the sea. It was likely she had only been able to recover a small
portion of it.
But that should be enough. Just like how Takan’s existence was irrational, Lucy herself
was also an irrational existence.
“Once you’re done eating, I need you to take care of that thing’s scales!”
“Wh-What?”
I positioned Lucy properly. She couldn’t say anything properly because of all the jerky
stuck in her mouth. Good thing the target was a lizard on fire, so we could clearly see it
even in the dark.
Would this distance be enough?
There was nothing to worry about. I had already done this a bunch of times in the
military. First, check the target.
Second, remove the safety clip.
Lastly, take out the safety pin and throw it!
“Everyone! Get down!”
I shouted with a voice so loud it spread across the Student Center.
Then, I threw Lucy over the railing using all of my strength, straight to where Takan
was visible.
“Muumama!”
Lucy screamed, finally awake.
“Mahfahaf Mafmad-!”
I think she said, ‘This is too much!’
Sorry, Lucy. But from my point of view, this was the only way out.
Lucy’s screams, impeded by her mouthful of jerky, slowly echoed across the Student
Square the farther she got away. This is too much— too much— too much—
There was a moment of silence as Lucy sailed across the sky.
And thenBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
It was the high-ranking lightning magic Divine Judgment.
The lightning magic spread around Lucy, covering the entire field. The shock happened
in an instant, leaving behind a huge gust of wind that I had to hold onto the railing for
support as it flew by.
“Hah!”
Now that its scales had been blown away, us alone should be enough to take Takan down.
I stood and climbed back onto the railing.
It was about time to wrap things up.
All this while I’d been worried my plan would fail, but having come this far, there was
only one important thing left. It might sound a bit selfish considering the situation, but
this was a serious matter.
Takan was a high-ranking fire spirit. The amount of spirit-type experience I would get
should be enormous... I couldn’t let this go to waste!
This was, somehow, the most important moment.
“Last hit...!”
Last hit!
I needed to get the last hit!
I wouldn’t give this up!
I quickly ran to the side of the Student Square where Lortel and Clevius were.
◐◓◑◒
“I’m so proud of you, my beloved daughter, Yenika.”
“I’m so proud to be your friend, Yenika.”
“You’re the hope of the second-years. You were the only one who properly showed off
your skills this Joint Combat Practice.”
“Of course, you can trust Yenika.”
“Without you, us second-years would be the worst year. I’m glad you’re here, Yenika.”
The memories leaking into her consciousness made her heart ache.
Beyond the collapsed wall of Obel Hall, the sky had gradually begun to brighten.
In the young girl’s eyes, the twinkling stars had disappeared like melting snow.
She couldn’t help but sneer at herself as she witnessed such sentimental scenery.
The number of students who came to defeat her was not as large as she had expected.
She quietly stood up from chatting a choral song in the middle of the Combat Training
Field. The oak wand she always carried was now stained black.
The eyes of the spirits protecting her were different from usual. They were glaring.
And those who saw it couldn’t help but have their hair stand on end.
Hidden among the many fluid spirits, the low-ranking spirits, and the spiritual spirits...
the young girl who was chanting a spell slowly glanced back.
Shedding tears, she looked for the face of a certain boy.
But that boy wasn’t there. That was an obvious fact.
The faces of the students that came to stop her were all stiff.
Velosper’s curse had embroidered itself all over her body like chains that bound her. She
gave a regretful smile and quietly kept on reciting the mantra.
“Welcome.”
Act 1 Finale’s final battle.
The subjugation of Yenika Faelover.
Sadly, there wasn’t much time left to talk things out with each other.
Chapter 26: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (6)
The tip of her nose was tingling. That was a familiar feeling to Yenika.
Like when she would put too much pepper in her cream soup at the cafeteria, or when
she would get into an argument with her close friend Clara, or when her beloved father
got seriously injured after getting hit by a cow at the farm, or when she came back to
Sylvania after a long break.
Whenever it happened, Yenika would endure the insistent feeling that would creep up
the tip of her nose, a frown on her forehead.
“I guess I want to cry.”
She knew that feeling.
She would always smile like a princess in some children’s fairytales. Everyone knew there
was no one more thoughtful than her.
Just spending a day with her would enable anyone to see that the source of her uniquely
youthful and relaxed attitude was, ironically, her extremely mature character.
Everyone, from family to friends, to faculty, to seniors, and to those who were younger—
all couldn’t help but look at her in envy. She was a promising talent who never once lost
her position as the top student among the second-years of the Magic Department.
Yenika lived her life with these expectations. She lifted her head and looked at the sight
before her.
The high-ranking dark spirit Velosper was leisurely reigning over the top of Iron Hall’s
Combat Practice Field. He had the arms and legs of a human but his head was strange,
like that of a goat’s. His bat-like wings were gigantic, stretching from his back and
covering the whole of Iron Hall. He was holding a flaming mace in one hand, and it
looked like it could wipe out all the seats in the field in an instant.
Needless to say, he clearly had the appearance of a devil. It was an appearance that would
surely inspire fear in those who would see him as they swallow their breaths and take a
step back. However, the subjugation team firmly stood in their place with an unwavering
gaze.
Taylee McLaure, Ayla Triss, Penia Elias Kroel, Ziggs Eiffelstein, and Elvira Aniston.
The face of each student was burning with a firm will and fighting spirit rather than a
sense of fear. Yenika looked at them, and then slowly closed her eyes. She naturally felt
an impending sense of defeat. She would disgracefully lose this battle, that much was
certain.
However, the emotions pouring out of her chest were not frustration nor grief.
She opened her eyes gently, and shortly after, lifted her oak wand.
Just as she expected, the tip of her nose was tingling.
To Yenika, it was quite a familiar sensation.
◐◓◑◒
I ran down like a madman from the roof of Obel Hall down to the Student Square and
saw that they were nearly done finishing Takan off.
Crash! Crash!
“EUGHAAK! KYAAGHK! DIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH! JUST DIE ALREADY!”
Lucy’s high-ranking lightning magic was frighteningly powerful, but it wasn’t enough to
kill Takan immediately.
But even still, considering the fact that Lucy’s power was not at its best and that she
couldn’t properly cast magic in such a sudden situation, the fact that Takan was still able
to endure her attack deserved applause.
However, she still managed to completely burn off Takan’s scales, so his tremendous
magic resistance was now gone. Magic would be able to finish it off now. This one fact
had just decreased the difficulty of defeating this giant flaming lizard.
Clevius continued to scream as he avoided Takan’s attacks. And even though he was
trembling in fear with tears streaming down his face, his movements were quite
mysterious yet marvelous as he avoided getting hit and kicked by Takan’s tail.
That may have been due in part to Clevius’s high Agility, but it was also because Takan’s
movement had noticeably slowed down compared to the beginning.
Like an animal on the verge of death, it was making its final last-ditch effort to survive.
Takan let out a piercing roar that echoed through the sky and over the Student Square.
Its roar from before was fierce, similar to that of a belligerent warrior, rushing into
battle. But now, Takan’s roar was a scream due to intolerable pain.
I would make that pain go away soon.
I went to Lortel who was continuously supplying firepower.
“Where’s Lucy?”
“She’s rolling around somewhere. It’d be nice if she could finish this off, but I’m not sure
she has the energy.”
“It’s fine.”
It was a relief, in fact. What if she ended up finishing Takan off ? I was actually worried
about that. Because no matter how low her magic power was right now, Lucy could
definitely defeat Takan easily.
As I had mentioned, my ultimate goal was to land the last hit on Takan so I could get
that enormous amount of Spirit-type Skill experience points.
And there was a high chance that Lucy’s overwhelming power would most likely
interfere with that.
“I didn’t get to see it but Clevius is quite impressive as a vanguard. I didn’t expect him to
draw Takan’s attention away to this extent with that injury. If only he would keep that
mouth shut, then he would be a great warrior.”
“Nah, that blabbering mouth of his is his trump card.”
“HEY! AGHK! YOU GUYS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, STARING AROUND LIKE
IDIOTS! SAVE ME! PLEASE! SHOOT SOME MAGIC! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
AGGGHK! I’M GOING TO DIE AT THIS RATE! PLEASE!”
Clevius’s biggest strength was that people viewed him as insignificant. He screamed like
crazy no matter what he did, naturally making people look down on him. That made
them think they could easily take him down when, in fact, they couldn’t.
He might be imperfect, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t valuable. He was, after all, the top
student among the Combat Department first-years.
It was ironic how his low self-esteem often became his strength.
I also understood where Takan was coming from. Clevius seemed easy enough to deal
with as he buzzed around like a mosquito, like Takan could’ve finished him off with a
single flick of its tail. But no matter how many times Takan tried to get rid of him, it
couldn’t.
“I’M NOT LETTING YOU GUYS OFF THE HOOK! REALLY! YOU’RE USING ME
LIKE BAIT AND YOU’RE JUST SITTING AROUND! I’M NOT GOING TO LET
THIS GO!”
He was eventually going to reach his limit with how he was running around and
screaming like crazy.
“Let’s wrap this up.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do. I’ve already landed two ice spears, but it just kept clinging
for its life. It really does have all sorts of defenses.”
“We need to cut its neck.”
I gathered all my remaining magic power and focused it on my fingertips. After training
to my limit at the library earlier, my remaining magic power was nearly all out. But it
was still enough to cast a few beginner spells a few times.
“I’ll do it, since your ice-type magic isn’t suited to cutting cleanly. I’ll take responsibility
and finish this off so you just stop its movements once. You can do that, right?”
“It’s possible. If we do it now.”
What’s important was attacking Takan’s weakness.
Now that it had no scales around its body, even Taylee would be able to cut through it.
Yes, even if Taylee has yet to finish his proper training according to the original
timeline.
I should be able to cut it off with a single strike using Wind Blade, this skill having
exceeded level 10 in proficiency.
My problem was distance. Takan was able to destroy anything that came near it as it
swung its tail and stomped its feet like crazy. If I enter Takan’s range and make even a
single mistake, I would be killed in one shot. It was truly amazing how Clevius was
managing to avoid its attacks. It almost looked like a circus.
“You need to restrict its movements the moment I approach Takan, and at that moment,
I’m going to cut its off head with Wind Blade close range. If I don’t defeat Takan then,
I’ll be in danger too.”
I tapped Lortel’s shoulder.
“I’m risking my life and entrusting you with it, so you have to make sure to do this
right.”
“Haha! You always say things like, ‘I’ll take responsibility and finish it off and ‘I’m
risking my life and entrusting you with it’ so easily... but isn’t this all just a gamble?”
“It’s not a gamble.”
With how fed up I was with constantly having to deal with her in the game, I knew how
to handle the Golden Daughter Lortel all too well. No matter what extraordinary event
happened from Act 1 all the way to the final chapter, she was someone who was always
able to regain her composure despite being taken aback for a moment.
She was a monster when it came to being reasonable.
There were many situations in the original story where she had to act with more
urgency and carefulness than she was now. So even though she was acting like she wasn’t
sure, I already knew what was going on in that head of hers. This was why she’s perfect
in situations like this, situations where everyone needs to remain calm and composed
until the very end.
“This is an investment. Life isn’t cheap, so make sure to get the job done well.”
Lortel’s face hardened for a moment after my words, then she started to treat it as
something fun.
“An investment... That’s my specialty.”
She smiled a mischievous smile.
“But frankly speaking, isn’t it better to leave the close combat to Clevius? After all, he’s
the Combat Department’s top student among the first-years. And if you’re going to cut
something off, isn’t it better to use a sword?”
That was a valid opinion. There wasn’t any reason for me to get involved in close combat
as a student from the Magic Department. Clevius, on the other hand, was expertly
dodging Takan’s attacks with such incredible movement. He should be able to get up
close to the terrifying Takan and cut off its arms and throat.
But I needed to do it. Why? It’s because I needed to land the last hit!
The high-ranking fire spirit Takan was a treasure full of enormous Combat and Spirit
Skill experience points that I couldn’t afford to pass up.
But not like I could tell Lortel that. So I had to improvise with a believable lie instead.
“Does it look like Clevius is in any capacity to do that right now?”
Lortel’s eyes seemed to slightly widen at my answer, and then she let out a beautiful
smile, as if flowers were blooming.
“It’s true that distracting Takan and actually running up close to it are two entirely
different issues. There’s no way that scaredy-cat Clevius would be able to do that.
Alright, then...”
All the while, Clevius was screaming his head off in the background as he was chased by
Takan. Although nobody really cared about it.
Maybe if Takan was still in his prime condition and had the Berserk buff applied. But it
won’t be able to easily defeat Clevius while in this weakened state. Clevius was so agile he
was like a buzzing mosquito flying about.
“Please don’t die. You cannot.”
Lortel spoke harshly, and the way she had her eyebrows raised in a funny way and acting
all tough was definitely meant to rudely imitate the way Princess Penia speaks.
“You’re insulting the royal family.”
“The princess wouldn’t punish me for such a silly impression since she’s known for being
benevolent. But if you’re curious if they really would punish me, why don’t you try
telling her, Ed?”
And the next thing she said was really quite something.
“Frankly speaking, I don’t like Princess Penia. I’m sure she has her own reasons but I’m
sick and tired of being told what to do by that naive leader.”
“Those are quite dangerous words you’re saying.”
“It’s just hilarious that such a naive person will occasionally pretend and act like a
monarch just because she was born with royal blood. We should be looking at people’s
abilities before their blood in order for there to be proper order in the world.”
I stood still without saying anything and just continued to listen.
“What I’m saying is quite dangerous, huh? It’s been a while since I was able to fully
express my true feelings.”
“What would happen if I were to report this to the princess?”
“Who knows? I can’t say for sure. Maybe she won’t believe you or maybe I’ll face capital
punishment. I don’t think we’ll know for sure unless you try, right?”
“What’s your purpose for saying all of this?”
With a playful smile, what Lortel said next was just so like her that I couldn’t say
anything more.
“Just how you’re risking your life and entrusting it with me, I’m risking my life and
entrusting it to you, too.”
She raised both of her hands as if to yield.
“Both sides of a double-pan balance scale must always be kept level. That’s the secret to
the Elte Company’s longevity and success.”
It was a bit lame to point it out since we both knew that saying was hypocrisy.
But if I were to think about it, this was just how Lortel Kehelland was. Even the way she
pays respects was unnecessarily complicated. There was never a simple way for her to
express her feelings.
And that was one of the characteristics of a merchant.
◐◓◑◒
I needed to finish up before Clevius ended up peeing his pants.
As crazy as it may sound, the battle against Velosper and the battle against Takan were
happening at the same time. And somehow,
Act 1’s finale, even though it was different from the original timeline, was actually
looking like it would end well.
Once the other group entered the Velosper battle, Taylee should acquire the
Swordmaster Skill, and from there on, there shouldn’t be any more unexpected events.
Though the skill’s strength became a bit more ambiguous as time went on, its
overpowered specs for Act 1 made it quite powerful. Every player knew how helpful the
skill was to break through the early game story.
As long as Penia was able to set up her defense magic and Ziggs was in charge of
tanking, then Taylee alone would be enough to defeat Velosper.
The story should go back on track the moment we finish off Takan and clear the road.
It was obvious what was going to happen next. Velosper would cast another large-scale
Berserk on all the spirits once Yenika and the subjugation force face off. This would push
the team into a corner but, at that moment, Taylee would use his Swordmaster Skill and
cut down Velosper in one fell swoop. And just as Velosper was about to die, he would use
Yenika to trigger the incomplete Glasskan summoning circle.
Of course, summoning Glasskan with an incomplete circle was not possible.
However, Velosper would succeed in summoning the demon’s right arm. Glasskan would
begin to wipe out the subjugation force with his magic emanating from his right arm, the
power covering the entirety of the academic district. But then Taylee would once again
use his Swordmaster Skill and cleanly cut off the right arm.
And at that moment, Taylee would realize the way of the sword, kicking off the rest of
the story. If the story returned to progressing like in the original timeline, then I would
only need to take care of myself from then onwards.
Anyhow, this was a chance for me to defeat a named boss, the high-ranking fire spirit
Takan. I couldn’t waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The best thing to do right
now was to defeat that lizard and exponentially increase my Spirit Skills proficiency, the
proficiency that was just barely short of reaching my goal a while ago.
“I’m going now.”
I took a long deep breath as I walked out of the Student Square. Lortel had already
prepared an ice spear and nodded her head. The relaxed atmosphere between the both of
us a while ago was nowhere to be seen. She completely believed that I was putting my
life on the line and entrusting it to her.
This was something that required a great deal of courage, but it wasn’t impossible. I
knew Takan’s stats like the back of my hand, and he was also in a weakened state.
That meant I could easily win as long as Lortel backed me up on time. The key was to
attack Takan’s weakness. To cut its throat.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Clevius was still running around like crazy, having completely lost his mind by now. It
looked like Takan had slowly realized that Clevius wasn’t that easy to take care of, even
though he completely looked easy, to begin with.
As I quickly approached them, Takan turned toward me. Both Takan and I were in a
state of total exhaustion.
We both realized this fact.
Then Takan roared as he charged at me. The ground shook beneath my feet, my ears
pounding, Seeing Takan turned directly at me, I understood why Clevius was scared
beyond his wits. Even though it was completely exhausted, Takan ran like crazy,
dragging along its injured body with the determination to kill its opponent.
No. Not yet. I needed to be closer.
Lortel knew as she waited to fire her ice spears. I had to get closer, even closer, to make
sure that his neck would be in the range of my magic.
Then—
BOOM!
Something unexpected happened all of a sudden. Glasskan’s summoning circle
embroidered itself in the sky.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT IS THAT?!”
The first person to scream was Clevius.
Glasskan’s summoning circle emitted a dazzling light in the morning sky as dawn rose
from the horizon. And then a humongous right hand ripped through the circle covering
the entirety of Iron Hall.
Velosper had been defeated. It was the sound of the start of Phase 5. And once Taylee
cut down Glasskan’s arm, then the entire Act would be over.
No matter where you were in the academic district, chances were, you could clearly see
the disaster unfolding. The sight of a demon’s right hand coming out of a summoning
circle high up in the sky, a dark energy emanating from it, definitely would look like it
was the end of the world.
I knew that was going to happen, but the timing of it wasn’t good.
It was a sight impossible to take your eyes off regardless of who was watching. It looked
like the apocalypse was upon us. It would be weird if you weren’t paying attention to it.
But Takan wasn’t like that, and that was a problem.
Seeing Takan still charge at me like a madman, I looked at Lortel. But even though she
was probably distracted, the moment I shouted at her, an ice spear flew.
The ice spear struck Takan right on its face, stealing its sight and hearing. Takan
screamed.
Lortel turned around and looked at me, her face serious. Even in the midst of such a
crisis, she focused on me. Her lips were clearly saying ‘Do it now,’ entrusting me with the
rest of the work.
The next part wasn’t hard. I turned back around and looked up to see a giant flaming
lizard writhing in pain.
I cast Wind Blade, a spell I must’ve used hundreds of thousands of times by now, and
drove it right into its neck.
[ You have defeated the high-ranking fire spirit Takan! ]
[ Spirit-type magic ‘Spiritual Resonance’ level has increased!
Spirit-type magic ‘Spiritual Understanding’ level has increased! ]
[ Spirit-type magic ‘Spiritual Resonance’ level has increased!
Spirit-type magic ‘Spiritual Understanding’ level has increased! ]
[ Spirit-type magic ‘Spiritual Resonance’ level has increased!
Spirit-type magic ‘Spiritual Understanding’ level has increased! ]
[ Spirit contract slots have opened! You can now sign contracts with spirits! ]
◐◓◑◒
“I have seen so many people sincerely risk their lives throughout my life. Though they
were all cowards.”
The manifestation of Takan had completely dissipated, leaving no traces behind.
I, along with Lortel, Clevius and Lucy, sat side by side under a Zelkova tree just outside
the Student Square.
Clevius was weeping terribly for a while until he completely passed out on the grass in
exhaustion. Lucy was munching on jerky as she leaned on me until she fell asleep. This
stray cat would probably go off and disappear again sometime soon.
The sun was rising over the half-destroyed Iron Hall. Up high in the sky, there was a
crack in the barrier covering the academic district.
I didn’t need to explain what happened after the right arm of Glasskan was summoned.
Taylee jumped into the air and cut it down in an instant using his Swordmaster Skill. It
was so straightforward that I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Of course, there must have been a really dramatic scene happening at Iron Hall, but that
was all the view we got from the outside.
I thought it was hilarious that the final chapter of Act 1 was about Glasskan’s
subjugation, and yet Glasskan was defeated in just one cut scene. I wonder if they had
the same impression as when I played the game.
Even still, the entirety of the academic district was engulfed in a gale as the manifested
right arm of Glasskan was cut down, truly worthy to be part of the main character’s
story arc. Everyone was looking at the brilliantly splendid scene, well except for Lucy
who was already dozing off at that time.
And just like that, the curtain fell on Act 1.
“Of course, the main force of the subjugation efforts was the group that went inside the
field, and they must have fought with their lives at risk. But didn’t we also go out and
risk our lives out here as well? We could go ahead and be proud of what we did. We
really did risk our lives for this one.”
Lortel said uselessly as she smirked.
“Well, in a life dedicated to business, risk is inevitable. Though this was my first time in
such a situation. It was quite an experience.”
She had so much audacity for someone that nearly died just a few moments ago.
Well, I guess her life wasn’t any less difficult than Taylee’s. She must have experienced a
few crises similar to this one already.
“Yeah.”
I nodded as I looked up at the bright sky.
Perhaps Lortel didn’t like my simple reaction because she sat up with a grumpy
expression on her face and pushed toward me.
“What’s the matter? We overcame a life and death crisis but you don’t seem too happy
about it.”
“Well, I’m so tired I feel like I’m going to die. I also couldn’t sleep at all. It should be the
same for you too, no?”
“I guess that’s true. I’m not even sure what’s going on...”
The sun rose as the light of dawn lit up the day. It had been a long night.
Finally, I saw one of the subjugation team walk out of the half-destroyed Iron Hall.
Taylee was walking up front. Having acquired the Swordmaster Skill, his black hair was
now light gray and the color of his eyes had turned bright red. He was followed by Ayla,
Princess Penia, Ziggs, and Elvira.
Ziggs must have gone through a lot as the team’s vanguard because he came out limping,
and even Elvira looked as if she was on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
At least everyone seemed safe. Things seemed to have followed the original story,
somehow. Lortel stood up as she greeted and congratulated the subjugation force for
their victory.
Only to stop and suddenly look back, as if she had remembered something, She then
reached her hand out to me as if to introduce herself, and cunningly said her own name.
“Lortel Kehelland.”
“I know...”
“I’m officially introducing myself again. Well, I won’t pull any crazy pranks against you.
From now on, that is.”
When she said crazy pranks, she was probably talking about the last time when she
suddenly approached me and gave me money. I knew it. She approached me then with
hidden intentions. I already expected it, of course.
“Alright... Good choice.”
I thoughtlessly accepted Lortel’s handshake since I was tired. But I didn’t expect what
she would do next.
Lortel wrapped her small hand around my own and shook it a few times, before quickly
letting go and putting her hands behind her back.
She looked like a downright troublemaker with the way she was walking backward.
“I won this time.”
That fox-like smile was her trademark.
I opened my hand and saw three gold coins inside. She had taken revenge on me
returning them to her last time.
“You let your guard down, didn’t you? Now, you owe me a favor. What should I do now?”
Lortel kept grinning at me like the troublemaker that she is before she turned around to
greet the party.
“See you again, Ed.”
Lortel left me with such words before she walked towards the subjugation team first. I
sighed as I looked at the sun rising up in the sky.
I knew Lortel had a foxy side to her. Well, just because I got some money while I was in
debt didn’t mean I would be swayed. Lortel knew that too, and yet she gave me the
money anyway. She must have wanted to remain in contact in the future, and use this as
justification for it.
“An investment... That’s my specialty.”
I can’t help but want to give her a round of applause in admiration for putting her words
into practice. Anyhow, the Glasskan Subjugation chapter had ended well.
It was the perfect time to make such internal monologues while watching the
subjugation force walking out of the hall with their backs against the rising sun.
It was a difficult hurdle, but we got through it pretty well. As I watched the sky slowly
turn brighter, I wanted to congratulate myself. Good work, me. Though it’s just Act 1, I
somehow managed to get through it all quite well.
“...So, what about Yenika?”
I suddenly felt like a core piece of the story was still missing. There was an indescribable
emptiness left, as if an important part of the story had been completely skipped over.
It was the empty puzzle piece that had changed Yenika’s every move, and it still
remained empty.
The Glasskan Subjugation chapter ended well, and even though there was an unexpected
hiccup in the middle, ultimately, the story returned to the original flow of the game. And
there were no casualties. Shouldn’t this mean that everything ended well...
And yet, there were so many things I was worried about that I couldn’t just let things
end like this.
“Come to think of it, I don’t see our senior Yenika.”
From this distance, I couldn’t see Yenika with the subjugation force. Since they had
defeated her, wasn’t it only natural that someone carried her out on their back?
“Well, everyone’s focus was completely on Glasskan’s right arm during the battle. I’m
sure Yenika was just left behind.”
Lortel tilted her head at me as she walked away from the team.
“Come to think of it, I think I know what happened to Yenika for her to do this.”
“What?”
“I happened to run into Yenika in the hallways of Ophelis Hall some time ago. We made
up with each other for what happened at the Joint Combat Practice.”
And as if it was nothing, Lortel continued to talk.
“I just happened to take a look into her room...”
Lortel continued to take slow steps forward as she talked.
“Would you like to hear my story? Hmm, Ed?”
Chapter 27: Glasskan Subjugation Expedition (7)
“Thank you.”
The damp air of dawn blew against my face.
Although now wasn’t the appropriate time to be thinking about this, there was still
something I wanted to say.
The crisis just barely got solved before things turned for the worst thanks to the firstyear ace students. Taylee seemed to have also acquired the Swordmaster Skill, and as
long as he had that skill, the story shouldn’t run into any issues for the time being, which
was a relief.
The half-destroyed Iron Hall and Glockt Hall.
The broken trees, the benches and fences that were piled up here and there that were
used as a barricade, and the marble floor of the Student Square that had completely
shattered into pieces due to Takan stomping around.
The other parts of the academic district were not in a good shape as well.
Calculating just how much damage had been done was meaningless. There was no way
to exactly calculate it anyway. There were serious injuries and an uncountable number of
minor injuries as well.
Fortunately, there were no casualties.
“Frankly speaking, I still feel resentment towards you.”
Taylee had his head lowered and his whole body was covered in wounds. He was the one
who ran all over the academic district and gathered the members of the subjugation
force, and he was the one whose sword cut down Velosper and Glasskan during the
battle.
It was a glorious achievement that deserved praise from everyone around him but Taylee
didn’t have the corners of his mouth raised into a smile at all.
“I think you know the reason why better than anyone else.”
Taylee’s eyes were still filled with hostility.
I looked around. The subjugation force members that went through all sorts of
hardships were gathered together in front of the Student Center. They had completed
everything and were on their way to a glorious return.
The students waiting at the base in the center of the Student Square would applaud and
cheer for them once they return, and the long night’s story would finally come to an end.
It had been a long and tiring night but somehow, it was finally over. Act 1 ended on such
a note. We would go straight into Act 2 next. The episode dealing with a war of nerves
between the Elte Company and the academy.
“Still, I owe you a lot.”
Although Taylee said that, his hostility didn’t disappear.
“I need to at least pay my respects. No matter how much I resent you, the subjugation
wouldn’t have even happened had you not blocked Takan in the first place.”
He made sure to show his gratitude even though he was clenching his teeth with such
hostility. This was the kind of person Taylee McLaure was.
“Ah, Taylee. You’re quite uptight, huh? Haha! If you hate him, just say you hate him.
Why are you compartmentalizing your emotions and saying you’re grateful for what he
did even if you hated him?”
Nosy Elvira burst out laughing despite being completely exhausted.
“That’s right, Taylee! You don’t have to be polite to this guy. The only reason he helped
was to save his own ass. Isn’t he the type of person who’d backstab you if your goals
don’t align? When we were taking care of Takan, he only used me as bait and treated my
life like some measly fly’s...! Seriously! This dude...!”
“Clevius, you’re too loud.”
“You talk quite a bit, Clevius.”
“Be quiet, Clevius.”
Lortel, Princes Penia, and Ziggs spoke one after the other, stopping Clevius from saying
another word. He probably felt timid at being chastised so he quietly walked away with
dropped shoulders.
“Taylee is right, Ed. I can’t just blindly trust you, but it’s clear that you did quite a bit of
work here. That’s definitely something deserving of praise. If you submit a post of
recommendation to the academic council, whatever it may be, it will be accepted.”
“You don’t have to go that far, princess.”
And then I spoke of some objective facts.
“The biggest help during the Takan subjugation was Lucy, while Taylee was the one who
cut Velosper and Glasskan down, so there’s no need to give me such praise. Please focus
on them, rather than me.”
“Oh my, you’re trying to give credit to others. Everyone already knows Lucy and Taylee
played a big part during the battles. What we’re talking about here is something else...
Or, wait. Is it... are you, perhaps, embarrassed?”
“He’s a whole year above you. Speak with some respect, Elvira.”
Ziggs flicked Elvira’s forehead, making her squeal as she stepped back, allowing Ziggs to
come up and talk to me.
“Let’s talk about the details back at the base, Ed. We can’t possibly come to a conclusion
while walking on the street like this.”
But I stood still, unmoving.
The others were already heading back to the Student Square when they realized I was
still where I was. They turned around one by one and looked at me.
As dawn settled upon us, these exhausted and injured characters were to return home
with a victory.
Taylee, Ayla, Princess Penia, Ziggs, Lortel, Clevius, and Elvira.
I trusted that these main characters would be able to progress through the story from
now on. Pure baseless confidence it may be, but I trusted that they would somehow
figure out how to solve any ordeal that would arise in the future.
I had been watching over them all these times, and they kept getting entangled in
unexpected events due to changing variables.
This Glasskan Subjugation chapter could have potentially been a story-breaking event.
And yet they were able to handle it to this extent. Didn’t this mean they should be fine
dealing with future events that wouldn’t have an outside variable to mess things up?
I thought of that as I looked at this group of main characters.
I had been maintaining my distance from them so I wouldn’t affect the flow of the story.
However, seeing them up close like this, I couldn’t help but feel warm inside.
I had been watching them do their designated roles in this world, solving their own
problems day in and day out.
There was Taylee, who kept getting stronger with each ordeal he faced, and there was
also Ayla, who kept getting stronger so she could support Taylee. There was Princess
Penia, who was surely growing into an adult as she started to accept her destiny as the
future queen, and Ziggs, who was finding his own way in the midst of civilization. There
was also Lortel, who was starting to question her life of nothing but money, as well as
Clevius, who was starting to gain confidence in himself. And lastly, there was Elvira, who
was starting to realize that having fun wasn’t everything life had to offer.
I was well aware of each of their hardships and the challenges that they would face. At
the same time, I also knew of the successes that would later come to them.
Each of them had their own role. And although their roads may sometimes get bumpy
and rough, the end of it was a sparkling red carpet for everyone.
Success awaits them at the very end, and everyone would praise them as the kingdom’s
brilliant heroes.
“There’s something I left behind at Iron Hall. You guys go first.”
I knew that fact very well, so I turned my head and walked away.
Now that the crisis was over, it was time to put the puzzle pieces together.
I went back to Iron Hall’s Combat Practice Field. I walked down the half-destroyed
corridor and opened the large wooden door... to reveal what didn’t look like the field at
all.
Ziggs’s wind magic must have blown all the seats away, and the floor was littered with
craters and gaps here and there. The curtains were all completely burned down and the
walls were also full of holes as well.
The air was cool inside as it blew in from the open ceiling where Glasskan’s right arm
had pierced through. The roofless hall revealed a sky in which darkness was beginning to
recede.
Those were the traces of the final battle with Velosper.
The stage where Act 1 ended.
It was a place that would not show up again in the later chapters of ‘Sylvania’s Failed
Swordmaster.’
I walked between the spectator seats that had been blown every which way and headed
for the podium up front. And right below it was the spare podium where Lucy took a nap
that time during the Joint Combat Practice class.
Rattle!
I opened the door below and found Yenika hugging her knees to herself as she giggled
softly, looking every bit as awkward since I caught her hiding.
◐◓◑◒
It was cozier than I thought. I thought I now knew why Lucy took a nap down here. The
spare podium in the half-destroyed Combat Practice Field.
I sat next to Yenika as I looked up at the sky. The barrier that covered the sky and
isolated the academic district was starting to crack little by little.
“I didn’t know I would be found so easily. The other students seemed so busy with
Glasskan that they had forgotten about me.”
“With something that enormous summoned through the sky, who would have the time to
worry about you?”
“Even then, it still hurt my feelings. I was doing this and that on such a grand scale, but
the moment everything was solved... I couldn’t believe they just left me behind. ‘Where
is Yenika?’, I thought they would have at least asked that and looked for me, if even for
just a bit.”
The members of the subjugation force were already completely exhausted, so they would
have wanted to return to the base as soon as possible rather than search every nook and
cranny of Iron Hall to find Yenika, who had disappeared immediately after the battle.
The professors and faculty staff would eventually come and take care of the rest of the
work here after they break down the barrier anyways.
“But you were hiding because you didn’t want to get caught.”
“That’s hard to deny... hehe.”
Yenika didn’t look normal either. Her whole body was covered in dust and the shawl that
was wrapped around her shoulders was torn in several places. The results of a fierce
final battle.
Hugging her knees, Yenika looked up at the sky. Her body, which was entirely covered by
Velosper’s curse a while ago, still had some traces left. But once her magic power
returned, she would be able to start purifying herself and her body would quickly return
to its original pale skin.
“I didn’t know I would be found so soon. I wanted to hide for a bit longer.”
“You would’ve gotten caught right away once the barrier was broken and the faculty
came in.”
“I wanted to be alone until then. I didn’t want to show myself to anyone.”
“why?”
She smiled at the question.
“Uhm... I was planning on ugly crying.”
Saying that as if it wasn’t weird...
“It’s too embarrassing to show that side of me to others.”
But hearing her words, I felt as if the question that had been plaguing me for years had
finally been resolved. Why was Yenika Faelover the boss for Act 1?
Unlike the game’s other bosses, her actions were rather passive. She also didn’t have a
distinctive aesthetic of her own, nor did she have a destiny she needed to achieve, nor did
she have the qualities of a pure villain.
Amongst all the amazing bosses of the game, Yenika Faelover was given the role of the
first boss who would begin the story. As a player, you couldn’t help but think something
wasn’t right.
I couldn’t figure out the reason even after all the research I did. In the end, I came to the
conclusion that the developers probably went with her because it would have a lot of
‘impact’ on new players.
Yenika was always bright, sincere, and loved by everyone. For someone like her to be
taken over by a dark spirit and get in the player’s way, wouldn’t that be shocking and
unconventional enough? Whatever hidden meaning there may be, the impact and reveal
of her as the first act’s boss had a significant enough impact to make up for the lack of it.
After I came to this conclusion, I didn’t think much of the darkness that was supposed to
have fed Velosper, lurking in Yenika’s mind.
But as it turned out... it actually wasn’t that complicated. Rather, it was such an
extremely easy and common story that it never even crossed my mind.
“I just happened to take a look into her room then.”
Yenika’s room that Lortel had taken a look into. And the sight that she had seen. It was
only after Lortel told me that I was finally able to put all the pieces together.
Taylee was allowed to enter Ophelis Hall during Act 2’s mid-boss fight where the player
was tasked to defeat ‘Ophelis Hall’s Maid Elris.’
While chasing after the enemies inside the dormitory, the player was allowed to enter the
room of different characters, and among them was Yenika’s room.
It was only a brief scene during an urgent battle, but the glimpse you get of Yenika’s
room was definitely strange.
She had a spacious room filled with all sorts of photos and writings. On her desk was a
photo of her family, along with letters of support from them. Next to the letters are the
messages from her loving friend and the awards and certificates from her professors and
the faculty members, each of them filled with nothing but praises and expectations. And
on the wall above her desk was a postcard from her hometown.
And what was her view from her desk? There were cute accessories given to her by her
friends and a vase of well-maintained lilies and roses gifted to her by the academy. On
one side were her trophies won from competitions held by the academy, all regularly
wiped sparkling-clean. On another side were four oak wands, all given as a gift by seniors
to congratulate her for signing a contract with Takan.
She also had a beautiful cosmos-shaped wooden statue sent by her family that she had
placed in a corner. Next to it lined up were accessories in the shape of elemental spirits,
given to her as a gift by her Elementalist Studies professor. She had a bouquet of flowers
made by her friends from her after-school club. She also had all her used magic tools
nicely packed and sent by her family. Although a bit bulky so she had them under her
desk.
Opening her drawer, you would find letters of admiration full of love and respect
towards Yenika. Those were letters written to her by her family, her friends back in her
hometown, academy alumni, and faculty members. Each letter was sincerely thankful.
And each letter Yenika had ever received, she had kept.
But imagine this.
Imagine Yenika sitting there with her eyes closed.
It was a spacious desk, and yet there was no room to properly open even one book. The
letters that covered her wall weighed on her shoulders like bricks.
Oh, but the solution was really simple. Everyone knew it.
There was no need to treat every bit of sincerity and respect so seriously. It was
important to know how to shake their weight off when they become too heavy to bear.
If Yenika took down all the supportive messages on her wall, and if put the sincere gifts
that filled her desk somewhere in the corner of her room, and if she threw away all the
letters that were too old to be needed... If she did...
But she hadn’t. The fact that this was impossible for Yenika to do was the start of her
misfortune. It was her darkness. And Velosper latched onto that darkness.
Yenika Faelover was obsessed with giving the world all the sincerity and goodwill she
could give at the same level of sincerity and goodwill she had received. She was truly like
the main character in a fairytale. But that was a reckless point of view in life. No
explanation needed.
“Hmm...
That knowledge alone was enough for me to know Yenika’s behavior that led to the
finale happening a month earlier than the original timeline.
The weight that was pulling her down had increased at a much faster rate than from the
game.
And if I were to think about the reason... it went all the way back to the Joint Battle
Practice. The student who was supposed to receive the most attention from that class
was Taylee, not Yenika.
It was an episode where both of them raised their reputation and became the two top
students. Taylee, for winning his duel against Lucy, and Yenika, for being the only
second-year to win.
However, since Lucy one-shotted Taylee into defeat, all the spotlight focused on Yenika.
And because the second-years were beyond frustrated by all their losses from the firstyears, their expectations towards Yenika exceeded that of a simple idol and almost
entered the realm of religion.
All in all, an unexpected variable at the beginning of the story ended up biting me in the
ass and created another unexpected event in the end.
The reason why all the attention was on Yenika was because Lucy blew away Taylee in
one shot.
The reason why Lucy was able to one-shot Taylee was because she signed a contract
with Merilda.
The reason why Lucy was able to sign a contract with Merilda was because she had been
going to the northern forest more than usual. The reason why Lucy had been visiting
the northern forest more than usual was because she found a good place to take a nap
there. And the reason there was a good place to take a nap was....
It was because there was someone who got kicked out of their family at the start of Act
1 living there.
Though the flapping of the butterfly wings was timid, the result became a hurricane.
I couldn’t even complain that it was too much.
However, an involuntary sigh escaped my lips because the missing puzzle piece turned
out to be different from what I had imagined. Something that had been bothering me for
a long time had finally become clear. Why was Yenika chosen as the first boss?
The message of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ wasn’t complicated at all.
Yenika Faelover was the opposite of the main character, Taylee McLaure.
Taylee was someone who became stronger as time went on. There would be all sorts of
agony and pain in his path but he would be able to overcome all these obstacles that
stood in his way. He was that kind of main character.
On the other hand, Yenika lived a life opposite of Taylee’s.
She was born with good talent, was loved by her family, and received everyone’s praises
and warm sincerity. She was a girl who would never lose her smile.
But she became the reason things turned out like this.
I didn’t know if there were actual people in the world who lived their life like a dramatic
main character. Someone who overcame all sorts of hardships and achieved such
dramatic success.
People who live their life as supporting characters ultimately have to accept the
consequences of failure despite receiving everyone’s love and support. Those people are
who we call extras.
Yenika must have been chosen as the boss of Act 1 to show the dark side behind Taylee’s
actions. She was the antithesis to Taylee, the game’s main character.
And since she received that much attention during Act 1, it was no wonder she was
chosen as the boss for it.
However, the meaning hidden so deep like this... was just painful. What even was the
point of all these obscurely hidden game elements?
“Oh...” involuntarily uttered words of admiration at the sight in front of me.
Spirits had no concept of death. Cutting off the head of a manifestation would only
release it, allowing it to return to its fluid state, their power significantly reduced. It
would take a tremendous amount of time for them to recover.
All this time, I hadn’t seen a spirit with my own eyes. But looking around the training
field right now, my eyes trained with enough Spirit Resonance... I could see the spirits
hovering from all over the half-destroyed building. It was so beautiful with the sunlight
shining down on them.
With the Berserk magic lifted, all the spirits had begun to gather around Yenika one by
one, as if to comfort her.
“What will happen to me now?”
“You’ll be sent to the Disciplinary Committee.”
“Will I be... expelled?”
“Who knows?”
She didn’t get expelled, as far as I knew, because her face showed up for a brief moment
during the ending credits. However, what happened next to her from here on out was
completely unknown territory.
Yenika was now a character that had come down from the stage. Someone that was now
completely separated from the main scenario. A villain that no longer had a big impact
on the main story. Pushed aside.
The reason why that felt so familiar was because it wasn’t exactly just someone else’s
story to me.
“The fact that you were a victim taken over by Velosper would be taken into
consideration to some extent.”
“Really?”
“But your crimes wouldn’t be completely erased. Dean McDowell is the academy’s head
dean, and he tends to be pro-students so he wouldn’t just carelessly expel the academy’s
second-year top student.”
The second-years would be hopeless without Yenika. So all the professors in charge of
second-years would do their best to make sure she wasn’t expelled.
On top of that, she had a good reputation and was well-behaved. She had also
contributed many things to the academy so the students would side with her.
They would probably even write a petition for her, if needed... If she was lucky, she
would maybe end up with a probation or suspension at most. Though she was already
quite lucky, if I were being honest.
“Hey, Ed. Can I say something embarrassing?”
“What?”
“I thought of something when the subjugation force arrived.”
Above us, all of a sudden, the barrier began to break under the bright early morning sky.
It sparkled as the sun rose from the east. It was quite a dazzling sight.
“I imagined that someone with overwhelming power would show up and take care of the
entire situation, and he would run away holding my hand. Wouldn’t it have been great if
he could do everything so I wouldn’t have to worry? And then he would kindly tell me
that everything would be okay...?”
“Would such a thing even happen?”
“You’re right. That’s something that only happens in fairytales.”
Yenika let out a tiny laugh.
Then, with a big smile on her face, she nodded her head, as if to say, ‘Yeah.’
“Someday, by all means, please save Yenika.”
The wind wolf message came to mind. It was a spirit that sincerely cared about and
loved Yenika.
Though I didn’t care about the message then, now that I thought about it, something felt
strange.
The fact that Yenika would be taken over by Velosper and destroy the academic district
was future knowledge that only I knew. Even then, it asked me to save Yenika, as if
Merilda also knew about the future.
But that couldn’t be true though.
Asking someone who knew about the future to save Yenika was like asking them to take
care of the ordeal that Yenika was about to face.
But Merilda’s message shouldn’t have had that intention. In other words, my information
advantage had ended up giving me a role...
But, perhaps, Merilda had already noticed Yenika’s heavy heart then.
But since giving encouragement, giving advice and being worried about her were
poisonous acts towards Yenika... The more sincere someone was towards her, the heavier
their sincerity became to her. What she needed was something light but not cold, like a
warm drizzle of encouragement. Words that were more precious than gold.
Everyone who loved Yenika gave her their entire heart. Merilda must have come to the
conclusion that a boy who had tried to push Yenika away was more suitable to give her
words of encouragement.
It wanted Yenika to have someone to rely on emotionally. Someone who didn’t put
pressure on her with a heavy heart.
“Hey, Yenika.”
And that’s why I called out to her and told her,
“You did great.”
Would my one message be enough to provide her the emotional support she needed?
Yenika forced out a smile as she quietly buried her face into her knees.
In the end, Yenika Faelover had failed.
She tried to sign a contract with a new high-ranking spirit. But because she rushed the
summoning ceremony, she ended up being taken over by a dark spirit and destroying the
academic district.
It was quite the massive failure. Something that would be too difficult to look past. In
any case, her process and goal must have originally been sincere.
Studying late into the night, training her magic power, smiling at her family, her
classmates, and her teachers who sincerely supported her... she must have put a lot of
energy and effort into meeting the expectations of these people.
Since the process itself was beautiful, ironically, the failure was as well. I didn’t know
how comforting this thought was though.
As if to comfort her, spirits flocked to Yenika whose back was quietly shaking. They
seemed to be trying to say that she had tried hard enough.
Yenika who would normally smile widely and hug the spirits... only for today, her
shoulders shook without giving any response. The sun was setting. The stage had now
moved onto the next act.
Students cheered for the subjugation force as they returned victorious to the Student
Square.
The proud main characters walked up the stage as a round of applause and praises
poured in.
On the other hand, the backstage was quiet and dark. The exit of the Act 1 villain was
hidden by the main characters’ grand success.
Amidst the spirits, this girl who had experienced her first failure in life was left quietly
sobbing. I didn’t comfort or encourage her with all of my heart. That was the answer.
Act 1. The first act of the game that I have repeated countless of times. It felt like I had
finally confirmed that this story arc had ended.
◐◓◑◒
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Ordinary Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic: + Fast Casting Level 5
« Mana Sense Level 6
Fire Element Magic: + Ignite Level 12
Wind Element Magic: + Wind Blade Level 11
Spirit-type Magic:
+ Spiritual Resonance Level 10
«+ Spiritual Understanding Level 10
{ New Spirit Slot: Empty )
{ New Spirit Slot: Empty ) ]
[ Low-ranking fire spirit Elgo has taken an interest in you. ]
[ Low-ranking wind spirit Dris has taken an interest in you. ]
[ High-ranking wind spirit Merilda has taken a strong interest in you. ]
Chapter 28: Yenika Faelover (1)
A gust of warm wind blew by. The warm sunlight tickled her skin as it came through
the hidden flower garden deep in the lush forest.
Yenika sat there, picking flowers as she made a wreath. She had taken off her damaged
academy uniform and had instead put on a comfortable beige skirt she used to wear back
in her hometown. She carefully weaved the wreath together as she sang a beautiful tune.
Suddenly, a boy arrived from the forest, riding a majestic white horse. He slowly
dismounted from the saddle as the sounds of the horse’s hooves clapping subsided.
That boy was Ed Rothstaylor.
Yenika stood up with a big smile on her face as she welcomed Ed to the flower garden.
Ed wore the flower wreath she had made and held her hand as they smiled at each other.
Then the two of them began to dance.
Hahaha—
Flower petals flew around them as the butterflies danced in the air. And as if the forest
had blessed them, the trees moved out of their way to give them room as they moved.
Hahahahaha—
Their steps were exactly in sync, as if they perfectly understood each other. The sound
of an unknown lute and a harp resonated throughout the garden.
It was truly a scene from a fairytale. Hahahaha— Haha—
Ha—
Chirp— Chirp— The chirps of the sparrows outside the Ophelis Hall windows tickled
her ears. It was the sound of a new morning.
Yenika sat up.
Her hair was a mess and her skin was a little bloated from last night’s deep sleep. Yenika
buried her face into her pillow as she hugged it.
“What’s wrong with me... I’m already this old, but I’m still having these types of
dreams...”
Waves of embarrassment and humiliation kept on crashing onto her as time passed by.
◐◓◑◒
It was afternoon two days after she had that dream.
“Clara, you know, why is the weight between liking someone and loving someone so
different?”
Clara was eating the tomatoes in her salad when Yenika asked her the question. And
Clara’s expression, upon hearing it, grew serious. The same was true of their other
friend, Anise. The two of them were Yenika’s best friends. They stopped playing with
their forks and began to listen intently.
It was lunchtime at the student cafeteria. Yenika was the same as usual. She was out
eating with her two best friends, having left the high-quality food of Ophelis Hall
behind. Ten days had passed since Yenika’s Disciplinary Committee Hearing had ended.
Not only did the three deans of each department attend, but Headmaster Obel was also
in attendance. Their presence created a dreadful atmosphere as the hearing proceeded
like a complete battlefield.
Skipping the major events of the hearing would still take way too long to cover all that
had happened.
Yenika had admitted to her wrongdoings and willingly accepted any punishment the
committee would bestow upon her. She completely surrendered, white flag and all.
However, the second-years and the professors in charge of them stood up for her, taking
Yenika’s side during the first round of hearing. They attacked the student council and
academic affairs’ main office with petitions. A total of 1,417 copies were submitted,
completely filling the academic proposal box that a separate collection box solely for
petitions had to be brought in.
During the second round of hearing, despite what Head Escort Cler had been telling her,
Princess Penia declared that she would not charge Yenika for the attempted murder of a
member of the royal family. That was because she was deeply impressed by the students’
petitions.
And that particular decision by Princes Penia would be the fundamental cause of why
she would receive overwhelming support from the second-years, helping her get elected
as the student body president in the future.
But that was a separate story from this one.
The Academic Affairs Office also recognized the fact that Yenika had not intended to do
such actions as she was then taken over by Velosper. That had made the expulsion
charges invalid. However, that didn’t mean that all of Yenika’s wrongdoings would
simply disappear since her actions still left a lot of financial damages and injuries.
That was where Lortel came in.
Lortel would provide the funds to rebuild Iron Hall and Glockt Hall at a low interest
rate. She would also subsidize all the sustained injuries completely free of charge. In
exchange, she was able to negotiate half the customs fees on school supplies the Elte
Company distributes to the business district. The leniency clause for Yenika was just a
bonus.
Because of that, the Elte Company’s products gained an absolute competitive edge in
school supplies. This also earned them the status of proper creditors to the academy,
rather than a simple sponsor. They even went as far as getting rid of the debt the
promising elementalist, Yenika Faelover, had.
Lortel was someone who would never miss an opportunity. Head Dean McDowell
couldn’t help but frown in front of Lortel on the day of the negotiation signing. But it
was in Lortel’s nature to answer him with a smile.
While Penia and Lortel were adding chaos to the situation, the students were constantly
running around and campaigning for a favorable hearing for Yenika.
The final result ended up being a splendid feat.
Ten days of probation. Twenty days of suspension. Removed from the Glockt
Scholarship Foundation beneficiaries. Banned from entering Ophelis Hall starting next
semester. Forfeit the benefits of being a top student. Return all academic honorary
awards. No fine was imposed.
The second-years jumped for joy and cheered. It was way more than they had hoped for.
It felt like they were filming some type of emotional youth drama.
However, behind the crowd of cheering students was Yenika, still with her shoulders
down. And none of them knew the reason why. Not a single one.
“Wh-What... what are you saying all of a sudden?”
Either way, it was all in the past. It was meaningless to argue about it now. Clara was
trying to help Yenika not feel so down now that her probation period was over.
The night before, Clara and Anise practiced what they would say and talk about with
Yenika after a long time of not seeing each other.
They made sure to never mention the Glasskan incident. They also made sure to pretend
they didn’t care and to never mention how they felt about it. And since it had been a
while since they met up together, they decided to get lunch and catch up on each other’s
personal matters.
But they had already discussed everything they could talk about. Assistant Professor
Cleoh tripped over while distributing test papers. The morning glory that had begun to
bloom in a corner of the Defense Magic Training Center had now begun to wrap itself
around the outer wall. The egg tarts from the bakery downtown that were so delicious
everyone was fussing about them. Clara and Anise had prepared these sorts of topics.
“What... What does love really mean? It’s a lot heavier than just the feeling of liking
someone, right? That’s what the dictionary says as well. And that’s how I’ve been using
it too. But... that difference in weight comes from our emotions... and the weight of our
emotions depends on the person...”
“Yenika, wait a sec. Here, just eat this.”
“Hm? Hahaha, sorry.”
Clara smiled as she took a bite of her tomato. She kept watching Yenika with a smile on
her face.
But a cold sweat had already begun to run down the edge of her neck. And looking at
Anise, the same looked to be true for her as well. They were maintaining a poker face
with superhuman mental strength, but this conversation had already become a
catastrophic ordeal.
Yenika had begun to sound like some philosopher. And out of all the topics she could be
discussing... It turned out to be love. She was seriously contemplating the difference
between actually loving someone and just liking someone.
Clara and Anise had been really worried about how Yenika was feeling. The image of her
sitting in her room in Ophelis Hall, looking out the window, kept lingering in their
minds. They didn’t know what she could be thinking all alone in such a lonely place,
extremely worried that she could be suffering from the guilt and taking on that burden
all by herself. Fortunately, it seemed that Yenika was free of such guilt.
Ten days was not a short time. For the first two to three days, maybe even up to a week,
they were worried that her heart would be aching and bruised but she seemed to have
recovered to some extent, which was a relief.
However, what they weren’t expecting was this.
For Yenika to suddenly be troubled by love... suddenly discussing the word felt like a
precursor to a greater event that could have an unbelievable ripple effect.
Slam!
Cler unconsciously slammed her fork down the table. Yenika, who was biting her
sandwich, flinched in surprise.
Clara got up from her chair and looked around, her expression serious. There weren’t
many students left in the cafeteria because lunchtime was nearly over. That was a relief,
at least. This meant nobody nearby was listening. And since Yenika didn’t have anyone
to properly talk to during her probation period, then she hadn’t been able to talk to
anyone about this topic apart from them.
Clara sat down again, her mindset. She made eye contact with her reliable friend Anise
next to her. Clara swallowed and nodded. In that brief glance, it felt like they’d
exchanged a whole conversation between them.
“So...?”
The innocence of this girl needed to be protected. Clara and Anise had been putting
enough effort this far and had overcome every single crisis without failure. Whenever
Yenika was about to get hurt or have a difficult time, they would always jump in and
shield her from all the hardships that the world had to offer.
They had protected Yenika from the seniors who were jealous of her.
They had also protected her from an assistant professor who didn’t like her because she
was always favored and protected by her classmates.
They even protected her from Ed Rothstaylor, who was clearly one of the worst people
in the entire world.
And even though there had been some groundless rumors from the first-years about how
Ed was just ‘a rude punk that was actually more competent than one would think’, they
didn’t want to be too quick to trust. His personality was definitely arrogant and wrong in
the first place, and that was a fact.
Clara and Anise couldn’t let such risk factors approach Yenika.
“Why are you suddenly talking about that, Yenika...?”
Clara was in control of the conversation. She brought up the topic with a strong heart.
Anise, who was still struggling to manage her expressions, needed a bit more time to
calm down.
They needed to carefully uncover this topic so as not to hurt Yenika who had an
extremely sensitive heart.
The love story of Yenika Faelover. Bad news would travel fast. If such a bomb of a
rumor went off among the students, it would spread quickly. Every student would
probably already know by tomorrow morning’s assembly.
Just how much damage would that bring to Yenika’s weak heart?
Clara clenched her teeth and shook her head, wholeheartedly of the belief that she
needed to stop it. Yenika slowly began to talk.
“Actually, about that... I heard this from a friend not too long ago...”
No! Yenika!
You’ve been stuck in your room for the past ten days so you definitely didn’t meet
anyone! Who in their right mind would believe that...?!
Clara barely held herself back from screaming.
“O-Oh. So... what did that friend of yours say?”
“While she was mindlessly staring off into space in her room, suddenly, someone’s face
came to mind...”
“Oh my! Would you look at that? I must have lost my mind! I promised to help Assistant
Professor Cleoh this afternoon! I had completely forgotten! Sorry! I’ll go first! Bye, see
you next time!”
Anise had already decided that this was the best decision for her to make as she could
barely keep her straight face for much longer.
Clara looked at Anise, remembering their promise together, but when she saw Anise’s
entire face had gone red, even up to her ears, Clara had no choice but to let her friend go.
Anise was no longer in a state where she was able to fight.
A comrade had died. Everything was left to Clara now. The usually innocent Yenika.
That Yenika was now a deadly poison to Clara’s heart.
She was already at her limit. She bit her tongue, holding back on asking all the questions
she was dying to know: Who was the other person? Where did they meet? Why did her
heart change towards him? When was there an opportunity for this? What will actually
happen in the future?
Clara’s spirit and tenacity were that of a mighty general running through a field of
arrows alone.
Yenika’s innocence must be maintained. The faint memories of her first love should be a
beautiful memory, not a shameful dark history.
“And... that person kept appearing in her dreams...”
“Is-Is that so?”
“Yeah. I heard there were even dreams where they were dancing together—or were they
playing? In a flower garden. So... uh, what do you think...?”
The corners of Yenika’s lips were trying to form a smile. Clara seriously thought about
grabbing a fork and jamming it into her thigh.
“So that’s what I—no, I mean that’s what she said... about... uh, yeah...”
“Oh, I see... That’s quite interesting... I don’t think there is a reason, you know? When
someone likes or hates someone else, there is always some type of reason.”
“Y-Yeah...”
Clara ended up saying some heartfelt words that were stuck in the back of her throat.
In an instant, she felt like a parent sending her daughter off to get married and her
imagination played a reel of some third-rate novel unfolding. But Clara knew all too well
that that was a waste of time.
Yenika wanted to hide her love story. If Clara rushed her to uncover it, Yenika would
only end up getting hurt.
Clara’s heart as Yenika’s best friend was currently in a head-to-head fight with her heart
as a girl curious about a friend’s love story. This was more painful than running around
on two legs to get favorable results for the disciplinary committee hearing.
However, what was the most important thing in all of this? Yenika herself, that’s who.
As she had been saying all this time, she needed to protect her purity and innocence.
Clara took a deep breath and regained her composure.
Plaster on a refreshing smile and—
“Yenika, don’t you think you’re worried about this too much? Whether you like or hate
someone, it’s not as straight-cut as you might think.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Sometimes, you might hate someone simply because of their attitude, and
sometimes you may really like them because they were by your side when you were
having a hard time or when you were happy. That’s just how humans work. I don’t think
you need to worry about this too much.”
Finding the reason why we like or hate someone should be left to scholars in fields such
as psychology and philosophy.
“It’s okay to put those complicated feelings aside and just be honest with your current
feelings—No, I mean your friend’s feelings. Wouldn’t that be better for her?”
“Uhm... yeah. I think you’re right. Ha... as expected of you, Clara.”
Seeing Yenika smiling like so, it felt like a knife was stuck in Clara’s heart.
“Although... Yenika. Thinking from your friend’s point of view, I don’t think they would
like it very much if their sensitive concerns were circling among their friends, don’t you
think? I think it’s better that you thought about it on your own, rather than getting
advice from others.”
Clara had just blocked the possibility of rumors spreading in advance. She was the type
of person to say such things straight to the point.
“Should I not? But that friend... she... I don’t think she cares about that sort of thing...”
“No, Yenika. Even if that was the case, talking about such sensitive concerns to friends...
it wouldn’t be good for your reputation.”
“Oh.. oh! You’re right! You’re not disappointed in me, are you, Clara?”
Yenika was such a lovely girl. Clara had to swipe her hand over her face before regaining
her composure.
“It’s fine, Yenika...”
“Great. Anyways, thanks for giving me such meaningful advice. I should go back to
Ophelis Hall and report on my suspension period.”
“Alright, I’ll sit here for a bit more before I go. I have something to think about...”
“Okay! It’s been so long. It’s a relief to see that you’re doing well. See you again after the
disciplinary period is over, Clara!”
Yenika left the cafeteria after saying goodbye.
Clara put her face on the table after a while.
I did it, Anise.
She had lost every bit of strength throughout her entire body.
Clara ended up staying still for a while, recovering her energy.
◐◓◑◒
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 7
Intelligence: 7
Dexterity: 9
Willpower: 8
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
I was heading back to the northern forest with my shiny new chainsaw, hammer, and a
bunch of nails. I used some of the gold I had and bought some new tools to build my
cabin. Now that I’m done with the groundwork and all the preparations were complete, it
was time to come into actually building the main body.
My Intelligence had gone up by two levels the night the Glasskan subjugation took
place.
It was a stat that hadn’t gone up for months no matter how much I studied magic and
whined about it. The fact that it progressed as much was enough to make me emotional.
In addition, my Spiritual Understanding and Spiritual Resonance jumped all the way to
level 10 and opened up spirit slots. I was now able to use spirit skills and could even sign
a contract with a high-ranking wind spirit.
Of course, it would be too much to sign a contract with a high-ranking spirit right now
given my stats, but Merilda wasn’t going anywhere. Once I was able to raise my magic
skills a bit more, I would call on Merilda and sign one.
“What is this?”
“Your recommendation letter from Princess Penia has been confirmed. The Glockt
Foundation provides many benefits. We’ll do our best to be considerate of the student’s
opinion—”
“A scholarship.”
“Financial support may be important for you, but first, why don’t you listen to our
explanation of the other benefits that—”
“A scholarship.”
“Our foundation provides academic support, preferential benefits when using living
facilities, additional points for academic service scores, and most importantly,
qualification to move to a better dormitory.”
“Ha... fair kingdom my ass... never mind, just give me the scholarship.”
Whatever the benefits might be, they would all be meaningless if my name was not on
the academy register.
Princess Penia had recognized my contribution during the subjugation and had given me
a recommendation letter to the academic council and the Glockt Scholarship Foundation,
just as she had promised.
There wasn’t any reason to reject this windfall so I clenched my teeth and received an
exemption from next semester’s full tuition payment.
It had earned me some time to focus on training. It was such a relief.
After such a disastrous night, the second act of the game had begun.
I held the woodworking tools in my arm as I walked back to the northern forest.
The flow of Act 2 was already playing out in my head.
A battle of nerves between the Elte Company and the Academic Affairs over a purchase
ware.
What was interesting about Act 2 was that ‘Golden King Elte’, who had exuded the aura
of being the act’s final boss, was, in fact, just a fake boss. Elte would be kicked out of the
story after his adopted daughter Lortel would stab him in the back at about the mid-tolate part of the act, and then the spotlight would move to the true hidden boss—
’Inquirer Glast’.
Glast was the senior professor in charge of the first-year students. He was not an easy
opponent. Taylee still had quite a long way to go before he could even defeat the midboss to reach Glast. In Act 2, unlike in the first act, there were three mid-bosses.
‘The Decoy Totte’, ‘Maid Elris’, and ‘Golden Daughter Lortel.’
As the act progressed and each chapter and event happened, the three of them were
given different roles. But among them, Lortel’s arc was the one that stood out the most.
She would later become the hidden heroine, but for Act 2, she was nothing but an
overwhelming evil villain that made you hate her.
Lortel had lived her life understanding and calculating profit while taking every
opportunity that came her way. She used every single thing that she could get her hands
on. She was a terrible villain who controlled the market, a merchant full of greed who
did nothing but weigh her profits. In the end, she even ended up using her stepfather
who had adopted her and had used her as well. She was someone who had truly lived a
life of dark reality, her actions showing that she had been walking down a thorny road.
Anyway, I learned a lesson during the Glasskan Subjugation chapter. I needed to
carefully and consistently judge to make sure that the story was following the original
timeline well or not.
I wouldn’t know how certain variables would change things, so, at the very least, I
needed to do my utmost best to make sure I was not involved in any way so as not to
ruin things.
I mean, I was already busy taking care of my own life as it was.
“Oh?”
I saw Yenika in the distance as I passed by Ophelis Hall.
Come to think of it, it was about time her probation period came to an end. All that was
left was the suspension period. She must have wanted to get some fresh air.
Now that I thought about it, I didn’t have much of an opinion on Yenika after Act 1.
“Hmm...”
It would be a bit awkward to pretend that we were close all of a sudden when I was
openly trying to distance myself from her.
But Yenika had already completed her role and exited the main stage. She no longer had
a significant impact on the main story. Right now, her importance didn’t differ much
from that of a senior maid.
In order to live well in this world, there were many things I needed to do and accomplish
such as train myself, obtain a good degree, and create a better living environment for
myself.
However, among the many types of assets there were, there was a unique power that
could never be replaced. And that was personal connections.
If I thought about it, Yenika was such a promising figure that Elte Company had taken
action and cleared all her debts. After she graduates from Sylvania with her degree, she
could very well become quite an amazing individual.
Furthermore, since she was already off the main story anyway, wouldn’t it be okay for
me to try and connect with her at this point?
If there was anything I was nervous about right now, it was Ed Rothstaylor’s changed
evaluation. Among the main characters, there seemed to be some people who were highly
evaluating me unnecessarily. The rumors circulating among the first-years had now
upgraded me to a rude punk but with something else going on for me.
But it was a completely separate matter what the second-years thought.
Yenika must have heard quite a bit of gossip about me today. And I was in an
environment where my reputation could be flipped over at any time.
Although Yenika wasn’t the type of person to be swayed by rumors like that. She usually
treated me well.
Wouldn’t it be alright to say hello and try to become close? I didn’t think it would be
easy to have a chance to connect with someone like Yenika.
“Alright...”
I nodded as I walked towards Yenika, who was slowly walking towards Ophelis Hall.
“Hey, Yenika. I guess your probation just finished?”
I casually greeted her.
It would be normal for her to receive such a sudden greeting. After all, she was an idol
loved by everyone in our year.
Once she receives my greeting cheerfully, we could probably make some small talk about
our personal stories superficially, then maybe say goodbye in just as cheerful a manner.
Then I could return to going about my own business.
I waited for her response as I drew out the plan in my head.
“Uhm, yeah! Hm!”
But as soon as our eyes met, Yenika took a step back, tightly gripping her oak wand.
“Yeah, Ed! Hmmm!”
She looked like she had a hard time processing something. I couldn’t even maintain eye
contact with her as she kept looking everywhere else, rolling her eyes about, as if she
had overloaded.
“I’m..! I’m going to Ophelis Hall! Something to do! See you next time! Bye!”
Then she ran away, as if she was afraid to talk to me any longer.
Now even Yenika, who was such a rare saint, was cutting me off. Quite the amazing
achievement, I must say. Rumors were seriously scary. But I could understand.
No matter how strong her willpower was, she was bound to be swayed by these rumors,
as they get repeated over such a long period of time. The power of a royal was indeed
powerful.
It felt terrible to lose the chance to establish a connection with such a great person.
Although, I wasn’t that badly insulted or depressed over it. I just couldn’t help but feel
disappointed. But hey, what could I do? I nodded my head in resignation and silently
mourned my first-class human connection flying away from me.
I won’t be too clingy. Eat well and live long, Yenika...
I gathered the materials I needed for the construction of my cabin and went on my way.
Since the basic design work was completed, this was now a good opportunity to train my
production skills.
Now that I had more time on my hands... It was time to train some more.
Chapter 29: Yenika Faelover (2)
The smell of gold coins.
Lortel’s sense of smell had always relentlessly caught the scent of money.
She was at Trix Hall, where faculty offices were located — the heart of the academic
district.
Outside, the building was made of neatly stacked black and red bricks, antique marble
decor adorning the exterior. Regardless of what time it was, the glass windows were
always spotless. The entrance to the hall was magnificent, always guarded by men on
watch. There were also two extra guards watching the gate out back.
It was where people who wielded administrative power and were at the top of the
administrative system were. This was where people who made the final decisions stayed,
along with people who managed the academy’s finances, those who winded the
curriculum and schedules, those who reviewed student complaints, and those who
decided on academic policies. Headmaster Obel and Assistant Headmaster Rachel’s
offices were located here.
It was a place that very few students came to. Most of the people around were general
faculty, professors, or outsourced personnel. Students were already busy studying as it
were, they wouldn’t have had a reason to visit the administrative building in the first
place.
Lortel smiled at the personnel guarding the entrance as she moved toward the lobby.
The smell of gold coins irritated her nose. And walking into the main lobby finally
revealed its source.
At the center of the Trix Hall lobby was the academy’s treasure, encased in a glass
display to show it off.
It wasn’t anything fancy. It was just a magic book that looked worn out, burned here and
there.
It was called the ‘Sage’s Seal’. And whoever it may be, they would be unable to help but
thickly swallow at the name alone.
It was the record of the academy’s founder, Sylvania Robester. The person who had
explored and discussed ‘Celestial Magic’.
Celestial Magic predicted the flow of the stars and used that power to twist the
providence of the world itself. It was known to be the most incomprehensible and
profound branch of magic.
Numerous researchers had tried to interpret and reproduce the records within that seal,
but no study had ever been completed. It was a book that remained the ultimate
challenge for academia.
But aside from its academic value, the book was also a symbol of Sylvania Academy.
The book had a fixed schedule for when it would come out of its glass case. It only ever
left it when it was needed to study Celestial Magic, and for public events such as the
entrance ceremony for new students, inauguration ceremonies for the student council or
the headmaster, as well as for year-end graduation ceremonies.
“Hmmm~”
Lortel stood in front of the display as she took a deep breath, eyes looking at the Sage’s
Seal.
“It really does smell like money.”
Lortel whispered softly with a nonchalant smile.
That book was the trigger that signaled the events of the second arc.
The heart of Sylvania Academy.
The Sage’s Seal.
And the first purchase target for the Elte Company.
◐◓◑◒
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
« Handicraft Level 10
+ Design Level 4
+ Collecting Skills Level 8
+ Woodworking Level 10
+ Hunting Level 7
+ Fishing Level 6
+ Cooking Level 5
+ Repair Level 5 ]
In my box were a saw, a hammer, a sharp ax, a sword used in place of a machete, and a
bunch of nails thrown about at the bottom. It was less than one gold coin, all in all.
Sylvania was an educational facility. I was worried they wouldn’t be selling such
woodworking items in the business district. Luckily, I was able to get a lot of quality
items from the Elte Company’s store. They sold everything.
I sat on a log bench, stretching my body here and there. The Act 1 finale was now over.
For the time being, there shouldn’t be anything important happening in the main story.
I didn’t have to worry about the tuition fee until next semester. This left me with more
time to train my body and make an effort to improve my standard of living.
Act 2 would officially start in the second semester. There was an end-of-semester
evaluation episode before it but nothing big was set to happen there.
Taylee would start to genuinely raise his grades and learn how to use Wind Slash or
other such skills as Elemental Slash. It was just a filler episode. Originally, it should have
taken place before the Glasskan Subjugation but here we are.
Vacation came after the closing ceremony. I could then spend all my time tending to my
camp. I shouldn’t waste such a golden opportunity.
But more than anything, I needed to solve the safety issues of my living area first.
I reviewed the design structure of the cabin I had mapped out in my head and nodded. It
would’ve been great had I drawn out a proper blueprint. But then again, even if I were, I
wouldn’t have been able to follow it as much. Immediate problems could only be solved
by improvising and building as similarly as possible.
Either way, it shouldn’t matter if it were a little crude. It wasn’t like I was going to sell it
anyway.
Life would be a lot harder for me for now than it had been compared to when I just
started living out here. The good news was that every bit of hard work I put in would
become the basis of my growth, so it wasn’t like I was going to be blindly suffering.
And this body had a natural talent for production. Somehow, I thought, it should all
work out.
It didn’t provide much comfort but... I should work as much as I could and increase my
proficiency level.
Yeah. With that thought in mind, I stood up and held a sword.
Then I marked the trunk of a large oak tree nearby with a horizontal stroke.
Today was the first day I was constructing my cabin.
Day 1
I decided where I would build my cabin.
My current camp was a little too close to the river right now. It would be catastrophic
were the river to overflow.
I chose a space that was moderately shady, large, and inconspicuous. I then proceeded to
flatten the land.
I removed all the trees and large stones that were in the way and flattened anywhere that
was slightly sloped with my shovel.
After I was done with the base groundwork, it was already time to sleep. I checked how
much food I had left first. I noticed I was starting to slowly run out so I decided to
restock tomorrow. After I had decided to go hunt the next day, I fell asleep memorizing
the major events in history for my upcoming Magic History written exam.
Day 3
I started to collect the wood I would need. The proficiency level of my Wind Blade was
quite high now so it was relatively easy to do. However, using magic too much would
affect my Vitality so I made sure to do it in moderation.
But no matter, because trimming the wood ended up being harder than cutting them
down. I had no way to mass-produce neatly standardized planks. I had to manually peel
the bark off each tree one by one... and cut them one by one.
Removing the twigs off, peeling off its bark, and turning it into lumber took more than
two hours each. Looked like I would be working on them for quite some time.
Another notable thing that happened was I met Yenika but she ignored me again. Her
friends Clara and Anise looked quite smug as she ran away from me without so much as a
glance. They were smiling snidely, as if to tell me I shouldn’t ever think of getting close
to their friend for even a second. Well, it wasn’t like I was planning to, anyway.
Day 6
I started to experience some muscle pain from working on the wood for quite a while
now.
It had been a while since I set up camp here in the northern forest. I thought I had
gotten used to walking every morning and using my body to do strenuous physical
activities every day, but my body had been screaming at me ever since I started building
my cabin. I decided to endure it though. Because I knew that this would all benefit me in
the end anyway.
Day 11
I was able to stick up on a bit of food but I still had a long way to go.
I met a low-ranking wind spirit that looked like a sparrow while walking around the
forest with my saw. Just in case, I asked if Merilda was uncomfortable with me violently
cutting down all these trees.
However, the spirit only shook its head. Well, I guess the spirit was more generous than
I thought.
I debated if I should sign a contract with the spirit but I didn’t want to unnecessarily
waste one of my two spirit slots just like that.
Day 14
End-of-semester evaluations were coming up so I decided to stop working on the wood
for the time being.
I spent most of my nights invested in my studies. I was quite confident with my written
knowledge but I felt that my practical skills were still lacking and I needed to train some
more.
Despite that, I knew my magic skills had come a long way compared to when I started. I
was now more skilled than an average first-year student.
I met Yenika in front of the exam center at the academic district but she just ignored me
again. Beside her, Clara and Anise looked quite satisfied at her non-reaction.
Day 18
I was almost done preparing the wood I’d need. Although they might still not be enough,
I could just go out and make some more if I needed them.
The closing ceremony was just ahead. My grade came out well. Not enough to receive a
scholarship but as long as I kept growing at this pace, I could try again next semester.
Wind Blade had also risen a level. It was already a level 11 which was already quite high
to begin with. But using it to cut down trees and removing twigs every day seemed to
have trained it enough to increase it by another one.
I didn’t have any means to move the wood planks I had made, so I ended up borrowing a
wheelbarrow from the ongoing Student Center construction site. It wasn’t for free, of
course. After paying for it, they allowed me to use it for as much as I wanted as long as
they didn’t need it.
So I gathered and transferred every wood I processed one by one and moved them near
my camp.
Day 20
Vacation had finally begun. That meant I would be able to spend my entire days here at
camp in the meantime.
Most of the students went back to their hometowns. But since I didn’t have a hometown
to return to, I planned to use this time to start building my cabin.
First, I used Wind Blade to cut the logs in half and use the flat surface to act as beams for
my cabin. I only managed to get halfway done after working all day.
When it was time to stock up on food, I checked the snare trap I set up the other day but
found Lucy caught in it instead, sound asleep. I shouldn’t have used jerky as bait... it was
a mistake.
I threw Lucy into the shelter and went back to work on the beams.
Day 23
Ziggs wandered into my part of the forest. He said he was jogging around as part of his
training.
I asked why he didn’t go home this vacation and he said that since Elka couldn’t go due
to her academic work, he decided not to go back home as well. He was the same as
always.
He saw me building my shabby-looking cabin and asked if he could help.
I considered rejecting his offer since I was building my cabin as part of my training, but
then I thought it was better to get help with the things I couldn’t handle by myself.
He ended up helping me erect and fix a central pillar and four outer pillars. We also
finished working on setting up the beams needed. We finished the hard work sweating
like crazy on the floor.
Ziggs went back to Ophelis Hall as it began to get dark out. He told me to let him know
if I needed any more help later on.
Day 27
It was raining. The timbers were soaked with rainwater, making them too heavy to work
with. And since they would need a day or two to dry, I thought I should focus on my
other tasks in the meantime.
Senior Maid Bell Meiya came by at night and gave me some herbs and mushrooms.
She asked me how things had been with Yenika so I gave her an honest answer and told
her it seemed like Yenika now hated me. Bell only tilted her head in response. After
which, she returned back to Ophelis Hall.
Yenika and her best friends seemed to also be staying at the academy this vacation.
Day 30
The shape of my cabin was beginning to come together with the beams and pillars
installed in place. The next step was to stack up the logs I cut to build the outer walls.
I couldn’t just stack them on top of each other, of course. I had to cut out a little bit at
the end of each piece of wood to act as a joint.
It was like hell. Saw, chisel, hammer... just to cut out the joint so the wood would all fit
together. I felt like I was going to lose my mind. But in the end, it all came together
pretty well.
Day 32
The outer wall I had previously stacked together had collapsed around one of the pillars.
I realized matching the joints together wasn’t strong enough to hold the whole structure
together.
What a disaster.
Day 34
I came up with an idea to hold everything together. I would drill a hole in each piece of
wood and then insert a sturdy iron rod into each joint. I went back to the general store
run by the Elte Company and bought the necessary materials.
I ran into Yenika and her friends by the bakery while I was downtown. And like always,
Yenika ran away the moment our eyes met. I expected her friends to laugh at me with a
satisfied look on their faces but it was only Anise who laughed.
Clara looked at me, then at Yenika, and began to sweat. Oh well. Guess she had a
stomach ache.
Day 37
“You were right. It was just like you said. Taylee isn’t half bad.”
Stacking the logs all the way to the top and working on the roof were jobs too difficult
to do alone, so I ended up calling Ziggs over when I saw him jogging by for some help.
I changed my mind these days. While it wasn’t a good idea to get too involved with the
important characters, if I were too far away from them, it would be too impossible for me
to know how the story was progressing compared to the original timeline. I couldn’t let
the same mistake happen again. Which was why I decided to know about the going-ons
of the other first-years from Ziggs.
We were sitting on the roof of the half-finished cabin, drilling a nail into each joint.
“I dueled with him during the end-of-semester evaluation, and during the fight, he never
gave up but kept on getting stronger instead. He was still no match to me, of course, but
he might become quite a good swordsman in the future.”
“Is that so?”
I was able to confirm that Act 1 Chapter 9 was proceeding without any issues.
“Do we need to nail this down too?”
“You can leave that side. I’m going to put a chimney there.”
Although my cabin was quite shabby, I planned to build a chimney for my fireplace. A
space for smoke to escape was needed when heating the cabin. This required more
materials aside from the logs I had cut but I would cross that bridge when I got there.
Day 40
Vacation was already halfway through. I took the day off because it was too hot out. I
thought I would even suffer from a heatstroke.
Day 42
I worked with my top off because it was too hot out. The fine growing muscles that had
covered my body had now upgraded to just being called muscles.
Whenever it got too hot, I jumped into the river and collected mud to fill the gaps
between the logs. Since the roof may leak, I also treated it the same way and then
covered it with the large leaves I had used to make my wooden shelter. I also used the
leftover net to tie everything down.
I tied the little bit of the remaining net I had to a nearby tree to make a hammock. If I
needed it for something else later, I could always just take it down.
Day 45
In front of me... Was my well-made cabin, welcoming me in.
[ Newly Crafted Product
Log Cabin
After the logs were trimmed down to a uniform size, they were stacked together
according to the pillars and beams built into the foundation.
It only has outer walls and a roof.
There is nothing inside.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●●●○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
“Pheww...”
I sighed and threw my ax on the ground.
I then walked slowly towards my cabin. It didn’t have a door yet, but I could use my
suitcase’s hinges and attach one in the future. I passed through the threshold and sat in
the middle of it.
It seemed to be a little bit more than 17 square meters. The logs I used were larger than
I thought so it came out bigger than I expected. Not that that was a bad thing since now
it just meant that it was wider. Although I suspect I would have trouble with heating the
whole place but hey, it was nothing unacceptable.
I also saved a space for a window but hadn’t actually attached one just yet. There was
also a space for a fireplace but I had no materials to make a stove right now so it was still
left empty for the time being.
I still had no flooring, nor had I insulated the walls. And there was no furniture. None at
all. It was just a cabin simply made out of logs.
But at least it has walls and a roof.
If I installed a door, then no bugs would be able to come in. And if I get a light source
inside, then it would be comfortable to study at night.
Oh, and it would be perfect if I could find a desk and a chair. Or make them.
I wiped the sweat off my face.
I had a house.
That simple fact felt especially touching, as it was proof of how hard I’ve had it thus far.
I had been trying so hard to just survive day by day that I had completely forgotten
about how important this was. It wasn’t until I had my own living space that I realized it.
I decided to take it easy for now and just sit back as the day came to an end.
[Life Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
« Handicraft Level 13
+ Design Level 8
+ Collecting Skills Level 11
+ Woodworking Level 12
« Hunting Level 8
+ Fishing Level 6
+ Cooking Level 6
+ Repair Level 5 ]
The completed cabin even had a level four production difficulty.
I had delayed checking my Life Production Skills and my Dexterity stat, both of which
had been rising like crazy. Even my Vitality stat had risen doing so much manual labor
the past few days.
My Advanced Production Skills would actually be unlocked soon... but I somehow didn’t
feel like checking them right now. I still had a long way to go.
It would be a good idea to start getting the materials for the inner walls, flooring, some
furniture, the fireplace, a fence, some extra food items, and maybe even a small
warehouse to store firewood and some junk. I also had to install a door and a window.
But for now... I just wanted to be underneath this roof, enclosed within these walls.
And just like that, I stayed still in the middle of my cabin for a long time.
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
It was Lucy.
She was hanging off from the windowless cut out in the wall and kicking her feet in the
air, stars shooting from her eyes.
This cabin, which was the product of my hard work, probably just looked like a huge cat
tower to her. She started climbing up all over the roof, overly excited.
I was thinking of kicking her out but... I still wanted to sit in this sense of
accomplishment for a while more.
Over the horizon, the sun was just beginning to set.
Chapter 30: Yenika Faelover (3)
Senior Maid Bell was rumored to be the best and most reliable among the elite maids of
Ophelis Hall. She had authority over the other maids. She was in charge of educating the
newly hired maid. She would even scold them.
Everyone had been speculating who would be next in line to Head Maid Elris, the
current head maid and general manager of Ophelis Hall who was currently rumored to
retire soon. The most likely candidate was actually Bell Meiya.
“Ms. Yenika.”
Bell was already treated with more respect than the other maids of Ophelis Hall, but
that didn’t mean her work differed from theirs because of her elevated status.
Lower-ranked maids tended to the dirty and vulgar chores around the dormitory. They
must also always be ready at a moment’s notice for an order, making them ultimately
responsible to take care of most things at Ophelis Hall.
This also applied to dressing the students. Usually, senior maids barely did these types
of tasks themselves, but Bell would still roll up her sleeves and do them herself.
Just like this, Bell was combing Yenika’s hair in front of the mirror when she casually
brought up a certain topic.
“I went to young master Ed’s camp last time I went to the forest and saw something
quite amazing.”
“Hm? Oh... You must mean the cabin?”
“...How did you know about it?”
Yenika shrugged as she began twisting the ends of her hair.
“I... I saw it while passing by.”
“I see. He said he made it himself but I was quite surprised. It was much more
impressive than I had thought. I had no idea he had quite the talent when it comes to
that kind of thing.”
“I... I see.”
“I wanted to look inside but I refrained from doing so. I was worried it might seem too
inappropriate to ask. I wanted to look around and see how sturdy it was.”
“I guess even someone like you wonders about that kind of thing.”
“Of course. I’m also human. Being curious is only natural.”
Bell was the perfect maid. She was someone who really understood the meaning of
serving someone else. She was never satisfied with just cleaning and doing her errands
well.
Doing everything for the person they are serving to their utmost ability, all without
being too presumptuous — that was the true quality of a maid.
“Wouldn’t anyone who walks by and stumbles across that cabin be curious as to who
built it, how did they build it, and what was inside? Such curiosity is a totally natural
reaction to have.”
Strangely, Bell kept on bringing up the words ‘natural’ and ‘obvious’, as if she had a
hidden agenda. Yenika felt like she was being pushed. She had also wanted to visit Ed’s
camp and see him. She also wanted to talk about things as well.
But of course, such thoughts as doubting others’ kindness or trying to guess their true
intentions... there was no way Yenika would think as such. To answer, Yenika just nodded
her head.
“I see. You’re right. Of course, it was only natural. Seeing such a thing, of course, you
couldn’t help but be curious.”
Yenika accepted what Bell said with a serious face.
Behind her, Bell let out a sigh of relief as she braided Yenika’s hair. It was only natural
for a girl Yenika’s age to have feelings of affection and longing, but things would become
complicated for her if she was this clumsy.
Of course, to meddle any more than this would be too much so all Bell could do for now
was trim Yenika’s hair as prettily as possible.
For today, Bell used a bit more strength in her hands as she quietly brushed Yenika’s hair.
◐◓◑◒
The entrance to the northern forest was the same as always. The green vegetation was
spread out, as if welcoming everyone to come inside.
The entrance felt rather warm rather than dark despite the sun setting over the horizon.
This was because of the fact that for Yenika, the northern forest was a place she often
visited whenever she needed to take a breather.
She particularly enjoyed sitting down and leaning on The Guardian Tree of Merilda
while she read books and enjoyed the breeze, the sound of the leaves swaying around
her. It reminded her of sitting on a hill back in her hometown, the wind whistling past
her ears.
That was why she always visited this forest whenever she felt even a little bit homesick.
However, she hadn’t been able to enter the northern forest recently.
She was ashamed to admit the reason herself, that it was because there was a high chance
she would run into someone, that someone being a student who lived in the forest.
It started with simple curiosity.
The wind spirit Merilda, who was guarding the forest, would occasionally transform into
a small fox whenever she had the time and come out of the forest to visit Yenika and chat
with her.
They would sit by the windowsill in the moonlight late at night, chatting. For Yenika,
ending the day like that had become part of her norm.
The Ed Rothstaylor that Merilda spoke of was much different from the rumors she’d
heard. Hearing his struggles just to survive in the forest, he sounded like some wild
animal.
He got an upset stomach after eating the bark of a tree, his wooden shelter kept on
collapsing on him, and how he tied his hair while chopping up firewood. Yenika couldn’t
stop laughing when she heard these stories.
When he caught and cooked his first fish with the fishing rod he worked so hard to make,
when he completed making the durable drying rack, even when he first succeeded in
hunting small animals using his handmade bow... Yenika couldn’t help but proudly smile
at hearing these stories.
She enjoyed sitting by the windowsill and listening to all of Merilda’s stories such as
these. It reminded her of how her parents used to stroke her head while they read her
fairy tales when she was young. Growing up, she became too embarrassed to ask them to
do it again.
Whenever she felt like going crazy, she knew she could always rely on wrapping up her
day with stories of Ed.
“Hmm...”
Yenika rolled her feet as she wandered into the entrance of the northern forest. Yes, she
was aware of how pathetic she was acting.
Was this because of the Glasskan incident? And yet, there seemed to be some signs even
before then.
It wasn’t anything special.
Her affection and longing for Ed were like light rain—when she noticed it had been
raining, her whole body had already been completely drenched.
In her defense, Merilda’s descriptions of him were way too detailed.
The wind spirit described the details of Ed’s muscles with his shirt off. Merilda even
went into detail about his biceps and his abs that were starting to form. Yenika couldn’t
help her blood rush to her head.
She couldn’t even look at him properly when she accidentally ran into him downtown.
Her eyes kept on straying and glancing at the tendons near his collarbones and the veins
on the back of his hands...
She left as if she was running away, her nose bleeding. Her best friend Anise even
worried about her. Clara looked even more worried, a strange cold sweat running down
her face.
Yenika didn’t bleed to the extent of that worry. It was quite an overreaction, something
she thought was unusual for Clara.
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing...”
Yenika came to her senses. Every time she had a bit of time, she always found herself
thinking about him. Was there anyone else as stupid as she was?
She stomped her feet because of how pathetic she was acting.
In the first place, Ed Rothstaylor was someone who had already been disowned by his
family. Although he was often called Ed Rothstaylor out of habit, he was just now a
commoner with a two-letter name—Ed.
This meant there was no longer a significant difference in their statuses. Truth was,
Yenika’s imagination was already going quite wild.
For example, she had already imagined the two of them working together back at their
ranch in her hometown which was lacking workers. Or they could be doing research
together somewhere like the Eastern Magic Society after graduation. Or they could stay
in school together and become professors.
Thinking such thoughts made her kick her blanket around when she laid in bed...
imagining.
She had no idea she was capable of such delusion, and as time passed by, her sense of
shame continued to rise.
“How long am I going to keep acting like this? Ed must think I’m weird...”
Ed’s reputation may have improved, but it still wasn’t all that great.
Ed was well aware of that fact, so he didn’t think it was strange that Yenika was
avoiding him but... it was a completely different story for Yenika.
Objectively speaking, it would be rude to avoid someone so blatantly.
Regardless of her feelings, it was basic human courtesy. She could no longer keep acting
like this. Yenika nodded her head as she began heading towards where Ed was.
◐◓◑◒
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 7
Dexterity: 10
Willpower: 9
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details >
Magic Skills Details >
Life Skills Details >
Alchemy Skills Details > ]
Finally, my Dexterity stat had reached level 10.
From here on out, I could even be considered specialized in Handicraft-making.
Moreover, my proficiency in production increased the moment it reached level 10.
That meant that, with the conditions met, I was able to acquire advanced production
skills.
Spiritual Infusion allowed me to inject the power of a spirit into a product I crafted.
Magical Engineering allowed me to make different types of magic items.
Magic Implementation allowed me to give various effects to ordinary products.
Craftsman’s Spirit allowed me to exert greater power in combat using the products I
produced.
And lastly, Pharmacist’s Eyes allowed me to skillfully mix together various reagents and
herbs to create something new.
Advanced skills allowed the use of different special skills in their various forms, skills
only obtained if the conditions were met and through combining Combat, Magic, and
Alchemy skills together.
The only advanced Production skill I could realistically obtain right now was Spiritual
Infusion. But I knew I would eventually be able to try out the other advanced skills if I
worked hard enough.
I felt a sense of accomplishment at the increase in growth I experienced as a result of
working on my cabin. It gave me strength and encouraged me to work even harder,
It was like a great and advantageous cycle. Meanwhile, I started to think of what I could
fill my cabin up with, already thinking of different things I could build.
The most urgent thing right now was a door. I already bought a hinge and attached it to
a wooden board but it wasn’t that durable. Another thing was that the size of the board I
used didn’t fit the threshold so a wind had come in.
I continued to think of ways I could solve this problem while I cut some wood in front
of my cabin.
“He~y! E~d!”
Somebody greeted me off-key.
I turned my head around to see that it was Yenika. It looked like she came to the camp
for some reason.
Unlike her usual neat uniform, Yenika was wearing a dark blue skirt and a large white
blouse instead. She had a hat and shawl on, making her look quite warm. It seemed she
may have worn them to avoid getting sunburnt. A smart decision, in my opinion. Yenika
had pale skin that seemed weak to sunlight. The sun wasn’t that strong now as it had
already begun to set, but hey, nothing good came out of being careless.
On the other hand, I was holding a saw as I cut wood on my workbench, the sleeves of
my shirt and the legs of my pants all rolled up. My raw and unfiltered appearance had
quite a gap compared to hers.
“Hey, Yenika. What brings you all the way here?”
I naturally responded.
In actuality, I was a little confused. Yenika had been avoiding me for the last few days. I
wondered if she had some business to do around these parts since she appeared to have
come all the way here to my camp on her own.
“Oh, it’s totally nothing!”
Yenika started explaining herself.
“I was just passing by! Was on my way to see Merilda! Then I saw this cabin! And now
I’m here!”
She talked as if she was in a rush.
“I saw the cabin so I became curious. Who built it? How did they build it? What does the
inside look like? It’s only natural to be curious, right? Hm, Ed?”
“I... guess so?”
“Yeah! I saw your cabin and had a completely natural and obvious thought which led me
to do the natural and obvious thing. And here I am! By the way, this cabin is so cool, Ed.”
I threw my saw by my workbench and wiped off my hands.
“Yeah, I recently built it. Did the spirits not tell you?”
Yenika let out a hiccup as if stabbed by those words. She shook her head.
“Did I already tell you I just happened to be walking by? Ah.. yeah, there may have been
something like the spirits telling me... but just a little? Like, a really tiny amount?
Information so little it was practically useless? I don’t talk to spirits that much anyway.
Yeah, that’s right! I only talk to them from time to time. Just like getting updates, you
know? That’s why I really didn’t know how you were doing. I’m serious.”
“Well... alright, then. You can go in, if you want. It’s pretty sturdy so it’s bad at all. I’m
quite proud of it, in fact.”
I nodded my head and pointed toward my cabin. Yenika was strangely hesitant as she
entered, touching and staring at every little thing.
Yeah, it was just a log cabin.
But I’m quite proud of the fact that I built it myself. Night came and with it, its usual
fanfare.
The buzzing of cicadas was pleasant to listen to as always. The moon had started to
show itself just as the stars slowly began to map themselves across the sky.
I made tea in a mug I bought from downtown using the herbs Bell had given me. Yenika
held the mug with both hands as she sat down, staring blankly at the flickering flame.
I hadn’t built a proper fireplace in my cabin yet so I dare not make a fire inside. I would
be too upset to sleep if I ended up burning down my own cabin which I worked so hard
on.
This was why I decided that I would continue camping outside until I could properly
finish its internal construction. But even still, just looking at my nearly completed house
felt like my dreams had finally been realized.
“You’re quite amazing, Ed. Most people would have given up in your situation.”
“I don’t think I did anything that deserves praise.”
“No, this is already quite amazing.”
The strange hesitation she had before had already disappeared. The mysterious
atmosphere of the forest at night brought about peaceful feelings that helped people
calm down. Coupled with a cup of herbal tea, things were just perfect.
“I don’t think I could’ve done anything if I were to end up in your place, Ed.”
“Uh, aren’t you... going to have to move out of Ophelis Hall soon?”
“Yeah. I’ll probably end up going to Dex Hall.”
The three dormitories of Sylvania: Ophelis Hall, Lorail Hall and Dex Hall
Dex Hall had the worst facilities among them. It was also home to the majority of
regular students. Depending on how much you paid, they had rooms for four, eight, even
ten students. It would be difficult to get used to for someone who came from Ophelis
Hall.
Well, Yenika wasn’t from a wealthy family, so it shouldn’t be as difficult.
“What about your tuition fees? Can your folks back home afford it?”
Yenika shook her head.
“Febri said she’d lend it to me. I can slowly pay her back once I graduate.”
Febri was the second daughter of the Regent of the Kroel Royal Family.
That’s fair. After all, Yenika was someone who could do anything once she had graduated
and gotten her diploma. It wasn’t a risky investment. Even they had been trying to clear
up their debts, it seemed.
Even with that amount of support, Yenika was stubborn about moving to Dex Hall.
Lorail hall would have been a better dorm for her, but she didn’t want to rely on her
friends to live in a better dormitory after the huge incident she had created.
“I’ve gained quite a bit of debt. I didn’t know that everyone would help me so much
during the hearing. Especially Princess Penia and Lortel. Even though I made such a
huge mistake, for some reason, everyone was trying to comfort me... I’m so thankful. I
can’t even begin to describe how thankful I am.”
Yenika still didn’t understand that the problem stemmed from the weight of her
sincerity. In the end, none of the underlying problems were solved.
The vicious cycle was yet to be broken.
“How should I... pay everyone back?”
“Don’t pay them back if you can’t.”
Despite everyone’s expectations and support, Yenika ended up failing. The shock of it
hadn’t disappeared and yet, new debts just kept on piling up.
“Isn’t that just a stereotype? That you’re supposed to pay off what you owe? Do you
really need to pay someone back just because they lent you something?”
“Oh. Wow. I’ve never thought of that.”
There were so many ways to not pay back what they owed. The same way there were so
many people who lived their lives never paying back theirs.
However, this concept was completely unimaginable for Yenika. That was just the kind
of person she was.
“You’ve gone through a lot, either way. You’ll have to move dorms soon.”
“I’m sure the facilities won’t be that great once I move to Dex Hall, but I think it will
still be a lot more enjoyable. I can spend the whole day with my friends once I’m there.
From early morning, to late at night. We can joke around with each other in the same
room, we can hug our pillows at night before falling asleep, we can snack late into the
night talking about this and that... yeah.”
Ophelis Hall only housed one student per room. You could quietly rest in your own space
after coming back from a hard and difficult day. It was a place to find one’s peace of
mind.
In that one room, there were no classmates or underclassmen who stared at Yenika with
envy. Quietly sitting on her bed alone as she stared at the moon out her window every
night, that was enough to take some of the burden off her shoulders.
Therefore, Dex Hall was a place that evoked a fundamental fear in Yenika. It was no
different from a prison. Yenika would live every day chained up. Yenika lifted her gaze
from the campfire and raised her head back to look up at the sky.
It was a clear night sky over Acken Island. The breeze was quiet. The darkness and
bleakness of the early evening had turned cozy and warm.
Yenika looked strangely on edge. I was uncomfortable just letting her be.
“When you want to be alone, you can come and stay here anytime. I won’t care.”
I casually said. If I unnecessarily sound too sincere and considerate towards her, it would
only become poison.
“Hm? Really, Ed? Yay... I’m so happy. Hehe.”
It was only then that Yenika, who had been acting distant towards me these past few
days, finally put on that stupid smile of hers after such a long time.
“Hey, Ed? If you’re having a really hard time or there was something that you’re
struggling with on your own, it would be really great if you would tell me.”
Yenika softly said as she looked up at the blue sky above us.
“I’ll definitely help you then.”
◐◓◑◒
“Ophelis Hall is quite a mess these days.”
The mug of herbal tea was now empty. Yenika had grabbed her shawl and was
straightening her clothes as she prepared to leave.
“It’s because there are rumors that the head maid will quit soon. I heard the head maid,
Elris, has been under a lot of stress lately.”
Yenika told me while patting off her clothes.
“Isn’t it strange? I haven’t seen her that much but she definitely seemed quite bright and
hardworking. Well, I’m going to leave Ophelis Hall soon anyway, so it doesn’t matter to
me too much but... I’m worried, for some reason.”
She smiled innocently.
“Anyway, thanks for showing me around your cabin, Ed. I’ll come and see you often. Can
I come every day? Uhm... No, maybe that would be too much?”
“Do what you want.”
“Hehe! It was such a good choice to come and see you here today, Ed. Then, I’ll see you
tomorrow! No, I mean—uhm, next time. See you next time!”
As I said goodbye to Yenika, I made sure to act as if the information she just told me
wasn’t anything special. Come to think of it, the second semester was almost here.
The mark that announced the start of Act 2.
‘The Occupation of Ophelis Hall’.
It was just an event where struggling students that were unhappy with their unfair
treatment took a day to properly express their dissatisfaction. It didn’t have much
influence as no one really cared about them.
However, the scale of the incident increased exponentially with the participation of the
head maid bought by Lortel. It later developed into a main event in Act 2.
This escalated the fight between the Elte Company and the Academic Affairs over the
‘Sage’s Seal’. It ended up becoming an event worthy of being called ‘the beginning of all
events’.
Ah, pretty soon, you’ll be having quite a hard time, Taylee.
I waved my hand at Yenika as she disappeared into the forest. I offered Taylee a silent
prayer with all my heart.
Really... it’s really going to be a pain in the ass, Taylee.
Good luck.
Chapter 31: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (1)
My original goal was to create a safe living environment for myself before vacation
ended. My crude wooden shelter was now dirty and deteriorating. I couldn’t even
remember the last time I had a good night’s sleep.
I thought I would be able to finish my cabin before our break ended so I could start
living in it once the second semester rolled in. But now that the second semester was just
a week away, I realized I still had a long way to go.
“Hmm...
I looked at my cabin. It now had a wooden door and a window. I made sure to buy a big
hinge this time. It would be a headache if it fell off again. Although I was worried it
would quickly get rusty due to its size, and soon make that loud creaky sound.
Well, it was still better than just falling off. Anyway, I still had more work left to do
before I could live in my cabin. The most important things right now were a fireplace
and some furniture.
I was actually worried about the fireplace. Sure, it wasn’t that cold this time of the year,
even at night, but once the season changes, indoor heating would become a must.
On top of that, a fireplace would provide my only source of light at night. It was also
necessary to cook my food. Fire was needed for many other survival purposes. It was
absolutely essential that I be able to start a fire indoors.
But it would be a disaster if I make a fireplace out of wood and it... catches on fire. It
would be a disaster. This was the reason I needed to build my fireplace with a stronger
material. The first thing that came to mind was bricks.
Elte Company’s General Store downtown sold everything you could think of, but it
would still be too much, even for them, to be selling bricks in an educational facility. I
ended up going to Iron Hall’s construction site and asked to buy some of their bricks,
but they couldn’t sell me any since their bricks were delivered exactly as inventoried.
In the end, I decided to start making my own bricks.
[ Newly Crafted Product
Brick Casting
Construction scraps were nailed together to make a square.
You can mold mud into bricks by filling it with mud.
Production Difficulty Level: ◐○○○○ ]
“Phew...”
It only took me five minutes to make a mold to cast my bricks in. I threw my hammer on
my workbench and wiped off my sweat.
I gathered mud from the river and squeezed it into the casting, making sure to press it in
hard. I then took it under the shade and removed the cast. I planned to mass-produce
standardized bricks by repeating this process tens, or even hundreds, of times. I would
then dry them for a week and then stack them up in my cabin to create a decent fireplace
and chimney.
However, I would be using mud to stick my bricks together instead of cement. This
worried me since mud wasn’t as strong an adhesive as cement was. I thought I should
make and attach a support fixture to keep everything together.
It would also be great if I could make some furniture to use indoors, but I didn’t have
any specific plan for that just yet.
I could easily make some simple pieces of furniture since my woodworking proficiency
was quite high. I had learned quite a few tricks here and there. The design behind each
was actually quite easy to come up with.
Items like tables and chairs were relatively simple as long as I had the materials.
It should also be quite easy to create a bed frame. Although for the mattress... it should
work if I were to buy something like a large piece of fabric or bag of sorts and fill it up
with feathers, cotton, or hay.
I would also like to install a glass window, if possible. But I wondered where I would
even be able to purchase such a thing. I walked through the forest as I gathered my
thoughts, my bow in hand as I searched for my meal for the day.
[Combat Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Combatant
Specialized Fields: Bow
+ Bow Proficiency Level 6
+ Vital Points Snipe Level 3
« Quick Shot Level 2
+ Retreat Shot Level 1
+ Sense of Aim Level 2
« Field of View Expansion Level 1 ]
It was at times like this that I realized how talentless Ed Rothstaylor was in Combat
Skills. I always had to force myself to use the bow whenever I went out to hunt. But the
vacation was almost over and my bow skills were still this poor.
Looks like I would need some special measures to grow this as well. I would find a way,
one way or another.
“I found one.”
I chanced upon a fawn walking through the forest. I hid among the trees and took out
my bow.
I had been finding all sorts of people at my camp recently.
Bell Meiya used to stop by and share various ingredients with me, but she hadn’t been
coming over as much these days. Meanwhile, Ziggs would jog through the forest once
every three or four days.
Apparently, he hadn’t only been running through the forest, but all over Acken Island
instead. Just as I expected, his Vitality stat wasn’t normal. If not for Elka being in the
Magic Department, I was sure he would have joined the Combat Department.
There was also that one innocent student who happened to pass by but ran away in
horror at seeing me carry a bunch of dead squirrels.
Then Cler, Princess Penia’s Head Escort, also came to check on me to see how I was
doing.
Ah, how should I put it? Quite a few people now knew that I lived here in the northern
forest. I hoped the news wouldn’t reach the Academic Affairs Office and end up causing
me trouble...
Well, not like the whole of Acken Island was managed by the academy, so there
shouldn’t be a reason for them to kick me off of it immediately. I didn’t have to be too
scared of that possibility.
But of the guests that would often visit me, there were three students that were
particularly special. Guest A was a one-of-a-kind genius magician whose visits were at
complete random.
Sometimes, that guest would come over in broad daylight, when the sun was still high up
in the sky. She would then lie down next to my campfire and sleep. Other times, she
would come over at midnight where I would find her sleeping on the roof of my
unfinished cabin.
There was also that time I came back after hunting by the river to find her laying down
on my hammock. She was looking at my cabin with big sparkling eyes. She must have felt
like she now had a new secret base or hideout...
She would then keep on asking me things like:
“Hey, you know what? Are you going to make a chimney?”
“Oooooh! You installed a door!”
“How about you build a backdoor too!”
Even when I was cutting firewood by the riverside, she would just randomly appear from
the top of a tree and say:
“Can’t you install a glass window instead?”
“It won’t collapse, will it? I shouldn’t use my magic nearby...”
“How about adding a window on the roof, too?”
And when I went to check up on the hunting snares I had set up, she would randomly
pop out of bushes and ask:
“Can I try using magic inside?”
“How about laying down some marten skin inside, huh?”
And then that time I was sharpening the blade of my dagger using a rock, she was right
on top of said rock and kept on kicking her feet high up in the air to tell me:
“While you’re at it, why don’t you try having the door open towards the sunlight?”
“You know, they say you need two windows for the wind to circulate better.”
Anyone would think the punk was bullying me.
I was getting so sick of answering her questions and suggestions one by one that I
ended up picking her up and throwing her into the wooden shelter. Every. Damn. Time.
That was Guest A.
Guest B was a second-year top student, who was also quite the talented Elementalist. I
was rather welcoming of this visitor.
“Ta-da! I brought some eggs. Bell said it would be great if I could bring these to you so I
came to visit.”
She put down a basket of eggs by the campfire and did her classic ‘hehe’ laugh.
This was a neighbor that I was grateful for since she would bring me food and other
daily necessities that were rather difficult to find in the woods.
Even though the Elementalist kept on coming over every day, she would just sit down by
the tree and read her books while she talked with spirits. It was a rather pleasant sight so
I allowed it.
One day, she manifested a spirit that brought over a large washbowl and started boiling
water out of the blue.
“I’ll show you something amazing. Don’t worry about anything and just sit there, Ed!”
I didn’t pay any mind to the faint laughter I heard coming from her direction as I kept on
pouring mud into my brick casting by the river. I finally came over when it was time to
eat and found her with her sleeves rolled up and her skirt tied high while she
continuously stepped on something in the washbowl.
I went to check what it was and I found my uniform shirt.
It was a shirt that I had been washing like crazy, crazy with force enough to nearly tear
the fabric apart. Even still, I had to keep wearing it the entire semester.
Therefore, it was only inevitable that over time, things like dirt stains that couldn’t be
erased would pile up. This particular guest seemed quite uncomfortable with this shirt.
“Ta-da! I boiled salt water and pressed it down to make it white. Isn’t it amazing? My
parents used to do this when my clothes would get dirty back on our ranch.”
She then opened up the completely white shirt with a proud smile on her face. Seeing
that smile made it look like she was waiting to get praised. I couldn’t help it. I gave her a
round of applause.
I kept on clapping and said, “You’re the best! So cool! It’s amazing how you know such
things!”
She just lowered her head through all the praises, all awkward and shy.
She was someone who would always do the opposite of what you would expect from her.
There were some things that were quite obvious about her, but there were also things
that I couldn’t quite understand. For example, whenever Lucy would randomly show up
out of nowhere, Guest B wouldn’t even be surprised and give her greetings, yet she
would later ask me things like, ‘How often does Lucy come here?’
She was truly someone whose actions couldn’t be explained. That was Guest B. But the
main point of this was Guest C.
Guests A and B were people who relatively showed up quite often. There was no
particular surprise meeting them, so I would just treat them as I usually did.
But with Guest C, this thought came to my mind:
“Why the hell is this person here?”
The sun was starting to slowly fade in the west, bathing the forest in red.
My first arrow missed, so I ended up chasing after it for more than an hour. At the end
of the day, I was able to catch a deer and hauled its corpse back into camp.
Two unexpected people were waiting for me by the campfire.
One of them was dressed in a neat maid uniform. She stood calmly, her hands together.
The other was sitting next to the fire, humming a song as she had her chin resting on
the palm of her hand.
“Oh my, Ed. I’ve been waiting for you. Your work must have taken quite a while.”
To the public, this person was called ‘The Golden Daughter.’
She was Guest C.
◐◓◑◒
‘The Occupation of Ophelis Hall’ was an event that marked the start of Act 2, and would
take place in Ophelis Hall on the very last day of vacation.
Just summarizing the main points would take quite a while.
As the summer vacation came to a close, the lower-ranking students that had just
returned to the academy would take over Ophelis Hall, overcome by resentment towards
the students who lived there for having special privileges and treatment.
At the heart of it all was Willian, ‘The Spokesman of Lesser Privileged Students,’ whose
speech spanned well over 20 chapters.
They argued that top students who lived in Ophelis Hall were guaranteed a life of
aristocracy. They had permission to select seats first when taking classes, they had first
choice when it came to eating, and they even had maids dedicated to them.
These frustrations that had accumulated over time suddenly exploded due to an incident
that happened during vacation.
Heavy rain began to pour down in southern Belor, where Acken Island was located, just
as the students were returning to the academy. However, the academy announced that
they would only provide carriages and ships for students from Ophelis Hall. The other
students would need to figure out how to get back to the Academy on their own. But not
only that, the academy would only give them a few days to return before they are
expected back.
The lower-ranked students who had to endure the heavy rain as they traveled back to the
academy, all the while in fear of having points deducted for arriving late—these students
finally exploded. They met at Dex Hall and established a plan to come together and
occupy the luxurious Ophelis Hall and express their dissatisfaction.
It wasn’t a realistic plan, of course.
Not only was Ophelis Hall home to the top student in each grade, but even the maids
who managed the dormitory were not easy opponents. Everyone in the building knew
how to wield a rapier, and the senior maids even knew how to use intermediate magic.
No matter how many low-ranked students gathered, there was no way for them to
successfully take over Ophelis Hall. It was like watching a group of lemmings swarming
over a cliff from a distance.
And even if they managed to occupy the dormitory, Ophelis Hall was home to all sorts
of aristocratic and influential people. This meant they would receive a heavy
punishment. That made the scale of the situation a bit limited.
That was, until Lortel intervened.
“The low-ranked students are talking about quite an interesting plan among each other.”
Lortel was smiling widely across the campfire. I kept sharpening the blade of my dagger
without giving her much of a response. I looked up to check and the person next to her
was definitely Elris, the head maid of Ophelis Hall.
As if she was waiting for Lortel’s orders... there wasn’t anything strange about her
quietly standing there without saying a word. She was the only person who had access to
the protective magic inside Ophelis Hall.
And although it was called protective magic, slightly twisting it in a certain direction
would enable you to use it in a totally different way.
There was no reason to explain just how important having that level of authority was.
Only those who have worked long enough at the academy, all while receiving the
academy’s full trust, could qualify as the head maid. In other words, Elris was definitely
not someone who could have been easily bought over with just a few coins.
“So?”
“I want to ask for your help.”
“You need my help?”
“You suit the role.”
Lortel deeply sighed and continued to talk.
“Originally, the decoy... I was going to have Totte do the job, but he got himself seriously
injured.”
I put the dagger that I was sharpening down at her words.
This was a story that I couldn’t just ignore.
“Oh, you’re finally going to seriously listen to me, huh, Ed?”
“What about Totte?”
Decoy Totte. He didn’t have a very important role, but it was a name I remembered
clearly.
He was the intro boss that appeared at the beginning of Act 2. His role was to get into
an argument and get beat up by Taylee over vacation. He would later reappear as a onephase boss in Act 2 Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.
It wasn’t as big of an event as the Glasskan Subjugation was, but this Ophelis Hall event
would have enough influence in the later stories.
It had five named bosses.
The 1st-floor boss, ‘Decoy Totte.’
The 2nd-floor boss, ‘Gloomy Clevius.”
The 3rd-floor bosses, ‘Shaney, who is in charge of dishes’ and ‘Kelly, who is in charge of
washing the beddings.’
The 4th-floor boss, ‘The Representative of Lower-Ranked Students, Willian.’
The 5th-floor boss, ‘Head Maid Elris.’
First among these bosses was Totte. He was meant to set the atmosphere, get beaten up,
and then disappear. If this was the original timeline, then he should have already been
bought by Lortel to become part of the Ophelis Hall incident.
“Ah, how should I say this? That guy wasn’t one to take things seriously. Plus he didn’t
seem that trustworthy at all... but he knew to keep his mouth shut, at least. So I thought
I would go ahead and trust him, but then I didn’t expect Ziggs to beat him up that badly.
He’s in the hospital right now.”
Something seemed to have fallen out of place in the timeline. I was sure there weren’t
that many influential large events that should have taken place over the vacation.
“Ziggs beat him up?”
“Totte seemed to have gotten into a fight with Taylee and Ziggs. Seriously, why did he
go ahead and do something stupid like that?”
So far, everything seemed to follow what I knew.
Totte was another third-rate villain that was used at the beginning of Act 2. His only
role was to get beaten up by the main character’s group of friends after arguing over
nothing.
In fact, this character was only meant to make Ziggs look good. Totte came over and
mocked the ‘failed Swordmaster’ Taylee, saying his talent was fake. So Ziggs came over
and hit him full-on.
Taylee and Ziggs would have gotten quite close during vacation, so it was only natural
to start Act 2 with such an incident. I knew that was going to happen.
However, it seemed like there were some parts I didn’t know. For example, what did
Totte specifically say to Taylee?
“He looked at Taylee and said, ‘You’re not even as good as Ed Rothstaylor... You’re just a
human that’s even lower than an insect.’ Weren’t his words too harsh?”
“Ha...”
“To tell you the truth, Taylee and you were both insulted at the same time... but Ziggs
was the one who got twice as angry.”
Ah... That was why I was trying to minimize my involvement with any of the main
characters... Those situations were starting to become a bit too difficult to deal with.
“Elvira told me that Ziggs would have normally been a little upset, at the very least. But
he seemed more angry than usual that day. Well, he did apologize after his anger faded
away, but Totte was still a bit too emotional at that time.”
Lortel paused to catch her breath.
“I can’t trust such an emotional person.”
Then she looked me straight in the eyes and said,
“Your task is not that difficult. All you have to do is get the key from Elris, stay in
Ophelis Hall for a while, and then open the door to let the lower-ranked students in.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of other people who could do that other than me.”
“There’s actually not as many as you would think. No matter how the situation turns out,
this is a job that needs someone to remain level-headed. And above all else, you have
enough reason to participate.”
Why was Lortel telling me all this?
“Even if I bribed someone with enough money, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t rat
me out to the academy’s internal investigators once the incident is over. ‘Oh, the person
behind all this was actually the first-year student Lortel.’ If someone went ahead and
confessed that, how do you think that would make me feel? There wouldn’t be anyone I
could trust.”
I finally understood why Lortel picked me.
I had already been kicked out of Ophelis Hall. I continued attending the academy despite
getting ridiculed and looked down on by everyone.
I didn’t really care, if I were being honest. Ed Rothstaylor deserved that kind of
treatment in the first place. Sure, it was a little bit unfair to me, but right now, all I could
really do was focus on my own survival.
How students view me would fade over time, one way or another. The first-years seemed
to have actually started viewing me favorably.
“Don’t you want to hit them back, Ed?”
Lortel smiled softly as she asked me.
It seemed like she thought I was holding a grudge against the academy.
Well, that was just pure speculation on her part.
“Eh, not really.”
“Oh? Really?”
“But sure, I’ll listen to your terms first.”
I didn’t panic and came to a conclusion right away.
If I rejected Lortel’s offer, she would just go and search for someone else to do it. That
would just make me even more anxious. I wouldn’t know would replace Totte then. I’d
rather take the role, carefully open the door, then lose to Taylee.
That was all his role was anyway.
The only difference here was that Totte, the first phase boss, was currently unable to do
his job. So as long as I was able to solve that issue, then the timeline would be able to go
back to its original path.
But that didn’t mean I would just do it for free. Since Lortel was someone who would be
able to pay me a lot, I ought to get as much as I could from her.
“Twenty Coins.”
The pay seemed ridiculously high for such a simple task. But considering the fact that I
would need to keep quiet after, the calculation seemed correct.
Since I wanted the timeline to progress as smoothly as possible, there was no reason for
me to reveal Lortel’s involvement in the first place. In fact, this would be pretty much
free money to me.
As long as I behaved well, then there wouldn’t be a reason for them to investigate me. I’ll
just keep quiet and stay out of the spotlight. I’ll send Taylee on his way up and then hide
out in Yenika’s room for a while, maybe even drink a cup of tea, before escaping.
“Deal.”
I began sharpening my dagger once again.
A signal that there was nothing more to talk about here.
I had now become the 1st-phase boss.
◐◓◑◒
“I feel like something’s wrong.”
It was night in the middle of the forest.
The young merchant and the head maid walked side by side back to Ophelis Hall.
The silent head maid, who had not spoken once, now spoke with a clear voice once she
was alone with Lortel.
“He never asked ‘Why?”
It was only natural for a veteran maid to see through people. At the very least, she could
tell that Ed Rothstaylor was not a regular person.
They didn’t have much to talk about, but it was funny how she had deduced that
something was different about Ed with that level of conversation.
However, whatever the head maid felt was strange... and Lortel clearly felt it too.
“It seemed that even you felt it, Elris.”
Lortel smiled.
“Come to think of it, he had always been like that.”
There was no sense of curiosity from him, something that humans normally should
have.
With Lortel proposing such a thing, it would’ve been only natural for him to ask ‘why’
countless of times.
Why did Lortel intervene in the Ophelis Hall Occupation?
Why was Head Maid Elris with Lortel?
Why aren’t you disgusted by this initiative from lower-ranked students?
There were so many other ‘why’s he could have asked. They should have kept on coming.
This was a backdoor transaction for twenty gold coins. It was only human nature to
wonder what their purpose was. Why were they doing such a thing? Lortel had even
prepared some believable lies beforehand.
And yet, Ed Rothstaylor only asked ‘why’ once.
Why are you asking me, of all people, to do it?
“With that kind of reaction... It could be one of two reasons. He was someone not
interested in anything else as long as he gets paid...”
Lortel felt her spine burning for the first time in a while.
“...Or he was someone who was able to see through all of this.”
Lortel still clearly remembered the warmth of those three gold coins he had placed back
in her hand. At the very least, Ed Rothstaylor was not someone who would sell his life
for gold.
If so, using the process of elimination, there was only one possibility left.
“How much does he know? I don’t think there should be any clues.”
Lortel closed her eyes gently before smiling her peculiar fox-like smile. It had been a
long time since she had felt this feeling. This ‘fear of the unknown.’
It was getting late into the night. Lortel kept on walking through the darkness of the
forest without hesitation.
Back there, all he did as she excitedly kept on talking, was to sit there and sharpen his
dagger across the campfire.
She wondered what he was thinking after she left.
She couldn’t figure out what he was feeling, which only made Lortel’s heart run even
faster.
Someone who was the same as her.
To the point where it was... terrifying.
Chapter 32: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (2)
Among all her senses, Lortel was most confident with her sense of smell.
After all, merchants survive in business by relying on it. The same was true for her.
Someone with the business acumen to smell trends that others have yet to notice would
enable them to act faster.
And the opportunity to make quick and easy money usually came from that half-step
difference. The way out of a tight situation also depended on that step.
‘Proposal for Assistance of Ophelis Hall Students Returning to the Academy’.
Lortel folded the handwritten proposal in half as she sat at her desk in her room. She
then put the letter inside an envelope and sealed it with some wax.
“As expected, it’s been raining quite a bit.”
Raindrops splashed on her window. The gloomy sky only served to look like it agreed at
how regrettable it was that vacation was coming to an end.
More than half of the rooms in Ophelis Hall were still empty. The deadline for
returning back to the academy was not until this weekend, which was when the
dormitory would spring back up to life like usual. But before then, it would continue to
be a lonely and quiet place.
Lortel felt gloomy walking the dark corridors alone, the rain whipping against the
windows as she passed. Though, like a paradox, the gloomy and dreary atmosphere was
rather comforting at the same time.
This land of learning had too many sources of light for her.
There were the students, all of whom were full of hopes and dreams that a beautiful
future was waiting for them. They devoted themselves to studying and were always so
dazzlingly bright.
Was this the light of adolescence?
The term had always felt a bit awkward to her. But that was only natural as it was a
completely unknown world to Lortel. A bright light would only reveal all the dirt on
one’s body.
When she looked down at her desk, all she could see were papers full of depressing
intentions.
She was in contact with the representative of the lower-ranked students, Willian.
With his teeth clenched, he was looking for an opportunity to get at the academy but
also at the students living in Ophelis Hall. This ongoing heavy rain as everyone returned
to the academy was a sure opportunity for him.
If they were to create a random cause that the lower-ranked to average-ranked students
could rally behind, the complaints would surely start piling up. Then Willian would
come in, a master instigator who was also a master orator. He would then use that
incident as a trigger to finish up everything else.
The head maid in charge of Ophelis Hall was already on Lortel’s side, part of the
academy’s Administrative Proposal Review Department as well. They would
enthusiastically support Lortel’s proposal for sure. It was a proposal to adjust when the
Ophelis Hall students would need to come back to the academy.
It was a completely different treatment compared to an ordinary student who had to
tough it out and return to the academy in this heavy downpour.
But it didn’t matter if the academy would accept Lortel’s proposal or not. Just the fact
alone that they would seriously consider such a plan would be enough to infuriate the
other students.
“This peaceful atmosphere will soon be gone.”
This incident needed to be as big and grand as possible, The more property damage
there was, the better. No.
If possible, it would be for the best if the whole of Ophelis Hall itself was completely
destroyed.
On top of the ledger was the academy’s flow of money. This was completely Lortel’s
territory. The flow of funds and the structure of finances were things she could clearly
deduce just by playing around with the academy a few times.
Sylvania’s finances were already in a crisis. The repair work of Nail and Glockt Hall due
to the Glasskan incident already required funds from the Elte Company.
Understanding the academy’s chronic cash shortage issue was a piece of cake at this
point. There wouldn’t even be a need to open the academy’s financial records.
Lortel had been able to clearly assess the situation with her own two eyes just by
attending the academy for a semester. Estimating the academy’s quarterly cash flow
would be easy to calculate with just a piece of paper, a quill, and some ink to write the
formulas down.
Headmaster Obel’s perpetual external activities outside of the academy grounds also
became clear.
He had been trying to solve the cash bottleneck that had only gone worse this semester.
The VIPs he had met were all extremely wealthy and influential people. He had been
constantly running around on his own two feet with his sleeves rolled up, in search of a
financier.
The academy’s financial structure itself was not that bad. But having a payment due date
would be a disaster, and could destroy even the most sturdy asset structures at once.
‘Assets’ and ‘Cash’ were completely different concepts, after all.
Bankruptcy caused by poor management was a reality that one needed to calmly accept.
However, bankruptcies caused by a temporary cash bottleneck felt too unfair, to the point
it could make blood flow from one’s eyes.
The academy’s management would do their best to stop that from happening. Lortel
pushed her creaky chair back and leaned against the window. Ophelis Hall was the most
luxurious and magnificent among all the buildings in the academy.
The dormitory was full of valuables and expensive pieces of art. The stained glass that
was embroidered on the wall was handcrafted by a famous artisan whose name remained
in history. The wallpaper, the carpet, and even the wooden furniture—all were handmade
by famous craftsmen.
There were things that shouldn’t even be in an academy. Noble families and other
influential people had donated many pieces of art to inflate their egos.
A bombastic incident right now would become a fatal blow to the academy’s finances
since they were already in a tight spot.
This would give the Elte Company an edge in the planned negotiations to purchase the
‘Sage’s Seal.’
The magic book was the heart of Sylvania, but for an academy that was truly on its last
legs, putting its heart out on the negotiating table was inevitable.
“When will the rain stop?”
The rain continued its heavy downpour as Lortel looked out the window.
No light could be seen under the gloomy sky. It looked like the sky she used to look up at
from her shabby house in the ghettos. It gave her a sense of comfort.
Whenever rainwater would drip into her shabby house in the ghettos, all the cockroaches
that had been hiding in the corners would come out to find new cracks of darkness to
hide into, avoiding the light. Lortel remembered the memory with a sense of kinship
with the critters.
This land of learning that was full of romanticism... had too many sources of light for
Lortel. She, who had been living in darkness, her entire body that had been covered in
dirt was clearer to see. The traces of a scheme lying on her desk were proof.
The traces of a person who had always stabbed others in the back, doubted their own
innermost thoughts, and lived a life devoid of sincerity. Her life had already become like
this when she came to her senses after struggling to survive for so long.
But none of that changed the fact that she was dirty all along. And so she became
obsessed, wandering around, finding others who were just like her.
Even in Sylvania, full of sparkling bright students, just maybe... maybe there was
someone here who could sympathize with the life of a dirty gutter rat?
Leaning on such fleeting hopes, Lortel looked up at the dark clouds in the sky and quietly
said, “I’m lonely.”
No matter how hard she tried, her nature would never change. Her stance on how to
survive in this miserable reality would always be the same.
She was the man behind the curtain, as the audience called it.
◐◓◑◒
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
« Handicraft Level 13
+ Design Level 8
+ Foraging Level 11
+ Woodworking Level 12
+ Hunting Level 8
+ Fishing Level 6
+ Cooking Level 6
+ Repair Level 5
« Advanced Production Technique Slot: Empty ))
« Advanced Production Technique Slot: Empty) ]
Shwaaaaaaa...
It was a heavy downpour.
There had been times before when it rained a little bit, but this was the first long and
ongoing heavy rain since I lived out here, surviving in the wild.
Thankfully, I was able to set up a simple tent over the bricks I had been drying, but it
was inevitable they would still retain some moisture from the air. If I had just a bit more
time, maybe even just a week, then I could have used magic to finish drying them off and
stored them separately... What awful timing.
I would have no choice but to delay any outdoor work if it kept on raining like this. Well,
of course, I would need to go out and hunt in the rain if I ran out of food. But I wasn’t
exactly short on food right now, at least.
I sat by the fire under a tent, quietly listening to the sound of the rain falling on top of
me as I read up on the upcoming second-semester Elemental Studies textbook.
Rainwater kept on leaking inside my cabin so I couldn’t relax inside at all. It seemed the
mud I roughly applied by itself did not make it completely waterproof. Just as I thought,
I needed to think of how I was going to solve my flooring and inner wall issues.
I was completely focused on my studies even on such a rainy day like this. The most
important thing I needed to concentrate on was Intermediate Magic Theory.
Knowing how to do Intermediate Magic was a criterion for determining one’s position as
a professional magician. Knowing three or four different types of intermediate magic
before the end of your third year in the academy meant you were a magician who had
already achieved a lot. I needed to work even harder.
Classes would resume in three days. The occupation of Ophelis Hall would take place on
the last day of vacation. The time was near. The Ophelis Hall Occupation incident was a
stepping-stone event.
Lortel used this event to put the academy’s finances in a tight spot before the main event
of Act 2 began, which was the battle over the ‘Sage’s Seal’ between the academy and the
Elte Company.
It was an event that strengthened Lortel’s position as the man behind the black curtain,
someone who was manipulating things behind the scenes.
For the players playing at that time, this was when the gap between Lortel and who she
really was was at its widest.
Either way, I already knew what Lortel was planning, what her goal was, and what would
happen. I didn’t have any reason to intervene in Lortel’s scheme.
She was someone who needed to create a power able to rival Princess Penia’s student
council. She would form ‘The Top,’ an independent interest group within the academy.
From my experience when playing the game, I thought the balance of power between
the two camps should be about the same. Princess Penia’s idealism and tolerance have the
power to unite the two groups. However, her high ideals were far from being realistic,
thus creating contradictions and discrepancies in the academic policy.
On the other hand, Lortel’s realism and drive had the power to efficiently lead the
groups, but her cruel and by-the-book judgment based on values and numbers made the
members of her camp too cruel and cold-hearted.
Ultimately, the important thing was which side Taylee would choose. Whichever side he
would join would end up winning in the end. This meant I had to keep my eye on them
to make sure I stick to the side that was most likely to win.
If you just called me a complete opportunist, then you were absolutely right.
It’s better than being foolish, not knowing what was going on and then wasting precious
once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I also needed to eat to survive, you know?
◐◓◑◒
“Ahhh... I should head back to the dorm now. I thought it would stop raining today for
sure.”
It was only a little bit past noon, and yet the sky was gloomy and dark, as if it was
already early evening.
Yenika squeezed her drenched skirt and went by the fire.
“You must be having quite a hard time, Ed. Since I have a place I go back to, it feels like
I’m just out camping when I visit but... but you need to stay out here even when it rains
like this.”
“It will get better as time goes by.”
Perhaps it was because she had always enjoyed being in the northern forest in the first
place, but Yenika would often visit the camp and use the campfire to cook, or sit under a
tree and read a book.
Since the new semester hadn’t started yet, Yenika seemed to be using all her time for her
own healing. Here, she didn’t have to be conscious of other people’s opinions and she
could spend her entire days with the spirits she loved.
Of course, this camp was where I desperately struggled to survive.
In a way, it was kind of rude of her to keep coming here and treating it like some rest
house. But considering all the tools and food she had been bringing, I thought it was a
fair trade.
“Come to think of it, it’s almost time for me to leave my room at Ophelis Hall.”
“Ah, I guess it’s almost time for that.”
“That’s why I have to start throwing away a lot of my excess junk. Dex Hall is a lot
smaller than I thought.”
Students were expected to move into their dormitories a week before and after a new
semester started.
However, once classes started, students became busy and many ended up staying at
Ophelis Hall for a few more days. They used the extra week to bring their luggage in or
move it out.
I wasn’t sure when Yenika would move out of her room, but the fact that she had already
started to pack up now meant she would only be staying at Ophelis Hall for a few more
days.
“So Ed, if you need anything, let me know. Don’t you have a lot of things that you
need?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I have extra blankets, cushions, watches, lanterns, and such. Apart from those, I
also have some daily necessities and consumables. It would be a waste to throw them all
away, not to mention it would be quite a hassle to do so. Although if you need something
like furniture... since that would originally be the dorm’s property, I don’t think I would
be able to bring those out.”
I could make most pieces of furniture and other daily necessities as long as I had the
materials. Plus it would be great for raising my proficiency level but... it wouldn’t be a
bad idea to receive whatever I could get.
After all, it would be hard to solve everything through production alone.
“That would be great.”
“Alright, then. I’ll be kicked out when the semester starts, so I’ll bring everything then.”
Yenika laughed as she warmed her hands by the fire.
“But... does Lucy do that often?”
“Sometimes.”
Yenika mentioned Lucy suddenly, as if that had been her main point from the beginning.
Lucy was currently standing still on the roof of my cabin.
Heavy rain was pouring down. The rain that had fallen on my skin wasn’t particularly
cold but I was currently drenched in rainwater, an awful feeling.
Lucy, on the other hand, had her silverish white hair tied neatly. It looked like it had been
done by an Ophelis Hall maid. However, one side had already gotten wet and fallen loose.
Her expensive school uniform was no longer properly doing its job of covering her.
But Lucy paid no attention to all of that as she continued to stare up at the sky.
She looked lazy, as she usually does. Like she had a few screws loose. Her clothes were all
messed up and her big witch hat was crooked. However, she looked strangely different
today. That could be because... she was currently reminded of an archmage she had met
on a rainy day just like this.
The great power that was beyond common sense that Lucy had was not something she
was given for free. A chain called fate had wrapped itself around her. Although she had
been living her life trying to escape from it, using her laziness as an excuse.
She lived her life not complicating things, ignoring her promised fate. But after a while
of living as such, she finally came to her senses only to realize that so many years had
already passed.
On a rainy day like this, even that girl with a few screws loose would think back on her
life.
“She seems to have a lot on her mind. How should I say this... Lucy has always been...
free-spirited? Something like that.”
“It’s fine. Just say she’s a person who doesn’t use her brain.”
“Ergh! That’s a bit... That’s too much.”
It couldn’t be helped. I was just stating a fact.
“She sometimes acts like that when it rains. Don’t worry about it too much. I tend to just
ignore her.”
“I see... Ed, you seem quite indifferent towards Lucy...!”
Yenika exclaimed as if she had found out something amazing.
“By the way, Yenika.”
There was something I needed to check before she headed back to the dorm.
Just like I had mentioned, the occupation of Ophelis Hall was not a big event.
The scale of the incident itself was quite large but there weren’t many variables in play.
The incident would start when the head maid Elris invoked a large-scale spatial
defensive magic circle on the roof of Ophelis Hall. That magic circle made by the
Assistant Headmaster Rachel was only accessible to the head maid and the general
manager of Ophelis Hall.
It was magic that was similar to that of a durable fire shutter.
It was a high-ranking magic circle that covered every door, every window, every hallway,
and every crack in Ophelis hall. Of course, it was not something that could easily be
broken.
Late into the night before the first day of classes was set to resume, the students would
all be busy cleaning up their rooms, and getting ready to leave early the next day for the
opening ceremony.
This spatial defensive magic circle was created to use against terrorism or if a disaster
were to strike. Ironically, it ended up caging the Ophelis Hall students into their rooms
like a barbed wire.
All the maids would be oblivious to the situation since they were on their way to an
emergency meeting in the staff room but... they also ended up getting locked in there.
This would make the hallways of Ophelis Hall completely isolated.
Those who would have access to these halls would be the students taking over Ophelis
Hall or the maids who had teamed up with Elris.
Other than them, only a few students would be lucky enough to be outside of their room
when it happened, although the only two characters emphasized in the story were
Clevius and Elvira.
Of course, there were students who boast a ridiculous amount of strength, so they could
have broken through the walls, or there were those who could have used all their magic
power to escape from the spatial-type magic.
However, it was impossible for them to know exactly what the situation was like outside
of their rooms. It was difficult to guess whether it was a temporary accident or a major
disaster, and whether or not it would be resolved soon. Therefore, it was not an easy
decision for the trapped students if they should use all their magic power or all their
strength just before classes started.
The occupation of Ophelis Hall was planned around that, taking advantage of such
thoughts. It was that complacency that would lead to the destruction of Ophelis Hall.
“Hm? What is it, Ed?
I had called out to Yenika just as she was about to head back to her dorm. I thought
quietly to myself. Yenika smiled innocently at my hesitation as she tilted her head.
Either way, there wasn’t much I needed to do that night.
All I had to do was open the door at the right time, then check to make sure the magic
circle was working until the lower-ranked students had occupied the fourth floor of
Ophelis Hall.
Taylee wouldn’t have a choice but to enter Ophelis Hall because Elvira would have
forgotten her precious medicinal herbs in her room.
Once Taylee and Elvira were inside, I could buy up a decent amount of their time before
losing and then sending them upstairs. They would then enter Phase 2 where they had
to capture Clevius who had been running away in fear.
There wasn’t really much to it. Even if I tried, an unforeseen variable couldn’t possibly
happen. But I couldn’t let my guard down.
Didn’t I already learn my lesson during the Glasskan Subjugation? That the timeline
could get twisted just because of one measly absurd reason.
That’s why I needed some insurance.
A plan B.
There was no harm in keeping some backup on standby to respond appropriately in case
of possible emergencies. Yenika was valuable manpower that no longer had any influence
on the main story. She was perfect for the role.
Besides, wasn’t she the kind of person who would listen to her friend’s request? To be
honest, weren’t we pretty close at this point?
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Hm? What is it?”
Yenika smiled widely as she waited for my response. I thought about it for a moment.
How many students would be out late at night the day before classes started? Most of
the students would be resting in their rooms. Same for Yenika if she hadn’t left her room
by then.
If she was resting in her room, then she would be trapped by the magic circle summoned
by the head maid. But if I were to keep Yenika as my backup, then I should make sure
she was waiting outside of Ophelis Hall.
Though having her wait outside on a day when the heavy rain would be pouring down
was a bit... but I couldn’t have her too far away from the dormitory.
“Can you come out to the Rose Garden pavilion in front of Ophelis Hall at around 9
o’clock in the evening the day before the opening ceremony?”
“Huh?”
I would give her a detailed explanation then. It would be impolite to keep her here any
longer when she was already trying to head back.
“I have something I want to tell you.”
Yenika swallowed her breath in complete shock at my words. She looked around, as if
making sure nobody else was there. She then lowered her eyes and held the hem of her
skirt tightly.
“...S-sure.”
She agreed with a somewhat soft-spoken voice. And then quickly said, “Alright! I’ll get
going then! Bye!”
And then disappeared into the woods.
I wondered what was so urgent that she didn’t even properly put on the hood of her robe
which she had been using in place of a raincoat.
I sat by the fire and slammed my book shut. I stared blankly at my cabin, my chin resting
on my hand. Lucy was still blankly staring up at the sky.
It continued to rain heavily. The sound of the raindrops falling on the tent calmed me
down somehow. The forest after the rain smelled different than usual. The soggy smell
of grass was thicker.
The rain would stop on the morning of the first day of classes. I would then be able to
see the dazzling sky which I haven’t seen for quite a while now.
After that, the forest would start to smell like fall. I hoped this event would finish up
quickly so I could start thinking about honing my advanced production skills.
I thought about it some more as I sat down and threw a couple more pieces of firewood
into the campfire as I listened to the falling rain.
The long vacation was finally coming to an end.
Chapter 33: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (3)
“Tomorrow will be the start of the second semester.”
While training alone in his room, it suddenly occurred to Ziggs Eiffelstein that quite a
decent amount of time had passed.
As he looked out his window, the pouring rain beyond it failed to raise his spirits. Due to
the gloomy weather of the last several days, he hadn’t been able to start his day with his
usual jog. The conditions weren’t great for training his magic power outdoors, either.
His plan to train as much as he could over the vacation was ruined. He had planned on
developing various basic skills to keep up his progress in the class, but he still felt that it
was a long way off.
Professor Glast’s curriculum for Class A was quite daunting for Ziggs, who didn’t have a
knack for learning. While Lucy was out of the question due to her tendency to solve
every problem with her overwhelming level of magic power, he wanted to watch and
learn from Lortel’s delicate use and management of her magic power—as well as her
ability to solve problems and adapt quickly.
Although Ziggs was considered ahead of her in terms of practical combat skills, he was
far behind Lortel in terms of know-how and the skills required to thrive in a civilized
society.
“I really need to stop letting my emotions cloud my judgment...”
Ziggs let out a heavy sigh.
His companion, Elka, was genuinely angry that he had beaten up Totte in a moment of
rage. It was very rare for Elka to get angry at Ziggs. In the end, it was Ziggs who went
to Totte and apologized—even though his anger hadn’t fully faded.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the garden through the pouring rain.
Wearing a robe as they ran through the rain, they entered Ophelis Hall. It was definitely
the guy that lived in the cabin in the northern forest.
“Wasn’t he kicked out? If he is trying to force his way into Ophelis Hall, the maids will
just kick him out...”
He was worried that that guy might get hurt unnecessarily, but Ziggs already knew him
all too well. That was why he didn’t have to worry about such a thing happening.
Ziggs leaned back and looked away from the window.
◐◓◑◒
Once you opened the main door of Ophelis Hall, you could see the first floor main hall.
Every time a student entered the dormitory, the maid in charge of the entrance would
quickly check them before letting them in.
Unless you wore the red brooch that was given to those allowed in Ophelis Hall, it was
impossible for them to check you in and let you enter. Additionally, the maids memorized
the faces of all fifty-three students staying in the dormitory, so you couldn’t fool them.
“You must be Sir Ed? I received the message from the head maid.”
Originally, I would have had to stand in the rain in front of a tightly closed entrance.
However, today Ophelis Hall was open. ‘Kelly, who is in charge of laundry.’
She had a small figure and was neatly dressed in the lower maid’s uniform. She was one
of the mid bosses in the Occupation of Ophelis Hall Event.
There was no way that the loyal Ophelis Hall maids would willingly participate in the
occupation. However, Shaney and Kelly—who were trained and raised by Head Maid
Elris—were different. They were persuaded to participate in the plan by Elris.
Shaney, who wielded a rapier, was in charge of being the vanguard. Kelly was to take
control of the hallway with her decently high proficiency in beginner magic. Although
you would meet them on the third floor as enemies, they honestly weren’t all that
difficult to deal with as opponents. As long as you could defeat Kelly, who was in charge
of the firepower, it would be easier than you’d think to break through.
Well, that was all something that Taylee would take care of.
“It would have been a disaster if you were any later. We’re going to switch rotations
soon.”
Anyway, right now Kelly was still in charge of the entrance. As she was instructed in
advance, she let me enter Ophelis Hall.
“Soon, I’ll be switching places with another maid to go take care of my work. Clara
might be a child, but she is a new maid. Still, you should be able to defeat her without
much force. She shouldn’t be carrying anything like a weapon on her.”
“Is it okay for a little kid to be in charge of the main entrance?”
“It’s not that difficult of a job to identify and let people in. In the event of an emergency,
there is also a magic tool that allows you to contact the head maid directly, but today she
won’t answer the call.”
I nodded my head.
I would hide inside the hall and, when the time arrived, I would defeat the maid that was
guarding the entrance and open the doors. The lower students would then enter and
proceed upstairs.
By that time, Head Maid Elris would have activated Ophelis Hall’s Defensive Magic
Circle. That would seal off the entrance to each room. All I would have to do then is
walk around the first floor and check that the magic was working.
From there, once I determined that there wouldn’t be any problems, I would come back
to the first floor’s main hall and wait for Taylee.
According to the original timeline, the members that would overcome this event were
Taylee, Ayla, Elvira, and Clevius. However, Clevius wouldn’t join up with them until the
second floor, so all I had to do was deal with the other three.
“What about the other maids?”
I looked down the empty hall as I questioned Kelly.
“Other than essential personnel, most of them have gathered in the conference room.
The head maid gathered them all there, saying there was an important issue to discuss.”
She was thinking of putting them all in a room and sealing the entrance. As expected,
once the head is hired on, the plan becomes quick and easy.
“I have prepared the things that you requested.”
Kelly groaned as she brought out a basin near the entrance. It was filled with a thick
liquid.
“Oh, thank you.”
“Should I just leave it in the corner?”
I nodded and looked up at the hall.
As it was such a luxurious building, it was glamorous even from the entrance. The main
hall’s marble floor was sparkling clean. The height of the ceiling was high, making it feel
like you were still outdoors.
A magnificent chandelier hung from the ceiling, and smaller chandeliers were hung
around it. It gave off the impression of stars decorating the moon.
As you looked and walked around the center of the hall, it was enough to make you feel
quite lonely. The decorative cabinets lining the wall, and even the stone door leading to
the hallways, were antiques.
“The walls and floor are all made out of marble.”
It was definitely a luxurious place. I had already visited this place from Taylee’s point of
view as a part of the storyline, but seeing it in person was definitely different.
I opened the door of a cabinet that was in the corner and put some of the things I had
prepared inside. After grasping the location and structure of various things in the hall, I
nodded my head and made a rough estimate of what would happen next.
Following the original timeline, the boss battle on the first floor wasn’t anything special.
It just took a bit of time.
The key was to take up just a little bit of Taylee’s time before he moved on to the second
floor boss battle. Once that was over, the rest would probably go smoothly.
The boss on the second floor was ‘Gloomy Clevius.’
It was an event where you would have to chase after Clevius, who broke down a wall
because he was afraid of being alone, despite the fact that nothing major had happened
yet. It was a scenario in which Clevius, who kept saying he was going to run away, was
subdued and then forced to join the party.
So until I heard Clevius break down that wall, I needed to stall for time. It was my job to
make sure that the timing lined up perfectly.
I had no choice but to admit it. There was something that I had realized during Act 1’s
boss fight, and that was that the butterfly effect was truly unpredictable... The fact of the
matter was, having the determination to try and control every single variable in the
world was nothing more than arrogance.
Therefore, once the boss fight on the first floor was completed, I would go out to the
rose garden and watch the situation until the very end with my backup: Yenika. That
way, we could respond immediately if any abnormalities occurred.
“It’s an opportunity to check out Taylee’s specs.”
If his specs weren’t enough to clear this event, it’d be a big problem. In particular, the
final boss of Act 2, ‘Inquirer Glast’, was a terribly painful opponent. His Celestial Magic
and curses would make you experience the pain of being stabbed with an awl constantly,
which would eventually break your heart.
It was hard to deal with unless both your stats and mental strength were well trained.
I made sure that I had put all the things I had prepared into the cabinet and snapped the
door shut.
◐◓◑◒
After that, everything went smoothly.
As I hid between the main hall’s cabinets, a little after 8 o’clock the new maid and Kelly
changed shifts at the front door.
“We won’t stand by and be treated like this anymore!”
“This is a land of learning! At least ensure equality in grades!”
“Answer our voices!”
The cries of the lower and regular students echoed through the main entrance. They
gathered in front of the locked Ophelis Hall, chanting loudly. The person at the front,
leading it all, was ‘the representative of the lower students, Willian.’
He had short, light blonde hair and horn-rimmed glasses. The brown-gray robe he was
wearing was already soaked by the rain.
Ophelis Hall symbolized the nobility of the privileged students that attended Sylvania.
The students gathered together in front of that symbol, sitting down and studying.
Originally, it was all supposed to just end there. They didn’t have a choice but to sit and
express their dissatisfaction and resentment towards the privileged students. That was
because Ophelis Hall’s front door was shut tight.
“Euaaaah! What is this?! I need to report this to the head maid...!”
The new maid, who was taken aback by the sudden situation, trembled as she began to
look for the magic tool she was given. Taking advantage of her confusion, I quickly
jumped behind her and covered her eyes with a scarf.
“Ughaahk! What’s happening?! Who are you?!”
1 lifted the blindfolded maid up onto my shoulder, holding her wrists together tightly
with one hand so that she couldn’t untie the scarf. I then unlocked the front door with
my other hand and kicked it open.
“...Huuuuuuuuuuh?!”
“Wh-WHAT!”
The group of students, taken aback by the sudden change in situation, started to panic.
However...
“Ophelis Hall’s door has opened! Let’s go inside!”
The representative Willian shouted as the crowd suddenly rushed into the hallways of
Ophelis Hall.
“The management office is on the fourth floor! Let’s take over the fourth floor and issue
our statement!”
“Let’s make our voices heard!”
“Equal Treatment! We don’t want much, just equal treatment!”
“Let’s go! Let’s show them our potential!”
I watched the crowd of students roaring in as I continued holding onto the maid.
“You... You’re Ed Rothstaylor?”
The third year student Willian, who was leading the charge, reacted after seeing me. It
seemed that even the third years knew of my name.
“It was you who Lortel had ended up hiring...?!”
“Yes. I’m in charge of being the lookout on the first floor.”
“Why are you...?”
I used the lines that I had prepared beforehand.
“There was something that I deeply sympathized with amidst the words that you’ve been
shouting. Of course, I lived a comfortable life in Ophelis Hall before... but once I was
kicked out, I realized just how privileged I was.
““Ed Rothstaylor...!”
“I have just come to realize it! Everything that you said was right...! Until I was kicked
out, I was a part of the privileged class. Because of that, I couldn’t relate to the words
you were saying. Now I must prove myself through my actions!”
At those words, Willian’s hands trembled in admiration. Ed Rothstaylor was a man who
had lived a life of privilege before being kicked out of that cozy cradle. The more human
you became, the more you started to realize just how many privileges you enjoyed.
“That’s great! You really have contributed so much to our demands for equal rights! I
didn’t realize that you were such a righteous person! I heard the rumors and ended up
judging you so unfairly...!”
“Of course not. I used to be such a terrible person. The only thing that happened was
that I was so impressed with what you said, and I just did all that I could! It was all
thanks to you, Willian.”
I responded with that before I urged Willian to hurry on.
“Please, go upstairs immediately. You need to hurry up to the fourth floor management
office to issue a statement!”
“R-Right! Thanks for your help!”
Willian was in a position to accept all the responsibility once this incident finished.
He would be subject to a heavy punishment for the act of instigating students and
urging them to violate academy regulations.
If all of the students here were severely punished individually, the academy would never
return to normal. That’s why they would decide to use his punishment to make an
example out of him.
The students who had simply participated in Willian’s plans would ultimately only be
blamed for being tempted by his incitement, thus engaging in destructive behavior.
Compared to Willian, they would only receive a mild punishment. It wasn’t beneficial for
me to be disciplined over nothing, but considering the importance of 20 gold coins and
being able to keep the timeline flowing smoothly, it was an acceptable risk.
That is why the key was to keep on stating, ‘I’m only taking action because I was moved
by what Willian said!’ and ‘I am only following Willian’s goals!’
I needed to make sure all the responsibility that I had would fade away from me as much
as possible. Though, Willian had no intention of destroying Ophelis Hall.
He had just intended to peacefully end the situation by simply occupying the dorm and
then officially issuing a statement... But everything doesn’t go the way you plan.
I... I’m sorry, but... no matter what I do, I’m in a position of facing heavy punishment... it
should be fine to just ride on his back, right...?
“Head up quickly, Willian.”
“Alright. I won’t forget you, Ed! You’re the best underclassmen...!”
I am sorry!!!
Stay strong, Willian...!
◐◓◑◒
The gentle light coming off the magic circle filled the dark hallway. At the entrance to
each room, the defensive magic was doing its job perfectly.
“What the hell is going on out there?! Is it really fine to just stay in my room like this?”
“Is anybody out there? The door won’t open. Can... Can I break it down? It looks
expensive though...”
“I saw a bunch of students rushing in through the window, just what the hell is going
on?”
“I-If I just wait, then it will all be restored right? It’s not a big deal, is it?”
As I crossed the hall, I heard the voices of the confused students in their rooms.
The first floor was mostly full of third years. I checked each room carefully to ensure
that there weren’t any missing magic circles. If the story went the same as in the
original timeline, then there wouldn’t be any magic circles missing. But even so, I still
wanted to make sure of it with my own two eyes.
After about fifteen minutes of inspection, I came back to the first floor hall and found
something that I didn’t want to see.
Outside the wide-open main gate, it was pouring rain. I didn’t see the new maid
anywhere. Surely she must have just gone to report the situation to her superiors.
Unfortunately for her, they all should have been locked up in the fourth floor conference
room.
The marble floor, which had always been kept sparkling clean, was completely dirty from
the muddy shoes that rushed in. Some of the cabinets and shelves were completely
knocked down.
“Oh my. It started much more impressively than I had thought.”
The girl pushed her way through the heavy rain and entered, shaking off her clothes.
“As expected of you, Ed. I’m glad that I trusted you.”
She smiled while taking off her wet robes. Pulling down her hood, she revealed pure
white skin.
“Eghk! My socks got all wet, too. This is why I hate rainy days.”
“So you were watching from outside, Lortel.”
“I couldn’t determine if the situation was going well or not if I was trapped in my room.
Also, I had to make sure that the students were all gathered up outside. But I didn’t
expect it to rain this much. Eghk. Even the inside is all wet.”
Lortel smiled like a fox as she took off her robe and shook it. Her casual clothes, a white
one piece and skirt, that she was wearing underneath it were all soaked through. They
looked terrible.
She grabbed her reddish-brown hair, which was unusually loose, with one had to dry it
out. As she did, she used her other hand to roll up her robe once she had shaken off all
the water.
“If the academy staff gets involved, we’ll quickly be defeated. We have to get things
moving before then.”
“Alright. Work hard.”
Lortel grinned as she finished tidying up. Then she made her way down the hall. She’d
probably head up to the fifth floor to discuss the plan with Elris.
The situation would get more intense once they handed over the magic circle, which was
covering Ophelis Hall with defensive magic, to ‘the representative of the lower students,
Willian.’
Then ‘the representative of the lower students, Willian’ would become the fourth floor
boss, with all of the different kinds of defensive magic that protected Ophelis Hall.
According to the storyline, you were forced to defeat Willian, who was unable to come to
his senses because he was caught up in the endless magic circles running wild, as quickly
as possible.
“Ed, can I ask you something that’s a little out of the blue?”
As if she had a thought in mind, Lortel paused on her way down the hall as she spoke to
me. The question she asked was unexpected.
“Have you ever killed someone before?”
Lortel’s voice was still as lively as ever, but the atmosphere suddenly felt as dreary as the
weather.
I frowned as Lortel let out a laugh, before she smiled and turned her back to me. Her
drenched reddish-brown hair was gathered together, cascading down to her shoulders.
“I haven’t.”
“Neither have I. Haha.”
Then Lortel continued to speak, as if she were confessing.
“But... I’ve done a lot of similar things.”
Lortel’s past was by no means clean.
All of the tricks and acts of fraud she had committed while a part of the Elte Store were
actions that would have ultimately led to the destruction of someone else.
It may not have been a crime when compared to murder, but it was in line with ending
another person’s life. Lortel knew that fact better than anyone else.
“At first, I had to survive.”
To survive in a reality that was like a thorny path, it seemed all too natural to stab
someone else in the back. The first few times you did it, you might have felt a sense of
guilt. That, however, would soon disappear.
After accepting the honorable title of a ‘wealthy merchant’, there were suddenly a lot of
people that she had to step on.
The world was full of people that, whenever they had a chance, would put a dagger in
their own heart. After making it that far, she had begun to wonder if she had been living
the wrong life.
She had trampled on other people’s lives in order to survive, and to prevent herself from
being stabbed in the back, she had betrayed others first.
She had lived a life committing such acts with such excuses, but when she thought about
it deeply she realized that it was merely self-justification.
“Ed, what do you think of such a person?”
Even though she had realized it later, that didn’t mean that all the stains on her body
would be gone.
After that, whenever she did a good deed, it would only be considered hypocrisy. She also
could never make the bold decision to give up all the wealth that she has built up over her
life.
Now that she had come this far, she could never turn back.
She knew too many of the ugly secrets hidden by several tradesmen, aristocrats, and
other influential people to escape from a life of commerce. The moment Lortel’s name
lost its value, it would be over.
In the end, she had no choice but to run towards the final train station like a runaway
locomotive on its tracks. She had come too far now to be hypocritical.
As a merchant, a villain, and as a black curtain; the moment she took her first step in that
swamp, it began to eat her up little by little. By the time she had come to her senses, her
whole body was already settling in the darkness.
Who was she going to ask to save her? It was a disaster that she had brought upon
herself. She knew better than anyone that she didn’t deserve sympathy.
That’s why she was searching for someone just like her.
“If it were you, Ed, would you sympathize with such a person?”
Because I was already in the sewer up to the top of my head, I understood the truth. I
could also never be fully accepted or sympathized with.
Regardless of the good or the bad, the feeling of loneliness would come, just like it came
for her.
The only way to escape that loneliness was to find someone like herself, someone that
was also stuck rolling in the mud. She could only be saved once she found someone else
that would become used to living at the bottom of the swamp with her.
“No.”
Of course, that person isn’t me.
“You should be responsible for your own choices, Lortel.”
Hearing those words, Lortel’s face blanked for a moment before she finally smiled.
“You’re right.”
Lortel Kehelland was a girl who had lived her whole life only pursuing reason and
rationality.
I was already tired, knowing that fact all too well. Until the day that the storyline for
‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ came to an end, she would not once show a loss of
rationality or become obsessed with anything.
“I shouldn’t have brought up such nonsense. Sorry about that. Heh.”
Lortel’s expression quickly returned to her mischievous smile as she quickly rid herself
of her emotional expression.
“I should quickly get to my job, then. There’s not much time.”
With those words, Lortel climbed up the stairs and disappeared.
I nodded my head as I picked up a chair that had fallen over and took a seat.
From that moment on, I would sit still and wait for Taylee to come in.
Anyway, I was already familiar with the stats and skills that Taylee, Ayla and Elvira
would have during Act 2.
Even with the absolute difference between our numbers and stats, that alone wouldn’t be
enough to defeat me easily. Though, it wasn’t like I had to defeat them completely. I just
had to waste some of their time. It wasn’t even that big of a deal.
As long as I bought some time before losing, Taylee would go on up to the second floor.
Still, as we fought there was the risk of a few hits landing or injuries being sustained.
Well... It would be a necessary sacrifice...
◐◓◑◒
“Why is there a carriage this late at night...?”
Sitting in the corner of the rose garden’s pavilion, a short distance away from Ophelis
Hall, Yenika looked down the main road.
A magnificently large carriage passed in front of the rose garden. She had never seen
such a luxurious carriage before. The golden crown that was drawn on top of it was
quite impressive. It seemed like there might be some type of great person visiting.
“Something that I need to take care of suddenly came up, so I might be a little late. I’ll be there as
fast as I can, so please just wait a little longer. I’m sorry.”
She folded the note that Ed had left behind and held it close to her chest, staring at the
pouring rain amidst the beautiful roses. This was actually a good thing. She had time to
calm herself down.
“D-Did he prepare anything else...?”
The rose garden’s pavilion was somewhere that she had seen every day. This was because
it was a place that was right in front of the main entrance of Ophelis Hall, along the
path you’d take as you walked towards the education district.
It was late at night, so she couldn’t see the entirety of Ophelis Hall. However, she could
still see part of it through the rain.
It felt like some type of accident had occurred.
Many students seemed to be heading toward Ophelis Hall, and just now a huge carriage
had disappeared in the direction of the dorm. Yenika was curious, but she didn’t move.
She didn’t want to move unnecessarily and accidentally miss Ed.
For the last three days, she had been unable to sleep as she kept thinking, ‘What is it that
Ed wants to tell me?’
Perhaps... Was it that? No way... Maybe she was just overreacting? Or was there another
reason for him to have called her there? Talking to herself and saying such things made
her close friends worry about her.
Though she felt guilty about it, she kept on listening to Merilda about every move Ed
made.
More people than she had realized knew about Ed’s camp. Merilda said that she had seen
not only Lucy, but also Princess Penia, Bell Meiya, and even Lortel of all people visit
Ed’s camp.
Merilda didn’t keep close surveillance on him 24 hours a day, so there could have even
been more people that came out to visit him that she didn’t yet know of.
The fact that most of the people who visited were female students was heartbreaking for
Yenika, but... She wasn’t in a position to fuss about it.
What would it be like to be in a position to meddle about it, anyway? Such thoughts
made the blood rush to her head again.
“I-I shouldn’t have worn this. D-does it not suit me?”
After not wearing it for some time, she had come out wearing an orange persimmon
hairpin that had been sent from back home. She had brushed her hair out once more as
well, and made sure that her clothes fit nicely, with no wrinkles.
As she came all the way out here, she had started to think that the cosmos pin she wore
at the festival was prettier. She didn’t think that it went well with what she was wearing,
as it was dark outside and it was hard to see. Maybe a brighter color would have been
better?
“S-Should I just go and change my clothes now...?”
Yenika continued to sit still in fear of missing Ed, even as a crowd of students and a
large wagon passed by. It would be ridiculous to go all the way to her room now, just
because of a hairpin.
“M-Maybe If I quickly run there and back, it will be okay.”
Once you make up your mind, it’s better to take action quickly rather than waste time.
Yenika swallowed her saliva as she ran out back into the rain with her robe’s hood on.
She was worried that her hair, which she had tried so hard to keep nice, would get ruined
by the hem of the hood. Even so, Yenika ran quickly.
If her hair did end up a bit messy, she would just have to hurry up and fix it in her room.
◐◓◑◒
“Is it really the right decision to enter Ophelis Hall?”
“Do you know how much all the herbs I have in my room cost, Taylee?!”
“Still, isn’t it better to wait for the academy to take care of the situation themselves...”
The rain was falling heavily. In front of the main entrance to Ophelis Hall, Taylee, Ayla,
and Elvira were arguing.
“If I don’t collect the herbs on time and use preservation magic on them, they’ll change
properties! The difference in the smallest details can change the results of the entire
experiment! Do you know how important that is, Taylee?!”
Elvira puffed her cheeks as she grilled Taylee.
Elvira was actually secretly testing reagents in a secret laboratory built on a cliff along
the coast without the academy’s permission. Because of that, she didn’t really want to
get entangled with the Ophelis Hall incident in the first place. Even so, the herbs that
she had left in her room were bothering her so much that she ended up grabbing anyone
she could see, making a fuss to get them to help her get into Ophelis Hall.
Those sacrifices were Taylee and Ayla.
“They’re all just a bunch of lower students, so the three of us can beat them up! All we
have to do is take care of the leader, Willian!”
As she said as much, Elvira began to take long strides towards the entrance of Ophelis
Hall.
“Ayla, stop her...! She’s trying to enter Ophelis Hall by herself !”
“C-Can’t we just pretend that we don’t know? Elvira is a top student in the alchemy
department, she should be good enough to take care of herself.”
“It’s not Elvira who is in danger, it’s the lower students! Elvira is just going to spray
whatever reagents she has in their eyes!”
Hearing those words, Ayla gulped. Elvira, who was currently behaving completely out
of character, really could end up throwing all sorts of regents at the lower students.
Taylee was right. It wasn’t Elvira who was in danger, it was the lower students.
Taylee and Ayla followed Elvira, who was hastily walking towards the front entrance of
Ophelis Hall.
“Elvira! Stop! Stop!!”
“Stop nagging and follow me already! I need you to come help me break through, all the
way to my room on the fourth floor!”
“Then... will it be fine if we just take you to your room? You’re not going to do anything
else?”
“Exactly. I only need to keep the herbs safe, after all.”
Taylee let out a sigh once he heard those words, tying up his hair.
“Alright. Then, let’s go to your room Elvira.”
“If there’s anyone blocking my path, I’m going to break my way through them. Got it,
Taylee?”
“Please don’t go around hurting people, Elvira.”
Taylee said those words as he looked at Ayla. Taylee’s companion, Ayla, sighed deeply as
she followed the two of them.
After a short while, they reached the front of Ophelis Hall. Elvira quickly kicked open
the front entrance. The door opened with a bang as the first floor’s spacious main hall
came into view.
In the center of the hall, all by himself, a man was sitting in a wooden chair.
The man lifted his head, observing the party that entered Ophelis Hall’s first floor hall as
the sound of the rain filled the room. Act 2, Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.
The first floor boss that was different from the original timeline.
The fallen aristocrat that was excommunicated, Ed.
Just like the day he had defeated Takan, he sat with his arms folded and hands clasped
together as he waited for the party.
Chapter 34: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (4)
The rain was still falling heavily outside. The sound of rain falling echoed throughout
the wide main hall of Ophelis Hall.
After Taylee and his party came in and closed the main entrance, the sound was replaced
with the tapping of the rain hitting the outer wall.
Lightning struck, briefly lighting up the hall. Ed was sitting in the center of the hall,
greeting Taylee and his party with a blank expression.
“Ed... Rothstaylor...”
Though he had been excommunicated from the family and no longer had the right to call
himself a Rothstaylor, for Taylee that name would always be the same.
“You... Why are you here, in Ophelis Hall?”
Taylee’s voice was cold. It has been nearly half a year since the incident and his emotions
had subsided quite a bit, but for Taylee, Ed Rothstaylor was a person he could never
become close with.
Both Ayla and Elvira were well aware of this fact. Elvira quickly understood the
situation that was developing in front of her.
The marble floors of Ophelis Hall, which were always kept sparkling clean, were now
covered with muddy footprints. Cabinets had fallen over, no longer in place.
These were the leftover traces of the group of students that had gone charging through,
and the man sitting quietly in the center had to be guarding the path.
“Hahaha. What should I say? This is by no means a normal situation. This is too fun. It’s
beyond my expectations.”
Elvira let out a loud laugh. She didn’t know everything that was happening, but what she
did know was that things were going to get interesting.
“I’m sorry, but...”
Ed, who was still sitting in the middle of the hall, spoke.
“I can’t let you go any further than this.”
If they were to ask why? Naturally, there was no reason for him to answer. There was no
sign or implication that he would do so. Even though he didn’t express it with words, it
was written in his appearance as he sat there with his mouth closed and his face
expressionless.
Following that, Elvira’s response was obvious.
“Haha, this is too fun. Do you really think you can stop me if I say that I’m going to
pass?”
Elvira Aniston was a first year student in Sylvania Academy’s alchemy department.
Students in the alchemy department didn’t train directly for combat. Most of the
students focused on interpreting the structure of magic, exploring the properties and
sources of matter, and analyzing and studying the efficiency of various herbs and magic
reagents.
However, if you were to ask if it’s okay to ignore students in the alchemy department
when it came down to a combat situation? The person being asked would have no choice
but to shake their head in denial.
The students of the alchemy department owned all sorts of magic reagents, wore
different types of magic tools, and could easily control the entire battlefield... They were
joker cards that created variables in combat related situations and had the power to
completely reverse the difference in power.
Seeing the students of the alchemy department overflowing with their uncontrollable
antics even made the professors in charge of them admire them. Even though the magic
department was rumored to be full of freaks, the alchemy department was even worse
than them.
Elvira Aniston was considered to be the biggest freak in the entirety of the alchemy
department.
Though she didn’t specialize in direct melee combat or magic, she was at least at a level
where she wouldn’t be pushed around by a second year who could only use beginner
magic.
Elvira chuckled loudly.
“If you don’t want to get hurt, you’d better move aside.”
Already, Taylee was giving Ed a look dripping with hostility. The fact that Ed, who had
very little to do with this situation, was sitting in such a place and blocking their way
seemed to have made him fully aware that something was wrong.
It didn’t seem that this story would end with a peaceful demonstration and statements
from the lower students. That gut feeling began to bother the entire party.
Even then, the situation itself was still not too burdensome.
Even though Ziggs had once said that Ed’s beginner magic proficiency was quite
excellent, right now his lack of absolute firepower and the sheer difference in numbers
between them was something that couldn’t be overcome.
It was 3 vs 1.
A swordsman that was starting to hone his skills, a magician who could use magic at an
average level of a first year, and an alchemist who boasted the greatest skills amongst
her grade level.
Ed continued waiting in the middle of the hall, looking quite intimidating. But that
didn’t mean he would be able to overcome the overwhelming gap in power.
Taylee drew his sword.
“What is your purpose here, Ed Rothstaylor? Tell me what is going on upstairs, right
now!”
Ed didn’t open his mouth as he sat still, continuing to stare at the party.
“If that’s the case... I’ll just have to force you to open your mouth!”
With those words, the battle began.
Taylee kicked off the ground as Ayla got into position and started gathering mana. The
moment that Elvira tried to reach into her alchemy bag, which was filled with all sorts
of reagents, Ed kicked his chair and stood up.
Crash!
The chair was rolling around on the floor as Ed began to gather magic power in his
hands. Elvira could immediately grasp the flow and basis of that magic power. It was the
beginner level wind magic, Wind Blade. But who was the target?
Taylee, Ayla, or Elvira? Out of the three, the one that Ed, as a magician, had to be the
most conscious of was Taylee.
The most important thing for a magician to keep in mind during battle was maintaining
distance. Victory could only be achieved when they could continuously gather magic
power and cast magic.
In a battle between magicians, maintaining distance was less important. But when there
was a fighter that was skilled in close combat involved, it became the key to victory.
As soon as the Swordmaster closed the distance, a magician’s chance of winning was
completely gone. That meant that the first target that Ed would try to take down was
Taylee McLaure, who was approaching him.
Meanwhile, if Elvira and Ayla’s supporting fire hit Ed... It would be an extremely easy
victory for the subjugation team.
Whoosh!
However, his Wind Blade wasn’t directed towards the party... it was instead aimed at the
sky.
The blind spot in their train of thought, the ceiling.
In the luxurious and large main hall, a single stroke cut the connection that was
supporting the chandelier. With a screech of metal, the huge chandelier crashed right
into the center of the main hall
BOOM!! CRASH!
Of course, there was easily enough time for Taylee to react.
The forward momentum of his body was offset by him having to quickly kick off the
ground in the opposite direction. After a short while, the main chandelier stood in the
spot where Taylee had been moving. Dust rose, obscuring the view of the hall.
“Kyaaah!”
“Ayla! Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine, Taylee! I just fell down because of the shock, that’s all!”
After the loud crash that filled the hall faded, the sound of people talking started to fill
Ophelis Hall. The students that were trapped in their rooms were starting to get
anxious. They seemed to be starting to seriously consider breaking down the walls and
doors of the expensive building to escape.
The first one to succumb to that fear was Clevius, but it didn’t seem that he had come out
of his room quite yet.
“Elvira! Are you—?!”
“Don’t worry about...!”
Whoosh!
Elvira’s bound citrus-colored hair flew. A few strands were cut by the Wind Blade as it
flew through the air.
The blade’s target hadn’t been Elvira’s hair, but rather the bag she was wearing—the one
that was full of alchemy supplies. The leather was torn and the magic reagents that were
inside were pouring out.
CLATTER!
Ed choosing to send the large chandelier crashing into the floor without any hesitation
had been completely unexpected. They thought that, after trading blows for a few
rounds, they would eventually be able to defeat him.
The antique interior of Ophelis Hall had given off an atmosphere that it should never be
damaged. The unconventional act of destroying that expensive-looking chandelier
without any hesitation... How was he going to take responsibility for that?
It seemed to Elvira that Ed’s behavior was reckless, but Ed Rothstaylor was never the
type of person to do something so drastic.
If things went according to plan, the entirety of Ophelis Hall would end up completely
destroyed. Nobody would care about the fact that the main hall was ruined, nor would
they end up being held accountable.
Since he knew that fact quite well, to him even that magnificent chandelier was seen only
as a tool to create a variable in the fight. Of course, from Elvira’s point of view there
was something wrong with Ed’s attempt to prevent the party from entering any further.
Looking at that... That means that he’s serious, right? There must be something going
on upstairs. Elvira looked back at the reagents that were scattered all over the floor.
All kinds of low-grade reagents had fallen, but none of them were broken. After all,
these were reagent containers that were reinforced using a spell cast by Elvira. Until
Elvira canceled the spell, the bottles wouldn’t lose their strength.
The moment Elvira tried to move her body towards them...
FWOOOSH!
A pillar of fire extended from Ed, separating Elvira from the reagents.
That wall of fire that stretched out in a straight line was created by the beginner magic
Ignite, but the scale and heat itself wasn’t normal. It was the results and a clear sign of
his extremely repeated practice and his mastery of Ignite.
Ed’s fire wall divided the main hall into pieces, as if he was cutting cake.
A 2-, 3-, 4-layered wall of fire. The flames surrounding the chandelier separated the
main hall into separate spaces.
This... isn’t good.
Building a battlefield naturally, like the flow of water, Ed Rothstaylor’s judgment was
quick and accurate.
Elvira was the core of the subjugation team. However, the most fatal drawback for an
alchemy student was that they had almost no direct combat power unless they could rely
on their magic tools or reagents.
Even if it was just a bag full of her alchemy supplies, Elvira’s power was halved just
because the contents had fallen out. With the wall of fire set up, she wouldn’t be able to
reach them.
Usually, alchemy students wore emergency magic tools in the form of a ring or necklace.
Elvira, who was overconfident in her skills, didn’t do so because it was too much of a
pain.
She wondered if it was really possible that he had predicted this moment to that extent,
but she shook her head as if admitting that there was no way he would be able to do such
a thing.
Anyway, using such a large scale ‘Ignite’ would be difficult in the long-term for Ed, whose
amount of magic power was average. It looked like he was aiming for something.
Kghk...
There was a very brief moment where she had lost concentration at the shocking sight
of the chandelier falling down. It ended up being a big mistake that allowed him to
throw out an attack without any hesitation, with full determination to hit her bag.
Fortunately, there’s still some things left...!
Elvira took out a small glass object from her shirt. It was a magic tool in the shape of a
rabbit. That magic tool had been left out in advance because there was something else
that she was researching. She had gotten lucky.
By smashing it on the floor and breaking it, Elvira’s artificially created familiar spirit
manifested.
Krrrrrr...
It was a rabbit.
But its ferocious molars and sparkling eyes didn’t belong to a herbivore. Its size was no
different than that of a dhole or a jackal.
Elvira quickly gathered her magic power and carved a fire resistance spell into the
rabbit’s skin so that the familiar spirit could go through the fire.
Since it was crudely created, she was sure that it was going to have a bad effect on the
familiar spirit’s body, but... It didn’t matter if she just used it this one time and then
threw it away after... Blood sprayed out of the rabbit’s skin as it screamed in pain, but
Elvira forced the fire resistance spell into it.
Fwooosh!
Another strike of Wind Blade.
Perhaps he had determined that Elvira no longer had any combat power, as this time it
headed towards Ayla.
“Kyaaah!”
Clang!
Taylee’s Elemental Slash blocked the Wind Blade.
“Get it together, Ayla!”
The hall was filled with a wall of flame as well as the huge body of the chandelier and
the dust that rose from it falling. He couldn’t follow Ed’s movements as he kept moving
in and out of the small spaces created by the wall of fire.
Kghk...!
The wall of fire was able to be controlled to some extent by the one that had cast Ignite.
There was no reason for it to create any smoke or grow any bigger in size... but the heat
was real.
Taylee was someone who was born to the way of the sword. He could cut down fire or
wind if he so desired, but his growth was still lacking so he couldn’t control it over a
wide range.
He might have been able to break through the wall of fire, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be
able to defeat his opponent, who constantly kept moving locations.
On top of that, in a furious rage... Ed was blatantly aiming towards Ayla.
Ayla Triss might be well versed in magic knowledge, but in terms of combat power she
wasn’t very strong. She was at the level of a first year student that was just starting to
learn beginner magic. It was impossible for her to use the defensive magic that would
enable her to block Ed’s high proficiency beginner magic.
As a result, unless Taylee was next to her constantly protecting her, she could be easily
defeated at any moment. If Taylee were to boldly close the gap to try and defeat Ed, then
Ayla would be completely defenseless.
“Taylee! It’ll be better if I leave the hall...! At least until you win...!”
Ayla was clear on the fact that she was nothing more than a burden. Even though she
knew she was a nuisance, she was able to come up with an immediate solution rather
than being worried by it.
Now that the situation has become like this, It was better for Ayla to escape to a safer
place.
Kyaaaaaaaaaak!
The giant rabbit, imbedded with fire resistance, rushed towards the chandelier. There
was almost no burden in terms of magic power, and since it was a familiar spirit that was
simply made it was difficult to expect any great results. But at the very least, for a
moment it will be able to stop Ed’s movements and expose his position.
“Taylee! If you could narrow the distance between the two of you, would you be able to
defeat him?!”
Amidst the flame, Elvira shouted. At that moment, she had lost most of her magic tools
and reagents. Even so, she was still able to create a chance to defeat Ed.
“It’s not about whether you can or can’t! You have to do it!”
“Alright! Sounds like a plan!”
Elvira grinned. She put on her wet robe and jumped through the wall of flames.
“Elvira!”
Taylee let out a cry of shock as Elvira ran across the thick walls of flames and rolled on
the ground on the other side. She quickly shook off her burning robe and threw it.
On one side of her head there was a flame that she quickly put out, leaving a burnt patch
of hair behind. Her right forearm also looked a little burned, but she decided to not
worry about it right then.
Magic reagents were scattered all across the floor. She was only away from them for a
short while, but she missed them all so much. Ed Rothstaylor’s tactical advantage came
from the fact he took control of the space and obscured their view.
If she were to use the reagents or magic tools, it would require her to take aim and
throw them. That would take up too much time. Because of that, the only choice they
had left was to take advantage of the difference in fighting power.
“It looks like you’ve prepared quite a bit, but on our side there’s a warrior who can fight
in close-combat...!”
She picked up a magic reagent that was quite valuable and threw it at the chandelier in
the middle of the hall.
Clink!
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
A heavy magical energy permeated throughout the room. A reagent made by chopping
up chestnut flowers along with brown mushrooms that was given a ‘discharging’ spell.
The effect itself was so famous that everyone knew what would happen.
The restraint of diffusing the magic power in the area. The temporary suppression of
the byproducts created by using magic power. A drug that was like a magician’s natural
enemy.
The principle of it was that, by twisting the flow of magic power irregularly, it would
become difficult to use. It wouldn’t work for middle-high class magicians who had a high
proficiency in Mana Resonance, and the effect itself only lasted for a few minutes at
most, so it was hard to use unless it was a short-term battle.
However, her opponent was only using beginner magic. It was the perfect time to use it.
Taylee clearly must have understood that fact, as he quickly took an offensive stance.
The wall of flames that had filled the hallway was now fading away. Across the
chandelier, hidden in the dust and ash, was a man covered in blood.
A hunting dagger was held in one of his hands, and in the other was the dangling corpse
of a rabbit whose body was as large as his own.
He was covered in the rabbit’s blood as he kicked the corpse with his foot. The rabbit
rolled over on the floor, quickly turning to ash and disappearing. She had bought enough
time, her part was done. For the amount of effort that she put into making it, the results
weren’t that bad.
The man’s right shoulder was scarred from the rabbit’s teeth, and his uniform was
covered in blood.
However, he was still standing there as he watched the party without any change to his
expression or movements. Just looking in his eyes was terrifying.
“Ed Rothstaylor!”
Taylee ran at him, shouting as Elvira checked the labels on the reagent bottles one by
one.
The chestnut flower reagent that she had used would interfere with using magic power
in this hall for a while. It was a fatal blow to the magicians, Ayla and Ed.
However, since Ayla’s power was rather weak in the first place, it was worth it.
For Taylee, who used swordsmanship, and Elvira, who used magic tools and reagents,
this was a brief moment where they had significantly more power.
Right now, it was their turn to attack and deliver a fatal blow to Ed.
Clang!
However, Ed Rothstaylor didn’t intend to block Taylee. Instead, he kicked down the
cabinet next to him.
The thick liquid from inside the basin quickly began to flow across the hall. It was the
preparations that he had asked Kelly for in advance...
“This smell... It’s oil! Taylee!”
Fwooosh!
Ed kicked a candlestick in the corner of the hall and knocked it over. The oil began to
catch on fire. A new source of light swept over the dark hall as a new fire began to take
over the space.
This wasn’t a magic flame that was caused by ‘Ignite’. It was a real, oil-based fire. The
wooden parts of the chandelier, as well as the cabinets lined up along the walls, began to
catch on fire.
“Are you crazy? This is Ophelis Hall!”
Elvira shouted at him.
Unlike the pillar of fire that he created using ‘Ignite’, the flame that was burning now
was the equivalent of a natural disaster. It would burn every single thing here equally.
If the fire ended up spreading to the hallways, there could even be casualties. Thinking
of that, she quickly looked around and once again, goosebumps ran over her skin. Since it
all happened so quickly, she didn’t have time to check properly.
There were less cabinets in the hall than there usually were. Also, most of the
excessively combustible pieces of furniture and valuables had been removed in advance,
minimizing the number, and the smoke that was building up blocking their view was
actually being let out by the open windows near the emergency stairs.
As said before, the floor and walls of the main hall were all made out of marble, and the
main entrance and door leading to the hallway were all made of antique stone. As long
as this place remained closed off, there was a place for the fumes to go out, and a means
to block the smell, a fire of this magnitude wouldn’t even be noticed from the hallway. It
was just a couple of cabinets that were burning in this magnificent hall.
The fact that the fire in this hall had been prepared in advance, so that it wouldn’t spread
any further... What did that mean?
“Everything was planned, even to this point...!”
Elvira clenched her teeth as she gathered her reagent bottles. Flames were flaring out as
a bright red light filled the hall. In the center of it all, she could see the blond, bleeding
fallen aristocrat.
If he had planned for this, he could have done it from the start.
If he hadn’t used Ignite to create a fire he could control with magic in the first place,
Elvira wouldn’t have used the chestnut flower reagent.
If there was a reason for him to progress the situation...
“That’s right! You can’t use magic anymore!”
Taylee yelled out again from the burning flames.
The biggest variable that was restricting Taylee’s movements was the presence of Ayla.
As long as there was no way for him to target Ayla from a safe distance, Taylee wouldn’t
have any issue in closing the distance.
The heat of the burning flames was intense, but for Taylee, who was born to the ways of
the sword, it was easy to cut through the flames.
Elvira was completely aware of the sense of confusion and discomfort that was creeping
down her spine.
Though their opponent was just a regular second year magic student, he was against a
warrior that used swordsmanship and a top student from the alchemy department. Just
emphasizing the difference in power was hilarious.
But the way he handled everything thus far was too flawless.
It was as if he already knew everything about his opponents. If they were to act in a
certain way, then he was already prepared for it and had another move already prepared.
From neutralizing Elvira’s magic tools first, then making it difficult for Taylee to close
the distance, to always being out of range of Ayla’s attacks... There was no flaw in his
plan and there was no waste of movement in executing it.
Just how much fighting power they had, to what strategy they would use, or where their
psychological weak spots were, even to what was in Elvira’s bag. It felt like he had
known every single thing. It felt as if they were standing there, bare naked, and Elvira’s
sense of confusion was only making things worse.
Magicians were usually people who got flustered and ended up making mistakes the
moment their magic was blocked.
However, his method of fighting closed the gap in specs and controlled the battlefield...
He was more like a tactician than a magician. If that was the case, then the current
situation was strange.
Without being able to use any magic, he was just a useless piece of paper in front of
Taylee, who was like a burning fire.
With just one prepared stance and perfectly timed attack, Taylee could cut down the
flames and break towards Ed. If he did that, he would be able to see his movement at a
glance and even receive Elvira’s support.
If that was the case, that brief moment would be the key. But Ed Rothstaylor was no
longer able to use magic...
“Don’t, Taylee!”
Thinking that far ahead, Elvira screamed at him.
However, Taylee had already started to use Elemental Slash to cut through the fire and
narrow the distance to Ed... He had too much energy pushing forward, and he could no
longer stop now.
Progressing the situation this far meant that he still had a ‘hidden card’ left over...!
He could somehow still attack, even without using magic... There was a physical longrange attack that Taylee and the rest of his party didn’t know about!
It was too late. Ed Rothstaylor’s hand was revealed as Taylee cut through the flames
with his sword... there was a bow. He must have put it in the fallen cabinet in advance.
That bow... He knew how to use it? He had already finished taking aim.
Taylee would not be defeated by a single arrow. He could just swing the sword using his
natural reflexes to simply deflect the arrow. Rather than limiting Taylee’s movements, it
could only create the opportunity for Ed to counter attack.
Therefore, in order to restrict Taylee’s movements, he wouldn’t have been aiming at
Taylee. Instead, it would be aimed at Taylee’s companion, who was sitting far away in
the corner of the hall.
“Ayla...!”
By the time he realized, it was too late. The bowstring was released, losing the arrow. It
flew relentlessly towards its target. One of the most common things that first year
students learned was beginner defense magic.
It was a magic that minimized the ‘physical power’ that strikes one’s body. It was also a
type of magic that Ayla could use, but... coincidentally, Elvira’s chestnut flower reagent
was effective against all magicians—friend and foe alike.
An arrow flew at Ayla, who had no method to defend. Taylee used near superhuman
reflexes to turn around and rush towards Ayla, but there was no way he could be faster
than an arrow that was already flying through the air.
Phwoosh! Crash!
But that arrow never reached Ayla.
“Phew...”
The sound of a glass marble breaking was heard.
Elvira had more than twenty types of magic tools, and this was one of them: ‘Claw
Hand’.
It was a glass marble that had the power to attract small objects towards it, even from a
distance, as long as it was within her field of vision.
The arrow that was flying towards the hallway towards Ayla suddenly lost strength as it
fell into Elvira’s hand.
“Finish him, Taylee!”
As soon as he saw that, Taylee turned towards Ed with his eyes full of rage.
Elvira didn’t want to think about what was happening any more. No matter how much
he wanted to stop Taylee and his party from entering, crashing down a chandelier and
setting everything on fire was just crazy.
Wasn’t this just supposed to be a demonstration of the lower students occupying the
building?
She didn’t know what else was happening upstairs for him to go to this far to prevent
them from going any further in Ophelis Hall, but... shooting an arrow at Ayla was
completely over the line. That was completely different than just simply threatening
them with magic.
If such an arrow had penetrated Ayla’s fragile body, it may have even killed her. That act
was clearly a crime. Thinking about it, Elvira tightened her grip on the arrow. And the
moment she looked at the end of the arrow... her breath caught. The arrowhead had been
removed.
The arrowhead, which was supposed to be sharp and made of iron, was cut off. A bit of
hay was even tied around it to offset the physical force as much as possible.
It was a clear sign that he was trying to eliminate any sort of lethality. Did he already
know that it would be too hard for them to check the state of the arrow in such a highpressure situation?
Of course, if you are unlucky then you could be blinded or injured just by the impact
from the shaft. But even then, the direction in which he was aiming was between the
lower abdomen and thigh, where there were very few vital points. At worst, if you were
unlucky, you would just be left with a bruise.
“Was he going easy on us...?”
Thinking that far, once again Elvira screamed at Taylee.
“Taylee! Watch out! He still...”
The moment she was about to say ‘He still has something left...’
CLANG!
On the second floor, the sound of a wall being broken and a coward’s scream filled the
air.
When he came to his senses, Ed had already been struck by Taylee and was hanging
against a wall.
“...What?”
Sitting quietly and leaning against the wall while watching Ed, whose body was covered
in blood, trying to recover... Elvira once again had a strong feeling that something was
wrong.
◐◓◑◒
“Are you insane?”
The chandelier was broken and most of the cabinets were burned. Ed sat against the
wall of the main hall, which was a complete mess, and shook off his blood-stained
clothes... but he still remained as expressionless as always.
“There must be a reason why you did all of this!”
Taylee fist trembled as he screamed at Ed. Watching them, Elvira stayed silent.
After he was defeated, the obvious result of a match between a magician and a closecombat warrior, Ed eventually gave Taylee and his team access to the upper floors.
Though they had a hard time, they managed to defeat him.
However, Elvira didn’t feel a sense of relief inside her at all.
Throughout the battle, Elvira’s heart... It kept on feeling like it was getting looked into,
over and over again.
It felt as if the entire battle played out into Ed’s hands.
If Ed Rothstaylor was really trying to defeat Taylee, then he would have knocked the
chandelier down without ever revealing himself.
It may have been different if he was just a foolish magician that was trying to show off
his skills, but the difference in Ed’s appearance during the fight was indescribable.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that he had some sort of hidden agenda.
Taylee and Ayla seemed unable to think that far ahead due to the urgency of the
situation, but Elvira was completely stiff, contrary to her usual childish appearance.
As expected, something is strange. Elvira looked at his face from behind Taylee, who was
screaming in anger. Despite his loss, he didn’t feel any sort of resentment. He was truly
just sitting against the wall, waiting for Taylee to stop screaming.
After a while, Taylee took a deep breath as he managed his emotions. Then Ed spoke,
raising his head.
“Are you done?”
Even though the situation has come this far, he never once lost that calm tone to his
voice.
“If you’re done, go on up already. Stop whining.”
He wasn’t even telling them not to go up.
“What did you say...?”
Elvira pushed Taylee out of the way as she stood right before Ed, looking down on him.
Coming this far, she couldn’t help but ask him.
“Why did you go easy on us?”
Ed’s expression didn’t change a bit at that question. Rather, it was Taylee and Ayla who
were surprised by it.
“What do you mean, Elvira?”
“This person? Went easy? On us?”
Elvira continued glaring straight at Ed, ignoring Taylee and Ayla’s questions.
“Answer me.”
Again, there was a moment of silence. But Elvira was unwilling to break it.
She continued to stare at him as she leaned against the wall, refusing to move until Ed
responded.
But of course, she couldn’t keep on questioning him forever.
Thud!!
The main entrance of Ophelis Hall opened up again.
The soft sound of the rain falling against the outer wall was briefly buried by the sound
of the heavy rain coming through the main entrance.
Lighting struck.
In that brief moment, everything was illuminated. A girl stood there, struggling to
shake off the water that fell on her hood. The girl who had stayed up all night picking
her persimmon hairpin was revealed from the darkness.
Who could scold such a foolish, love-struck girl? It may have all been in her head, but
even imagining such things was all her own choice.
However, the difference between one’s imagination and reality is sometimes cruel.
The boy who she had thought would show up to the pavilion looking handsome had been
attacked by a group of people and collapsed on the floor, covered in his own blood.
Against the backdrop of the pouring rain, the girl’s expression in the darkness suddenly
went cold. Her usually bright and lively eyes were now empty, full of darkness.
“...What are you doing?”
With a heavy voice, she questioned them.
Chapter 35: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (5)
“Something that I need to take care of suddenly came up, so I might be a little late. I’ll be there as
fast as I can, so please just wait a little longer. I’m sorry.”
It would be a lie to say that something didn’t feel right.
From the tone of his voice in the note he left her, it was clear to her that Ed Rothstaylor
had gotten caught up in some unexpected trouble.
Nevertheless, Yenika put away her worries about Ed Rothstaylor. He was someone that
was always able to deal with any crisis or problem in a smooth manner.
He never took any unnecessary actions and would always finish the job quickly. Whether
it was simply chopping firewood or making tools for survival, to intervening in the
student center’s subjugation team that was in a tough spot because of Yenika’s mistake.
Ed Rothstaylor was someone who had created a certain expectation around himself that
he could somehow solve any problem, no matter how big or small.
Only after being stabbed in one’s blind spot, hidden in their complacency, is one able to
truly reflect on themselves.
“I’ll definitely help you then.”
She remembered when she told Ed those words, sitting in his camp and looking up at the
stars.
She meant for him to ask her for help whenever something difficult arose, or if there was
something too burdensome for him to take on alone.
Yenika Faelover was fully aware of her own strength. She didn’t often reveal it because
of her humble and sympathetic nature, but... she had complete confidence that she would
surely be of help to him in the event of a crisis.
But Ed Rothstaylor never asked her for help.
He fought until the point where he was covered in blood, but ultimately ended up
collapsing with a beaten body. He had ignored Yenika, who had told him that she would
always lend him a hand whenever he needed it, and fought by himself to the very end.
What was the reason for that?
What was the reason he left her a letter that was so unusual, why he made sure that she
was outside of Ophelis Hall, and why he had to fight here, to the point that he was
bleeding?
She didn’t know what was happening in Ophelis Hall, but she wondered if he was just
trying to make sure that she wasn’t involved. Yenika Faelover’s strength wasn’t at the
level that Ed would need to worry about it.
However, Yenika had already been given various disciplinary actions due to the Glasskan
Incident. Creating any more trouble here would only ruin all of the hard work that her
peers put in to support her and to make sure that she would only receive a light
punishment.
Seeing Ed Rothstaylor fighting all the way to the end, until he was completely covered in
blood... If Yenika saw such a thing, would she be able to hold herself back? She
immediately shook her head.
That was why Ed Rothstaylor had made sure to push Yenika away from the battlefield.
Considering that, an unbearable anger surged from inside Yenika’s chest. She didn’t
know why Ed Rothstaylor was fighting until things became like this.
However, at the very least she knew quite well that he was not the type of person who
would commit irrational actions or evil deeds like the rumors claimed that he would.
What was she doing while Ed Rothstaylor was fighting here, to this extent? While
someone was walking out towards a battlefield by himself, what was Yenika thinking?
She worried about her clothes, making her hair nice, and the color of her hairpin, all
while she stayed up late at night in excitement, as her imagination went wild like any
other girl who had fallen in love.
The direction of her anger was towards herself. But right now, it was the time to put
that anger aside.
Shwaaaaaaa!
With her back to the sound of the falling rain and her head lowered, she quietly asked
Taylee and the rest of the party a single question.
“What are you doing?”
There was a chill in her voice.
“Yenika?”
Taylee was the first to respond.
It went without saying, but at this point there was no way for Taylee to understand
Yenika’s feelings.
“Thankfully you didn’t get caught up in this situation, Yenika! Right now, Ophelis Hall is
being occupied by other students. But... I don’t think it will simply end like this. Seeing as
Ed went this far to stop us, that must mean there’s something else...”
“Is that so?”
With her head down, it was hard to see Yenika’s eyes. However, the fact that she was
glaring directly at them was obvious. At that moment, a huge amount of magic power
fluctuated around the main entrance of Ophelis Hall.
The mana resonance level of the second year magic department’s top student was
impressive enough to even make alumni stare in awe. Her collar stood up as the wind hit
her skin. The small chandeliers on the ceiling began to shake like crazy as they
threatened to crash down next to the main chandelier.
“Wh-What?!”
“Yenika! What are you doing?!”
She didn’t summon the high-ranking fire spirit Takan.
Because of its enormous power, it hadn’t fully recovered from the damage caused by its
previous battle.
Though, she didn’t need to borrow the power of a high-ranking spirit against three first
year students.
Mid-ranking fire spirit Olgoas, mid-ranking wind spirit Peshi, mid-ranking water spirit
Flan, mid-ranking earth spirit Tyke. The four mid-ranking spirits were summoned
together to deal with Taylee’s party.
Besides those four, many other fluid spirits and lower spirits also began to rise, creating
what looked like an army.
On the first floor, the windows began to shatter as the wind swept around. The rain
mixed with the pieces of glass that was caught up in the storm of mana that shook the
entire main hall.
“Get a grip, Taylee! She’s an enemy!”
Elvira, who was the first one to realize the situation, quickly picked up all of the reagent
bottles. She put them, one by one, into the hole of her torn alchemy bag. The rain was
flying around like crazy and obscuring their vision.
“You know... What you guys were doing, I wasn’t even curious about at all.”
What Yenika wanted wasn’t that complicated.
Did you guys do that to Ed?
To that extent... She didn’t ask that question in such a straightforward manner.
What was happening at Ophelis Hall, and what Taylee and the rest of his party were
thinking of by trying to enter Ophelis Hall, was no longer Yenika’s concern.
“Yenika!”
Through the wind and rain, she heard that boy’s voice. He couldn’t hold himself up
properly, but from the bottom of his throat he was able to squeeze out Yenika’s name.
Seeing the boy’s wrecked body, Yenika’s heart was struck with pain. She didn’t want him
to use his strength unnecessarily, so she quietly responded to Ed.
“Just wait one minute, Ed.”
At most, it would be just a minute. That was more than enough time to sort this
situation out.
It was obvious that the aftermath would lead to the destruction of Ophelis Hall, hurt her
juniors, and would break the academy’s rules. Nevertheless, the thing that was pushing
Yenika to go to such extremes was her past self.
She wanted to live up to expectations, she never wanted to harm others, and would
always try her hardest for the people close to her. That was most definitely who she saw
in the mirror.
On the other side, reflected in the mirror was Ed. Ed, who was trying to take on all the
work by himself for Yenika’s sake, to the point that he collapsed, covered in blood.
His appearance was what had triggered Yenika Faelover’s wrath. Yenika knew herself
just how sad and grief-stricken she was, which is why she couldn’t leave Ed Rothstaylor
like that.
An eagle made of fire, a raging lion formed by the wind, a giant shaped by water, and a
horse created with mud all stood for their summoner. Each and every one of them was a
mid-ranking spirit that could only be defeated with 4-5 people rushing it.
Taylee and his party began to break into a cold sweat as they took their stances.
“We have to run away, Taylee.”
Elvira understood the situation.
She didn’t know why Yenika was so angry, but knew that it would only be suicide to
attack that ridiculously powerful magician.
Even Lortel, who was one of the members of class A who was also known to be one of
the best in terms of delicately managing magic power... She couldn’t even let out a sound
in front of that monster.
“Let’s just accept the obvious. There’s no way that we can pass through here.”
An unexpected presence. Ed Rothstaylor, the fallen aristocrat that was guarding the first
floor of Ophelis Hall.
It took a long time to defeat him, even with their overwhelming difference in power, but
now even the second year top student had shown up, summoning mid-ranking spirits. It
would be ridiculous to get themselves any further involved in this situation just because
of a few expensive herbs.
“That... That’s right, but...”
However, Taylee couldn’t get rid of that uncomfortable feeling.
It seemed that whatever was happening now in Ophelis Hall wasn’t just a simple
occupation. He was sure that there was some greater darkness hiding behind it... he
sensed the presence of a black curtain.
In Taylee’s position, this might have been someone else’s matter to deal with. It was a
completely different story if it meant that there were actually going to be students that
would be harmed.
Taylee’s sense of justice was innate, and his dominant attitude in the face of hardship
was a quality that would drag him to his grave. It was obvious that Taylee was going to
live the life of a protagonist.
The huge wall that stood in his way, Yenika Faelover, was one he had experienced before.
Could he simply overcome the overwhelming difference in power with just tenacity?
However, that uncertainty wasn’t important to Taylee.
Taylee was a person who would always act in accordance with what he believed was
right. He even survived seemingly impossible hardships and evils doing so.
However, Taylee’s recklessness could only be seen as correct, because the world had
recognized him as the protagonist.
However he managed to overcome hardships, Taylee would end up growing because of
it... So as long as the storyline of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ kept moving forward
without breaking, the cycle would continue to repeat as he grew.
However, the Yenika that he once again met was an enemy that was outside of that
‘storyline’.
Would Taylee’s disposition as the protagonist end up being ruined because of this
enemy, who showed up outside of the original flow of the story? Could he even
overcome this trial, full of overwhelming strength, that was standing before him with
just his disposition alone?
As everyone knows, hardships in real life are never as easy to overcome as in a game’s
dramatic storyline.
If there was a severe power difference, then defeat was only natural. A sudden awakening
of power, the interference of an opportunity granted by fate, a development that allowed
one to accidentally overcome a trial... those were all just moments added to a game
scenario.
“Taylee! Get a grip! Face reality already! Since all the windows are broken, let’s get out
that way...”
“Go while you can...!”
It was Ed Rothstaylor who stood up and interrupted Elvira.
◐◓◑◒
“Yenika! It’s fine! I’m alright, so calm down!”
Yenika was boiling with rage to the very top of her head, looking like a disaster waiting
to happen.
The hem of her robe was fluttering and her light pink hair was completely wet, making
her look like a ghost that had climbed out of a swamp.
My plan was to just send Taylee upstairs as I went to sit down under the rose garden’s
pavilion with Yenika. I planned to talk with her and watch the occupation at Ophelis Hall
come to an end.
I even left a note for her, promising that I would be there soon—just in case she was
going to go somewhere else.
I thought that if I made such a promise and apologized then Yenika, who was born naive
and kind, wouldn’t leave her spot... I don’t know what happened for her to come back to
Ophelis Hall.
In any case, Yenika’s kindness ended up backfiring.
I thought that we had gotten pretty close after talking about all sorts of things as we
spent time together back at the camp... But she was also a great person, one who would
never sit back after her friend had been beaten up to a pulp like this.
If I didn’t do something about this, Taylee and his party would end up getting beaten up.
“Listen. I’ll take care of Yenika, so you guys go upstairs to the second floor as you
planned.”
“What?”
Ayla Triss looked at me with a face full of shock.
“Just a bit ago you were trying so hard to block our path, but now you want us to just go
to the second floor?”
In the first place, I had just used a few tricks to test out Taylee’s specs. If he didn’t have
high enough specs to clear Act 2, then there would have been an issue. That was the only
reason I did it.
“I changed my mind, so hurry and go up.”
“Hahaha. Really? You’re going to stop those spirits? Your body is completely covered in
injuries right now.”
I walked over to Elvira, who was laughing her heart out at the situation, and thumped
her on the head. Elvira took a step back, clasping her head as she let out a pained sound.
“Take your reagents. I’m sorry that I tore up your bag.”
The various effects from the reagents that Elvira had was going to be useful in the battle
against the twin maids on the third floor. Elvira was the most troublesome opponent of
members in this Ophelis Hall subjugation team, so I had to make sure to seal her
reagents first so she couldn’t fight... I didn’t think there would be anyone this annoying
to deal with later on.
In the first place, the occupation of Ophelis Hall wasn’t that difficult of an event. It
looked like they had enough power, so it was fine to relax and loosen up for the
remainder of it.
“Wh-What...? This, and then that, just what...?!”
Elvira looked at me, completely dumbfounded. However, I couldn’t keep worrying about
her.
I made my way to the center of the hall, through the rain and wind that was full of
broken glass from the windows. I could only see Yenika’s eyes through the swarming
spirits. Her cold eyes were completely different from usual. Anyway, the reason why
Yenika was so angry was because of her natural personality.
That was something that having good personal connections also meant...
Thankfully, I was already friendly enough with Yenika to be considered close to her.
Knowing lots of people was the best advantage that you could have in your life.
Relationships that came from family, school, or even fate...! The trinity of personal
connections...! I was always grateful for them, as they could overcome the frustrations of
life.
No matter how rich, capable, or respected your family might be, you should always
remain humble and nice to the people around you. You could never know how they would
come back to repay you...!
Now was the time for me to benefit from that personal connection with her.
I walked straight towards Yenika.
All sorts of spirits filled the hall, but they didn’t care about the ones that their master
wasn’t hostile towards. I walked straight in front of Yenika, pushing through the gap.
“Ed, don’t push yourself too hard. Just stay to the side, I’ll finish up the rest.”
“Yenika.”
“You can explain the details to me later. First, I’ll quickly finish this up and we can get
you treated...”
I put my hand on Yenika’s shoulder and clearly said,
“I’m really okay, so you don’t have to go overboard.”
The sudden skinship could be considered a symbol of rudeness. I knew just how
burdensome it was for someone to put their hand on your shoulder without saying
anything, staring straight at you.
However, when dealing with someone whose emotions were out of control and their ears
closed, it was necessary to make such a gesture to have them hear you out.
“Uh? Ehh?!”
Only then did Yenika start to go back to her regular self, little by little.
“E-Ed! Your hand! Your hand is on my shoulder!”
“Yenika... First, get rid of the spirits. The wind is too strong, so I’m having a hard time
standing...”
“Uh, yeah?! Of course. It must be hard for you to stand up. I’m sorry...! What did I do...?
I’m such an idiot...”
After that, it all happened in an instant.
The raging storm of magic power quickly died down, and all the spirits waiting for their
master’s order to attack disappeared. After a while, the main hall of Ophelis Hall was
once again filled with the sound of the falling rain.
Taylee and his party were staring, completely stunned, as I quickly waved my hand at
them.
They all looked as if they had seen a ghost.
At this rate, they might end up missing Clevius, who was wandering around on the
second floor. If that happened, it would be troublesome to deal with.
“Hurry and go... I don’t think there’s much time left...”
Saying that, I finally lost all of my strength.
The completely confused Yenika was frantically holding my collapsed body up.
◐◓◑◒
Shwaaaa!!
“I’m really upset.”
The pouring rain only added to the atmosphere.
Sitting and holding her knees, Yenika’s voice was low and didn’t sound very good.
The main hall on the first floor Ophelis Hall was a complete mess. Taylee and his party
went up the stairs to the second floor while Yenika and I sat alone, leaning against the
wall and listening to the rain.
We looked quite funny as we were both completely drenched, but... sometimes, after
getting rained on, for some reason you could feel a sense of freedom and exaltation.
Anyway, I thought that Taylee’s specs were growing quite well. There didn’t seem to be
any issues.
Looking at the range of his Elemental Slash, as well as the speed and precision in which
he struck, I could figure it out... It seemed that all of the regular events had been
completed well.
Of course, from my point of view he wasn’t completely perfect. But that was only
because I was someone who would completely foster my specs to the furthest extent... I
should have just been happy that he had attained the specs to be able to clear it.
In any case, for a short while it would just be a matter of mental strength. As the story
progressed, it would push a human’s sanity to its furthest.
Professor Glast’s’ Celestial magic would trap Taylee in the cracks of time, causing him
to experience hundreds and thousands of deaths.
Lucy’s supreme-rank magic would put Taylee on the brink of death, and Mebula, who
was the evil god summoned by the head of House Krepin, would trap him in his worst
nightmare.
Despite that, even in the ordeals that would test one’s mind to its limits, Taylee would
never give in. I had said it quite a few times already, but... I didn’t want to take on such
hardships.
I was planning to just take care of myself and rake in the success, but... when I came to
my senses, things had become like this. As expected, not everything in the world goes as
planned.
“Why do you never say anything and get hurt? I told you to come talk to me if there was
something going on...”
“There was a reason for it this time. Next time, I’ll tell you everything...”
I persuaded Yenika, who was twisting my arm to go see a therapist immediately, as we
sat on the first floor of the main hall and waited for the event to come to an end.
Though it was originally supposed to be in the rose garden, now we were waiting in the
main hall of Ophelis Hall to check if there were any possible variables, and if everything
was going as planned.
For quite some time, I sat next to Yenika as we watched the rain pour down outside the
half-destroyed main hall.
Although there were some variables, somehow we passed the first floor event safely and
Taylee’s specs were growing without any issues.
The job itself went as I had planned...
“They really went too far. I don’t know exactly what happened, but there shouldn’t ever
be a reason to attack someone to this extent. Next time we meet, I’m going to get really
angry at them.”
It was completely understandable that Yenika would say such a thing, as she didn’t know
about the chandelier I made fall... or the fire that I set... or the arrow that I shot.
I was grateful that she was unconditionally on my side, but I didn’t feel comfortable
explaining everything that happened to her. Well, it would be fine to put it aside and do
it later.
“Anyway... Ed... Don’t go around getting hurt, okay? You got it? Promise me.”
“Alright. Thanks for worrying about me.”
Considering that, I calmed down and let myself rest. It was a little different from what I
had planned, but in the end I had done my part as the first floor boss...
Now, I could take a break and take care of the work at my camp.
I felt a sense of relief, listening to the sound of the rain.
My heart felt a little more at ease. That was, until I heard what Yenika had to say.
“By the way, Ed. When I was sitting in the rose garden, I saw a very big carriage.”
“It went by so quickly that I couldn’t see it well, but... There was a golden crown on it.
Thinking about it carefully... isn’t that a carriage from the Elte Company?”
“I read about it in a book long ago. That golden crown... For sure, the head of the Elte
Company... That’s the pattern for ‘The Golden King, Elte’, right?”
The fake boss ‘The Golden King, Elte’, who would leave the stage after being stabbed in
the back by Lortel in the event that took place after the occupation of Ophelis Hall: ‘The
Battle for the Sage’s Seal.’
The fact that he had arrived in Sylvania way before it was planned...
It was completely outside my range of knowledge... That meant that something
unexpected must have happened. Once again, I started to get anxious.
◐◓◑◒
“You’re not hurt anywhere else, are you, Taylee?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Ayla also seems fine. What about you, Elvira? Do you have enough
reagents?”
“I have enough, so don’t worry.”
Ophelis Hall that was still getting rained on.
The three members of the subjugation team climbed the stairs as they checked on each
other’s strength and healed any wounds they had.
They had felt that something was happening in Ophelis Hall, but they needed to make
sure of that fact. At least from the first floor, the fact that Ed Rothstaylor went to such
extremes to stop them was unusual.
It was too tiring to face off against Ed Rothstaylor, since it was impossible to figure out
what he was thinking or feeling. Even Yenika Faelover was about to enter the fight as
their enemy.
They couldn’t figure out what was happening yet, but they wouldn’t let down their
guard any further.
From the next floor, the enemies who would be blocking Taylee and his party would be
just as difficult and complicated as on the first floor... Or maybe they could be even more
troublesome. Just thinking about it gave them goosebumps.
Nevertheless, they had no intention of going back down.
Calming themselves, the group continued to climb up the stairs. They couldn’t ever let
their guard down.
Chapter 36: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (6)
“You know, Elris? I got dumped.”
The fifth-floor hallway of Ophelis Hall was home to the equipment storage and the maid
lounge. Other than that, it only had a utility room and was as quiet as always, despite the
events occurring downstairs.
In the first place, the student’s had no reason to go up to the fifth floor. All the housing
rooms were downstairs, and most of the maids were trapped in the fourth-floor
conference room, so the spacious hallways on the fifth floor were completely quiet.
A commotion was heard from downstairs. It seemed that Ed Rothstaylor had blown
things up on a bigger scale than she had originally thought. The bigger the situation, the
better news it was for Lortel.
Before long, the cries of the scared Clevius were heard as the students trapped in their
rooms became more and more anxious. If the situation became any worse, they would
eventually break down their walls and escape.
Elris stood modestly in the dark and looked at the girl speaking to her.
“Elris, you know him too. The one who seems a bit evil and mean when you first look at
him.”
“You mean Young Master Ed? The person we met at that camp last time?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“That’s the type of person you like? I didn’t know that.”
“...He’s pretty good looking, but it’s not like that.”
Lortel Kehelland was sitting on top of a wooden cabinet in the equipment storage,
drying her hair. She had just finished checking on the situation, to make sure everything
was going as planned.
“The smell I get from you, Elris. I thought that I had smelled it coming from him, too.
But he ended up making a bunch of emotional comments, which wasn’t right.”
“Is that so?”
“He ended up throwing it all away without hesitation. Saying that I was responsible for
my own choices.”
Lortel lifted her hair, sweeping it away with a smile.
“People that are like us live by hearing those words.”
Elris could neither nod nor shake her head at hearing those words.
Elris was the head maid of Ophelis Hall, who has served as a veteran maid for over
twenty years.
At the young age of fifteen, when she didn’t know anything, she began her career as an
apprentice maid. She later became a manager at Ophelis Hall, as she was recognized for
her ability relative to her age.
All the veteran maids held a great level of wisdom, including her. That was why such
people couldn’t be easily bought with money.
If you wanted them to do something that went against the beliefs engrained deep in
their hearts, you would need to spend a large sum of money—enough to destroy those
values.
That was where the largest investment was made to forcefully increase the scale of the
occupation of Ophelis Hall event.
Abandoning the job that she had been loyal to her entire life, increasing the scale of the
situation, then destroying Ophelis Hall while taking all the responsibility for these
crimes...
If you wanted her to commit such crimes, then you would need a large enough sum of
money that would pay for all the crimes committed and give her a life where she would
no longer have to worry about money.
Thanks to that, there was a large hole in the books of Elte Company’s Sylvania Branch.
Appropriate investments were essential for greater profits, but it was too much of a loss
to just purchase the loyalty of a mere veteran level employee at Sylvania Academy. It
wouldn’t be easy to make up.
But Lortel didn’t waste that expense at all.
It was not simply for the sake of an investment or for a greater profit. It was a part of a
series of actions that was also an act, to find people that were just like her.
She had seen numerous people that would break their own faith by being attracted to
mere gold coins.
They were those that were usually at the end of their rope, or those who were only
living their lives, dedicated to small, meaningless beliefs and values.
Such people were not worth being called the same type of person as her.
The real proof was those who threw away their stubborn beliefs and values that they
had devoted their entire lives to in the face of those gold coins.
The more noble and valuable those beliefs and values were, the more Lortel’s heart
would pound in excitement. That was the only way for her to relieve her sense of
loneliness.
“I’m glad that you’re here, Elris.”
Even the veteran maid, who had served the students at Ophelis Hall for more than
twenty years, crumbled in the face of greed. In front of a tower of golden coins,
whatever honorable values she had were lost.
Lortel knew all too well that it was all just useless self-consolation.
A life that was led by following gold coins and throwing away everything else... It was
nothing more than a psychological defense mechanism to survive living such a life.
Despite her awareness of it, Lortel never stopped searching for her own kind.
“Without you, how could I have ever established such a plan?”
There was no need to stress just how much the involvement of the head maid of Ophelis
Hall had contributed as a variable in this situation.
“As things are going, as long as we match the timing of the representative of the lower
students, Willian, who is in the fourth-floor management room, and half-heartedly give
him ownership of the defensive magic that is spread out, then... One way or another,
Ophelis Hall will be destroyed.”
Considering the people Lortel had trampled on all her life thus far just to survive, this
level was nothing more than a bit cute. On a straw mat that was laid out in the ghettos,
or in the rush of merchants that were risking their lives for a single gold coin... She lived
a life where, if she didn’t stab someone in the back first, she would be stabbed to death.
However, even if it was done just to survive, there was no justification for such an evil
deed.
Saying that it was just a means of survival to protect oneself... Although it may be
considered commonplace, that didn’t mean that it was justified.
“The situation seems to be going as planned, so I’ll just stay here in the storage room. I
have to act like a good student, one that is simply afraid of the ongoing situation and
doesn’t know what’s going on. That’s why I hid up here in the storage room in the first
place.”
“I understand, Ms. Lortel.”
Regardless of her unfortunate past and the circumstances that pushed her to the corner,
Lortel was clearly a villain and a black curtain.
If the afterlife happened to exist, she would surely burn in hell forever.
She was neither understood nor did she deserve sympathy. Lortel knew that fact all too
well.
So in the end, the thing that she was looking for was one of her own kind.
She desperately wanted a companion, one who would sink to the bottom of the swamp
with her. Though she knew that there was no way such a person existed.
Such a pitiful creature.
She’ll probably die a lonely death, never having loved someone or opened her heart to someone as a
family in her entire life.
Coming to this realization, Ellis let out a sigh of frustration.
...She then took out her rapier and pointed it at Lortel.
“Ms. Lortel. Thinking about it, let me tell you something.”
At that point, for a magician to deal with a sword that was pointed at them at this
distance... It could no longer be considered a fight.
“I am not someone like you.”
◐◓◑◒
“...It’s not as difficult as I thought.”
Ophelis Hall’s third floor hallway.
It was still raining heavily outside the window.
Walking alongside Taylee, they continued to move forward.
Taylee, Ayla, Elvira, Clevius.
They had caught Clevius, who was running away on the second floor, and forced him to
join their party.
On the third floor, ‘Kelly, who is in charge of washing bedding’ blocked the parties’ way.
However, she was defeated in a timely manner.
“I am sorry, Ms. Elris... I couldn’t finish what you entrusted me with...”
Kelly kept talking to herself until they had tied her up and thrown her into a corner of
the hallway.
Come to think of it, where did her twin sister, Shaney, who was with Kelly almost every
day, go off to? Of course, Taylee hadn’t considered it up to that point.
“At this pace, we’ll be there in no time...”
And in no time at all, they had arrived on the fourth floor.
Was it because they were nervous? They felt that things were going much better than
they had thought.
In the first place, the first floor’s difficulty was, oddly, way too difficult. Since then,
nobody had tried to strategically attack Taylee’s weakness.
Elvira had an expressionless look on her face, unlike her usual self.
She kept on thinking of that second year magician, in the midst of burning flames,
standing there with his blood-soaked shirt rolled up.
His experienced movements, which gave her goosebumps, were the complete opposite of
his appearance at the entrance examination. There, he had been rolling on the floor in a
disgraceful manner. That fact kept bothering her.
Elvira was someone that was full of pride. The fact that Ed had lost on purpose left a
stain on her arrogant character, but she didn’t completely lose her temper.
It’s bothering me. I’m sure that he was hiding his true skills. It seemed necessary to
confirm that fact.
Once Elvira became curious, she wouldn’t stop, no matter the difficulties. Clearly, Ed
Rothstaylor had a hidden side that Elvira didn’t know about.
“R-Run away”
“Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghk!”
Elvira’s worries only lasted for a moment.
At the end of the hallway on the fourth floor, a crowd of lower students were pouring
out. They all started to run past Taylee in complete terror as they went towards Ophelis
Hall’s exit.
“The defensive magic is going wild!”
“Willian’s such an idiot! I told him not to touch it carelessly!”
“Shit! Where are all the maids who are supposed to be managing the defensive magic?!
Whatever, let’s just get out of here!”
“I didn’t know! I really didn’t know that this would happen!”
The students that came running out screaming like that turned the hallway in a complete
mess in no time at all.
“W-Wait! What?! What’s wrong with you all?!”
Taylee shouted as he tried to stop the students, but it was impossible.
The ground started to shake as Ophelis Hall began to vibrate, little by little.
In the corner of the hallway on the fourth floor, by the entrance of the management
room, a situation occurred. The third year magic department student, representative of
the lower students, Willian.
All sorts of defensive spells were curling around his body, spells that were so delicate to
deal with that even experienced magicians wouldn’t be able to handle it. Usually, it was
just a spell that could be easily managed with just four to five maids who had a decent
level of mana resonance.
Since it was an emergency barrier system for the entirety of Ophelis Hall, unless you
were someone who had clear authority, it wasn’t something that you could just access. It
was not natural at all for Willian to be taken over by such a spell.
It was all a scheme created by Elris and Lortel, who had left the crystal bead that
activated the management system of that spell in the middle of the management room.
“Ag-gehk! H-Help me!”
Willian staggered as his body was wrapped up and pressured by the spell. When he
would swing his arm to one side, all sorts of magic circles engraved on the walls and
ceilings were triggered, completely breaking down the outer wall on one side of the
hallway.
With a loud crash, dust rose and rain began to fall inside the hallway.
“I can’t handle it! Save me!”
Willian slipped and fell on his face in an unsightly manner. That ended up actually being
some sort of triggering method, as it began to blow out the ceiling and break down the
other wall.
All across Ophelis Hall, self-defensive mechanisms were carved into the stone. It was
originally designed to protect the students, who held a noble status, from outside
invaders.
But now, it was like putting a weapon in the hands of a child without teaching them the
dangers of using it improperly, and that weapon was pointed directly at the wielder.
“First off, we have to knock that delusional Willian unconscious! In his current state, it
will be too difficult to get rid of each magic circle one by one!”
Even though her practical magic power resonance was quite low, Ayla was an excellent
source when it came to magical knowledge. She quickly grasped the ongoing situation.
As soon as she finished explaining, Taylee nodded his head and jumped out. He was
thinking of lowering his sword and beating Willian with the backside of it.
“Kaaaaghk!”
However, if you suddenly jump out like that, no matter who it was, it was only natural
that they would be taken aback and position themselves in a defensive stance. In doing
so, it ended up triggering another magic circle.
Baaaaam!
Taylee got knocked back by a wave of magic power that flew out from the windows and
the bathroom door. He fell but quickly stood back up, taking his stance.
However, a new spell began to fill the halls, following Willian’s scream.
Wind Bomb, Ignite, Earth Wall, Shadow Blade, Earthquake. All sorts of magic circles
began to activate, creating complete chaos in the hallway and also cutting off access to
Willian.
Needless to say, all the various murals, the wooden cabinets that were lined up against
the walls, and the walls and floors themselves ended up broken and torn.
Meanwhile, the students that were stuck in their rooms were already trembling from the
sound of the chandelier falling earlier. Their patience would eventually reach its limit.
“What the hell is going on out there?!”
“If I stay here like this, won’t something really bad happen?! I’m going to break down
the wall and get out of here!”
“Just what the hell are the maids doing?”
Boom!
In a room in the corner of the second floor, a girl broke through her wall as she started
to evacuate.
It was clearly different from the time Clevius did it. This time, the building really was
about to collapse. They would just end up dying if they kept on sitting in their rooms
like that.
Crash! Boom!
As several people began to break through the walls, the students soon got caught up in
the crowd as they started escaping from their rooms in different ways.
Students on the first floor broke their windows and ran out into the rain. On the higher
floors, the students who could use flying magic or had the skills to safely land after
jumping out from such a height broke their windows and left.
Students who couldn’t do that broke down the outer wall of the hallway instead or used
their magic power to cast a brief spatial-type magic that broke the floor, falling safely
down to the first floor.
BOOOOOM! Bang! Bang! Pwooosh! Screeeech! Pssskt! Pssskt!
The sound of destruction that echoed throughout Ophelis Hall seemed like it would
never end. All the students kept evacuating in all sorts of different ways to protect their
lives.
Taylee’s party had a feeling that things were going well, but despite that, the violence of
the defensive magic circle that Willian was in control of never stopped as it continued its
destruction.
“Elvira! Do you have any chestnut flower reagents left?!”
“Don’t say something so idiotic, Taylee! That reagent only twists the magic power of a
magician, it doesn’t work against pre-carved magic circles!”
Elvira clicked her tongue as she lowered her body. She then sprayed a reagent around her
feet that was made by mixing and melting the eggs of a devil fish with the mashed shell
of emperor clams. In the center of it, energy from the magic power began to rise as all
the different types of beginner magic that came from the defensive magic circles were
temporarily blocked.
It wasn’t very practical because of its short range, but in such a narrow hallway it was a
reagent that did its job well enough.
“Anyway, that defensive magic circle is only a secondary type of magic! The amount it
has is quite amazing, but the power itself is bearable! Break through and knock Willian
out!”
Saying that, Elvira quickly grabbed Clevius, who was hiding quietly behind the wreckage
of a cabinet, by the collar.
“Agggghk! Kaaaagkh! What’s this?! I thought nobody knew!”
“You idiot, Clevius! It’s because you always try to hide whenever you have the chance!”
Elvira kicked Clevius in his ass as she yelled at Taylee.
“With the two of you rushing in, you guys should be enough to defeat him! I’ll support
you from the back, so hurry up and defeat Willian before the damage gets any worse!”
Taylee nodded his head at the remark while Clevius was completely dumbfounded.
◐◓◑◒
Crumble!
Boom!
The outer walls of Ophelis hall were falling down. The battle against the fourth floor
boss had begun.
Considering the fact that, other than the fifth-floor boss Elris, the difficulty wasn’t all
that high... It wasn’t long before the occupation of Ophelis Hall would be over.
“Ed, where are you going?! Your wounds are going to open!”
“It’s not that bad! Most of this isn’t even my blood!”
I ran around Ophelis Hall in the rain as Yenika quickly followed behind me.
A little while after, I found a large carriage standing in front of a staff passageway
behind Ophelis Hall.
The carriage, with its various gilded edges, looked expensive and dazzling at first glance.
But considering who was inside, it couldn’t be much more frugal than this.
Originally, when that man would travel somewhere he would come with at least ten of
these carriages. Coming here with only one carriage meant that something urgent had
come up, so he had shot out like an arrow.
Looking at the carriage, it seemed as if it had been standing still for a long time. Almost
as if... he was waiting for Ophelis Hall to be destroyed.
Eventually, from the staff exit, a woman that was neatly dressed in a maid uniform came
out holding an umbrella.
‘Shaney, who is in charge of dishes.’
She was one of the orphans brought up by the head maid Elris. She should have been on
the third floor of Ophelis Hall with her sister, Kelly, stopping Taylee’s party.
However, unlike the original storyline, Shaney had run away from the scene and was now
knocking on the door of the carriage. The story was going off track. And this was clear
evidence of that.
As Shaney took a step back and curtsied, a skinny gentleman from inside opened the
door and exited the carriage. He was Victor, an old executive of Elte.
Victor opened the door and lifted the umbrella politely, setting the stage for the owner of
the carriage to come out. Eventually, he stepped out of that magnificent carriage.
He wore a tight-fitting white shirt and leather pants that were tightened with a dark red
belt. Honestly, it made him look quite frugal. However, he also had all kinds of gildings
and jewels hanging from his coat, as well as jeweled rings on each of his fingers that
were as expensive as a house.
He was neither young nor old. He had a well-groomed beard that stood out. His dignity
was like an extension of his body. The Head of the Elte Company, ‘The Golden King,
Elte.’
I had a hunch.
Now, at this spot, this was the starting point for all the unexpected events.
If I remembered correctly, the Golden King Elte only visited Sylvania long after the
Occupation of Ophelis Hall. It was during ‘The Battle for the Sage’s Seal’ event.
Elte’s position within the company was being threatened. Because of that, he tried to
turn things around with the purchase of the Sage’s Seal. It was because the Rothstaylor
head of house, Krepin Rothstaylor, asked for the book at a ridiculous price.
However, he was eventually sent off after being stabbed in the back by Lortel. After that,
he ended his life as a merchant. And yet, he was at Ophelis Hall. I didn’t know the
process, and I was only left with the end result.
What had happened, and where did it take place? How it had all ended up getting this
twisted was completely beyond my understanding. It would have been arrogant to try
and figure it all out at this point.
However, it was possible to infer what would happen in the future. Maid Shaney and
Maid Kelly, the twins who were completely loyal to Head Maid Elris.
Amongst them, the fact that Shaney was already in contact with the Golden King Elte so
soon meant... That Head Maid Elris and the Golden King Elte were secretly in contact
with each other.
But in the original timeline, it was clear that Head Maid Elris had been completely
bought out by Lortel.
She received a huge sum of money from her and took on the entire responsibility for not
properly managing Ophelis Hall’s defensive magic circle.
After receiving various disciplinary actions, as well as punishment from the workplace
that she had been loyal to for decades, she had completely let go of her career.
She was not a person that could be simply bought over with a bit of money. Elris was a
person who held firm beliefs and values.
Though, how Lortel ended up being able to buy over such a person through money
wasn’t explained in much detail. I had just assumed that she must have given her a
ridiculously large sum of money.
In the first place, Lortel was able to entice even the most noble and honorable of men to
break their faith in the face of money. However, the scene I was looking at was clearly
different from the original timeline. That definitely looked like...
“Ed... You’ll catch a cold...! Your body temperature is also dropping because you lost so
much blood!”
Yenika, who followed me, took off the shawl that was under her robe and approached me,
quickly wrapping it around me.
“You’re making me so upset! Seriously!”
“Yenika.”
“Uh, hm?”
This is not a situation in which I could just sit still. I hadn’t figured it all out yet, but I
could predict enough of what would happen in the future.
“I have a favor to ask you. It’s urgent, and it might be too much for me to handle by
myself.”
With her arms stretched out, wrapping the shawl over me, Yenika kept listening to me
absent-mindedly... then she tilted her head.
It was clear what Yenika’s answer would be. Hearing something like that, out of the blue,
most people would ask about the situation first—saying things like, ‘What is it? Is it
urgent? What did you get caught up in? Explain the situation first.’
How could I explain it so that Yenika would agree to help...? How could I explain the
gist of the situation in a short time and in as much detail as possible...? While I was
thinking about how I should explain, Yenika immediately replied.
“Alright.”
Was it because she was being considerate, since I said it was urgent? Or did she really
just not care about things like that from the beginning?
“What should I do?”
She skipped all the usual questions, and asked me straight up, in such a cool way, exactly
what she needed to do. I thought to myself that I had really made such a great friend.
◐◓◑◒
[ Letter sent to Elte Kehelland ]
Greetings, most honorable head of the Elte Company, the Golden King, Elte Kehelland. My name
is Elris, and I am the head maid at the prestigious Sylvania Academy’s Ophelis Hall.
When you finish reading this letter, it will burn to ashes with an Ignite magic circle that is
imprinted on it. Please be careful, so that you do not get burnt.
Even though we have not yet met, the reason I am writing to you, who must be extremely busy, is
because of your adopted daughter, Ms. Lortel Kehelland.
In order to purchase the ‘Sage’s Seal’ as you had ordered, she is creating a financial crisis in
Sylvania’s academic affairs department by inducing the destruction of Ophelis Hall.
The plan is progressing at a fast pace. Sooner or later, it is certain that I, Elris, the head maid
here at Ophelis Hall, will fulfill my duty.
If the plan ends well, Sylvania’s academic affairs’ finances will be in a tight spot. Thus, the Elte
Company will have an overwhelming advantage in regards to the purchase of the ‘Sage’s Seal.’
However, for a certain reason’ I have come to know her true intentions. Mr. Elte. Your adopted
daughter, Ms. Lortel Kehelland, is not your ally. You must never trust her.
She knows the truth. She knows that you killed her biological parents. I also know about the fact
that you had recognized her talent, drove her life into a corner, and forced her to take your hand.
She is planning to coax the top six Elte merchants and executives without your knowledge to force
you to step down as the head of Elte Company.
The negotiations for the purchase of the Sage’s Seal are also bait to attract your attention to
Sylvania Academy, thus preventing you from dealing with any unexpected events that may occur
at any moment back at Elte’s headquarters.
I am keeping the secret letters from her room, as it could later serve as evidence.
Though she thinks that she definitely burned them in the incinerator before disposing of them, it’s
the maid’s job to light the incinerator.
No matter how thorough she was, she would have never thought that the maids of Ophelis Hall
would go through each scrap of paper that went into the incinerator.
I am always prepared for her. No matter which way this situation ends up going, I will be
punished for my failure at properly managing Ophelis Hall.
If I give out Lortel’s name, then I will not be the only one who falls into hell.
However, there is no such thing as free work in this world. On the condition that I remain silent
on the matter, I was promised a huge sum of gold coins by her. The only thing that would block a
huge sum of gold coins would be an even larger sum of gold coins.
The content I have listed on the attached paper are the names of the ‘organizations’ I secretly and
regularly manage. The number of gold coins that are delivered to those organizations will
determine my actions.
I am losing my eyesight, and, for some reason, I have almost completely lost my sense of hearing.
There is no reason for me to explain the reason in detail, but this year will probably be the last that
I can work as the head maid.
I am the only person who knows all of the facts of this situation, and I am someone who is in a
tight spot with no one supporting me anymore. Depending on which side I’m going to support, the
situation may become either more complicated or simpler.
I hope you will be merciful and judge wisely.
- Sincerely, Ophelis Hall’s Head Maid, Elris
[ Attached Sheet ]
Seren Region, Crook’s Orphanage
Kohelton Orphan Shelter
Athens Crocell Orphan Shelter
Odell Region, Alton Orphanage
Temil Region, Public Orphan Shelter
◐◓◑◒
“Ed...! You’re injured! If you move too fast, your wounds will open...!”
What I had come to realize was that the variables in the world were too complex to
control all of them.
All I could do was give my best effort. All I was doing was taking care of the larger
variables, so that there wouldn’t be any problems. While pushing through the rain with
Yenika, I was organizing my thoughts.
I didn’t know why, but... If Elris had really betrayed Lortel, it was safe to say that the fall
of Lortel would be inevitable. How important was Lortel Kehelland to the original
timeline?
In Act 3, she needed to confront Princess Penia and lead a political battle within the
academy. She had an important role in gathering talents for the right mountain’s
scouting mission. And she played an active role as a representative of the top forces
during the Lucy Subjugation... She was someone that held a tremendous level of
importance.
In Act 4, she had the position of being one of the helpers on the protagonist’s team,
which would develop into a great friendly force that would directly confront the
Rothstaylor family... Other than that, she had a major influence in other, smaller episodes
as well. It would be impossible to list them all.
The fall of Lortel. It is just one sentence that would break down the entirety of all those
scenarios.
Lortel Kehelland disappearing from the storyline... That was a dark world that I would
have no information about. Future knowledge and my informational advantage would
completely collapse, and I wouldn’t be left with a single advantage.
But if I could completely fill in the role of Lortel... It might have been possible, but it
would be a very difficult and arduous road. I’d been saying this like it was some sort of
habit, but it was already hard enough for me to make ends meet. Adding in that kind of
hard work was something I absolutely rejected.
Unless I was planning to give up on my degree at this academy and go out to live a life in
an unknown fantasy world... Lortel Kehelland’s exit from the story was absolutely
unacceptable.
“Yenika, do you happen to know where Ziggs’ room is? I think I am going to need to ask
him for help as well.”
“Uhmm? Well.... Since we aren’t that close... I’m not sure.”
“...Alright, we’ll just have to look everywhere then. He may have already escaped from
the building.”
Wiping the rain running down my face, we came back to the main entrance of Ophelis
Hall. The evacuated students were running around screaming, unsure of what to do.
The Occupation of Ophelis Hall was coming to an end. Since the defensive magic had
been activated, the faculty would be arriving in a few minutes.
Lortel Kehelland was a person that couldn’t be sympathized with or understood just
because she had fallen. No matter how dramatic her situation may be, she was a true
villain.
Encouraging good and punishing evil, the universe corrects all wrongs, justice will
always triumph. All of those were true sayings, but we had to ignore the lessons that
came from such folktales for now. The existence of a black curtain that covered all the
truth on the stage was indispensable.
Nobody knew what direction the villain’s missing storyline would go, or how the
snowball would roll. It could end up destroying the world.
In the falling rain, at the main entrance of Ophelis Hall.
Thinking of how to deal with the situation to the best of my ability, I looked up at the
half-destroyed Ophelis Hall with Yenika.
Chapter 37: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (7)
“Ugh-Heeeek! Heeeeeeek!”
The injured Taylee was holding Willian down on the floor. By attacking with Clevius, he
succeeded in cutting through the magic circles and was finally able to get close to
Willian.
However, Ophelis Hall was already a complete mess. Precious, expensive pieces of
furniture and art had fallen on the floor. The outer wall was covered in holes that looked
like stars, and no longer intact.
Taylee knocked Willian unconscious and tied him up, letting out a sigh as he wiped the
rain from his face.
The outer wall on the fourth floor hallway was completely destroyed. Because of that,
they were exposed to the pouring rain. The party was soaking wet as they kept wiping
their faces.
“Phew. Isn’t it almost over, then? We just have to wait for the faculty to come.”
“No, Taylee. Something’s definitely not right.”
Hearing Elvira’s words, Taylee appeared puzzled.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You felt that something was wrong as well, Taylee. Not just anyone can access Ophelis
Hall’s defensive magic circle. You would have to be at least the general manager of the
building or the head maid to be able to use these magic circles to your heart’s content,
without facing any disruption.”
“Then that means...?”
“I haven’t finished yet. There’s a black curtain that made this happen.”
However, after coming all the way to the end of the hallway on the fourth floor of
Ophelis Hall, there wasn’t a single person left that could be their enemy.
That meant that all that was left was the stairs to the fifth floor.
“The real culprit must be on the fifth floor. If we don’t catch them before they escape,
then what would have been the point to all of our suffering? After coming this far, I’m
going to finish the job and get a reward from the academy.”
Elvira rolled up her sleeves as she walked towards the staircase. Clevius was shouting,
asking ‘What’s the matter now?’ while Ayla was at a complete loss on what to do.
“Elvira, if it’s as you said... then that black curtain must be...”
“That’s right. It must be Elris, the head maid that takes care of Ophelis Hall. What are
you standing around for? It’s obvious she’s on the fifth floor, so let’s hurry up and catch
her quickly to get rid of all these defensive magic circles.”
Taylee sighed as he was ordered around by Elvira. After going through everything that
they had and coming all the way here, it wasn’t like he could ignore it.
There certainly seemed to be a black curtain behind the entire occupation of Ophelis
Hall incident. Thinking about it, it was clear that Elris—the head maid—was the culprit.
◐◓◑◒
There was no such thing as kindness without reason or faith without a basis in the
world. It was such a natural understanding for Lortel that she had never once doubted it.
She lived in the world of business, where you would get stabbed in the back the moment
you let your guard down.
Lortel was someone who had never experienced family, siblings, close friendship, or
camaraderie. For her, a relationship built on trust was always a rationally designed
structure based on thorough evidence.
Therefore, a relationship where one trusts each other unconditionally was like a flower
that bloomed on a cliff.
It existed, but it couldn’t be reached... A treasure that existed only in one’s imagination.
She was not obsessed with it, because she couldn’t reach it. Obsession was a feeling that
formed from nearly being short of reaching it. The only realistic option for her was to
increase the number of people that were just like her.
People who would break their values and sell their beliefs for money. Those who provide
evidence to the fact that there was no unconditional trust or favor. That was what was
important to her.
While her perception might have been wrong and twisted, it wasn’t a particularly bad
thing. But once in a while, even something as sturdy as steel would shake.
Even though his life was teetering on the edge of a cliff, there was a man who returned
the three golden coins that she had placed in his hand.
Even though he agreed to Lortel’s plan for twenty gold coins, his expression showed that
he had little interest in money in the first place.
That man’s code of conduct was far from the vocabulary of market value, payability,
economics, rationality, etc.
In fact, there were a lot of people like that. They were human beings who acted
emotionally, risking their lives for loyalty and love. Rather than being cool-headed, they
were foolish people.
But Ed Rothstaylor didn’t seem to be like that. He was not a man who got swayed by his
emotions like Ziggs, nor was he as nice as Yenika. That wasn’t to say that he wasn’t
swayed by money, so seeing such a person made her heart fill with the desire to bring
him in as one of her own.
The smell of another person just like her that had been constantly tickling her nose,
filling Lortel with certainty. It was the conviction that he would be the same as her.
“No.”
“You should be responsible for your own choices, Lortel.”
But just like that, she was dumped.
What was surprising was that, instead of feeling frustration or anger, she felt a sense of
relief.
As she had often said before, there were too many sources of light in Sylvania Academy.
It was completely different from the world of business that she lived in.
When you walk through a garden full of the smell of flowers, you often risk mistaking
the smell of those fragrant flowers as coming from your own self. No matter how hard
she tried to remind herself that she was just a sewer rat walking through the sewers, her
heart was broken.
Looking at people like Taylee and Ayla, Ziggs and Elka, the feelings that she had rejected
before were once again rising inside of her. Jealousy. Obsession.
She wondered if the day would ever come that she would be able to build a trusting
relationship, free from bias and personal interest. In fact, the cliff where that flower had
bloomed wasn’t all that high or steep.
Let’s not dream about such things. I am a villain who will stay in a world run by
business, backstabbing other people until the day I die.
That was a promise that she swore by.
Looking at Ed and Yenika, the desire that had been buried deep inside her was finally
completely awakened.
“Don’t move. Soon, Mr. Elte will arrive at Ophelis Hall.”
The result was a rapier pointed at her neck.
Elris, the head maid of Ophelis Hall, was a senior worker who had spent most of her life
at Sylvania. However, her health was deteriorated by heavy work and a chronic illness. It
tortured her endlessly. She had asked the academy to adjust the amount of work, but...
There were only a few people who had the experience to take on the work for her.
The management of Ophelis Hall, which was full of distinguished guests, must always
be steady and safe. Elris’ life has been a constant sacrifice for the goal of making sure
that system was stable.
On the day they had made the backdoor deal, approaching Elris and watching her tell her
backstory... Lortel had also ended up revealing her own story.
That was a mistake that she would have never made in the world of business. She had
hastily come to the conclusion that they could embrace and understand each other’s pain.
When she visited Ed’s camp, accompanied by Elris, they were even able to share their
feelings together.
“...I didn’t expect you to react in such a way. I thought you were a bit more cold-hearted...
Well, that’s not something I can really say.”
What expression did Lortel show? Lortel herself didn’t know, so she didn’t try to
understand.
“Miss Lortel, you said that you were going to get revenge against the Golden King Elte.
However, I apologize. From my point of view, you two aren’t that different. There’s no
human being in this world without their own personal stories and reasons.”
She closed her eyes and added on.
“And I am the same.”
Bang!
At that moment, the door to the fifth floor swung open.
“I found you, Head Maid Elris!”
“She’s holding a hostage! Be careful, Taylee!”
Taking advantage of Elris’ astonishment as she looked towards the entrance, Lortel
quickly rolled out of her range.
“Lortel! Are you okay?!”
Elvira cried out, checking on Lortel.
I’m okay.
Look over there.
That’s the person behind this entire incident.
We need to take her down quickly.
It would have been the best choice to quickly put all the blame on Elris and run away...
But Lortel couldn’t open her mouth.
“L-Lortel! What’s wrong with your expression?”
Just what was the expression on her face? Lortel looked back and forth between Elris,
who stood still without an unchanging expression, and her classmates, who were saying
things she couldn’t understand.
Then, after holding her breath for a while, Lortel ran down to the first floor.
The Golden King Elte was coming.
Elte’s dismissal plan was in its final stages. If she could just make up some type of
excuse, then it would nearly be complete. But if Lortel, the center of the plan, was
captured... it would all be ruined.
Lortel’s volition might have been firm, but she was still a girl whose body was extremely
fragile. If she were tortured, even just a little, she would confess everything.
Every cloud has a silver lining. The good news was that Elte had gone directly to
Sylvania. He was not sure of which of his followers had decided to side with Lortel, so
he came to deal with the matter himself.
If she was able to reach out to anyone back at Elte’s headquarter right then, it would be
fine. Lortel knew quite a few commercial executives that were at the head office.
The plan was to manipulate the books, steal property, maximize damage, and then hand
over the entire responsibility to Elte... It was already quite a concrete plan.
However, the scale was too big, and if Elte himself was at the headquarters then he
would definitely find out.
Elte intended to defeat Lortel without fail with that trip. The moment he left his seat, he
committed to seeing it through to the very end. The dice had been rolled.
Lortel needed to head back down to her room on the first floor and send the homing
pigeon that she was hiding in secret, then find somewhere she could hide until it was
over.
Lortel clenched her teeth as she ran down the stairs frantically.
A longing that that was at your fingertips, just out of reach, would drive anyone crazy.
If it had never touched her fingertips in the first place, she would never have been that
obsessed.
She couldn’t help it. No matter how cold-blooded she pretended to be, a lack of affection
was a deadly poison that would slowly eat away at anyone.
It was only then that she realized that there was a difference in the latent period, and that
was just a moment of collapse.
It was all because of the romanticism at Sylvania Academy. If she had never left her
cold-blooded world, that latent period would have lasted much longer.
She’d had enough of being betrayed and stabbed in the back. Only now, after going to
the Academy, did her heart break and her actions lose consistency.
Nevertheless, Lortel had no choice but to continue running away.
Either way, she had to run. If Elte arrived at the main lobby on the first floor before she
did, the way back to her room would be completely blocked off.
◐◓◑◒
Slam!!
Yenika’s magic struck the wall as the sound of its collapse rang out.
Looking inside the room, she saw Ziggs. He was continuing to work out by himself,
despite the urgent situation. As the wall suddenly collapsed, he looked towards me with a
puzzled face.
“Wh-What is going on, Ed? This is...”
“Why are you still in your room when the situation outside is like this...? Didn’t you hear
all the noise?”
“Well... I’m not going to act rashly. Even if the building collapses, it’s not like I would
die anyway.”
Since Ziggs was born naturally strong, he didn’t really recognize the situation as a crisis.
He thought that the faculty would figure it all out and take care of it themselves, so he
could keep on doing what he needed to do.
In fact, some of the other students also hadn’t left their rooms. Even if the building did
collapse, as long as you had the specs to protect yourself there wasn’t a need to stay out
in the rain.
“But Ed, I didn’t expect you to completely break down the wall of my room like that.
Won’t it be too cold when I sleep now?”
“You’re only saying that because you haven’t seen the situation outside. Anyway, this
entire building is going to need to be renovated.”
“The situation is that bad?”
Ziggs stood up from doing his push-ups and shook out his arms.
Who in the world would think that Ziggs was a magician...?
“Ah. Yenika is also here. This is my first time greeting you properly. During the Glasskan
incident... we didn’t really have a good relationship, though.”
“Yeah... that’s...I’m sorry about that.”
Yenika looked down at the floor, a little hesitant. To Yenika, that incident was the lowest
moment in her life. However, Ziggs was not a good enough person to pretend like it
never happened.
What happened already happened.
“You don’t have to be so down, Yenika. The disciplinary action is already over, you
know.”
“Yeah... that’s right. Thanks Ed.”
It wasn’t until he heard us exchange such words that he let out a sigh, realizing that he
might have mentioned something useless.
“I’m glad that you’ve been doing well since then. You two seem to be on good terms.”
“Hm?”
“I also have enough sense to recognize these things. Ed, aren’t you the type that prefers
keeping your distance from the first years? Well, there are many of my classmates that
ignore others if they look even a bit weak... as a senior, it would only make sense for you
to do it, too.”
Ziggs stretched his body out as he sat back down on the bed, relaxing his legs.
“But seeing you act so comfortable with Yenika, it’s refreshing to see that new side of
yours. Are you two dating?”
“No! No! No! It’s not like that!”
At that moment, Yenika started to tremble, shaking her arms as she glanced at my face.
Perhaps it was because she thought that I denied it too strongly...
“E-Ed, does it make you feel bad?”
“No, I’m fine. It was just a rude question from Ziggs.”
“Oh, is that so? I’m sorry about that.”
After a polite apology from Ziggs, his expression slowly became more serious as he sat
on his bed.
“So, there must be a reason why you broke down my wall and came to see me.”
“Do me a favor. I promise I’ll pay you back later.”
“In the first place, aren’t I the one who’s in debt?”
Ziggs responded while letting out a smirk. He was talking about a debt that he has yet to
pay off.
I decided to respond by bringing up how he had helped me, whenever he had time, with
building my cabin and other jobs that required physical labor.
“That... I just wanted to help you. That’s all. That’s why I did it.”
After that response, I put on my overcoat.
“Looking at this atmosphere, this doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an easy job.”
According to the original timeline, Elris should have cooperated with Lortel until the
end of the Occupation of Ophelis Hall event.
◐◓◑◒
There was no immediate way for me to figure out why she was involved with Elte.
However, that didn’t mean that there was no answer at all.
The battle for the Sage’s Seal, which was meant to happen after the occupation of
Ophelis Hall.
The academy and the Elte Company played a game of tug-of-war over the research
records related to Celestial Magic, left by the great sage Sylvania. With that event,
Lortel’s plan to overthrow Elte would blossom.
During Elte’s long stay at Sylvania, the forces aiming to overthrow him would begin
gathering at the headquarters of the Elte Company.
There’s no better timing than now.
Elte tried, but failed, to monopolize the sale of grain from large farms in the northwest
region of the Empire. He had also signed an exclusive distribution agreement meant to
monopolize cotton with the Collet Company—from the Kingdom of Theron across the
sea—but failed again due to a steep drop in prices.
No matter how well-informed and callous a merchant might be, it was only natural that
they would surely experience failure and have moments where they lose money over the
years.
If they were unlucky, such incidents could happen three or four times in a row. Though,
from the position of a business, this would surely have a negative impact. That would
jeopardize even Elte’s position as the head of the Company. Especially since he was one
to advocate for meritocracy.
How long had she been making plans? I didn’t know much about the details.
However, at the time of the occupation Lortel’s plan to dismiss Elte should have been
nearly complete. As long as she made some type of excuse, everything would be fine. But
at that moment Lortel, who was the focal point of the plan, had her feet cut out from
under her.
Lortel was someone who always handled everything with confidence and rationality. At
what point did she make a mistake?
◐◓◑◒
First Floor Main Hall.
Wham!
A group of mercenaries, numbered at about fifteen or so, had been hired from the
commercial city of Oldek. In the middle of the group was Elte, wearing his luxurious
clothes.
The size of the group that Elte had brought in was too small for someone of his status.
From that alone, I was convinced that Elte didn’t want to make this situation a big deal.
“Are you students? Hurry up and evacuate.”
I was the only one in the way while blocking Taylee, but this time there were two more
with me able to greet him. The second year star student, Yenika Faelover, and the first
year runner up, Ziggs Eiffelstein... Even though they were students, they were both
promising individuals that wouldn’t disappoint.
Yenika stood behind me, glancing around as Ziggs stood, leaning against a nearby post.
“By chance... Are you Sir Elte Kehelland, the head of the Elte Company?”
I called out to Elte with a cunning voice. Standing in the center of the mercenaries, the
merchant nodded his head as he signaled for us to get out of his way.
“No way! It’s such an honor to meet you. Sir Elte, the merchant who rules over the entire
continent. I don’t know why an important figure such as yourself has come all the way
to Sylvania, in such a remote location...”
The Golden Daughter, Lortel.
The Golden King, Elte.
The Head Maid, Elris.
In the end, those three were the only ones who fully understood the situation.
Lortel, who sought to overthrow Elte, avenge her childhood, and overthrow the head
seat. Elte, who was trying to stop Lortel’s plan and succeed in purchasing the Sage’s
Seal.
And Elris, who was stuck in between those two.
After all, the underlying cause for the story going off track was because of Elris’ sudden
behavior. The cause was still unknown, but either way, there was no need to run all the
way up to the fifth floor and defeat the head maid.
Since the rest of the story was still following the original timeline, Taylee’s party should
ultimately be able to defeat the head maid. I’d already confirmed that his specs were high
enough, and that all his party members were dependable.
With that taken care of, the party that I was in charge of had a duty to take care of Elte.
“...We are making sure that nobody can enter this building. Since the building is at risk
of collapsing, for safety reasons nobody is allowed inside until the faculty members
arrive.”
“Did you get those instructions from the academy?”
“No, we are acting at our own discretion. Isn’t this an unexpected situation? Here in
Sylvania, when it comes to something like this, we have a system that will award prizes.”
That was a perfect excuse. But Elte would also be able to read the hidden intentions
behind it.
“…A person of your stature, Lord Elte, surely must have a reason to act… However...
Why don’t you try talking with the academy first, and be treated accordingly?”
After saying all of that, I kept my mouth shut.
Elte definitely didn’t want to make the situation too big.
It couldn’t be revealed that the black curtain behind the incident was Lortel.
No matter how old she was, Lortel still belonged to the Elte Company and was the
adopted daughter of Elte.
If it turned out that there was any sort of influence from the Elte Company behind this
incident... Then the Elte Company wouldn’t be able to escape the responsibility of
covering the cost for restoring the destroyed Ophelis Hall.
In the act of trying to trap her enemy, she ended up falling into it herself. If there was a
part that the head maid Elris had not recognized, it was that.
From Elte’s point of view, just sending Lortel off to hell didn’t mean that everything
would be okay. Lortel needed to be handled by Elte himself, not by the academy.
And the ones who knew the truth behind the incident were Elris, Shaney, Kelly, Willian,
and myself. Thus, we also had to be convinced to keep our mouths shut. He still had quite
a long way to go.
“You’re on Lortel’s side, aren’t you?”
I hadn’t talked to him for too long, but he already noticed that I knew at least some bits
of the truth behind the incident.
“I’ll give you twice as much gold as that child gave you, right now. So get out of my
way.”
This was no time to unnecessarily raise emotions or compromise. Given the conditions
of the incident and the urgency of the situation, he quickly named the maximum value
that he could. A number that the other person would never be able to refuse.
“Thank you. But I haven’t even received the gold coins I was promised yet, so what’s the
point in paying double of it?”
“Haha!”
Elte briefly let out a laugh.
“You don’t have a good eye for people. Do you think I’ll treat you special just because
you’re loyal to that girl? Were you perhaps bewitched by that child’s beautiful
appearance?”
At that, Ziggs smiled and responded with an ‘Ohhh’ while Yenika nodded and looked
back and forth between me and Elte.
Elte however didn’t seem to care at all
“That child was born with the blood of a fox. She is someone who stabs others in the
back the moment she meets them. I’ve been raising her since she was a child, so I know
her better than anyone else. I didn’t expect her to turn that blade against me, not after I
took care of her all this time.”
“Is that so?”
“She’s someone that would betray her own father. Instead of being loyal to gold coins
that you may or may not receive, take the definite profit that’s laid out in front of you.
That would be the only natural and correct choice.”
He then looked into my eyes again. The reason he didn’t give orders to the mercenaries
immediately was probably because he didn’t want to escalate the situation.
“Or is there another reason for you to put so much trust in that child?”
“Does there even need to be such a grand reason?”
“Alright. I can see that we aren’t communicating.”
I didn’t necessarily have a lot of affection towards Lortel.
However, there was no way that I could explain to him that it was because of the
original timeline. That was why I ended up using a reason based on ‘just because.”
There was no reason other than my belief in her.
Elte would click his tongue at such absurd remarks, but I had my own personal reason.
And I couldn’t ask for his understanding. I lowered my voice and spoke quietly to Yenika
and Ziggs.
“I’ll go and check out the situation. Buy me some time.”
I left Ziggs, who nodded his head, and Yenika, who looked a little anxious, behind.
Slamming the door behind me, I quickly entered the main lobby.
I needed to find Lortel and inform her about the situation.
“...”
...As I was going to do that, it turned out that I didn’t need to run around Ophelis Hall.
She was already looking at me, her pupils dilated, from the opposite corner from the
door. Needless to say, it looked like she had figured out the situation outside as Elte was
trying to enter the building.
“...You weren’t able to get out?”
“Well...”
She didn’t have her usual foxlike smile. Lortel was trying to say something, but her voice
wouldn’t come out. Instead, she nodded her head.
Her usual appearance—one of calmness and composure, regardless of the crisis—was
missing. She was probably surprised at seeing me covered in blood stains from my
attempts at blocking Taylee’s entrance.
“It’s good that I don’t need to waste time explaining things. Let’s go around to the back
door and get out. Do you still have the energy to run?”
The rain mixed with blood as the rainwater rolled off the back of my hand. I quickly
shook it off and swept away my messy bangs, which were getting in the way because of
the rain.
“Don’t fall behind. Stick with me.”
I was getting involved with the main characters of the storyline more than I should, but
wasn’t it already an unexpected situation? It was only for the sake of fixing the flow of
the story, which was already broken. Afterwards, I would just go back to keeping my
distance from them.
In the first place, I had already gotten involved to the point that I couldn’t turn back.
I nodded my head as I picked up the pace with Lortel.
Chapter 38: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (8)
Goodwill and trust were always accompanied by motive.
Slogg, one of the six major merchants of Elte, joined forces with Lortel because he
wished to be the next chairman.
Melburak Company’s head, Seton, also joined in on Lortel’s plan. He believed that an
internal disruption within Elte Company would bring new change to the power
structure of the commercial city of Oldek.
The reason that Sharo, a receptionist with the Elte Company, clung to Lortel was the
hope of making money by having her leak information.
Kadan, a trade worker, kept was friendly Lortel because she often gave him generous tips.
Even Teeny, a pet she raised in the academy, stuck to Lortel because the food she gave
him was of the highest class.
Attached to every favor was a motive. At least, that was the case in Lortel’s world.
In most cases, if that reason became clear then you could see through other people’s
intentions and psychology at a glance.
There was no blood related family, lover who made promises, or allies that she spent a
long time with. Paradoxically, she could maintain a cynical attitude towards all those
human relationships because, for Lortel, a person who would do a favor for another
without a reason didn’t exist.
“It doesn’t look like there’s time to discuss the details. But anyway, did Elris betray you?”
Even though she knew all of that, she still decided to trust Elris.
What a stupid, idiotic mistake to make.
Her attitude towards life, one of never completely trusting another person, had become
less important.
The person that came to mind was Yenika Faelover...
Growing up receiving kindness and love, she was like a princess in a fairytale that treated
the world with only that same kindness and love. If you looked at her warm eyes as they
stared at Ed Rothstaylor... She couldn’t help realize that this was the love of a beautiful
girl who had not been negatively influenced by the world.
Seeing such a thing, she couldn’t forget just how dirty she was herself.
She shouldn’t have gotten drunk off of the romantic scenery of Sylvania Academy, or
allowed it to cause her to mistake herself as one of those beautiful, romantic people.
“I saw Shaney meet up with Elte. Wasn’t she a maid loyal to Elris?”
Ed Rothstaylor kept talking as they ran down the first floor hallway.
“But even then, neither Elris nor Elte would report you to the academy. The Golden
King Elte obviously wouldn’t want the academy to find out that the Elte Company is
connected to this incident.”
Five people were bribed by Lortel for the occupation of Ophelis Hall.
Head Maid Elris, the twin maids Shaney and Kelly, the lower student representative
Willian, and the fallen aristocrat Ed.
Elris, Shaney, and Kelly all went over to Elte’s side.
Ed should have been tempted to join Elte, as well.
She suddenly stopped walking. Ed, who was running ahead, quickly looked back with a
puzzle expression marring his face. He called back to her.
“There’s no time to waste. What are you doing?”
Lortel finally calmed down and pulled herself together, forcing a foxlike smile... She
ended up saying something, unsure as to why she said it.
“I’m sorry, Ed. I can’t guarantee the twenty gold coins I had promised you before. As you
can see, the current situation has become quite precarious.”
After being betrayed by Elris, her emotions felt strange to her.
Lortel hated to admit it. She was now in a psychologically weakened state.
If she weren’t in such a state, she wouldn’t be making such a foolish mistake.
She didn’t know why Ed Rothstaylor sided with her, rather than with Elte.
With that in mind, it was best for her to quickly figure out his intentions and take
advantage of him.
But she was a fool to make such a confession.
Just what kind of stupid mistake am I making?
She couldn’t believe that she was willing to turn herself in just because there wasn’t a
reason for him to be on her side.
“Who asked? You’re going to die, so what are you standing around for like this?”
However, Ed’s way of shutting down Lortel’s words removed her worry.
“If you get caught by Elte now, your life will be over. No matter what you are planning
to do in the future, you should run away, first.”
Ed was dripping blood as he kept on scolding her, standing across the hallway.
It must have been her request that he block the first floor that led to Ed being hurt so
badly.
Nevertheless, he didn’t complain that it was all too much. If it had been her, she would
have complained ten times over about how the work was out of her paygrade.
“Or do you have a better plan?”
“...”
“If you have one, let’s go with it.”
There was no hint of doubt in his voice. He was prepared to follow Lortel to the end.
He was so certain of her that he was willing to follow along with anything that she
decided.
As she had repeatedly said, goodwill and trust were bound to be accompanied by a
motive.
But that man’s goodwill and trust... There was no such motive.
No matter how rationally she considered it, he definitely should have fallen for Elte’s
offer. If he were to ask the same thing of one hundred other people, every single one of
them would have taken it.
If you couldn’t determine their motive, you shouldn’t believe in them. She didn’t know
what was going to happen to her, not fully understanding what he was thinking yet.
Just before, she had believed in Elris in the same way. Ultimately, it caused her to make a
crucial mistake, resulting in the current situation. She couldn’t repeat the same mistake.
However, her mouth began to move on its own. Her inner voice was crying out, trying to
stop her, but her heart was a complete wreck at that point. She was unable to hold out
any longer.
Flying out of her mouth was a confession about the internal affairs of the Elte Company,
and the fight for power that was happening inside of it.
“...There was a plan that was being developed at the company’s headquarters to control
the market price. It was probably my father who came up with the plan.”
“Explain it to me.”
“The market price of equipment plunged after a massive conquest of monsters in the
eastern mountains last summer. After buying and monopolizing all the remaining
equipment, they repeatedly made internal transactions...”
“Ahh... Illegal price fixing. You can just briefly explain the rest.”
Ed calmly cut her off in the middle of her explanation.
After monopolizing the equipment in the area, mainly in the base of the subjugation
forces, they would repeatedly buy and sell the goods at the market.
The key was insider trading. The merchants, who were secretly bought out by the Elte
Company, had continuously repeated transactions between themselves.
If you brought in three merchants—A, B, and C—and had A sell the equipment to B for
one gold coin, B would then sell it to C for two gold coins. C would proceed to sell it to A
for three, slowly raising the market price.
Eventually, the gold coins and equipment would circulate in the hands of the Elte
Company as the market price steadily rose.
In doing so, the market price could be maintained until the demand rose during the next
monster subjugation. Then, they could sell the equipment off for a ridiculous profit.
Manipulating the market price by using such a hit-or-miss strategy made sense, and it
was a surprisingly classic technique. However, it was an unrealistic method because of
the huge amount of capital that it required.
“For the plan, my father took out bonds from Duke Aldogar and Countess Opel.
However, by the time the date to pay them back had arrived, the plan for the monster
subjugation had been pushed back. It was a situation in which they needed money
urgently.”
“Was the solution to this problem the Sage’s Seal?”
“Yes.”
Ed was very quick to understand, even though she hadn’t explained much. It felt as if he
had studied this beforehand.
“My father... He told me that he had found someone who would buy the Sage’s Seal for a
high price... So he ordered me to enter Sylvania as a 1st year student and figure out a
way to obtain it.”
“Alright, I got it. You don’t have to explain any further.”
“Huh? You’re fine with just that much?”
Ed grabbed Lortel by the wrist. He told her it wasn’t the time to be standing still as they
began to quickly run through the hallway again.
“What’s the point of talking about all of this after the fact? In order to put the
academy’s finances in a tight spot, you wanted to increase the scale of the occupation in
Ophelis Hall. Then the negotiations for the purchase of the Sage’s Seal would become a
reality, so he would take it as bait. He would come all the way here, leaving Elte’s
headquarters empty. You thought about selling off the equipment during that time.”
While he was running down the hall, he explained the gist of the situation with a
surprising amount of accuracy. The speed at which he was able to understand the
situation wasn’t normal.
Lortel looked at Ed, completely stunned by his remarks. He didn’t seem to care at all. In
the end, mutual trust was the key to manipulating the market price through illegal
transactions.
The act between the three merchants—A, B, and C—was meant to artificially raise the
market price by exchanging money and goods among each other.
However, it was a business structure that would never be able to be established if even
one of the three merchants betrayed the others. It was a situation in which, if one of
them ran off with the stock, the other two would get screwed over.
A, B, and C were examples, but... Considering the size of the business and the market,
there would be more than a few dozen middle-class merchants involved.
Over the previous six months, about a third of them had been placated so that—if the
timing was right—a large-scale sale of the equipment could induce a plunge in the
market price all at once.
It would not be difficult to plunge the price, as it was an artificially created price in the
first place. Prices were difficult to raise, but as long as you started selling competitively,
they would drop in an instant.
For the Elte Company, which had a lot of equipment in stock, the plunge in prices would
be recorded as a huge loss.
From a very broad perspective, it would only have narrowed the surplus, but in the
immediate short term there would be a huge deficit in the trading books.
The important thing was the immediate moment. The big picture, which couldn’t be
immediately seen, wasn’t what was important.
Due to the various damages he had caused, Elte—who was already starting to lose his
position within the Elte Company—would finally lose his seat.
In addition to that, when the allegations about the account book manipulation were
added in and the demand for liability over the losses was made, there would be sufficient
grounds for his dismissal.
Was it possible for Ed Rothstaylor’s to picture all of this in his head, with her saying
only that much?
No matter how fast the gears in his head might turn, there was a limit to a person’s
processing speed. There was no way that he should have been able to picture everything
with only Lortel’s brief explanation.
“Then there’s only one thing that you have to do.”
But Ed’s words were spot on, like always.
“You just have to send a message back to headquarters, telling them to start selling the
equipment right away. Right?”
In order to repair the internal assets on such a scale, approval from the shareholders was
required.
However, when the head left his office, the six major merchants under his command took
over the rights for the immediate handling of the business.
Slogg, one of the six greats of Elte. An old fox that joined Lortel after being promised a
position as the next head of the business.
He would happily put a stamp of confirmation on the sale of the equipment, all while
keeping a straight face... and then would be sorry to say that the responsibility all
belonged to Elte.
Even if Elte angrily tried to punish Slogg, his defeat would already be certain, as the
cause of his dismissal was already established. Originally, those plans were supposed to
take place during the ‘The Battle for the Sage’s Seal’ event.
The event would end with Lortel smirking under a robe, sitting in the corner of a
wobbly wagon as an enraged Elte screamed her name.
After that, Act 2 would end after they chased after and took down Professor Glast, who
stole the seal and fled to a secret laboratory. That was the main event of the act, on a
scale that was much larger.
“If we go to my room, there is a homing pigeon. It’s a direct link to the internal forces at
headquarters.”
“If we send the homing pigeon off and hide until the sales plan is implemented at
headquarters, we’ll win.”
“However, I’m sure that my father has predicted this to some extent. He’s going to try
and capture me tonight, to make me confess to my plans and the names of the traitors
that I have on the inside.”
The moment he left his seat, nobody knew what would happen. Even though Elte
realized that, he came to Sylvania anyway. At that moment, he wasn’t able to tell who his
true allies and who his enemies were.
It would have taken place on a smaller scale, without anyone finding out, but the news
would have reached the company’s ears in an instant.
They had bet everything on each other. The final battle was a chase between father and
daughter.
“Let’s go out the back door, walk along the outer wall, and go through the window into
your room.”
“I was going to say that, too.”
“Alright, we’re on the same page.”
They really communicated well. It was a gentle exchange of opinions that meshed well
together. Quick to understand, active in coordination, and not easily swayed by emotions.
Lortel gasped as she watched Ed running down the hall, holding onto her wrist.
They could see the back door of Ophelis Hall. Although it was not as magnificent as the
main entrance, the luxurious patterns and paintings represented the dignity of the
building.
“Listen carefully, Lortel. Since they have already discovered your position, you’re in a
tight spot. The best thing for you to do now is to keep hidden and make sure nobody
finds you.”
“There’s a separate villa in the Mine region. If I can just catch a carriage up there...”
“If I was Elte, I would have already put people on standby at both bridges out of Acken
Island. He’ll absolutely catch you that way.”
Ed was right.
The coachman that drove Lortel’s carriage was a reliable person, but the appearance of
the carriage itself was already quite eye-catching.
If she passed over the bridge, she would surely be followed.
“Talk to the coachman waiting in the commercial district and tell him to send an empty
carriage out of Acken Island. Instruct them to abandon the carriage and escape to a safe
area. That way, they’ll think that you’re outside of Acken Island for sure.”
“Then what about me...?”
“There’s a cabin I built in the north forest. You’ll just have to deal with living there for
three days.”
It was always in the last place you would look. The forest right next to Sylvania. Nobody
would think that she would be there.
“I’ll go to your room and send the homing pigeon. As long as we write a message telling
them to ‘sell it right away’, headquarters will be able to handle the rest of the more
complicated issues, right?”
“...Yes, that’s right.”
Like a merchant who had been working with her for a long time, Ed’s movements and
actions didn’t waste a single step.
When she looked at Ed, who was able to solve every issue, she felt that it would be okay
to trust in him and leave everything to him. Even though she knew that such a romantic
relationship couldn’t be, her broken heart whispered in her ear once more.
This time, it might really work out.
As she had repeatedly stated, obsession was not an emotion that resembled a flower
blooming on a distant cliff.
It’s something that bloomed at the tip of your fingertips, just out of reach.
“...”
Ed slowly opened the back door and looked out through the crack, then quietly closed it
again.
“Listen, Lortel. There’s someone watching the back gate.”
Ed quickly explained the situation in a quiet voice.
“There’s nothing good that will come out of them discovering your location or what
you’re planning. So I’ll go out and run towards your room, taking care of it myself. In
the meantime, if there’s nobody in sight, run straight to the commercial district. Got it?”
Lortel hesitated, before nodding her head. Ed furrowed his eyebrows in discontent as he
scolded Lortel.
“Are you sure your head is in the right place? Why are you so distracted?”
“Y-Yes... I understand.”
Ed grabbed Lortel by her shoulders and pulled her straight against the wall next to
them. Lortel’s lip began to tremble for a moment, but when she thought about it, she
realized that he only did it to keep her out of sight.
“Once you get to the north forest, they won’t be able to keep pursuing you. After that, it’s
up to you.”
Ed opened the back door and turned to leave.
“Ed”
It was not until she called out his name that Lortel realized she was flustered.
She couldn’t stand the idea of not asking him.
“Just why, to this extent... Why are you helping me...?”
Every favor had a motive. Once you figured out that motive, you could see through
someone’s psychology and principles at just a glance.
But asking someone what they were hiding in a straightforward way... that was a mistake
that not even a beginner merchant would make. And yet, those very words came out of
Lortel’s mouth.
That was because she couldn’t figure it out using common sense. Regardless of what
others said, it was only right for Ed Rothstaylor to unconditionally take Elte’s side.
Whether it was financial gain, the chances of winning, or for leverage, Lortel was
currently inferior in every way. Nevertheless, Ed was on Lortel’s side.
Ed frowned for a moment, as if he was wondering how to answer that question.
“...Just because? I just kind of feel like I should, I guess?”
He responded in a vague tone, and then... He stormed out the back door.
◐◓◑◒
Shwaaaaaaaaaa.
Boom, Clang!
The sound of rain coming in from the open door and the sounds of a battle resonated
throughout Ophelis Hall. The noise seemed to be coming from the battle on the fifth
floor, between Head Maid Elris and Taylee’s party.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
The noise from the fierce battle marked the final battle in Ophelis Hall. Lortel had a
hunch that Taylee and his party would win. Regardless of the fact their opponent was
the head maid of Ophelis Hall, the moment Taylee started using his Swordsmaster skill
he would be able to overpower her.
After being pushed against the wall, Lortel stayed still for a while longer.
She couldn’t figure out what Ed Rothstaylor was thinking at all. There had to be a
motive behind every favor and attempts to gain someone’s trust, but she couldn’t see it.
There was no financial gain, no ideological reasoning, and he wasn’t the type of person
to be swayed by emotions. Just what other reason did he have?
“Were you, perhaps, bewitched by that child’s beautiful appearance?”
Suddenly, she remembered the interrogation that Elte had given him earlier. However,
she quickly shook her head. As she has said before, Ed Rothstaylor wasn’t the type of
person who would be driven by his emotions.
In the first place, Ed Rothstaylor always had Yenika Faelover next to him. However, the
feeling of unease stemmed from the fact that those two weren’t dating.
It was obvious from a glance that Yenika was always staring passionately at Ed. But...
That feeling of affection seemed to be one-sided.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
In the background, the sound of the fierce battle continued to echo throughout Ophelis
Hall. Lortel slid down the wall and sat down. She was already tired from running, but
also from the fact that she was in trouble. Her legs had become weak.
“It’s just that. I wanted to help you, so I helped you.”
Why did that sentence get so stuck in her heart that she couldn’t breathe? Suddenly, she
realized that something was wrong. The building they were in wasn’t shaking at all.
Considering the sounds coming from the fight in Ophelis Hall, shouldn’t the building be
shaking from the vibrations? Or parts of the building flying off ?
But looking out the window at the rain pouring down peacefully, Lortel realized the true
reason for her sense of unease.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
She couldn’t believe it, but that sound was actually Lortel’s own heart.
◐◓◑◒
Shwaaaaaaa!
Ophelis Hall in the falling rain.
The rain had begun to slow, which made me think that it would soon come to an end.
On the top floor, there was the ongoing final battle between Taylee’s party and the head
maid, Elris.
On the first floor, Ziggs and Yenika were probably showcasing their skills as they
continued to block Elte.
The back gate was far from that sort of flashy battle. Through the dark night air, I could
see a maid standing in the rain.
How long has she been standing there? Probably in hopes of preventing Lortel from
escaping through the back gate, she was just waiting there. She was ready to capture
Lortel for the sake of the person she was most loyal to, Elris.
The maid’s outfit was completely soaked from the rain and her lavender hair was loose.
Slowly looking back to see who it was, it turned out to be Shaney, one of the twin maids
that should have blocked Taylee’s path as the third floor bosses. She quietly raised her
head as she made eye contact with me.
“I didn’t expect to see young master Ed out here. How unexpected.”
She had come out there after hearing Elte’s orders to guard the back gate and block
Lortel’s escape route. Without getting rid of her usual cold expression, she pulled out a
rapier.
Unfortunately for her, I knew Shaney’s abilities and attack patterns like the back of my
hand. She was even the type of boss that could only really show off her abilities when
she was teaming up with her sister, Kelly. Being separated from her, she could only show
off less than half of her actual skill level.
Wasn’t it a bit lame for the last hurdle? I confronted Shaney in the pouring rain.
The painful occupation incident was finally coming to an end.
Chapter 39: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (9)
Act 2, Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.
The fifth floor boss: the battle against Head Maid Elris
In the center of the fifth floor hall, Taylee’s party remained as calm and composed as
ever.
The maid’s well managed appearance remained unchanged. From head to toe, there was
not a single spot on her that was messy. Even though the head maid’s outfit was fancier
and more decorated than that of the regular maid’s, there still wasn’t a single spot that
was ruined.
In one hand she held a rapier, heavily decorated with a gorgeous rose pattern. In her
other hand, she was gathering mana to cast intermediate magic.
Not only that, but all of the defensive magic circles that were protecting Ophelis Hall
had returned to her, as Willian had passed out.
She had sword skills that could rival those of a combat student, was capable of
intermediate magic, and even had access to the defensive magic circles of Ophelis Hall.
She was different from Willian, who had been taken over by the magic circles and ended
up destroying Ophelis Hall. Being the head maid of Ophelis Hall, she was already
familiar with the system and the practical uses of the defensive magic circles.
Nevertheless, she could not beat Taylee. After all, Taylee McLaure was the protagonist.
Regardless, the final battle of Act 2, Chapter 3 had begun.
And in an absurdly quick manner, the conclusion was met.
◐◓◑◒
The rain fell onto Shaney’s rapier.
I was almost out of mana. I only had enough left to cast basic magic another two or
three times. I closed my eyes quietly as I began to remember.
Shaney’s first strike would be a stab between my lower abdomen and thigh. It would
always be the same, even if she were to repeat it a hundred or even thousands of times.
That was because all of the maids in Ophelis Hall used the sword in a similar way. Even
if they didn’t like it, their body has already come to remember that exact pattern.
The rain continued pouring. Shaney’s feet kicked off the ground as she broke through
the rain, narrowing the distance between us in an instant. If you looked at the fluttering
hem of the maid outfit’s puffy skirt from the front, it looked like a blooming flower.
In an instant, Shaney twisted her body. The hem of her skirt, which used to resemble
petals, curled up and disappeared. While I was unable to determine its whereabouts, a
rapier struck my thigh.
Well, it should have struck it.
Smash!
Instead, Shaney’s rapier was crushed into the ground by my foot.
My body responded naturally, even before Shaney approached me. It wasn’t a matter of
how fast my reaction speed was, it was because I had the foresight.
Shaney’s power was primarily optimized to work well with her sister Kelly’s magic.
Unlike Kelly, who was in charge of attacking from the back and being their main source
of firepower, Shaney took on the role of vanguard. She drew out the holes within the
enemy’s defense with her quick and subtle movements.
There is almost no direct firepower, and her unnecessarily flashy and dynamic
movements were only meant to attract attention. She might have been quite agile and
quick, but her muscle strength was rather lacking.
“Wh-WHAT?!”
She had approached me quickly, thinking I was going to cast magic, but my act of
preparing to cast beginner magic was all just a ruse.
A magician could never give up distance. That was because magic required one to stand
still for a certain amount of time to properly cast it, but it could only happen while
maintaining a safe distance.
In addition to that, their muscle strength and agility would naturally be greatly inferior
when it came to close combat. To sum it up, those who were fighting against magicians
were bound to focus on closing the distance.
Unfortunately, there was a difference in weight class between Shaney and me.
“Aghk!”
Shaney was startled as she tried to take out a dagger, hidden between her thighs.
However, my hand reached it first as I stopped her from pulling it out.
I bent Shaney’s wrist and kicked the bundle of knives, which were tied to her thigh, with
my foot.
Clang! Clang!
All of her secondary weapons, which she had stored just in case, were now useless.
For a brief moment, Shaney’s eyes began to turn red as the flow of mana began to leak
around her bent wrist.
The twin maids Shaney and Kelly could share some of their skills. It was the privilege
granted to the twin sisters born with a blessing of the stars.
The dagger that had been knocked onto the floor suddenly began to float in the air.
Kelly’s low-ranking telekinesis magic. It was a ‘living weapon’ that allowed swords,
spears, and the like to attack the enemy directly.
About four or five daggers began to float up and spin in the air, aiming for me... Before
they suddenly stopped.
As Shaney grabbed her rapier and her strength returned to her hand, the daggers rushed
towards me. They were rushing at me like birds of prey, but I didn’t look towards them.
I lowered my body to protect my vital points and shoved my shoulder into Shaney.
Shaney’s magic wasn’t as sophisticated as Kelly’s. She could only borrow that power. In
the end, it was still nothing more than an act to attract attention.
One by one, daggers flew into my thigh, right shoulder, and forearm. However, it would
be ridiculous to say that I had gotten struck as they fell right away. It was like a child
throwing something at an adult. The only damage was a small amount of bleeding.
I didn’t lessen my strength while I bent Shaney’s wrist.
From the beginning, Shaney’s goal was obvious. The flying daggers were just a trick to
steal her opponent’s attention and force them to respond. Much of Shaney’s fighting
power came from her unique agile movements.
Once you took control of those movements, she would never be able to gain the upper
hand.
My blood started to drip as my elbow rested on her solar plexus, laying on the floor.
“Cough!”
Shaney stopped breathing for a moment. I stabbed my nail into her forearm and added
some strength to scrape her skin.
“Kaaaghk!”
“Eu-Eughaak!”
“That’s right.”
I kicked away her rapier, which was rolling on the floor.
She was an opponent that made up for the difference in muscle strength with her sleek
movements and high agility. Once she lost her weapons and her movements were
suppressed, there was no hope for her.
It took less than a minute to get to that point.
“Eugaaaaaaaaaaagkh!”
But as the rainwater kept on falling into her bloodshot eyes, she grabbed my chest and
pushed at me. She kept on scratching me with her fingernails, kicking me in the back
with her thigh, which altogether began to drive me mad.
“I can’t disappoint Ms. Elris after coming this far! Move! Get out of my way!”
Her elegance and polite manners were a thing of the past as she began rolling around on
the muddy ground. I wiped my blood off and grabbed Shaney’s neck tightly as I spoke
straight to her face.
“Elris will lose.”
The blood dripping from my face fell onto Shaney’s white cheek. The drops of blood
running down her face and around her ears mixed with the rain as it wet the ground.
“What do you know? What do you know about Ms. Elris?”
To be honest, I didn’t know much.
The occupation of Ophelis Hall was just a stepping stone event. The personal backstory
of the event boss was beyond my realm of knowledge.
“Do you have any idea how much Ms Elris has suffered? Even in this situation, do you
even know how hard she fought to stay true to her beliefs?”
“To be honest...”
Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster didn’t go into much depth about Elris’ personal situation.
There were many episodes that needed to be processed, so maybe they thought that
adding development to each side character would end up increasing the volume too much
and slow down the pacing.
“...That’s none of my business.”
With those words, Shaney’s eyes widened. At my answer she was left speechless,
probably because I was not wrong.
BOOM!
A huge explosion erupted coming from the fifth floor of Ophelis Hall. The white
spectacle that lit up the darkness of the late night had clearly come from Taylee’s
Swordmaster Skill.
The battle against the head maid Elris was nearing its end. Shaney, with her bloodshot
eyes, took advantage of my shock and reached her hand out towards my face.
She used her fingernail to stab my arm to make me loosen my grip, but I had already
grabbed her by the side of her neck and pressed down hard. Little by little, she was
starting to run out of breath as she began to faint.
In a last ditch effort, she began to scratch at the back of my neck and collarbone like
crazy.
“You don’t even know! You don’t even know a thing about Elris! So how can you be on
the side of that wicked girl...?!”
Reaching out her hand, Shaney choked as her voice was filled with hatred.
“Do you have any idea how many orphans Elris saved?! I was one of them! If it wasn’t
for Elris, I couldn’t have gotten such a job, made any money, or even continued living in
the first place!”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Kgh, ughk.”
Regardless of the scratches that she made around my face and neck, I kept pushing on
Shaney. I was shocked by the hate in her bloodshot eyes, but I didn’t change my
expression.
“I won’t forgive... I can’t believe... Taking... Lortel’s side... E-Ed Roths... Keughkkk...”
Her white hands, which were gripping my face, gradually loosened. Both of her arms fell
into the mud.
I relaxed my grip as I looked down at Shaney, who had fainted.
I slowly stood up.
My whole body was muddy as the defeated Shaney’s body lay in front of me. Her
bloodshot eyes and flowing tears were imprinted into my memory.
It was a shame, but I didn’t know any of the extras’ storylines. What did she expect me
to do when I didn’t know?
Just how did Elris end up saving Shaney and Kelly? What did she have to go through to
become the head maid of Ophelis Hall? Just how much did Elris struggle through to get
there? There was no way for me to find out.
Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster didn’t put a spotlight on that story. There was no story in
the main storyline that had shed light on them.
In the first place, there were many stories in this world that had never been shown.
I turned my head and looked up at the half destroyed Ophelis Hall.
On the top floor, Elris, who was one of the main people behind this situation, must be
getting defeated by Taylee. Nevertheless, the half destroyed Ophelis Hall wouldn’t
return.
The financial damage had already been done, which would put pressure on the academy.
Some of the students wouldn’t have a place to live now, so they would end up
complaining. And there may have even been some students who had gotten injured by
the falling debris.
Furthermore, the pressure on the academy’s finances may even result in a reduction in
student benefits and welfare, the size of scholarships may reduce. A major change in
dormitory policy was needed, and some students may even have to give up on their
studies.
What’s the point in trying to weigh the damages caused by this incident when compared
to the relief efforts Elris had done before, just to figure out if she was in the right?
Who was Elris to weigh the importance of good and evil, and to what extent could she
overlook evil in the decisions she made and the methods she took?
Or was she a villain that was on the same level as Lortel or Elte...?
People who could make philosophical comments and decide on their own choices in life
were those who were living a privileged, fulfilling life.
However, my life choices and ultimate goal had never changed, not even once, since I
ended up possessing this body.
It was to survive.
I knew exactly what kind of crazy storyline the world is progressing into.
That was why I had taken Lortel’s side to survive. That was it.
Unfortunately, there were no profound philosophical reasons for agony or personal
morals that went into this decision. As it was with all of the decisions we made in life.
[ You have defeated Shaney, who is in charge of dishes! ]
[ You have acquired the combat-type skill ‘Pain Endurance’ ]
[ You have acquired the combat-type skill ‘Battlefield Vision’ ]
The Pain Endurance skill, which temporarily allowed you to forget pain and delayed the
consumption of Vitality.
And the Battlefield Vision skill, which allowed you to momentarily process the
opponent’s movements in slow motion.
“This... I’ve finally learned it...”
In the pouring rain, I looked at the scratches all over my body while organizing the
thoughts of what my next steps were in my head. There was still work that had to be
taken care of.
I picked up a stone and quickly went on my way again. Now I had to enter Lortel’s room.
After that, everything else would be a breeze.
Crash!
I broke her window as I crawled into Lortel’s room.
Crack!
Stepping on the fallen glass shards, I looked around Lortel’s room.
It was spacious and grand, as expected of a room in Ophelis Hall. On the other hand, it
felt a bit awkward.
Yenika’s room, from my memory, was a room full of cute ruffles and pretty decorations,
with a variety of things that were just like her... but her peer’s room, was strangely more
business-like.
Luxurious pieces of wooden furniture and various decorations seemed to have been
arranged out of necessity. Her desk was covered in papers and the books were angled
without a single error, resembling soldiers lining up in a row.
The gap between Lortel and Yenika was so clear that I couldn’t help but let out a bitter
smile without realizing it.
“That’s so like her.”
I spoke to myself as I pulled out a large wooden box from underneath her desk. Inside
was a bird cage with, naturally, a bird inside of it.
I took out the cage, put it on the desk, and pulled out a pen from the corner of the desk. I
flipped over a random piece of paper lying on the desk and began to write.
Elte is in Sylvania. It will take at least three days for him to get back to the headquarters.
Sell all the equipment that you have secured.
I rolled up the piece of paper and put it in a small container tied to the leg of the pigeon.
Then, I took out the pigeon and let it spread its wings in freedom.
The homing pigeon, which flew through the rain in the night sky, would return with
Elte’s head. I was relieved to think that I had finished a major task and sighed.
◐◓◑◒
It had been a long time since I’d last seen the northern forest.
The northern forest. It was a place where I struggled desperately to survive, each and
every day. But after going through many trials, I ended up realizing that there was
nowhere else like the forest.
No matter how shabby and ugly my house was, it was still my house. It was the most
comfortable place for me, and there was nothing I could do about it.
The rain had nearly stopped. No, it had stopped. There was a unique atmosphere in the
forest right after the rain. Though it wasn’t raining, the heavy moisture that pressed
down on my skin still remained, making it difficult to move.
However, the pleasant feeling of the damp atmosphere was a mystery of vegetation.
Thanks to the humidity, it felt like I was a part of the forest as I made my way through
the thick scent of grass.
However, to claim to be a part of this beautiful nature... My appearance was too
offputting.
A shirt covered in blood, wounds on my thighs and shoulders. The bleeding had stopped,
but the blood stains remained as I limped around like a zombie.
Still, those kinds of wounds would recover quickly when you considered my past
experiences. It was better than being attacked by a wild boar or falling while picking
fruits from a tree. As long as I put something over them, then they would heal quickly.
“Phew...”
I let out a deep breath as I began to speed up my steps. It wasn’t a trail... It was just a
path, close to the mountain road that cut through the grass.
If the entire plan went well, Lortel should have been waiting at the cabin. There wasn’t
much time left for Elte. Being in his position, a person couldn’t help but break out in a
cold sweat.
Before the homing pigeon arrived and the sale went through, he would have to find
Lortel and make her admit the truth. It would be in a somewhat violent and cruel way.
Originally, it wouldn’t have been too difficult.
Using common sense, nobody would imagine that the head of the Elte Company would
be in such a place at such a time. Neither Lortel nor I did. For a man of his stature,
rumors usually would spread a few days ahead of his visit.
Without the help of Ziggs and Yenika, and other events that worked out in my favor,
Lortel would have ended up going down a merciless path of failure.
Still, there was a fairly high chance of succeeding. That was because time was on
Lortel’s side. Somewhere along the path the pigeon would take between that night and
the next afternoon was the Maginot line.
Once he heard that Lortel’s wagon had escaped outside of Acken Island, Elte definitely
wouldn’t stay still. There was no way for him to search from inside of Acken Island
calmly in such an urgent situation.
There was a high possibility that it would all just be a waste of time, chasing the wagon
that escaped while trying to deduce Lortel’s whereabouts and the carriage’s path.
Even if he was able to catch the coachman quickly and make him confess her
whereabouts, he would then need to turn around and go all the way back to Acken
Island. The failure to win at Ophelis Hall would become his bitter, disappointing mistake.
Please, when I return to the cabin, please let Lortel be waiting there.
As I thought that, I suddenly saw a girl at the bottom of the small hill.
Maybe it was because of the long night’s hardships, but her reddish colored hair—which
usually resembled a blazing flame—had no shine.
Her hair, which was tied to one side, had fallen loose. Her wet body didn’t seem to be
drying, even though the rain had stopped.
A girl who had lived her entire life in a world revolving around golden coins and
calculating, understanding, estimating every move. She was the Golden Daughter, so to
speak.
I couldn’t see her expression as she was wearing a hood.
“Wow, did you come all the way here to see me? How kind of you.”
I playfully threw out those words, but no response came back.
Maybe she was quite exhausted, stumbling down the path coming here.
The rain stopped and the clouds began to clear as the rising moonlight cast a shadow. It
ended up making it even harder to decipher the girl’s expression.
And then she pulled out a sharp, silver dagger from under her arm. Goosebumps rose all
over my body.
“...What?”
Did she pick up one of the daggers that Shaney was using? If she had come out through
the back gate after I defeated Shaney, she would have been able to obtain one.
The use of magic power was too conspicuous, so maybe she was going to just keep a
dagger as a means of self defense? I shook my head.
Pull yourself together. That’s just a very hopeful interpretation.
I tried to step back, but I couldn’t take another due to my injuries.
Yeah, did I get a little too complacent?
She was the Golden Daughter, Lortel.
She was someone who was cruel and ungrateful. Someone who took advantage of people
as much as she could before throwing them away.
Right. From Lortel’s point of view... Now was the time to get rid of Ed Rothstaylor.
Regardless of what ended up happening to Elte, those who knew the truth about the
relation between the Elte Company and the occupation of Ophelis Hall had to be
reduced to the smallest number possible.
There were five people that she had brought in. Elris, Shaney, Kelly, Willian... And me,
Ed Rothstaylor. Even if she ended up overthrowing Elte, she still needed to keep the
mouths of those five people shut.
Elris was a person that moved according to the logic of money. Even though she may
not be able to open up her heart to her again, as she has already been betrayed by her
once, she could be confident that she could shut her up with enough money.
The reason she had betrayed her in the first place was probably because of the amount
of money.
And not just that. If Elte were to lose his position, Elris would have no choice but to fall
into Lortel’s hand. As long as she could clearly see the circumstances, then she could use
her to her heart’s content.
Shaney and Kelly were maids who were loyal to Elris. As long as she could persuade
Elris, then those two would keep their mouths shut as well.
Willian, the representative of the lower students, was brought into the plan with money
from the beginning. He always wanted to be the voice of the lower students, but
whenever he was given money he was easily swayed and taken advantage of.
And the last variable was Ed Rothstaylor, who was out of her control.
At first she thought that he could be bought with money, but now she was unsure if
buying him over with just money was possible.
She had to take into account the risk of being stabbed in the back, while trying to
forcefully figure out his inner thoughts and plans. A remote part of the northern forest.
Nobody would notice amidst the chaos of the Ophelis Hall incident.
The opponent’s whole body was a wreck. He was in a state of total exhaustion, with an
injury that made him unable to even properly hold his body up.
There was a sharp weapon in her hand.
She was a girl who was like the incarnation of greed, who unconditionally seized even
the smallest opportunities. I knew better than anyone else that she wasn’t a person who
would give up an opportunity like this.
Let’s calm down.
I could overcome the situation.
She was as tired as I was, and we weren’t so deep in the woods that it would be
impossible to make it to the education district if I ran away immediately.
In addition, there are also quite a few spirits in the forest that were favorable to me. With
their help, we could interfere with Lortel’s movement for a while.
Well, I needed to admit what was obvious. I had gotten a bit complacent.
I couldn’t take into account the situation because I was busy dealing with so many
sudden variables.
Even despite that, I should have never forgotten the nature behind the character ‘Lortel
Kehelland’.
Act 2, Chapter 10: The battle for the Sage’s Seal. It took place after Act 2, Chapter 3: The
Occupation of Ophelis Hall. Did I already forget about Lortel’s appearance in the
climax?
Lortel Kehelland was an evil girl who would take advantage of anyone, regardless of
who they were, and immediately throw them away afterwards.
Someone who stabbed her own adoptive father in the back, took advantage of Taylee and
his party by knowing their every move, and then ran away with all the benefits by
herself in the end.
I still remember the scene where she mockingly smiled in front of the academy, holding
onto the Sage’s Seal. When she smiled, head down, as she listened to Elte’s screams.
Those scenes were still stuck in my mind.
This was not the time for me to be acting like this. I need to use my brain.
The moment I tried to straighten my body and come up with a decent escape plan...
Rrrrrrrrip.
Lortel used the dagger to tear a hole into her expensive-looking robe.
She then stumbled forward, walking towards me.
“You ended up getting hurt... to this extent...”
With the torn fabric... she tied it around my wound.
I could see her expression now that she was closer... It looked like she was going to cry.
“I’ll help you. I lit the campfire, since it stopped raining. First, we should warm up.”
◐◓◑◒
Crackle, Crackle.
“So, did everything go as planned?”
“Ed, you’re really quite... Of course it did. I’m Lortel Kehelland.”
The moon and stars came out like usual. The sky after the rain had stopped. It felt rather
cozy. She grinned, holding onto a mug next to the burning campfire. She had finally
returned to her foxlike appearance.
“I got a promise from the coachman. He said that he would try his best to attract their
attention and buy some time. He’s even willing to risk his life.”
“He was that loyal? What type of trick did you use?”
“You want to know?”
Just by looking at her wide smile, I could tell that it wasn’t a very honorable method. I
refrained from asking any further questions. Don’t tell me, she wouldn’t have taken their
family hostage, right?
...Right?
“Well, it was a lot different than I had planned, but... Anyway, I am in great debt to you,
Ed. Thank you.”
“Is that so?”
“Did you know? If this plan goes well, then I’ll join the ranks of those highest in power
within the Elte Company.”
The position of head would be taken by another senior merchant, but since she was the
one who actually created an empty seat for the new head, she would become an
influential figure within the business.
“The fact that I owe you a debt, isn’t it something incredible? What do you think? Don’t
you feel a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Don’t you think I’m amazing?”
“...”
“Wow, that reaction was so lame.”
I felt relieved to see that her sparkling smile while saying those words was no different
from her usual smile, the one that hid her evil intentions.
While laughing so mischievously, she took a sip of the herbal tea from the mug... and
quietly lowered her voice.
“Thank you so much. I will never forget it.”
“Give me the twenty gold coins you promised me on time, then.”
“Hahaha! That’s... of course I will.”
She never got rid of her smile, as if everything was great. Blinking and staring straight
at my face, I felt uncomfortable—as if she was trying to see what was hidden in my
heart.
“That’s that. But there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“What? Do you still have something to take care of ? Is it about Elris?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m going to take care of that stuff on my own... What I wanted
to ask about was Yenika.”
It was a natural technique for merchants to change a topic naturally like the wind.
“Ed, you’re very close to Yenika. Right?”
I tilted my head at that question and answer immediately.
“Yeah, I’m close with Yenika. She’s a good person.”
“She is definitely a nice, and great senior that I respect. She’s always considerate of
others and good hearted.”
“Yeah. So, what’s up?”
Saying that, Lortel looked down at the herbal tea and then looked up at the sky. The sky
from the river in the northern forest was as high and clear as usual.
“I’m not that nice of a person.”
She recited those words while quietly holding onto the mug gently closing her eyes.
◐◓◑◒
Booooooom!
The first floor of Ophelis Hall was no longer only partially destroyed. It was now
completely destroyed.
Ziggs Eiffelstein finished the battle and straightened his body. The mercenaries brought
by Elte were less impressive than he had expected.
They didn’t look like mercenaries under direct control of the Elte Company. Though
even at that level of quality, if there were too many then it could have become hard for
Ziggs. Quality was important, but quantity could always make up for it.
However, the mercenaries’ training was so poor that Ziggs and Yenika alone were
enough to defend Ophelis Hall.
Were they just mercenaries who were brought over in a hurry? It must have been quite the urgent
situation, or perhaps a situation in which he didn’t want anyone to know that he had left his seat?
Coming up with such a guess, Ziggs sat down on the rubble near him.
For some reason... I have a feeling that we are going to have another fight. I’m a little worried
about the head maid, as well. It seems like there is something weird going on.
He didn’t feel completely relieved, but that couldn’t be helped given that the situation had
become like this.
“Phew. Good work, Yenika.”
Ed suddenly requested help and, without fully understanding the situation, he ended up
helping. Though, somehow everything ended well.
Elte suddenly received a report from his subordinate in the middle of it all, and rushed
out. It seemed that he was no longer interested in Ophelis Hall.
Was this all according to Ed’s plan? He hoped that he could at least hear a detailed
explanation of the situation from him later. With that in mind, Ziggs looked towards
Yenika.
Among the mid-ranking spirits there was a girl. At first, she looked a bit worried. But as
the battle continued, the spirits grew stronger and stronger—to an unbelievable
strength.
Since he was afraid of casualties, he had to keep an eye on Yenika.
“Yenika?”
From Ziggs’ point of view, he could only see Yenika’s back. Looking at her, it was like he
had seen a ghost. Chills ran across his body. Ziggs took a moment to take a deep breath.
“...Yenika, is something the matter? By chance, are you angry?”
The girl was smiling gently.
“I’m not angry.”
However, because of her protruding veins, Ziggs felt uncomfortable talking to her.
Chapter 40: Cat, Cat, Cat (1)
Clara, a second year magic student and one of Yenika’s best friends, had been standing
outside the half destroyed Ophelis Hall since morning. That was because there was
someone that she wanted to meet with.
“Hello, Ms. Bell.”
A day has passed since the major destruction caused by the occupation of Ophelis Hall
had come to an end. Although the detailed investigation had yet to be completed,
amongst the students there were rumors that the maids were somehow involved with the
incident.
Clara had felt that the rumors were nothing more than that: mere rumors. The
academy’s inspection department would eventually come to a conclusion after
discovering more details.
“Gasp.”
The reconstruction site of the half destroyed Ophelis Hall.
Since it had barely been two days since the incident, no sort of significant reconstruction
work had been started. The faculty and maids were busy trying to figure out the extent
of the damage.
At the entrance of the rose garden, she ran into Bell Meiya. She was busy taking notes.
Clara let out a gasp.
Bell Meiya, unlike usual, was wearing a dark red maid outfit covered in beautiful
decorations. Looking at the blue rose brooch on her chest, the blue frills that came down
the hem of her skirt, it was definitely the outfit that only the head maid was permitted to
wear.
“Aren’t you a close friend of Lady Yenika? What brings you all the way to Ophelis Hall?”
“Oh! Hello, Ms Bell. Did you recently get promoted?”
“Due to Ms. Elris’ personal circumstances, she was no longer able to fulfill her duty as
the head maid. As such, I have been promoted from a Senior Maid to the Head Maid.
“I... I see. It somehow feels like your position is much higher...”
“There is no reason to feel uncomfortable. Our main duty is to help others. If you need
anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s just that... I wanted to talk to you about a personal matter... How
should I say this? Nevermind, you look quite busy right now.”
“Hm... lam a bit busy, but...”
Bell looked down at her checklist, then glanced back at the half destroyed Ophelis Hall
before shaking her head.
“Most of the work has already been done, and I don’t think I’ll need to give out any
further orders. I was going to take a break anyway.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?”
“Don’t be too surprised. This is top secret. You can never leak this out, and you can’t act
too surprised.”
Clara’s face stiffened as she leaned in towards Bell with a serious tone to her voice.
Bell wondered just what kind of shocking secret she was about to tell her as she paid
close attention.
“It’s about Yenika... I think she likes Ed... Ed Rothstaylor.”
Having already known that fact to a surprising degree, she wondered if she should at
least pretend to be surprised.
“I just don’t get why someone like Yenika would fall so madly in love with that thug...
And as her friend, my feelings are mixed.”
They had moved over to a bench in the rose garden. Clara, who kept on looking around
nearby to make sure that nobody was passing by, soon confessed all of the troubles
buried deep in her heart to Bell.
“I’ve been thinking about this for three days and nights already, but... These days, Ed’s
reputation has improved a bit. I’m sure Yenika also has something on her mind, so I came
to the decision to cheer them on. But I still feel very, very uncertain about it all.”
As she listened to every word Clara lamented, Bell thought that Yenika had truly made a
great friend. That was because in this world, there are very few people who would truly
care for their friend’s relationships to that extent.
Even though she could have easily ended up interfering in something that was none of
her business, Clara made sure to not cross that line and only worried about Yenika’s love
life.
“First off, if Yenika really thinks of him like that... Then as her friend, I really do hope
that Yenika and Ed work out well.”
“I see. You must have been very worried about her, Lady Clara.”
“But... that’s not the point!”
Bell tilted her head. Right as she was going to respond, Clara interrupted, spitting out
another girl’s name.
“Lortel Kehelland! You know that name, right? You must, because you were a senior
maid at Ophelis Hall!”
“...Yes, of course I know of her.”
“Recently, Yenika has been saying her name quite often. Even though she’s a first year,
ever since the joint combat practice she has been involved with them quite a bit. Though,
it doesn’t seem like anything is happening.”
Clara looked around nearby once more, before quietly lowering her voice and whispering
to Bell.
“So I looked into it personally, and I’m not sure, but they were both absent on the day of
the opening ceremony. They were also together yesterday, during their shared first
period. Thinking about Yenika... it seems that she’s in quite a pickle.”
For a girl, the existence of a rival was like a disaster... At first she thought that she may
have just had a simple misunderstanding.
“Ms. Bell, I’ve heard a lot about you from Yenika. She said that she relied on you quite a
bit and you always gave her helpful advice... I heard that you are quite an insightful
person.”
“You’re flattering me.”
“And you also know both Yenika and Lortel quite well... so I came here because I wanted
to ask for your opinion.”
“Lady Lortel is quite a famous person. I’m sure that you also know of her, don’t you?”
Rumors about the Golden Daughter Lortel were spreading throughout the academy,
regardless of the grade.
“I know of her. But seeing just a bit of her... I just can’t see Yenika winning...”
“I think that Lady Yenika is a person that is also plenty attractive.”
“Of course I also think that, too. But Lortel is like...”
Clara’s words didn’t come out, but Bell nodded her head.
Indeed, Lortel Kehelland is definitely a foxlike girl. She is always well behaved and her
actions were full of grace. But when an opportunity struck, she was like a little devil that
couldn’t hide her true, dark feelings. Clara knew that quite well.
Her life as a merchant didn’t go to waste, so surely she had a better understanding of
how to develop relationships and gain the interest of others.
“I don’t have much relationship experience, but... Ultimately, relationships between men
and women are a game of push and pull...”
Bell had no choice but to nod her head at Clara’s complaining. Yenika Faelover was
innocent and positive by nature, so she only knew how to pull and not push.
Lortel, on the other hand... Being a merchant, there was no way that she wouldn’t be
completely capable of controlling the speed of a relationship’s growth.
No matter how attractive and loveable Yenika might be, in front of Lortel’s skilled tugof-war she couldn’t do anything... She was like a fish on a line.
Clara clenched her fist.
“That can’t happen! That’s why... I think Yenika should learn how to play hard to get!”
“...”
“No matter what, I really want Yenika to learn how to do that. It’ll be too painful for her
to lose a relationship because of adult charm from a girl a year younger than her.
At least she will have gone through a learning experience if she gets rejected by that
awful guy instead... but to be robbed of a relationship will only hurt!”
Bell wanted to applaud Clara, who was passionately expressing her frustration, but she
refrained from reacting. To cry to such an extent, worrying about a friend’s life.
“What do you think, Ms. Bell? I heard that you always say the right thing!”
Those burning eyes of hers turned towards Bell. Honestly. It was a bit awkward.
“Wh-Who can say? I’m really not quite sure...”
In any case, Bell was already acquainted with Ed, Yenika, and Lortel. Compared to Clara,
who is somewhat biased, she could judge the situation a bit more objectively.
“Hmm... I don’t think that there is a reason for Lady Yenika to have to say something
that doesn’t suit her.”
“...You think so?”
“And your thoughts could be perceived as a bit biased as well, right? I think that it’s
possible that Lady Yenika is quite a bit more capable than you think, and Lady Lortel
could also be less experienced in human relationships than expected, as well.”
“...I’m not sure... It’s hard to agree with that part...”
Anyway, it wasn’t a good idea to unnecessarily meddle in other people’s love affairs. That
was the conclusion Bell had come to, so she had no intention of supporting the
extremely worried Clara’s objective.
“In the first place, I don’t even know much about Ed Rothstaylor! Is he just a ridiculously
stubborn person, or was he just born an unpleasant jerk?!”
In the end, Clara’s hostility all ended up being directed towards Ed Rothstaylor.
“In fact, it’s kind of ridiculous that she keeps looking at him like that, but he doesn’t even
realize it!”
“...Well, for young master Ed’s case... Rather than being a stubborn person or a complete
jerk... I think it’s just because he’s in a situation where it’s difficult to have an interest in a
relationship...”
Ed Rothstaylor was someone who had set up a camp in the northern forest, taking care
of food, shelter, and clothing all by himself.
Sometimes Bell would come by to give him some food ingredients, herbs and other
medical supplies, but... Ed had been taking care of the bare fundamentals of survival
entirely on his own.
In addition to that, he was also studying the academy’s curriculum. He was living a life
where he had to strategically divide each hour of the day into a task.
He was in a spot where getting distracted by a woman for even a few days risked him
running out of food. It was already almost autumn, with winter quickly approaching.
There would be a lot of other concerns that he will need to prepare for, as well.
“That can’t be possible. Well, he was just born lucky. Having good luck when it comes to
girls... I’m sure that he has his mouth open like a creep, drunk on his own popularity. I’m
getting the chills just thinking about it!”
Bell didn’t respond as she clenched her fist, leaving Clara to continue with her story.
Well, sometimes it was enough of a relief to just vent to someone else about your issues
and worries.
Bell closed her eyes as she thought about Ed’s situation. Right now, it looked like he was
struggling to survive. Would it really be a situation for him to be enjoying his luck when
it came to girls? Considering all of that, she gave him a silent prayer.
Ultimately, when she thought about all the girls around that boy, she could only think of
them as cats and other animals. Lortel Kehelland was like a feisty stray cat, sitting in
front of a fish shop.
Yenika Faelover was like an innocent kitten, trembling in fear in front of a tiger.
Lucy... well she was just a cat.
Either way, she could clearly see Ed struggling amongst all of those girls as she tried to
give him some encouragement that would never reach him.
It seemed that she needed to take some time to go and visit Ed’s camp.
She wanted to check it out, seeing that Clara was worried to such an extent, but... there
was also a message she needed to deliver from Head Maid Elris.
Though, it was not good news.
◐◓◑◒
It had been a while since the weather was so good. I went over to the stream next to the
camp to wash my face and decided to check my Life Skills.
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Lvl 13
Design Lvl 8
Collecting Skills Lvl 11
Woodworking Lvl 12
Hunting Lvl 8
Fishing Lvl 6
Cooking Lvl 6
Repairing Lvl 5
<Advanced Production Technique Slot: Empty>
<Advanced Production Technique Slot: Empty> ]
Since the advanced production technique slots were currently empty, acquiring a new
technique that I could use was of the highest priority.
I’d already decided on what skills I was going to learn.
I planned to start learning Spiritual Infusion—which has a good compatibility with
Elementalists—as well as Magic Engineering, which would be great for making daily
necessities and other types of combat-related equipment.
Spiritual Infusion was acquired automatically once you made a contract with a spirit and
produced a product that contained Elementalism. Magic Engineering, on the other hand,
was acquired once you succeed in dismantling and assembling a magically engineered
item of a certain level.
Compared to Combat-type skills and Magic-type skills, the methods to acquire them
were quite simple and quick. That was the benefit of Production-type skills.
I didn’t want to waste a spirit slot unnecessarily, but if I wanted to start training
Spiritual Infusion in advance, it would be better to just make a contract with a lowranking spirit immediately.
In that case, I thought it would be better for me to make it with a spirit who was of an
attribute different than mine. Earth or water spirits.
If I started dealing with spirits properly, then I’d start to increase my spirit-type skills’
proficiency quickly. Then, once my magic-type stats were able to support me, the day that
I could make a contract with a high-ranking spirit would come sooner than expected.
In that regard, it might have been better to go and get some help from Yenika.
My body condition wasn’t great. I couldn’t push my body too far doing things that
required a lot of work. In other words, because of the Occupation of Ophelis Hall
incident, I ended up pushing myself too far. Because of that, when it came down to labor
intensive work, I couldn’t do much of it.
Well, what can you do...? It was a necessary sacrifice.
In any case, I was able to prevent Lortel, one of the main characters of the story line,
from leaving. The plan seemed to have worked to some extent, given that there had been
no significant response from Elte yet.
The rest needed to be fought out back at Elte’s headquarters, so the only thing we could
do was wait for the situation to play itself out and wait for good news from the homing
pigeon, which would eventually fly back.
“Hi, Ed! Now that the rain has stopped, the weather has gotten a bit chilly!”
“Oh. Hey, Yenika.”
Yenika still visited the camp every day. It was great, as she would bring all sorts of food
ingredients with her.
“Is Lortel doing okay?”
“Yeah. She’s just resting in the cabin.”
I told Yenika the entire story.
After explaining Lortel’s situation to her and how she had to be in hiding for a while,
Yenika had nodded her head and accepted that fact. After that, she started coming over to
see if she was okay every single day.
However, it was already the start of classes and the second semester’s curriculum was
already underway.
Lortel had no intention of going to class until her safety was ensured, and since my
uniform was a wreck, I ended up borrowing Ziggs’. However, I needed to adjust it to fit
me. It would be really difficult to attend class until I was able to finish fixing it.
So Lortel and I weren’t able to go to class until our situation got better. Yenika, on the
other hand, had no such reason. And yet, she still came by the camp every day to sit
down and read her magic textbooks.
“Yenika, you’re not going to class?”
“Hm? My head hurts and my condition isn’t all that great, so I’m just going to rest here
in the northern forest and enjoy the breeze. I already told the professors, and they just
told me to take care of myself.”
“Really? You didn’t get hurt while trying to help me, right?”
“No way. Definitely not. You should just do what you need to do. I’m just going to sit
here enjoying nature, then head back when it’s time.”
Even though Yenika said that, she didn’t seem to be in any sort of pain.
She sat down on a wooden stool by the campfire the entire day, reading her book. She
would also sometimes glare at the cabin, almost like she was surveying it.
It seems that Yenika didn’t fully trust Lortel quite yet. That was understandable. After
all, Lortel’s past was something quite special.
◐◓◑◒
“I see, Ed. Well, it’s a shame that you can’t explain the details of the situation to me...
But at least I was able to pay off my debt.”
As the sun went down, I was off chopping firewood when Ziggs came by to ask about
the situation from the previous night and help me out. I gave him a brief explanation of
the story, and answered the questions he asked me.
“Well, it seems that they can’t really tell that we destroyed part of Ophelis Hall. The
building was already half-destroyed in the first place, so it wasn’t obvious that we
destroyed part of it.”
“What about the disciplinary actions against the students?”
“Most of it was put on that senior, Willian, as well as some other students that were
dealt a minor punishment. The head maid is still being interrogated, but it doesn’t seem
like she’s opening her mouth.”
Seeing as there was no mention of Lortel, Elris must have been staying silent. She
couldn’t hastily confess without knowing if Lortel or Elte was going to win.
Once it was safe, she would probably try and secretly make contact as fast as possible.
“Alright. Anyway, this time I owe you.”
“What are you talking about? Next time as well, make sure to let me know if you need
anything. I’ll be heading out now.”
Ziggs waved at me as he left. I dropped the axe I was holding next to me and let out a
deep sigh.
It was probably better that Lortel stayed hidden in the cabin.
I could just keep on sharing food with her, and once some time passed and we heard news
of our victory, we could both return back to our normal lives.
I hoped there wouldn’t be any major accidents before then. I sat down in the middle of
the forest to take a break, smelling the breeze of the upcoming fall, hoping for a peaceful
time. Most of my wounds had healed, so they weren’t bothering me too much anymore.
◐◓◑◒
The quiet atmosphere inside the cabin calmed her down.
Lortel sat, leaning against the rough wall, quietly waiting for time to pass by. Although
the Occupation of Ophelis Hall Incident had come to an end, there was still a lot of
work left for her to do. The first thing was to win over the former maid Elris again.
The rumors going around said that the head maid Elris was keeping her mouth shut in
front of the investigators. As she couldn’t tell who the winner would be between Lortel
and Elte, she was going to stay quiet until she knew for sure.
The second thing was to lay the groundwork for the negotiations on the purchase of the
Sage’s Seal.
Elte losing his position had ended up happening earlier than expected, but since there
was still an opportunity to purchase the Sage’s Seal, she couldn’t waste it. Once the plan
was established, Lortel’s position in the Elte Company would be one of the most
influential. Even the head wouldn’t be able to touch her easily.
Even though she was quite busy, she couldn’t do anything about it unless she could
quickly fly over to the headquarters. Though, by living in the northern forest she first
had to make sure that she was completely safe before she could head back to take classes
as a student of Sylvania.
She should have been a bit frustrated at having to quit her life as a merchant and stay in
the cabin for the next three days or so, despite being so busy. However, her heart was
warm knowing that Ed came to check on her often, making sure she wasn’t
inconvenienced in any way.
It wasn’t all that bad, considering the fact she had lived a splendid life full of luxury
before suddenly moving into a cabin in the wilds... Though, she was sure that it was all
thanks to that boy she was with.
Her heart would beat fast sitting down next to Ed Rothstaylor. His unconditional
goodwill and unrequited trust made her feel like she was snuggled in a fluffy bed.
For some that was only natural, but for Lortel—who had lived her entire life on a cold
distant path—that feeling was more precious than gold.
It went without saying, but she didn’t want to give him up to anyone else. Especially that
person. Yenika Faelover.
A girl who had lived her life like a protagonist in a fairytale. To her, a relationship with
unconditional goodwill and trust must have been oh so natural and common.
Whether it was her friends or family, they would all support her. To Lortel, though, that
man was a luxury. A heartwarming relationship, where she knew that he would never
betray her. For Yenika, he was no more common than a pebble on a street.
If she had that many, she should at least give up this one.
Lortel had thought she was too cruel, and couldn’t understand her at all.
Being like that, the only thing left was to fight dirty. Unfortunately for Yenika, that was
Lortel’s specialty. Not just that, but spending three days with him was such a massive
and perfect advantage for her.
“Hmm...
However, how would their relationship as a man and woman progress?
She had taken the initiative in human relationships countless times before, but she didn’t
know if it would work the same way in a more affectionate relationship between man and
woman.
That was right. She had been living her life thus far in a brutal business world, where she
had to weigh humans by interests alone. That was why she didn’t have any knowledge
about how a romantic relationship between a man and woman developed.
Unexpectedly, this is something I suck at...
Lortel thought, as she tried to view herself objectively. It was unlike her usual self.
“Let’s just do it my way.”
She kept on saying those words to herself as she decided to do things her own way.
After all, the easiest way to gain someone’s favor was with money.
If she buried his shabby cabin with gold coins, then wouldn’t he look at her with
sparkling eyes anyways?
“But I’m short on money...”
Even so, she was still in the middle of reaching out to various businesses. It would affect
Lortel’s personal assets as well. Still, selling a villa in the Mine Region or a certificate of
land on the outskirts would have a similar performance.
However, when she imagined Ed Rothstaylor’s eyes full of childish greed, she shook her
head.
In the end, since it would be a relationship formed out of money, there wouldn’t be any
sense of affection. Thinking of seeing him look at her with such eyes, smiling only for
his own greed, broke her heart.
But even then, it wasn’t right to sit around and do nothing.
Just by watching Ed throughout the day, she could tell that he was living a hellish life.
Without wasting a single minute, or even a single second, he clenched his teeth and
struggled to survive.
Before her selfish desire to be favored and loved... She also felt a sense of affection, a
desire to help him.
But on the other hand, she was worried that it might be looked at as pity, and thus would
eventually lead to a relationship made out of money... Lortel sat down, cross legged, as
she scrunched her toes.
“Ha... Isn’t it okay to help with his tuition?”
If she gave him that much money, that wouldn’t be too much like pity, right?
Being a girl who had never given a favor without a cost in the first place, she couldn’t
even imagine what she should say or how to give him the money. Some examples of the
lines she came up with while thinking on it were...
“D-Don’t misunderstand. I-It’s not like I’m doing this just for you, senior!”
Lortel cringed as she curled her hands and kicked the wall of the hut. She was
embarrassed by those lines, but for some reason they felt very natural to her.
Didn’t she live a life hidden under a mask, with a foxlike smile hiding her dark inner
intentions and ideals? Now, even in such a ridiculous situation, she couldn’t take off that
mask and show her face.
Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure. She straightened out the thoughts in
her head as she thought about how to get through to him in a seductive, desirable
manner.
In the first place, if you wanted to watch how and where a relationship between a man
and woman crossed the line, it was just a matter of waiting and observing.
Anyway, at that moment Ed didn’t see Lortel as a woman in the slightest. The
development of a relationship would eventually stem from a change of perception. The
first course of action would be to change his perception of her.
Lortel thought up that ‘plan’ in her mind as she nodded her head, as if she had decided
on what to do. It was impossible to realize at that point just how ridiculous that ‘plan’
was.
As said before, Lortel was good when it came down to controlling or shaking up
someone’s mind. But when it came to simple and affectionate relationships, which she
was awful in, even Yenika was years ahead of her.
“Then... Specifically, I will need to...”
However, it would take time to come up with a specified plan of action. For the next
three days she would be hiding out in the cabin, so she had plenty of time to think it
over.
She thought that, as long as she planned it out carefully, she would be able to beat Yenika
in no time at all. With a sly smile, Lortel hugged her knees.
◐◓◑◒
“Can you move over? You’re in my spot.”
However, there was an unexpected event. A new girl had arrived.
“...Hm?”
“Yawn...”
She was familiar with that large witch’s hat, the school uniform with long sleeves,
pigtails that easily came down past her waist to her butt. Someone that she would often
meet in Professor Glast’s class, and one of the three students in Class A.
Just when did she enter the cabin? When did she come in from the roof ? And when did
she learn spatial-type magic? The girl whose movements were impossible to predict, and
who would always make the people around her bewildered...
“...Lucy...? What are you doing here...?”
“This is the best place. It’s where the sun shines down the best.”
She then pushed Lortel away as she threw some Marten skin down on the floor, pressed
on it hard, and then laid down on top of it... She then fell asleep peacefully, arms wrapped
around herself.
“...”
In a moment of complete confusion, Lortel wiped her face.
“...Just what’s with this girl...?”
Chapter 41: Cat, Cat, Cat (2)
Even for someone like Lortel, who grew up meeting all sorts of people, Lucy Mayreel
was a girl that was nearly impossible to understand.
Walking through the academy grounds, you would sometimes catch her peacefully
sleeping in a nice and sunny spot. She was someone that you would consider an oddball
as you walked past her.
However, she was also someone that had once been seen destroying a high-ranking spirit
at the top of a mountain on the northwest side of the island. There was also the time
that she got rid of a bunch of monsters that resembled sharks with a single motion of
her hand...
Lortel had often heard stories of people seeing her around, wielding an immense amount
of transcendental strength.
But during the Glasskan or Ophelis Hall incident, she could be found sleeping in a
corner—not even thinking of helping out with her powers. There was a limit to how
ridiculous a person could be, even if they were the type that lived at their own pace.
In the first place, Lortel’s resources didn’t have a single bit of information about Lucy
Mayreel’s identity or life. She couldn’t even take a guess as to where she came from or
what she did before entering Sylvania.
In addition to that, it didn’t make any sense as to why she would be attending the
academy when she already had the strength to destroy an entire city.
She regularly attended classes, but most of the time she was dozing off. Even then, the
professor in charge—Glast—would never lay a finger on Lucy.
In the first place, there wasn’t a sign that he was trying to teach Lucy anything. One
time Ziggs, who couldn’t stand it anymore, actually went up to complain to Professor
Glast about her behavior.
“That student is not at a level where it would matter if I taught her or not. You
shouldn’t worry about her. She’s the type that, once there’s something she needs to
achieve, she will realize it and grow by herself.”
She was a student at the level that even a professor, whose entire job was to guide and
nurture students, would say such a thing. In the end, Ziggs and Lortel had no choice but
to leave Lucy to her eccentric ways.
Although the situation bothered her a little, Lucy didn’t really bother Lortel. Actually,
they had never even talked before in the first place.
Always walking around the academy with a blank expression, eating when she was
hungry, and sleeping when she was tired... Wasn’t she just like a stray cat?
Before, Lortel had wished that Lucy could become a personal connection to her so that
she could make use of her transcendental strength. However, the more she saw her, the
more she gave up on her hopes of being able to use her.
Thinking of things like that, she had become quite adjusted to Lucy.
“Mughaaaaak!”
Humph.
Ed lifted up Lucy on his shoulder as he carried her to the wooden shelter outside. He
then opened up the door again and entered the building.
“Oh. Sorry. You woke up, Lortel. I guess Lucy came to hide out in the cabin. I got rid of
her already, so you can just relax like it’s your own home.”
Ed wiped off his sweat, as if he had just finished all the cleaning that had been delayed.
The Second Morning of Lortel’s Life in the Cabin.
The first day went insanely quick.
For the first time in her life, she washed herself out in a stream. Since her clothes were
drying, she wore extremely worn-out clothes as she sat awkwardly in the corner of the
cabin. Ed minded his own business as he cooked up some fish and gave it to her. Eating it,
she felt a strange sense of warmth and comfort.
Looking up at the starry sky, she started to soak in the romantic atmosphere... There
were all sorts of exciting and heart-racing experiences that had happened to her, so
many that it was hard to summarize in just one sentence.
As someone being chased, it was fun to finally go outside. Since she had spent most of
her time stuck inside the cabin, just sitting outside in the camp gave her a strange sense
of satisfaction... Even though the wooden floor was hard and tough, she was able to get a
good night’s sleep on it.
However, calling her life hiding out in the camp a romantic healing experience... it was a
bit difficult to call it that. Being on the run from someone had also played a role in it, but
the most inconvenient thing for her was her natural enemy.
“I heard that Yenika stopped by this morning. I guess she came over to read some books
at the campfire, then do some spiritual training. If you need anything, you can also just
let her know.”
The night before, Yenika had stayed as late as possible—until curfew, when she had to
return to Dex Hall.
She returned to the northern forest early in the morning. She seemed to be spending all
her time there, over the full three days that Lortel was there, sitting at the camp.
Occasionally, when they would make eye contact outside the door, Yenika would smile
with the brightest, most positive expression in the world. Not falling far behind, Lortel
would respond with her own bright, energetic smile. It felt like they were getting tired
of dealing with each other.
Anyways, over the three days that she had given up her life of being a merchant, the only
enemy for Lortel was Yenika.
...At least, that’s what she thought.
“Lucy seems to come by the camp often?”
“Tell me about it. I just think of her as a natural disaster.”
“...”
Lortel felt her unique gut feeling starting to growl.
Thinking about the fact that she saw Lucy both that day and the day before, she
wondered if she was spending too much time at the camp.
Whenever she had the chance, she would sit next to Ed’s side, pick up some jerky on the
drying rack, sleep somewhere like the roof of the cabin, or go over to the rocks that
were near Ed while he chopped firewood to tell him random stories.
In the first place, there was no reason to have any suspicions about Lucy, due to her
nature. However, that was only with the way things were currently.
Even Ed began to think of her visiting the camp as a natural thing, like a part of the
scenery. Whenever she came to her senses, she was always sitting next to him. Wasn’t
that pretty dangerous?
As said before, the opportunity for a relationship between a man and women to progress
came from a change in perception. If Lucy were to change her behavior and feel some
sense of love or desire towards Ed... There would be another disaster, one other than
Yenika. Actually, it could be even more troublesome.
It was one of the many lessons she learned while living in the world of business. If you
found the seed of a disaster, it was best to remove it immediately.
However, the way of doing so was troubling. If someone were to ask ‘How?’, she
couldn’t help but respond with a vague answer.
“It may get a bit noisy, but I’m very busy, so please try to understand.”
Ed brought over a pile of bricks that came out of seemingly nowhere and began to pile
them up.
Lortel nodded her head timidly as she glared at the wooden shelter, barely able to see
through the crack of the open door.
Wearing clothes that were completely messy and not straightened, Lucy—who was
laying down stuffing her mouth full of jerky—had fallen asleep... Her appearance
definitely suggested that she had no interest at all when it came to love, or the desire to
keep Ed to herself.
In the first place, it was clear that she had built up some sort of wall for those emotions...
Lortel started to wonder if she had just overreacted.
Anyway, Lucy was hard to understand from a normal person’s perspective, due to her
unpredictable actions. There was no harm in being too careful, but there was also no
need to overreact and tire herself out for no reason.
The relationship between Ed and Lucy was a matter between those two, and not for
someone like Lortel to intervene in. Even though they weren’t in a romantic relationship
yet, trying to restrain her partner’s actions seemed like a tiring move to make.
After some degree of self-reflection, Lortel nodded her head as she leaned back against
the wall of the cabin.
She wondered if she had become unnecessarily sensitive to those unfamiliar feelings.
Slowly, she started to enjoy her appearance, which was now quite different from the
norm.
She held her knees as she placed her chin on them, playing with her hair and taking
secret glances at Ed’s back as he carried the bricks.
She couldn’t help but let out a laugh like an idiot, though she didn’t want to ruin her
image of being an experienced and merciless merchant by showing off that side of
herself. She ducked her head.
Right then, Lortel’s mask was her most powerful weapon.
Either way, she currently believed that she didn’t need to be too sensitive about Ed’s
other relationships. She had more than enough time left.
◐◓◑◒
[ Newly Finished Product
Handmade Brick
A brick formed by pouring mud into a mold to keep its shape. After it is thoroughly
dried, Ignite magic is applied to burn it into a brick.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Succeeded in mastering a skill. Through the Dexterity Stat, the amount in which the
proficiency raises at once has increased. ]
[ Newly Finished Product
Brick Fireplace
A fireplace made by stacking together hand-made bricks. Because the joints were treated
with mud, it’s not sturdy. However, it appears to fulfill its role as a stove. If used indoors,
it appears necessary to attach a ventilation pipe.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●◐○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
Crackle, Crackle.
I was working on it the entire morning, but I still didn’t have enough time to make a
chimney. I had no choice but to make use of the afternoon or work late into the night to
do it.
Still, I was satisfied with the level of the finished product itself, which was a great feeling
that I hadn’t felt in a while. Just a bit more, and it wouldn’t be long until the day I could
move into the cabin fully.
I had a safe environment to live in. What a dream-like thing to say.
“Oh my. The smell is quite unique. Did you add basil?”
“Bell gave me some last time. You could figure it out just by smelling it?”
“I’m quite confident in my sense of smell.”
Lortel, who was humming a song. Yenika, who was glaring at her. And finally, me. The
three of us gathered around the fire as I finished preparing lunch.
It was a dish made from raw fish, cut into filets and then grilled on a grate with various
spices as seasoning.
As my cooking skill proficiency increased as time passed, as well as the fact that I was in
an environment where I could gather and use a variety of ingredients, it felt like the
types of food I could eat had risen quite a bit.
Well, it was still all food that came from the wild... But anyway, the taste had been
improving each day, which was a positive. Once I finished constructing the cabin, maybe
it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try and grow some small vegetables myself.
Taking a bite with a stick, it proved to be full of juice, which seeped into my mouth and
made it water.
“I haven’t seen any sort of significant movement this morning. I think things are
probably going as well as planned.”
Lortel covered her mouth with a modest movement as she chewed on her food and
continued speaking. Yenika seemed to be upset, as she was pouting without saying
anything.
“After coming this far, all that’s left is to wait it out for the results.”
“Alright. That’s a good thing, but don’t let your guard down.”
“Of course, Ed.”
Lortel smiled brightly as she spoke in a cheerful voice, which was unusual.
“Well, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done now. There’s lots of things to clean up
in the aftermath, and I also need to pay you back.”
“Twenty gold coins isn’t a big deal for your wallet though, is it?”
“No matter how small the amount is, it must be paid back thoroughly. After all, I’m a
merchant. Is there anything else you want, other than the cash? There is some remaining
inventory in the branch warehouse that I can allow you to have.”
“I’m not sure. I feel like you’ll take advantage of me by giving me goods instead of
money.”
“Oh my.”
Lortel twisted her reddish hair as she laughed aloud.
“I wouldn’t play a game to try and trick you. Why are you trying to make me sad?”
“Hmm... As for something that comes to my mind right now... Maybe construction
materials? ...No, I know what I want. How about leftover magically engineered goods?”
“Magically engineered goods?”
I had already finished deciding on what to choose for my production skill slot. Magic
Engineering and Spiritual Infusion.
Between those two, the Magic Engineering related skill required you to be exposed to as
many magically engineered products as possible if you wanted to increase your
proficiency. That was why it was a lot easier if you knew someone who could distribute
them.
“Doesn’t have to be practical. Just any cheap leftover items you have.”
“Hmm...
Lortel put her hand on her chin, seemingly lost in thought.
“You can let me know after you check your inventory.”
“No, I’ll think about it now. I’ve pretty much memorized everything already.”
“You’ve memorized all of that?”
“Watching and checking the inventory’s stock everyday, I can always memorize certain
items that don’t have much of a change.”
I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t something that I was seriously considering at the moment, but
Lortel was already considering my request more seriously and aggressively than I had
expected.
“But is there a reason for why you’re asking for cheap, unpopular items?”
“Well... It’s not going to be all that useful, and it would be ridiculous to ask for
something expensive, creating another debt or a burden.”
“Ahh~. If that’s the case, then... Just wait a moment as I try to find something...”
Lortel smiled as she stepped out of the way for a moment, falling into thought. I waited
for a minute or two... but after she sat there thinking for a while, I reached out to grab
some more food
“Come to think of it, Yenika—I would like to ask you for a favor.”
“Hhmng?”
Yenika, who was eating a piece of fish, trembled. Perhaps she was surprised by me
suddenly calling her name, or maybe she was just choking. I quickly handed her some
water.
“Puhaaaaa!”
“...”
“You have a favor to ask?”
I had been hesitant to bring it up, but after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that
there was no reason for me to be so worried.
“These days, I’m trying to learn more about spirit-type magic. I also want to try making
a contract with a low-ranking spirit. I was wondering if I could get some help with
that.”
“Yeah.”
Yenika twisted her braided hair, humming thoughtfully. Suddenly, she let out an ‘aha!’
and nodded her head.
“Thinking about it, Takan has been talking about you so much, Ed. His neck is still a bit
stiff after you cut it.”
“...”
“You don’t have to look like that, Ed. Takan may be a bit grumpy, but I still made it clear
to him. Because of the circumstances, you didn’t have a choice. I told him to quit being so
emotional, or I’d get mad!”
Picturing her getting mad, all I could picture is her just stamping her feet and puffing
her cheeks out. Of course, that wasn’t very trustworthy.
There was nothing good that came from being on bad terms with a high-ranking spirit,
but... He probably wouldn’t take his anger out on me, right?
“Takan still hasn’t fully recovered his strength yet. Still, I know that you were the one
who was able to block him while he was affected by Berserk... He’s grumbling a bit, but I
don’t think he has any hard feelings. Anyway, Ed. Your Spiritual Resonance must be
quite high.”
“I guess that’s right.”
That was the result of defeating not only Takan, but also all the other spirits that were
under Yenika’s control. I was sure that Yenika knew quite well that it was a situation that
I didn’t have another choice in.
In the first place, Yenika still seemed to hold a significant amount of guilt over what
happened, and she didn’t want to keep talking about it anymore.
“Then... Can you see it...?”
Yenika suddenly spoke, spreading her arms wide.
“...Huh?”
“Hmm... I guess your sensitivity to see spirits that haven’t been manifested yet is too
weak... Do you want to try grabbing my hand, Ed?”
“Your hand? All of a sudden?”
“...No, no. That’s not what I meant! It’s because there is something I want to show you.
That’s all!”
I didn’t really have any suspicions in the first place as I grabbed her hand.
“O-oh. Ed, y-your hand is bigger than I thought.”
“Your hand is just small.”
Saying that, I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them back up. I couldn’t help
but be startled.
“Fifty-three animals... that’s a bit less than usual...”
Rabbit, hawk, deer, tiger, eagle, puppy, sparrow... numerous animals, the number of which
was difficult to list, were all around us. Each of them had a different size and element
making up their body. It was an incredibly rare sight to see.
Sitting on Yenika’s shoulder was a sparrow made of wind. Wrapping around her right
arm was a baby boa constrictor. A puppy, who had dirt falling off its feet, was hanging
around her feet. There was a deer made of fire rubbing its face against Yenika’s cheek.
“Is it always like this?”
“Usually they are more spread out, but whenever I come into the northern forest they
always come here and gather like this. This snake, you can see it clearly, right? It hasn’t
been long since it changed into a low-ranking spirit from a fluid spirit.”
“How many spirits did you make a contract with in the first place?”
“Hm? I’m not sure... I haven’t made a contract with all of these guys here... Hm... There’s
one high-ranking spirit, six mid-ranking spirits, and as for low-ranking spirits... I haven’t
been counting each and every one of them. Though, I think it has definitely passed triple
digits.”
Reaching the lowest level of the Spiritual Resonance and Spiritual Understanding skills,
you get two spirit slots at most. Really, she was just a girl that was born loved by the
spirits. There are around fifteen spirits that I could see, but also considering the ones
that I still couldn’t detect, just how many are there?
“Anyway, if you’re interested in spiritual studies, I can teach you some things. But I feel
that I am much better in terms of the sensory aspects, rather than the theoretical
aspect... If it’s just simple magic theory, Ayla is much more knowledgeable than I am...
But even then, it’s still more important for you to develop your practical Elementalism
sense...”
Taylee’s companion Ayla was a bit uncertain when it came to fighting power, but she had
a deep knowledge of magic.
Just like the way areas of science and senses were different, Yenika was an Elementalist
type that is extremely developed in terms of senses.
If you wanted to learn spiritual studies, which had a thick barrier of entry, then it was
best to get help from another elementalist. In terms of spiritual studies, nobody had a
more developed level of sense than Yenika. At least within Sylvania.
“Anyway, seeing as how you’re already thinking about your first contract, you must have
quite a high level in terms of Spiritual Resonance. When I first met you, you were a
complete stranger to it all. You’ve grown up so fast, Ed. It seems like you have quite a bit
of talent.”
I’m sure Yenika knew why I was able to grow so fast... More than anything else, the
biggest reason was because I cut off Takan’s head.
“Other than that, I’d also like to get some help from you in terms of senses. There’s a
limit to how much I can do in a simple academic spiritual studies class.”
“Sure! Don’t worry about that!”
Yenika Faelover was someone who was hard to make a personal connection with on
purpose. Having such a reliable fellow student, I should have been benefiting from her.
Where else could I get one-on-one tutoring from an elementalist at that level? If I could
take advantage of it, then I needed to do as much as I could... but I didn’t think it was
right to say it like that.
Anyway, Yenika was helping me out of pure goodwill.
“Then, I’ll be Ed’s master!”
Yenika laughed before clearing her throat.
In order to act dignified, she put her arms on her hips and she cleared her throat, all
while huffing confidently. Though, rather than dignified, her expression and appearance
was more cute than anything else.
Still, I didn’t want to provoke Yenika—who was starting to feel better—unnecessarily, so
I clapped my hands while exclaiming, ‘Ohhhh!’
“Don’t worry! When it comes to spiritual magic, I’ll take responsibility and raise your
senses! I’ll make it so you can make a contract with a mid-ranking spirit in no time!”
Seeing her smile while clearing her throat, I inclined my head in gratitude.
“Then... I guess you’re having a hard time when it comes to communicating directly with
spirits?”
“Sometimes my voice seems to reach the lower-ranking spirits that I see, but I can’t
really hear what they are saying to me.”
“Really? Hm... Considering the level of magic you deal with, that shouldn’t be the case.
Your Spiritual Resonance and Mana Resonance have raised to a pretty decent level
already, no?”
“...Yeah they did.”
“Then... Are you sure that it’s not just that the spirits aren’t talking with you? Even if
you can’t hear them clearly, you should at least be able to hear the spirits vaguely...”
Yenika said that as she thrust her index finger at the sparrow sitting on her shoulder.
The cute sparrow quickly moved onto Yenika’s index finger.
“Charis! Will you try to talk to Ed?”
[Lady Yenika! This guy... because... can’t!]
Oh...! I really could hear it vaguely...!
As I started to focus on my senses with magic power, the voice started to become clear.
[In the first place, in order to hear what we are saying, he will need to raise his
resonance to a higher level!]
“Is that so? But I think Ed’s rate of growth is already quite fast.”
[Think about this man’s daily life! Just how much time would he have to train in magic!
You know it, too! At our weekly report meeting at your window in Dex Hall, room 203,
there were reports that he was running out of food in his storage and that he needed to
focus on the construction of the cabin immediately. So he didn’t have time to put his
mind to anything elseaughka—]
The flow of magic power began to twist as the sparrow-shaped spirit, once sitting on the
palm of her hand, disappeared in an instant.
“...Did you hear that?”
“Vaguely?”
Pure Silence.
“But what is this weekly report meeting?”
“Well, as you know, the northern forest is a place where a lot of spirits live. So, it’s like a
meeting to report on any major changes that occur, or something else they want to
report to me, so I can check in on the place? It’s also where they can report to me if they
feel uncomfortable with something. While it happens sometimes, just a little bit, news
about you may come up. Though it’s really not a whole lot. How should I say it...? They
just bring up you briefly, for the sake of manners...? It’s like the feeling of greeting a
neighbor that you met in passing?”
“...Is that so?”
It seemed that she was speaking in a weird, roundabout way. What was important right
then was ultimately my spirit-type magic training method.
“Anyway, I’ll regularly check on things like your Spiritual Resonance. I’m probably the
best within this academy when it comes to senses. In the first place, there aren’t many
people who have even developed spirit sense.”
“Alright. Thanks for that.”
In any case, with the help of a skilled elementalist, my spirit-type magic would improve
quickly in a short amount of time. It really was great that I could become friends with
her.
Though, I’m still thinking quite a bit about Magic Engineering.
“Oh, are you finished talking?”
Still grinning like always, Lortel entered the conversation.
“Yeah.”
“So, let’s finish discussing the magically engineered items. It seems that we have way
more left over than I thought, so I can provide you with more than enough.”
I was getting good news from this side, too.
“And most of the products are actually being treated as useless assets, since they have
either already expired or have not been sold for more than a certain period of time.”
“Oh. Then, can you sell it to me for the lowest price possible? You can calculate using the
twenty coins you promised me and take it from that.”
“Selling at a lower price? I’m quite upset hearing those words come from you. Anyway,
it’s not a huge amount of money, and they are practically just dead assets... So, even for
free...”
After saying that, Lortel shook her head for a moment, looking back and forth between
Yenika and me. Lortel looked at me with a puzzled expression, before smiling again with
that fox-like smile.
“Free... Having the title of a merchant, maybe that’s a bit too much for me, hm?”
“That’s fine. I already completely understand your position, anyway.”
“Still, I’ll sell it to you for the lowest price possible. Whenever there is a useless piece of
inventory, we can continue making business. However, since it involves the exchange of
money, we need to write a contract... Also, whenever I sell it to you, I need to write a
certificate of sale.”
“Do you usually go that far just for a contract of sale?”
“Well, it’s because we have a special compromise, that’s why. Because I’m giving it to you
for cheap? Hahaha. It’s just...”
Lortel smiled happily as she continued.
“Since you’ll have to renew the contract every time, you should visit the Elte Company’s
branch in the commercial district every so often. Well, since you’ll be going anyway, it’ll
be great for us to have a cup of tea and exchange stories with each other. Considering
the change in sales, the more frequent the contract the better, so how about once a
week... No, how about once every three days?”
“Well, since it’s a contract, I guess it can’t be helped but be a bit cumbersome. Don’t even
think about trying to take advantage of me.”
“Oh my, as I told you last time... The secret to Elte Company’s longevity is having a
conscience.”
It was really important that I have a place in which I could be provided with magically
engineer items safely.
I would just have to fix up the details when I went there later. It was not that I didn’t
know how to look at magically engineered items.
“But... isn’t it okay to give that much for free...?”
Suddenly, Yenika butted into the conversation.
“Ed helped you so much this time. If it’s an amount that won’t cause too much damage to
the books, then there’s no need to be so strict on the contract.”
Yenika spoke in a strangely stiff tone, and Lortel responded in a firm tone.
“I’m still a merchant. Even though he may be my savior, I can’t just give away items for
free. That is against my work ethic.”
“You’re lying! That’s just making excuses!”
“Excuses? What excuses?”
Blinking her eyes with an innocent expression on her face, Lortel looked at Yenika as if
she was a girl that didn’t know anything about the world.
Of course, there was no way Lortel would be such a girl.
In fact, there seemed to be room for further consideration in regards to negotiating the
price.
There was a high chance that, if Lortel was grilled about her involvement with the
Occupation of Ophelis Hall, I would have a more advantageous position in the contract.
That was quite a sharp point that Yenika realized. You couldn’t ignore Lortel’s heart,
which would do anything evil just to make a single coin more.
I sat around thinking for a while, considering how I should end the conversation.
“Oh my. I didn’t expect to see Lady Lortel here.”
Turning my head and looking into the forest, I saw the face of a familiar visitor.
“...Ms. Bell?”
“...What’s the matter?”
Seeing me, Lortel, and Yenika all sitting around the campfire, Bell suddenly pressed on
her temples and closed her eyes gently.
“No, I apologize. I feel like my head is already spinning, seeing all of you here.”
“...What?”
“This situation doesn’t seem to be very peaceful. I apologize for coming here so
suddenly.”
Lortel was the first person whose eyes went cold.
She didn’t want to see anyone related to Ophelis Hall. She didn’t want her location to be
discovered.
Though, actually, at that moment Lortel’s victory was pretty much guaranteed. It was
already time for the sale of the equipment to be finished. If Elte was trying to defeat
Lortel, he should have made it to the cabin by the night before.
Nevertheless, just in case something had happened, she was waiting to come out of the
cabin for a little longer. She wanted to be sure to enjoy the fireworks, she was just
waiting for concrete news of her victory.
Still, Bell’s uniform seemed to make Lortel feel uncomfortable.
Compared to her usual neat and tidy senior maid uniform, this one was fancier. It was the
outfit of the head maid. The fact that Bell had already taken over the position as the head
maid after Elris meant that the Ophelis Hall incident had finished up well, at least
according to the original timeline.
Bell arrived looking as elegant and peaceful as ever as she sat down carefully across from
the party.
“...I’m sorry that I have come to bring you some unfortunate news, but...”
And with her eyes closed... she continued to slowly talk.
I could already guess what Bell was going to say, so I looked away from her quietly.
Staring at the crackling bonfire, I threw in a few more pieces of firewood.
Chapter 42: Cat, Cat, Cat (3)
The assistant professor, Cleoh Elpin, had her head down on the desk in her private
laboratory. Her fluttering, wavy blond hair was spread out across the table as she
grabbed her glasses from where they sat beside her.
Most assistant professors—who would begin working as teachers after receiving a
degree in elemental studies—spent the first month enjoying the romance and beauty as
they walked around campus.
However, once they realized how much they needed to endure before becoming
successful professors with influence, they quickly changed their minds. They would then
desire to return back to their degree program, focusing on their studies.
The same was true for Cleoh, who was in her second semester as an assistant professor.
“I want to die...”
Cleoh was proud of her appearance—pale and baby smooth skin, with eyes that could
instantly captivate others. Despite her increasing age, she was quite protective of her
uniquely youthful beauty.
But when she looked up for a brief moment and saw herself in the mirror, she resembled
a walking corpse.
Despite the fact that she took good care of her skin every day in fear of having dry skin,
the dark circles under her eyes were gradually expanding. Soon, they would be big
enough that they would resemble two continents coming together.
“I want to die...!!!”
Even though she was yelling quietly, no one was listening.
Even if it was just a beginner course, there was still so much to do to prepare for it.
At the same time, she also has to pay attention to the academic growth of each student.
Then, in addition to that, over just one semester she had submitted more than six
research proposals to the Organization of Magicians. However, every single one of them
was rejected.
It would have been great if they had explained the reason for the rejection, but it seemed
like it was mostly due to their stance of not trusting rookie assistant professors.
In regards to her research, since she couldn’t proactively update the amount of data, the
sources she was able to include in her paper were limited.
Because of the lack of research results, the academy was starting to put pressure on her
as well.
In the meantime, she had to wonder just what was with the sheer number and types of
incidents that were occurring. Most of the post-processing work regarding those
incidents was left to Cleoh, the assistant professor.
“...”
She had fear trickling down her back. She worried that, at her current rate, she would
become a wrinkly old lady by the time she was a professor.
Cleoh used to be called a gifted child, having been sent to academy at an early age. Then,
at the young age of twenty, she had completed all of her advanced degree programs.
Later, she even received her own private laboratory as an assistant professor.
Other than a few honorary professors, she was the youngest person to achieve such a feat
within the academy. Nevertheless, her life was now like this.
She had thought that her life would have started blossoming, but instead she had no idea
that all of these difficult hardships would be waiting for her.
Knock, Knock
As she was moping pessimistically about her life, she suddenly heard a knock coming
from her door. Did her assistant come to give a report after checking the equipment for
the elemental studies class?
Whoosh!
Before Cleoh could tell them to enter, the door swung open as she looked up. She spotted
someone with a skull-like face.
“...Were you taking a break?”
It was the senior professor in charge of the first years, infamously known as ‘The
Mannerless Skull Face.’ He also happened to have been Cleoh’s advisor from the moment
she started her degree.
Cleoh had lived more than five years of her life as a student of the stubborn Professor
Glast. Having that type of history between them, seeing him here now there was
nothing to feel awkward about.
However, she had a bad feeling about this. It stemmed from him coming all the way up to
her lab.
“Oh, my. Professor Glast. What brings you to my laboratory? Would you like a cup of
coffee?”
“No. I’m fine, Cleoh. I’ll just talk about a bit of business, then head out.”
Cleoh felt a cold sweat running down the back of her neck, but continued to smile
without showing her unease.
“Wh-What reason...?”
“Did you receive the report on the accident at Ophelis Hall?”
“Yes.”
“The inspection department has finished their investigation regarding the truth behind
the incident. And the date of the disciplinary committee meeting to punish the one
behind the incident has been set. Though, the academy said there seems to currently be a
lack of members that are going to observe the meeting. At this rate, only the dean
himself will go.”
“I-I see. What about the third year senior professor, Olveig...?”
“For academic reasons, he will be going to the Organization of Magicians.”
“Professor Kelbraim...”
“He’s busy consulting the royal family of Kroel. I couldn’t interfere with his affairs with
the imperial family.”
“Oh! I heard that Professor Delphina has returned from her vacation!”
“She got hurt. She is currently experiencing back pain.”
‘What about yourself, Professor Glast?’ was what she wanted to ask, but she held it in.
She was sure that he would go off to research his Celestial Magic, making up some
ridiculous excuse.
“You can just read over the report regarding this case and make your own judgment.
Then, you can write your opinion on the given form and leave the rest of the simpler
paperwork to an assistant under you. But make sure to make the important decisions
yourself.”
“Professor Glast, I’m sorry. However, as it’s the beginning of the semester and I’m in
charge of the beginner course... I’ve been quite busy lately. And I also have more than
three research papers left that I need to write, so I’m already in a bit of a crisis...”
“I see. Then you’ll just have to sleep less.”
Nodding her head and accepting her fate, she watched Professor Glast drop the files on
the relevant materials before leaving the laboratory.
“...”
Cleoh opened up the files without a change in expression. Looking it over and checking
through it, it was a brief summary regarding the truth behind the occupation of Ophelis
Hall.
It was considered a ‘one man crime’ by Elris, the head maid of Ophelis Hall. She had
tried to persuade Shaney and Kelly, and negotiated with Willian to use Ophelis Hall as a
hostage to voice her dissatisfaction.
The primary motives behind the dissatisfaction came from the fact that, despite her
worsening health, she was still required to continue with the same amount of labor
intensive work.
Nobody expected her to cause such a large amount of damage, as she was viewed by
others as sincere with a good character.
In addition to that, Taylee, Ayla, and Elvira were also brought up. As were Ed, Yenika,
and Ziggs—who were listed as subject to further investigation—but... If the truth was
clear, then they would consider skipping any sort of additional investment into the
investigation.
There was no reason for Cleoh to think it was strange that Lortel’s name was not
brought up anywhere in the files.
Anyway, after looking through it all she got an estimate of just how much work there
was to take care of.
“What the...? This isn’t even all that much.”
Cleoh took off her high-grade glasses, holding them in her hand.
“Checking through the investigation proposal, submitting the academic opinion file,
determining if further investigation is necessary... Attending the committee, checking to
make sure there were no mistakes in the short hand report... Reporting it to the academic
management team and the dean’s office, then reporting back to Professor Glast. Basically,
as long as I report on it well and submit the collected data to the records room, I’ll be
done...!”
At the same time, shouldn’t she be doing both academic work and research work? Cleoh
folded her glasses as she put the stack on the desk and opened the window beside her,
shouting into the air.
“Even though I’m the youngest professor, I’m still only a human...!!! Someone save
me...!!!!”
“That’s right. I forgot to tell you, but several research projects have been rejected this
semester due to a lack of budget. They wanted you to go check and report on assets that
the academy can sell. You can just have your assistant do this—”
Suddenly, she looked back and found Professor Glast standing in the room.
Cleoh hiccupped as she turned her head. The skull-faced professor stood still, as if he
didn’t care.
“...I’m sorry.”
“Try to finish in a day or two. I don’t really care, but just make sure to take care of your
work.”
“Yes...”
Cleoh sat down as she lowered her head. She looked like someone who had already given
up on life.
◐◓◑◒
On the second night, the homing pigeon came flying back.
The proposal for the sale of equipment has been completed. Review of the proposal for the
dismissal of the head has been completed. Elte’s authority has nearly been fully revoked. His
removal is guaranteed. The situation is nearly complete. Please report your personal status.
The tiny parchment was full of compressed information. Despite it being so simple, it
was a note that was full of secrets and held a terrifying amount of power.
“If the situation has progressed this far, then my father should already be back at the
headquarters, fighting his last battle. Even though it’s a useless struggle... Anyway, at the
very least there’s no reason for him to pay attention to Sylvania anymore.”
“What’s the chance that Elte has something else hidden up his sleeve?”
“Well, since he is as cunning as me... It’s probably not zero. Though, I still don’t have a
choice but to trust in Slogg. He’s aiming for a position as the next head. Since I’m far
away from the action, there’s not much else I can do.”
The burning campfire drove away the darkness of the night. As it was now late, Yenika
had already left for the dorms.
Late summer... Or was it early fall?
The northern forest was on the border of starting to change its clothes. Some of the
broad-leaved trees in the outskirts had already begun to change their colors.
The sound of the bugs had reduced greatly compared to the middle of summer, and the
forest at night had become much quieter.
When it came to changing clothes, it wasn’t just the forest. It was the same for me, too.
“Isn’t it a bit too shabby, considering it’s a uniform that has been mended?”
“Well, I mean... This much is fine.”
“Hmm... Hmmm...”
There was nothing good that would come from me prolonging my absence any longer, so
I planned to go to my classes the next day. I went ahead and tried on my uniform, which
was thankfully pretty clean.
“Well, right now I’m safe... So that’s a relief.”
With a big smile, Lortel pulled at her robe’s hem and sat down.
“I have quite a lot of work to do right now. I guess it’s just deciding what to do first...”
“No matter how hard they work to restore Ophelis Hall, it will still take at least a
semester.”
“That’s true. I’ll have to check and see if there are any spaces left in the temporary
accommodations... Then I’ll have to clean up the rest of this incident... But most things
seemed to have ended quite well.”
“I heard that empty academic offices in the education district, as well as the closed
buildings in the southern part of the island, were quickly remodeled and turned into
temporary accommodations.”
“Though they had done so as nicely as possible, being an improvised accommodation
filled with students that are coming from Ophelis Hall... There’s no way they will be
satisfied. Though, I guess being in such a situation, there’s not really a choice but to
endure it.”
“Elris seemed to be of the biggest concern, but now it seems like that has all been
‘concluded’...”
“...”
I threw some more pieces of firewood into the campfire.
“Elris didn’t disclose the fact that you were the black curtain behind this incident, right?”
“There’s no way she would have. That’s because I... ‘paid in advance.’
“Paid in advance?”
“Think about it, Ed. The head maid Elris will be trying to stay closest to the side that
wins between Elte and me.”
Lortel took out a small piece of parchment. It was given to her by Bell Meiya, who had
visited after the incident was over.
The parchment was a list of orphanages that Elris had sponsored her entire life, the cost
of maintaining them for a year, and the method that she could use to sponsor them.
“Since my victory was already certain to a degree, she tried to rejoin my side. It’s just
that... It’s hard to regain trust, since it was already lost.”
Elris had already betrayed Lortel once before.
No matter how necessary it might be, would Lortel be able to trust her again?
Even if trust was given back out of necessity, it was likely to be disregarded the moment
the value of it disappears.
Nobody would trust a man who had already betrayed them before.
“Ms. Elris... she must already know that I wasn’t planning on trusting her. But as a
means to instill confidence in me, she tried to prove herself by keeping her mouth shut.
Well, from my point of view, I don’t want the fact that I am the black curtain behind the
entire occupation incident to be revealed. As such, I have no choice but to be on the same
side as her.”
Elris was also a tough person.
Even though her health was deteriorating, the academy never listened and the hard work
never ceased.
Eventually, she would not have been able to work and wouldn’t have been able to take
responsibility for the orphanages she was in charge of... In the end, she bet her whole life
on that plan.
The back door of Ophelis Hall on that rainy day.
I still remembered Shaney’s face, when she looked up at me with her bloodshot eyes.
At least those who followed Elris had some understanding of her situation and
psychological state.
“Do you have any ill feelings towards Elris? After all, she betrayed you.”
“Of course I’m very angry. If I meet her again, I won’t hesitate to slap her.”
“Even considering that, you look quite relieved.”
“Well, right now I’m fine. I’m just rather short on time.”
Staring across the fire looking at me, she put her chin in her hands and smiled like a fox.
“In the first place, I’m not a nice enough person to walk around with my heart wide open.
If necessary, I’ll even use someone who has stabbed me in the back before. After all, in
my world there’s no such thing as an eternal enemy or ally.”
“Alright. Then let’s not have a relationship where we hold grudges or hate each other.”
“Of course.”
Lortel laughed as she stood up from her seat, shaking off the ends of her skirt.
Now that her safety was guaranteed to a certain extent, it was time to get to work.
Even if Elte’s demise was set in stone, there was no way that a girl as greedy as Lortel
would give up on the Sage’s Seal. Since the scale of the incident had gone so far already, I
was sure that she would get her hands on the seal.
It was time for her to go back to her world, which revolved around business and her life
as a merchant.
Staying in camp and doing nothing all day except staring blankly at the campfire, or
laying down on the ground counting the stars that she could see in the sky through the
plentiful trees in the forest... Such a romantic, peaceful life was only a brief deviation for
her.
“I’ll get going, too. You’re going to come by the company’s local branch later this week
to sign the contract, right?”
“That’s right.”
I put down the bow I was holding, took out the poker that was in the campfire, and then
cast Ignite.
For the time being, it would be sustained to some extent by magic power and would take
on the role of a torch. The forest got dark at night, and without being familiar with the
geography such a light source was a necessity.
I went over to Lortel, who was getting ready to leave, and handed her the torch. Lortel
looked down, deep in thought, as she let out a ‘Hmm...
“...What are you thinking about?”
“No... It’s just that you’re taller than I thought.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“No matter how hard it may be, maybe I should do something a bit extreme to overtake
that girl...”
Suddenly, she started to mumble something that was hard to understand. I stuck out my
hand with the torch to try and send her on her way quickly.
But Lortel didn’t take the torch, and instead randomly began to talk about something
else.
“Did you know? Relationships are all about push and pull.”
“What?”
“It’s just like your tie. See how it’s all crooked?”
Lortel approached me with a smile as she grabbed my tie.
“You have to pull the back part of the knot like this, and push the front part like that, to
tie it nice and straight.”
“Either way, there isn’t anyone here looking, so why would I wear it so uncomfortably?”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with always being well behaved? We are students from
Sylvania, after all.”
Before I could say anything back, Lortel grabbed my tie with one hand and pulled on it
sharply.
To my surprise, my head was pulled forward. Lortel, thinking it was time, stood on her
tippy toes—
“...The raspberries we had for dinner were so good, right? Thinking of it again, it was
quite nice.”
“...”
“Oh my. I didn’t know you’d be so serious.”
“Watch the line.”
“You upset me...”
Only then did Lortel take the torch and take a few staggering steps back.
Ignoring the fact that she said she was upset, she covered up her smile with her hand. If
this girl had a tail, it would definitely be a fox’s.
“If you pull or push too much, you won’t be popular. Next time, I’m going to have you
pull me, Ed.”
She turned her body away from me, but still looked back with a smile as she added on.
“I’ll have to practice pushing, as well.”
And so, Lortel disappeared into the dark forest. The light from the torch gradually
moved further away, and even though it would shake once in a while or even fall to the
ground, she still wouldn’t lose her way.
I stood in the place that I said goodbye to Lortel as I wiped my face. I felt like I had been
hit hard in the back of the head with a hammer.
First, I needed to calm down and get a hold of myself.
I tried to avoid getting involved with the main storyline characters more than was
necessary. However, as expected, things didn’t go the way I wanted them to.
Above anything else, Elte’s demotion had been brought forward way earlier due to the
occupation of Ophelis Hall.
One of the main storylines—Act 2, Chapter 10’s “Battle for the Sage’s Seal”—was the
story in which Elte was supposed to be demoted.
In other words, as the story progressed there would be a big hole in the storyline.
However, since it was either Elte or Lortel who would have ended up taking their leave,
in the end there was no choice other than taking Lortel’s side. She had more of a role
within the main storyline... In the first place, I didn’t have a choice to make at all.
Anyway, Elte’s demotion was something that was bound to happen. I needed to try and
think of it as the story’s sequence being changed a bit, and that it wouldn’t have much of
a major impact on the storyline... But even as I considered that, I started to feel my
anxiety grow.
I’d already experienced it many times over. The fact was, even the smallest of influences
could have big changes on the progression of the story.
Theoretically, as long as I thought that everything was going smoothly, the major
progression of the story should have been about the same. However... I couldn’t be sure
of that anymore.
Looking up at the sky, the stars above were as beautiful as always, and the moon was
bright.
The chirping sound of bugs lingered as the crackling of the campfire remained the
same, but... I felt like the path the story was heading in would only continue to twist and
change.
Watching the storyline progress smoothly from the sidelines, while only taking action
when necessary, was my plan of action. That had never changed.
Nevertheless... I felt anxious, as if I was starting to get sucked into the center of the
story against my will. As I considered that, I couldn’t help but scrub at my face.
I wasn’t someone with ambitions. I just wanted to receive my diploma and take care of
my own specs.
That plan of action seemed all too simple... But it wasn’t all too far in the future that I
would start to realize how foolish and difficult of a challenge that was.
Summer had passed and autumn had arrived.
It was the start of the second semester.
Chapter 43: Anyone Can Be a Professor (1)
[The fire fox kissed Young Master Ed.]
It had already been more than three days since the second semester began. The classes
were slowly starting to progress along, like a sail that caught the wind.
For an honor student like Yenika, the progression of class was of little meaning to her.
So, under the pretense of an illness, she was absent for three days. And yet, she still had
no burdens in terms of classes.
Still, for writing-related subjects such as Magic History and Magic Power Theory, if she
didn’t pay attention her grades would be ruined in the blink of an eye. Because of that, it
was time for her to pick up the pen again. Nevertheless, having constant communication
with the spirits was also the main job of an Elementalist. It wasn’t something she could
neglect, so it was a busy time for her.
Leaving Dex Hall, which was across from the bottom of the right mountain and on the
outskirts of the commercial district, Yenika was sitting and leaning against a zelkova
tree. The spirits gathered around her, like usual.
For some reason, the number of spirits that crowded near the zelkova tree were quite
high that day. Both the mid-ranking wind spirit Peshi and the high-ranking fire spirit
Takan were gathered together, as if they were stationed at a military camp.
“...What did you say?”
[You can’t leave this alone, Lady Yenika.]
It had always been the case that they would report, one by one, on trivial things that
occurred in the northern forest. But recently, it felt like the stories the spirits brought up
regarding Ed had been increasing in number.
As for Yenika, she listened to those stories with a sense of unease, though she didn’t
particularly hate listening to them.
However, today’s breaking news as the spirits were chatting amongst themselves came
out of the blue.
[There’s no way to know when that fire fox-like girl will strike again. If we don’t get our
hands dirty...]
[What are you going to do with your hands?]
Charis, a low-ranking wind spirit in the shape of a sparrow, flapped her wings as she
vented her anger. Meanwhile Peshi, a spirit in the shape of a lion, kept responding to her
politely.
[This is something for Lady Yenika to decide. What can we do about it?]
“Wait a minute. What are you talking about? They kissed?”
Yenika, who could not follow along with the story, asked again. But this time Takan, who
was lying around the zelkova tree with his huge body, responded.
[I saw it, too. It was quite passionate. As expected, youth is great.]
[The fire fox-like woman knows how to play with a person’s heart. A game of push and
pull, to stimulate one’s ticklish heart... I was watching Ed, and if it weren’t for that guy
being the way he is, she would have gone overboard.]
“What are you even talking about?!”
[Are you going to make me repeat what I already said, Lady Yenika? I’m saying that I
think the fire fox has crossed the line.]
“What about Ed? What was his reaction?!”
[Oh, that’s a question that gets straight to the point. When I looked at him, it seemed
that he kept his distance. Even though he kissed her, his expression didn’t change one
bit... I was quite amazed by what I saw.]
As if to console the stunned Yenika, Takan continued to talk in his serious and profound
tone.
[He took it so coldly. Just watching it made me cringe. I couldn’t believe that his reaction
could still be so cold after all of that. It must be either one of the two things. The fallen
aristocrat was either a eunuch, or he doesn’t see her as a woman at all.]
“Th-That’s... A relief...”
Yenika tried to catch her breath, before she suddenly gulped it down. A relief. Just what
was a relief ? Was this really the time to catch her breath, saying it was a relief ?
[Takan, I think you are being too straightforward. As always.]
[Geez, why do you always gotta do this, Peshi? It would be worse for me to be
considerate, constantly changing my words around. It didn’t look like you were all that
relieved, Yenika. Well, it’s not exactly great that that fallen aristocrat is trying to
distance himself from that fire fox to such an extent.]
“...What?”
Takan was a high-ranking spirit, who had lived for such a long period of time that it
would be impossible to count by hand. Seeing all sorts of people throughout his life, he
could naturally see through anyone.
[In my experience, that fire fox-like girl is the type who gets more obsessed the more she
gets knocked down. Just as she seems to be a human full of greed... Once she decides to
make someone her own, she will take out their liver, gallbladder, and rest of their insides
all for herself. If you don’t do something, he’ll be taken away, Yenika.]
“But... But even then... You said that Ed’s reaction was cold...”
[Usually, guys like him are good at offense, but weak in defense. No matter how stubborn
of a person he may be, as long as she keeps pushing with all her heart then... What I’m
trying to say is that, ultimately, there’s no such thing as a fortress that won’t collapse.]
As Takan started to grow uncomfortable with the way he was laying down, he adjusted
himself. The low-ranking spirits around him were swept away. Whenever he would
change the position of his gigantic body, all the other spirits would have to keep their eye
out to not fly away.
[Like a princess in a fairytale, if you shyly sit around falling in love thinking ‘Someday
he’ll look after me~’, do you think that relationship can ever come about? Not in real life.
There’s a rule that you need to get filthy and fight dirty to win.]
[Takan, don’t you think your way of talking is too old and crude?]
[Did I say something wrong?]
[It’s not wrong, but... You could phrase it more nicely, you know.]
[Why should I have to change up the way I speak? That’s too frustrating. ]
Takan swung his tail as he moved his reptilian-like eyes towards Yenika.
Yenika had already turned pale from Peshi and Takan’s words.
[Anyway, Yenika. Don’t just sit around doing nothing. Start making some progress. I
heard that you agreed to teach him some spirit-type magic. There will be a reason for
you two to be alone for a while. Are you planning on wasting such a great opportunity?]
“E-Even so... I don’t know what to do...”
[What do you mean you don’t know.? Then next time you meet, you’ll have to start with
a kiss. Since you’re falling behind, it’s fine to get a little angry and impatient, Yenika.]
At that moment, as she started to let her image run wild, she opened her mouth and
leaned back against the zelkova tree again. She wasn’t exactly being interrogated, but she
still stepped back as if she was being pushed. Stuttering out she responded,
“Wh-why would you say something so shameful...?!”
[The fact is, that fire fox randomly kissed him out of the blue. That situation doesn’t
even make sense in the first place. Something like that has already happened, so are you
going to keep sitting down, smiling kindly?]
[Takan... Aren’t you asking too much from Yenika, who is so innocent? ]
[Well, wouldn’t it be a good thing if it all goes well? I’m not really fond of that fallen
aristocrat, but... Well, for a male he is pretty good. He seemed to be born with a calm
nature, and he was able to cut off my head while I was under the influence of Berserk...
And he gets along decently with Yenika, who is quite emotional.]
[Seriously... Please refrain from making those comments. It sounds like you’re trying to
find a groom for your granddaughter. ]
[Well, it can’t be helped, since I’m old.]
The pace of the story...
I can’t keep up with the pace of this story, is what Yenika thought as her thoughts grew
troubled.
Do... Do I really have to do something? But what am I supposed to do...?
For Yenika, who got overwhelmed just by holding his hand, kissing was in a realm far
away from hers.
If it were a situation where she needed to consider doing something more... she would
need to overcome the fear of something so massive and indescribable... The so-called
cosmic horror realm.
Perhaps seeing Yenika break into a cold sweat, the mid-ranking wind spirit Peshi added a
few words as well.
[Well, you don’t have to be so nervous about it, Lady Yenika. I don’t know about that
part Takan was so rudely referring to, but... I felt a strange sense of comfort in the way
young master Ed was treating you. Much different than how he treated that fire fox.]
“...Really?”
[Yes. I’m not just saying that. Certainly, if you look at it carefully, with sharp eyes... Ed
seemed somewhat comfortable when dealing with you alone. With the other first year
students, it felt like he was drawing some type of psychological line. However, it seems
that he hasn’t done the same with you.]
The detailed Peshi knew about that difference intuitively, but he couldn’t manage to
describe what that feeling actually was.
Ed’s light and comfortable behavior when dealing with Yenika was only because she was
someone that was no longer a part of the main storyline.
Unfortunately, nobody there realized just how powerful of an advantage that was. In the
first place, there was no way for them to realize that.
[That’s why you don’t have to be in such a rush, Lady Yenika. After all, you are most
charming when you are being yourself.]
“...Is that so? Really? E-Even though Lortel is so aggressive, you’re sure Ed won’t
budge...?”
[...]
“Why?! Why didn’t you answer?! Why?!”
Peshi knew that there was no way to know what the result of hastily agreeing with her
would be. Peshi couldn’t give her any more insurance than that.
Unfortunately, that would only raise Yenika’s level of anxiety.
[Ehhhh! You guys are all so frustrating.]
Yenika was fiddling with her hair, deep in thought about what to do. Peshi was
awkwardly scratching his back on the tree trunk.
Can’t we just drop the subject already? Even though it may be an old-fashioned way of thinking,
it was still correct.
While having such a fleeting thought, Takan kept his mouth shut—as if to say, ‘There’s
nothing more to say.’
[Come to think of it, I sensed a strange flow of magic power coming from the outer part
of the northern forest. We should check it out when there’s time. ]
That’s right, the reason that all the spirits and Yenika had gathered and were reporting
regularly was to make sure there were no abnormalities or difficulties in regards to the
spirits.
Recently, news of the fallen aristocrat seemed to have changed the focus from that.
However, Takan brought them back on topic.
“Hm?”
[It seems to be a magic circle related to Celestial magic, as it’s only active at night.
Merilda is figuring out the exact location. If you haven’t been seeing much of her these
days, it’s because of that.]
“Does it seem dangerous?”
[Well... It doesn’t look particularly dangerous, but there’s nothing wrong with taking a
look.]
Although Yenika was just a student, who didn’t have to take any sort of responsibility to
the safety of the academy, the events taking place in the northern forest weren’t
something that she could ignore as an elementalist.
She had to stay at the academy for at least another two more years, until she was a fourth
year. As such, she can’t afford to fail to pay attention to the northern forest, which is the
home to all of the spirits.
[I’ll explain the details later. Next time you meet that fallen aristocrat, you must produce
some plan—like giving him a kiss or something. Otherwise, you should just give up on
him. Something like that.]
At that moment, Yenika began to blush beet red as she kicked Takan. Though her
lashing out at him in embarrassment like that didn’t even hurt Takan’s body.
Yenika knew it as well, but she had to do something, even though it might not work.
[In the first place, what do you want her to do, Takan? If the fire fox girl has already
gone so far, there’s nothing left to do. If she finally kisses him now, then she will just be
considered a latecomer.]
[That’s quite a sharp point, Peshi. Even though I told you to go ahead and do something
like that, it doesn’t necessarily have to be anything as intense as what she did. Rather, it
wouldn’t even be a bad idea to bring out a more innocent and refreshing appearance
instead. Anyway, this is a situation where you need to make some type of move...]
[Oh...]
For Takan, who was quite stubborn and stereotypical in the way he thought, it was a
pretty good point. Even Peshi had to agree. Your charm is more important than your
actions.
[But Yenika... Try thinking it over. What do you think...? What do you envision,
thinking of a scene or exciting situation, being with him...?]
He knew that it would be hard to get a plausible answer out of Yenika, as she was
already overloaded, but he couldn’t help but ask.
What was Yenika’s picture of romance like? It was really important to confirm the point,
for the sake of her future progression. It was something that required more courage than
you would think, as it was embarrassing to reveal one’s own fantasies.
However, it was something that had to be clearly decided on. Yenika, who was at her
limit, leaned against the trunk of the zelkova tree... Difficulty ended up forcing out an
answer.
“...A scene where we feed each other...”
[...]
[...]
In the first place, that was just the type of person their master was.
Realizing that fact again, both Takan and Peshi had no choice but to let out deep sighs.
◐◓◑◒
“Okay... Ahh~. Say Ahh~.”
“Ahh~.”
I blew on the soup before putting it into Lucy’s Mouth. The small spoon fit perfectly
inside her small mouth.
Lucy ate the soup as if she were a baby bird eating its food... She swallowed it in a gulp,
then stuck out her tongue.
“Eughk-! Gross-!”
“As expected, it’s hard to get any sort of flavor without having a variety of spices.
Should I hold off on enhancing my cooking skills until I can expand the ingredients I
have to work with?”
“Don’t use other people like tasting machines.”
Even as Lucy jabbed at my waist with her foot, I didn’t take notice and poured the
remaining soup back into the pot.
Despite her nonchalant facade, Lucy had a discerning palate.
Being subjected to all sorts of health diets, she’s prone to falling for stimulating foods
that are spicy, salty, and sweet. However, it was hard to make a variety of dishes with
stronger flavors with just the preserved foods I had in storage.
Yet, if I wish to genuinely improve my cooking skills, I need to routinely cook regular
meals, not just prepare preserved foods that pique the palate.
However, I felt like my palate had deteriorated quite a bit since I started living out in the
wild. I couldn’t help but ask other people, who had better palates, to taste test for me.
Still, considering the impact of the Cooking Skill’s proficiency on the Dexterity stat, I
couldn’t simply neglect it... However, no matter how diverse the ingredients I had
available might be, it always seemed to be lacking.
◐◓◑◒
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Lvl 14
Design Lvl 9
Collecting Skills Lvl 12
Woodworking Lvl 13
Hunting Lvl 10
Fishing Lvl 7
Cooking Lvl 6
Repairing Lvl 5
<Advanced Production Technique Slot: Empty>
<Advanced Production Technique Slot: Empty> ]
After finishing chopping up the firewood for the day and sweating up a storm, I went to
check on my Life Skills.
I tried to check on my Production Skills as much as possible as well, since it was an
important groundwork towards my growth. A new problem that had come up recently
was the gap between the proficiency of my skills.
As I said, the higher the skill’s proficiency was, the slower rate of growth. The Dexterity
Stat, which I had the highest number of stats in, was heavily connected to my Life Skills
proficiencies. That’s why the growth rate of my Dexterity Stat had inevitably slowed
down.
That was why it was necessary to raise my lower-proficiency skills as much as possible.
After all, compared to my other skills, its growth rate was still okay.
I felt like I was going to need to start raising my beginner production skills, which I
hadn’t done yet, as well as training the other skills that were lagging behind—such as
cooking and repairing... The problem was, I was too busy just trying to get by with my
life as it was.
I wanted to spend some of the money I was promised from Lortel on things like
ingredients and daily necessities, but... I didn’t want to waste any money on consumables
when the production of my cabin wasn’t even complete.
“As expected... There isn’t enough time...”
To make matters even worse, classes had started. I could only spend about five or six
hours a day on survival activities. But that was only possible if I actually fell asleep when
I was tired.
It was time for me to think more on how to efficiently manage my survival activities.
“As for the storyline... It’s probably still fine.”
The worst thing that had happened so far was Elte’s early dismissal. I still wasn’t sure of
the cause, but at least the problem was somehow taken care of.
I didn’t know what type of effect this incident would cause, but for the moment there
didn’t seem to be any noticeable changes.
Whenever I had the chance, I was making sure to keep a close eye on the main characters
of the story. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any problems with them.
In the end, the most important characters in the main timeline were the protagonist and
the four heroines.
Taylee was... Well, he was part of the combat department, so I didn’t see him too often.
However, the rumors suggested that he was no longer considered a failing student. With
his current talent and spirit, he might even be able to enter Class B by third year.
‘Companion Ayla’ seemed to be doing her role of supporting Taylee. When I asked
around about her, it seemed that she was always sticking close to Taylee, worrying and
supporting him.
‘The Princess of Benevolence Penia’ also seemed to be doing well, without any problems.
Though, it was almost time for her to start her clash with Lortel. I needed to keep an eye
out for that.
‘The Golden Daughter Lortel’ was the most unstable situation, as I didn’t know what
type of changes would occur due to Elte’s early dismissal. Apart from that, there didn’t
seem to be a change in her plan. She was still trying to take control of the Sage’s Seal.
As she had to take the role of Act 2, Chapter 10’s mid boss, I had no choice but to pray
that there would be no major abnormalities in regards to her.
As for Clarice... She wouldn’t be starting at the academy until next year, so I didn’t have
to worry about that. For the time being, I had no choice but to watch the situation as if I
were walking on thin ice.
Above all else, against Glast—the final boss of Act 2—Taylee’s Swordsmanship skill was
needed. That was the only way he would be able to be damaged. In the first place,
Celestial magic had a unique structure, so it was hard to control with magic power alone.
Taylee’s influence was important, but the behavior of the faculty was also that
important.
“I’ll have to set a date and time to check them out. But... I need to make sure to not get
involved more than necessary.”
Anyway, the work that I had to do immediately was to check the traps and dress the
meat. I stretched my shoulders as I walked into the woods.
With the cabin’s chimney completed, I would be able to live a stable life. Let’s cheer up...
◐◓◑◒
“I have gathered all the records of the case here, Assistant Professor Cleoh.”
“Thank you, Anise.”
One of the biggest difficulties for a first-year assistant professor was trying to find an
assistant that would work for you.
Only a few students would actually want to be assigned a new professor as a supervisor,
so compared to veteran professors, there wasn’t a lot of willing manpower.
For Cleoh, Anise was a student that she was grateful for. She had a gentle personality, a
neat way of taking care of things, and was a model student who didn’t judge a professor
by their experience, respecting them all equally.
“There wasn’t anything else from the academy’s inspection department?”
“Yes, that’s correct. If you need anything else, please feel free to call me any time.”
With a bright smile, she waved to Anise as she took her leave. Anyway, Assistant
Professor Cleoh was also a professor, so she had to maintain at least some level of
respect towards her.
Though in fact, Cleoh was often perceived as a close sister rather than a dignified
professor. But with that said, there was no way for her to actually be that close to a
student.
“Haah...”
Cleoh dropped her head on top of the piles of paper again. There were more files than
she had expected regarding the Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident. She read through
them carefully, but she still couldn’t get rid of that uneasy feeling.
From the perspective of being the youngest professor, who was in charge of all sorts of
chores, she thought about doing things half-heartedly... Though at the end of the day,
some part of her had an uneasy suspicion that kept on bothering her.
For some reason, it didn’t feel like everything had been completely figured out. Checking
Elris’ records, sorting out the incident by time, and then checking the witness
testimonies... The story itself came together well, but why did it still feel like some piece
of the puzzle was missing?
“In the first place, just how much do I need to worry about coming to a proper
conclusion...? I’m so tired that I feel like I’m going to die...”
It was just a regular chore that Professor Glast had left behind, so why couldn’t she just
finish it up roughly, report back to Professor Glast, and be done with it.
She kept on thinking about it, but in the end Cleoh had a personality where she couldn’t
finish things half-heartedly.
“Hmmm... Hmm...”
She kept looking at the files while worrying about that sense of discomfort. It was like
she could feel the presence of a black curtain that hadn’t been revealed yet... Was that
just an overreaction? Did she read too many novels full of conspiracy theories?
Even then... If she felt that something was off, it was still better to solve it to the end.
Cleoh thought it would be best to meet with the ‘Additional Investigation Subjects’ listed
in the file and hear their side of the story. Ed, Yenika, and Ziggs.
She wondered if there really was a black curtain behind this entire incident, but... there
was no harm in being extra careful.
“Yenika and Ziggs are quite famous, so I get that. But Ed... Ed... I feel like I’ve heard that
name often before...”
Then she remembered his full name, the one that he was no longer referred to by. Ed
Rothstaylor.
A descendant of the Rothstaylor family, who was now an excommunicated fallen
aristocrat.
“...”
Cleoh quietly looked down at the files, stroking her chin. Though she couldn’t see it... It
felt like... The bottom of the iceberg was right there.
Chapter 44: Anyone Can Be a Professor (2)
“Oh my! I’m so sorry, Ed.”
The morning of the second day, I went out to the commercial district for the weekend.
Cutting through the crowded commercial district to the southwest, I went all the way
over to Mexes Bridge. It was one of the two bridges that led outside Acken Island. It felt
like I had walked nearly two hours to get there.
When I entered Elte Company’s Sylvania Branch—which could be clearly seen after
passing over the bridge—the staff led me to a sitting room, as if they had been waiting
for me. It was uncomfortable to see them act so oddly polite towards me.
Lortel, who was sitting quietly in the room waiting for me, apologized and explained
that she had forgotten to prepare the contract that she promised.
“Even though I made a promise to you and made you come all the way out here, these
days I’ve just been so busy that I didn’t have time to prepare it.”
“...I see.”
“Yes. I’m really sorry. Maybe it would be a better idea to come back sometime next week,
instead. Though as an apology, I prepared some tea and other refreshments for you. Also,
there were a few magically engineered items that were left off the ledger. On your way
out, please pick them up at the counter.”
Lortel was acting very differently from her time at the education district.
Instead of her usual school uniform and robe, she was now wearing a long, flared skirt, a
white blouse, and a beret with a fancy golden frame.
When I caught up with her after the last incident, the only looks I’d seen of hers were
drenched wet from the rain and her wearing that tattered robe. It was quite a new look
from what I’d seen before.
It was too luxurious to be considered a casual outfit, so I asked her if she had some sort
of appointment to attend to.
“I have a very important appointment later today, so I dressed up. How do I look?”
She asked this with a bright smile.
“An important appointment?”
“Something like that.”
Perhaps she didn’t want to answer, as she responded with a smile instead. I nodded my
head in response.
I sat in the seat across from her in that luxurious room as I brought up my main
question.
“I’d like to ask you about something. Do you also happen to deal with furniture?”
“Of course.”
“I’d like to buy some cheap but decent furniture, but all the products here at the branch
are a bit too high class. Could you perhaps prepare something like a simple desk, chair, or
cabinet? Something that would be good enough for me?”
“Oh! Since you’re asking for that, you must have finished the cabin.”
“It’s almost done. I just need to finish the details and it will be complete.”
“Hmm... As you know, here there is quite a high demand for products that are of an
aristocrat’s level. That’s why products that tend to focus on practicality and a cheap price
aren’t ordered. I should be able to arrange it myself, but it might take a bit of time.”
Lortel put her hand on her chin as she fell into a deep thought. Suddenly, she started to
grin.
“It would be a bit of an issue if I were to give something away for free. As I told you
before, giving away something for free wouldn’t be right, considering the ethics that
come with being a merchant. Plus, all the other merchants would end up looking down
on me.”
“Well, there’s nothing that can be done about that.”
“Well, there is somewhat of an intuitive method to get around that.”
Lortel stood up from the sofa in the room and walked over to her work desk. Then, as
she gathered magic power into her hands...
Crack!
“Woodworking is your specialty, right? If you reconnect the leg that broke off, you can
use it again. For me, it’s already trash. As such, I have no use for it any longer.
Tomorrow, I’ll just have to throw it out.”
It was a chair engraved with a fancy deer pattern and an eye catching, luxurious gold
frame.
“How much was that chair?”
“That’s a secret.”
I didn’t know if it could be called passion, or if she just got caught up in the momentum.
Either way, she was a girl that was full of spirit, who did what she wanted.
Lortel’s gaze left the chair as it began to move to the cabinets, windows, and so on. I
couldn’t even carry it all in the first place, so I tried to stop her.
“Well, I’ll send you these trivial pieces of ‘trash’ later.”
“Okay.”
“Anyway, there is something that I wanted to say to you.”
Lortel returned to the sofa and sat down, taking a sip of tea from her cup. It looked like
she was trying to act elegant, but when compared to the way she had just smashed that
chair, the gap was only growing.
“Do you know the assistant professor, Cleoh? Cleoh Elpin?”
“Hm? Yeah.”
“Her behavior is quite unusual... So, I’ve been trying to keep my eye on her recently. Well,
she’s still a very childlike person, so it’s probably not particularly dangerous... But still...”
Cleoh Elpin.
She was a young woman appointed as an assistant professor for that very year. She was
also one of Professor Glast’s best students, who had been dealing with him for nearly ten
years.
From what I recalled, she appeared in the final chapter of Act 2 as the second phase boss
in the Glast Subjugation... It was about time for her to start showing up in the storyline.
“why?”
“It’s just... She’s strangely intuitive and happens to oversee the academy’s report on the
occupation of Ophelis Hall. Well, I’ll take care of it myself, so you don’t have to worry
about it... I just thought I should tell you.”
“Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”
After responding, I took a sip of the tea. Lortel looked at me strangely.
I looked back at her, wondering if she had anything else to say. Lortel cleared her throat,
stood up, and then began walking towards me.
Sitting down on the table, she leaned her head towards me.
“How do you manage to never change your expression? That’s quite a winning move on
its own.”
Seeing that she clearly looked upset, I immediately realized what it was about.
It was about what had happened when we said goodbye to each other... Right before she
took the torch.
“In the first place, Ed... You don’t even see me as a woman, do you?”
Lortel bounced her foot as she twirled her finger on the table.
“Well, what’s the point of me trying to twist my words? Ed, I see you as a man. It’s
exactly as you think. Everything that I asked of you was because of my hidden
intentions.”
“...I know what you want me to say, but...”
“Oh, I didn’t expect you to answer. As you know, I never take a fight that I don’t have a
high chance of winning.”
Lortel let out a deep sigh as she pressed her hand against my chest.
“I know exactly what you would say if you were to give me an answer now. That’s why
I’ll only take a bet when my victory is guaranteed.”
“...”
“After all, merchants are people that fight to win. Right now, you may feel lukewarm
about it all, but... Who knows what will happen in the future?”
Lortel smiled as she talked in a collected manner.
“I’m not the only one here who’s a bit nervous, am I?”
If you looked closely, you could see Lortel’s fingertips trembling.
Her charming smile was the same as always. Regardless of whether she was guaranteed
victory, or instead pushed into a corner. It was the characteristic of a merchant who
would never let their secrets be betrayed by their own body.
◐◓◑◒
[ You have acquired the advanced production skill ‘Magic Engineering.’ One Advanced
Production Technique Slot has been used. ]
There was a marble that would fit in the palm of my hand, as well as a stand to hold it
up. The structure of these magically engineered items was much simpler than I thought,
so I could analyze them quickly.
The strange sense of accomplishment that came from finally learning an advanced skill
tickled my heart.
I thought it would be a good idea to organize the rest of the magically engineered items
in the hut, so I walked through the camp full of items.
After the sun went down, a chill started to fill in the air. It was autumn.
When I started living in the forest, it was still only early spring. Because of that, I had
put aside taking measures against the cold and instead focused on securing food,
clothing, and shelter.
However, with the colors of the leaves beginning to change, the chill in the air was
something I couldn’t ignore.
“Hmm...”
The time had come that I really couldn’t sleep outdoors any longer.
In addition to that, when winter came and the snow started to pile up, it would become
increasingly more difficult to hunt animals and gather meat in the forest. Plus, the
number of edible plants that were available also became a problem, meaning that finding
food that I could eat would be a major problem.
I had to prepare for winter.
A cozy atmosphere coming from the falling snow... The warm romance that I usually
associated with winter was beautiful only because it took place in a sturdy home, with
food in the refrigerator. That wasn’t the case where I was.
Still, my situation wasn’t all that desperate. That was because I had money.
“Eighteen... Nineteen... Twenty.”
I opened the leather bag that Lortel handed me. It was filled with twenty shiny gold
coins.
If I were ever pushed to such extremes, I could always spend a bit of money. However, I
couldn’t waste it. I needed to set a policy to minimize expenditure on one-time use goods.
For the current semester, I could survive off the scholarship provided by the Glockt
Scholarship Foundation. However, from next semester... I didn’t know what would
happen. I needed to spend my money effectively to be able to pay the tuition fees each
semester.
It was obvious that Lortel liked me. However, relying on her goodwill because of that
fact would be too unsafe of a plan. Even if something were to happen between us, it
would have to happen after the storyline was complete. It would be impossible for it to
happen before then.
It would be a bad idea to try to calculate and take advantage of other people’s goodwill...
I wasn’t just saying that because it was the right thing to do, either.
If I got too close to a main character in the storyline, then it would break my policy. But
if I was willing to give up on that policy... Well, a human’s mind was like a reed, so you
never knew when it would easily change.
Being self-sufficient was the core of survival. It would be an extremely dangerous
decision to give up control of my own life to temporarily rely on another’s goodwill. No
matter what anyone said, I had to take responsibility for my own life.
Though, I was willing to spend some money on reinforcing the cabin and preparing
some decent woodworking tools.
That was because they were items that I needed to keep using in the future and would
help me improve my daily life skills immediately.
But I couldn’t spend too much money on food or firewood. Maybe it would be fine to
spend some money on spices and oil, but I could never spend any money on items that
could be procured from the forest.
“Ignite.”
Casting Ignite to light the fireplace had become as easy as breathing.
Fwoosh.
The fire burned in the decently made fireplace, and the smoke went up the chimney that
took two days to complete. The fireplace itself was also larger than I thought, as it took
up almost two thirds of the wall.
The reason that it ended up bigger than my original design was to make a bigger fire...
In other words, it was to increase the firepower. Though it was more like a fire oven
rather than a fireplace at that point.
The firewood itself could be procured easily, so I made the choice to focus on firepower
first... Thanks to that, the chimney also had to be bigger to release the smoke. It was all a
pain in the ass.
Crackle, Crackle.
The sound of burning firewood echoed faintly inside the cabin.
It wasn’t even early evening yet, but the inside of the cabin was already very dark. The
warm light from the fire filled the inside. It was quite bright and made me feel good.
I stared blankly at the burning flames for about five minutes, before sitting down and
leaning against the cabin wall.
“Phew...”
Sitting down against the wall, I let out a deep sigh before laughing. I felt satisfied.
The idea of ‘warming up’ while doing outdoor camp related activities was nearly
impossible.
Warmth wasn’t something that I had particularly sought, but once I laid down it had
become something that I had gotten addicted to. It made me move closer to the fire.
I have a roof and a ceiling. The walls and roof were covered with mud, and the floor was
covered in leather.
Both materials retained heat well, so once they started to heat up, they wouldn’t get cold
again easily. Once the air was heated, that warm feeling would spread throughout the
cabin.
The problem was that the fuel efficiency was not as good as I had thought it would be...
There seemed to be no other solution than to spend more time gathering firewood. If I
didn’t have enough time, I wouldn’t have any choice but to use magic to cut down the
trees. It wasn’t too hard to start a fire since I can just use ‘Ignite’, so I didn’t think it was
all that much of a pain.
As expected... I thought there needed to be some way to increase my magic power
efficiency.
I still had to prepare more firewood, but I was finally moving into the cabin. Once I got
some furniture, my safe living environment would finally be complete.
The warm air pressed against the side of my face.
It felt like heaven. I was so relieved, as if I had lifted a heavy burden off my chest.
“...How long has it been already? I should go and check the traps.”
I had recently begun installing not just traps for small animals, but also ones for larger
animals. I really hoped there would be a good harvest.
◐◓◑◒
“If that’s what you think, it may very well be true.”
Assistant Professor Cleoh presented her opinion that there still seemed to be something
missing regarding the Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident.
With that said, Professor Glast neither confirmed nor denied the possibility. Though, he
didn’t seem to have much interest in the first place.
“Assistant Professor Cleoh, strangely enough you have a really good sense of intuition.
Sometimes, you even produce very plausible hypotheses with it. However, you also tend
to make poor decisions when it comes to important things. With that said, please refrain
from being overconfident in your judgment when time is crucial.”
“The way he said that was too much. Right? Hm?”
“...”
Trix Hall Student Counseling Office
With a desk between them, Assistant Professor Cleoh and Ziggs Eiffelstein were facing
each other.
“I-I see.”
“Listen to me, Ziggs. You should also know, as you take Professor Glast’s class, but why
does he always have to act like that? I’ve been his pupil for nearly ten years already, and
I’m struggling with a mountain load of work, but still! Is giving just one or two words
of encouragement that difficult?”
Responding carefully to her questions, Ziggs was sweating up a storm.
Cleoh, who was the faculty member in charge of the Occupation of Ophelis Hall
investigation, had a strange feeling while reading the files regarding it. Thus, she decided
to conduct a further, independent, investigation.
The academy’s investigation office had not yet thought to place Ed, Ziggs, and Yenika
under investigation.
The first one up was Ziggs, who was called to Trix Hall. But rather than a hearing or
investigation, it ended up becoming more of a lament.
At first, it was a conversation between the two. They spoke with a sense of dignity, but
at some point, she started speaking informally and letting out deep sighs.
It was obvious that, if her assistant Anise or the other students responsible for helping
her saw that scene, they would only cover their faces in disappointment as they let out a
deep sigh.
“Oh geez, this is not the time to be doing this. Ziggs, since you have a reliable image, I
just ended up complaining to you without realizing it.”
“I-I’m flattered to hear that.”
“So, I have this strange feeling about everything. Right now, it’s probably just that I’m
just misunderstanding it all... But there were a couple of eyewitness testimonies that
claimed that they had seen the Golden King Elte at the scene... Plus, the motivation
behind Elris’ actions doesn’t seem to hold up. Well, she did admit to everything, so it
seems like there isn’t much room for any further investigation...”
Ziggs gulped, his mouth drying out. Assistant Professor Cleoh was a seemingly childish
idiot.
He wondered if people like that should really be teachers in the first place.
He realized that the amount of academic knowledge someone had, and their ability to
think logically, were completely different things.
The results from her thesis and academic research were certainly amazing, but... She
seemed to have a screw loose that made him wonder if it was even okay for her to be like
that.
However, there were many times where her strange sense of intuition seemed to see
through everything.
“Don’t you think there might be some kind of black curtain that we can’t see behind it
all?”
“F-For Example?”
“Hm... Let’s see... Like, you know the Golden King Elte... His daughter lives in Ophelis
Hall. I mean Lortel.”
Those words made Ziggs’ breath catch.
“However, I’ve already received testimonies that Lortel was being held captive by Elris
when Taylee and his party went to defeat her. At least, I think so? Anyway, after that she
supposedly ran from Ophelis Hall, and her whereabouts from there were... Well, nobody
knows where she went.”
“Th-That’s...”
“But there’s no way that Lortel would be such a bad girl! Her grades are good, and her
personality is so pleasant! Last time, she brought me a whole bunch of tarts to cheer me
up since I was working overtime.”
“...”
Assistant Professor Cleoh said all of that while smiling brightly. Then, she quietly
lowered her voice as she continued to talk.
“I believe that Ed Rothstaylor is a bit suspicious, though. The one that has been
excommunicated.”
It was weird to see her whispering quietly like that, as if anyone would be listening. In
the first place, only Ziggs and Cleoh were there.
The name was so unexpected that Ziggs’ expression turned rather stiff.
“My senior, Ed?”
“Yeah. It may just sound like some conspiracy, but hear me out, Ziggs.”
In the first place, Ziggs was only called over for questioning. Why did he have to listen
to such a story?
It was such a strange thing for the assistant professor to do, but Ziggs couldn’t reject
her.
“Everyone else at the scene were either students living in Ophelis Hall or people that
were involved with it. Basically, people that had no choice but to get caught up in the
whole incident. But Taylee and Ed were the only two involved that had no connection
with Ophelis Hall. It was clear that Taylee was brought along because of Elvira, and he
was also part of the party that helped solve the issue, so he should be excluded from the
list of suspects. But the other person is Ed. Just what was Ed doing at Ophelis Hall at
that time?”
“...”
“That’s because Ed was the black curtain behind this whole incident! They always say
that the criminal goes back to the scene of the crime!”
Seeing her make a ‘Ta-Da’ sound effect with her mouth, acting as if she was proud of
her deduction, made it clear that she was just a child-like idiot.
“Th-then wouldn’t there be some sort of reason behind his actions? Wouldn’t there need
to be some sort of benefit for Ed for him to do such a thing?”
“I’m going to figure that out! I’m going to go ask Ed himself !”
“Identifying the culprit, then figuring out their motive and method... Isn’t the order
usually the opposite?”
“One method to find the answer is to take a look at it in the opposite direction, Ziggs.”
Cleoh’s gut feeling was lasting for more than just a day or two. Thus, Ziggs started to
worry that Ed might get caught up in all that trouble soon.
“Well, Ziggs. You don’t look all that suspicious, and you also don’t know much about the
situation, so I’ll just let you go.”
“Then, are you going to go and call Ed to Trix Hall for further investigation?”
“No. If he has time to prepare a bunch of excuses, he will just slip away like an eel.
That’s why I’m going to hit him from the side.”
That meant that Ziggs’ plan to give Ed an early warning went down the drain.
“I don’t know where he’s gone off to live since leaving the dormitory... Though, he’s
apparently been seen around the northern forest quite a bit. I’ll head over there and
question him myself.”
◐◓◑◒
If you decided to take action, you needed to do it with momentum. That was Cleoh’s
policy.
She was busy writing out research proposals whenever there was time, checking over the
next week’s course materials, and reading over student suggestions. Because of that, she
was constantly busy out of her mind... But once she was given a job, she wouldn’t allow
herself to do it half-heartedly.
She was planning to search through the northern forest before the sun went down, but
she ended up having to do more work than expected, so the forest had already become
very dark.
Hmm... I guess I should have just come tomorrow. But other than the weekend, I don’t have much
free time.
The atmosphere of the forest, which was gradually getting swallowed by the darkness,
was as dreary as always. She couldn’t see that far ahead of her, so searching wouldn’t be
all that effective.
In the first place, Ed was unlikely to be walking around through the forest in the dark.
Unless he was eating and sleeping out in the forest, what would be the point of going
out in the middle of the night?
She decided to just return when it was light out. It was at that moment, just as Cleoh
made up her mind and started to turn around, that she heard it.
Swish, Swish.
At the sound of the grass moving over by the trail, Cleoh held her breath as she quickly
hid behind some nearby trees.
She stuck her head out, wondering if it was perhaps a wild animal that was just walking
through the forest, but it ended up being Ed. The fallen aristocrat, surrounded by
rumors...
On one side, he was holding the body of a bloody baby deer under his arm.
And on his other shoulder... He was holding an unconscious human body.
What...? What is that...?!
Huffff, Huffff...
Ed breathing made it sound as if he was completely exhausted, resembling that of a wild
animal. His eyes also seemed to shine in the dark.
Cleoh gasped in pure astonishment.
She was sure that the person that boy was carrying on his shoulder was... Someone that
even Professor Glast praised as a rare genius.
Lucy Mayreel.
She seemed to have no intention of resisting while she was carried by that boy. She
looked completely defeated.
Lucy... That student is definitely Lucy...!
There was not a single person amongst the academy’s faculty that didn’t know her name.
Even the principal of the academy, Obel—who was comparable to the archmage Glockt,
who had helped found Sylvania—had to do his best when it came to dealing with Lucy.
That was Lucy Mayreel. A girl that was born with such an unfathomable amount of
talent.
Seeing such a girl subdued, being carried on his shoulder... Cleoh stared blankly at them
as they started to disappear into the forest. Cleoh didn’t even think about jumping out
from where she was.
She thought that she needed to dig a bit more into everything first. Also, as expected,
her intuition wasn’t wrong.
I... I really may have been gifted with the talent of a detective...!
Even Professor Glast might be completely surprised by the piece of information that she
intended to bring back.
Cleoh followed Ed’s footsteps, her eyes shining bright.
Chapter 45: Anyone Can be a Professor (3)
Late at night, the northern forest’s darkness wasn’t kind to intruders.
For those who called the forest their home, such as the wild animals that played around
or Ed—who treated it like his front yard—it might be a familiar space. For Cleoh,
however, it was too foreign.
Every time she accidentally stumbled or heard the occasional rustling sound from the
grass, Cleoh would be frightened to death. However, she continued to patiently follow
Ed.
Eventually, Ed’s camp appeared at the end of the trail.
No, the size of it was too large to be called a mere camp. At that point, you could even
consider it a hideout.
“Wh-What the heck is all of this...?!”
Smoke was coming out of the cabin’s chimney, which really helped complete its look.
The campfire settled at the space in front of the cabin had a smoker, drying rack,
workstation, toolbox, and other equipment laid out all around it. On the other side, there
was a wooden shelter that looked quite durable.
On the right side of the cabin there was a tree with a hammock made of netting hung on
it, as well as piled up firewood stored in a simple storage space made of nails and
plywood. There were also pieces of timber, cut to the appropriate size, leaning against
the wall of the cabin.
The smell of it all was reminiscent of normal daily life too much to call it... a hideout.
Cleoh was in utter shock as she hid behind a tree.
Ed dropped off the baby deer’s body near the campfire before he then roughly tossed
Lucy into the wooden shelter. He then fixed her rolled-up skirt and threw a leather bag
containing some jerky near her as he sat down near the fire, trimming some pieces of
wood.
Did she faint...?
No matter how lazy Lucy might be, there’s no way that she would be sleeping in that kind of
situation...!
Cleoh didn’t realize Lucy’s true ability to sleep, even in such a situation.
On the surface, it looked as if she had been knocked out, kidnapped, and then dragged to
his hideout.
He managed to defeat Lucy...?
Completely unconscious, Lucy was laying in the corner of the shelter, not moving an
inch.
“...Ah, come to think of it... I have plans early tomorrow morning.”
Suddenly Ed started talking to himself with a soft voice.
“...Uh, I have so much work to take care of. Still, I should go to bed early today for my
health. Hm...”
Ed quickly muttered to himself as he finished what he was working on. Then he put out
the fire.
All that was left was burning embers in the darkness of the front of his cabin.
Ed picked up pieces of cloth for a blanket and went into the cabin.
A subtle flame lit up the window, where there still wasn’t any glass. It wasn’t hard to
imagine Ed laying down inside the cabin near the fire.
I need to save Lucy...!
She didn’t know the exact circumstance, but after witnessing her being taken away like
that, she couldn’t leave Lucy alone.
No matter how you looked at it, Cleoh was a member of the faculty. Practical combat
magic wasn’t her major, but a mere student would be no match for her.
But she still couldn’t let her guard down. It wouldn’t make sense for someone who had a
weak body like Cleoh to try to physically attack Ed. Aside from that... She didn’t know
what kind of secret weapons he could be hiding that allowed him to defeat Lucy.
It was best to approach the camp as carefully as possible, and quickly escape carrying the
unconscious Lucy.
You could tell just from her appearance that Lucy was light as a feather. Even without
blatantly using magic power, Cleoh should still be able to drag her out of the camp by
herself.
Cleoh slowly approached the camp, swallowing hard and bending down.
She was nervous, not knowing when the cabin door would open or when Ed would pop
out.
In order to respond to any unexpected situations, she focused everything on her magic
power resonance.
Holding her breath and slowly moving towards the wooden shelter, she saw Lucy laying
on her stomach exhaling like a baby. Slowly... As quietly as possible...!
The moment she crouched and placed her hand on Lucy...
Whoosh!
Thud!
It all happened in a blink of an eye.
Lucy suddenly opened her eyes, quickly gathering magic power as she blew away Cleoh’s
hand.
“What?!”
Cleo let out a short scream in shock.
Lucy, apparently as shocked as Claire, quickly grabbed her witch’s hat, jammed it on her
head, and sprang backwards, putting some distance between them.
She looked down at Cleo with cold eyes.
It was clear as day that it wasn’t a friendly look.
“L... Lucy...?”
“Who are you?”
Going off the metaphor that Lucy was like a stray cat, in that same aspect she was
someone that didn’t take kindly to strangers.
Cats had a keen sense, which closely resembled that of a wild animal. No matter how
deeply asleep they may be, they were quick to recognize contact with someone not
granted permission to touch.
However, not recognizing Claire, her assistant professor for the entire year, was a bit
extreme. But, then again, that was typical Lucy, always marching to the beat of her own
drum.
“I’m... You’re... Lucy...!”
Before Cleoh could continue speaking, Lucy did as she always did and quick disappeared,
taking the bag of jerky from the wooden shelter with her.
She was so quick that, by the time Cleoh came to her senses, all that was left was a few
stray leaves in the place where Lucy disappeared from.
“...”
Once again silence fell over the entire camp.
...First, let’s get out of here.
It didn’t seem like Ed had noticed Cleoh’s presence yet. She didn’t have any clue about
what was going on, but it seemed clear enough that Ed was suspicious and that was all
she needed to know.
I’m sure that I’ve found some sort of clue. The next thing to do is to question Ed once I’ve
gathered some solid evidence.
Until then, I need to slowly and carefully figure out the main point of all of this.
Cleoh organized her thoughts, nodding her head.
Anyway... There’s not a single person that knows that I was here in this forest, other than Lucy! In
the meantime, nobody will know!
◐◓◑◒
The morning of the following day.
“I heard that the assistant professor Cleoh entered the northern forest yesterday. Did you
see her, Ed?”
“Hm? Really? I didn’t see her.”
“...Is that so?”
I met with Yenika in front of the student square quite early.
The wooden benches placed around the magnificent looking fountain were completely
empty. It was still early enough for the fog to be lingering around.
It was about the time where the other students would still be waking up, rubbing their
eyes, and getting ready to start their day.
“Why did she stop by the northern forest? Did you hear anything else about it, Yenika?”
“Hmm... I’m not sure... I only heard it from someone else, so...”
I felt quite nervous hearing her name. Cleoh.
Although she wasn’t a super influential character, she did have a role in the storyline.
And she was the type who wandered off because of her keen sense of curiosity.
From what I had seen of her during the second phase of the Glast Subjugation... It was
certainly nothing more or less than absurd. Her difficulty as a boss was so easy that you
could practically walk past her.
However, what was important... She had an active role in Professor’s Glast’s theft of the
Sage’s Seal.
Assistant Professor Cleoh wasn’t a morally flawed professor, and in the first place she
was just someone that was sick of Professor Glast.
That was why it was surprising that, without being blackmailed or tricked, she was
willing to agree with Professor Glast’s plan.
According to the original timeline, it was explained that she had just followed the
instructions of her advisor... But that reasoning seemed too weak.
“Well, maybe the academy just sent her to take care of some random job? I was just
worried that she might have gone to bother you about living in the forest.”
“In the first place, the forest is a bit too much for the academy to manage on their own.
It’s pretty much always left unattended... So long as I don’t do anything to stand out, I
should be fine.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Yenika smiled as she nodded her head.
“I’m sorry I called you out so early in the morning, Ed. Clara and Anise have been telling
me to stop staying out so late at night... I’ve been getting back to Dex Hall past curfew
recently, so I’ve gotten scolded quite a bit.”
“I see... Well, the camp and Dex Hall are quite far away from each other. It must have
been hard for you to keep visiting the forest.”
“Y-You know, Ed...”
Yenika suddenly lowered her head in embarrassment, and her bangs started to cover her
face as she spoke shyly.
“Y-You know how I visit you at the camp everyday... Can you keep it as a secret from
others as much as possible...?”
“Hm? Do I have to?”
“That... How should I say it...? It’s embarrassing for me to say this aloud... But I have a
lot of friends.”
It was obvious she would be embarrassed to say that.
Yenika was the hope of the second years, and the top of her class. It must have been
tiring for her to keep greeting every single person she met, one by one, as she walked
around campus.
“Since it’s your house and all, I would feel sorry for you if it started getting too crowded
because of me. Heh.”
“Is that so?”
“So, let’s just keep it to ourselves, hm? What’s the point of having more people show up
at your camp?”
Thinking about it, for someone like Yenika—who was born with a deep sense of
sincerity—all the people constantly looking at her must be burdensome.
She was apologizing to me, but she actually just needed her own place to rest.
“I still don’t think people view me all that highly here in this academy in the first place...
So, it shouldn’t be something that you need to worry about too much.”
“But these days there are less bad rumors about you. Since you’ve just been quietly
taking care of your own work, and since you did all sorts of other things to help people,
too.”
Yenika pulled the shawl around her shoulder as she stumbled over her words, coming
back to her senses.
“Anyway! The main point! Main Point! The reason we agreed to meet today!”
“Oh, okay.”
Yenika put her oak wand off to one side of the bench as she opened her hands.
The magic power energy swirled around as small sparks burst from her hand.
The burning flame slowly changed its shape, resembling a bat.
It then flew from her hands, sitting on Yenika’s shoulder as it folded its wings and took a
stance.
“This is the low-ranking fire spirit, Mugg. Do you want to try focusing your magic
power to communicate with him?”
“Sure.”
I gently closed my eyes. A moment later, I opened them once more, looking at that fire
bat. Soon enough, I started to hear a voice in my ear.
[Nice to meet you, young master Ed! I am the low-ranking fire spirit, Mugg! It has
already been four years since I grew from being a mere fluid spirit! The previous people I
made contracts with include young master Roden of Schnen, young master Kuru of the
Samal province, and it is now my honor to also be with Lady Yenika!]
“...”
[At last week’s regular report meeting, we went over the election for young master Ed’s
contract with a spirit. I passed the first round of screening, second and third round of
interviews, and finally the fourth round of discussions with the other spirits. Thus, I
have qualified to be the spirit that will make a contract with you! I am confident in the
fact that I have the best efficiency when it comes to magic power in the northern forest,
and I have the best communication skills amongst the other low-ranking spirits!]
After saying all of that, he lifted his head up 45 degrees to look at me, stiff as a rock and
not moving a muscle. Just what kind of military training did he go through to act like
that...?
“Yenika.... Uhm...”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t seriously ask Yenika, who was grinning like an idiot, if he always acted like
that.
Yenika was someone who knew a ridiculous number of spirits. That was why I asked her
to introduce me to a decent spirit, one that I could make a contract with. I knew that I
wasn’t in a position to complain, but...
“Since you asked me to introduce you to a good spirit, I picked one of the spirits I
previously made a contract with. He is also efficient when it comes to magic power. The
process of picking them was... Well, it was quite the process, but Takan took care of it
all.”
“...”
“Well, Takan said... He’d ‘deal with it’ himself...”
[It is an honor to be able to make a contract with you, young master Ed! My heart is
burning with passion! Well, my body is already on fire, but I promise to burn with even
more determination to support you fully!]
Was it the second or third time I played ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’ that I leveled up
my spirit-type skills? Among the spirits I made a contract with that time, there was the
water spirit Cleo and the wind spirit Peshi. Back then, I’m sure there wasn’t this type of
feeling though...?
Laughing together, exchanging jokes, giving each other support during battle, and
manifesting them in order to fall asleep on top of their fur... It was definitely the feeling
of having a close companion.
[Just give me the order!]
...
Well, I had nothing to say about the elite amongst the lower-ranking spirits.
[Magic Skills Details
Grade: Proficient Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
Fast Casting Lvl 8
Mana Sense Lvl 8
Fire Element Magic:
Ignite Lvl 14
Wind Element Magic:
Wind Blade Lvl 13
<Intermediate Magic can now be learned!>
Spirit-type Magic:
Spiritual Resonance Lvl 12
Spiritual Understanding Lvl 12
Spirit Manifestation Lvl 1
Sense Sharing Lvl 1
<Spirit Slot: Lower-ranking Fire Spirit Mugg>
Resonance Level: 2
Spiritual Efficiency: Good
Innate Skills:
Blessing of Fire Fortune (Temporary immunity to fire)
Explosion (Low-level Explosion)
Increased fire-type magic ability
<New Spirit Slot: Empty> ]
“...Oh? It’s warm?”
“You can feel the heat, right? When you start to resonate with a spirit you are contracted
with, even without manifesting them you can feel the physical or magic power of that
spirit. If you resonate too strongly, you will start to get hot. So please make sure you
control it well.”
It didn’t take much time to complete the contract with Mugg. With just a small magic
circle, I was able to make a contract with the low-ranking spirit.
Mugg sat down on my shoulder, which ended up startling me because of the faint heat.
“Th-Then if I control my level of resonance... The ‘firepower’ will change, too...?”
“It’s sort of strange to be calling it ‘firepower’, as that’s more of a mechanical device...”
“This... This is...”
Only then did I lift up Mugg with a bright face.
[Hahaha. I’m embarrassed, young master Ed.]
It was a portable stove...!
The long, long winter... He was something to stick onto my body that released warmth,
whether I was inside or outside the cabin... A tool for survival. Something more
important than I could put into words...!
Plus... He didn’t even use any firewood...!
Of course, he instead ate away at my magic power. But due to my spiritual resonance, the
mana efficiency of the spirit’s flames compared to the amount of magic power I use to
cast ‘Ignite’ was like heaven and earth.
Spiritual Resonance was the level of efficiency in terms of mana power when
communicating with a spirit or manifesting them.
The higher level your Spiritual Resonance was, the less magic power you needed to deal
with stronger or more spirits. No matter how inherently cursed you were when it came
to the amount of mana you could store, if your resonance was high you could deal with a
wider range of different spirits.
Due to its unique characteristic, mana efficiency was completely different from general
magic. That was the greatest strength of Elementalists.
Of course, it wasn’t like it didn’t consume any magic power at all. You couldn’t keep it
running all day long like a boiler. But I could still use it when I was working outdoors in
the frigid winter, or when I needed to stay inside the cabin before it was heated.
When I was running low on firewood, I could use the fire bat with magic power instead...
That meant that I could be flexible and constantly switch between firewood and magic
power whenever needed.
“...Thank you, Yenika! I love it so much! Let’s get along well from now on, heat—... No,
Mugg.”
[Hahahahaha! I don’t know what to do with my body, seeing you act so happy!]
I put Mugg into my hands, turning around excitedly.
Making him fly into the air, I also checked the intensity of the heat by adjusting the level
of resonance. Raising the resonance to the highest amount was enough to surpass the
warmth of a campfire. Of course, doing so had a terrible level of magic power efficiency,
but with my spirit-type skills’ proficiency, growing it would only get easier.
It’s so different to actually experience a contract with a spirit when compared to seeing it
in the game. Was it always possible to share this sense with a spirit you made a contract
with?
With half admiration and half pure excitement, I tested out all sorts of different things
with Mugg.
“I’m glad you look so happy, Ed. You always look so down, like you’re going through a
tough time. I’m so happy to see you like this. Hehe.”
Yenika kept watching over us for a while, smiling bashfully.
“Let me know if you ever need anything else, Ed. Then, before my first class I’ll teach
you more about resonance and sense. After all, it’ll be faster if you practice it with me.
Also, so that you can quickly get up to a level where you can make a contract with a midranking spirit, we should practice spiritual combat as well... I’ll make some time and rent
out a practice room! And... Uhm... There are a lot of different accessories that can help
increase resonance efficiency... They’re all in my room, so... the next time we meet, then.
Hyug!”
Yenika, who had been talking excitedly, suddenly choked. It seemed like she had just
thought of something. She quickly shut her mouth, before she let out a slow exhale and
looked towards me.
“Uhm, Ed...”
“Yeah?”
“Actually... I’m busy! I’m a busy person!”
Yenika straightened her back as she shut her eyes, clearing her throat.
“I’m also the top student in our grade. So, there are all sorts of people that are waiting in
line for me to teach them, you know? So... It’ll be hard to make time! Hm!”
“I see. Well, I guess that’s true.”
“That’s why, don’t you think it’s too much for me to be teaching you spiritual magic...?
Hm?”
She kept on grinning while saying that, though her lips were clearly trembling.
It was... a kind of push and pull. I wondered if she was acting so differently from her
normal self in an attempt to imitate Lortel... But then I realized that all of what she was
saying was the truth.
It was easy to forget, as she was spending her time back in the camp with me every day,
but normally it would be fairly expensive and valuable to have an opportunity to have
one-on-one lessons from an elementalist like Yenika.
It’s so great having a valuable personal connection~ That was what I thought, all while
giving nothing back to her... I was sure that I had crossed the line.
“I didn’t think of that, Yenika... Though, it’s so obvious. I’m really sorry. I took your
goodwill for granted.”
“Uh, hm? No, I didn’t mean for you to apologize like that... It’s just that Clara keeps
telling me... To try pushing you... No, never mind. That’s not it...”
“Then... What should I do...? Isn’t it only right for me to pay you back with money, for
your time and sincerity? Though, I probably can’t give you a suitable amount...”
Even then, I was sure that it would be possible for her to give me a discount, since we
were friends... Right? After all, Yenika knew all about my situation.
I had no choice but to whip out the calculator and check how much I could spend, while
also considering my survival activities.
“What? Money?”
Hearing that word, Yenika was taken by surprise.
“Money! What money?! Ed! You’re in an urgent state, one where you must worry about
surviving! How can you think of just wasting your money like that?! You need to save it
all! Don’t waste it! Don’t even think about paying me, either! I’ll get mad!”
“...”
“I can’t believe that you brought up paying for this... That’s too cold of you! We’re closer
than that! Seriously, you make me so upset!”
“Didn’t you bring up the cost of it all in the first place?”
Yenika gasped, stunned by those words. Though it looked like she had realized that,
thinking back on it... I was right.
I had no idea how to guess the rhythm she wanted me to dance at.
“...What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
That was when Yenika started to confess everything.
“It was because Clara gave me some advice... I’m someone that tends to be a bit too nice
to others, giving things out too much... No, that’s not! Hm... Uh... It’s more like, I must
work on raising the price for helping others, is what she said...! Sort of like negotiating?
Maybe a bit more chic? I need to know how to say ‘no’ when I mean it... I need to be a bit
colder that way.”
“Nothing she said is wrong. I’m also quite scared that one day you might get scammed
by someone somewhere. You made quite a great friend.”
“Right, I guess that’s true...? But... I... just don’t treat anyone like that...”
Wriggling her fingers and glancing at me from the side, she was surprised the moment
our eyes met.
“Anyway! I’ll go into more detail next time! Next time, I’ll see you at the combat practice
room! I’ll make the reservation, then let you know! I’ll bring a nice accessory, too! Also,
let me know if you need a resonance textbook to practice! Since I have morning class
soon, I’ll get going...! Bye, Ed! See you later!”
And with that, she jumped off the bench and ran away.
I didn’t have time to say anything back to her, so I was left with no choice but to watch
as Yenika ran away.
◐◓◑◒
Rumor had it that the academy’s finances were in quite a tight spot.
Professor Glast was quietly sitting in his laboratory, flipping through the pages of his
academic books. Research regarding Celestial Magic was extremely limited, so barely
any progress had been made at all.
Regarding the study of Celestial Magic, which twisted and broke the rules and
challenged the perceived truth... Barely any progress had been made since the work of
the great sage Sylvania.
It was hopeless for any scholar to try and study the Sage’s Seal in the first place.
If academic research was a field where only a few chosen geniuses could contribute, then
was the role of a scholar such as himself only to remember and systemize the knowledge
of his predecessor to pass onto future generations?
Professor Glast let out a sly laugh, troubled over his old-fashioned way of thinking. He
had realized that his life had become comfortable enough that his worries were nothing
serious.
In any case, Glast’s role had become clear.
In a world full of trash, he was going to be someone that would find a gem of a talent
that would shine, changing the world forever. Such a brilliant talent would be capable of
speeding up the progress of research, regardless of the field.
Thud!
Assistant professor Cleoh Elpin broke the silence, bursting into the laboratory.
“Professor Glast!”
“You’re not going to knock?”
“I’m sorry, but it’s urgent!”
Cleoh went outside again, closing the door and knocking. Professor Glast let out a deep
sigh.
“It’s fine, just come in.”
“Yes!”
Cleoh strode in, holding a bunch of files and a crystal ball. She dropped it all over
Professor Glast’s desk.
“I have something to report! This is a really big deal! Get ready to be surprised!”
“...”
“Ed Rothstaylor! Do you know that student—Ed, the one who was excommunicated?!?”
“I don’t bother remembering the names of every piece of trash that doesn’t have a drop
of talent.”
“There you go again saying such a thing! Just hear me out first!”
Cleoh kept on making a fuss, slamming on his desk.
“You know Lucy, right?! Lucy! The one that you really adore, Lucy Mayreel!”
“...”
“Lucy was defeated by Ed. To the point where she couldn’t do anything?! No, what I’m
trying to say is... I was suspicious about the Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident, so I
went to do some further investigating... No, even before that, I need to explain why I
even went to the northern forest...”
“There’s no point for you to keep rambling on, Assistant Professor Cleoh.”
She had a lot of things that she wanted to say, but since she was so excited, she couldn’t
organize the story at all. Professor Glast let out a sigh, thinking that she must act the
same way in front of her students.
“So, what I mean is... I went around and ended up using the thoughtography recording
magic back on the first floor of Ophelis Hall!”
“Thoughtography recording magic? Did you get permission from the academy?”
“Of course I didn’t! I just went up to the department in charge of the magically
engineered thoughtography equipment, made up an excuse, and I got my hands on it!
Really, it’s so great being a professor! They weren’t even a bit suspicious of me when I
did it! I couldn’t even dream of doing this before I got my degree!”
Thoughtography Recording magic was a reenacting magic that allowed you to replay
what happened in the past at a certain location.
As it was magic that dealt with time, it consumed a great deal of magic power unless you
used knowledge from Celestial Magic theory, which didn’t have much research on it.
Most of it was created by archmages that could create magically engineered items.
Though, the price of just one of those items would be equivalent to the price of a
building.
The price was quite expensive, and the method to use it is complicated, so permission
from the academy was needed to officially use it. However, Cleoh used her authority as a
teacher to exploit the equipment to her heart’s content.
It wasn’t something that got worn out the more you used it. Though, it was a blatant
abuse of power.
“Just get ready to write an apology.”
“I already knew you would say that, so I filed it out in advance!”
“Is that something to brag about?”
“Even then, you’ll take it into consideration with this! Here, take a look!”
Cleoh filled the crystal ball with the thoughtography record.
“The academy’s investigation department didn’t even use Thoughtography recording
magic at all during the investigation! I started to wonder why, but I guess that since the
head maid Elris’ confession was so clear, and the testimonies at the scene were all
consistent, it just happened... In the first place, the Thoughtography recording magic
doesn’t record all that much!”
Cleoh’s mouth didn’t stop moving as she pushed magic power into the crystal ball.
“Since it’s a magically engineered piece of equipment that is complicated and difficult to
set up and use, it would be too inefficient to set it up across Ophelis Hall. That’s why I
chose to not extend the investigation out that far! There was no need to! It was more
valuable for me to just use it in one place, rather than the whole building!”
“So, what are you saying?”
“Just in case... Following Taylee’s testimony that he met Ed on the first floor, I only used
it in the main hall on the first floor! The method to set it up was too complicated, so I
just slapped it together!”
Regardless of if you were a faculty member, there was a limit to how much you could do.
He was starting to get tired of Assistant Professor Cleoh’s straightforward behavior
every time she had a gut feeling.
If Professor Glast had agreed that there might have been an issue, it would have been
sent over to the disciplinary committee right away, but... Glast wasn’t that type of
person. There was also a shortage of people in the academy.
“So?”
“Look at this! It caught Ed! I brought it over to you quickly since the image won’t last
long.”
The scene was the moment Ed sat alone in the main hall of the first floor, greeting
Taylee. At first glance, it seemed like a still picture, but you could tell it was clearly
moving by the raindrops hitting the window.
“Look at this! He’s just like a black curtain, right?”
“...”
“Can’t you see the way he’s sitting? He looks just like he’s saying, ‘I’m the black curtain
behind all of this...’, right?”
“...”
Professor Glast ran his hand over his face as he looked straight at Assistant Professor
Cleoh.
“...Is this everything?”
“Excuse me?”
“I asked if this was all you brought in, seeing as you stomped in here and slammed the
door.”
“No, uhm... I also told you how Ed was carrying around Lucy, who was completely
knocked out...”
“Lucy Mayreel is the type that is extremely lazy. She will fall asleep whenever there is
time, and the moment she does, she won’t wake up easily. Are you sure he wasn’t just
moving her somewhere else while she was sleeping?”
Unfortunately for her, that was what actually happened.
“But when I approached her, she definitely had a big reaction...!”
“It isn’t just you. That’s Lucy’s usual reaction when somebody touches her while she’s
sleeping. Ironically, you just ended up proving that she was, in fact, asleep.”
“...Ah! Not only that, but Ed also built some sort of hideout to live in up in the northern
forest...”
“And can you explain just what, exactly, that has to do with the Occupation of Ophelis
Hall?”
Professor Glast let out a deep sigh.
“...Cleoh. As I told you before, you tend to rely too heavily on your intuition, pushing
ahead with things without enough thought.”
She had nothing else to say.
Ed was certainly a suspicious student, but there was no physical evidence to speak of.
Ed had already finished giving his testimony regarding the occupation. The file itself
was a little sketchy, but given the circumstances it made enough sense.
The reason Ed had visited Ophelis Hall was because he had a personal appointment with
Yenika. They had agreed to meet out in the rose garden in front of the building. Yenika
had also affirmed that fact.
But then, realizing that something had happened inside Ophelis Hall, he went into the
building to see what was going on. He later decided that the building was dangerous.
Therefore, he had tried to block Taylee and his party from forcing their way into the
building. Of course, Ed eventually ended up failing.
He was just a respectable senior that was trying to stop his underclassmen from entering
such a dangerous place. Well, at least that’s what the testimony said.
Aside from Ed’s strange behavior, there was nothing to prove his testimony false. There
were a multitude of suspicions, but that was an entirely separate matter.
“Think of the difference between your emotions and the physical evidence, Cleoh.”
“Uhh... I apologize...”
In the end, completely speechless, Cleoh lowered her head.
“Just bring your apology over.”
“Yes...”
Her excitement was gone as she left the laboratory with a heavy sigh.
Professor Glast sat back down, gathering all the files.
Finally, when he grabbed the crystal ball that Cleoh had brought, there was an image of
Ed standing up. It looked as if he was in combat.
Previously known as Ed Rothstaylor, but now just Ed. Given that Professor Glast didn’t
remember much about him, it must have meant that he was someone born with little
talent. The total amount of magic power he had seemed small, and the level of magic
that he used wasn’t all that high.
He was someone that you could find anywhere. Someone without talent.
Standing in the way of Taylee, Elvira, and Ayla, it was more reckless behavior rather
than courageous. That was also all written down in the files. Ed had tried to stop Taylee
and his party, but they had broken through in no time. That was just the way things were
in the world. Nothing could be solved alone.
Professor Glast was a professor that oversaw the magic department students. Though,
he had also seen the students from the Combat and Alchemy department before.
While he didn’t have the authority to directly appraise any of those students, he had
certainly identified a few talented individuals amongst them.
Taylee, who was born in the way of the sword. Elvira, who was born with the natural
insight to be an alchemist.
Those two weren’t people that just any normal person could stop.
Considering that, Professor Glast continued to look into the crystal ball.
He wanted to reaffirm the talents of both Taylee and Elvira.
Glast was someone who liked to identify talents, much like a jeweler who appraised shiny
gemstones, to determine their value.
“Ohhh...”
Professor Glast continued to watch the battle between Ed and Taylee’s party for a long
while.
“...”
After a while, Professor Glast held his chin as he got lost in thought.
Stuck in such deep thoughts, he continued to stay still for a long time.
Chapter 46: The Battle for the Sage’s Seal (1)
My peaceful daily life passed by like a fleeting spring. It wasn’t until the season got cold
that you came to realize how blessed you were by the clear skies and warmth.
Though I couldn’t really say it was all that mild of a life for me, with my busy schedule,
compared to when I first started living in the wild it had gotten a lot better.
Since my cabin was finished and ready for me to lay in, I had gathered quite a bit of
meat, vegetables, and spices up in the storage. I even had a bunch of firewood piled up. I
had managed to solve my homelessness issue.
The waves that shook my somewhat stable life... It all came from the senders of three
different letters.
◐◓◑◒
Keeping up with the academy’s curriculum had slowly started to pay off.
Even with a body that wasn’t exceptionally talented when it came to magic, I was
starting to maintain an above-average performance. It was especially so in the written
subjects, and it seemed that I was starting to stand out. My name was being passed
around amongst the teaching assistants.
Lessons that only required simple memorization and theoretical arrangement could be
accomplished at any time with just a bit of effort.
By cutting down on sleep and using any spare time to practice repeatedly, I was able to
shove all the information into my brain. That was completely different from having
talent in magic.
My training had also made considerable progress.
I’d already increased my stamina quite a bit, to the point that it wasn’t far behind that of
an average adult male. It was quite an impressive development when compared to the
spring, when I was skinny and as weak as an anchovy.
On the other hand, my combat-type skills still seemed to be a bit slow... But there were
plenty of ways to help with that.
[Newly Finished Product
Ceremonial Dagger: Explosion
A ceremonial dagger that has been infused with explosive magic. The infused magic can
be activated within a certain distance. As it has been infused in advance, the activation
speed was quick and the magic power efficiency is excellent.
Spiritual Infusion: Spirit-Type Magic
- Explosion (Low-ranking fire spirit Mugg)
Magic Power Accumulation Capacity: Medium
Resonance Distance: Narrow
Production Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
A pattern of flames glistened on the surface of the dagger.
It was the ceremonial dagger that had been with me for a long time, ever since I started
living in the wild. After setting things up and imbuing the dagger that I loved with
magic, I felt a sense of pride.
[The magic has been infused with the dagger quite smoothly. The more the user has
used the equipment, then the more efficient it becomes. I can clearly tell that you have
been with this dagger for a very long time, young master Ed!]
Sitting on my shoulder, Mugg caught my attention by speaking to me.
[You’ve taken another step forward, young master Ed! This joyous occasion makes me so
happy! Though I may be unworthy, let me sing a joyous song for you to express my
pleasure! This is a shepherd’s song, passed down for generations by mouth in the Pulan
region... Eghk!]
I grabbed Mugg’s wing as I put him down on the tree stump next to me. As I sat staring
at him, it seemed as if he was uncomfortable, his body shifting around.
[Y-Young master Ed! I have made a mistake! Please allow me to pay the price for my sin!
The most embarrassing thing is, I am unsure what I have done wrong! Please, tell me the
sin I have dared to do so I can sincerely reflect on it, correct it, and grow from it...]
“Hey. Speak to me casually.”
[...I’m sorry, what?]
As expected of a spirit carefully selected by Yenika, Mugg was quite the amazing lowranking spirit.
He was proficient in mana resonance, and he constantly called me young master. In an
instant, the infusion of spiritual magic was completed. His way of thinking was flexible,
and he was quite nimble—which was helpful while hunting.
Not to mention, he also acted as my portable heater and was a great companion in my
social life. Thus, he was worthy of a perfect score.
But if I had to label just one fault of his, it would be that he was overly polite.
“I told you to speak casually. It’s uncomfortable for me to keep listening to you like that,
seriously.”
[Th-there’s no way. There’s no way I could do such a thing!]
“why?”
Originally, the relationship between an elementalist and a spirit was a simple contract,
rather than one between a master and servant.
The lower-ranking spirits that dealt with Yenika were excessively respectful towards her,
as she was an exceptionally strong elementalist.
A spirit that moved away from being a fluid spirit and was on the path to becoming a
lower-ranking spirit gained magic power through contracting with an elementalist,
which raised their status.
If they could make a contract with a competent elementalist with a high level of
resonance, then... It was customary for the spirits to thank them by becoming
subservient. Therefore, if you wanted to have equal footing in a relationship with an
elementalist like Yenika, who had a massive amount of resonance, then you would need
to be a high-ranking spirit.
The reason that Yenika was surrounded by so many spirits all the time was simply
because it was her nature to attract spirits... After all, it was her high resonance that was
extremely attractive for the spirits.
In particular, the fact that Yenika had decided to sign a contract with a lower-spirit like
Mugg was very appreciated... So of course, he had no choice but to bow his head.
However, as I was only a novice elementalist that had just started out on my journey,
there was no need for him to be so polite. There was a high possibility of running into
communication issues if we established me in such an unnecessary position of authority.
“Try calling me Ed. It’s only two letters.”
[Young master Ed! This really is not right!]
“Isn’t it weird in the first place? There’s no reason to be this respectful, since signing a
contract with me isn’t that big of a deal. What was the deal with all those interviews and
the election process?”
[Uh... Um...]
I must have hit the nail on the head, as Mugg flapped his wings and struggled to
respond.
“Did you make some other type of promise?”
[Well, that’s...]
“Just relax and forget about all of that. It’s not like we’ll only see each other for a day or
two, right?”
As I said that, I looked down at Mugg.
He shuddered as he suddenly began to wail loudly.
[Oh my, young master Ed! What’s the point in me hiding it anymore?! If I sign a
contract with you and am recognized for my ability, I will be guaranteed nearly double
the amount of refined magic power from Lady Yenika than the other low-ranking
spirits... In the end, this was all a means for me to speed up my growth...!]
As I thought.
[That’s right! This overflowing respect and loyalty towards you, young master Ed,
didn’t come out of pure awe. It was because of my lust for success, engraved on this
dirty unworthy body of mine! I am deeply ashamed of myself !]
“Alright... There, it’s good to be honest like that. Is there anything else you want to let
out?”
[Other than that... I’ve been looking into your reputation here at the academy, and I have
heard quite a bit about your strong authoritative tendency... So, following that, I was
trying to please you...]
“Is that so?”
I lifted the dagger with the spiritual magic infused in it. I turned it over, swinging it
around a few times. It didn’t feel any different from before.
If the Spiritual Infusion were poor, it could affect the quality of the equipment itself by
making it heavier or lighter. That would make it difficult to manage. However, the
Spiritual Infusion that Mugg had completed was clean and showed no notable change.
I threw the dagger into the wooden stump nearby.
Thud!
With the connected spiritual magic, I gave it a little push, creating a small explosion.
With that much magic power put into the explosion, it could also work as a small
explosive if I wanted it to.
As the rising smoke spread out, I could see the dagger stuck in the stump. It was
completely fine, not a scratch on it. It seemed that even the fire resistance had been
implemented well, as it hadn’t been affected by the explosion. It was perfectly done, up
until the very end.
“Well, thanks for being honest about it all. Why are you apologizing so much, to the
point you’re wriggling around like that?”
It was said that, when creating relationships with other people, a pure heart was only
maintained until elementary school. After all, once people started to mature they had no
choice but to put their self-interests, no matter how big or small, first. This was the case
even when dealing with others.
The old-fashioned way of thinking, the one that claimed a pure heart must be maintained
in a relationship, had long since ended. In the end, one’s skills and attitude were all that
mattered.
The spiritual magic itself was neatly infused into it.
Though asking around about my reputation before we even signed a contract could have
been seen as rude... From another perspective, it also proved that he had done some
preparation and shown a level of sincerity.
As for me, I was also the type that tried to figure out people in advance, putting in the
time to get things right... So, from my point of view, I could see that he was the type to
be thorough about such things.
As long as you didn’t treat everything as too materialistic, it could also be considered a
useful way of thinking.
“Alright, I got it. You can speak casually already.”
[Th-that’s...]
“I told you I understood, so you can speak casually with me. Your circumstances all make
sense to me, so what’s the issue?”
[Young master Ed...!]
Mugg was touched by my words, speaking in a grateful voice. I wondered how much
guilt and shame he had been feeling.
[To be honest, it was so hard for me! Waaah! In the first place, the hierarchy of spirits is
unfair! Just because you were born earlier, you can take advantage of others? Does that
make any sense...?! Waaaah!]
“…”
[Well, I’ll continue speaking politely towards you. It’s more comfortable for me to do
so!]
I was about to say something when it occurred to me. I think I heard before that it’s
quite burdensome to tell a new employee or recruit to ‘take it easy’ or ‘speak casually’.
It was only natural to be uncomfortable with such a thing. In some cases, forcing
someone to be comfortable would just make them more uncomfortable. So being
uncomfortable meant that you were comfortable... It was all too complicated.
Well, he’d figure it out and take care of it. From what I could tell, it seemed that his
social life was already at its max level, so he must have had a good sense about how to
behave.
I pulled out the dagger, put it in a leather case, then tied it around my thigh with string.
With that in place, I could stand up and reach down to grab the dagger at any given
moment. Plus, it didn’t look all that bad.
[By the way, what do you want to do with these letters? Do you want to read over them
right now, or should I bring them over to the cabin?]
Mugg flapped his wings, sitting down on a wooden stump across the campfire. He was
biting three letters, waving them around.
One was delivered in a clean, business-like envelope that was folded roughly and lacked a
seal. It was delivered to me personally by one of the teacher’s assistants, Anise.
The second one was decorated with a golden border and a clean wax seal. A middle-aged
employee of the Elte Company had delivered it.
The last one was a magnificent, flashy, high-class piece of paper that was written with
brilliant and luxurious ink. Cler, Princess Penia’s lead escort, had personally delivered it.
“I’m going to read through them now.”
Each letter spoke of different topics, but the most shocking was in the last letter.
◐◓◑◒
Sylvania’s royal residence was quite a magnificent mansion, but compared to Ophelis
Hall, the size of it couldn’t even compare.
However, even though the size might have been smaller, the overall construction cost
was quite similar. It was impossible to imagine just how luxurious the interior of the
residence must be unless you were someone who had entered before.
A woman with a ponytail and an upgraded set of light armor opened the door to the
princess’ room.
“I’ve just come back from the northern forest. I have delivered the letter, just as you
instructed.”
“Well done, Cler.”
Cler, the lead escort of third princess Penia Elias Kroel, had been feeling quite troubled
of late. For her, as someone who was solely dedicated to Princess Penia, the recent
situation had not been very pleasant.
The first time the princess stepped foot in Sylvania on her journey to study, she had felt
rather pleased by it all.
The life of Princess Penia, who was constantly watched by the royal household, on the
outside looked splendid. However, if you knew her full story... None would envy her.
Ever since Emperor Kroel’s only son—Lindon—had declared that he would give up the
throne, the war of nerves between the royal ladies became suffocating to watch.
Both Princess Selah and Princess Persica had their suspicious eyes on Princess Penia for
quite some time.
No matter how much she expressed that she wasn’t coveting the throne, because of
Princess Penia’s position and the support of the people, she could have reached out and
taken the throne at any given moment.
In the process of it all, some measure of secrecy and fighting would be necessary.
Though influential people that wanted to support Princess Penia were widely available,
the order of succession could be ‘adjusted’ at any time.
One way or another. Of course, Princess Penia wouldn’t make such a move. That doesn’t
mean people wouldn’t still be suspicious of her. Her entrance into Sylvania Academy was
a clever move to convince people of her honesty.
It was only possible for those who had no desire for the throne to declare that they would
leave the royal household, seeking academics at such a crucial time. That was because she
would have to stay in school for at least four years.
What kind of place was Sylvania? Wasn’t it a land of academics, where the virtue of
learning was greatly emphasized above all else?
She thought it would be a good time to get far away from the Kroel Royal Family’s
authoritative atmosphere, and to spend a few years making memories and gaining
knowledge... Though, such plans didn’t always work out the way you wanted them to.
“...You don’t look pleased, Princess. I’m sorry to be intruding, but... Do you perhaps have
any concerns?”
“...I’m not sure.”
Princess Penia bound her platinum blonde hair back as she let out a deep sigh, burrowing
herself into the luxurious sofa. She decided to come clean and admit it.
She had made the decision to step away from the Kroel Royal Family to instead focus on
her studies in this land of learning, but... she also had a fervent desire to escape.
Getting into a secret battle whenever there was time, gaining authority, proving her
talent as a potential sovereign or else risking dying off... She had escaped from the cruel
fate that came with being a part of the royal family.
Having lived her entire life like that, she had asked herself, ‘Wouldn’t it be okay just to
take a few years off ?”
That was because she had thought that, after a few years, the tedious dispute over the
succession of the throne would end on its own.
However, even after escaping all the way to Sylvania, in the end that was what happened.
As a human being, it wasn’t possible to escape from her true nature.
Whether it was intentional or not.
“I... thought that, for the rest of my life, I was destined to live while fighting a dark
battle.”
“Princess.”
“You don’t have to try to comfort me, Cler.”
The night before, Principal Obel came to visit her, whispering in her ear.
The financial situation of Sylvania Academy was already quite a severe problem. They
desperately needed money to even make the payment dates for that quarter.
Even though he went all the way to visit Princess Penia personally, there was nothing
that she could do to help immediately.
Although Princess Penia’s influence would allow her to receive some funds, there was no
guarantee that the money would arrive in time for the payment. But most of all, there
wasn’t any justification for it.
Although the academy was partially supported by the royal family, ultimately Sylvania
Academy was a private education institute that was founded by the great sage Sylvania.
If such an institute needed further funding from royalty, there would need to be a
reasonable justification.
The third princess did not control the treasury of the royal family, and at that moment
she was in no position to be a part of the royal family.
In the end, she had no choice but to turn down Principal Obel’s request. Considering the
sheer size of Sylvania, the educational budget wasn’t just a matter of a simple coin or
two. It was an issue that couldn’t be dealt with through mere sympathy.
That was where the problem should have ended.
“It seems that the sale of the Sage’s Seal will become a reality.”
“Yes. Of course, there will be strong opposition coming from the students and the
academic staff... Though more than a direct sale, it will just function as a guarantee or
collateral.”
“That’s pretty sly. Ignoring the rights to possess it and instead focusing on buying the
rights of ownership, then taking the product step by step. As expected of the Elte
Company.”
The concept of possession and ownership were entirely different.
When news got out that the Sage’s Seal, which was the heart of Sylvania, had been sold
for money... There would be a great deal of opposition from the academy. In the matter
of possession... That was just a case of acknowledging the right to keep storage of the
seal.
As time passed, and the attention around everything all started to cool down, they would
create some sort of justification to move the Seal from its exhibit at Trix Hall over to the
warehouse. Claiming that it was to further research regarding the seal seemed like the
most appropriate excuse.
The day that Seal would once again be on display would probably never come to pass.
“Princess Penia... As I thought, you don’t look well.”
“Thank you for your concern, Cler. I’m fine, so you can go rest.”
Princess Penia pressed on her temples as she loosened her shoulders.
Penia had been living in a world of secrecy for many years. Seeing the data that Obel
brought, along with the way things had been going, it started to seem like there was a
black curtain behind it all that she couldn’t see.
Her gut instinct pointed to the young Lortel Kehelland, the authority behind the Elte
Company. That girl, with her bound reddish-brown hair, always smiling like a fox
playing among gold coins. She never seemed to speak honestly.
According to Penia’s Insightful Eyes, that girl’s true colors were those of a con artist
that plotted and extorted others as naturally as she breathed.
She couldn’t get the image of her during the Glasskan’s Summoning. As the entire sky
lit up and buildings collapsed, Lortel sat in a corner and smiled softly. It was truly a level
of strength that transcended humans.
Thinking of that same girl, plotting to buy the Sage’s Seal as everything played out in
the palm of her hand.
She decided to admit it.
She was scared. It was extremely frightening.
In Penia’s eyes, Lortel was a demon covered in gold coins. She was someone that, if
wanted to, might even be able to deceive God.
She was surely going to end up at the top of the Elte Company. She couldn’t picture
Lortel taking orders or being under someone else’s leadership.
Someone that could make Lortel follow their orders... Did such a person even exist?
“I don’t need to be hostile towards her yet, but...”
Buried in the sofa, Princess Penia silently spoke her last few words.
In any case, the suspicions between the academy and the Elte Company regarding the
purchase of the Sage’s Seal was strictly an internal matter. It wasn’t an issue for Princess
Penia to personally intervene in.
Nevertheless, Princess Penia couldn’t help but take out a quill as she began to compose a
personal letter. A ‘new party’ had joined the negotiations for the Sage’s Seal.
As for that third party’s actions, it was because they couldn’t leave the situation alone.
◐◓◑◒
Ed! Ed!
It felt as if I had fallen into water, faintly hearing sounds coming from outside. I
wondered if someone was calling my name, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to
that.
The reason that my head was all mixed up was because of the letters I had received.
The first and second letter didn’t say much.
They didn’t say anything that important, it was just information that I needed to know.
The third letter, however... it was something I needed to read with my full concentration.
I couldn’t be taken aback by a change of flow in the timeline, even if it was different
from what I had originally thought it would be.
It was only natural for that to happen. It couldn’t be helped, as the story had been
twisted from the very beginning. I just had to keep an eye on the situation and try to
make the progression of it follow a similar course.
Either way, if Taylee followed the proper course, everything could be solved... There
wouldn’t be anything else that I would have to get involved in.
In Act 2, all that needed to happen was for him to use the second technique of the
Swordmaster Skill and prepare his Celestial Magic resistance.
But that method would not be allowed. The flow of the story had already slowed down
quite a bit.
The evidence was right there, in my hand.
“Ed”
Looking at the cause, it came from Elte’s early dismissal.
Elte, the Golden King, was originally meant to be defeated by Lortel during the battle
for the Sage’s Seal event.
However, for some reason the flow of the story changed, and he was dismissed earlier
into the story—during the occupation of Ophelis Hall.
Because of that, just what kind of changes did it cause?
The reason that Elte tried to purchase the Sage’s Seal was so he could resell it at a higher
price. In other words, there was another person who asked him to procure the Sage’s
Seal.
That person’s name was... Sadly, I’d already heard it so much now that I was sick of it.
I quickly realized why the princess had sent me a personal letter. It was because I was a
man on the inside. Her ulterior motive was to ask me if I had any information regarding
that person’s actions or intentions.
“Ed!”
I suddenly came back to my senses.
Yenika was pushing her face in front of mine with a tearful expression. It seemed that
she had been shaking my shoulder.
“Ugh.”
“Get a grip on yourself ! What’s the matter?!”
“I’m sorry, Yenika. There was something I was thinking about, so I was distracted for a
bit.”
At some point, Mugg had moved to Yenika’s shoulder as she let out a sigh of relief.
Then, as she seemed to realize that the distance between our two faces was too close for
comfort, she quickly took a step back.
“Don’t push yourself too hard! It’s good to be working hard, but... It’s best to stay
healthy!”
Looking at Yenika, who was bubbling over in rage, I put both hands by my side as I
bowed my head in apology.
As I mentioned before, the one who had commissioned Elte Kehelland to purchase the
Sage’s Seal was the head of House Rothstaylor, Krepin Rothstaylor.
For Krepin, who was researching the magic of eternal life, the Sage’s Seal—which dealt
with Celestial Magic—was well worth looking into.
But with Elte dismissed... that client now had no choice but to roll up his sleeves.
“Ed, you don’t look so great right now.”
Yenika spoke with a worried look on her face. It was understandable.
The letter from the princess said that she had a lot to ask me about the head of House
Rothstaylor, which I used to be a part of, so I should visit her royal residence.
Additionally, she wrote down some of her suspicions regarding Krepin’s actions.
Originally, the Sage’s Seal negotiations was a tug-of-war between the academy and the
Elte Company. However, now it has become a three-way race between the academy, the
Elte Company, and the Rothstaylor family. The head of house, Krepin Rothstaylor, was a
boss that appeared in Act 4 of ‘Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster.’
He was a boss in the later half, who was exposed by Princess Penia, who had both
internal power within the academy and the power of royalty, as the one behind all the
evil deeds that had occurred. There was no need to explain his difficulty level.
It was safe to say, at that moment, there was no way to take him down.
The good news was that his goal was simple: the Sage’s Seal. If he got his hands on the
Seal, he would go back to where he came from peacefully.
However, there was no way for me to know what would happen after he got his hands on
the Seal... It would be a completely unknown world.
It wasn’t just a matter of no longer having the advantage of knowing all future events.
It was also a matter of whether it was possible to clear.
In the first place, the confrontation between Princess Penia and Krepin Rothstaylor was a
storyline that shouldn’t even have been happening that early on.
Krepin Rothstaylor. If it was true that he planned to join in on negotiations for the Seal,
then I would have to do whatever I could to try and keep him out of it.
He couldn’t be on the main stage of the storyline yet. As a character that came out in the
second half meant that he really shouldn’t come out until later.
“I’m sorry, Yenika. I shouldn’t have made you worry.”
I relaxed my expression as I threw a few pieces of firewood into the fire.
I lowered my head as I quietly began to organize my thoughts.
Yenika sat holding her knees with her arms across the campfire. Suddenly, her expression
soured as she continued to stare at me.
“I’m not going to move from here until you tell me what you’re worrying about.”
That stubbornness didn’t suit her at all. I almost let out a laugh.
Chapter 47: The Battle for the Sage’s Seal (2)
“Ed Rothstaylor is a person worth using.”
There was much to eat at the table.
The Princess wasn’t one to have a big appetite, so more than half of the food remained.
As she was a member of royalty, the food at the table always needed to be more than
plentiful.
Though it was a waste, due to her status she wasn’t permitted to eat a simplistic meal.
After she finished eating, Princess Penia went to the student center in the education
district and found a nice bench to sit on. It was a wooden bench near the square with a
table in front of it. There were no other available seats with such a perfect amount of
shade to sit under.
As she sat down, the attendants that accompanied her quickly took out a parasol to create
shade, serving her tea with a tea set and using magic to boil the water.
“He seems to have knowledge regarding the internal affairs of the Rothstaylor Family.
He’s been keeping up his act and playing dumb, but perhaps if we appease him more, he
may open his mouth. If we can convince him to join our side, perhaps he can act as a
spy.”
Standing with her hands behind her back, Cler continued to speak to Princess Penia, who
was drinking her tea. Their discussion from dinner had yet to reach a conclusion.
“...”
There was still some time before her afternoon class.
Princess Penia swept her platinum blonde hair back with thin fingers as she suddenly
looked up at the clear autumn sky. Princess Penia’s Insightful Eyes was screaming in the
direction of Krepin Rothstaylor.
He pretended to be a benevolent and dignified aristocrat, but there seemed to be a slimy
and dark madness lurking within him.
However, without any sort of physical evidence she had no way of doing anything about
it. At the very least, she was convinced that the Sage’s Seal should never fall into his
hands.
“I’ve heard that negotiators from the Rothstaylor Family will arrive at Acken Island
sometime next week.”
“That’s strange. The decision to sell the Sage’s Seal is something extremely
dishonorable, so they would have wanted to keep others out of the conversation as much
as possible. How did Krepin, who is a third party, manage to send negotiators?”
“That boy... It could have come from a report from Ed. Since he lives on academy
grounds, he might have overheard a rumor.”
“Does he have a reason for that? He has already been excommunicated from the
Rothstaylor family, so there is no reason to show loyalty towards them anymore.”
“If I were in that boy’s shoes, I’d do whatever it took to be recognized again so that I
could return to the family.”
Cler explained her view as she nodded her head.
For that boy, who was living in the forest, the luxury of being a member of the
Rothstaylor family was surely something to be missed. She heard that he struggled
through the arduous work every single day, just to survive... Perhaps he wished to return
to his previous lifestyle.
After being excommunicated, he seemed aloof to the hardships in life. Was it really that hard for
him to bear the difference from his life as an aristocrat?
Princess Penia gently closed her eyes as she felt a sense of irony from it all.
“Well, I don’t think that’s right.”
The one who responded came from elsewhere else. Cler and Penia turned their heads
towards a familiar face as the girl approached, sitting opposite of Penia.
Her charming eyes and playful lips made her look like a mischievous devil.
Her reddish-brown hair, which was usually tied to one side and left to fall over her
shoulder, was left loose that day. Her usual hood, which she wore to hide her expression
in the shadows, was refreshingly down that day.
She wore a headband with a blue rose attached to it that matched perfectly with her
reddish-brown hair, creating a somewhat calming air around her.
Rather than a mysterious vicious merchant, she looked like a girl that had dressed up.
But everyone there knew very well that if you were tricked by that girl’s appearance, you
would fall to your own death.
“Despite my lowly status, could I have the honor of having a cup of tea with the
Princess?”
She had a wide smile on her face.
“...”
While Princess Penia glared at her, an attendant brought out another cup of tea, placing
it down in front of her.
The scent of the finest herbs wafted through the air, though ultimately neither of the
two reached for their teacups.
Lortel Kehelland, who was already a powerful person within the Elte Company, was also
a girl who was expected to become the head of it when she was older. It was all a matter
of time.
Since she wasn’t planning to have a conversation with Lortel, the princess felt rather
nervous.
“It may be presumptuous of me to say, but I wanted to answer your speculations
regarding Ed taking the side of the Rothstaylor family.”
“That’s unexpected of you, Lortel.”
Princess Penia’s’ eyes narrowed. Lortel was reflected in her eyes. She had rolled up a bit
of the hem of her robe as she slowly reached towards the teacup to enjoy the scent.
Princess Penia decided against beating around the bush.
“I thought that you hated me.”
“Oh my, that’s not fair to say, Princess Penia. If that were the case, then why would I
have come over here to talk with you?”
Cleverness to that extent was an art in and of itself.
“The one that brought Krepin Rothstaylor into the negotiations for the Sage’s Seal was
not Ed. It was my father, Elte’s, doing.”
“What did you say?”
Princess Penia had heard rumors about Elte. News that his dismissal was almost certain,
as nearly all his influence and power were gone.
Princess Penia had a feeling that something was wrong, since Lortel had a carefree
appearance despite the fact her father—who had adopted her—was being pushed into a
corner.
“The Elte Company had planned to purchase the Sage’s Seal and sell it to Krepin for a
higher price. There seemed to be some agreement between my father, Elte Kehelland,
and Krepin Rothstaylor. Though, I don’t know much about it.”
“Then...”
“Well, even if my father has been dismissed, the plans to purchase the Sage’s Seal haven’t
changed. After all, Elte Company has already put much time and effort into it.”
Princess Penia sat listening to Lortel’s story. Before she realized it, she wasn’t talking
much at all.
“It’s about time to change the people who are ‘responsible’ for the Sage’s Seal, so it’s an
ideal time to negotiate the purchase of it. The Elte Company will be busy with that, too.
If we don’t pay close attention, then we might lose the seal to the Rothstaylor family.”
“It’s all too strange. Isn’t the Elte Company planning to buy the Sage’s Seal in order to
sell it to the Rothstaylor family? If that’s the case, then there should be some sort of
consensus between the two. So why do the Elte Company and the Rothstaylor family
seem to be competing over the purchase of the Seal?”
“That’s because... I don’t wish to sell the seal to the Rothstaylor family. I’m in a bit of a
special situation right now, so I don’t want to be too close to a client that is connected to
my father.”
Hearing those words, Princess Penia was left speechless.
“Anyway, I wasn’t the one who had agreed to sell the seal to the Rothstaylor family. Since
it was a confidential contract, even if they complain to the Elte Company, it won’t have
much of an effect. That’s why Krepin Rothstaylor personally joined the negotiations for
the purchase of the seal.”
“Why are you telling me about this...?”
“The enemy of my enemy is my ally.”
Saying that, Lortel smiled with her eyes closed.
The fact was, the academy was backed into a corner because of their finances, and only a
few knew the insider information regarding the plan to sell the Sage’s Seal. Even the true
intentions of the Elte Company, as well as the current position of the Rothstaylor
family... She had never imagined that Lortel would give up so much information.
“It seems that you, Princess Penia, want to keep the Rothstaylor family in check. So, isn’t
this a win-win situation for the both of us? The Rothstaylor family is pushed out of the
negotiations, and I’ll be glad to walk away with the seal.”
“...”
“We should have a friendly relationship, haha. After all, we are schoolmates that share a
lot of the same classes.”
Her smile was as sharp as a needle. Reaching out to use her could easily result in a prick.
Lortel Kehelland and Penia Elias Kroel... It was like a relationship between two sides of
the same mirror. They probably wouldn’t understand nor acknowledge each other until
they died.
“Well, I thought that Ed, who is innocent, would be hurt by all of this. As his
underclassmen, I was worried.”
“You... were worried about him?”
“He’s already been cut off from his family and is now living a new life. Wouldn’t it be
unfair to mistake him as a part of the Rothstaylor family?”
Princess Penia narrowed her eyes again.
There was no way that girl would think of helping another in purely good faith. It
seemed certain that she had some other intention behind her defense of Ed.
“Even so, that boy... There’s definite value in using him.”
At that point, Ed was the only one who would have an idea of the internal situation
regarding the Rothstaylor family.
Indeed, having lived most of his life as a member of the Rothstaylor family, regardless
of how incompetent or arrogant he might have been, there was a high chance that he had
at least some information.
However, judging people by their value and using them like consumables... that was not
Princess Penia’s style.
“I tried to ask for help person-to-person, as well as using my authority to give orders...
But if he still doesn’t open his mouth...”
“If he doesn’t...”
“Then... I’ll have no choice but to ‘use’ it.”
The Princess of Benevolence Penia was someone that treated everyone with respect, but
didn’t always fall into idealism.
If necessary, there were also times where she needed to have a cold heart. She didn’t
realize that.
In response to Princess Penia’s reply, Lortel’s face stiffened for a moment. Suddenly
raising her hand, as she flung her hood over her head.
She trembled a bit as her head lowered, hidden beneath the shade.
“Lortel Kehelland?”
Just what type of reaction was that? Was she lost in her thoughts?
Without appearing to care at all about the bewildered Princess Penia, Lortel kept her
head down for a long time.
Soon after, a splendid-looking pigeon flew in and landed on Lortel’s shoulder.
Nevertheless, Lortel continued to keep her head down for a while, before reaching her
hand out towards the pigeon.
“O-oh my... A homing pigeon sent from the main headquarters...”
Speaking softly, with a trembling voice, Lortel raised her head. Princess Penia was briefly
taken aback. Cler, who was guarding her, felt her blood start to boil.
Lortel had been forcibly holding back her laughter and looked about to burst.
“To manipulate and use…”
Lortel, who could no longer hold it back, stood up as she spoke.
“Who wants to do what to whom?”
“You! This blasphemy...! How dare you do that to the princess...?!”
“Princess Penia.”
Lortel Kehelland already had a complete understanding of Ed Rothstaylor.
Even though he might be backed into a corner, she thought that there was no way a
princess like Penia—who grew up constantly pampered and protected—would be able to
take advantage of him.
Normally, she would have been laughing secretly as the Princess attempted an impossible
task.
“Princess Penia. Only in this instance are we allies. The Rothstaylor family, who are the
public enemy, must be driven from Acken Island. Thus, I would like to offer you my
sincere advice.”
“...”
“Don’t try and take advantage of him half-heartedly, as he might just end up taking
advantage of you instead.”
As Lortel spoke, she stood up—still holding the homing pigeon.
“I hope you have the generosity to excuse my rudeness. That is my whole-hearted advice
to the princess.”
“Where are you going, Lortel?”
“I have an appointment with someone. Even though I dressed up quite a bit, I ended up
messing up my hair by unnecessarily wearing this hood. Ugh. It wouldn’t be polite of me
to continue interrupting the Princess’ break time, so I’ll take my leave.”
Lortel courteously gave her greetings.
“I hope you remain healthy.”
“You have to hold her accountable for her disrespectful actions, Princess.”
“It’s fine, Cler.”
Though she didn’t like to establish her authority, Lortel’s actions were certainly rude.
Princess Penia didn’t feel great about it either, but she had many other things to worry
about instead. Above all else, Lortel’s attitude toward Ed seemed to have changed
drastically.
Simply put, Lortel was someone who, on the outside, would appear superficially
courteous towards her superiors. On the inside, however, she had a tendency to
constantly weigh their worth.
Determining her intentions and understanding the way she treated Ed was too
confusing.
Even after being excommunicated, he had adapted surprisingly well to academy life, had
performed fairly well in a few subjects, and was often said to be a more hard-working
person than expected.
On top of that, he had even caught the attention of the Elte Company’s fox, Lortel.
Thus, she started to have doubts on whether or not her Insightful Eyes were wrong.
Then, little by little, she started to feel a strong sensation on one side of her heart.
“...”
Ed Rothstaylor.
It was because Princess Penia herself was the one who had caused his excommunication.
Even if she didn’t intend to, that fact wouldn’t change.
Ultimately, the emotion that was flowing inside of her was a sense of guilt, though it
was only a small amount. The difference between their status was massive, and there was
no other special relationship between the two.
Being swayed by the guilt of causing an inconvenience to such people over a momentary
mistake would only stand as an obstacle to her growth as a monarch.
As a monarch, she must also know how to deliberately ignore even the slightest sense of
guilt.
“Cler. I sent a personal letter, but please personally check on it. We’ll have to summon
him so that he can visit the royal residence soon.”
Anyway, it would be necessary to keep an eye on Lortel Kehelland’s movements. She was
quite the scary opponent. She wondered if she would ever be able to see that girl be
taken aback or at a loss.
That idea alone seemed too far-fetched. Princess Penia let out a sigh.
The path that a monarch took while dealing with others was a long and difficult one.
◐◓◑◒
“...What is this?”
Lortel sat down on the sofa in the sitting room with a puzzled expression. She looked
completely bewildered.
“It just happened.”
“Hi, Lortel. Long time no see. How have you been?”
Yenika smiled and greeted her warmly. Her smile was so bright that it almost seemed
like flower petals were flying around.
Despite its clean and fancy appearance, the sitting room of the Elte Company’s Sylvania
branch was not frequently used.
Very few VIPs came to the store’s branch, which was built out in Acken with limited
space. Thus, using it even four or five times a year was considered a lot. Given how
beautifully decorated it was, it was quite the shame that it was used so infrequently.
Lortel and Yenika faced each other as they exchanged greetings, smiling as if they were
the happiest people in the world.
“I apologize. I didn’t realize you were coming, so I was only able to prepare two cups of
Pulan Mountain rosemary tea. Would you like some cold water instead?”
“Sure, that’s okay! It seemed like there was a lot in storage, but I guess you can’t use it
since it’s for sale?”
“Yes, that’s right! If you had told me you were coming in advance, I would have prepared
it sincerely. I thought that I would only be eating with Ed, so I didn’t think to prepare it
in advance. I’ll just drink cold water. Here, Yenika. You drink it.”
Yenika smiled as she responded with a ‘sure’, taking the cup of tea. Lortel sighed,
glaring at her with a look of disgust in her eyes.
“Well, I checked over everything in the letter. Looking through it, it was about Elte.”
“Yes, that’s right. The Elte Company seems to have finished the process of his dismissal,
but it appears that he’s up to something. He accepted the dismissal a lot easier than I
expected.”
The climax of Act 2’s storyline, the Glast Subjugation, followed the battle for the Sage’s
Seal. It didn’t seem that there had been any major changes.
However, the unexpected change following Elte’s early dismissal and Krepin’s
participation seemed like it needed to be dealt with properly.
Krepin Rothstaylor, who dealt with the power of the evil god Mebula, was not someone
who could be defeated at that point in time. I had to ‘delay’ that from happening until
after Taylee and I raised our specs some more. In the first place, Princess Penia—who
would stand opposite Krepin in his subjugation—was still too weak.
She couldn’t use any of her power as part of the royal family due to being kept in check
by the first and second princesses. She could not speak up on behalf of the academy,
either, as she had not yet become the student council president.
“I was worried that this might land Ed in some sort of trouble. That’s why I called on
you, to see if there was anything wrong.”
“I see. Surely, with Elte being in a tight spot, it’s impossible to be sure of what he is
going to do. We’ll have to be sure to stay on top of it.”
“Even so, there’s a limit to what he should be able to do with such little influence and
power. Oh, that’s right. Would you like to take some of the magically engineered items
back with you?”
As Lortel spoke, she opened a cabinet and pulled out various crystal balls, magic books, a
quill, ink, and the like.
“These are items that haven’t sold for a long time, so there’s no issue with having you
take them.”
“Lortel. Aren’t these all brand new products, without even a speck of dust on them?
You’re going to be criticized for giving these things away for free, as it goes against a
merchant’s ethics.”
“Oh my, Yenika. It seems like you really don’t have a good eye for these things. Look
here, they’re all defective items.”
Hearing that, Yenika went over to the cabinet and checked each item. There was a small
crack in the crystal ball, the quill was broken at the tip, and the magic ink was slightly
opened, some already poured out.
“It’s obvious that you did it on purpose! Does it make any sense for there to be such flaws
in these brand-new items?!”
“Well, that’s not for me to judge. The only thing that’s important is whether or not I can
sell it.”
“...”
“Well, considering Ed’s position, it’s also important whether or not it will help him.”
As Lortel spoke, Yenika was left speechless.
“I appreciate it, but receiving all of this for free is a bit... I haven’t even paid off all the
magically engineered items you gave me last time.”
“Oh, I already transferred the payment to the next contract. It’s more convenient to just
pay it all at once. Plus, the later the payment date, the more convenient it gets, right? It’s
always better to have the payment date pushed back.”
“That is true, but hasn’t the payment date already been moved back four times?”
“Well, there is no problem as long as you keep coming back to renew your contract.
From our position, this is just a small amount of money.”
Lortel looked at me and tilted her head, smiling brightly. Yenika suddenly began to puff
out her cheeks.
“Isn’t it more convenient to just finish paying it all off, ending the contract as quickly as
possible? What if Ed was planning to spend that money on something else? Now he has
to end up spending it all on this instead?”
“Well, that’s something for ‘me and him’ to discuss on our own, isn’t it?”
“Ahh! Seriously!”
Yenika grumbled as she stomped her foot on the floor. Lortel ignored her, acting as if it
were nothing. Meanwhile, I laid back on the sofa, not thinking much of either of them.
“Even then... Ed is...”
“The place he does that is...”
Once again, a familiar sensation started to spread throughout my body.
It felt as if I was swimming in water. Recently, I’d been falling into that state quite a bit.
The surrounding sounds began to fade into distant echoes as I let my mind drift into a
state of weightlessness, the sensation of floating through the air washing over me.
Come to think of it, I still had a lot of work left to do after my visit to the Elte Store. I
needed to go and put away the jerky that was drying back at camp before Lucy came and
touched it.
I also needed to clean up inside of the cabin again. I would have to finish cleaning before
I put the chair, desk, and bedframe inside.
Then there was the mattress I needed to make for my bed. It might have been impossible
to make a modern mattress with springs, but I thought I’d be able to make it somewhat
fluffy by cutting up some material and stuffing it with feathers, random pieces of clothes,
and leftover fabric.
I also needed to trim the baby deer that I had caught the day before yesterday. The
process of tearing off its skin for leather, taking out the intestines, and then cutting and
smoking each piece took a lot of time.
I also didn’t finish my Elemental Studies and Introduction to Intermediate Magic
assignments. There was also the other Magic History assignment to do, as well as
preparing for my Herbology practical next week as well.
Come to think of it, I was completely out of arrows. I needed to make sure that my
exercise clothes were dry in time for my jog to class the next day. The cabin’s window
needed to be completed, and I needed to prepare some more firewood before winter
arrived. There was also the issue of food preservation, which I still needed to solve, and I
needed to learn how to make proper winter clothes.
“Ed. Ed!”
“Hey, Ed?”
As I slowly organized all the work I needed to do, I started to feel hazy again.
It was as if I was swimming through water as I felt myself getting buried deeper into
the sofa, little by little.
...
...
[ You have been inflicted with an abnormal condition! ]
◐◓◑◒
“That guy, he seems to have gotten his act together.”
“All he does is quietly listen in class, finish his assignment, then go home.”
“I heard that he was kicked out of the dorm. Where is he living now? I would imagine
it’s hard to find a decent place to stay on such a remote island. Plus, he’s completely
broke.”
“Surprisingly, he’s quite good at his studies. He actually seems to be trying quite a bit?”
“He seemed to be so arrogant and rude before, so I didn’t want to get any closer to him.
But now, even though I hate to admit it, he seems like a hard worker and a regular guy.”
“Thinking back on it, it’s true that he really was a terrible person before. As time passed,
maybe he became more aware of it and started to change?
“Sometimes I see him in the classroom, but he doesn’t say a word. He seems to be really
focused on his studies. I wonder what’s with him?”
“Was he actually an honest and hardworking person?”
When someone turned over a new life, trying to become a better person, at most they
would last a month.
After about a month or so, they would revert to their old ways. But for Ed, he had been
living that ridiculous lifestyle at that camp for almost half a year.
“...”
A private bedroom in the royal residence.
At a large, luxurious personal table, Princess Penia sat alone, letting out a sigh. It was
about time for her to admit it.
Seeing his honest, hardworking appearance as he fished back at his camp, his appearance
during the Glasskan Subjugation, where he proceeded to form a good plan of action
without getting flustered... Not to mention, his reputation among the students of being
someone that was heavily focused on his studies... And Lortel’s warning not to carelessly
make judgments about him...
Other than that, there was her intuition and the clues that kept whispering to Princess
Penia.
Maybe, just maybe, my Insightful Eyes were wrong.
If that was the case, her judgment ended up causing a healthy, hardworking boy to be
kicked out of his family, leaving him broke and forced to survive in the woods...
Did she really make that mistake?
Either way, she had sent Ed a personal letter through Cler, asking him to visit the royal
residence immediately. Since it was an order from a member of the royal family, he was
bound to come by and visit the royal residence. She would then have the chance to
properly determine who he was.
And if, by chance, her judgment was wrong... She would truly come to accept the truth.
“Princess.”
“Cler.”
With that thought in mind, Cler knocked on the door. She must have come to report on
something, and it was obvious what it was about.
“Did you finish the schedule for tomorrow? What time will Ed Rothstaylor be...”
“Princess, I’m afraid that he will not be able to visit for the time being.”
“Why is that? Regardless of his circumstances, it was still a royal order... If he has the
intention to refuse, shouldn’t it be accompanied by a justifiable reason?”
She didn’t want to use her authority, but either way a personal letter written by Princess
Penia was no different than a royal order. Refusing such an order meant that there had to
be some sort of reason.
“...He has collapsed from overworking.”
He had always been a strong man. Thus, hearing the news, Princess Penia couldn’t help
but have her doubts.
“He must have overworked himself past his limit, trying to manage both his survival
activities and his studies. Currently, he is in an unconscious state.”
However, there was a limit to one’s diligence.
Chapter 48: The Battle for the Sage’s Seal (3)
[Abnormal Condition: Exhaustion
High fever, indigestion, chronic fatigue, migraines, periodic unconsciousness, shortness
of breath, vision loss, maladjustment to magic power, state of muscle atony.
Please get sufficient rest to get rid of your abnormal condition! ]
◐◓◑◒
I knew the fact that there was a limit to a person’s vitality very well.
While it was great to work hard on my survival activities and training until the day I
graduated, I also realize that it would all be meaningless if I didn’t take care of my
health.
Because of that, I had tried to check on my physical condition consistently and to live as
healthily as possible, making sure to consume a variety of nutrients. However, it couldn’t
be helped that I still had an absolutely enormous amount of labor-intensive work to take
care of.
Although they say that the symptoms that come from being overworked differed between
individuals, I had no idea that the fatigue would come on as quickly as it did. It hit me
like a storm. Before I could even attempt to straighten myself out, I ended up fainting. I
couldn’t resist it in the slightest.
Everyone experienced moments throughout their lives where they had fevers that were
hard to endure. Even when lying down not doing anything, it could be hard to breathe.
Even when you tried to straighten out the haziness in your mind, you would find
yourself caught up in the sensation of floating out into space again.
You would return to your senses, lose them again, and then later return to them again.
As my vision briefly returned, through my vision it appeared that Yenika, whose face was
completely stiff, and Lortel were talking about something.
After that, I lost my sense of clarity once more and I fell into a dreary world made up of
my old memories. Memories of playing Sylvania’s Failed Swordmaster’s Act 2, Chapter
10—the battle for the Sage’s Seal and the Glast Subjugation.
The finale of Act 2, told through Taylee’s eyes after he got caught up in it... It had
definitely begun when Professor Glast kidnapped Taylee’s companion, Ayla.
I faintly recalled the story of the act’s finale, which I had watched absentmindedly
through a monitor.
An extraordinary scholar, born with an immense academic talent that surpassed anyone
else in history. He made dozens of magical advances that no ordinary person could easily
achieve. His name was the great sage, Sylvania.
I clearly remember Glast’s story, where he tried to resurrect Sylvania by studying
Celestial Magic that twisted the providence of the world.
He tried to reopen the doors to the age of progress once more by infusing Sylvania’s
spirit into the body of Ayla, who was also born with a scholarly talent... It was the story
of a madman.
A character that failed to achieve his dreams, dying by falling from the top of the tower
of magic power he had embodied.
Just what was that guy’s research about, and what was the deal with the age of
progress...? Why did he make such a ridiculous choice, abandoning his ethics and career?
Even amongst the players, there were lots of people who questioned Glast’s actions.
Though, I guess if you could understand it easily, you couldn’t call it the story of a
madman. Most of all, before all his plans came to an end and he fell from the top of that
tower of magic, his final words were rather unexpected.
The last line he had uttered before his death; about his dreams of academic progress, the
age of progress, and dedicating his entire life to discovering those with talent.
The top of the tower of magic power, made up of Celestial Magic. Spreading both of his
arms out, talking about the world and confessing his will just before his death... What...
Was it...?
“Zzzz...”
My eyelids snapped open with a start. As if against my will, it was telling me that it was
time to wake up.
My entire body was heavy, especially my lower abdomen. What was this chunk of meat
on my lower abdomen? When I looked to see why I had a hard time lifting my torso, I
saw a girl with a giant witch hat—the size of her head—lying on my stomach.
“...”
“Hmm... Too... Salty... Only a little...”
That kid... How can she be so annoying, even when asleep? I tried to lift her up and
throw her aside like usual, but for some reason I couldn’t lift her.
Lucy is just as light as she looked. So light, you had to wonder if she was really even
human... To the point that you could easily carry her while moving.
Lucy seemed to be the same as always, so maybe the reason that I couldn’t lift Lucy was
because of my physical condition.
I was in a completely weakened state. Even though I had a mountain of work to do, my
body had reached its limit. I let out a deep sigh as I laid back down.
The scenery is familiar. It was my cabin, but the blanket was new... It must have been a
product from the Elte Store. I didn’t know exactly what happened, but I have a vague
idea.
Without much trouble, I could remember the image of Yenika and Lortel making a fuss.
Maybe as a response to me moving, Lucy opened her dopey eyes with a blink.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up, looking straight at me while still sitting on my
lower abdomen. Then, staring back blankly into the air, she said...
“I’m hungry.”
“Do you really do nothing besides sleep and eat?”
“Oh. Congratulations. You’re conscious again.”
She then raised up her hands into the air to roll up her overly long sleeve before she
pressed her index finger against my solar plexus. She continued to speak slowly, in a
rather soft whisper.
“Your magic power got really twisted. Since you have been constantly overdoing your
training the last few months, familiarizing yourself with elementalism, and not properly
resting, you ended up like this.”
“...”
“The flow of magic power will gradually come to a stop while you are asleep. By taking
advantage of that time, when you wake up and move your body around again you can do
so more efficiently. Didn’t you learn that in your Magic Power Studies class? By training
your magic power to your very limit right before sleeping, only to barely sleep at all...
That’s why you ended up like this.”
“You... Even though you’re always sleeping in class, I guess you’re quietly following
along with everything.”
“I don’t listen because I already know everything.”
The flow of magic power began to swirl around Lucy’s finger, the one that was pressing
down on my solar plexus.
Lucy continued to stay still with a blank face, acting as if nothing special was happening.
Before long, her collar and wide-brimmed hat began to flutter.
“I’ve been pushing down on you like this so that the flow of magic power won’t get any
more tangled. It seems to be untangling a bit now.
“Did you keep doing this while I was sleeping?”
“Well, it’s nothing too hard. Though, I fell asleep a few times, since it’s so boring.”
A refreshing feeling spread across my body from Lucy’s finger. While I was unconscious,
I had felt the sensation of the energy in my body returning at times, but that must have
been thanks to Lucy.
“Also that gaze.”
“Gaze?”
“Hmm... When I’m next to you, there are people that keep on looking at us. It’s
annoying. Well, what I’m doing is necessary, so they can’t really say anything about it.”
Again, I felt that relaxing sensation go through my body. It made me feel much lighter.
Taking in a deep breath, I felt as if I was starting to gain back some of the strength in
my body.
“As for the physical issues regarding your vitality, there’s nothing that can immediately
be done to help besides getting some rest. Though, I’m sure the magic power has all been
taken care of.”
“Hey.”
Calling out to Lucy with no real purpose, she glanced down at me without a single
change in her expression.
Her light gray eyes, which didn’t move an inch, seemed to be calm and peaceful. Rather,
that dull feeling of hers made me feel more comfortable.
“...Thank you.”
“Don’t get sick. It’s difficult when you’re sick. There are even people that die when they
get sick.”
That line. If you knew about Lucy Mayreel’s past, it wasn’t something you could easily
ignore.
The archmage Glockt, who had given her the blessing of the stars.
A rainy night.
Lucy sat next to Glockt, who was like her grandfather, as he lay dying in bed.
I didn’t know how many days I was unconscious, but it was clear that it wasn’t a short
amount of time.
Thinking about the fact that she was sitting next to me all that time, pressing down on
my tangled magic power... it must have been an unbearable pain to her, being around
someone that was sick.
No matter how much of a jerky thief she was, or how much she resembled a stray cat by
breaking into my house in her free time... Even though her expression never changed,
and you couldn’t determine what she was thinking... I had no choice but to guess what
was hidden inside of her.
As a result, there was no choice but to at least say thank you.
Squeak.
“Oh, you’ve regained consciousness senior. I didn’t know if it’s okay to use the stove
inside the cabin, so I set the fire outside...”
Suddenly, the cabin door swung open and an unexpected person walked in.
After sweeping his long, unkempt hair back, Ziggs Eiffelstein entered with a lively
greeting before suddenly going stiff. Lucy was on top of my lower abdomen, pressing
down on my chest, when she turned her head and looked up at Ziggs.
With her blank face, she grabbed her hat and vanished in an instant. Only a fleeting
afterimage of the wind was left as proof that that lazy genius had been there.
“...”
Ziggs swiped his bangs up at once as he entered the rest of the way, sitting down
comfortably on a wooden chair with a look of disbelief on his face.
“Ed, just how many people have you...? A-as expected. It’s not that unusual for a strong
male to have several females.”
“...”
“Is this... the open mindedness that comes from a civilized society...? Perhaps I have been
looking at a civilized life with too much of a stereotype...”
If I left him as-is, when Ziggs went ahead and laid his hand on another woman, Elka
would lose it. First, I had to clear up the misunderstanding.
◐◓◑◒
“Since senior Yenika was sick at the start of the semester, it would be dangerous for her
to miss any more classes. Lortel kept on pushing back her work at the store, but when it
got to the point where she couldn’t do it anymore, she went back to the commercial
district.”
“I see. But how did you end up taking care of me in the cabin?”
“Lortel came and asked me to. Though, I’m kind of dense when it comes to something as
delicate as taking care of someone else. Women tend to be a bit more dexterous and
delicate when it comes to these things when compared to men. I asked her if it would be
better to ask a girl—like Elka, Anise, or Clara—instead, but she said that this was a lifeor-death situation, and I needed to do it... So that’s what happened.”
Ziggs scooped up some soup from a pot and handed it to me. I at least had enough
strength to hold up the bowl and spoon, so I took a bite. It didn’t taste that great. It
seemed that he had made it with a bunch of random ingredients and poor skill.
“In the first place, you’ve had a unique way of navigating academy life, senior. There
aren’t many people who know of you or are that close to you. They had to find someone
who would agree to help, which is why they came to me.”
“I see. It must have been a pain. Thanks.”
“It wasn’t. Either way, I was just going to either rest or train, so I was able to just do it
here. I hope you can take care of yourself. When I first saw Yenika’s face, I thought there
was going to be some sort of funeral.”
Ziggs let out a sigh as he poked the fire with a poker.
“Well, since it’s not a chronic disease, and it only happened from overworking yourself,
there’s no need to make a fuss. You’ll get better after a few days of rest. For the time
being, you won’t have much strength in your body. Just take this chance to take a break
from classes.”
“Yeah. I got a bit complacent when it came to taking care of my body. I feel bad making
the people around me worry so much.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about it. This is something we’re doing because we want
to. You should just focus on recovering your health.”
To be honest, the soup tasted awful, but hearing Ziggs’ words... I felt as if my body was
thirsting for nutrients. I kept forcing myself to move the spoon.
My current prerogative was to time to check on the things that I needed to investigate.
“Thinking about it... I heard that the alchemy students were caught up in an accident,
something about secretly mass-producing Mandragora?”
“Oh. It was Elvira, that troublemaker... In the end, Taylee and Clevius took care of it
before it became a bigger issue. It didn’t make its way to academic affairs.”
Act 2, Chapter 5, ‘Exploring the Alchemy Department’s Society’, seemed to have ended
well.
“I heard there was a rumor that a monster the Telos Religious Group was taking care of
snuck back into the underground waterways of the academy.”
“Taylee and I took care of that. Ayla accidently dropped a pendant into the underground
waterways, so we went to find it. There, we happened to cross paths with the monster, so
we took care of it... Was there really a rumor about that?”
Act 2, Chapter 7, ‘Devil of the Underground Waterways’, also seemed to have been
completed without any problems.
I could have inferred that the incidents were resolved by the rumors and the external
changes that came but I was relieved to have heard it directly from one of the characters
involved.
I wondered if the only big event left really was the battle for the Sage’s Seal.
With that thought in mind, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t yet confirmed what I
needed to check.
“Come to think of it, how many days have I been unconscious?”
I thought that it was only going to be a day or two as I brought up that simple question.
Ziggs responded light-heartedly, though I wondered if it was even okay to do so.
“It’s been ten days. Everyone is going to go crazy when they see that you’ve woken up.”
“What?”
“Though, they won’t be able to see you today. At this hour, Yenika should be in class, and
as for Lortel… She took off early, mentioned something about an essential negotiation
for tomorrow.”
The negotiations regarding the sale of the Sage’s Seal.
Tomorrow was the day it would take place.
My breath caught for a moment.
I hadn’t finished gaining a proper idea of the current situation.
I had no way of knowing how the tables may have turned while I was unconscious.
“Hey, Ziggs? Can you tell Lortel something for me?”
“What? Is it something urgent?”
“Yeah... It might sound a bit weird, but...”
If there was ample time, I would ponder all alternatives and strategize the most secure
approach. However, if the situation was urgent, I had no choice but to resort to any
viable method.
“Um… I… I need something. If I can get it… I feel like I can fulfill any request…
Honestly anything…”
“...All of a sudden?”
◐◓◑◒
Call meeting with the negotiators.
Banquet.
Verification of the Sage’s Seal condition.
Confirm purchase method.
After collecting each person’s bidding price written down on a parchment, the highest bidder will
purchase it.
Proceed with the transfer of the ‘resonance owner.’
Afterwards, dismissal.
After reading the report on the itinerary for the purchase of the Sage’s Seal, the piece of
paper in Princess Penia’s hand burned to ash. The fact that the Sage’s Seal was going to
be sold had yet to be publicized.
“...”
Princess Penia had asked the academy to allow her to attend the negotiation as an
observer.
Although there was no need for the Princess to attend the negotiation, as it had nothing
to do with the royal family, the academy listened to her request as it came from royalty.
As long as there was an excuse, it would be fine.
In any case, negotiations involving such a hefty sum of money were often accompanied
by witnesses to observe and provide public credibility. As she was a part of the royal
family, her public credibility was as heavy as the weight of her lineage.
The number of people participating in the negotiation for the purchase of the Sage’s
Seal was small. In the first place, there weren’t many groups that could afford to pay that
much.
In the end, the Elte Company and the Rothstaylor family were the only ones left.
It had appeared that there would be fierce negotiation between the two over the
purchase. Surprisingly, the decision seemed as if it would end in an instant.
The young principal, Obel Forsyth, had come up with a pretty clever idea. It was like an
auction, as he was going to sell it at the price they named.
However, he wouldn’t disclose a suitable starting bid.
The Elte Company and the Rothstaylor family.
With the two bidders submitting their price on a piece of paper, he would end up selling
it to the one with the higher price.
“For this... It’s highly likely that the bid will go in Krepin’s favor.”
That was why Princess Penia’s nerves were on edge.
Simply put, the Elte Company was involved with the negotiation with the intention of
buying a ‘product’ to make a bigger profit.
On the other hand, the Rothstaylor family seemed to want to get their hands on the
Sage’s Seal for a bigger reason. If it wasn’t to make a profit, there was a high chance that
they would be willing to spend a considerable sum of money, to the point that one would
wonder if it was really okay.
Even if he did end up losing the deal, he’d be prepared to then negotiate with the Elte
Company, who would be the new owners of the seal.
Of course, there was no way of knowing what an appropriate amount might be, and they
couldn’t randomly spend a large amount of money. That was why there was going to be
a war of nerves between them.
“Telling them about this method only a day in advance... The Elte Company and the
Rothstaylor family must be experiencing headaches over this.”
“Of course, Cler. If they let them know too far ahead in advance, they could end up
meeting and negotiating how much they would charge.”
If the academy wanted to make a profit, they needed to make it so that it felt as if the
Elte Company and the Rothstaylor family were fighting against an ‘unknown enemy.’
The pressure of not knowing how much the other would spend... They wouldn’t be able
to know how much they should raise to safely get their hands on the seal.
“Principal Obel was quite smart about it. You don’t want to drag on the negotiation for
too long, as it may start to spread strange rumors. It’s good to handle it this way and end
the bidding as quickly as possible. There’s also a lesser chance of losing money. But... No
matter how hard I consider this method, Krepin will surely get his hands on the seal.”
The Elte Company was unlikely to see any real value in the Sage’s Seal.
“As expected, I’m uneasy about this...”
Just what was Krepin trying to do by getting his hands on the Sage’s Seal?
The lack of information on Krepin also made her feel uneasy. If only they could have
figured out what the mysterious Duke was thinking, then... The situation would probably
have become a lot clearer.
Unfortunately, Ed—who was the clue to it all—had been unconscious for nearly ten days.
Because of that, she was completely in the dark.
If she couldn’t ask Ed directly, then why not try asking the people around him? She had
thought of doing that before. After all, anyone who was close to Ed might have heard
something of his inner thoughts or background.
However—according to the rumors—Ed was always quiet during classes, just listening
during his classes and focusing on his practical training. He seemed like someone who
didn’t have many relationships. Also, he always appeared to be rather busy, as he was
working hard just living one day to the next.
Princess Penia sighed as she sat still on the corner of the academy’s bench.
“When I traced the rumors about him at the academy, it said that the only person who
could be considered close to Ed Rothstaylor was the second-year top student, the
elementalist Yenika Faelover.”
Cler, who was standing next to her, tried offering her advice.
“I could try and call on her, though I am unsure if we can get any sort of meaningful
information from her.”
“No, you don’t have to. I had already met her once, as I was walking through the
academy grounds.”
A person would have to have been living under a rock to not know of Yenika Faelover.
Both when she was caught up in the Glasskan incident and during the disciplinary
committee hearing afterwards, Princess Penia had assisted her.
The pink-haired girl had once sent a letter of sincere thanks to the royal residence, in
order to formally show her gratitude. Since she was a girl who was loved and gave love
to everyone... The princess felt a bit jealous.
Wherever she went, she brought the impression of flowers blooming. Everyone smiled
brightly as they spoke to her. Everyone lived happily ever after.
She was truly a girl that should have been the main character of a fairytale.
“I asked her about Ed Rothstaylor during a joint elemental studies class about a week
ago.”
However, it was after Ed had fallen unconscious.
When Penia met Yenika at the academy... Yenika looked at her with cold eyes.
She had no idea just what kind of change of heart she had.
Yenika played around at the academy with her usual bright and lively manner, but
towards Princess Penia alone she lacked a friendly attitude. She tried to not show it too
much on the outside, but it was clearly visible to Princess Penia.
The reason for that... It was obvious. It was the same with Lortel.
Even that innocent girl, who was loved by everyone in the academy, was not on Princess
Penia’s side. Considering that fact, Princess Penia took a deep breath.
The autumn sky was high and clear.
◐◓◑◒
“Anything?”
It was a hectic time. She had wanted to visit the cabin to check on Ed’s condition at least
once, but the work regarding the Elte Company was piling up and weighing down on
Lortel’s shoulders.
Lortel, who had her hair tied to one side, let out a sigh. She then offered a cup of tea to
her unexpected visitor.
“Anything? I didn’t expect Ed to say such a dangerous thing.”
“That’s what I’m saying, Lortel. I’m sure you also know his true nature.”
As Ziggs sat down on the sofa in the sitting room and drank his tea, he let out a sigh.
Lortel, who was already weighed down by her work, straightened her shoulders and
gave a sly smile.
“Anything, huh? Telling a merchant that you’ll do anything... You’ve made quite an
unusual mistake, Ed.”
In the sitting room, where the darkness started to slowly settle, Lortel tried to stifle the
smile threatening to spread across her lips.
Just what was she imagining...? Even if she tried to stay still, that crazy smile of hers
started to show. It was terrifying to Ziggs, who was watching her. Even more so as he
could still see her worry about Ed, who had only just gotten out of bed.
I’m glad that Elka is so pure.
The world of civilisation was a world that was both mysterious and terrifying.
The time for the negotiations had come.
Sadly, nobody realized yet that the boy laying in a cabin in the woods held all the keys.
Chapter 49: The Battle for the Sage’s Seal (4)
It would have been faster to find the parts without any fancy decorations.
A jacket lined with gold frames and a cape embedded with a flying eager pattern.
Mahogany cotton pants underneath a shirt with voluminous frills. Every corner of his
outfit was covered with jewels.
The loose jewels and decorations he wore symbolized his vanity. After all, the most
direct way to show off one’s wealth and high honor was to have a luxurious appearance.
Strangely enough, Krepin Rothstaylor looked rather serious and sharp, even in such
flashy attire.
He had a sharp jawline and eyes that didn’t match his age. He was a peculiar person that
didn’t make any unnecessary movements, while at the same time giving off an aura of
gentleness and class.
You could tell with just one look that he was not an ordinary person.
As the head of the Rothstaylor family, he was one of the few key influential figures in the
Kroel Empire... He had the vigor to make others intimidated just by glancing towards
them.
“It’s a shame that Headmaster Obel wasn’t able to personally attend. I’m quite worried,
as his health appears to be deteriorating. I hope he gets well soon.”
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to tell the headmaster that Duke Krepin has asked about him.”
Krepin, who took a sip of soup in a dignified manner, expressed his regrets towards
Deputy Headmistress Rachel, who had shown up in place of the headmaster.
It was extremely discourteous that the president had not come out directly to greet
Krepin despite his visit. Either way, the expression of regret ended shortly after as
Krepin, who had one of the highest statuses in the room, changed topics.
“I’m glad that you look healthy, princess. His Majesty was quite worried about you,
seeing as you have come here to study.”
“Thank you, Duke Krepin. Please tell my father that I am adjusting well to my academy
life and studying hard.”
“As your command. Additionally, though it has been a while... I haven’t yet been able to
formally apologize. I heard that you had quite a hard time because of my stupid child. It
has already been quite a while, but I have since excommunicated him, as you ordered. It
still bothered me greatly that I had yet to properly apologize to you.”
“It’s fine, Duke Krepin. Don’t worry too much about it.”
Princess Penia humbly rejected Krepin’s apology with a somewhat stiff face.
Meanwhile Lortel, who sat at the luncheon for a while watching over them, didn’t say a
word.
Krepin also did not appear to care about Lortel’s presence.
The Deputy Headmistress of Sylvania, The Princess of the Nation, and a Duke from the
Rothstaylor House.
It was a meeting of nobles with names that were enough to make others kneel without
hesitation, regardless of where they went.
The fact that Lortel, who was born in the slums, was sitting at the same table as them
was practically an insult. It was only natural that she wouldn’t open her mouth rashly.
The position of chief executive at the Elte Company was by no means light, but it was
not an official title.
Elte’s dismissal was almost certain, and the next person to become head would be
entirely on Lortel’s side. The weight of power that Lortel would come to hold... Even
they wouldn’t be able to take that lightly.
However, ‘as of now’ that situation was taking place entirely inside of the Elte Company.
Since there was no official announcement, it was only natural for her to still be treated in
such a manner.
So Lortel continued to smile as she kept her head down... She looked over at Krepin with
eyes that were as sharp as the knife in her hand.
That man was one who shared the same blood as Ed Rothstaylor.
He was famous for his honorable, dignified, benevolent, and wise household.
Indeed, that reputation of his wasn’t false... She even felt a sense of sincerity coming
from the vassals that followed him.
She could feel the sense of respect directed towards Krepin from each and every one of
them.
“As for you... You must be the stand-in for the Elte Company.”
“Yes, my name is Lortel Kehelland. It’s such an honor for me, who is not worthy, to be
sitting here.”
“The Golden King, Elte Kehelland’s only child. I am familiar with your profound insight
and your spirit in taking on challenges.”
It was just a formal compliment from Krepin as Lortel responded with gratitude, giving
off her business-like smile.
She was sure that he was well aware of what was currently happening to Elte inside of
the company, but the two of them kept on smiling.
“I didn’t realize that you had your eyes on the Sage’s Seal. As expected, when there’s
something good on sale it will always attract the attention of merchants with good eyes.”
Lortel gave a humble smile in response to Krepin’s cunning words.
“We always head towards the scent of money. If there’s something for sale that will
make a good profit, we will always make sure to visit there.”
Soon after the luncheon ended, the Sage’s Seal was brought out to the central conference
room in Trix Hall.
A few moments were given so that both the Elte Company and the Rothstaylor Family
could use the scholars, who were experts in magic books, they brought over to verify the
authenticity of the seal.
After taking time to report on the condition of the seal, the amount of magic power
inherent in it, and the current situation of the resonance owner, the meeting moved onto
the main event.
“As for the situation... I won’t be going into detail.”
The situation in which the Sage’s Seal needed to be sold off was a major disgrace for
Sylvania.
Even though they didn’t want to make it into a big deal, they couldn’t sell it off at a low
price to those who didn’t have the power to purchase it at a larger price.
“From our point of view, we want to avoid a situation in which negotiations are dragged
on to the point that unnecessary rumors begin to circulate. As you both heard last night,
I’m asking you to both write down your bid and submit it... We will then sell it to the
person who listed the higher offer.”
A sheet of parchment was placed in front of Lortel and Krepin, who sat far away from
each other in the conference room. The carefully opened parchment was imbued with all
sorts of preservation magic.
It was a method to prevent the use of magic ink to change what was written halfway
through.
Krepin stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Lortel slowly closed her eyes.
The Sage’s Seal was a unique, one-of-a-kind item in the world. Though, there were
previous sales of similar books recorded in the history of commerce.
Lortel knew about all the previous, unprecedented large-scale book transactions
throughout history. For her, such market knowledge was no different than multiplication
tables. It was only natural that she would memorize everything.
‘The Magic book of Order’, which had dozens of enhancing type magics imbued in it by
the genius alchemist Karl, had a final bidding price of 8100 Plen gold coins.
‘The book of Obsession’, which was the only magic book on organism replication magic
analysis and was currently stored in the imperial library, had a final bidding price of
6730 Plen gold coins.
Finally, the Archmage Glockt’s personally handwritten magic notes, regarding his visit
to an unknown continent down in the south, had a final bidding price of 7020 Plen gold
coins.
The value of the inherent magic, the value of being an academic material that still
needed to be researched, and the value of it simply being a luxury item all had to be
considered when determining the bid.
In the end, the key was how much profit you could make off it.
Watching the two quietly look down at their parchment, Princess Penia—who came as a
notary—carefully watched over them.
“I have received your bid. Thank you both for expressing your valuable opinions.”
The academy’s staff greeted them politely shortly after, and Deputy Headmistress
Rachel unfolded both of their submitted parchment. The result was the exact opposite to
what Princess Penia had expected.
Attendee: Krepin Rothstaylor (Representing the Rothstaylor Family)
Presented Amount: 8900 Plen Gold Coins
Attendee: Lortel Kehelland (Representing the Elte Company)
Presented Amount: 9400 Plen Gold Coins
◐◓◑◒
“All she has to do is raise the price and it will work out. Even if she goes on the offense
to get her hands on the Sage’s Seal, she still won’t face a loss.”
“Is that so? But isn’t that something you don’t know for sure?”
Sitting next to the fire, Ziggs handed me some more soup.
On the second day, it felt like my body had regained some of its energy. After having my
magic power untangled, it seemed like my body’s condition was recovering rapidly.
“The Elte Company isn’t the type of business to go around randomly digging for gold,
right? I didn’t expect Lortel to accept your offer so easily, especially since she’ll face a
loss if she’s not able to sell it at a higher price.”
“No matter how high she raises it, the Rothstaylor Family will buy it from her. Either
way, she won’t end up facing a loss.”
“Does the Rothstaylor family really place that high of a value on the seal? To the point
where they are willing to buy it, again regardless of the price she asks?”
Looking at Ziggs, I nodded my head
But that was a lie.
I had no idea just how much the Rothstaylor Family would be willing to spend on the
Sage’s Seal.
If Lortel really ended up buying it at such a ridiculous price, then even the Rothstaylor
Family might give up on the seal.
In any case, Krepin was researching eternal life, while the Sage’s Seal was related to
Celestial Magic. It was only acting as a secondary piece of research material, to assist
with his goal. In other words, he could still continue with his research even without it.
There was no way that Lortel, who was an outsider, would know that. Even if she did,
Lortel had still agreed to what I asked of her. There were two reasons for that.
The first was because Lortel felt affection towards me.
The second was that she was betting on the unique fact that I used to be a part of the
Rothstaylor Family.
She had invested in my suggestion because she thought I might have been aware of some
of the internal circumstances within the Rothstaylor Family.
Just listening to my explanation of it all might make it sound like I was complete trash.
It seemed like Lortel was spending an astronomical amount of money just to prevent
Krepin from purchasing the Sage’s Seal.
Well, most of the money could be returned, even if she had to sell the seal at a lower
price. It wasn’t not as big of a loss as one might think... But it still wasn’t a small
amount of money by any means.
In my defense, it didn’t matter how much money Lortel used in the first place. She
wouldn’t even have to pay for it.
In any case, the Sage’s Seal would end up getting stolen by Professor Glast the day
before the sale took place. In the end, the deal would never go through.
That was just so that I could make sure to keep Krepin, who was trying to squeeze his
way into the current flow of the story, away.
◐◓◑◒
Rustle.
Suddenly a rustling sound came from a patch of grass. As Ziggs and I turned our heads,
a girl whose face we were quite familiar with came walking into the camp. Breathing
hard, it seemed like she had run over in a hurry.
“Oh, it’s Yenika. It’s not even lunchtime yet, but you’ve already made it here from the
education district?”
“Yeah! My morning class is already over! There’s no other class that I need to attend, and
I can just take care of my assignments later tonight!”
“Even so, you should have eaten lunch first—”
“I’m not hungry!”
Yenika smiled faintly as she took off her outer layer, twisting the ends of her light-pink
hair as she walked over to the campfire.
“Ed! You’ve regained consciousness!”
“Oh, Yenika. I’m sorry that I made you worry. I heard all the details from Ziggs. It
sounds like I’ve caused you a lot of trouble...”
“Hm? No, no way!”
Yenika waved her arms around in an exaggerated gesture as she shook her head, taking
note of my complexion.
“I really wasn’t worried, not even a bit! So don’t say that you’re sorry because you
thought I was worried! Really! I wasn’t worried a bit! Not in the slightest! I didn’t even
care!”
“That’s not true, Yenika. There was even a rumor that you ran across the academy
grounds on the verge of crying. burst into the academic council room...”
“Haaaa! Heeey!! That’s quite a funny story, Ziggs! But look at today! Isn’t the weather
quite chilly?! Better be careful!!! You don’t want to catch a cold!!!!!!”
Seeing her breathing heavily after running through the forest, I felt even worse for her.
She was definitely a girl with a big heart. Even though she was worried, she didn’t want
to hear someone apologize for making her worry.
Yenika, flustered, looked around... After taking a few deep breaths, she came towards me
and sat down.
As soon as she did, a bat suddenly popped out from behind Yenika’s back.
[Please kill me, young master Ed! Please kill me! I am unworthy, as I had no idea that
young master Ed was overworking himself !]
“Wh-What? Mugg? You were there?”
[I wanted to come out right away to bow in apology, but I was worried that manifesting
this worthless body of mine would only hurt young master Ed’s magic power more. So
right now, I am now using Lady Yenika’s magic power instead!]
Yenika nodded at those words as she looked at me.
Mugg flew around before he landed on my lap, bowing in apology with tears running
down his face.
“Why is he making such a fuss?”
“Considering how you looked while unconscious, isn’t much that of a fuss.”
Hearing what Ziggs said, my face went pale. They said that I resembled a corpse and,
when considering just how unsightly I was, I couldn’t say anything.
“I guess so... being unconscious for ten days, it makes sense...”
Ten days.
“Wait a minute... Ten days...?”
I quickly rose from my seat. Even though I hadn’t fully recovered my strength yet, I
managed to slowly move my body over to the underground tunnel I dug out to check on
the meat I was storing.
All the meat that I’d been working so hard to smoke... As I poked my nose inside to take
a look, a rotten smell filled my nostrils.
“U-Ughk!”
I furrowed my eyebrows as I quickly plugged my nose.
The smoked meat could only be stored for about five days without any issues, so I was
consuming it according to the order I was preserving it... But after being unconscious for
ten days, all of it had gone bad.
Also, when I went out to the river to check, the fishing net was torn up after not being
maintained. All the fish that I had previously farmed had swam away in search of
freedom.
“I’ve lost all my food.”
I let out a deep sigh as I returned to the fire and sat down. It was my fault that I hadn’t
properly taken care of my own body, so there was nothing I could do about it.
It seemed as if I didn’t have much of a choice but to use some of the money I’d been
saving up on food so I could eat. It was not a big loss, but it’s still a painful mistake that
would hurt in the long run.
When I started thinking about having to survive through the winter, there was still so
much work I needed to take care of. But having been pushed back so much... I let out a
deep sign.
“You’re thinking of overdoing it again, aren’t you Ed?”
As if Yenika read my thoughts, she came rushing closer to me.
“It’s okay, Ed. I’ll help you.”
“I can lend a hand until the next exam period. If it’s simply hunting or carpentry, I can
definitely help out.”
Ziggs spoke as if it was no big deal as he shoved the poker into the fire.
“As long as we keep on working little by little, eventually we can get the job done, right?”
Hearing his words and seeing that smirk of his, he truly seemed like a man who had
survived out in the wild on his own. As long as I took care of the work bit by bit, I’d
somehow be able to make it through it all.
Sitting by the fire and looking up, I watched Yenika and Ziggs put their heads together,
contemplating what problem we should take care of first. Suddenly, I was reminded of a
similar scene from the previous spring.
Sitting down, completely broke in the woods, without anything to my name... I slept
while hugging myself under a wooden shelter that I built in a hurry.
Falling asleep by myself while being bitten by bugs in the dark... I suddenly realized that
such a past hadn’t been all that long ago.
That’s right. There was a lot of troublesome work to take care of, but I’d managed to
deal with even worse situations while living out in the woods.
The flow of the original timeline had gone awry, but there’s no reason for me to
complain all that much since I’d been able to solve every major issue.
As for the work regarding my survival, I could get help from the two of them as I slowly
recovered my health.
The flow of the story... If Krepin lost the bid, then there wouldn’t be any other variables.
That meant there wouldn’t be any major problems.
But just in case, I couldn’t let my guard down.
◐◓◑◒
The bid submitted by the Elte Company had ended the negotiations for the purchase of
the Sage’s Seal.
Krepin Rothstaylor was bewildered, though he soon got rid of that expression as he
looked towards Lortel with a gentle smile. Lortel smiled back at him.
Only a few transactions of that magnitude regarding a magic book had taken place
before.
Of course, the Rothstaylor family would have come up with a price according to the
market price.
The highest price ever for a magic book in history was only around 8000 gold coins.
In other words, he thought that if the main goal of the Elte Company was to ‘make a
profit’, they wouldn’t submit a higher price than that.
That’s why Krepin had chosen to go from 8000 coins up to 8900 coins.
Lortel had read that far in advance and called for a higher sum of money to surpass
Krepin.
It was a battle in which Krepin had lost from the very start.
That was because he thought the goal of the Elte Company was ultimately to ‘make a
profit.’
Wasn’t’ her goal to make a profit...?
Sitting in the audience, Princess Penia’s expression was frozen.
A merchant was a man whose actions were for the sake of creating a profit. Lortel’s offer
of 9400 gold coins made no sense, considering how much would be needed to break
even.
Considering the prices of magic books in history, it’s unlikely that she would be able to
resell the Seal at a higher price.
Lortel was not the type of person who would bet on making profit when there was only
a small chance of success.
She must have had another intention than making a profit.
However, Princess Penia’s Insightful Eyes were crying out. The true nature of Lortel
truly only consisted of the greed for gold coins. If making a profit wasn’t the goal, then
what made that foxlike girl to do something like that?
In the first place, it was difficult to use the true strength of the Sage’s Seal unless you
were an owner with a proper resonance with it. Even with that in mind, without a proper
understanding of Celestial Magic there’s no use in it.
If it wasn’t to take advantage of the seal’s magical strength, and it wasn’t for its
academic value, and it wouldn’t generate a profit...
Why did Lortel go so far as to accept the bid for the seal, despite all those reasons against it?
If you ruled out all those values, just why would she make a bid for the seal?
“Hmm...”
Krepin had an unusual expression on his face.
He politely greeted the audience as he left the meeting room with an awkward
expression on his face. He didn’t seem all that happy.
Only then did Princess Penia feel as if she had been struck by lightning.
If you looked at the purpose of the Sage’s Seal, ignoring all of its pre-existing value, the
goal of owning it was to make sure Krepin Rothstaylor was kept in check and not able to
go ahead with his plans.
That was the reason Princess Penia was so concerned in the first place.
“Princess Penia. Only in this instance are we allies. The Rothstaylor family, who are the public
enemy, must be driven from Acken Island.”
That line from Lortel stung Princess Penia’s heart again.
However, there was still one thing that was strange.
Lortel had tried to prevent Krepin from being able to buy the seal at a lower price.
However, if you ended up buying it at that high a price, what was the point of trying to
keep Krepin in check? What if she didn’t care about purchasing the seal in the first
place...?
What if she was just trying to keep the seal out of his hands instead?
There was no other explanation. Otherwise, someone like Lortel—who lived and died to
make a profit—wouldn’t have bought the seal at such a high price.
With that being the case, a new question arose. Just why on earth was Lortel trying to
keep Krepin in check?
Princess Penia knew the answer. Krepin was a seemingly dignified and benevolent duke,
but he was actually a villain that hid his evil intentions.
However, even with the authority and power that came from being a princess, she didn’t
have evidence to prove his sly innermost thoughts to the world.
Krepin was so meticulous that he made sure to never leave a trail.
Even with Lortel’s power and influence as a merchant, she shouldn’t have been able to
find anything related to Krepin’s innermost darkness. No matter how influential she
might be, she couldn’t dig up information on someone like him.
Even if she were able to, there would be no reason for Lortel to step up and take action
to stop Krepin’s dark plans. That was because there would be no reason for her to
confront such a powerful, influential person.
What was needed was a sense of justice against wrongdoings. Or a sense of duty to
punish the evil.
Those things... That was too different from the type of person Lortel truly was. In other
words, it wasn’t Lortel’s intention to stop Krepin.
“But...”
Penia blurted out her words in a stream of thought.
If that was the case, then there was someone who had used or manipulated Lortel... Did
it even make any sense for such a person to exist?
As a merchant, she had a rare, exceptional talent—going as far as to be called the Golden
Daughter... Just who could control someone like her?
Lortel was, to say the least, a person who tended to reign over the situation. She wasn’t
the type of person who liked to be under someone’s thumb. Penia had thought that she
was like a wild wolf, unable to be tamed by anyone.
“Princess Penia, you don’t look so well. Are you uncomfortable?”
Penia bowed her head down quietly in the corner of the conference room. She didn’t
bother to respond to Cler’s words. There was someone that tried to stop the Sage’s Seal
from falling into Krepin’s hands.
If that proposition was established, then there needed to be a prerequisite.
There had to be someone else that knew Krepin Rothstaylor’s dark nature.
If there were someone like that at Sylvania...
“Princess Penia?”
“It may be presumptuous of me to say, but I wanted to answer your speculations regarding Ed
taking the side of the Rothstaylor family.”
Lortel’s words regarding Ed stabbed her heart like a dagger.
Excommunicated from his family, tossed into the wild, clenching his teeth while working
hard to survive, to the point that he had collapsed from overworking... If he was the one
that was trying to fight the darkness inside of the Rothstaylor family...
It was Penia Elias Kroel herself who had brought such a person down into the abyss.
◐◓◑◒
Certificate of Sale.
Buyer: Lortel Kehelland (Elte Company)
Seller: Obel Forsyth (Sylvania)
Sale Price: 9400 Plen Gold Coins
Date of Contract: Transfer of resonance ownership (7) days after the certificate signing.
Further Details of the Contract.
...
...
Rolling up the signed certificate of sale, she held it close with a bright smile.
According to Ed’s message, no matter how much she bought it for, the Rothstaylor
family would buy anyway. She believed in his words and aggressively raised the price.
She was willing to put half of her trust into Ed. After all, he was an insider from the
Rothstaylor family.
As for the other half... Well, if things didn’t go the way Ed said, Lortel was skilled
enough to resell it for at least 8500 gold coins. The difference of 900 gold coins could be
considered a loss, but thinking of it as the cost of a free pass from Ed... It was a bargain.
“Anything... Anything, he said...”
Lortel let her hair fall loose as she put in some accessories.
The mysterious, foxlike appearance that she had shown at the negotiation table was
nowhere to be seen. Standing in front of a mirror, she was putting on a rose-shaped blue
headband.
“...Anything? Really?”
She began to blush.
Even that devilish, cold face of hers at the negotiation table would turn into that of an
innocent, sweet girl in a game of tug-of-war between man and woman.
Because of that large gap in appearance, she seemed to be out of her mind. All she was
able to do now was look at the newly received piece of jewelry she placed on her head.
If the Princess had witnessed that scene, she would have vomited blood.
Chapter 50: The Battle for the Sage’s Seal (5)
[He looks like he’s having a tough time.]
The wind blew by. The natural wind that flew through the forest was always pleasant,
but the wind that tickled Yenika’s cheek was not one from nature.
It was the high-ranking wind spirit, Merilda. Her greyish-brown fur, which pleasantly
fluttered in the wind, appeared to be lighter than it actually was due to her size. Merilda
whispered to Yenika, who was leaning against the guardian tree.
[Yenika, as you already know the academy’s curriculum isn’t all that easy, right? Even
for a top student like you, you’re still so busy. But since he’s also been taking care of the
camp, he must have reached his limit.]
“So you also think the same, Merilda.”
She definitely had a different attitude then when she dealt with Takan. Holding her knees
in her arms and swallowing her saliva, she listened carefully to her close friend’s words.
[But this is still a chance, Yenika. Even that firefox won’t be able to come to the camp, as
she is extremely busy with negotiations and the like. You need to take advantage of this
time.]
“Yeah, yeah.”
[Humans fall for one another easier when they are pushed to their limits. Don’t feel
guilty. Take advantage of this crisis as much as you can. It’s okay to act a little bit sly or
greedy since you need to make him fall for you immediately. You are going to need to
control the situation.]
“Can you explain it more thoroughly?”
[Hm...]
Unlike her appearance, Merilda’s voice and behavior were quite delicate and modest.
Though, there was no way her thoughts could be considered the same.
[Whether you like it or not, you must act somewhat like a fox to snatch him up, Yenika.
In that respect, that firefox is a bit smart. You need to learn what you can from her.]
Merilda sat with her feet folded and her head raised. She then cleared her throat.
[For example, your outfit.]
Yenika was completely shocked at the fact that Merilda’s love advice was so valuable.
Since she thought of trying to cook some dishes at the campfire, she had been secretly
taking a bunch of ingredients from the academy’s cafeteria. Usually, that wouldn’t be
allowed. Luckily Bell, who understood the situation, turned a blind eye to it.
Since she was planning to cook, her outfit was rather simple. She rolled up the sleeves of
her blouse, which she had washed several times over. She also wore a shawl around her
waist, cinched tightly over her navy-blue skirt. It was something that she had often worn
back on the farm in her hometown.
She remembered Lortel’s glamorous and beautiful frill dress from before. She had let her
reddish-brown hair—usually tied to one side—flow d